Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive. It seems that every trick in the book is being considered to either implement or derail the Brexit process. Although not the latest wheeze the one that is getting most media coverage is the suggestion to prorogue parliament to prevent any challenge … Continue reading Prorogue
A self made-up man
I am such a person. Everything I am is a narrative I tell myself. All of the good bits I scrub and polish until they shine while all of the bad bits are overlooked or put in a draw never to see the light of day again. I nurture this persona through the things I … Continue reading A self made-up man
Happy Birthday GDPR
GDPR is a year old. How cute, I remember when we were all excited about it arriving, getting everything ready and all the fuss that was made. Now it’s had its first birthday and it is really starting to grow up. Since its delivery, GDPR has quite rightly been all over the news. Big fines … Continue reading Happy Birthday GDPR
The Drowned and the Saved
I don’t wish to invoke the memories of Primo Levi, a survivor of Auschwitz, in anything as banal as my blog yet this is how I feel about the plight of humanity sometimes. We are caught in a bind, trapped between the amazing, exciting world ahead of us and the very real threat of extinction … Continue reading The Drowned and the Saved
Damn those Romans
You can’t beat buying pot plants for instant gardening. If it’s colour you want them simply pop off to your local garden centre, buy something in bloom and take it home with you. Once it has gone over and lost its appeal the you can simply remove it and replace it. At this time of … Continue reading Damn those Romans
Swarm!
Sabine Hauert is a swarm engineer. She is also a lecturer in robotics at Bristol University and spends a lot of her time designing swarming nanobots for biomed applications. I heard her give a fascinating presentation at Thinking Digital this year, another one to add to the ever growing list of reasons to have gone … Continue reading Swarm!
Stick to the speed limit
You can get anywhere in a car using just a few rules, perhaps three. Stick to the speed limit, drive on the left and give way to traffic to the right. Yes, there are many more rules but these three allow most people to get to where they need to be without too much thinking. … Continue reading Stick to the speed limit
Young people trapped in small towns
The headline in the Big Issue (issue #1362) said that spiraling rents are forcing young people to stay in small towns instead of moving to cities with better jobs. This follows some research by the Resolution Foundation. The implication is clear, small towns are bad for young people. They do not offer them the range … Continue reading Young people trapped in small towns
Dynamo on the Wear
This was my sixth Dynamo North East conference. There have only been six and so I have a 100% attendance record. All of them have been good, most of them have been great but this one was exceptional. Why? I have been asking myself that very question. Firstly, the venue was great. Sunderland University’s campus … Continue reading Dynamo on the Wear
Pants on fire
In a now famous broadcasting moment, Rory Stewart, the Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice was interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live about Brexit, when he made the claim that ‘80 percent of the British public support this [withdrawal agreement] deal.’ Thankfully the presenter, Emma Barnett was quick to question him where this … Continue reading Pants on fire
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 