A moderately successful World Cup on Betfair got me thinking about pundits and probabilities. Or, if you prefer, technocrats and managerialists. As any decent gambler will tell you, heuristics beat opinions. Thankfully, there aren’t many of those about Read More
WMDs in slow motion
The scuppering of small arms controls
This morning, the Sun proclaimed:
“The problem for society is to catch children BEFORE they go wrong.”
Of course, it is normally dangerous to argue with the Sun, lest one be branded a terrorising, judge-loving, paedophile. But it’s important to be aware of how accurately their thoughts will be reflecting vast swathes of the nation. But then, once I realise this, I plunge into despair as, yet again, the country descends into paranoid fervour: and this time about an item of clothing no less. Read More
Walking around the Tate Modern, it is impossible to avoid overhearing the disparaging comments made by the exhibition hall’s many detractors. It can seem that, other than the parties of art students with their activity sheets, the obligatory oldies and the token bearded woman, everyone is there to mock the works and wish unfriendly things upon the artists. Read More
Sort of; though, for what it’s worth, he does not appear to have committed any great crime over the Dome. Nor did he commit any great crime with his secretary; nor did he commit any great crime by playing croquet.
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A quick update on the Sharpener Completely Unofficial World Cup Competition. Sadly, only four of you are matching or beating the House (me). Read More
Israel’s Gaza assault: the real motives
Realpolitik and the Strip
Tories plan English-only votes
Politicking Hadrian’s Wall