Burn Books Burn

Dove World Outreach Centre, a small church in the USA, plan to burn 200 Korans on September 11th. That much is not news. Unfortunately, it apparently is news, to the extent that it’s plastered all over CNN, the BBC and now this very site. In response, one Muslim group plans to distribute 200,000 Korans to [...]

School libraries close: What a shame

Kent is closing its school libraries, according to the Daily Telegraph. It’s the third local authority to take this cost-cutting measure, with two more following suit next year. All I can say is, what a terrible shame. At secondary school I was a heavy user of the library to say the least, some might say [...]

Newspaper spin

As we all know, newspapers report the news to us as they find it and don’t try to bend it to their own interests at all. So when the Guradian publishes this report on a UWE study: Guardian – Cyclists! The public thinks you’re cool and normal! The natural thing to expect is that the [...]

Gadgetry Greenwash for Gullible Guardianistas

The Guardian’s bike blog is advertising reporting on Racer Rosa Bicycles: “Based in east London and using recycled Italian steels, Racer Rosa Bicycles are more than 90% manufactured in Europe”. Racer Rosa “claims to craft ethical and environmentally friendly bicycles”, built in a much more localist, eco-friendly manner than your standard Giant or Trek. They’ll [...]

Surprise Surprise

Here’s a story from the local paper. THE PRESS: Cyclist taken to hospital after Piccadilly junction collision Unfortunately, this doesn’t surprise me at all: I’ve had two near misses riding my bike round that junction since I moved to York, I really don’t consider it to be very safe. I wonder how this crash happened? [...]

Pimp My Ride

I got shouted at today. Riding along the shared use path by Millennium bridge, I approached two dog walkers side by side. As I went to pass them on the right one of their dogs wandered into my path, so I left the path and passed them on the grass. No problem, except that a [...]

Volvo gives children Anti-Volvo Protection Devices

Volvo Netherlands is issuing schoolchildren with cycle helmets. Dear Volvo, you are issuing children with equipment to protect against what, precisely? It isn’t the effects of crashing into cars, is it? Aha, you produce those cars, don’t you! Tell me, once you’ve got all the children wearing big orange headwear, will you move onto the [...]

The end of the world as we know it

Gordon met Gillian, now Dave’s just met Elizabeth. Mr Cameron is our new Prime Minister and the end of the world is nigh, or at least it is if you believe some people I know. In the age of slacktivism, facebook is littered with friends – even the Christian ones – “crying”, “afraid”, “mourning”, “doomed” [...]

Letter to Nick Clegg: Antisemetic PPC Madeleine Kirk

Dear Nick Clegg, I grew up in Sheffield Hallam, and am now at university in York. The Lib Dem PPC for York Outer, Madeleine Kirk, repeated Baroness Tonge’s disgraced and debunked allegations of organ farming in Haiti by Israel, and also stated that “the power of the Jewish lobbies in Washington and Britain” are the [...]

Cameron’s Castration Strategy Targets Balls

The Daily Telegraph have gone in for some creative headline writing today. This makes Alistair Darling jokes look tame, I love it! It links to this comment piece about how Cameron’s conservatives are targeting Edd Balls’ seat in an attempt to create a ‘Portillo moment‘.