by Michael Tracey Part 3 in a series. On 20 July 1925, Reith’s 36th birthday, the British Post-Master General, Mitchell-Thomson, informed the House of Commons that there would be a committee of […]
The painted kipper (pt 2): John Reith, the melancholic optimist
Part 2 in a series. The original thought in writing this piece was to “resurrect” Reith, better to point to the problems that beset the BBC today – problems that are not […]
SciFi day at Imperial College
So on Saturday I wandered over to Imperial College, because the student science fiction association was putting on its annual fest, Picocon, complete with invited writers. And I really wanted to hear […]
How to save the world
A couple of years ago we were on holiday out in Devon and Cornwall for a week or so, and on the way back stopped off in Totnes. Totnes is a small […]
Chilcot redux
The UK’s Inquiry into the Iraq war and the UK’s role in it kicks off again this week. Technically known as TheThe Iraq Inquiry but more conventionally known as the Chilcot inquiry […]
Assange—Just the facts, Ma’am, just the facts
The great Wikileaks dump has been interesting in any number of ways. I’ve learned a lot. It’s true that a number of commentators have said that this is all stuff we knew […]
Unsolicited music review–Richard Thompson and Philip Pickett
So what is Richard Thompson up to these days? Aside from having a dynamite new album, for which he has been on tour, and which tour is coming here next year (with […]
Nota Bene #118: VOTE!
“I am not fit for this office and should never have been here.” Who said it?
Party conference on, dude!
It’s high political season in the UK, with the Lib Dem and Labour party conferences going on over the past week. The big news, of course, is that the Labour party has […]
That special something or other
Larison does a good job of demolishing Nile Gardner’s delusional systems in Gardiner’s homage to the tea Party as being the saviour of the Special Relationship between American and Britain yesterday. But […]
Progressive Culture | Scholars & Rogues 