TEDx speakers deliver “ideas worth spreading”
Leading lights from the worlds of science, academia and business participated in this year’s TEDx talk
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James Appleton
Two Penn’orth: Six degrees of aggravation
Why the Conservatives' six key pledges are really really good, without a hint of sarcasm
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Two Penn’orth: The race is on for the worst paper in Britain
So previously I have always kind of assigned the title mentioned in the headline of this column to the _Sun_. I hate the _Sun_ with the passion of a thousand burning, well, suns. Second prize has usually been handed out to the _Daily Mail_, whose right-wing hate agenda never fails...
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Why the Tories’ education policy is backwards
So the Tories have announced their education policy which is, by their own admission, “brazenly elitist”. It seems that criticising the Conservatives is almost all I do these days, but this one is particularly worth it. Since when has elitism been praiseworthy? Well, I suppose that depends. Wiktionary – the...
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Why George Osborne scares me
Dave’s right-hand man may be indispensible to the Tories, but the prospect of him in power is not pretty
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When the livin’ is easy…
Following the three month summer break, the comment team provides a swift recap of all the main events
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Remember, kids: KaZaA ruins lives
“Once in a while maybe you will feel the urge/ To break international copyright law/ By downloading MP3s from file-sharing sites,” sings Weird Al Yankovic. However, he warns, “the guilt would drive you mad/ And the shame would leave a permanent scar/ ‘Cause you start out stealing songs and then...
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Lifting the lid on America’s torture culture
As US President Barack Obama continues to clear up the mess left to him by his predecessor, more revelations are coming to light by the week. The latest one is the publication by the president’s administration of memos from the Bush-era Justice Department that offered legal justification for what were...
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Smile, through your tears and sorrow
I actually make a concerted effort to see the bright sides in life, and I’m a lot happier for it
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Senate says ‘bye bye Blago’
He’s more than just a long surname and a silly haircut. The removal from office of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has spelled the end of a hugely unpopular political career.
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BBC and Sky forsake ethics to maintain reputations
The BBC and Sky have opted not to screen the recent Disasters Emergency Committee appeal, due to fears about compromising impartiality. However, in attempting to avoid a controversy, these broadcasters have created a far greater one.
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Joe – America’s top plumber since Mario
Guess who’s got a new job as a correspondent to the Gaza strip. Of course, it makes sense - this is a man who embodies everything that Palestinians love about America: Christian conservatism, an affiliation with the ardently pro-Israeli Republican Party and sheer ignorance.
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Foot soldier
Different people will have different opinions of who has been the star of this holiday period: if you’re pro-reality TV you might feel that it is Alexandra Burke; if you are anti then you might have a newfound respect for the late Jeff Buckley. For me, though, the star of...
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