A Gentleman's Commonplace

Means and ends

An excellent 'Badger Rant' on the admissability of evidence obtained through torture for use in UK courts is commended to all, particularly those of you who think what happens in Guantanamo Bay or Tora Bora has nothing to do with us. He's 'angry and a little scared' and, on reading this, so am I.

We lose all integrity when we abandon basic human rights. As it is done in my name as a British subject/citizen, I lose some of my integrity when my government and my system of justice do this.

Some may ask whether I would be so keen to stick up for terrorists if they had killed a friend or relative of mine. This pernicious line of arguing assumes guilt not innocence before a fair trial, assumes one set of rights for some people and not others and is contrary to the basic precepts of British justice as I understood it. Apparently, though, no more.

...Labour catches a cold

To misquote the old line on transatlantic influence (or influenza), 'When the Democrats sneeze, Labour catches a cold'. Remember the New Democrats of Bill Clinton in 1990? And then New Labour in 1994.

So I'm surprised its taken so long for IT überwonk James Crabtree to suggest some of us blog the Labour Party Conference following the blogfest in Boston. James, as it happens, is going to Harvard before October, I think, so maybe he will metablog the event at Voxpolitics or even lobby Technorati for a http://ukpolitics.technorati.com

I won't be there either but it sounds as though Demos will take up the cause.

Whether the Labour Party Conference will do much to the blogging scene, I don't know. I am sceptical as to whether it will increase accountability in any way or even generate new ideas. Blogging wonks (and James is the first to call me one, I'll add) are largely based in London in a few think tanks. Most Labour party policy seems to be generated in London through a slightly obscure network of civil servants, academics and, well, think tanks. The conference will be tightly managed and largely uncontroversial (inevitable protests about Iraq and annual mutterings about conspiratorial Brownites aside). So where's the attraction/benefit (apart from trying it for its own sake)?

However, I look forward to James' further thoughts.

CIA Asks Bush to Discontinue Blog

From the Onion: genius.

Even better, someone (not the Onion, who must be getting rusty) looked at the TypePad link (the Trotts ought to be particularly proud that it wasn't Blogger, LiveJournal etc) found it wasn't registered and did so: http://prezgeorgew.typepad.com

Confidence to create

Meme* of the moment is How to be Creative on Gapingvoid.

Hugh Macleod initially set out in his original post to 'set out some tips' based on his experience. What has made the post so successful is not only the fact that they are well written and succinct, but that Hugh has used subsequent posts, accompanied by his (not quite) trademark 'cartoons on the back of business cards' to explore the individual ideas further. And, of course, because this is a blog, us readers can comment on his site, and post our own thoughts.

The success of the meme is also down to its core idea: you are creative, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

This strikes a chord with bloggers because we want to create. What makes blogging such an attractive idea is that it is non-perscriptive: create anything. And because whatever is created is published, blogging validates that creation to its creator - it becomes real and they are therefore creative: 'look! I made that, it's mine'.

I started blogging earlier this year largely to get me used to writing regularly again. It's working too. And making a difference to my non-blogging activities - how I write, think and much more besides.

It is about confidence: one thing Hugh is saying is there is no reason why you shouldn't have the confidence to create (see his point 6). Just as the act of blogging itself validates what a blogger creates on a blog, Hugh's meme is validating people to create in the first place.

So: go create.

*A blog meme is a idea that acts a bit like a virus, infecting blog after blog etc

What were the chances of that happening?

The Democrats Convention ends. Kerry gets a 4pt 'bounce' in the polls and the commentators are glowing for him. The focus on 'strength and wisdom' so eloquently expressed by Bill Clinton seems to be gaining a bit of traction.

And then – how much bad luck can you get? – up pops Tom Ridge and announces that the Department of Homeland security is on code orange and that terrorists are targetting Citibank and the NYSE.

I mean, seriously, who could have predicted that?

Ministry survives - minister hopeful

Breaking news: according to this link from the BBC tonight, Thomas Scott's Spoof website will stay online.

To be honest, I know that I have defended his site here, but is it really fair that people who think that the Ministry of Vague Affairs exists should die? Horribly? Desparately attempting to get the right beeping sound from the modem?

Surely not.

It would be too good for them...

An agitation of manifestos

Manifestos are all the rage. The UK think-tank, ippr, launched their project to create a Manifesto for a Digital Britain last night. Hugh McLeod has been penning his answer to the Cluetrain Manifesto, aptly titled the Hughtrain. FirstMonday has just published the Manifesto for the Reputation Society. Back in June, WWF and SustainAbility launched a Media Manifesto at a seminar I organised at the BBC. And finally the bloggerati are giving their verdict on the manifesto at the heart of Seth Godin's latest venture: ChangeThis.

What is it about the manifesto that has suddenly made it the idea-vehicle of choice? It could be the fact that the political seasons, like planets, are almost in alignment: in the US Bush vs Kerry is warming up for November, whilst in Britain, the wonks (and digital wonks, particularly) are in party manifesto mode - exploring what ideas will catch the eyes of the party leaderships.

A manifesto is no mere statement but a statement with the force of argument and belief. Nor is it simply a vision; it scorns the vision as wishful thinking for a never-never future, arguing instead for change now. Moreover, the manifesto is an argument with intent and identity: demanding not only that adherents make a public stand on its behalf, but that they drive changes and are held accountable for them. Manifestos are emotional and partial, romantic and practical.

It seems that we've been through the rational bit of the tech-cycle: the idealists are back and whether we agree with them, we're given a buzz by it. Tech companies are getting excited about IPOs and technology is going to save the world. I'd watch out: it looks like we're back in 1999.

The Ministry of Vague Paranoia

On seeing the great hoo-ha in the UK press about the UK Government's Preparing For Emergencies booklet (www.preparingforemergies.gov.uk), resourceful parodist Thomas Scott has taken it off beautifully at: www.preparingforemergencies.co.uk.

Amazing, isn't it, how the government still don't seem to think about covering the bases and buying up similar URLs.

Unsurprisingly HMG is not best pleased. As Thomas tells BoingBoing:

'I considered giving up, but heck -- it's a parody, it's obviously a parody, and I'm damned if I'm going to be strongarmed into taking it down. As a concession, I added a conspicuous "this is a parody" notice to the bottom of the home page'

Too true. You fight 'em, Thomas. If we had any inalienable rights in the UK, right to parody would be in there jostling with the vote and a fair trial.

Rude awakening

I've written another short story. Hope you like it (I warn you that is not exactly, shall we say, verité in style).

__

John’s eyes open gradually to a dim, fuzzy gloom. His chest feels strangely heavy and his arms and legs listless and drained. The blur gradually ebbs away and noises emerge: thick, wallowy words, more tune than sentence, spoken as though through honey. They too condense like the scene into being once more the world John knew before the blackness. Then smell comes to his attention: sharp and chemical the kind of odour that coats the back of your tongue. John’s tongue is dry and furry: he asks for water.

Continue reading "Rude awakening"

Pulp fact

William Shatner has recorded a version of Pulp's Common People. I kid you not. Seriously. Honestly. Tragically, this is true. The evidence is here

It is perhaps the song above all others that stands out from my university years. I didn't do Es and Whiz and never spent any time in country houses or musing on Park Life.

Picture the scene: early on a Saturday morning (2am probably) in the upstairs room in a student house in Oxford. Beer cans litter every available surface. The everyday 100w pearl white lightbulbs have been swapped for dim, almost menacing red and green lights. The air is thick with smoke, sweat and the vigorous movement of thirty students almost entirely all from the best-known (and most expensive) public (hence, for non-British readers, private) schools in the country. And all are belting out that they 'want to be like common people, common people like you'. Of course, they are generally now barristers, management consultants, film-makers, solicitors and budding politicians. But it was a nice thought, wasn't it? (And Jarvis Cocker went and married the decidedly uncommon sounding Camille Bidault-Waddington)

Still, I can't help but feel now that someone has Shatnered all over my fond memories.

(Thanks to Suw for the alert)