The New Luddites

When Dan had had enough of his television, he threw a rock straight through the screen. The offence? His smart TV was downloading its third update in three days. “It drove me crazy with what seemed like daily software updates that never fixed anything and ‘features’ that never seemed to work,” says the 71-year-old from Illinois.

Is Dan a Luddite? Why, no Reader, or rather, he shouldn't be, by rights. 

Some may accuse Dan of being a luddite, but his master’s degree in computer science and decades of experience in telecommunications would suggest otherwise.

So what's his issue then?  

The first smart TVs entered the market in the late 2000s, when companies introduced operating systems, media players and apps to screens that were becoming wider and thinner. In recent years, the luxury status of smart TVs has waned and increasingly affordable options are widely available.

Tom Parsons, TV and audiovisual editor at the electronics magazine What Hi-Fi?, explains that these cheaper models can struggle under more advanced features. “They’re not necessarily super-fast and responsive out of the box,” he says. “And then two, three, four years down the line, they can end up slowing down quite a lot under the weight of all that processing.”

Something they share with all modern tech, I think you'd agree.  So what does Dan do, I wonder, when he has issues with his laptop? Hopefully not tip a cup of tea all over it, as I’ve just done with mine while writing this post!

Dan is just one of a growing number of tech-savvy watchers wishing their TVs weren’t so smart. Erin McQuiston and Matthew Schroyer, a couple from Connecticut, share his smart-screen scepticism.

“I don’t think we’ve ever used [our TV] as anything other than just a giant display,” says McQuiston. “There was a period where we were running it through an Xbox. And that was a constant battle because that was constantly being updated and patched and then you’d have to redownload all the apps for it.” Meanwhile, Schroyer says his job as a software engineer has influenced his decision to “intentionally keep it very dumb” by keeping their TV disconnected from the internet.

That certainly seems dumb to me- now you wont get security updates! 

Instead, the 41-year-old connects his screen to an Apple TV box as a streaming workaround, and cites privacy as well as “highly invasive” advertisements for doing so. “Our living room is not a billboard for sale,” he says.

I don’t get peoples aversion to adverts - yes, some are irritating (more so in the modern era), but not so much that I’d willingly forgo convenience to avoid them. 

For Helen Northmore, a 51-year-old from Wales who works in AI delivery for the UK Health Security Agency, privacy is also a worry. Her grudge against smart screens began four years ago, when her faithful dumb TV broke without warning and she had to quickly find a replacement. “We had already decided that we didn’t want the smart functionality, but it became really clear that it was very hard to find one that didn’t have any,” she says.

Did she try alternatives to Currys? Vinted eBay and the like? I have an old non-smart tv thats going unused, and I bet others are the same. 

More consumers are becoming worried about how their information is being used by manufacturers. “There are increasing privacy concerns around to what degree TVs are essentially scraping your data,” says Parsons. “TVs these days are full of sensors, including microphones, and that can make people nervous.”

In September, the YouTube channel Gamers Nexus released a two-hour investigation into LG Electronics’ smart televisions, saying that the devices record audio – even when they are offline or powered down.

Disclaimer; I have an LG smart TV, and who cares if it's listening in, all it's going to hear is me swearing as I once again hit the wrong button on its absurdly small and cramped remote! 

It Doesn't Require 'Peace And Safety' Any More...

“We have cordoned off the area to leave this creature in peace and safe from the attention of people,” Randwick Council mayor, Dr Clare Willington, told reporters.

... beacuse it is a dead whale!

Willington said there were no plans to remove the whale and that staff were working with Gamay Rangers about a culturally and environmentally sensitive approach to take.

Well, I wouldn't suggest blowing it up, that usually doesn't go well…

But why the emphasis on cultural aspects, and why prioritise them over health and safety or hygiene concerns.

The Gamay Rangers are an Indigenous ranger team who undertake natural and cultural resource management activities like protection work, conservation, and threatened species management in the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council area.The whale is an important totem animal to the local Bidjigal people, and Gamay Rangers manager Robert Cooley said previous instances where beached animal carcasses were taken to landfill had distressed his community.

Ridiculous pandering to the ‘culture’ of primitive folk who never invented the wheel! 

Consequences...

Sally Rooney has said she is being forced to withdraw her books from sale in the UK because of her support for the banned organisation Palestine Action.

Her financial support, to be perfectly clear. 

After Palestine Action was banned last year, Rooney said she would use proceeds from her sales to support Palestine Action. Supporting organisations banned under the Terrorism Act is an offence and she subsequently cancelled a trip to the UK to pick up an award, for fear of arrest.

In a high court statement in support of the legal challenge to proscription, warning against its impact on freedom of expression, Rooney said her books could disappear from UK stores and the publication of new works in the UK could be prevented.

Oh, well, people will just have to download it on Kindle then, because the 'ban' is so easily thwarted it might as well not exist. But that won't stop the left screeching about it. 

Her books have been critically acclaimed – she has been described as the voice of a generation – and hugely commercially successful in the UK.

Who by? Her Mum? The books are perile rubbinsh, I know, I sampled a chaper on Kindle to see what all the fuss was about. 

Normal People has sold more than 1m copies, while Conversations With Friends and Beautiful World, Where Are You have each sold more than 500,000. Normal People and Conversations With Friends were adapted by the BBC, and the former racked up 62.7m views, becoming the broadcaster’s most-streamed series of 2020.

In a world where rubbish like 'A Court Of Thorns And Roses' becomes a bestseller, that really doesn't say much. Still the royalties from tv adaptations will keep her from having to live on ramen for a while, eh? 

Rooney said last year that she had been advised by the independent producer of the TV dramatisations that any payment to her for those series, both broadcast before the ban, would be a breach of terrorism laws if it knew or suspected that she was using the royalties to fund Palestine Action.

Ha Ha Ha Ha!  

Her UK and Ireland publisher, Faber, said: “Current legislation in the UK has led to circumstances where Faber cannot pass on UK earnings to Sally Rooney for her work. To sell a writer’s work and not be able to pass on earnings is an unconscionable situation for a publisher. “As such, and in full agreement with Sally, we have taken the decision that we can no longer supply her works in the UK in any format. We remain the proud publisher of her remarkable body of work, which we will continue to sell in other territories.”

I woulsn't be too proud of it if I were you, it's beginning to look a lot like a publishing gimmick to shift mote copies every day. 

Sabotaging The Justice System From Within....

Court hearing transcripts now show how judges ignored pleas from the families of Dogan's victims, prosecutors and the Met Police to remand him in custody. One judge said she had 'every sympathy' for the families involved, but said the legal bar for remanding someone in custody meant the prosecution had to prove he may abscond, commit further offences or interfere with witnesses. 

'He has not done any of those things,' Judge Barbara Mensah said.

Well, not yet, but thanks to you he has the chance to now! Which shouldn't surprise anyone, since like the guilty party she's black. But she's not the only one determined to grant leniency to the underservibg:

At an initial hearing there, prosecutors said Dogan should be remanded, while his defence lawyer said he could be tagged and subjected to a curfew. Judge Daniel Fugallo declined to take either option.

Couln't find a picture of him, but the surname is of Italian origin, so I have my suspicions.

Hoplophobia

How else to describe the furore over this?

Extraordinary video footage of HS2 night-shift workers firing a powerful air rifle inside a workshop led to a police investigation, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Five workers were sacked from the £100billion rail project after a whistleblower came forward with allegations concerning the 'dangerous and unethical' behaviour of his colleagues.

No one likes a Karen (though as this is a bloke, perhaps a Kevin?): 

Footage captured by Aminadab Enos de Souza Dias, 42, showed mechanics at HS2's construction site in West Ruislip, London, whiling away the early hours blasting targets with an air rifle while listening to heavy metal music.

Clearly determined to ruin their hearing! 

Mr Dias, a fitter's mate from Brazil, also submitted a dossier of maintenance and safety concerns, including photographs of his colleagues asleep on the job, and alleged he was subjected to 'verbal abuse, xenophobic comments and intimidation'.

🙄 

The Government ordered an investigation after Mr Dias emailed the then Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to warn him that the gun had been smuggled into the West Ruislip site, where an 8.4-mile tunnel is being dug.

Bet his SPADs loved that! 

Mr Dias claims the air rifle – owned by mechanic Keith Mewes – was kept at the site for more than two months in the spring of 2025. He said the gun was 'frequently' used on site, adding: 'I left Brazil looking for a safer and better life. Ironically, I was forced to return.'

You were forced to return to a country where street gangs rule the streets because some people were whiling away their spare time with some target practice after hours? 

Well, She Wasn't...

A posthumous note written by Dame Esther Rantzen said she was "deprived of any choice over my own death".She said she had become "too physically frail to take the flight" to an assisted dying clinic in Switzerland.

But if you really believe this, it makes you wonder what the objection really was; that she might die in transit? And if so, well, that’s pretty much the desired outcome, isn’t it? 

The farewell message was released as the 86-year-old broadcaster and campaigner's family confirmed she had been laid to rest in an "incredibly beautiful" private funeral last week.

She made her desire to change the law so very public, the old hypocrite! 

Rantzen's daughter Rebecca Wilcox said the family had been inundated with messages since her death. "It's been hugely comforting to know that people around the world felt the same way about her as we did," she said.

They don’t. 

Oh No...

Is there any more horrifying sign than a film you've been looking forward to for ages getting a favourable review in 'The Guardian'?

It is a fantasy adventure in Laika’s distinctively crafted stop-motion animation, written by Chris Butler from the bestseller of the same title by Carson Ellis and Colin Meloy, the latter being a band member of The Decemberists, one of whose tour posters we duly glimpse in this film. The director is Laika’s lead animator Travis Knight. It’s a forthright, exuberant, good-natured and old-fashioned children’s tale which CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien might have recognised, a story about the mysterious glory of going on a quest and the terrible fear and wish-fulfilment euphoria of being called upon to confront secret forces that the grownups know nothing about.

The trailer is brilliant and I plan to see it at the Vue after work on Friday. I can't go to the Everyman because the only showing is 7pm, and that's too late.

The setting is modern-day Portland, Oregon, a groovy city whose hipster-ish stores (there’s a coffee shop actually called Dripster) and Woke 1.0 signage are affectionately mocked.

‘Affectionate’ mocking is ok, then? 

The stop-motion animation style has, as with Coraline, a robust and pleasing directness, and results in, for me, a more organic character and physical immediacy than Pixar’s ubiquitous digital look, to which it makes a welcome change.

*sigh* They have to get in a dig, don’t they? ‘No, the films I like are hand-made artisan ones, not gorrible artificial CGI ones, like you peasants’

 

Why Do The Underclass Want These Dogs?

This is why:

A letting agent was attacked by an XL Bully after its owner commanded it to 'get him'. John Walkden, 62, had been residing at a rented property in Bolton but had been experiencing problems with cleanliness.

Thats a very modern way of saying he made his rented property a haven of filth. Almost like it was some sort of natural occurrence that he had no part in. 

Consequently, James Melly, the letting agent, had raised concerns with him on several occasions. During one particular visit, Walkden became hostile towards Mr Melly before instructing his dog, Tank, to assault him.

And the police couldn’t pass on this one: 

Tank was seized on the same day and has remained in kennels ever since, the court heard. Ms Brooksbank-Laing revealed that those caring for Tank reported he was behaving 'perfectly', however there was no safe environment for him to be returned to.The total cost of his time in kennels since the incident stood at £8,565.

If they’d taken the right action on the day, the taxpayer wouldn’t now be on the hook for the kennelling costs! He’s a serial offender who’s used dogs as a weapon before! 

Walkden was reported to have 44 previous convictions for 89 offences, amongst them a comparable attack in 2019. Bolton Crown Court had previously heard that Walkden's bulldog, Shadow, bit his neighbour on the arm as he made his way through the front yard of a property to reach his flat while seated in his mobility scooter.

He received a 12 month community order in 2020 and the dog was due to be destroyed. In mitigation, Graham Rishton said: "62 - how regrettable it is that he still finds himself in and out of prison."

Not at all surprising, though… 

He explained that Walkden had long-standing problems with drug misuse and had 'shown discontent for the unsavoury incident'.

For the incident or for the bother of getting caught again? 

Imposing a suspended sentence, Recorder Sarah Griffin stated that Walkden had shown 'limited remorse' and poor compliance with court orders. Issuing a destruction order for Tank, she noted that he did inflict injury to Mr Melly, and that she did not consider Walkden to be a fit and proper person to care for him.

It’s right the mutt gets put down (though predictably the nutters don’t agree) but the owner should see jail time, without question!

He was prohibited from owning dogs for five years.Walkden, of Purcell Close, Bolton, received a nine month prison sentence suspended for a year, a 12 month probation service requirement and 120 hours unpaid work. He must also fulfil a six month drug rehabilitation requirement.

He won’t be any more responsible in five years time, will he? 

Well, They WERE an Invading Force Of Foreigners....

.. so it seems appropriate methods, after all we all saw the videos.

French lawyers and rights groups have said that several teenagers have suffered war-like injuries from police weapons used during school protests, and an unprecedented number of children have been held in police custody, some of whom reported being hit or racially insulted.

The 'students' in question...

Police have opened internal investigations into 36 allegations of officer violence against demonstrators, including four children allegedly being “mutilated” by explosive weapons, and six sustaining “significant injuries”, as well as other complaints over physical blows, insults or alleged sexual assault, the interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, told the senate.

Lock and load… 

Evan, a 15-year-old studying carpentry at a vocational high school, had a hand blown off in the explosion of a police stun grenade outside a school protest in Lens, northern France, on 5 October. His lawyer, Bertrand Wattez, said: “His injuries resemble war injuries.”

And his lawyer disputes the reason for his injuries. 

Wattez said Evan had gone to school to attend class and discovered a protest under way. He said Evan had not taken part in violence and denied the Béthune state prosecutor’s assertion that the grenade had been picked up from the ground.

It's hard to see how he'd have got those injuries if he hadn't, but you do you, Bertrand...

Another boy, Eden, 14 – who had been near a school protest in Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône, north-west of Paris – suffered extensive facial injuries, including two fractures to his jaw, the loss of his bottom teeth and all his top teeth broken after he was allegedly hit by a shot from a grenade launcher.Eden’s parents said he had gone to school but found it blockaded and had wanted to go home. Video footage appeared to show him facing three riot police officers. One officer hit out in his direction with a truncheon and Eden kicked in the direction of the police before a grenade shot was fired.

Ah, video footage! It's been worth its weight in gold, hasn't it? 

                                     

Since the school protests began in mid-September, a total of 6,773 under-18s have been taken into police custody after they were arrested, the justice ministry said. For more than 1,000 of those children, no charges were brought; 2,190 are facing legal action and almost 2,000 were handed an alternative to further legal action, such as a citizenship course, without their case being heard at trial and without a conviction.

And President Macron has has the temerity to say 'How can French people do these things?'. Well, you ansered your own question there. 

Well, Of Course He Did...

Michael Bogle, 38, from Brent, who was assessed as a “high risk offender”, was captured on CCTV stealing from two supermarkets in north west London within 24 hours of being freed last Thursday from HMP Wandsworth.

Who’s surprised by this turn of events? 

He reportedly had 16 previous convictions and to have been linked to more than 100 investigations.

Definitely someone who should have been kept behind bars. 

Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, borough commander for Barnet, Brent and Harrow was so concerned about the case that he has raised the matter with local MPs and councillors.

Why? What can they do..? It’s Andy Burnham’s policy, not some local decision! The scofflaw even had the nerve to thank him for the chance to go robbing agin!

Bogle was released from the south west London prison last Thursday where he had served 78 days in prison after breaching a 32-week suspended sentence for shoplifting.Asked at the time for his message to Andy Burnham, Bogle said: “Keep the early release going. It’s good.”

DCS Williams added: “The concerning nature of the Early Release Scheme in this case was a known prolific offender being put back into the community, only to immediately re-offend. “Not only does this place communities at risk but puts demand straight back into policing who must arrest, investigate and put the individual into custody. “In this case, 27 officer hours were needed, leading to a cost of £1,887.”

But it’s only taxpayer  money, Luke!