Proud Americans refuse to be out-stupided by the Limeys
We British had the Twitter Joke Trial. R v Paul Chambers (appealed to the High Court as Chambers v Director of Public Prosecutions), popularly known as the Twitter Joke Trial, was a United Kingdom...
View ArticleThe foundling
Anyone know whose baby this is? Mystery Deepens Around Unmanned Spy Boat Washed Up In Scotland
View ArticleOnchocerca volvulus and freedom of speech
There is a horrible disease prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa called onchocerciasis or “river blindness”. The black flies that live near rivers carry a parasite, a tiny worm called onchocerca volvulus....
View ArticleDefinitions of what is shameful differ
A human interest story from the Daily Record: ‘Kalashnikov councillor’ running for seat in Scottish Parliament after machine gun shame A shamed politician – dubbed the Kalashnikov councillor after...
View ArticleNe laissez jamais une crise se perdre
As President Obama’s chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said in 2008, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. I mean, it’s an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before.” The...
View ArticleAnd the lesson for today is…
…from the Second Book of Kings, Chapter 20, Verses 12-19: 12 At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of Hezekiah’s illness. 13...
View ArticleThis proves what I always said about Brexit!
Says absolutely everyone. UK faces Brexit limbo after talks deadline missed Britain risks weeks without trade transition plans from 1 January after missing EU parliament Sunday deadline – The Guardian...
View ArticleIt’s a dirty job but someone has to do it
Chorus of dissent after police stop carol singers in car park Police have been criticised for disbanding an outdoor fundraising performance by carol singers in a quiet village. Four patrol cars swooped...
View ArticleTrouble comes to the EU from three directions
“The EU is a divided house”, writes John Keiger at the Spectator: A 2019 German think tank report, entitled ‘20 Years of the Euro; Winners and Losers’, costed the single currency’s impact on individual...
View ArticleI am shocked, shocked to find that there has been a political riot in the US
Biden victory confirmed after deadly attack on Capitol Note the convenient unidirectionality of the word “deadly” in that BBC report. A writing challenge for you: how would these events be reported if...
View ArticleHealth is the war of the state
The Telegraph reports: EU threatens war-time occupation of vaccine makers as AstraZeneca crisis spirals (£) “The EU sledgehammer is coming down. The European Council is preparing to invoke emergency...
View ArticleThe Hate Crime (Scotland) Bill is due to pass tonight
In the (Glasgow) Herald, Scottish Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf writes, New Hate Crime Bill extends protection of people Odd headline. Make that some people. This week Parliament will consider further...
View ArticleFive Eyes, one closing
“Five Eyes on China cut to four as New Zealand puts trade first”, reports the Times. New Zealand has broken with Anglophone allies over using the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing network to confront...
View ArticleI predicted this, it didn’t happen. I predicted this, it didn’t happen. I...
European MPs targeted by deepfake video calls imitating Russian opposition
View ArticleSome fallacies will never die
“SNP MSP claims border with England would ‘create jobs'”, writes Tom Gordon in the Herald. AN SNP candidate has claimed that a new a trade border between Scotland and England resulting from...
View ArticleCMV: the threat to liberty from mandatory voter ID is insignificant
“CMV” stands for “Change my view”. It is the name of a subreddit where people go to argue, expecting disagreement, as I expect it now. In the most recent Queen’s Speech, Her Majesty told the Lords and...
View ArticleThe European Digital Identity is born
The Executive Vice-President for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age loves the idea: Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age said: “The European digital identity...
View ArticleRibbons tied in a bow
Eight days ago I posted about Marion Millar of Airdrie, Scotland, who was summoned to a police station for a compulsory interview over allegations that she had posted homophobic and transphobic tweets....
View ArticleTo call it “Project Cassandra” was hubris
As soon as I saw it I thought of psychohistory. I was not alone, judging from the most recommended comment to this fascinating Guardian article: ‘At first I thought, this is crazy’: the real-life plan...
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