99% of men are rapists or nose-pickers

I'm not a fan of violence against anyone, irrespective of their gender. But I don't give a toss about 'violence against women', any more than I give a toss about 'violence against ginger people' or 'violence against taxidermists'. If women were disproportionately likely to be the victims of violence, then perhaps there would be some … Continue reading 99% of men are rapists or nose-pickers

‘How Racist Are The BNP?’

BNP apologists frequently claim that supporters of the group aren't necessarily racist, they're just misguided working-class souls who've been abandoned by the mainstream parties and feel the BNP speaks for them. Non-apologists suggest, with equal frequency, that perhaps if people weren't racist then they wouldn't vote for a party whose primary feature was racism, even … Continue reading ‘How Racist Are The BNP?’

Traditional ‘where’s your grammar?’ line

("in t'front room watching telly, what's it to you?") An apparently valid study has shown that 25-34 year olds are best at using apostrophes correctly, while over-55s are worst. While this doesn't fit with the traditional narrative of 'it's all gone to the dogs since trendy liberals took over teaching', it does fit with the … Continue reading Traditional ‘where’s your grammar?’ line

Violence most horrid

It only seems like a few months since the biggest "idiots failing to understand numbers" issue was that of crime... oh, for those heady pre-recession days when people had nothing more to worry about than lamenting that crime was a major problem despite it generally not being one. The latest row, which has unfortunately given … Continue reading Violence most horrid

Furniture, nudity thereof

If anyone uses the phrase 'the cupboard is bare' when referring to the UK's current economic position, this is an excellent indicator that they are entirely clueless about it. For one, it's an embarrassingly trite and twee metaphor, unlikely to be used by anyone literate; for two, it paints an entirely false picture of the … Continue reading Furniture, nudity thereof

In which your host is proved right

Every prediction I made in this piece from 2005 on 24-hour drinking has proved to be correct: on-trade alcohol consumption has fallen, levels of alcohol-related crime haven't changed; pubs haven't made any extra money; but puritan idiots have continued to rail against the rule change anyway. The most offensively stupid puritan argument is that '24-hour … Continue reading In which your host is proved right

Anything the global financial system can do, local government can do worse

Individuals who lost more than £50,000 in the Landsbanki collapse certainly let greed get in the way of good sense, and certainly don't deserve the generous bail-out terms that the government has given them. However, that pales into insignificance compared to the 20+ local councils who've lost tens of millions between them in Landsbanki deposits. … Continue reading Anything the global financial system can do, local government can do worse

Serious violent crime map

I've been busy working and being in pain (alcohol and seedy dives with steep slippery wooden staircases are not a good combination, but codeine and sodium naproxen are excellent painkillers); apologies for lack of posting. Luckily for those of you who come here for evidence that we're not all going to hell in a handcart … Continue reading Serious violent crime map