Britannia Rules the Waves

Argentina. What more do I really need to say? As the days and weeks have gone by, the South American country has kicked off more and more about British 'colonialism' and 'empire building.' HRH The Duke of Cambridge (Prince William to the nonces out there) has been sent to the Falklands as part of his search-and-rescue pilot role. The HMS Dauntless was sent down there as part of a standard South Atlantic presence. Claims the HMS Vanguard has entered South American waters are unfounded.

When asked about whose rule they'd rather live under, the Falkland Islanders to a man chose Great Britain. One could argue that Argentina trying to impose foreign rule on them (as they wish to do, not as they are actually trying just yet...) is morally and ethically wrong. I won't lie, what do I know, but if the people don't want something, then they just don't want it. Furthermore, Christina Kirchner, president of Argentina, says Great Britain's claim over the Falklands is 'the last refuge of empire' and that we are holding onto them for the sake of simply 'having a colony elsewhere.' Her reason for believing Argentina should have the islands? They're nearby, 'cause that makes sense.

I don't think Britain is necessarily the best at foreign diplomacy in these sorts of situations, but quite frankly Ms. Kirchner and her Argentina need to grow up and man up. The people don't want you, we don't want you to have them, and your vacuous rhetoric is getting on my nerves a little. To put it simply; do one.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Huhne Club Band

Chris Huhne, today, appears to have shot himself in the foot with regards to his political career. This would come as some kind of surprise, if it wasn't for the fact somebody (anybody) else should have done so first over the last eight years.

Under suspicion of forcing his now-ex wife, Vicky Pryce, to take penalty points for speeding in March 2003 Huhne, along with Ms. Pryce, have both been officially charged with perverting the course of justice by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Having spent three hours watching the BBC roll the story over and over (and over and over and over...) I can't help but wonder how it took the CPS this long. Following on from this charge the pair of them are due at Westminster Magistrates' Court on the 16th of this month, and I only wish such speedy resolutions would continue to be forthcoming.

From what I've heard the trial is likely to take some time. I'm not entirely sure what Ms. Pryce has to say on the matter, having only heard from Huhne himself and Clegg this morning (Dave not deeming it worthy of comment, other than to say "Thanks for resigning, now get out of my government"), but I'm not sure how supportive she can be of the whole process; married to Huhne for twenty-six years, she ended up filing for divorce upon his admission he was having an extramarital affair with his...publicist? Election assistant? Some woman in his staff, anyway.

I'll admit, I don't know too much about Ed Davey, the man brought in to replace Huhne as Secretary for Energy and Climate Change (Or Secretary for the Environment, as Clegg told the news this morning...) but, other than being a Lib-Dem, don't see how he could be a more objectionable man. Clegg's said that, if Huhne is found to be innocent (something of a long shot, at best, I think) he is welcome back into government. On the very unfortunate basis that doesn't happen, I can't see how he'll do anything other than fade away into obscurity.

What I want to ask is would this be a bad thing?

Vox Populi

From my Blottr

"Today I experienced a moment of mild (ish) panic - as far as I could tell, my Blottr articles had been deleted, and my account removed from the system. After extensive ranting to everyone in my vicinity, I eventually complained about it online. My Twitter and Blogger followers felt the full wrath here, and I thought I was done.

I then come home to find apologies from two separate Blottr big'uns, explaining the website was undergoing changes and this was a known bug. I proceed to check and, lo and behold, my article most definitely still existed and my account remained active. The brief amount of 'points' I accumulated seem to have vanished, but otherwise nothing seems to have changed.

That is, of course, with the exception of the site itself. Blottr has truly embraced the nature of the beast, and that beast is people: the new look website feels more dynamic, looks sharper, and is far neater than before. Breaking news cycles round a small carousel at the top, with further articles listed below in a much clearer form. Profiles look tidier, and information contained within them is more accessible to visitors. No earth-shattering changes were needed, nor even small ones, but Blottr have gone above and beyond to cater to the needs of their authors and viewers.

Social media is a platform I myself have come into recently, and it is one I find more and more fascinating every day - the will of the people to contribute their opinions to the world at large is truly astounding, and what Blottr have unleashed is (from where I stand) an unstoppable force epitomising 'vox populi' in it's truest form. One of the greatest parts is that the person sitting next to you could be the one to break the next big thing. And the best thing of all is that it could just as easily be you."

Blottr Rage - Over

Apparently the issue with Blottr was a bug in their system due to website changes. I'd yet to make a formal complaint to them about it, and two admin staff (one acting as an individual, one acting as the voice of Blottr itself) found me on Twitter and apologised, explaining the issue.

On this basis I retract everything I said previously, and commend them for their swift response to the issue - top bunch of guys'n'gals!

Blottr Rage

Well my Blottr account, opened last night to cover the footballing disaster in Port Said, north-east Egypt, appears to have been deleted. Last I'd checked I'd had a few punt-offs to Twitter, as well as several recommendations on Facebook. I don't understand...

I feared some kind of perniccerty (you'll forgive me, I've no idea whatsoever how one spells that...) legal point that I'd inadvertently trespassed into. I checked my emails, and there's nothing there. I can't check my account as my user page seems to no longer exist, though attempting to recreate my account tells me a user with that name already exists.

I've no idea what I've done, but obviously reporting on tragic news is a heinous crime in their eyes. I intend to protest this, but given the response I'd seen and encouragment I'd had I'm not entirely sure how I've wronged social media to the extent my account deseves deletion. I will, of course, understand if I've breached some rule I otherwise should have known of, but I demand to be told what I've done.

74 Dead Following Football Pitch Invasion

From my Blottr

"At least 74 civilians have been confirmed dead, with reports of hundreds more injured, at a football match in Port Said, north-east Egypt.

A rare win for club al-Masry over league leaders al-Ahly resulted in thousands streaming onto the pitch. Reports of rocks and knives being used are rampant, with some sources claiming fireworks and flares also entered the fray. The majority of deaths, including those of security workers at the stadium, came from head injuries - concussion, as well as knife wounds - and suffocation from the stampede.

Just over a year on from the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak, at a time when events in the country (from the inside, at least) seem to have changed far less than the 'government' would have us believe, it saddens me, and the world as a whole, that something as globally unifying as football can end up causing as much hurt and pain to families as the war they all hope to avoid."

The Benefits Cap

The more I hear about objection to the proposed benefits caps of £26,000 the angrier I get. Average (median, I believe) UK annual income in 2007 was approximately £21,000: assuming a rate of inflation of 4% PA that rises to £25,500 in 2012. I don’t understand how people can complain at earning £500 extra a year for doing 300 odd days less work. 

As a second year university student I’m well aware of how to be financially sensible, and I’m also well aware I ignore that knowledge every time I visit my local Asda, but I muddle through fine. My family are in little-to-no position to help me out, financially, meaning my approximate ‘earnings’ PA are £6,500 from Student Finance (mixture of grants and loans). Out of that I pay for rent, television, transport to lectures, food, drink, a social life, bills, broadband etc. etc.

I just finished a BBC article (found here) analysing how the benefits cap will affect a certain family. This family has seven children (a, personally, ridiculous number) and buys 24 cans of beer and 200+ cigarettes a week, as well as rolling tobacco. They pay for Sky Movies so they can be entertained whilst sitting around the house all day. The man of the household has been out of work for ten years.

I don’t pretend to have similar outgoing payments to a family of nine (again, sheer idiocy), but I don’t think they’re too dissimilar in relation to our separate situations. The fact the (unelected) Lords (by which I largely mean bishops) attempted to throw this cap out is ludicrous.

As a right-wing student I vehemently abhor (there, I said it) a welfare state, and some overactive baby machine bitching how he can’t be a lazy arsehole anymore somewhat gets my goat.