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Democracy: Counting Votes and Absences
We thought it had a good start. There were people out on the streets singing and shouting, waving flags, hugging one another, celebrating the victory of Democracy as the results came pouring in. A Blue Wave, a Blue Tsunami for the Democrat party, flipping States and districts which had once been a solid red to a blue dark enough to be effective. And we thought that this return to democracy was here to stay – at least until the next elections – and things would begin to improve. The reality is something else. In the few days and hours since the results came in – and not all of them…
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History, and the Memory of Forty-Seven
It is hard to imagine that a time will come when we look back, some people fondly, some of us with horror, and remember the days we are living now, when today, this week, this month and year become history. I daresay this is something common to all generations, especially those which have seen war, pestilence and other political catastrophes, but we are living it now and that makes it special for us. The domination of society by a few hundred super rich, by dictators if not in name then in actions, and by commercial interests more interested in satisfying their shareholders with high payouts, than preserving the world they…
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Cybercrime: Defrosting and the Internet of Things
It was only a matter of time before someone, somewhere, contemplating their abilities for cybercrime, found the link between the Internet of Things, the linking of household and other machines to the internet, and a way to control or impede. There have been countless examples of people, across all branches and forms of social media, asking why their toaster, their washing machine, their refrigerator needs to be connected to the internet, why it needs to be available for software updates. A toaster is designed to toast bread, it has various levels of burning, a timer for the appropriate moment, and a mechanism to shoot the completed article out. A washing…
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Journalism: Reading Beyond The Headlines
The headlines say it all: riots; looting; unrest; attacks against the police; police brutality; masked attackers; violence on the streets. Journalism, the mass media, is designed not just to inform and advise, but also to sell, whether it be advertising space or information, online or printed. Journalism is not there just to give the facts of an event, but also to give opinions and recommendations, depending on the bias of the publication, and what the journalists themselves – and their editors – believe they can get away with. A good headline sells more content, regardless of what the actual content is, because so many no longer read beyond the first…
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A Man of Dishonour, Rewarded
I can well imagine that the thought has passed through many minds over the last few days, but the title is already taken, and by someone far more deserving of public attention and a lasting memory. Andrew Albert Christian Edward Mountbatten Windsor may well be a former Prince, as well as having been granted many other honorific titles, but he is now in a position of disgrace, albeit one which will hardly dent his ego, or his pocketbook. The man who used to be called Prince, Duke, Earl and Baron, as well as being a Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy, will be able to continue his former life with…
