SLAVERY STILL EXISTS

A Media Guardian article about slavery in the media industry. I could have written this articlae ten years ago, which was also exactly when I no longer worked in telly. Since I worked on a proto-reality show, a format which couples long hours with excess cheapness, I assume this trend has only got worse.

The Day I Voted Twice

It appears that after the election a new crime of postal electoral fraud will come on the statute book. It is incredible that at the moment it is not illegal to apply for a vote in someone else’s name. It is only vaguely illegal (and in reality almost impossible to prove) that someone has voted using someone else’s postal ballot. The reason I know? Because accidentally I’ve done it.

Well, actually I have done something even worse. In 1992, I voted twice. In two different constituencies. This revelation caused a brief discussion as to whether this was actually illegal or not. It strikes me that it must be, but then it would also strike me that it is illegal to apply for someone else’s postal vote so I may be wrong. Anyway I knew it was wrong but did it sue to a misguided sense of peer pressure. Namely I was registered at my University address automatically, and had not realised that my parents had also registered me at home (and truth be told I was home more than at Uni). So I put the application in for a postal ballot for Oxford in and voted Labour a good two weeks before the election. Then, shocked to find a polling card for me turn up, I thought little of it. Then on the day, after a swift pint at lunchtime, my friends decided to go and vote. I went with them, and, well I was registered wasn’t I?

Any sense of guilt I had (minor admittedly) was instantly wiped out by the actual election result. I know it was wrong but if I can do it due to peer pressure, then lord knows what people who actually have a lot invested in a result might do.

Wolves & Dudley fancy a Jennings

The continued operation of Jennings’ brewery in Cockermouth would be key, they say [blogged because i am a big fan of some of those wonderful Jennings ales, such as the Cumberland].

what does it mean, oh anyone who knows the games the big boys play?

they reassure Jennings drinkers - additionally it sounds all very happy from the Cumbrian POV - but there again since buying out Burtonwood the fine Bulls Head {Burtonwood estate} pub in Manchester town centre has been mostly, or entirely, closed (not that my parochialism is clouding my judgment..).

P.S.
as established below, opinions vary over Kronenburg Blanc (no fan myself).
but what is the most expensive pint for it?
someone mentions four coins in comments, i know of a 3.80 ap Fulham way.
P.P.S.
to finish, more northwest nationalism, in that this appraisal of a Boston, MA pizza franchise transplanted from the Mcr flags up amusing differences.
further googling reveals most Americans to be no fans of the English touches of a sticky toffee on the sweet tray, but in the end either approving of the place quite well, or not at all.
and what is this about the nods for a large assortment of wines by the glass?
perhaps it is mostly bottles in New England.

METRO LETTERS SCIENCE SPECIAL

Don’t have the actual letter to quote, but the main idea ensconced in said letter has burnt its way into my brain. So I paraphrase, and cannot attribute (comment section might be helpful)

“I appreciate the sense of companies trying to reduce CO2 emission, however planting trees is the wrong was around this. As global warming heats up the world, the chance of forest fires will increase, destroying all these trees.” (The writer then goes off on some half cocked idea about airlines sponsoring wind turbines as a way of solving the problem, presumably because they look a bit like propellers or something).

Nothing will increase global warming more of course than one huge global forest fire. So stop planting trees, you are destroying the Earth.

WHAT SCIENCE ACTUALLY WORDS MEAN

Sahara wants to be a James Bond film, no more than in the secret lair of the bad guy. Actually this lair is not secret at all, and does not want to destroy the world with lasers inside satellites. Instead it is a hazardous waste processing plant. The business of processing toxic chemicals is a big and controversial one. However it would appear that Sahara has come up with a perfect solution. Namely subject the chemicals to such high temperatures that they vapourize.

Vapourize. As in turn into vapour. As in therefore enter the atmosphere. Therefore can be spread quickly and easily as pollutants around the world. And incorporated with rain. To enter the water table. Which is exactly what the bad guy is doing in the first place.

Vapourize does not mean to completely and utterly destroy. The sun vapourizes puddles all the time.

Stars on 45

A couple of links:

45blog is an MP3 blog whose remit is to digitise out-of-print old singles. This is the kind of thing that warms the cockles of my heart even before I’ve downloaded anything: good show, sir. Reads well, too.

This meanwhile is of interest to readers of Popular - one man’s attempt to acquire all the first 1,000 number one singles. Legally, I might add.