Nut Meets Sledgehammer

Last month, a 19-year-old resident of Sunderland was cautioned by the police for making an offensive remark on Twitter. How can this possibly be an intelligent use of government power?

On 22 December, a bin lorry crashed into a crowd of shoppers in Glasgow, tragically killing six people. Ross Loraine allegedly tweeted:

So a bin lorry has crashed into 100 people in Glasgow eh, probably the most trash its ever picked up in one day that.

This was a cruel, stupid, juvenile statement. Twitter being what it is, I'm sure Loraine received a deluge of replies telling him as much.

However, it doesn't rise (or sink) to the level of hate speech or incitement to violence. His tweet will not motivate anyone to commit acts of violence against Glaswegians.

The BBC thought the content of the tweet was too shocking to reveal to the delicate eyes of its readers. The Glasgow-based Herald newspaper was more robust, and reproduced the tweet in full. The latter is absolutely the right decision; it allows us to see how pathetic Loraine is, and mock him for it as we see fit.

Scene of the crash in Glasgow. Source: BBC News

Cute Cat Friday 2015-01-30: Dexter

Carrying on the family tradition of supporting the Edmonton Oilers.

I don't think he is pleased with their progress. I'm certainly not; the Oilers' record this season is terrible, second last in the league so I can't even say they have nowhere to go but up. Oh well, there's always next year and next decade.

I Am A Migrant

The I Am A Migrant project opposes the mendacity, scaremongering and outright bigotry which surround the immigration debate in the UK. In its own words:

The aim ... is to provide some much needed balance to current debates concerning immigration to Britain and EU membership, as well as wider issues relating to migration more broadly outside of the EU context. Motivation to launch the project stems from a deep concern over the future of the UK, specifically the kind of society it will be.

I wholeheartedly support this goal, and I Am A Migrant has kindly republished my recent piece "Waste of Space: An Open Letter to Nigel Farage".

I Am A Migrant is open to contributions; both general articles such as mine, and more personal stories. These may be from migrants like myself, saying how we came to the UK and why we choose to make it our home; but contributions from those born in the UK are welcome as well. If you are concerned about the immigration debate in the UK, I encourage you to visit this site, and consider sharing your story.

Cute Cat Friday 2015-01-23: Belle

Enjoying a late afternoon sunbeam.

So What If It Is An Insult?

The staff of Charlie Hebdo showed courage and integrity, by continuing to publish after their colleagues were murdered last week; as did many ordinary people in France and elsewhere, who came out to march in solidarity with the victims.

Otherwise, the reaction has been as depressing as it was predictable.

(Charlie Hebdo cartoon of Muhammad is below the fold.)

Cute Cat Friday 2015-01-16: Dexter

Hey there, human. This new chair you brought me is pretty comfortable.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies: Review

Bilbo: "Is it over yet?"
Source: IMDB

I'm coming in a bit late on this one, but here are my thoughts on The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.

One moment in this film beautifully sums up the whole: Dain, chieftain of the dwarves of the Iron Hills, sees yet another bizarre computer-generated monster appear on the horizon, and responds with an incredulous, "Oh, COME ON!"

I rather enjoyed the first two instalments in the Hobbit trilogy. The Lord of the Rings films were a towering achievement of cinema; the prequels are not in the same league, but pretty good fun on a winter evening. I am a huge fan of Tolkien's books, but I'm not a purist. I was happy to accept the Hobbit films as a new story, based on The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (with its Appendices), but told by Peter Jackson as much as by JRR Tolkien. I am sad to report that Jackson has seriously dropped the ball in this episode.

(Mild spoilers below the fold, for anyone who has not read the book.)