For some fine examples of how language is being manipulated in the War on Terror, try the Cato Institute briefing paper Doublespeak and the War on Terrorism. This 16-page report is very readable, and somewhat disturbing. Read on for some of my favourites…
Steve Irwin still can’t beat the drugs
Searches for “steve irwin jokes” or variations currently represent 67% of all search-generated traffic to this website. But that still doesn’t match the overall traffic levels when drugs spiked my website. What does this say about human nature?
Reclaiming Fascism: perspective please, people!
No, this isn’t an apologia for Nazis, far from it. It’s a plea to reserve “fascist” for situations which actually warrant the term.
There may (may the gods forbid!) come a time when we need to label a government fascist and be taken seriously. So please, don’t devalue it by calling every little disruption of personal choice “fascist”. It’s a very poor media strategy.
Continue reading “Reclaiming Fascism: perspective please, people!”
Emotional Architecture
The exhibition Emotional Architecture at Tap Gallery on Tuesday night. Stained glass work by Jeffrey Hamilton (for a preview, check the photos and more words by The Other Andrew), and photography by Jenn Tao. Worth a look.
And several thousand bonus points to Tajine at the Republic for providing excellent food and stunning service to our, erm, boisterous crowd.
Monopoly for the 21st Century
The classic Parker Brothers game Monopoly has been “updated” for the 21st Century. In the Monopoly Here & Now limited edition, the familiar player tokens of the top hat, the boot, the old-fashioned sports car and the rest are gone — replaced by a laptop, a mobile phone, trainers, a coffee cup and a bag of fries.
Inflation has struck. No longer do you collect $200 when you pass “Go”. Your salary is $2,000,000 — but then the real estate prices are up in the millions too. The railway stations have been replaced by a cell-phone service and an ISP. Community Chest cards include “You are runner up on a Reality TV show. Collect $100,000,” and in a Chance card you get a tax break for driving a hybrid car.
But in the ultimate concession to the New Century, there’s product placement. The coffee cup token is Starbucks-branded, and the fries are McDonald’s.
Should you wish to try before you buy, there’s an interactive demo.
Royal Navy’s first ever gay sex
According to that ever-reliable journal, The Sun, fitness instructor Sam Connell is the Royal Navy‘s first ever male trainer to be accused of a sexual liaison with a male recruit. That’s right, the very first. Ever.
Now it just so happens that Mr Connell is a finalist in Mr Gay UK. And while the prize money is only £5000, it strikes me that having his photo in The Sun won’t harm his post-RN career path. A hunky “I was a sailor” fitness instructor should do quite nicely.
And thank you to Richard Watts for keeping his eye on the tabloids. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.