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Author Archives: James Clayton
Without a doubt the second worst game I’ve ever played
Dragon’s Lair is one of those games that has legendary status. Originally a 1983 laserdisc arcade machine, it’s been ported to just about every format ever. Curious about a part of gaming history, I bought the iPhone version from the app store a while back. The fact that arcade audiences not only paid to play this, but came back and paid to play it again and again literally boggles the mind. Continue reading
Posted in Gaming
Tagged Arcades, CD-ROM, Don Bluth, Dragon's Lair, Interactive Movie, iPhone, Laserdisc, Plumbers Don't Wear Ties
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The phone hacking scandal, and the BSkyB takeover
Like me, I’m sure you’ve seen this week’s coverage of the scandalous behaviour of the News of the World. While the continuing revelations have been shocking, I am concerned that the phone hacking incidents are merely symptomatic of a deeper rot that has been allowed to permeate the British media.
News Corporation already owns 40% of British newspapers and 40% of BSkyB, the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster. In the US, Australia and elsewhere this degree of media dominance would not be allowed. There’s no one else who controls the share of the UK media Murdoch does, and I believe the phone hacking case (and the alleged bribes paid to police to cover it up) demonstrate the degree to which News International have come to consider themselves above the law.
Posted in Media
Tagged Democracy, Letters, Marsha Singh, Media Regulation, Monopolies, News Corporation, News of the World, Rupert Murdoch, Sky
1 Comment
#No2AV Lie of the Week: Part 6
No to AV are claiming the move to AV would cost the taxpayer £250 million. Their figures break down as follows:
- £82 million for the cost of the referendum itself
- £9 million on voter education
- £130 million on electronic counting machines
- £26 million on further voter education should the referendum pass
Ignoring for a moment (again) how that doesn’t actually add up to £250 million, hopefully you’ve spotted by now that the first £91 million of that won’t actually be saved by voting no. No campaign spokesman Dan Hodges admitted as much to Next Left. It also doesn’t take account of the £17 million the government says will be saved by holding the referendum on the same day as other elections.
So what about the remaining £156 million No to AV claim actually could be saved? Maybe we should consider that. Oh no, wait. We already did. If you ever meet any No advocates, and they tell you that AV requires costly counting machines, you might like to ask them how the Australians managed in 1918! The Electoral Commission have said that they are looking at modernising the voting system, but the result of the AV referendum has not been a factor in their considerations. In fact, the notorious problems with voting machines in the US relate to first past the post elections.
So the only cost remaining is the somewhat mysterious figure of £26 million on voter education
. The £9 million figure from before the referendum seems to be derived from that quoted in parliament as Electoral Commission expenses. The Electoral Commission provides material explaining the electoral process before every election, so it’s unclear why No 2 AV think it would be an additional charge.
In short, No to AV’s claims are a flat out lie. Even the rabidly traditionalist Daily Telegraph admits it. I sincerely hope the electorate will see through the attempts to confuse, and instead vote on the issue: whether or not AV is an improvement on FPTP. Of course, it might be that No to AV would rather just no bother with elections at all. It would, after all, be cheaper.
Posted in Politics
Tagged Australia, AV, Electoral Reform, Lie of the Week, Lies, No to AV, Politics, Referendum, £250 Million
2 Comments
Just because Nick Clegg said it doesn’t mean it’s true
I’ve covered the myth of the miserable little compromise in detail before but, in short, they’re saying we shouldn’t vote for it because Nick Clegg doesn’t like it? Have they forgotten who Nick Clegg is?
Posted in Politics
Tagged AV, Lie of the Week, Lies, Miserable little compromise, Nick Clegg, No to AV, Politics, Referendum
8 Comments
#No2AV Lie of the Week: Part 4
Another week, another bizarre lie from No to AV. This week, they’re further exposing their incoherent and inconsistent message. After last week’s near-truth, this week’s is highly subjective. It almost feels as though they’re doing this specifically to challenge me. AV
, they claim, is the wrong referendum at the wrong time
.
OK, so, starting with the blindingly obvious, that doesn’t tell us anything at all about which way we should vote.
Posted in Politics
Tagged AMS, AV, Electoral Reform, Lie of the Week, Lies, No to, Politics, Referendum, STV
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28 Days Later
On 8th January, along with many other people, I wrote to my MP asking where he stood on the issue of electoral reform. That was 28 days ago.
The requirement for MPs to be elected with 50% of the vote, introduced as part of the proposed change to AV, would make it easier for the electorate to unseat MPs who don’t listen to them.
Posted in Politics
Tagged AV, Bradford West, Electoral Reform, Letters, Marsha Singh, Politics, Referendum
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#No2AV Lie of the Week: Part 3
Wow. No to AV came so close to stating an actual true fact this week. It only would have taken a few more words. Sadly for them, lies are what result when you run a campaign based on soundbites over substance. So on with the series!
Posted in Politics
Tagged AV, Electoral Reform, Lie of the Week, Lies, No to AV, Politics, Referendum
3 Comments
Electoral Commission Confirms: No to AV Lying
Mark Nyack of the Electoral Commission responded to my letter about No to AV’s claim that adopting the Alternative Vote would require expensive electronic counting machines: We are in favour of electoral modernisation and have recommended to government that new … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
Tagged AV, Electoral Commission, Electoral Reform, Electronic Voting, Lies, No to AV, Politics, Referendum
3 Comments
#No2AV Lie of the Week: Part 2
Given the campaign they’re running, it would be difficult for No to AV to come up with a more ironic slogan than this week’s we don’t want two votes, we want politicians who aren’t two faced.
There are actually two lies here: firstly, that AV gives anyone two votes. Secondly, that FPTP is the best way to keep politicians from lying. We’ll take them one at a time.
Posted in Politics
Tagged AV, Electoral Reform, FPTP, Lie of the Week, Lies, No to AV, Politics, Referendum, STV
17 Comments
Could the Electoral Commission clarify…?
Dear Sir or Madam, I notice that No to AV are claiming that, should the alternative vote be implemented following the forthcoming referendum, expensive counting machines would be required to count elections. Having previously volunteered to count AV elections at … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
Tagged AV, Electoral Commission, Electoral Reform, Lies, No to AV, Politics, Referendum
1 Comment