Warriors: Five Pints 14 2

Technology

The New Scientist tells us about research into Social Networks which knows when censors delete online posts:

The system was able to spot, with 85 per cent accuracy, when censorship was taking place on a wide scale. Upon detecting the resulting change in network shape, the system could be programmed to send an alert to activists or protesters, say, to warn them that the authorities were tampering with their posts.

More of this sort of thing.

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People

Christine Buckley, one of the first willing to speak out about institutional abuse in Ireland recently died.

As a teenager, she tried to smuggle a letter to newspapers exposing cruelty at the orphanage but she was found out.

Her punishment was a beating by a "sadistic" nun that left her needing 100 stitches in her leg.

Vale Christine Buckley, a great woman of Ireland.

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The Media

In light of more recent stories, easily broken using data alone about Australia’s shameful concentration camp on Manus Island in PNG, Andrew Elder’s piece from January on the lack of journalistic initiative on Nauru is particularly damning:

Australia detained thousands of asylum-seekers on Nauru from 2001 to 2008, and again since 2012. It had been an Australian dependency for decades: politically that ended in 1968 but economically it has never not been the case. The country has a matrilineal social system. The most popular sport on the island is Australian Rules football. Why there wasn’t at least one, just one Australian reporter, stationed there during that time, is an indictment of the initiative of Australia’s media.

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Football

I loved this intriguing dissection of Steven Gerrard by Ken Earlys :

Some of those Manchester United players were better than Gerrard in some aspects…None could match Gerrard’s all-around ability, his combination of skill, athleticism, and big-game impact. Scoring goals is the most difficult thing in football. Gerrard has scored 183 for club and country, more than Giggs (181), Scholes (169) or Beckham (146).

He’s the only player to score in the final of the FA Cup, League Cup, Uefa Cup, and Champions League. He’s collected more individual Player of the Year awards than all of the Class of ’92 put together.

I’m unapologetically a Liverpool and Steven Gerrard fan, but I’d trade all those successes of his in just to see a League winners medal around his neck.

It’s time.

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Entertainment

Recently the Ad hoc podcast geeked out on Blade Runner.

Yes, my first time was pan and scan on VHS too.

Highly recommended for some excellent insights, not just on the movie, but on Ridley Scott’s creative process and the technology of the time.

Five Pints 14 1

Music

"To call it Punk Rock is rather like describing Dostoevsky as a short-story writer"

A review of Television’s Marquee Moon by Nick Kent from the NME from 1977.

“…an album for everyone whatever their musical creeds and/or quirks…This music is passionate, full-blooded, dazzlingly well crafted, brilliantly conceived and totally accessible to anyone who has been yearning for a band with the vision to break on through into new dimensions of sonic overdrive and the sheer ability to back it up…"

One of my enduringly favourite pieces of music. Seeing them live last year was a joy and far exceeded the expectations one might have of a 70’s rock and roll band who might be on a superannuation tour.

Scients

In the Smithsonian Mag they give you Five Reasons Why You Should Probably Stop Using Antibacterial Soap. Apparently the US Food and Drug Administration claims antibacterial products are no more effective than soap and water, and could be dangerous.

evidence that children with prolonged exposure to triclosan have a higher chance of developing allergies, including peanut allergies and hay fever. Scientists speculate that this could be a result of reduced exposure to bacteria, which could be necessary for proper immune system functioning and development.

We use this stuff in our home, for the convenience as much as anything. Mind you if we decide to stop I wouldn’t miss the piles of it all over the sink from the litres used each time small children wash their hands.

Freedom of Information

Irish website The Story recently described how modernising legislation would Kill Freedom of Information in Ireland.

if passed, amendments to the FOI Bill 2013 proposed by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (mean) Freedom of Information is dead.

TheStory.ie will, in all likelihood, cease all FOI requests. And we will not seek funding from the public to support an immoral, cynical, unjustified and probably illegal FOI fee regime. We will not pay for information that the public already pays for. We will not support a system that perpetuates an outrageous infringement of citizen rights. The legislation was gutted in 2003 and it is being gutted again. More generally the number of requests from journalists from all news organisations in Ireland will fall as a result of these amendments, and the resulting efforts to shine a light on the administration of the State will certainly deteriorate. And secrecy will prevail.

The more politicians and the establishment lock information down, the more it makes some people curious to find out why. And yet, the politicians never learn in their quest for the perfect bureaucracy.

Technology

In light of the news that Neil Young’s Pono Kickstarter is more than fully funded, here’s a recent piece questioning its point.

Most instruments do not output such frequencies, and almost no microphones, speakers or headphones work significantly above the normal human audio range either.

I love Neil Young, but despite the Kickstarter success, I think he’s wasting his time with his Happy Cow device.

Football

Sure I’m dyed the red of Kenny Dalglish’s shirt since the time I saw him score the winner in the European Cup Final to bring old big ears home for the second year running, but this great piece about the challenges in a relationship across the Liverpool Everton divide from the website associated with one of my favourite podcasts is The Anfield Wrap, is great stuff for any football fan.

Warning, Don’t read if you happen to be married to a Liverpool fan

…and support Everton.

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PostScript: I share a lot of links on twitter, but as with much to do with that platform, most of them get lost in the stream. I’ve experimented, with some IFTTT related disasters, using tumblr as a clearing house for more easy access. Shamelessly inspired by the recent launch of 5at5daily by Stilgherrian, I’ve decided to resurrect Franksting’s Five Pints to try and pick the best of these links and publish them here for posterity.

FA Cup final moved back to traditional place at end of domestic season

I’m not often a fan of Traditional Values, but some things, you have to wonder why you’d change them.

tl;dr: About bloody time too.

The Editorial Line – more candidates for lazy journalism

In today’s The Guardian piece on Harry Redknapp being sacked by Tottenham, the following nugget was included;

Martínez was a candidate to succeed Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool, only for the Merseyside club to appoint Brendan Rodgers.

Now it’s possible David Hytner and the Guardian Sport editorial team may know more than we do, but as far as I know Roberto Martinez neither applied for the job nor was interviewed for the position.

So why why do they persist with such misinformation?

It seems the disease is viral in newsrooms around the world.

All Spanish Speakers Are Racist | The Tomkins Times | Paul Tomkins’ blog about Liverpool Football Club (LFC)

Destill

Sprouting Grain

There has been a lot of chatter about the Australian Government’s dismal response to the arrival of refugees to this country. But I don’t think even then SIEVX experience can match what NATO units did to more than 60 African refugees off Libya recently.

Destill

Sprouting Grain

In Canada they are about to have an election. This post opened my eyes on one view of the ‘reign’ of Stephen Harper. There’s a lot to be said about his incumbent government and some Canadians reaction to it. I know politics is always polarising, but I’m finding in two party systems – which Canada quite isn’t, yet – the amount of bile and distrust seems to be growing ad-nauseum.

Rio Ferdinand: bad losers are always worse than ungracious winners

When Manchester City striker Balotelli allegedly taunted the losers after yesterday’s FA Cup Semi Final perhaps that was unsporting. But the petty reaction of highly rewarded players like Anderson and Ferdinand was nonsensical.

Of course I agree players should go hard during the game, enjoy the rewards when they win, be gracious to the losers and walk away. But, if like me you experienced the snarling embodiment of disappointment that was Rio Ferdinand yesterday, it’s clear that the losers have a role to play in that.

As Ferdinand attempted to deflect from his own teams failings by crashing the celebrations of the winners, he reminded us how much worse a bad loser looks in comparison to any gloating by a winner. Losing means walking away, maintaining the rage and driving improvements to yourself and your team the next time around.

Ferdinand and his team failed at their own game today. Their job is to come back on Tuesday at Newcastle, like Manchester City did following their heavy defeat against Liverpool last week, and win again.

Update: It’s not as if this is new

Your right….I'm a bad loser, I can't help it…its 1 of my bad points. Congrats to Wolves

— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) February 5, 2011

To Bleed Red, you have to be a red

Much as I like being objective and rational about football I felt so much better as I shouted, at around 4.25am this morning, “Up yours money boy” to Torres as he sat forlornly on the bench when the camera switched to him following Meireles’ goal.

Better one Andy Carroll than £35 Million in the Bush

I’d be quite surprised if anyone employed for any amount of cash a week, but especially a footballers wages, wouldn’t be, by default, complimentary not just of his club, but of the fans the city and everything else which is important to make him feel at home.