The first two sentences of the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines are as follows: “Impartiality lies at the heart of public service and is the core of the BBC’s commitment to its audiences. It applies to all our output and services – television, radio, online, and in our international services and commercial magazines.” It seems difficult to reconcile […]
Posts by Psychic Dave:
Jan 06 2016
US spying causing more legal problems for businesses
Foreign Affairs has a good article that goes into some detail on how the United States’ persistent and indiscriminate violations of privacy are causing more problems for businesses needing to operate within the requirements of international law. The ECJ’s Safe Harbor ruling has now forced Washington to decide whether it values its unrestricted ability to spy […]
Jun 05 2015
At the collision between reality and policy
The recently-elected Conservative government has been seeing some well-deserved criticism of its naïve plan to do an end-run around the ‘legal highs’ arms race by simply banning the lot of them. Their new legislation will: Make it an offence to produce, supply, offer to supply, possess with intent to supply, import or export psychoactive substances; […]
Apr 16 2014
Jenny McCarthy tries to scrub off the stink of ‘anti-vax’
I’m heartened to read about Jenny McCarthy trying to claim she actually isn’t anti-vaccination. Not because her views have changed in response to overwhelming evidence – of course they haven’t – but because it means she’s aware that she’s being labelled as anti-vax and that it’s a bad thing. As a person whose loudly uninformed […]
Apr 10 2014
Are you aware of homeopathy? It’s a good time to start!
If you weren’t already aware of homeopathy, then congratulations! There’s no better time to learn all about this ridiculous scam. The inimitable Science-Based Medicine has an excellent and detailed primer on homeopathy; however, you don’t need to read the entire thing to understand the three main points: It’s literally just water
Apr 04 2014
I’m a terrorist! Are you?
At last – all the mystique and danger of being an international terrorist, without having to get my hands dirty mucking about with bombs or mass murder. I need to update my business cards. From The Independent: Saudi Arabia has introduced a series of new laws which define atheists as terrorists, according to a report […]
Jun 28 2012
Full moon at the asylum: Reactions to the PPACA decision
Early this morning the Supreme Court of the United States announced its ruling on the controversial PPACA bill (often referred to as ‘ObamaCare’) that has been the subject of much rhetoric and what passes for ‘debate’. In short, they voted to uphold the entire bill – and the reactions by some on the right are a […]
Apr 03 2012
It’s past time to reclassify data service
An article from the Wall Street Journal reconfirms what most people already know – the data plans offered by US carriers are completely out of touch with modern usage and are becoming comically inadequate. At what point will it become clear to these companies that data, like water or electricity service, is a utility and […]
Mar 21 2012
Afghan shooting as a simple litmus test of media credibility
On the night of March 11, Staff Sergeant Robert Bales walked out of the Kandahar Army base in which he was stationed and (allegedly) murdered 16 civilians – nine children, four men and three women. Mostly children. While I’d like to say that the Western media’s approach to covering this gruesome saga is surprising, it’s […]
Apr 16 2010
Victory
As you’ve probably already heard, the British Chiropractic Association has dropped its court case against Simon Singh following the overturning on appeal of the previous ruling against him, marking the end of an expensive and mostly pointless legal battle. Mostly pointless, because it has at least served to focus national attention on Britain’s hideously illiberal […]
