Brexit Bites

Mate, I really don’t care. The issue of Brexit was settled almost two years ago. We have ten years from the point at which we leave the European Union to negotiate a free trade agreement. Your next ten years are irrelevant. I was not prepared to end up with absolutely the most harmful outcome imaginable. If they don’t support and help Theresa May to get a deal, there is the risk of having somebody much, much more aggressive. You’re deluded if you think you’ll be able to blame the debacle just on them. I’m beginning to think I may have voted the wrong way.

Hostile Requirement

The departure of Amber Rudd as home secretary has increased the pressure on the government to wind back the hostile environment, although without much hope of success, given that its architect remains prime minister. Less debated is that the hostile environment is essential to the success of Brexit on the government’s current terms, so is unlikely to be touched unless Brexit is abandoned.

Water of Leith, Saughton

It’s a while since I posted a regular ol’ photo here. This is at Saughton in Edinburgh, looking down from a stone bridge onto the Water of Leith, on Sunday afternoon.

2 May 2018 · Comment · Journal

Still Happening, Still Rubbish

Brexit will devastate U.K. manufacturers, who plan to offset it through job cuts.

Don’t expect much Leave regret.

What we’re fighting against.

Motivational posters using tweets about Brexit.

Fifty-two new facts about Brexit.

Eleven Brexit promises the government quietly dropped.

The complete failure of the Brexit project.

The BBC and Brexit bias.

Britain suddenly remembers the Commonwealth.

26 April 2018 · Comment · Politics

Push the Button

The Cambridge Analytica whistleblower wanted to create “the NSA’s wet dream”.

Cambridge Analytica is what happens when you privatise military propaganda.

The obscure Canadian tech firm and the Brexit data riddle.

What do we really know about Facebook’s voter button?

How Trump conquered Facebook without Russian ads.

We are missing the point about Facebook.

We already know how to protect ourselves from Facebook.

26 April 2018 · Comment · Politics

Zone Rouge

The Argentine river that appeared overnight.

France’s silent spring.

The struggle over how to remake Puerto Rico.

Rising sea levels reshape Miami’s housing market.

“Plastic is literally everywhere.” The mutant enzyme that eats it.

Electric buses are affecting oil demand.

Green Belt. Zone Rouge.

26 April 2018 · Comment · Weblog

Topiary Bestiary

Rebuilding a sculpture destroyed by ISIS.

Tim Winton on how young men are being shackled to misogyny.

Molly Ringwald revisits The Breakfast Club.

Have I Got an Excuse For You.

Zombie Simpsons: no brains.

Wakanda shakes the world.

“My son fell over. This is my report.”

Topiary bestiary.

Squares turning into circles.

Old Navy rips off an artist and dares her to sue. Happens all too often, but this is such a blatant example.

26 April 2018 · Comment · Weblog

When the Windrush Blows

I was busy over the weekend, so didn’t get the chance to repost this here until today: a post I made to Metafilter on Friday on the news story of the week, which for too many people is the story of the last five years.

The Only Thing on the Menu

A few links to finish the month on, political and otherwise.

Testimony

Chris Wylie’s appearance before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday was explosive; I happened to catch a tweet about it as it was about to start, and ended up sitting through all 2–3 hours of it. The Cambridge Analytica story is way bigger than Brexit alone, but nobody who values UK democracy can trust the EU Referendum result now.

The Won't of the People

26 March 2018 · Comment · Politics

At last, a Trump tweet that we can all agree with:

Remember when they were saying, during the campaign, that Donald Trump is giving great speeches and drawing big crowds, but he is spending much less money and not using social media as well as Crooked Hillary’s large and highly sophisticated staff. Well, not saying that anymore!

True. Now that they know better, they’re saying that Donald Trump was giving terrible speeches, drawing crowds smaller than he claimed, spending more money than declared in dubious ways, and covertly using social media to skew the election. You tell ’em, realDonaldTrump.

26 March 2018 · Comment · Politics

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