Sanity in the UK

You may be aware of the US "Rally to Restore Sanity" which is being promoted by the Daily Show and is planned for this weekend.

Tim Ireland has decided to do a UK version around Parliament Square, which co-incidentally is within the still enforceable SOCPA protest-ban "designed area".*

Tim suggests that people wear black.

Tim does have permission to protest - as is still required by the law.

I'm going to try to come along, but I'm currently house-hunting and so may not be able to make it.

* Hopefully, not for much longer. Tweet

Project Censored 2011

Yesterday I mentioned the World Press Freedom Index, and referred to "Project Censored".

If you've never come across it before, this is an annual list of stories which, while important or significant, for whatever reason have gained little it any real coverage in the US media.

As is tradition on this site (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010) I cover what they say.

I've finally managed to look into this year's edition.

Amongst their stories covered - or more accurately, not covered - are:

• 3. Internet Privacy and Personal Access at Risk
• 5. Blackwater (Xe): The Secret US War in Pakistan
• 20. Obama’s Charter School Policies Spread Segregation and Undermine Unions

I'm going to ignore #14...

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Freedom of the Press in 2010

Reports Without Borders has published its annual "World Press Freedom Index" (PDF).

I've previously covered the ones in 2005, 2006 and 2007.*

Briefly:

• UK #19 in the world;
• USA is #20;
• 6 (!) countries share top spot: Finland, Iceland, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland;
• The highest-ranked "poor" country is Namibia, which is joint 21st with Canada; and
• The lowest ranked country, shockingly isn't North Korea, but, for the fourth straight year, Eritrea

As usual, it makes for interesting and an odd mixture of up-lifting and mood-dampening reading.

On a related note, around this time of year the annual Project Censored book gets published. This covers articles which have been pretty much ignored in the US media, when they shouldn't have been. I'll cover this in a later post.

* I know I missed the 2008 version, but was sure I covered the 2009; however it appears to be missing... Tweet

The Sun Lies: Chocolate liqueurs

I hve a new post up on the Sun - Lies.

Please read it! Tweet

How to Respond to Media Myths

I've done a cross-post on the Sun-Lies, Express Watch and Mail Watch.

It's aimed at the journalists at my favourite newspapers and the idea is to help them out.

Aren't I nice? Tweet

The Sun Lies: The Sun ignores its own campaign?

I have a new post up on the Sun - Lies.

Its about the effects of a policy which the Sun campaigned for, yet onw which the Sun appears to be unwilling to take credit for. Tweet

... as unblocked by Nadine Dorries MP (?)

Back in February I noticed that I had been blocked on Twitter by "Britain's Sarah Palin", Nadine Dorries.

Shortly after the election, she deleted her account.

However, she's now back. Yay!

As yet, I've not been blocked and so I can see individual messages.  Of course, this may change... Tweet

... as featured on Liberal Conspiracy

I've written an article which has been published on Liberal Conspiracy.

It's about William Hague's attempts to override EU law. Tweet

You Can't Talk About ImMigration Watch

Last Friday, I mentioned another ludicrous libel threat, this time by Migration Watch.

Today MW said ("Mrs Bercow and Migrationwatch 6 October 2010") that after reading the response from Bercow's laywers (PDF), they will not be taking it any futher, i.e. they've caved in, in spite of what some people say.

Well done on standing up to them! Tweet

The Who were wrong...

I was reading this on the New Scientist today:

[A] US National Research Council report commissioned by the CIA, DARPA and the Department of Homeland Security confirms [that biometrics can be fooled].

The natural changes that occur due to age and health - and the fact that prints from the same finger can differ because of dirt or moisture - mean that anyone can unwittingly fool the technology, leaving such systems "inherently fallible".

I've only read the Summary, because the rest is beyond me.

In any event, it's another example of the many issues with biometrics. Tweet

Google's blacklist?

You may have heard that Google have revamped their search engine.

They've created summat called "Google Instant" which displays search links while you type the term into the search box, as in this example:

Unfortunately, some people have discovered what can only be described as a "blacklist" - words and phrases which do not appear in Google Instant, yet do appear if you search for the terms in the "old-fashioned" way.

Who knows why Google Instant works like this? What benefit is it? More importantly, how do terms get on to the list?

The answers to these and other questions will not be provided by me, but may be by other people in the future... Tweet

You Can't Talk About ImMigration Watch

Another day, another pointless libel case...

Earlier today it was announced that the not-at-all-nuts Migration Watch are threatening to sue Sally Bercow (the wife of the current Speaker of the House of Commons) for comments she made in August on Sky News. While referring to an article in the Express using figures from MW, apparently she said that groups such as MW use "arguments linking immigration to unemployment had been used by fascists such as Adolf Hitler and British Union of Fascists leader Oswald Mosley".

Oddly, as in the Simon Singh libel case, the publishers are not being being held liable, but her personally.

She's instructed Jack of Kent's lot to defend her.

The current documents - initial letter from MW's solicitors and the response - are available as a PDF.

If you wanna track it on Twitter, the "official" hashtag seems to be #MigWatchFail. However, I've created my own - and if I may say so - better one: #YouCantTalkAboutImMigrationWatch.

Naturally, I'll keep both of you informed on any future updates.

BTW, yes, the headline and hashtag are piss-takes of the usual right-wing fantasy that "you can't talk about immigration". Tweet