Author: Robert Paterson

Quirky, geeky and charming techie. All thoughts and posts are my own.

Brexit – the insanity

One definition of insanity is repeatedly doing the same thing and expecting different results.

Mrs May, currently the British PM, has done so twice and now it sounds as if she may do so again.

However, she will not allow the public a second vote on the whole concept of Brexit.

One of the most fundamental findings post the referendum was that some weren’t voting about Leave or Remain and instead used the vote to vote against what they perceived was the government’s idea of Remain and thus “stick it to ’em”.

Further the dischord between Remain and Leave continues apace.

This only shows how badly dis-United our Kingdom is at present – and no one, from any party, has done anything noteworthy to address that aspect.

We need a new set of people to represent us who are true representatives and not just entitled “whatsits”.

Brexit is a mess

I’m just watching an advert from the government offering advice on what to do about Brexit.
They can’t organise a plan that can pass parliament’s review…
We’re divided as a country, as a parliament – as a nation.
Rather than addressing the divisions, some of which caused the mess we’re in, the government messed around with “Brexit means Brexit” and only at the last minute have a plan, which it seems isn’t good enough.
Labour are just as bad.
We have May, a Remainer taking us into Brexit. Corbyn is a Leaver but trying to muddle through with his party and semi-pretending to be a Remainer.
None of the parties has taken the stand of finding a way to make us a United Kingdom, instead they’re focused on trying to make us a Great Britain.
We really do need a new way of doing politics.
Other countries have had revolutions, peaceful ones, we need to make changes like they have done and fix this mess properly.

Well said Shappi

Every so often I stumble on a story which just feels wrong. Or even completely made up.

The feud between Megan and Kate feels like one of theee stories.

Shappi highlights that women are generally seen to make friends easily and natter often.

I know from work that while such friendships occur, they also break down and not everyone gets on with everyone else.

So who cares if they do or don’t get on, they’re human. That happens. The fact that they haven’t fought with bare knuckles shows that perhaps they can tolerate each other and behave like adults.

If only the readers, let alone the journalists reporting such tripe, could do the same.

Leave them be.

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/meghan-markle-kate-feud-prince-harry-william-royal-family-friendships-women-a8702056.html

Fascinating timing

I am not one to normally consider a conspiracy theory.

However…

The timing of this report coming so close to the increased pressure on the Prime Minister to address the Brexit vote sooner than January, seems a little convenient.

The numbers of people wanting to come to the UK has decreased. That’s a matter of record.

So these issues with migrants would appear to be well timed to frighten those who want to stop all immigration. And one can imagine they will then be easily swayed, if they were wavering, to stick with team Leave.

Cynical? Me? About this and May’s continues fervour, absolutely.

Channel migrants: Home secretary declares major incident http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46705128

Fallout 76 disappointed, this one shouldn’t

I’m a big fan of Fallout, at least I was until Fallout 76. I was wary when it was announced but felt sure Bethesda couldn’t get it wrong, again, surely?

Seems I was wrong. Multiplayer favours the trolls and we know how the world has developed into troll heaven.

This new game from the original Fallout creators goes back to the sort of roots that 76 should have favoured.

I’m really looking forward to this:

https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/new-product/game/the-outer-worlds-news-3689025/.

Lovely meal with good friends

Good friends can stay good friends without the need for constant contact. How do I know that? Because I have a few great friends who fit that bill. I have others with whom contact is almost daily, but the best ones somehow don’t need that permanency.

Here’s a photo of a burger I had in The Mayflower, near Hazlemere in Bucks yesterday (2nd December, 2018) when catching up with Av, Row and Av’s mum:

Secure payments are key for our safety

The hack of Marriott’s customer credit card information is worrying.

But it could be avoided. Using a secure payment system, Apple Pay is the best one I know of, but others may offer similar protection, you would not need to worry.

As the article at the end of this post explains, Apple Pay effectively generates a single use card number, which means no one else can reuse it. With the device using biometrics, or in the case of the Apple Watch, being attached to you, significantly reduces any risk of using a card.

I find it amazing that people I know with the iPhone or even the Watch as well don’t use this amazingly secure mechanism. And if the same exists outside of Apple’s ecosystem, using that as well.

Be safe, be sensible and use your technology to protect yourselves.

Comment: Marriott guest system hack shows the need for wider rollout of Apple Pay on the web

History will tell us what this really means

But personally, I think the UK has made a disastrous decision to vote for Brexit, to allow May to continue regardless of the ongoing feeling and clear challenges.

This article by the Independent highlights that the upcoming vote could lead right in to the hands of the Remainers:

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/brexit-deal-vote-no-theresa-may-jeremy-corbyn-queen-remain-mps-new-coalition-government-a8655586.html

And then we have the economic forecast, by the Government’s own advisors which highlights a potential negative impact of £1000 per year per person:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-wages-theresa-may-gdp-deal-eu-latest-analysis-a8655746.html

Net, this whole exercise will cost a lot of money, negatively impact all of us and all for a possible gain in the long term future.

I’ve made risky decisions in the past but never with such consequences or short term impact to my pocket.

Britain is mad.

How sure can you be that you’re not incorrectly influenced?

Trusting sources is getting harder and harder.

Learning that someone like Steve Bannon wants to persuade Europeans to vote in Trump-like politicians is worrying.

For a start when has any American truly understood Europe? So many countries with subtle – and not so subtle – differences that has, usually, found a way to work with the others.

A Trump-like politician would alienate and break up the harmony that exists.

Would that lead to wars? Possibly, possibly not, but it would lead to greater and more harmful breakdowns of the various societies.

i don’t want someone like that influcencing a destabilising way of working.

Do you?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/21/steve-bannons-rightwing-europe-operation-undermined-by-election-laws