What I’ve been up to, week ending 2010-05-30

Haha, enjoying @BPGlobalPR - this is why having a real social media presence of your own is important... (via @Rooney83) # I'm officially bored of factors driving premium product consumption. And it's bloody 9PM, and I'm not done for today yet... # "The war may be staged, but the murder is real" #classicHoratioquotes #CSIMiami # … Continue reading What I’ve been up to, week ending 2010-05-30

Fear and West Lothian

It occurs to me that a major reason why a Lab/Lib coalition was a complete non-starter is simply that it would not have commanded a majority of seats in England, and the regional parties it would have required for support don’t vote on England matters. Hence, it couldn’t have passed any domestic English legislation without … Continue reading Fear and West Lothian

Quiz time, wahey!

OK, so what links The Pit And The Pendulum, Richard Dawkins, and the Botswana national football team? The usual prize of a Simply Red album and a broken wireless router to the winner. Extra bonus points to be gained from suggesting the fourth clue. Unrelatedly, which punk song contains the lyric "I'm looking for you, … Continue reading Quiz time, wahey!

Danny Finkelstein: not a journalist

Rory Cellan-Jones has a good article on the BBC site about Murdoch's paywall. Well, I say "good"; being on the BBC site and hence subject to Strict Impartiality Etc, it's far too neutral about the paywall's prospects of success (which are zero). But it's informative. Most informative of all is the final proof that Times … Continue reading Danny Finkelstein: not a journalist

Tories, speed cameras, and Voluntary Idiot Tax

There are mild signs of upset at the Coalition opting to cut the number of new speed cameras. There shouldn't be. For one: speed cameras are, entirely, a voluntary tax on idiots. Most non-urban speed limits are far lower than the safe speed for the average vehicle on the road in question driven by the … Continue reading Tories, speed cameras, and Voluntary Idiot Tax

What I’ve been up to, week ending 2010-05-23

Wow, I managed to confine drunken lunacy to Skype last night - no visible online traces. # Not another bloody ash cloud? Thor will, clearly, have his revenge. Hope they're gone by August... # If you think teaching The Wire in university seminars is 'dumbing down', you're officially the dumb one http://bit.ly/a6j8rp # #ebz The … Continue reading What I’ve been up to, week ending 2010-05-23

Geeks miss point on Facebook

A silly XKCD today, suggesting that because sensible non-ubergeek people didn't back open source file formats in the early 2000s, they now have no right to be upset by Facebook's Doing Great Evil. There are only two problems with this analysis: 1) Facebook isn't doing great evil, at all, and if you think it is … Continue reading Geeks miss point on Facebook

This is not pikey, this is just *correct*

From Popbitch: In the 2004 European Championships a whole load of Jamie Carragher's family went out to Lisbon to support him. Our favourite over-heard moment from the posh WAG hotel where they stayed, from one of his close relatives: "Call this a 5 star hotel? They don't even have a kettle in the room!" I … Continue reading This is not pikey, this is just *correct*

‘Newspapers are doomed’ forecast of the day

From a media expert: The future of national newspapers is in doubt [...]: the purveying of 'news' (which is only one of a newspaper's functions) is in several respects more interesting, more immediate and more dramatic on-screen. The greater part of all newspapers is given over to advertising [...] which keeps them alive, and to … Continue reading ‘Newspapers are doomed’ forecast of the day

What I’ve been up to, week ending 2010-05-16

I suspect a lot of stupid lies are going to be told in the UK about fairer electoral systems over the next few weeks. # So I re-edited the drunk piece from last night and published it (it's the OneWorld article that I auto-tweeted about 10 mins ago). # Conclusion: I can still do some … Continue reading What I’ve been up to, week ending 2010-05-16