Crooks and thieves

I’m going to have to be careful here. This week I received (yet again) another mailshot from British Telecom, or BT as the company prefers to be known. They want me to agree to move my phone and broadband accounts to them. In return, they’ll give me a large discount. Which is nice, isn’t it. … Continue reading

Thieves, ID and Piracy

OK, this is a blog post about the tedious side of publishing: money. Where does it come from and where does it go? The idea for this blog came from an email I had yesterday and another three this week. All were from friends of mine on holiday in the Philippines. Sadly, all of them … Continue reading

Pirates and SOPA

  I don’t think SOPA was well written legislation. In fact I can easily understand why it would have been so unpopular, because it did seem to be a catch-all for any misbehaviour. The UK and USA already have extradition laws in place. There is a fellow, Richard O’Dwyer who is currently fighting his extradition … Continue reading

Punishments

One of the guys who tried to incite other people to riot. Nice guy. Ok, I know I’ve been muttering darkly about executions and punishment recently, but this one gets me going. Two young guys were sentenced to four years each, and suddenly the liberal press has gone into overdrive. Screams of “disproportionate” can be … Continue reading

Hacks and Hacking

Down here in Dartmoor, Hacking means taking the horse out. Not in London. There are all too few journalists who are trusted. I wonder why? They always show up as being less wholesome than estate agents – or even, God help us – ruddy politicians. I know a few journalists. Generally my own opinion is … Continue reading

Just a barbecue

Ok. We all know that authors tend to be slightly soiled folks who shouldn’t be allowed out on their own, and who under no circumstances should be allowed any money of their own, in case they get themselves into all sorts of trouble, but this one wasn’t my fault. You see, I was a little … Continue reading