Politics

You may remember I posted about the book Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell; if you have read that, you may be interested in this seminar—a series of blog posts discussing the book, including by the author. This is at Crooked Timber, which I have recently discovered, and deem worth my reading. Also from there, links to a pair of essays by H. Chandler Davis, mathematician, SF author, resident of Canada—on the American red-hunt in the universities, from the perspective of a huntee. Interesting because of the qualities of the author, but also the perspective gained from writing in 1960 and 1995.

Intriguing for those of a scientific bent, perhaps, is Naive Theories of Motion (via theweaselking).

We have argued in this paper that people develop on the basis of their everyday experience remarkably well-articulated naive theories of motion. These theories provide not only descriptions of, but also causal explanations for, the behavior of moving objects. In particular, many people believe that the act of setting an object in motion impresses in the object an internal force or impetus. This impetus is assumed to keep the object in motion after it is no longer in contact with the original mover. According to this view, moving objects eventually slow down and stop because their impetus gradually dissipates. This naive theory is, as we pointed out, strikingly similar to the medieval theory of impetus.

Lastly, interesting reading has come my way somehow Ontology is Overrated and Situated Software (no doubt the other writing at that site is also worthwhile).

To continue a spate of frequent entries in contrast with the usual fortnightly trickle.

In another deviation from character, I went to the gym today, as dearg reports. Just an induction today, the second part of which will be on Saturday, so I'm not feeling overly exercised. But I'm looking forward to going regularly; perhaps I will not be regularly looking forward to going, once I get started. Time will tell.

Apparently George Bush has fallen off his bike. No, really. I did wonder whether a bicycle was perhaps a little... enviromentical. Perhaps Bush lost a bet, or is this perhaps some form of alternative to signing Kyoto? In fact it seems that he cycles regularly (at least that's my interpretation of "seriously"). It must be a bit of a bugger when the whole world finds out every time you fall off your bike, trip up or choke on a food item.

I suppose I've got to mention that London got the 2012 Olympics, the main news story today. In G8 news, they eventually did march in the general vicinity of Gleneagles, and unsurprisingly there was trouble throughout the day (BBC story). Excitement of riot police in a Chinook. I got a phone call earlier from my mum who could see mounted police out of the bedroom windows. It's strange seeing Auchterarder on the news.

For all the violence we see on TV, I think the policing for this summit has probably been handled more sensibly than it would have been in other locations. Hopefully the rest of the week will go smoothly and we'll actually get some not overly weasly commitments from the G8.

Well. The BBC have a piece on the eco-village outside Stirling. Apparently riots in Stirling. Burger King and Pizza Hut get smashed windows. The M9 seems to have been blockaded; various other blockades have apparently been attempted, some successful. Including blocking and unblocking of the A9. BBC timeline. Indymedia timeline.

Apparently the protest march in Auchterarder to somewhere not particularly near Gleneagles has been called off by police, although I'm sure that BBC story said "March will go ahead" when I looked a few minutes before. I'm sure all those who have made it as far as Auchterarder will do something. Calling off a march at the last minute sounds a sure-fire way to turn a possibly rowdy march into a clash with the police instantly, although I don't know what sort of people, and how many, are there. Perhaps it's being called off so that the police can stop people moving towards Auchterarder, turn back buses etc. (it does seem that they are doing so).

My favourite picture so far is here.

Update: I find it amusing that there are protest blockades and police blockades... and when the police removed one blockade, it became a police blockade for the best part of an hour...

I love George Monbiot's phrase, The leaked drafts of the G8's climate change agreement have placed the future in square brackets. But apparently now the US is going to admit to ghe existence of climate change (but refuse to do anything meaningful about it). And of course we're talking big, but acting small. Incidentally, it seems that Monbiot is preparing for a possible future career in Kung-Fu films, or suchlike; never mind poor lip sync, the audio was a couple of seconds off when he appeared tonight on Newsnight. Newsnight's correspondent Paul Mason (with blog) still interesting (just now from the Ochils).

And we may or may not have a 100% (conditional?) debt cancellation. But it seems a lot more likely than real progress on trade and climate change...

Yesterday's trouble/protests/riots in Edinburgh were not unexpected, and so surprisingly being painted as the result of violent anarchists or charging riot police depending on who you ask. With some Neds thrown in. In any case, will be worth watching the news this week, and unfortunately more violence seems inevitable tomorrow.

You can chase your own links, I'm off to bed.

Okay, well, big protest march thing on Saturday. Lots of people, generally a good atmosphere with lots of drumming and whistling and amusing socialist factions. Strange silent march with no chanting or whatnot. Too many people for the actual march, I think there will have been many people in the Meadows who did not wait around all day to start marching.

I managed to meet up with my mum, aunt, uncles and cousin to shuffle around the city. Which was nice. I may put up a couple of pictures later if they are any good (not of anything interesting in any case).

Now some obligatory linkage. Newsnig8t has some good stuff. G8 Bloggers aggregates a bunch of G8 protest-related blogs. Lots of news on Indymedia.

Saw footage from the Faslane blockade on TV, looked nice and relaxed with plenty of drumming. Interested to see what will come of the rest of the week. Various not-overly-exiting things happening in Edinburgh today (supposedly clowns, hippies and anarchists). How long will blockades last around Gleneagles (my guess: they might get a couple set up, but nothing will last very long)? What will the autonomous golfing blocs get up to?

A recurring theme of those using "science" to justify the continued existence of their convenient world-views (which happen to support their beliefs or apparently destructive yet lucrative actions) is that the true findings are being ignored by the scientific community, or at least a consensus is being presented when the data is unconvincing. And then it seems to turn out that the science is bad. Or quite imaginary.

It is hard to convey just how selective you have to be to dismiss the evidence for climate change. You must climb over a mountain of evidence to pick up a crumb: a crumb which then disintegrates in your palm. You must ignore an entire canon of science, the statements of the world's most eminent scientific institutions, and thousands of papers published in the foremost scientific journals. You must, if you are David Bellamy, embrace instead the claims of an eccentric former architect, which are based on what appears to be a non-existent data set. And you must do all this while calling yourself a scientist.

Best of all, apparently the latest figures being cited by climate change deniers result from a typo.

I shall try to refrain from pointing to George Monbiot's site in future, as every new article would probably seem linkworthy to me.

An election happened.

Wasn't too surprising.

It's sunny today.

Weird film. With bunny girl! Is good.

Oh.

In the last few hours I have voted 10 times.

Not ballot stuffing, but 3 real votes (constituency MSP, regional MSP, council) and 7 EUSA positions. There's something lacking in politics.

The major parties are bland and agree (wrongly ;) ) on many important issues. The minor people only hav a chance in the regional votes, and there is a definate element of muppetry. I'm still glad the Scottish parliment has a form of PR. Hopefully alternative viewpoints will be more strongly represented this time round.

The council seems to be semi-fictional. The only thing I've heard is that nobody has said much about it. That's it.

As for EUSA, the fact that there is only one "serious" presidential candidate and one "lazy vato" [sic] says it all. Oh, and the fact that VPS, one of the four sabbatical positions, was filled automatically due to the second candidate dropping out.

If anybody gives a damn, what should they do? I'm now off to my coursework again, which is looming terribly. Goodbye.