The General Election, nuclear explosions, the Locrians and the value of plain speaking

In the run up to the General Election, there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of policy initiatives aimed at various sections of the electorate. Not altogether surprising when you think that we are approaching the time when, once in each five year period, the people we elect to govern us have to consult us.

We will have to get used to any number of Gordons, Daves and Nicks telling us how they will make it better for us in the next 5 years if we will only mark our cross against their name or symbol. Some of you may also have seen or heard about the recent debate between Alastair, Vince and George and there will be more of those in the next few weeks as the battle hots up to a sterile debate about the economy, who was right about the response to the worst recession in living memory and who has the right (or indeed any) prescription for the country’s ills.

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Who goes there?

Security concerns are in the headlines again. Fortunately not the 9/11 type but serious nonetheless.

Take for example the attempts by Google to photograph every street in the country and to post the results online. House owners fear the information will turn into a burglars’ charter.

Or the report that government backed hackers from Russia and China are targeting companies with a view to obtaining government defence and technology information. Not particularly reassuring, if true.

Sadly, we are all to conscious of reports that supposedly secure and confidential information has been lost, has been hacked into or has been found blowing in the wind down a street or waiting to become seagull fodder on a waste tip.

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