Not all of Iraq is a tale of disaster
July 21st, 2011 by Roger Darlington
“Major events in the wider Middle East have overshadowed
the already neglected story of the Kurdistan Region which
is now the safest, most pluralistic and dynamic part of Iraq
although there should be no complacency about pressing
and persistent social, economic and political problems.”
These are the opening words of the latest report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on the Kurdistan Region in Iraq which was visited from 31 May to 6 June 2011.
Posted in World current affairs | Comments (0)
Is the Net changing your brain?
July 21st, 2011 by Roger Darlington
It certainly is – but in a good way or a bad way? I discuss this in my latest – the 68th – column on Internet issues which you can read here.
Posted in Internet | Comments (0)
What do these web sites have in common? (2)
July 20th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
A couple of days ago, I did a posting in which I listed a number of Left-leaning web sites, asked what they had in common, and promised the answer today.
The answer is that all these Left-leaning political and trade union sites are being blocked by the public wifi system at St Pancras railway station in central London. I know this because one of my techie friends spent some time there checking out access to various sites (I’ve only mentioned a selection of those he found to be blocked).
While I accept that the wifi system is a service provided by a private company who are entitled to block whichever sites they like, the practice raises some important questions:
- Why are so many innocuous sites are blocked?
- Is there a political bias in which sites are blocked?
- Should sites which are blocked have the opportunity to make representations to have the block lifted?
- Should users of the wifi system be advised that blocking is in place and the criteria for such blocking?
Posted in Internet | Comments (3)
Do you suffer from electrosensitivity?
July 19th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
Someone I know really well suffers exceptionally badly from what he believes to be electrosensitivity. The problem is that the condition is not generally recognised by the medical community.
The relevant Wikipedia page states:
“Although individuals who report electromagnetic hypersensitivity believe that electromagnetic fields from common electrical devices trigger or exacerbate their symptoms, it has not been established that these fields play any role in the cause of these symptoms. Exposures are to intensity levels below those generally accepted to cause physiological effects, and the diverse physiological effects reported are not what would be expected from high intensity electromagnetic fields. Sufferers and their support groups are convinced of a causal relationship with electromagnetic fields, but presently the scientific literature does not support such a link.”
In the UK, the main organisations supporting sufferers with information are ElectroSenstivity UK and Powerwatch.
Posted in Science & technology | Comments (0)
Which American politician said this? (2)
July 19th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
On Sunday, I did a posting with a quote on the separation of church and state and asked which American politician had said it. I promised you the answer today. The answer is Barry Goldwater in the US Senate in 1981 and you can find more information on his trenchant views here.
Contrary to what many non-Americans believe, not all Republicans want to bring religion into politics and certainly the US Constitution is clear that there should be a separation of church and state.
Here in the UK, we sort of pride ourselves on how we see religious belief as a private matter and not something to be part of political discourse, but our head of state is also head of the Church of England and some senior CoE bishops have seats as of right in the unelected House of Lords. As Americans would say: go figure.
Posted in American current affairs, British current affairs | Comments (0)
What do these web sites have in common? (1)
July 18th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
- Liberal Conspiracy (creating a new left voice)
- Labourlist (where Labour minded people come together to share news and opinions and have a laugh)
- Next Left ( a blog about politics and the future.)
- Harry’s Place (“Liberty, if it means anything, is the right to tell people what they don’t want to hear”)
- ToUChstone blog (policy news and comment from the Trades Union Congress (TUC))
- Monbiot.com (environmental activist George Monbiot’s blog)
- Socialist Unity (debate and discussion between socialists)
- ASLEF
- Communication Workers Union
- Fire Brigades Union
- GMB
- National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers NASUWT
- National Union of Journalists
- USDAW
- Trades Union Congress – TUC
- Scottish TUC
Yes, they’re all Left-leaning, but so what? I’ll provide the answer on Wednesday.
Posted in Internet | Comments (1)
My new public appointment concerning digital radio
July 18th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
The Minister for Culture, Communications & Creative Industries Ed Vaizey has invited me to take over as the Chair of the Digital Consumer Electronic Group which has previously been ably chaired by Leen Petre of the RNIB.
For most of its life, this Group – which advises the Government on the consumer view regarding digital switchover – has been been all about television, but digital switchover of TV has gone much more smoothly than many feared and will be over in the course of 2012.
So now most of the focus of the CEG is on the possibility of digital switchover of radio on which the Government has an Action Plan. The CEG does not have a web site – or even a section on the DCMS web site – so I’ll use the ‘Radio’ category of my CommsWatch blog to report on our work and related developments.
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (0)
A review of “No Strings Attached”
July 18th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
“No Strings Attached” has a similar question to “When Harry Met Sally” but it’s not in the same class – my review here.
Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)
Would you like a house with 27 bathrooms?
July 17th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
Vee is fascinated by property television programmes and property web sites and she has today drawn my attention to this particular house.
Apparently the place has become notorious because it is priced at £70 million and has been on the market for seven years. As a result, it features in this article in today’s “Observer”.
I offered to buy the house for Vee (I’m sure an Irish bank would give me a loan), but she said it was too garish.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments (0)
Hackgate: The Movie
July 17th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
Believe me, there will be a film of this – and a television documentary and a book and a play (and maybe even a musical).
Posted in British current affairs | Comments (0)