They are not mutually exclusive. Understanding risk.
Rough Diamonds
Alternative National (UK) Treasures from The Independent on Sunday 3rd May.
So here in your cut-out- and-keep guide to the rough diamonds of Britain, we’ve selected the top 10 figures who will never be “institutions”, but who deserve two cheers for that very reason. The decent people of Britain might always love Cliff Richard, but wouldn’t you rather have a pint with Keith Richards?
Came across this because I was following up the Tim Ireland and Craig Murray sagas since their blogs were shut down / book publications blocked. (The dead – now live again – links in the side-bar “I Believe in the BBC” and “The Church of the Interactive Network” are bloggerheads inventions. And the reason I checked those again was because the BBC News plug-in / widget is stuck on news headlines from over a week ago – failing to update. No response to support requests, I’m guessing the component no longer updates since the BBC’s recent web makeover – I guess the expectation is that people simply plug RSS feed readers into their own pages ? More maintenance required.)
Seriously though, must follow up those libel censorship cases.
Baby Minds
Interesting piece from Mary Hrovat at Thinking Meat.
[Pushed for time right now – must follow-up later.]
Press Censorship
Andy Hamilton expressed it well this week on the BBC News Quiz. The media hysteria (inc BBC News) over the swine flu “pandemic” is the best case for media censorship there ever was.
What’s the point ?
If you can’t learn from mistakes ? Just joining up some dots between simple mistakes and the meaning of life, the universe and everything. Thanks to Arlo and Ron (on MOQ-Discuss) for this Swiftian Monty Python quote that prompted the thought.
“We must never forget that, if there was not one thing that was on top of another thing, our society would be nothing more than a meaningless body of men gathered together for no good purpose.”
President,
Society for Putting Things on Top of Other Things
And talking of other things … where did I see this Catch-22 (Joseph Heller) quote the other day ?
What does a fish remind you of ?
Other fish.
What do the other fish remind you of ?
Other fish.
Which reminds me “Fed Squid” to close that circle of life. Thanks Arlo.
Lazy Rhetoric
How on earth can a journalist call this a U-Turn – just pulling a stock phrase off the bullshit headline generator- its a minor pragmatic course correction to achieve the intended end.
Philosophical Literacy
Post by John Hobbins (link via Sam)
Truth in Lies.
… the only reliable advice I have to give is on how to make stories more plausible, more moving, more true …
– in other words, how to lie better.
Don’t know why, but I looked back at this from Richard Russo …. and picked out the above quote.
Linguistic Inflation
I’ve mentioned the idea of the “memetic arms race” (after Dennett) and the devaluing of subtle terms that get simplistically mis-represented in rhetorical argument, and this is simply another example.
Rex Rudi
Spent a great Friday night with Rex Rudi at the RF-Kjelleren in Oslo University. Colleague Johan on harp and backing vocals in some seriously hard rock-a-billy complete with stand-up base and stonking drummer. Very effective, very entertaining.