Author: Robert Paterson

It is horrific that a country is vilified by the UN. Worse so when it is your own.

I would argue it is not entirely the truth that “UK austerity has inflicted ‘great misery’ on citizens, UN says”. It is the Tory government and those who gave them the mandate.

Not all of us believe that it is a political choice to be poor.

People fall into poverty via many routes – and some I am sure come from much better circumstances originally – possibly even such that they would have voted Tory.

As a nation we should be ashamed that we have let this happen.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/16/uk-austerity-has-inflicted-great-misery-on-citizens-un-says

This announcement by Canopy might be the thing to change social media.

I’m making no judgements, yet. Along with Solid by Tim Berners-Lee-Lee, the tide might be turning against wide open and non-private social media.

Fingers crossed.

https://canopy.cr/blog/

The UK government has pinned its hopes on a nice app to help EU citizens when Brexit happens.

On Android it works fine, because Android does pretty much whatever you want.

On Apple devices it doesn’t work in one key aspect – the NFC scanning of a passport.

Why? Because passports don’t use a standard format.

So the government is pressing Apple to change.

But why should Apple change? They pride themselves on security and privacy – which themselves rely on following standard processes.

Passports are clearly not using a standard NFC process.

Instead, let’s fix passports, though that is clearly a long term and more complex process.

That would be the right thing to do.

UK government wants Apple to open up iPhone NFC chip to let EU citizens scan passports electronically for Brexit app

At times the BBC get it in the neck for their journalism, sometimes completely unwarranted.

This article does a great job of making a situation human and, even if only in a small way, helping us understand the challenge of being a soldier facing some of the deployments that occur.

It also, in my opinion, challenges the value of such actions.

Check it out for yourself.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/Iraq_legacy_of_war

I had need of a plumber and yesterday was chasing down plumbers using Checkatrade as well as some direct calls.

Direct calls all panned out as worthless as they pretty much all gave up when they knew it was an immersion heater tank replacement – earliest was three weeks away.

Using Ratedpeople, I not only got three return calls (as many as they allow in a batch) all three have been on site and are either in the midst of or have quoted for the work.

Lesson, use Ratedpeople, avoid Checkatrade.

Obviously, I’ve yet to see the results, but two seem extremely competent so far. (Dyno were the dodgiest – he forgot a tape measure?? What else might he forget?)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-44904619

Regardkess of your affiliation, you should know that both sides – EU and UK – are working on the no deal scenario.

The article gives some indication of why and what that would look like.

A no deal would be horrendous impacting much more than we realise.

If the second referendum was to happen, would you change your vote?

i wouldn’t, but then I voted against the madness to start with. :-/

If you voted Leave, think on what this chaos would look like.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-44949856

Everyone supposes divorce is easy, especially given the number we seem to read about, but this highlights it isn’t quite as straightforward.

Now, I am not saying she was being frivolous, but equally, if they were not married, it would be easier to split and move on.