(karl)sin(field)design(er)

With all the talk of Bigotgate going on today, it leads me to ask why high levels of immigration are such a political hot-potato. Surely, Brown’s response should have been that high immigration is the sign of a well-functioning society. That is to say, if Britain is supposedly so broken, why does everyone want to live and work here? So surely the spin for Labour would be to state that soaring levels of immigration is an indicator of the success of the government in running the country, and creating such a supportive and lucrative environment in which to live and work. Which is what we are all after, isn’t it?

I know there’s the old argument of taking jobs, but the simple answer to that lay in The Day The Immigrants Left, a BBC documentary which showed fairly conclusively that precisely the people who complain of “foreigners taking our jobs” are neither willing nor able to do them. And actually immigrant labour helps employers keep costs low, productivity high, and therefore keeps the company and its employees (of every nationality) in the country and contributing the treasury. Which also kicks the “impact on social security” argument into a cocked replica WWII German helmet.

Not that I’m an apologist for Mr Brown. While I despise the spin, presentational politics and media manipulation that are part and parcel of modern day parliamentary proceedings, I do accept the need for some savviness, ie. not shooting the shit into one’s wireless mic after the cameras have stopped rolling.  I’ll be looking out in the final debate for the beleagured Brown to reference the Leslie Nielson Naked Gun miked-up bathroom-break moment for his comic reference.

…on that link to the Bill Hicks website below. They are on the level, but have somehow managed to infect their site with some sort of virus, which you may catch if you don’t have antivirus protection.

But you have antivirus protection, right?

What is it with the unrelenting “revelations” about politicians shouting at each other? Has no-one seen The Thick of It? I’m totally confused. And for the media to run with this non-story is yet another demonstration of media hypocrisy. I can highly recommend the above book, which describes Kelvin MacKenzie’s thankfully aborted attempt at creating a televisual version of the NotW. The accounts of his reign of terror at The Sun are hilarious; his “bollockings” would apparently make Peter Capaldi’s rants seem like cosy fireside chats with your grandma. Once again, the news media’s prurient exterior belies the weeping sores and black, black heart at it’s core.

Shock revelations coming soon to a newspaper near you: Alex Ferguson sacked for bullying players, John McEnroe retrospectively charged for bullying umpires, and prime-time training video for bullies, Eastenders, is cancelled.

“Anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn’t the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment.” — Robert Benchley.
via Futility Closet

Apparently the noses of bullet trains are made by hand, in a traditional panel-beating technique. Apparently it’s the only way to get it thin and light enough. Downside: apparently it takes over ten years to get the hang of it.

Guilty your honour.

Female Southern Hawker, ovipositing at the edge of the pond.

At 1am we were woken from our slumber by the biggest earthquake the UK has seen for 25 years.

The last time I experienced such tectonic jiggling was in 2001, in Japan, where every home has an earthquake kit, consisting of hard hats, blankets, torches and so on.  It is a nation in constant (but notably calm) anticipation of “The Big One”. We were staying in a friend’s apartment near Yoyogi park, just getting ready to go out, and the building quivered horizontally. I described the sensation at the time as though you were sitting in a car on the hard shoulder, and a large truck passed by. It’s not too disconcerting in itself, but you instinctively hold your breath until it ends.

Last night’s quake was similar, but slightly more so. The epicentre was 100 miles to the east, and apparently some damage was done to a few houses. We’re all fine though. Nary an ornament was tumbled from the mantle.

Good times.