Category Archives: Places

Geographical locations, countries, etc

Early Morning at #OccupyLSX

Posted on 24 December 2011 by Robert

I have been meaning to visit the Occupy London protest camp at St Paul’s Cathedral since it appeared in October. Yesterday morning I went via St Paul’s on my way to work and shot a few slices of video of … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumer Rights, Globalisation, London | Leave a comment

Gingrich, Bin Laden, and Issac Asimov

Posted on 19 December 2011 by Robert

Apparently, the megalomaniac tendencies that many perceive in Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich are inspired by Iassac Asimov: If men are from Mars and women are from Venus, Newt Gingrich is from the planet Trantor, a fictional world created by Isaac … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Politics, USA | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Strategic Ignorance in the US Primaries

Posted on 1 December 2011 by Robert

The Republican Presidential Primary debates are frightening. From the audiences at these events, we’ve had the booing of a solider because he is gay, the cheering of the idea of someone dying because they didn’t have health insurance, and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Debate, Economy, USA | Leave a comment

Shadow Cities

Posted on 17 November 2011 by Robert

This is a marvellous evocation of why I enjoy much of the literature and imagery that I do. I have discussed the idea of overlaying of invisible worlds onto aphysical space quite a lot on this blog. Continue reading →

Posted in Art and Cultures, London | Leave a comment

Wrestling with Fighting Talk

Posted on 30 August 2011 by Robert

My inaugral post on Labour List (cross-posted here) elicited a few responses which highlight some subtlties in the ongoing discussion around the limits of free speech – specifically, the point at which it is appropriate for the state to ban … Continue reading →

Posted in Debate, London, Politics | 4 Comments

Putting the Power of Censorship in the Hands of the Mob

Posted on 26 August 2011 by Robert

Cameron’s suggestion that we censor social media, and the Labour call for the banning of this EDL event, will hamstring the fight for free expression elsewhere: “You do it, so why shouldn’t we?” Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, Law and Order, London, New Labour, Political Correctness | Leave a comment

BBC Accused of Selective Editing

Posted on 11 August 2011 by Robert

During Tuesday’s edition of Newsnight, hosted by Gavin Esler, one of the studio interviewees accused the BBC of selective editing. The prgramme can be viewed online via the BBC iPlayer (available until 16th August).  In a debate about why young … Continue reading →

Posted in BBC, London | 1 Comment

#Flashride

Posted on 30 July 2011 by Robert

Cycling home on Friday, I was unwittingly caught up in the London Cycling Campaign’s ‘Flashride’ across Blackfriars Bridge. They want the speed limit on the bridge to remain at 20mph but apparently the Mayor of London isn’t heeding the request, … Continue reading →

Posted in London | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lost Tribes and Human Nature

Posted on 27 June 2011 by Robert

These uncontacted tribes are the nearest thing we habe to a tabula rasa, a mind unpolluted by the sensibilities and preconceptions of our infinitely connected world. And, untrained and unprepared for the moment, they win it. Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Film, History | 1 Comment

The Problem of Verification

Posted on 12 June 2011 by Robert

Angela Philips of Goldsmiths College, at last Friday’s POLIS conference: A Major skill for journalists is to learn how to authenticate sources Or, words to that effect! I made the note on twitter and therefore may have paraphrased. To fully … Continue reading →

Posted in Diary, Internet Philosophy, Media, Middle East | 4 Comments