The police should be given greater powers to hack into private computers in their efforts to combat cyber crime, according to a concept briefing for parliament… What..?! … by justice minister Ivo Opstelten. Oh. Whew! No need to worry that Inspector Barnaby will be typing away in his office, two-fingered, tongue poking out of the side of his mouth in concentration, trying to find his way through your folders. It’s…
Yet more #firstworldproblems: The debut of Lego Friends, featuring a more prominent use of pink than your typical Lego fan would be used to, drew criticism from some consumer groups who said it would reinforce gender stereotypes. As well as the usual trucks, policemen and rugged houses, the line now includes “Stephanie’s cool convertible” in distinctive pink and purple, and “Mia’s Puppy House”, accessorised with flowers and full pet grooming…
Imagine prohibiting cigarette sales to people born after 2000. Phasing out tobacco will stop the next generation taking up smoking. Actually I’d be surprised if this is really new and hasn’t been bandied around nannying and anti-tobacco circles previously, but this is the first time I’ve seen something like it being seriously mooted in the pages of a major newspaper. And I have to say that not only is it…
Read this quote carefully as there may be questions later. Mental Health Minister Helen Morton said as there was no evidence to prove that even small amounts of alcohol were not healthy for pregnant women, no alcohol was the best advice. I’ve read that a number of times and I really can’t spot the connection between the observation that there’s no reason, none at all, to think that a small…
It is a surprise to no one in the US that Barack Obama supports gay marriage. The only thing that has raised eyebrows is how long it took the President to stumble towards a clear public affirmation of his position. What’s surprising? Any US president saying this kind of thing is going to piss of the Christian right, and since they’re going to vote Republican that’s no loss to a…
John Low argues against the Polly Toynbee attack on tax relief for charity donation: Culture and the arts enrich our lives and society, but the government is not able to cover the full cost alone. I’d argue that culture and the arts aren’t suitable things for the state to ever involve themselves in, frankly. And if millionaires want to subsidise it, fine! It is, after all, their money… Whatever the…
Ron Glatter (emeritus professor of educational administration and management at the Open University): A special report on the UK says that in Britain “both the within and between-school impact of socio-economic background on educational attainment are well above the OECD average”. In fact more of the variation between the performance of different schools is related to their socio-economic intake in the UK than in any of 33 other OECD countries…
Children are still exposed to the same level of junk food advertising despite tighter regulations, research suggests. Eh? Are companies breaching the regulations, then? Newcastle University academics said 6.1% of adverts seen by children were about junk food before the ban – the figure was 7% after the ban. It’s gone up! Albeit in a statistically insignificant rise. So, they must be, surely? Well, no. Of course they aren’t. The…
Of course I’ve done no such thing really. Smoke in here and I’ll tell you to put it out, go outside or just leave. If you take the last option I must accept that once you’re any measurable distance at all from my gate, even if its in millimetres, I have no right to tell you to stop. Well, that’s how I see it, and I don’t feel that’s anything…
Earlier today Mrs Exile and I were in the toiletries and medicines aisle of one of the main supermarkets where we noticed something that gave us one of our periodic public fits of hysterical giggles. In this particular supermarket the condoms and KY jelly are now on the same rack of shelves as the nicotine replacement therapy stuff, and this prompted the same thought to occur to us both: relaxing…
While today’s time and date offer the potential for some light hearted fun with binary I’m more inclined to stick with the altered background theme of my own blog this week and go for something a bit more reflective. In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns…
Shelagh McKinlay (who blogs at ‘The Absurdist’) on the latest useless piece of ‘research’ on diet: I once ordered a cheese roll at a cafe in Fife and was astonished to hear the waitress cry: “Once through the hot fat for that cheese roll, Bobby!” Any nation that automatically deep fries its sandwiches must admit it has a problem. From one café encounter, you generalise to fit a whole nation?…
When blogging I’ve occasionally quoted from Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books since they’ve always been less a fantasy series and more a series of parodies of parts of the world we actually live in, and there are often bits here and there which align pretty neatly with libertarian positions. I’ve no idea if Terry Pratchett would describe himself as a libertarian but some of his characters certainly are, at least…
A local road accident brings out some surprising comments in the newspaper. Among the usual mawkish ‘another angel in heaven’ comments, and the typical ‘it was the driver!’ and ‘No, it was the pedestrian!’ ones, are these: gg2005 says…Unless you were at the incident I don’t think you should comment. Stop making judgements without all the information. You are causing a lot of offence Ah, the modern taboo – ‘causing…
John Middleton (or as Tim describes him, this ‘scumbag idiot Marxist’ ) on the awful consequences of choice: A crowded train is delayed for hours; when it finally arrives the public address announces: “Thank you for choosing Virgin trains.” An exhausted passenger shrieks: “I didn’t have any bloody choice.” Stories of the incompetence and impersonality of telephone, water and energy companies are legion. All beneficiaries of choice and competition: an…
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