The Times today
No Oliver Kamm contest as I think it is too easy. But I actually bought The Times today so some links to some stories, good and bad.Daniel Finkelstein makes the excellent point that the Right's constant criticism of crime statistics, refusal to believe it is falling (in most areas, not all) and reliance on 'common sense' is making them look a bit silly, and could be self-defeating. Of course to some extent it is simply an attempt, as on the economy, to talk things down for electoral gain and so things can be painted as worse when/if they takeover, which all parties in engage in when they can. His points echo those made earlier by Liam Murray over here.
This is a silly piece on Satellite Navigation (for some reason I hate the shortened sat-nav). Obviously it has its limitations, but there is no doubt it makes navigation, particularly when not on trunk routes, easier and also I'd say, safer.
On Zimbabwe, Jonathan Clayton argues that increasing sanctions is counter-productive. This is obviously a common view, and one that I imagine has some merit (the most effective policy is not always the most palatable) but seeing it in The Times is a bit surprising.
In the business section it is argued that McDonalds has finally conquered France - an odd assertion given its business there has for a long time been very successful.
And a strange letter. Measurements do seem to bring out some weird views, and this letter is illustrative (Jonathan Miles is informative).
Sir, We have had to suffer many changes being a member of the EU but the latest directive 80/181/EEC is, in appropriate farming terms, “the last straw”. I have a good idea of the size of an acre, having being told at school that a nearby public park was 15 acres. But 6.069 hectares doesn’t create the same mental picture.
Peter A. Rushforth
Cullingworth, W Yorks
So Mr Rushfort can mentally divide a park, which presumably isn't a perfect rectangle, into 15 bits and hence gauge the size of an acre, but he can't divide it into 6? I think he might think the park has actually changed size if you talk about it in hectares.
Labels: The Times
posted by Matthew @ 7/23/2008 09:55:00 AM
Comments: 8
