My head is still hurting. I have spent all morning in an introductory session to R, the open source statistical computing and graphics package. Now, I am no programmer and much of what was shown to us went over my head but I am blown away by the power of the tool set. It gives … Continue reading Say R
Genetic discrimination
‘Sapiens, a brief history of mankind’ is such an interesting book. I have just finished listening to Yuval Noah Harari’s work, through an audiobook on my longer driving journeys. It has made me think very hard about what it means to be human and has challenged a lot of my assumptions. I plan to listen … Continue reading Genetic discrimination
Blue bin
Our blue bin was full this week. That’s the one we put all of the recyclable stuff in and, I am ashamed to say it is normally only a third full whilst our grey bin, for other waste, is stuffed to the top when the refuse collection comes around. This means then that we throw … Continue reading Blue bin
In pursuit of perfection
Every time I turn on the television or pick up a magazine I am bombarded with images of perfect people. They live in perfect houses, with their perfect families and perfect teeth. It is clear what they are saying. You are not good enough. Only perfection is acceptable. Whole industries have developed on the back … Continue reading In pursuit of perfection
Natural England
Another one of those things that Simon and I got to talk about was rewilding. He is a photographer who specializes in landscapes, especially of Northumberland and it is a topic of conversation in the circles in which he moves. It is controversial and divides the people who are interested in the countryside. If you … Continue reading Natural England
Of the clock
The clocks have gone back. My stomach says it’s lunchtime yet the timer on the oven tells me there is still an hour to go. I've lost an hour or gained an hour. I can't work it out but know it's lighter in the morning and darker earlier in the afternoon. The whole daylight saving … Continue reading Of the clock
World values day
World Values Day, October 18, was a busy day for me this year. I started at the Socitm North conference in Darlington, spent some time with a potential infrastructure provider and ended up at the Dynamites 18 awards dinner in Newcastle. Before then I attended the latest North East Initiative on Business Ethics event at … Continue reading World values day
Rural problems
Over the last year Justin and I have been working with a small number of rural businesses to help them develop. We struggled with what rural meant in this context. Is a rural business one that is based in an area with few homes or other buildings and a low population density? Or is it … Continue reading Rural problems
The world according to me
I used to think of myself as a liberal, of the bleeding heart kind until I read ‘Sapiens, A Brief History of Humankind’, or rather listened to the audio book by Yuval Noah Harari. What made me stop and think, figuratively rather than literally as I was driving at the time, was that liberalism included … Continue reading The world according to me
Tips should be banned
The trades union Unite is delighted that the government has decided to ban restaurant owners from keeping back a share of tips that customers give to staff. According to its website, Unite has been exposing rip-off tipping practices in the hospitality industry since 2008. In response to the announcement, a Unite regional officer Dave Turnbull … Continue reading Tips should be banned
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 