Ticking Religious Boxes

In a few month’s time, everyone living in the UK will be expected to fill in the census return so that the government can get its once-a-decade look at the population of the country. As was the case in previous census in 2001, one of the questions will be “what is your religion?” It’s really… Continue reading Ticking Religious Boxes

38 Degrees

When I was on my self-imposed blogging hiatus in August there was one story that I read about and planned to write about on my return to London. But, course, by the time I got back there were more pressing concerns and it soon slipped my mind. Yesterday I read something that reminded me of… Continue reading 38 Degrees

Where’s Your Data

We hear a lot of talk about how cloud computing is the future. Those of us who still run some of our own internet infrastructure are increasingly seen as slightly eccentric and old-fashioned. Why would anyone host their own mail server when we have Gmail or run their own blog when there is WordPress or… Continue reading Where’s Your Data

Complicated Voting System

The Daily Mail never misses an opportunity to push its agenda, does it. Writing about the Labour Leadership election today, Nicola Boden says: Once regarded as the dark horse in the competition, the energy spokesman, 40, took the crown thanks to the party’s complicated voting system. “Complicated”? How can you possibly describe the single transferable… Continue reading Complicated Voting System

The War Against Christmas

Does the pope read the Daily Mail? It seems possible given some of the contents of his speech at Westminster Hall today: There are those who argue that the public celebration of festivals such as Christmas should be discouraged, in the questionable belief that it might somehow offend those of other religions or none. There’s… Continue reading The War Against Christmas

Sobering Lessons

In his first speech after arriving in the UK, the pope said: As we reflect on the sobering lessons of the atheist extremism of the twentieth century, let us never forget how the exclusion of God, religion and virtue from public life leads ultimately to a truncated vision of man and of society and thus… Continue reading Sobering Lessons

Third World Country

The BBC are reporting that Walter Kasper, one of the pope’s senior advisers has pulled out of the papal visit to the UK after saying in a magazine interview that the UK is a “third world country” marked by a “new and aggressive atheism”. Of course, atheists are used to being called aggressive because we… Continue reading Third World Country

Email From The PM

We’re all, no doubt, used to getting 419 scams in email. I get several a day, but they’re not often as brazen as this. PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE TREASURY AND MINISTER FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM. Our ref: ATM/13470/IDR Your ref:…Date: 14/09/2010 IMMEDIATE PAYMENT NOTIFICATION I am The Rt Hon David Cameron MP,Prime Minister,… Continue reading Email From The PM

Opentech 2010

On Saturday I was at the Opentech conference. Some brief notes about the sessions I saw. The day was sponsored by data.gov.uk, so it seemed polite to see one of their sessions first. I watched Richard Stirling and friends talk about some of the work they’re doing on releasing lots and lots of linked data.… Continue reading Opentech 2010