The X26 and why it sucks
The X26 is the bus I've been commuting to work on most of this week. It has one main benefit, which is that it runs directly from New Malden, where I live, to Croydon,...
Indigo Jo Blogs Blog
How much can we blame al-Awlaqi?
So, Roshonara Choudhary, the stupid woman who tried to murder the MP, Stephen Timms, has received a 15-to-life sentence. Today, the Guardian (and probably other papers) printed transcripts of her interviews with the police...
Religious and charity “muggers”
Anyone who’s lived in London for a while knows about “charity muggers” – people who approach you in the street to get you to sign up to make direct debit donations to their charity....
About that Donate button
Update: I have now received nearly £80 which exceeds the likely amount needed (with another promised), so jazakum Allah khair to everyone who donated. The donate button will remain, but the appeal is ended...
Starting my Asperger’s journey
Last Thursday I went to my GP in New Malden (or rather, one of the GPs at the clinic I’m registered at), and asked him to refer me to those who might be able...
Costa comfort
I’ve not always been a coffee drinker – I was first introduced to it by my Mum and it was an instant, and not sweet to my no doubt immature taste buds. I came...
How can this STILL be happening?
Parents tell how every day is a battle to care for teenager struck down with chronic fatigue syndrome – The Daily Record "Chronic fatigue syndrome", in this context, is M.E. (the symptoms described are...
Will we ever punish cops who kill?
Last night I saw a Crimewatch appeal for information regarding the murder of PC Keith Blakelock, a policeman who was murdered during riots on the Broadwater Farm estate in north London in 1985. Blakelock...
Man gets brain damage from life support switch-off
BBC News – Tetraplegic man's life support 'turned off by mistake' This story really did shock me — I didn’t mention this earlier today in case it upset friends of mine but someone else...
Who are you sticking it to?
Earlier today I saw a comment on Astrid van Woerkom’s blog in response to a criticism of the “communication shutdown” wheeze from various autism chairites. There has been much criticism of the scheme here...
The NHS versus American insurance-based healthcare
Six-month delay by NHS cost woman a cancer lifeline | Mail Online This got flagged up on Facebook today, and the person who posted it also linked an article about boys getting inappropriately medicated...
Labour and free speech
The Labour Party in the UK has rules that state that any member who stands in an election against the labour candidate, or who openly supports a candidate opposing a Labour candidate, is automatically...
Why didn’t they use the fire doors?
The other day, just after I finished my post on the “communication shutdown” supposedly in aid of autism, the fire alarm went off in the Bentalls centre in Kingston where I had written it...
Odone report on assisted suicide
New Report: Assisted Suicide – how the chattering classes have got it wrong The Centre for Policy Studies (which is, as I understand it, a traditionally Tory-aligned think tank) has published a report by...
Communication shutdown for autism a bad idea
I saw this "Communication Shutdown" event through a critical article highlighted on FWD/Forward — a scheme to raise awareness of autism by "shutting down" social networks for a day (1st November): WHAT IS COMMUNICATION...
“Too stupid” family reunited in Ireland
Joyfully kissing her beautiful baby boy – the girl branded too stupid to be a wife or mother | Mail Online I've been following this story on and off since I first heard of...
Another victim of the “foreign criminals” media scandal
It was reported in the Guardian today that a story released by the Home Office and G4S (formerly Group 4 Security, a contractor which handles deportations of failed immigrants to the UK) about how...
WordPress v Drupal
The other day I saw a post on my WordPress admin screen entitled WordPress and Drupal: Convergence? which presented a slideshow of why WordPress was supposedly going to overtake Drupal. I use WordPress for...
Niqab experiments: don’t do it!
Someone asked on DeenPort earlier today for advice to give to a female Christian friend who wants to do an experiment by wearing niqaab, the face-covering worn by some Muslim women, for a day....
What makes a cult?
Recently there has been some discussion on DeenPort on what constitutes a cult, and when a religion becomes a cult. Someone offered the definition that, among Muslims, when one is in a particular group...