No geek is an island http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog Sat, 10 May 2008 16:43:16 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Beyond Our Ken Last Friday, the morning after the local elections, I was returning to work late in the morning (having got home towards 5am). I'd foolishly forgotten my iPod, so I could hear the voices of the commuters I passed on the Jubilee Line platform. One was very nasal and very familiar. ... http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2008/05/10/beyond-our-ken/ A matter of legitimacy Three marriage certificates I ordered online last weekend popped through my letterbox this morning, and all three were curious in their own way. The first recorded the marriage of my great-great-great-grandfather Henry Beard to my g-g-g-grandmother Sarah Payne in Reading in 1843. I didn't know the names of Henry and Sarah's ... http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2008/04/26/a-matter-of-legitimacy/ Boris’s 60-second U-turn An email has zoomed around the world and popped into my inbox - which admittedly would be more impressive if it hadn't been sent by the person sitting next to me. It links to a clip on YouTube featuring yesterday's debate between London mayoral candidates Boris Johnson and Brian Paddick on ... http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2008/04/18/boriss-60-second-u-turn/ The subtleties of the English language: a practical demonstration There was good news this morning when the High Court ruled that the Serious Fraud Office's decision - under pressure from the Government - to drop its investigation into the Al-Yamamah arms deal between BAE Systems and Saudi Arabia was "unlawful". The BBC quotes BAE's position on the ruling: "The case was ... http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2008/04/10/subtleties-of-english-language-practical-demonstration/ Why I’ve gone naked You'll notice an unusual look to the blog today in honour of the annual CSS Naked Day, during which sites are encouraged to show off their <body> (Hat-tip.) Update: And now we're back to normal. http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2008/04/09/why-ive-gone-naked/ Menky stat check (4) I was so busy thinking about how reprehensible it was of Labour to double the tax rate for low-earners yesterday (which I blogged about last year, including this telling quote from Gordon Brown), I completely failed to notice that it was this blog's birthday. Happy birthday, blog. As is now traditional, ... http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2008/04/07/menky-stat-check-4/ I knew I’d seen that hand gesture somewhere before Compare and contrast these video clips: If that's got you in the mood, you can watch the full "campfire" trailer here, the cinematic trailer here, and a preview clip from the first episode of the new series of <DOCTOR.WHO>, Partners in Crime, here. The fourth series begins on Saturday at the earlier ... http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2008/04/03/i-knew-id-seen-that-hand-gesture-somewhere-before/ Free Our Bills Frustrated with the lack of progress from gentle dialogue with the parliamentary authorities, those marvellous chaps at mySociety have launched their Free Our Bills campaign, which I've just signed up to support. They want to see Parliament publishing bills in an improved electronic form that will allow more automated processing by ... http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2008/03/25/free-our-bills/ “Ben Smythe is 5ft tall” While we're having a go at online news stories... The Telegraph demonstrates the problems that can come from updating an existing news story. Last night, they posted the welcome news that missing boy Ben Smythe had been found 'safe and well'. In a story about the search for him and ... http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2008/03/25/ben-smythe-is-5ft-tall/ Channel 4 News’s Jon Snow in baby-eating scandal* The Channel 4 News website has an article about a new IPPR report on children's use of teh internets (Young people 'are being raised online'). The news story avoids much of the usual scaremongering, although it's typical of the IPPR to suggest that because "parents need to be reassured about ... http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2008/03/24/channel-4-newss-jon-snow-in-baby-eating-scandal/