Current The Fall of Hyperion, by Dan Simmons The Story of English in 100 Words, by David Crystal It Can't Happen Here, by Sinclair Lewis Last books finished The World of Yesterday, by Stefan Zweig Brave New Worlds: Dystopian Stories, ed. John Joseph Adams A Life in Pieces, by Dave Stone, Paul Sutton & Joseph Lidster Het genootschap van Socrates by Yves Leclercq and Stéphanie Heurteau The Autumnlands, Vol. 1: Tooth and Claw, by Kurt Busiek and Benjamin Dewey Democracy and its Deficits: The path towards becoming European-style democracies in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, by Ghia Nodia with Denis Cenușă ...
Just a short post today, but something I've been thinking about in connection with my posts about The Just City: There is a whole subgenre I have noticed among the things I enjoy most. There's a specific location — it ... Continue reading →
This is a Christmas message with a difference. I make no apologies for the colourful nature of the story and I assure you it is absolutely 100% true. When I was delivering the Liberal Democrat Christmas cards the other day I noticed on the pavement the largest pile of dog's business I had seen in some time. "What a calamity," I thought "That's a big problem for whoever steps in it." I was heartened, therefore, to see a man approaching the mess with a purposeful stride. I could see he was going to solve the problem for the good of ...
I was taken the other day by this tweet from Daisy Cooper, who was unimpressed by a book she found in a branch of The Works: SERIOUSLY @TheWorksStores?? When did the Bible go pink for girls, w/ only stories of angels, princesses & a helpless looking mother? Where's warrior judge Deborah? Brave Miriam mother of Moses? The 5daughters of Zelophehad? WILL YOU BIN THIS NOW? @LetToysBeToys @PinkstinksUK pic.twitter.com/oh3hhhjthQ — Daisy Cooper (@libdemdaisy) December 21, 2017 If, like me, you had no idea who the Five Daughters of Zelophehad were, their story is interesting. They took on an all -male establishment ...
My reaction to the news the other day that blue passports were going to be coming back after Brexit was one of frustration and annoyance. I am not young by any stretch of the imagination, but I've never had an old style passport. My first one, issued in 1993, was the burgundy European Union one. It's not the colour change that upsets me so much but what it symbolises. Those words European Union signify openness and co-operation. That translates into meaningful rights for me as a citizen. It means that I can travel freely across the EU. It means that ...
It was a mixed year for the Brexit inclined. The general election was messy from a Brexit perspective: sure, one can say that given Labour's hard Brexit stance at the time, 85% of the electorate voted for parties that supported not just leaving the EU, but doing so in the "cleanest" way possible. Yet given Mrs May ran on the idea of the electorate giving her a mandate to preside over whatever Brexit she saw fit, the result was problematic. Still, it appears we really are leaving the European Union, whatever hopes might be raised out there in Europhile hearts ...
It is Christmas Eve and thoughts are turning to turkey and present opening. The Norad tracker has already kicked in and at the time of writing Santa has delivered 150 million presents and politicians everywhere are starting to relax. This is my reflection on the last couple of years for the Welsh Liberal Democrats and where we go next. It has not been a good period for us but I am hopeful that 2018 will see things pick up. The article was first written for and published by Liberator magazine last month: For all intents and purposes, the Welsh Liberal ...
Sat, 12:56: The Brexit struggle awaiting Theresa May in 2018, by @jonlis1 https://t.co/mKgI7GM1YS "The defining story of 2018 w... https://t.co/LIBeAIP1gL Sat, 17:17: RT @apcoworldwide: As we look ahead to #NewYear2018, which European #elections should you pay close attention to? Our @nwbrux shares the th... Sat, 17:26: I'm at Stadhuis Leuven - @stadleuven in Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant https://t.co/UbWSxFzYKX https://t.co/naifx6pUhJ Sat, 20:04: RT @DomJermey: Awful- Misha (aardvark) died, 4 meerkats unaccounted for in fire at London Zoo. Am humbled by so many messages of support. L... Sat, 22:04: Getting into the First Doctor/Ben/Polly groove by re-watching The War Machines... https://t.co/uNZcj0dqgQ Sun, 03:49: Sad ...
Oddly my amazon wishlist now has a bunch more games on it... ... thanks to tidying the games cupboard out and having a look at the winners and nominees for Speil des Jahres. U.K.'s Secret Brexit Studies Reveal That Airbus Makes Planes Bloomberg, there, ripping our government a new one. Man banging on about colour of his passport clearly more concerned about colour of his neighbours Instagram photo: Drunken food experiment # 2317538 Sadly chipsticks are too thick to fit up the hole in the middle of Wheat Crunchies :( How tribalism overrules progressive tenets like "believing women" Excellent article ...
Sun 24th
10:55
Willie Rennie's Christmas Message: Scottish Lib Dems stand up for better mental health, education an...
Embed from Getty Images Here is Willie Rennie's Christmas Message: May I wish everyone a Merry Christmas. 2017 was the year the Liberal Democrats turned the corner. We started winning elections again with more MPs and in charge of more councils. I believe that winning is not just good for the Liberal Democrats but is also good for the country. It means that we have moderate, outward looking, optimistic voices making the case for change and challenging authority and government. It means that we can shout louder for people who need mental health services. The services are inadequate and must ...
I re-watched the 1966 Doctor Who story The War Machines last night, in preparation for tomorrow - it's the last surviving complete story with William Hartnell as the Doctor, and introduces Michael Craze and Anneke Wills as new companions Ben and Polly, while also writing out Jackie Lane as regular companion Dodo (of whom I have written before). Googling around, I came across these pictures in the Getty Images collection, all three supposedly featuring Jackie Lane and two of them also supposedly showing Michael Craze. They are identified, in French, as actors from the British science fiction series Doctor Who, ...
The High Court has found that part of the rules governing Personal Independence Payments are unlawfully discriminatory against people with mental health impairments. The Public Law Project's client, RF, won on all three grounds of her challenge (RF v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions). The judge quashed the 2017 Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Regulations because they discriminate against those with disabilities in breach of Human Rights Act 1998 obligations. Because they were discriminatory, the judge also found that the Secretary of State did not have lawful power to make the Regulations (i.e. they were "ultra vires"), and that ...
The old Skelmersdale Station – now long gone in the name of 1960's progress! With much talk these days of Skelmersdale being once again connected to the railway network, bearing in mind that this 'New Town' was deliberately designed not to be rail connected, I have recently come across this short video on Youtube:- www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIpDSDbxQgk It's from 1956 when Skem' was railway connected by the line that ran from Ormskirk to Rainford Junction. The Ormskirk – Skem train back in the day was known as the 'Skem Jazzer'. The plan of Merseytravel and Lancashire County Council is for a new ...
However you choose to spend it, I wish you a happy and peaceful Christmas.
