Politics these days is not just a matter of Left v right but also authoritarian v Libertarian. I suspect this could be further mapped ie pro-business or anti-business etc.
The Political Compass is a website that asks you 6 pages (not long pages) of questions to establish where you fit in. The chart also makes clear that, despite popular perceptions, the opposite of fascism is not communism but anarchism (ie liberal socialism), and that the opposite of communism ( i.e. an entirely state-planned economy) is neo-liberalism (i.e. extreme deregulated economy). Mine shows me as being marginally to the right of centre but definitely more pro libertarianism than authoritarian.
Popularity: 6% [?]
It has taken fifteen years since they were first introduced but it has finally sunk in that Speed Cameras are not deployed for safety but as a form of taxation on driving. We were amongst the safest roads in Europe until speed cameras were introduced but then the year on year improvements in safety and reduction virtually came to a halt. See the portent story on SafeSpeed for details.
It stands to reason that if you drive with one eye on the speedo and one looking for cameras you are not as safe a driver as if you are looking for potential problems. And the big lie that speeding causes 1/3rd of casualties was finally shown to be totally wrong- the Govt measured figure is nearer 5%. Inattention is the main cause.
But as the Boston Tea Party showed, you can push people so far before they fight back and this site shows people fighting back- by destroying Gatsos. There are many photos…Now if only they’d do the same for the Speed bumps and stupid 20 mph zones.
Popularity: 12% [?]
The name of this site says it all. IsItChristmas.com. All it has is a big fat No! I guess for one day a year it will say something different! I can see this starting a whole bandwagon. IsitEaster etc and then the protesters- IsWarOver … For all I know they might already exist!
Of course the really clever web gurus might be working on AreWeThereYet…
Popularity: 12% [?]
This appeals to my subversive, resist authority nature. In their words Strictly no photography is a photo-sharing site for photographs taken where you are not allowed to take them. From the inside of the Kremlin to Kensington palace, from art galleries to war zones.
The rise in the number of compact digital cameras and phone cameras with increasingly good photo taking ability means that photography has become something that everyone can do. No flash bulbs needed or having to develop photos. My Nokia N73 phone takes some excellent photos. So it gets harder in fact probably impossible to ban photography in places as this website demonstrates. I just wish they’d change from white text on a black background!
Popularity: 16% [?]
If you write comments on blogs or forums, you’ll often see Avatars. Gravatar, a globally recognized avatar lets you upload or link an Avatar image that is associated to you email address.
Quoting Wikipedia again (I’m getting lazy!) “Although blog comment pages can sometimes act like Internet forums, there is no single way to provide avatar support on blogs. One solution is the “gravatar”, an avatar called from a centralized server at site.gravatar.com and linked to one’s e-mail address. Gravatars are centrally moderated, which allows them to be filtered for family friendliness.”
The image shows me uploading a (pretty rubbish!) icon- I’ll get a better one. You can se it in action on the earlier story about the Click and Point puzzle where I have added a comment. Yes Portent is now gravatar enabled.
Popularity: 12% [?]
Logos fascinate me- the way that a compact graphic image can project a company’s essence and being. Over time logos get redesigned to reflect changes and not always for the best.
This site looks at 20 logos and gives them praise … or not! Excellent stuff.
Popularity: 19% [?]
Sneaky this, grabbing the domain for creationsim.co.uk to use as an anti-creationism website! My own belief is live and let live, but I regard Creationism and Intelligent Design as just bunkum ideas and not even close to being theories or hypothesise as say Evolution is.
This website though is concerned with the forced spread of creationism in schools- they say “Creationism is of particular concern, as their main tactic is to target schoolchildren & the schools in which they are taught. They then attempt to undermine a child’s understanding of the principles governing modern science especially that relating to the concept of biological evolution. They also attempt to indoctrinate the children with extreme religious views & antipathy to modern society; views (such as those vilifying homosexuals) which are completely at odds with the values of modern western society.”
After a Christian “Enlightenment” which costs many lives and hundreds of years to get science recognised, it would be just plain awful to have it undermined by those who want to force their religious ideologies down people’s throats. When it replaces or attempts to suppress scientific ideas, through ignorance then it’s time to say stop and that is what creationism.co.uk is trying to achieve.
Popularity: 8% [?]
This site isn’t really meant to be taken too seriously but judging by the editing of the images, a fair bit of work has been put into it. As it says on the tin (phrase from old UK TV advert), it is a look at many cars (past and present) in the UK that are considered ugly.
It’s a bit subjective- I thought there was no mention for example of the boxy Ladas that roamed the streets and roads back in the 80s until the fall of the Berlin Wall, but several people had nominated the Lada Riva so I was wrong. You can submit your comments and suggestions. (here’s one- anyone who uses light text on dark backgrounds should be shot!)
I love the rating system- paper bags! The more the uglier. This of course stems from the old joke about “my girlfriend is a two bagger. She is so ugly that I have to wear a paper bag over my head in case the one over hers breaks”…
Popularity: 11% [?]
A modern day problem in the UK is political correctness. There are a number of unelected officials who are scared of offending anyone, particularly minorities and thus impose stupid thoughtless restrictions which upset many because of fear of offending some unspecified “They”.
You see examples of this around Christmas where some councils call it Winterval or some equally ridiculous name. Never mind that it upsets many non Christians, so long as it doesn’t offend the unspecified “they”.
Many local Government organisations are particularly rife with this as are UK institutions such as the NHS, Police , Job centres etc. I can’t think of anything more insulting to anyone black or coloured that they might be deemed upset by someone calling a blackboard a blackboard.
The Campaign Against Political Correctness (CAPC) seeks to expose examples of this, refute and ridicule them and shine some common sense in. The founders John and Laura Midgley are not afraid to confront PC in the media, whenever and wherever it occurs.
My only gripe- I think the site is badly in need of a revamp with a fresher look and better site organisation! But the message should go out loud and clear!
Popularity: 8% [?]
To work and pay tax in England, you need a National Insurance number. If you don’t have one you have to pay a horrendous 40% of your earnings in emergency tax! As a good and law-abiding immigrant, I called the Job Centre in July last year and asked for an NI interview. I was told I couldn’t book an appointment as I had also made claims for tax credits, and child and housing benefits. Your benefit claims have to be processed before you can get an appointment for your interview.
I realise now that coming from Sweden I have been spoiled rotten by our state. We have a central computer system somewhere in the heart of our nation where all citizens are registered. If you give birth to a child it is registered in the Big Comp, and within a couple of weeks you begin to receive child benefit for said infant without as much as signing a paper. If you claim housing benefit, the paper-shuffler at the benefits agency will type your details into the Desktop Comp, which is magically connected to the Big Comp. Within minutes they get access to your tax codes, your income, and any other vital information needed to process your claim. Piece of cake! A minimum of hassle, no waste of time, and within a couple of weeks your money is paid into your account.
When I knew I was going to move countries, I did my homework to find out if I would have the same rights in the UK as I did in Sweden. Transparency rules for EU nationals meant that I’d basically be entitled to the same benefits here, albeit calculated according to UK rates. Seemed like a fair deal to me. What I didn’t realise was that everything that is done swiftly and efficiently in Sweden takes forever in this country. Why? Well, so far the only plausible reason I have come up with is that it keeps a great many people busy shuffling papers and being rude to foreigners.
Three weeks ago, after thirteen months in this country, I finally had my interview! I must admit that I didn’t arrive in high spirits, but the man at the Hounslow Job Centre office was fantastic! He even apologised for the ludicrousness of the system and filed a report of complaint on my behalf. Today I got my red and blue NI card, so Hey Guys! I’m one of you now! I’m so excited I can hardly type!!
Who knows, next I may even get my child benefit sorted…
//Evalena
Popularity: 17% [?]
According to Wikipedia, a blog is a type of website that often provide commentary or news and information on a particular subject. Some deal with such interesting topics as food, politics, or local news; whereas others function more as personal online diaries. This, dear reader, is my blog, and I figure it will be a mixture of all of the above.
So, I hear you ask, what makes my thoughts and ideas public interest? And who am I to occupy web space in the first place? Well, I am portent in the archaic sense of the word. Seeing as the founder of this site, David Bolton, is a brainy Mensa man, I think it could benefit from a bit of esoteric female input on such wordly matters such as Life According to Me. I am obsessed with understanding and forever asking: Why…?
My name is Evalena, and I am a Swedish, 39-year-old, single mother of five, who last year left my country to pursue my dreams. I ended up in a shoebox in Ealing, West London, where I spend my time working, studying, arguing with my children, and dreaming. I teach English and Communication at a private college. I study news media language, and hope to be able to add a Ph.D. to my titles before I die.
As for my dreams… Well, we’re not getting that private on a first date, are we? Four of my kids have just finished their first year in an English school, which was a big change for them. Not only because of the school uniforms. At the moment they are in Sweden enjoying a well-deserved summer holiday. My oldest daughter has left the nest to try her wings. She is currently living and working in a pub nearby, but I hope she will soon realise how special her talents are and return to her studies.
I have two sisters, a brother, my parents, and grandparents in Sweden. We are a tight-knit unit, forever in each other’s faces, even though we live far apart. I know this whole blogging thingie is going to make my mother very nervous, but mum, I promise not to say anything too bad or outrageous. Yet…
I collect odd people the way others collect stamps or nick-nack, and I have been blessed with a circle of truly amazing, eccentric friends. Just like my mum, some of them will be feeling a bit queasy knowing that I am about to make my life public access. Don’t worry, my lovlies, I won’t use your real names in here…
Last, but not least, there is also a Man in my life. A respectable protector of freedom and instigator of world peace, he is currently in Afghanistan doing whatever it is our troops are doing over there. This is something that is very hard for me to understand and come to terms with, which is why it occupies my thoughts for a great deal of my time.
Right, I think that will do as a first introduction. If you want to know more about me, who I am and how I look upon the world around me, just keep your eyes on my blog.
Love and light,
//Evalena
Popularity: 14% [?]
As Britain’s outspoken Ambassador to the Central Asian Republic of Uzbekistan, Craig Murray helped expose vicious human rights abuses by the US-funded regime of Islam Karimov. He is not a popular man in Govt circles.
Here is what he says, casting severe doubts about the plot.
“So this, I believe, is the true story.
None of the alleged terrorists had made a bomb. None had bought a plane ticket. Many did not even have passports, which given the efficiency of the UK Passport Agency would mean they couldn’t be a plane bomber for quite some time.
In the absence of bombs and airline tickets, and in many cases passports, it could be pretty difficult to convince a jury beyond reasonable doubt that individuals intended to go through with suicide bombings, whatever rash stuff they may have bragged in internet chat rooms.
What is more, many of those arrested had been under surveillance for over a year - like thousands of other British Muslims. And not just Muslims. Like me. Nothing from that surveillance had indicated the need for early arrests.”
Popularity: 5% [?]