Forget about sending aid – the previous post has unfortunately been rendered redundant by the news that Israel has attacked Hamas-run security compounds in Gaza, killing hundreds of civilians and wounding others – including the almost-obligatory deaths of two small girls allegedly killed by Hamas – in the process. See Gaza attacks. Although rocket attacks [...]
Category Archives: Human rights
Loss of Phorm at adware company – and we can't wait for those ID cards, allegedly
December 19, 2008 – 7:27 pm
ZD Net reported that Delaware-registered adware company Phorm (THUS passim) has lost its UK CEO, Hugo Drayton, who leaves the company ‘by mutual agreement’ at the end of December. Lyn Millar, Finance Director has also resigned. They have been replaced by London-based deputy chief executive officer Nan Richards, and UK managing director Nick Barnett. Richards [...]
A Victory for Local Oddballs Everywhere
December 19, 2008 – 7:06 pm
The news that Rachel Nickell’s killer, Robert Napper, has been convicted of the crime, will doubtless bring relief to Ms Nickell’s long-suffering loved ones. But perhaps no-one will be more relieved than Colin Stagg, the eccentric but completely innocent man whom the police decided had dunnit, and who, despite having had his trial for the [...]
Ignoring India's poverty is a recipe for nuclear Armageddon
December 19, 2008 – 3:14 pm
Thank God for George Bush. He laughs in the face of fear as he gives more nukes to the country with the most hungry people in it. And the funny bit is that despite parts of the American Christian right actually jockeying for Armegeddon, he probably achieved all this by mistake, and in the process he [...]
Would you take a shoe for the President?
December 15, 2008 – 11:19 am
. . . . the answer is clearly no. Where was the Kevin Costner figure willing to throw himself in front of the Commander-in-Chief when enraged Iraqi journalist Muntadhar-al-Zaidi from Al Bagdhadiya TV, threw his loafers at George W Bush, ruining his latest ‘Mission Accomplished’ speech to the ungrateful Eyerakki people? Luckily, W is the mother of all [...]
Now Gordon has spun off to Afghanistan – make that Pakistan (see above)
December 13, 2008 – 5:16 pm
. . . . “I’ll put a girdle about the earth in forty minutes” Puck, Midsummer Night’s Dream We heard this morning that UK Gordon Brown has broken off his constructive discussions with EU leaders to appear in Afghanistan to mourn the death of four British soldiers, killed in two bomb incidents, one where a [...]
Cruel parenting is not a class issue
December 8, 2008 – 3:50 pm
By Julia Margo, Demos I expect that my fascination with Karen Matthews is predictably middle class. Her crime may be heinous, but she has captured our imagination in her role as working class anti-hero: a reminder of how some people (the ‘other half’) live in today’s Britain. The weekend coverage of sink estates – the [...]
Update: Police held no warrant to raid Tory MP's office.
December 3, 2008 – 8:41 pm
The good news is that Jacqui Smith didn’t issue a warrant. The bad news is that Plod didn’t ask for one. Michael Martin, aka Gorbals Mick, embattled Speaker of the UK House of Commons, admitted today that the Police had no warrant to search the office of Tory MP Damian Green. Jill Pay (the first [...]
You never hear about 'aiding and abetting misconduct in public office.' Then twice in the same week . .
December 3, 2008 – 12:47 pm
Coincidentally, the Thames Valley Police case against former police officer Det. Sgt. Mike Kearney, his son and journalists Sally Murrer and Derek Webb collapsed on Friday 28 November, the very day of the Damian Green arrest (Thus passim). Ms. Murrer and associates had been charged 18 months ago under the (no longer) obscure count of [...]