Three months since my last post! I'm blaming exams again which hopefully went ok despite my ambitiously doing two at once and a monumental PMI cock up where we were given the wrong essay questions.
Without further ado here are some things that are noteworthy this week:
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/oct/27/marmo-bristol-it-just-makes-me-happy-restaurant-review
Jay Rayner writes a love letter to Bristol restaurants in his Sunday restaurant review for the Guardian. While I don't eat out much this is still a flattering write up for my native city. I've always admired Rayner's writing and this week is no exception.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/oct/26/boris-johnson-no-brexit-until-january-block-christmas-general-election
While I haven't fully thought through the implications this does seem like a deal with the devil for Jo and Blackford. I can see why the Lib Dems would want to capitalise on positive headlines and perceived Labour weakness but I can't imagine there will be much popular enthusiasm for an election in December.
More importantly with Johnson's open contempt for the law and parliamentary procedure and cooperation with him is likely to back fire massively. Even the prospect of revoking the millstone of article 50 doesn't excuse such risk taking.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/512900/Streets_of_Rogue/
So I got naughtily drunk at a work social on Thursday. Cue an end of week featuring locating lost rucksacks containing keys and mobiles, apology chocolates for waking up the house in the middle of the night and a hungover, adrenalin-fuelled Friday. While my system is mostly back to normal I did wake at 4am this morning as my sleep patterns are still messy.
After trying to get back to sleep and reading some of Chasm City, I booted up Streets of Rogue for a run through as the Cop. This game deserves all of the praise it has received although after over 70 hours I've seen much of what it has to offer.
I managed to do the Big Quest by making mass arrests to cover for a couple of accidental massacres (not really my fault - couple of crossfire conflicts with mobsters and a 'status effect' special event that turned me into a giant at an awkward moment).
Getting to the Mayor's Village I blew away the guardhouse with fireworks and a machine gun and then took out two cop bots who came investigating. I possibly needn't have bothered however since as a supercop the majority of the residents seemed to be aligned with me. All it took was a couple of grenades at the patrolling mayor and I had the victory.
Give it a try. It is tremendously more-ish even when you've played it to death.
Showing posts with label Britain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Britain. Show all posts
Sunday, 27 October 2019
Sunday, 18 February 2018
End of Days
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/earthquake-strikes-britain-with-tremors-felt-from-cornwall-to-liverpool-a3769216.html
I blame Trump and/or Brexit.
I blame Trump and/or Brexit.
Thursday, 25 January 2018
May vs Facebook
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42815600
So, a meeting of some of the world's richest and most influential people and all May can think of is to moan about terrorists and pedophiles on social media? Talk about myopic.
Fair play to McDonnell for suggesting that he might have talked about something that actually mattered - global inequality and the need for a greater focus on development.
So, a meeting of some of the world's richest and most influential people and all May can think of is to moan about terrorists and pedophiles on social media? Talk about myopic.
Fair play to McDonnell for suggesting that he might have talked about something that actually mattered - global inequality and the need for a greater focus on development.
Wednesday, 2 March 2016
... Except that nobody get their legs broken
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/mar/02/adblocking-protection-racket-john-whittingdale
What utter tripe from the Culture Secretary (who apparently believes that free is just another term for socialist).
Adblocking does threaten the business model of online newspapers and probably harms music and dvd sales. However, a large majority of the content available on the internet is provided by unpaid volunteers doing it for the fun of it or by organisations that have more sensible business models than simply beaming visuals at your unwilling eyeballs.
Many of the organisations that do make heavy use of advertising have slightly dubious claims to the propriety of their output anyway. Why should Youtube profit from copyrighted content that has been uploaded by a user? Similarly by what right (except for 'deal with the devil' terms and conditions) does Facebook harvest user details for personalised advertising hints?
More innovative internet entities go in one of two directions. The first is to keep it specialised, loyal and thus supported. Sites like Wikipedia and Board Game Geek sustain inherently useful communities that can be replied upon to put in a couple of quid whenever in a fundraiser comes round. Even freeloaders are likely to share the ethos and interests of the community and will help to create content that keeps the community vibrant and attractive. This approach is unlikely to be attractive to investors and shareholders.
Alternatively the more confident commercial operations can set up subscription models in the fashion of the Economist and Murdoch's evil (but savvy) empire. You don't have to sign up. The BBC will happily provide you with news for free. However, if you do you get access in a convenient way for an arranged fee.
John Whittingdale should read his job title and encourage such canny emergent strategies for internet management. Sticking his thumb in the dyke and griping about adblockers won't change things unless he is willing to back it up with tough legislation.
What utter tripe from the Culture Secretary (who apparently believes that free is just another term for socialist).
Adblocking does threaten the business model of online newspapers and probably harms music and dvd sales. However, a large majority of the content available on the internet is provided by unpaid volunteers doing it for the fun of it or by organisations that have more sensible business models than simply beaming visuals at your unwilling eyeballs.
Many of the organisations that do make heavy use of advertising have slightly dubious claims to the propriety of their output anyway. Why should Youtube profit from copyrighted content that has been uploaded by a user? Similarly by what right (except for 'deal with the devil' terms and conditions) does Facebook harvest user details for personalised advertising hints?
More innovative internet entities go in one of two directions. The first is to keep it specialised, loyal and thus supported. Sites like Wikipedia and Board Game Geek sustain inherently useful communities that can be replied upon to put in a couple of quid whenever in a fundraiser comes round. Even freeloaders are likely to share the ethos and interests of the community and will help to create content that keeps the community vibrant and attractive. This approach is unlikely to be attractive to investors and shareholders.
Alternatively the more confident commercial operations can set up subscription models in the fashion of the Economist and Murdoch's evil (but savvy) empire. You don't have to sign up. The BBC will happily provide you with news for free. However, if you do you get access in a convenient way for an arranged fee.
John Whittingdale should read his job title and encourage such canny emergent strategies for internet management. Sticking his thumb in the dyke and griping about adblockers won't change things unless he is willing to back it up with tough legislation.
Thursday, 11 February 2016
Osborne's brother struck off
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/feb/11/george-osborne-brother-adam-struck-off-psychiatrist-affair-with-patient-medical-tribunal
I guess bullying and screwing over the vulnerable runs in the family then.
Sunday, 22 November 2015
Drop the whip
So I've been thinking about the origin of the term 'whip' in political jargon. I've been assured by Wikipedia and a basic google search that it originates from a hunting term, which is understandable since most MPs would have been aristocratic estate managers in the mid-1800s when the term was first used.
However, to a modern ear the term has connotations of slavery and corporeal punishment. These impressions are reinforced by the actual behaviour of whips as political enforcers and disciplinarians. The film and TV industry loves the stereotype of a feared and unpleasant whip such as Malcolm Tucker of 'The Thick of It' or Frank Underwood of 'House of Cards'. They make great charachters and chime brilliantly with the modern sceptism of politician's motives and the capacity for abuse that their role gives them.
It would be a thankless task to rid British politics of the multitude of references to a more inegalitarian age. We have the House of Lords and the token role of the Monarch in a 21st century government. Ceremonial maces sit prominently by the front bench in televised political debates. Still it would be a definite improvement if once in a while the use of antiquated terms and definitions were considered in an institution that has often been seen as having an ingrained conservatism (small c) and has consistently failed to keep up with changing times.
However, to a modern ear the term has connotations of slavery and corporeal punishment. These impressions are reinforced by the actual behaviour of whips as political enforcers and disciplinarians. The film and TV industry loves the stereotype of a feared and unpleasant whip such as Malcolm Tucker of 'The Thick of It' or Frank Underwood of 'House of Cards'. They make great charachters and chime brilliantly with the modern sceptism of politician's motives and the capacity for abuse that their role gives them.
It would be a thankless task to rid British politics of the multitude of references to a more inegalitarian age. We have the House of Lords and the token role of the Monarch in a 21st century government. Ceremonial maces sit prominently by the front bench in televised political debates. Still it would be a definite improvement if once in a while the use of antiquated terms and definitions were considered in an institution that has often been seen as having an ingrained conservatism (small c) and has consistently failed to keep up with changing times.
Sunday, 3 May 2015
Clegg will put Lib Dem 'red lines' first
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32568840
... by which I assume he means the trails of blood that the party is leaving behind as it drags itself towards post-electoral irrelevance.
... by which I assume he means the trails of blood that the party is leaving behind as it drags itself towards post-electoral irrelevance.
Sunday, 19 April 2015
Labour claim they are no longer Labour
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/18/ed-miliband-tories-labour-one-nation-conservatives-eu
This makes me want to throw up a little bit. Come on Ed, at least pay lip service to the left wing ideals that Labour espoused for most of the last century.
If people are small minded and selfish enough to vote Tory they will do. Appeal to a constituency that you have a chance of winning.
This makes me want to throw up a little bit. Come on Ed, at least pay lip service to the left wing ideals that Labour espoused for most of the last century.
If people are small minded and selfish enough to vote Tory they will do. Appeal to a constituency that you have a chance of winning.
Saturday, 28 March 2015
Cameron flailing but apparently still full of bile
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/mar/28/david-cameron-makes-personal-attack-on-ed-miliband-and-sneering-socialists
Well good to see that the the Tories are sticking to their 'traditional values' while accusing Labour of betraying theirs. However, since the traditional Tory values appear to be meanness, unprovoked personal attacks and doubling down on unsuccessful economic and international policies I'm not sure this is any special reason to vote for them.
Well good to see that the the Tories are sticking to their 'traditional values' while accusing Labour of betraying theirs. However, since the traditional Tory values appear to be meanness, unprovoked personal attacks and doubling down on unsuccessful economic and international policies I'm not sure this is any special reason to vote for them.
Sunday, 15 February 2015
The Economist vs the socialists
Having picked up this week's Economist I have made an amazing discovery. A disinterested observer might be tempted to think that oil-producing countries are nearly certain to struggle during an oil glut especially following OPEC's decision to not curtail production.
This is evident in the cases of Russia, Venezuala, Brazil and even Nigeria. America should be treated as something of a special case. The shale gas producers are certainly being squeezed be low oil prices but the size of the US economy and its central position in world investment means that the boost to economic endeavour given by the low prices helps to offset damage to the exporting energy industry.
However, if you read the Economist it becomes clear that these failings are due to the number one suspect. Venezuala is suffering for decades of, unfathomably, attempting to fund social progress with oil profits rather than stakeholder dividends. Brazil could have avoided this crisis entirely if it had nipped corruption and state control in the bud with a healthy dose of market forces.
I'm not saying that this is entirely a fabrication. The corruption in Brazil's Petrobras company is abominable (although it wouldn't look out of place in the modern state capitalist China). What seems unfair is the special pleading that the same journalists would apply in analogous cases for devout capitalists. The Coalition are heaped with praise for staying the course with austerity even though it is clear that low oil prices (over which they had little control) are responsible for much of the recent upturn in economic growth.
This is evident in the cases of Russia, Venezuala, Brazil and even Nigeria. America should be treated as something of a special case. The shale gas producers are certainly being squeezed be low oil prices but the size of the US economy and its central position in world investment means that the boost to economic endeavour given by the low prices helps to offset damage to the exporting energy industry.
However, if you read the Economist it becomes clear that these failings are due to the number one suspect. Venezuala is suffering for decades of, unfathomably, attempting to fund social progress with oil profits rather than stakeholder dividends. Brazil could have avoided this crisis entirely if it had nipped corruption and state control in the bud with a healthy dose of market forces.
I'm not saying that this is entirely a fabrication. The corruption in Brazil's Petrobras company is abominable (although it wouldn't look out of place in the modern state capitalist China). What seems unfair is the special pleading that the same journalists would apply in analogous cases for devout capitalists. The Coalition are heaped with praise for staying the course with austerity even though it is clear that low oil prices (over which they had little control) are responsible for much of the recent upturn in economic growth.
Sunday, 8 February 2015
Osborne resorts to bribery
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31241867
I just saw an interview on BBC news with Osborne offering the flimsiest reasoning for this blatant piece of electioneering.
"We've just come out of a recession where our need to lower interest rates have hit savers", he mugs. Fair enough so far, "and therefore we should support those who save for the good of the economy".
Lots of buzz words. Impeccable logic. However, one wonders why the over 65's with their Final Salary pensions and innumerable state-funded benefits are especially deserving of further government largesse. Osborne's move has been described as 'reverse social engineering' since all the studies show that the young have been disproportionately screwed by the downturn. This further encouragement to growing wealth inequality doesn't seem to faze the chancellor.
The only reason for this move is that we are now in election season and Osborne wants the silver vote to help stave off the defeat that threatens with the splitting of the right wing vote between Tory and UKIP.
I just saw an interview on BBC news with Osborne offering the flimsiest reasoning for this blatant piece of electioneering.
"We've just come out of a recession where our need to lower interest rates have hit savers", he mugs. Fair enough so far, "and therefore we should support those who save for the good of the economy".
Lots of buzz words. Impeccable logic. However, one wonders why the over 65's with their Final Salary pensions and innumerable state-funded benefits are especially deserving of further government largesse. Osborne's move has been described as 'reverse social engineering' since all the studies show that the young have been disproportionately screwed by the downturn. This further encouragement to growing wealth inequality doesn't seem to faze the chancellor.
The only reason for this move is that we are now in election season and Osborne wants the silver vote to help stave off the defeat that threatens with the splitting of the right wing vote between Tory and UKIP.
Tuesday, 20 January 2015
Osborne gets back on his hobby horse
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jan/20/scottish-votes-income-tax-george-osborne-devolution
Anybody else worried about the fact that we are meant to hand our economy over for another four years to the party that took approximately 3 miliseconds after the Scottish referendum to swing from appealing for them to stay to pandering to British nationalists?
Labour may have their issues but at least they aren't total two-faced hypocrites.
Anybody else worried about the fact that we are meant to hand our economy over for another four years to the party that took approximately 3 miliseconds after the Scottish referendum to swing from appealing for them to stay to pandering to British nationalists?
Labour may have their issues but at least they aren't total two-faced hypocrites.
Wednesday, 31 December 2014
Class War? What Class War?
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/dec/31/labour-class-war-private-schools
I'm amazed Mr Jones managed to keep a straight face for the photo.
He manages to simultaneously work in a claim that many parents who send their children to private schools make 'huge sacrifices' to do so while also accusing Labour of returning to 'Class War' by considering ending tax breaks (that favourite tool of oppression of revolutionary parties!).
Surely if anybody who is willing to sacrifice can make use of private school services then there is no 'class' here to be victimised. That argument only holds together if such schools really are over privileged havens for grooming the children of the rich.
Typical woolly-headed thinking from a defender of the establishment.
P.s. Happy New Year to one and all. Please consider not voting Conservative or UKIP as a potential new year's resolution.
I'm amazed Mr Jones managed to keep a straight face for the photo.
He manages to simultaneously work in a claim that many parents who send their children to private schools make 'huge sacrifices' to do so while also accusing Labour of returning to 'Class War' by considering ending tax breaks (that favourite tool of oppression of revolutionary parties!).
Surely if anybody who is willing to sacrifice can make use of private school services then there is no 'class' here to be victimised. That argument only holds together if such schools really are over privileged havens for grooming the children of the rich.
Typical woolly-headed thinking from a defender of the establishment.
P.s. Happy New Year to one and all. Please consider not voting Conservative or UKIP as a potential new year's resolution.
Saturday, 6 December 2014
Russia today, Britain tomorrow
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30326253
Putin's economy is in a mess due mainly to his alienation of key trading partners in America and Europe (unless you subscribe to the fantasy that OPEC are keeping oil prices down as an early Christmas present to all the motorists and industrialists out there).
The British coalition government should be carefully taking notes. A departure from Europe would not piss the international community off as much as Russia's annexation of Crimea and blatant intervention in Ukraine but no amount of austerity scrimping will suffice if we too succeed in annoying our main trading partners.
Putin's economy is in a mess due mainly to his alienation of key trading partners in America and Europe (unless you subscribe to the fantasy that OPEC are keeping oil prices down as an early Christmas present to all the motorists and industrialists out there).
The British coalition government should be carefully taking notes. A departure from Europe would not piss the international community off as much as Russia's annexation of Crimea and blatant intervention in Ukraine but no amount of austerity scrimping will suffice if we too succeed in annoying our main trading partners.
Wednesday, 22 October 2014
Miliband forgot the economy!
So I tuned into Prime Minister's Question Time last weekend - mainly to see Cameron get the kicking he royally deserved for hiring a welfare minister who thinks that it is acceptable to indicate that the disabled may not be worth paying a minimum wage (http://stochasticreview.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/lord-freuds-slip.html).
However, I was astonished to find that the Tories are still droning on about Miliband's accidential omission of mention of the deficit in his Manchester speech in late September. "I hope Ed remembers to attend the doctor's appointment for his sore throat" quips the intolerably smug Prime Minister in a show of mock sympathy for Miliband.
Insincere condolences are something that Britain has got used to under the Coalition. Perish the thought but some of us might even think we can afford to forget the economy every now and again rather than using austerity to justify a barrage of policies that keep the poor unsupported, vital national services privatised and growing numbers of young people excluded from adequately renumerative employments or affordable housing.
... but then such thinking goes against the austerity play book in an election where Cameron seems determined to pander to the privileged and/or UKIP supporters.
However, I was astonished to find that the Tories are still droning on about Miliband's accidential omission of mention of the deficit in his Manchester speech in late September. "I hope Ed remembers to attend the doctor's appointment for his sore throat" quips the intolerably smug Prime Minister in a show of mock sympathy for Miliband.
Insincere condolences are something that Britain has got used to under the Coalition. Perish the thought but some of us might even think we can afford to forget the economy every now and again rather than using austerity to justify a barrage of policies that keep the poor unsupported, vital national services privatised and growing numbers of young people excluded from adequately renumerative employments or affordable housing.
... but then such thinking goes against the austerity play book in an election where Cameron seems determined to pander to the privileged and/or UKIP supporters.
Wednesday, 15 October 2014
Lord Freud's slip
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29628557
In before the newspaper cartoonists - now that's what you call a Freudian slip!
But seriously we didn't need one idiot minister to let us know how the government plans to treat the disabled if they win re-election. Their current moves to reduce benefits for all those who need them whether they are working or unemployed, disabled or fit, shows how little concern they have for such groups.
In before the newspaper cartoonists - now that's what you call a Freudian slip!
But seriously we didn't need one idiot minister to let us know how the government plans to treat the disabled if they win re-election. Their current moves to reduce benefits for all those who need them whether they are working or unemployed, disabled or fit, shows how little concern they have for such groups.
Sunday, 12 October 2014
Of Tokyo and Foster Parents
Sadly I wasn't quite as thrilled with the second outing for the Peaky Blinders as I was with the action-packed return of the series.
Don't get me wrong - I am interested in Arthur's growing psychopathy and the fate of Polly's adopted children but I would have liked to see further developments in the Irish and London expansion elements of the plot. One growly meeting with Tom Hardy in a London distillery was pretty much all we got this time around (though kudos to the producers for featuring a Jewish gang that look like real 20th century immigrants rather than being exclusively Haredi with side curls).
Still this caveat is more personal taste than anything and I'm definitely looking froward to the next episode and (hopefully) a restored focus on Campbell's intrigue and brawling with Italian crime bosses.
Don't get me wrong - I am interested in Arthur's growing psychopathy and the fate of Polly's adopted children but I would have liked to see further developments in the Irish and London expansion elements of the plot. One growly meeting with Tom Hardy in a London distillery was pretty much all we got this time around (though kudos to the producers for featuring a Jewish gang that look like real 20th century immigrants rather than being exclusively Haredi with side curls).
Still this caveat is more personal taste than anything and I'm definitely looking froward to the next episode and (hopefully) a restored focus on Campbell's intrigue and brawling with Italian crime bosses.
Friday, 3 October 2014
Explosive start to the second series of Peaky Blinders
(Spoilers ahead - be warned)
Absolutely fucking fantastic first episode! The twist before the credits rolled dragged you in nice and fast and the promise of a simultaneous expansion into the vicious gang politics of 1920s London and the politics of the Irish civil war should ensure that the series remains fresh.
Admittedly it seemed a bit cheesy that both Grace and Campbell survived the shooting incident at the end of the first series. We hadn't previously been given any evidence that Grace was the sort of double agent that would fail to finish off a dangerous and ruthless opponent. However, when it means that we get another series of three great central characters facing off against each other you can hardly bemoan the methods.
All in all I'm not sure that this episode could have been bettered. Let's hope the series shapes up well after this early promise!
Absolutely fucking fantastic first episode! The twist before the credits rolled dragged you in nice and fast and the promise of a simultaneous expansion into the vicious gang politics of 1920s London and the politics of the Irish civil war should ensure that the series remains fresh.
Admittedly it seemed a bit cheesy that both Grace and Campbell survived the shooting incident at the end of the first series. We hadn't previously been given any evidence that Grace was the sort of double agent that would fail to finish off a dangerous and ruthless opponent. However, when it means that we get another series of three great central characters facing off against each other you can hardly bemoan the methods.
All in all I'm not sure that this episode could have been bettered. Let's hope the series shapes up well after this early promise!
Saturday, 9 August 2014
Miliband jumps on bandwagon
Come on Miliband - I've defended you every time the newspapers have tried to present you as a clueless moron because the press always does that to any Labour leader who isn't actively pursuing right wing policies.
However, it's going to be hard to do so when you appear intent on jumping on the Conservative's 'goad the Scots into voting for independence' campaign. It might win a few votes in the more bumptious areas of Little England but basically it is up to Scotland whether they stay or go and antagonising them is only likely to push more towards a 'fuck England' attitude.
Scot-baiting is an even worse move for Labour than for the Conservatives as the left can actually expect considerable amounts of votes north of the border. The Conservatives have little to lose but Miliband risks killing the goose that lays the golden eggs and marginalising Scottish voters.
However, it's going to be hard to do so when you appear intent on jumping on the Conservative's 'goad the Scots into voting for independence' campaign. It might win a few votes in the more bumptious areas of Little England but basically it is up to Scotland whether they stay or go and antagonising them is only likely to push more towards a 'fuck England' attitude.
Scot-baiting is an even worse move for Labour than for the Conservatives as the left can actually expect considerable amounts of votes north of the border. The Conservatives have little to lose but Miliband risks killing the goose that lays the golden eggs and marginalising Scottish voters.
Tuesday, 22 July 2014
Welcome to a better Utopia
So I've finally finished watching the first series of Utopia and made a start on the second and I have to say that it represents a real step up in quality.
I did like the first series -which combined originality with a great cast of interesting characters and carefully skirted the line well between humour and horror. However, in getting you used to the distinctive style and ideas of the world of Utopia it adopted a fairly claustrophobic and samey plot. Once you got past who was betraying or misleading who at any one time it was simply a fugitive storyline with the same few characters becoming progressively more brutal in their efforts to stay out of the hands of the Network.
The first episode of series 2 shakes things up nicely by taking us back to the origins of Janus. The young Milner and Carvel, along with their unfortunate spouses, are a breath of fresh air after we have got used to following such a restricted group of characters. Definitely one to watch with Wikipedia on in the background though. Spotting the links between the actions of the Network and the real events of the 1970s is good fun and I always enjoy seeing British alternate history done well.
While I fully expect a return to the present day in future episodes it's nice to see the directors find their feet enough to take some risks with novel formats. Bring on the rest of the series!
I did like the first series -which combined originality with a great cast of interesting characters and carefully skirted the line well between humour and horror. However, in getting you used to the distinctive style and ideas of the world of Utopia it adopted a fairly claustrophobic and samey plot. Once you got past who was betraying or misleading who at any one time it was simply a fugitive storyline with the same few characters becoming progressively more brutal in their efforts to stay out of the hands of the Network.
The first episode of series 2 shakes things up nicely by taking us back to the origins of Janus. The young Milner and Carvel, along with their unfortunate spouses, are a breath of fresh air after we have got used to following such a restricted group of characters. Definitely one to watch with Wikipedia on in the background though. Spotting the links between the actions of the Network and the real events of the 1970s is good fun and I always enjoy seeing British alternate history done well.
While I fully expect a return to the present day in future episodes it's nice to see the directors find their feet enough to take some risks with novel formats. Bring on the rest of the series!
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