Squirrel 'threat' to critical infrastructure

From The BBC

17th Jan 2017

The real threat to global critical infrastructure is not enemy states or organisations but squirrels, according to one security expert. Cris Thomas has been tracking power cuts caused by animals since 2013. Squirrels, birds, rats and snakes have been responsible for more than 1,700 power cuts affecting nearly 5 million people, he told a security conference. He explained that by tracking these issues, he was seeking to dispel the hype around cyber-attacks. His Cyber Squirrel 1 project was set up to counteract what he called the "ludicrousness of cyber-war claims by people at high levels in government and industry", he told the audience at the Shmoocon security conference in Washington.

Squirrels topped the list with 879 "attacks", followed by:

birds - 434
snakes - 83
raccoons - 72
rats - 36
martens - 22
frogs – 3

He concludes that the damage done by real cyber-attacks - Stuxnet's destruction of Iranian uranium enrichment centrifuges and disruption to Ukrainian power plants being the most high profile - was tiny compared to the "cyber-threat" posed by animals. Most of the animal "attacks" were on power cables but Mr Thomas also discovered that jellyfish had shut down a Swedish nuclear power plant in 2013, by clogging the pipes that carry cool water to the turbines. He also discovered that there have been eight deaths attributed to animal attacks on infrastructure, including six caused by squirrels downing power lines that then struck people on the ground. Mr Thomas - better known as SpaceRogue - set up Cyber Squirrel 1 as a Twitter feed in March 2013 and initially collected information from Google alerts.

It has since evolved into a much larger project - collecting information from search engines and other web sources. Mr Thomas only collected reports compiled in the English language and admitted that he was probably only capturing "a fraction" of animal-related power cuts worldwide. "The major difference between natural events, be they geological, meteorological or furry, is that cyber-attacks are deliberate orchestrated by humans," said Luis Corrons, technical director of security firm PandaLabs. "While natural disasters are taken into account when critical infrastructure facilities are built, that's not the case with computers. Most critical facilities were never designed to connect to the rest of the world, so the kind of security they implemented was taking care of the physical world surrounding them. The number of potential attackers is growing, the number of potential targets is also going up. So we all need to reinforce our defences to the maximum - and also worry about squirrels."

[Well, it makes a nice change from all of the present hype around the bogyman of the week that the press and governments around the world present us with. Save the Future and start killing cute little animals! No, it really doesn’t have the same ring to it…..]

Just Finished Reading: A Bridge Too Far by Cornelius Ryan (FP: 1974)

It was the largest aerial assault ever conceived, even bigger than that used as part of the D-Day invasion and was billed to be (and believed to be) capable of shortening the war by as much as a year. It was a bold plan, actually so beyond bold it was actually reckless and ambitious so much so that it reeked of hubris, yet oddly originating with a man known for his caution and meticulous planning – the British hero of the Western Desert - General Bernard Montgomery.

The plan itself was deceptively simple: drop troops and equipment up to 60 miles behind enemy lines in a blanket from the Dutch border to the Rhine with the aim to capture and hold all of the major bridges allowing Allied armour to punch a hole through the thinly held German defences into the heart of industrial Germany itself. Within a matter of days Allied forces could be in the Ruhr holding or destroying Germany’s mighty industries on which her military strength depended. The idea was so dazzling that few opposed it and even fewer raised the obvious concerns, of which there were many:

Could all of the bridges be captured intact and held long enough by lightly armed troops to give the amour time enough to arrive and rescue them?

Could the airborne forces be resupplied to the extent they needed to be?

What would happen if one or more of the bridges was destroyed or severally damaged?

What is German resistance proved more able than reports of the old, sick and inexperienced troop’s suspected to be in the area warranted?

What would happen if anything major went wrong? Anything at all?

Well, the British airborne forces in particular where about to find out, not when anything went wrong but when everything went wrong.

The last bridge in the long string of bridges was the magnificent structure at Arnhem. If that could not be captured or held for at least two days then everything else getting to that point was wasted. But with no near-by drop zones, ineffective communications, lost equipment and the earlier dismissed rumour of armour in the area proving true (to the tune of two SS Panzer divisions resting up from their retreat from France). Unable to report their situation it had to be assumed (hoped) that the bridge had been taken – where only one side was actually in British hands – and the armour was sent hell for leather to reach them. From the very first the assault was plagued with problems. Advancing down a single road the armoured columns were easy prey for well sighted anti-tank guns. Air support was intermittent due to bad weather and a seeming reluctance to engage enemy units as the opportunity arose. Expert knowledge from the Dutch resistance was politely declined by the British commanders (yet used to advantage by the less fussy Americans) so vital intelligence was missed – including opportunities to use the telephone system to overcome problems with the radios. Then, of course, the inevitable happened – they lost a bridge and the tight timetable, so vital and so achievable on paper fell apart. The Arnhem enclave, expected to last for two days, lasted for nine under increasingly heavy fire and mounting casualties before it was overrun with Allied tanks only a mile or so away. The operation – Market Garden – had failed.

Spectacularly filmed in 1977 movie of the same name this was unsurprisingly on an epic scale with a cast of (seemingly) every major star from England, America and German background – although whoever cast Gene Hackman as the Polish Major General Sosabowski should be shot. Much of the detail of the bestselling popular history made it into the movie although the film was considerably toned down from the often harrowing stories related in this honestly gripping tale. I was not surprised in the least that it had spent months on the bestseller list. It is still a great work of military history and should be a standard reference work for any military commander responsible for putting troop’s lives on the line to show what can go wrong especially with the most optimistic of plans. If you have any interest in WW2, ‘simple’ Heroism, military blunders or simply want to read a master study of Murphy’s Law in brutal action then this is definitely the book for you. Highly Recommended.      

Cartoon Time.

..as is every day.... [grin]

I'll get right on it little guy....... [grin]

Just Finished Reading: Mr Holmes by Mitch Cullin (FP: 2005)

Sussex, England 1947. An aging and long retired Sherlock Holmes (played superbly by Sir Ian McKellen in the 2015 movie adaptation) returns to his favourite farmhouse residence and his consuming passion – his thriving apiary containing a fine collection of hives, busy bees and a steady production of fine honey. But Holmes is more than aware that his memory, often the vital component in his famous investigations, is increasingly failing him. He finds seemingly unconnected items in his pockets, others vanish from sight only to reappear minutes, hours or days later and, rather more worryingly he is starting to forget people’s names. Yet his memories of years gone by seem as strong as ever sometimes washing over him is astonishing detail. One case in particular continues to haunt him. Called in to explain the behaviour of Mrs Ann Keller in 1902 he is immediately struck both by her beauty and her tragic ethereal quality. Even after the passage of 45 years Holmes still ruminates on the reason why she had such a profound effect on him after such a brief acquaintance. More recently Holmes is troubled by his behaviour in Japan when, whilst searching for life extending herbs and discussing the properties of Royal Jelly with a fellow bee keeper, he is asked about his companions father who disappeared in London decades before after (apparently) meeting the famous detective. Having no memory of the encounter – either through memory loss or the fact that they never actually met – Holmes find himself torn between revealing the truth of the matter or manufacturing a face-saving lie which goes against all of his finely honed principles. Then there is Roger, the young boy, son of his new housekeeper, eager to hear stories of crimes solved and the mysterious ways of the beehive.

Both a rather odd film – definitely not your run-of-the-mill Sherlock Holmes story – and an equally strange book this turned out to be both a delight to watch (I saw it at the cinema when it came out) and to read. To use the much abused and overused appellation this was simply beautiful in the use of prose and you could have no problem understanding the frustration and the heart-breaking reality of a once towering intellect now unable to remember if he had in fact eaten dinner or where he had left his pipe. Inevitably whenever I visualised Holmes I ‘saw’ Ian McKellen in my mind as he was such a powerful presence on the screen portraying a once great detective in terminal decline. But that is not to say that this is simply a tragic novel of decay and ultimate death. There is much to wonder at and much that is original and surprising. I found it an easy read and kept turning the 253 pages until the very satisfying ending with something of a sigh and a thought that I should dig out more of Mr Cullin’s works if this was anything to go by. Recommended – and not just for Holmes fans.    

A Scottish newspaper's TV listing of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration has caught people's attention both in the UK and the US.

The Sunday Herald TV critic Damien Love reimagined the ceremony as a return of the classic science fiction series The Twilight Zone.

President Trump: The Inauguration

4pm, BBC One/ STV

"After a long absence, The Twilight Zone returns with one of the most ambitious, expensive and controversial productions in broadcast history. Sci-fi writers have dabbled often with alternative history stories - among the most common is the "What If The Nazis Had Won The Second World War" setting - but this huge interactive virtual reality project, which will unfold on TV, in the press, and on Twitter over the next four years, sets out to build an ongoing alternative present.

The story begins in a nightmarish version of 2017 in which huge sections of the US electorate have somehow been duped into voting to make Donald Trump president. It sounds far-fetched, and it is, but as it goes on it becomes more and more chillingly plausible. Today's feature-length opener concentrates on the gaudy inauguration of President Trump, and the stirrings of protest and despair surrounding the ceremony, while pundits speculate gravely on what lies ahead. It's a flawed piece, but a disturbing glimpse of the horrors we could stumble into, if we're not careful."

[From the BBC]

Cartoon Time.

When things come out of the Woodwork……

Boris Johnson's previously unpublished 'pro-EU' column revealed.

Boris Johnson said the UK remaining in the EU would be a "boon for the world and for Europe", a previously unpublished newspaper column reveals. He wrote the column in February, along with a pro-Brexit article that was later published in the Telegraph. Mr Johnson subsequently became a leading figure in the campaign to leave the European Union. The Sunday Times has published the pro-Remain column, which it says Mr Johnson wrote to clarify his thoughts. In it he warned that Brexit could lead to an economic shock, Scottish independence and Russian aggression. The foreign secretary had previously admitted to writing the piece but its contents had not been known. The Sunday Times says he first wrote an article arguing the case to leave the EU, then wrote the pro-Remain piece "as a way of clarifying his thoughts", before composing a final article for publication backing Brexit. But in the pro-EU article, revealed in a new book by Sunday Times political editor Tim Shipman, All Out War, he supported membership of the free trade zone. "This is a market on our doorstep, ready for further exploitation by British firms," Mr Johnson wrote. "The membership fee seems rather small for all that access. Why are we so determined to turn our back on it?"

Nicola Sturgeon: Scotland may seek separate EU trade deal.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she believes a deal could be reached which would allow Scotland to retain access to the European single market. Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show, she said the UK leaving the EU need not entail Scotland being excluded from a separate trade arrangement. "I think that is possible," she said. The first minister said her government was looking at the detail of how that could happen, adding: "We will publish proposals over the next few weeks."

UK economy 'faces prolonged weakness', Item Club report says.

Britain's economy faces a "prolonged period" of weaker growth as consumer spending slows and business curbs investment, according to a report. Although the EY Item Club think tank predicts the economy will grow 1.9% this year, it expects that performance to fizzle out as inflation rises. The economy's stability since June's Brexit vote was "deceptive", EY said. Meanwhile, a senior Bank of England official told the BBC that inflation may surpass its 2% target. The Bank's deputy governor Ben Broadbent told Radio 5 live that sterling's weakness would fuel inflation, but that controlling prices with tighter monetary policy could hit growth and jobs. The dilemma facing policymakers was underlined in the Item Club report. It expects inflation to jump to 2.6% next year before easing back to 1.8% in 2018. That will cause growth in consumer spending to slow from an expected 2.5% this year to 0.5% in 2017 and 0.9% the year after, the report said. Business investment is also forecast to fall due to uncertainty surrounding Britain's future trading relationship with the EU, dropping 1.5% this year and more than 2% in 2017. EY predicts that the impact of weaker consumer spending and falling investment will cause UK GDP growth to drop sharply to 0.8% next year, before expanding to 1.4% in 2018.

MPs' consent 'not needed for Article 50 to trigger Brexit'.

Consent from Parliament is "not required" for Theresa May to go ahead with getting Brexit under way, the High Court has heard. Attorney General Jeremy Wright said it was a "proper and well established" principle that governments use the royal prerogative in such cases. But those bringing the case argue that it is vital MPs and peers get a say. Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which starts the Brexit process, is to be triggered by the end of next March. Campaigners say the prime minister lacks the power to do this without the prior authorisation of Parliament. But, arguing the government's case, Mr Wright said Article 50 was available to "to give effect to the will of the people", as expressed in June's referendum, in which a majority of voters backed Brexit. The use of the royal prerogative - powers historically held by the Crown but these days passed on to ministers - was "wholly within the expectation of Parliament", he said. Parliament had also passed an act allowing the referendum to take place, he added.

Commons vote to ratify Brexit deal likely, says No 10.

Downing Street has said it is "very likely" MPs will be able to vote on the final Brexit agreement reached between the UK and the European Union. Number 10 confirmed the comment by a government lawyer in the High Court represented the "government's view". The vote would take place after negotiations have taken place and with Brexit already triggered using Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. Campaigners have been calling for a vote before Article 50 is triggered. Open Britain, formerly the Remain campaign, said the government's comments were an "encouraging sign" but renewed calls for a debate and vote earlier in the process, before Article 50 begins two years of formal negotiations. The UK is expected to leave the European Union in 2019. Prime Minister Theresa May opposes a vote before Article 50, saying those calling for one are "trying to subvert" the outcome of June's referendum. The issue is currently the subject of a landmark legal challenge, with the government defending what it says is its right to invoke Article 50 without Parliamentary approval.

UK inflation at 1% as price of clothes and fuel rises.

Rising prices for clothes, hotel rooms and petrol have led to the highest rate of inflation in nearly two years, official figures show. Inflation rose to 1.0% in September, up from 0.6% in August, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. Clothing saw its biggest price rise since 2010 and fuel, which was falling a year ago, was also more expensive. However, the ONS said there was "no explicit evidence" the weaker pound was the reason for higher prices. September's inflation figure has traditionally been crucial because it decided what rate benefits would increase by in the following year. However, with the government having frozen many benefits and tax credits until 2020, many families will no longer see them keep up with rising prices. Rising prices will "undoubtedly be tough on those with low incomes," said Ben Brettell, senior economist at Hargreaves Lansdown. "It's also not good news for savers who are losing money in real terms," he added. The jump in Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation from 0.6% to 1.0% in September was the biggest month-on-month increase since June 2014. The 1% rate is the highest since November 2014. However, ONS head of inflation Mike Prestwood said it was "low by historic standards".

All details above from BBC News website.

[With the Supreme Court decision due soon we’re still being regaled with mixed messages from the Government despite rather strenuous denials that they are ‘muddled’ in their thinking. We’re told it’ll be a hard Brexit, then a soft one, we’re told that we can cherry pick certain aspects of membership and ditch others, then we’re told its all or nothing, we’re told that we need a phased transition and then we’re told out is out, then we’re told that obligations mean we’ll be paying into the EU years after we actually leave. Messy? You haven’t seen anything yet!]

Just Finished Reading: Travelling with Che Guevara – The Making of a Revolutionary by Alberto Granado (FP: 1978)

29th December 1951. After much dreaming and even much planning qualified Doctor Alberto Granado and his best friend Ernesto Guevara who was soon to take his final medical exams start the journey of a lifetime. They fully expect it to be a journey spoken about in the years and decades to come as a watershed in their lives, as something which helped to define them both as men and as Latin Americans. They were not to be disappointed. Travelling at least part way on Alberto’s 1949 Norton 500cc motorbike they left their native Argentina to begin circumnavigating the Southern continent. Along the way they would meet with adversity, they would have accidents, run out of money, get in trouble with the authorities, get lost (many times) and need to throw themselves on the mercy of strangers. Luckily for the two young friends they had the luck, the charm and the reputation as doctors to assist them on their way. But throughout their months long odyssey one theme emerged time and time again: the most generous people they met where also the most poor and the most oppressed. Those with little or nothing shared everything they had. Those with the most either begrudged anything they gave or simply gave nothing. Everywhere they went, throughout the whole continent they saw deprivation, oppression, enforced servitude, unnecessary poverty and exploitation both by Latin American against Latin American and, more seriously, of Yankee against indigenous populations. The land they travelled through was often rich but the people working the land and digging in the mines were invariably poor. Time and again they were met with the reality of things and, day after day, they resolved that something must be done to alleviate the plight of the poor. Only one route presented itself to Ernesto – later known throughout the world as ‘Che’ – violent armed revolution.

I’ve known something about and been interested in Che Guevara since at least the 1980’s and maybe as far back as the 1970’s. Who with leftwards learnings wouldn’t have been? But until comparatively recently I knew little about the man himself. So when the 2004 movie ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’ came along (based on the book of the same name by Che and this by his best friend) I had to see it. None of my friends were interested so I went to see it myself and sat in the theatre with 4-5 other people on Saturday afternoon entranced by the journey, at turns dramatic, funny and dangerously naïve, undertaken so long ago faithfully recreated with the aid of the author who advised the director Walter Salles during the filming. You could really see an already disaffected and politically knowledgeable young would-be Doctor come to the conclusion that his originally chosen career just wouldn’t be enough and wouldn’t help enough people to make a difference. So he chose the revolutionary path, a journey that brought him to world prominence and, probably, an eternal place in the left-wing Pantheon. Both the film and the book (indeed both books) are well worth delving into and they (all three) give some insight into what made Ernesto into the legendary Che Guevara. Much more Che to come.      

Translated from the Spanish by Lucia Alverez de Toledo

Happy Birthday HAL. 25 Years old today!!!

Cartoon Time.

Well, the predicted snow (actually sleet - great word BTW) on Thursday has turned into predicted rain..... [lol] No snow this year I think!

The Beginning of Something Significant

As some of my readers will no doubt remember I am attempting (in my own singular and no doubt peculiar way) to read a number of significant books (definition to be finalised) as part of my ongoing lifelong quest to become ‘well read’. Over 10 years I had managed a rather disappointing (AKA paltry) 17 books – less than 2 per year! – and some of those ‘significant’ books are of somewhat limited or specialist significance. I had promised to ‘up my game’ in 2016 and I believe I’ve managed to just about do that with the addition of 2 further books to the list making a grand total of 19. But progress is progress and no progress however slight should be sniffed at. So, as of today the early nucleus of a significant booklist looks like this:

The Autobiography of Malcolm X with the assistance of Alex Haley
Achtung Panzer! – The Development of Tank Warfare by Heinz Guderian
Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
The Medium is the Massage by Marshall McLuhan and Quentin Fiore
About Looking by John Berger
A Vindication of The Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft
War on Wheels – The Evolution of an Idea by C R Kutz
Ways of Seeing by John Berger
Design as Art by Bruno Munari
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
Why I am not a Christian by Bertrand Russell
The Captive Mind by Czeslaw Milosz
The Future of an Illusion by Sigmund Freud
The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus
The Rebel by Albert Camus
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
A Discourse on the Origins and Foundations of Inequality among Men by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Guerrilla Warfare by Che Guevara

I think that finally it’s starting to get somewhere. If I can get this to around 50 before I die I’ll be pleased and will actually think that I might just have achieved something. I only have 1 significant book planned so far this year (with 2 more possible) so will see what else I can dig up. I think I should aim for 3 this year. I think that’s achievable. Maybe.

"I know that women, once convinced that they are doing what is right, that their rebellion is just, will go on, no matter what the difficulties, no matter what the dangers, so long as there is a woman alive to hold up the flag of rebellion. I would rather be a rebel than a slave."

Suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst in 1913.

Cartoon Time.

It’s all going to be fine (they tell us).

Boris Johnson: Brexit doom-mongers are wrong.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has promised that those who "prophesied doom" over Brexit will be proved wrong. He predicted that the UK would get a trade deal "of greater value" with the European Union than it has currently as part of the single market. Mr Johnson told the Foreign Affairs Committee that Commonwealth countries were "stepping up" to reach agreements. But European Council President Donald Tusk said the "only real alternative to a 'hard Brexit' is 'no Brexit'" He said that talk of "soft" Brexit - retaining some form of membership of the single market in exchange for some conceding of control over immigration - and "hard Brexit" - leaving the single market but having fuller control over migration - was purely "theoretical". In a speech in Brussels, he warned that the process would be "painful for Britons" but added: "The brutal truth is that Brexit will be a loss for all of us."

There would be some "sturm und drang" (German for "storm and stress"), he predicted, but added that "we did the right thing and we can make it work". Mr Johnson said: "I think the term 'single market' is increasingly useless. We are going to get a deal which is of huge value and possibly of greater value ... We are going to get the best possible deal for trade in goods and services." Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron seized on Mr Johnson's comments, accusing him of a "bungling performance", adding that it was "clear the only thing which is becoming 'increasingly useless' is Boris Johnson himself". The remaining 27 EU states had "a huge interest" in agreeing a deal which would allow the UK to continue to trade its goods and services, and it was "complete nonsense" to suggest that trade links were dependent on allowing free movement of people. Brexit meant "restoring our democracy and control of our borders and our lives and a fair bit of cash", said the foreign secretary. "But Brexit is not any sort of mandate for this country to turn in on itself and haul up the drawbridge or to detach itself from the international community."

Tesco and Unilever end price dispute.

Issues surrounding the supply of leading brands including Marmite to Tesco have now been resolved, Unilever has said. The supermarket giant and the UK's largest food manufacturer had been locked in a battle over wholesale prices. Unilever had wanted to raise its prices by about 10% to compensate for the steep drop in the value of the pound. But Unilever had to give some ground, the BBC understands. Brands including Hellmann's Mayonnaise had been removed from Tesco's website. "Unilever is pleased to confirm that the supply situation with Tesco in the UK and Ireland has now been successfully resolved," Unilever said. "We have been working together closely to reach this resolution and ensure our much-loved brands are once again fully available. For all those that missed us, thanks for all the love." A Tesco spokesman said: "We always put our customers first and we're pleased this situation has been resolved to our satisfaction." Tesco had earlier on Thursday halted online sales of top-selling goods produced by Unilever such as Persil washing powder, Ben & Jerry's ice cream and Marmite yeast extract spread. The BBC understands that those products should be available on the Tesco website again in the coming days.

'Hard Brexit' or 'no Brexit' for Britain – Tusk.

Britain's only real alternative to a "hard Brexit" is "no Brexit", European Council President Donald Tusk has said. Speaking in Brussels, he warned that the EU would not compromise on its insistence that freedom of movement will be a condition for Britain's access to the single market. Mr Tusk will chair meetings of EU leaders negotiating Britain's exit from the 28-member bloc. In his speech, Mr Tusk mocked a Brexit campaign promise that Britons could "have the EU cake and eat it too" - the idea that the UK might manage to keep trade benefits of EU membership while barring European immigrants and rejecting EU courts' authority. "To all who believe in it, I propose a simple experiment. Buy a cake, eat it, and see if it is still there on the plate. The brutal truth is that Brexit will be a loss for all of us. There will be no cakes on the table. For anyone. There will be only salt and vinegar." Mr Tusk also suggested that Britain might ultimately decide not to leave the EU "even if today hardly anyone believes in such a possibility". The BBC's Damian Grammaticas in Brussels says this was Donald Tusk raising the alarm. He appears to be deeply concerned about the direction any Brexit talks could be headed, our correspondent adds. However, Mr Tusk again stressed that the choice would be the UK's alone to make whether Brexit "is really in their interest". British officials have so far made no public comments on Mr Tusk's latest statements.

Brexit: Nissan boss meets PM over Sunderland plant fears.

The boss of Japanese car giant Nissan says he is "confident" the government will keep the UK a competitive place to do business after it leaves the EU. Chief executive Carlos Ghosn met Prime Minister Theresa May earlier amid fears over the future of its production plant in Sunderland. He has hinted investment at Sunderland could cease unless compensation is paid for any adverse impact after Brexit. The Sunderland plant, which opened in 1986, employs almost 7,000 people. Mr Ghosn arrived at Downing Street in a black Qashqai, a model made in Sunderland. After the meeting, which lasted about an hour, Mr Ghosn said: "We want to ensure that this high-performing, high-employment factory remains competitive globally and continues to deliver for our business and for Britain. Following our productive meeting, I am confident the government will continue to ensure the UK remains a competitive place to do business. I look forward to continued positive collaboration between Nissan and the UK Government." Mrs May added: "This government is committed to creating and supporting the right conditions for the automotive industry to go from strength to strength in the UK, now and into the future." The Sunderland factory, opened by then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, produces about 500,000 Juke, Qashqai and Leaf vehicles a year - a third of the UK's total car manufacturing.

All details above from BBC News website.

[Brexit news has slowed to a trickle lately as, presumably, everyone holds their collective breath before the Supreme Court decision due soon. In other news a top Tory political donor says he will withdraw funding if we leave the EU Single Market – which he says will be catastrophic. Don’t you love it when the rich and (maybe not that) shameless agree with you?]

OK, but how do you top that....!?!

Just Finished Reading: Get Carter by Ted Lewis (FP: 1970)

Jack Carter (played supremely by Michael Caine in the 1971 movie adaptation) has finally found his niche – as a top enforcer for a London crime family. Now he has almost everything he wanted: money, women and stability. So he is less than pleased with the prospect of travelling to his home town in the North of England to attend his younger brother’s funeral. But a mixture of family fealty, guilt and curiosity drives him to attend. Almost from the start Jack senses that something isn’t right with the story everyone seems all too eager to relate to him. Frank’s death was an accident caused by driving drunk. But Jack knows his brother better than that and is certain that he’d never drive drunk even with the best reason in the world. Nor would he have deliberately put himself as risk, in other words commit suicide, no matter the provocation. So why are so many people, powerful crime lords in the North, willing to spend time, effort, money and blood to convince Jack otherwise? Determined to find out what really happened Jack put’s his local knowledge and very special skill set to the test asking very awkward questions and generally being a pain in the arse about things. Little by little Jack is convinced that his brother’s death was neither an accident nor suicide. Only two questions remain – who killed Frank and why? Did he see something he shouldn’t have or did he threaten the wrong people with going to the police? Before the long weekend is over Jack will have his answers to those questions – no matter who he has to intimidate, no matter who he has to threaten and no matter who he has to kill.

I instantly bought this the second I saw it just lying there in my local bookshop. To be honest I had no real idea that one of my favourite movies of all time originated in a classic British Noir novel. But, as is often the case, book and film are rather different beasts. The overall story is the same, family bereavement, funeral, and investigation by hard man, death and destruction, resolution (of a kind). Just about everything else is different apart from the names of the major players. The main action takes place in Doncaster rather than Newcastle (in the movie) and therefore feels far more claustrophobic. Several main players who die spectacularly in the movie surprisingly survive in the book (at least I was surprised by their survival). The thing that raised my eyebrow more than anything else was that the book was far more hard core than the movie. The violence in the book was far more visceral and just plain nasty, there was far more swearing in the book and far more sex too. Doncaster in the book unlike Newcastle (mostly) in the movie was a town in terminal decline, a place almost trapped between its heavy industrial past and its lack of any kind of future. The only really moral character is dead – Frank Carter. Everyone else is either morally neutral or deeply immoral on several levels. Everyone from the police, politicians and the criminals (of which there are many) are singularly corrupt and will practically do anything to anyone to get their own way or to protect their interests. Jack Carter is hardly a hero to admire and freely admits his corruption going back to his childhood – the regular flashbacks are something else absent from the film version. Actually knowing Jack’s and Frank’s relationship (and environment) growing up in Doncaster helped explain the majority of Jack’s actions portrayed in the film - without the benefit of any kind of personal history being shown there. Driven largely by guilt and the fear that his niece (who might possibly even be his illegitimate daughter) has become involved in an industry he views with thinly veiled contempt produces someone who is impossible to ignored but far from easy to admire or even like. I watched the movie not long after finishing the book and managed to see it with a new set of better informed eyes which made the whole experience an interesting one. A recommended read if only to compare the two versions of a story in two different media.

Cartoon Time.

The Best Books of 2016

I reviewed 67 books in 2016 (a regrettably low number and 2 less than in 2015) of which one was a reject. As I have come to expect I was pleased with the variety of works that moved through my hands and my mind and I even managed to shoe horn in a few more classics and a few more ‘significant’ works as part of my ongoing quest to become more ‘well read’. I was aiming for 75 books in 2016 but throughout most of the year seemed to struggle more than of late to read swiftly. Oddly in the last 2 weeks off work over the Christmas break I’ve managed to polish off 5 books in quick succession and am already part way through two more. Hopefully 2017 will produce a bumper crop. More than 67 at any rate! But anyway – to the list itself…

Fiction:

The Separation by Christopher Priest
The Flame Throwers by Rachel Kushner
Armada by John Stack
Final Impact by John Birmingham
The Woods by Harlan Coben
The Poisoned Crown by Amanda Hemingway
Zoo Station by David Downing
Coldbrook by Tim Lebbon
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
Moonfall by Jack McDevitt
Sharpe’s Siege by Bernard Cornwell
The Death Instinct by Jed Rubenfeld
Destroyermen – Rising Tides by Taylor Anderson
1356 by Bernard Cornwell

That’s a pretty good mix of SF, Fantasy, Crime, and Historical so I’m happy with that. The two best – which both stunned me with their brilliance are in BOLD. I expect 2017 to have a similar mix. All of the above are Anglo-American this year and no classics made my best of. Hopefully both foreign and classical works will appear in the next end of year review.

Non-Fiction:

Human Universe by Professor Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen
Iron Kingdom – The Rise and Downfall of Prussia 1600-1947 by Christopher Clark
The Downfall of Money – Germany’s Hyperinflation and the Destruction of the Middle Class by Frederick Taylor
Human Race – 10 Centuries of Change on Earth by Ian Mortimer
Berlin 1961 – Kennedy, Khrushchev, and the Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Frederick Kempe
Chavs – The Demonization of the Working Class by Owen Jones
Band of Brigands – The First Men in Tanks by Christy Campbell
The People – The Rise and Fall of the Working Class by Selina Todd
Them and Us – Fighting the Class War 1910-1939 by John Newsinger
Our Final Invention – Artificial Intelligence and the End of the Human Era by James Barrat
The Vital Question – Why is Life the Way it is? By Nick Lane
Life on the Edge – The Coming Age of Quantum Biology by Jim Al-Khalili and Johnjoe McFadden
The Hammer and the Cross – A New History of the Vikings by Robert Ferguson
The Incredible Unlikeliness of Being – Evolution and the Making of Us by Alice Roberts
A Jane Austen Education – How Six Novels taught me about Love, Friendship, and the Things that Really Matter by William Deresiewicz
A Short History of Progress by Ronald Wright
Age of Extremes – The Short Twentieth Century 1914-1991 by Eric Hobsbawm
The Autobiography of Malcolm X with the assistance of Alex Haley
1066 – A New History of the Norman Conquest by Peter Rex

A rather inevitable bias towards History as usual which should come as no surprise as around 50% of my non-fiction reading is generally British & European based historical works. There is a nice smattering of Science this year which is always good. I do feel that I neglect the sciences too much – although when I do dabble it’s generally in my two favourite areas of Biology & Quantum Mechanics. There’s also a good number of Political works and especially in the area of R4 (Revolt, Rebellion, Resistance & Revolution) which you’ll see much more of in the coming years. I have an idea for a PhD post-retirement which will be probably something in the area of Rebellion so expect much more background reading in that topic. Again the best of the best are in BOLD.

Now to 2017.

I’ve only reviewed 2 of the upcoming 20 books made into movies so that’ll cover the first 2-3 months of the year. After that I’ll get back to finishing the Battles that made Britain and the other 2 books about Black Power in the US. After that….. Well, I have a few ideas. Some of which are hang-overs from 2016 and some are new. As usual (for now) they’ll be Triple Reads. Some of the ideas floating around in my head are:

The Less than Special Relationship
Days at the Beach
War: What is it Good For?
Reporting from Afghanistan
The Weak Fight Back
Women @ War
Early Royal Naval engagements in WW2
Things Fall Apart
The City, the City
The Starting Gun: 1914
Mother Russia
Investigating Murder
Curiosity
Intelligent Agents: The Psychology of Economic Behaviour
Something on the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s.

If I can manage half of that next year I’ll be very pleased. My fiction reading for the whole of next year is pretty much planned and fixed. After I finish off the novels into movies section I have the last of my random 10’s for some time. After that… Well, you’ll just have to wait and see.

Thinking About: 2017 and Beyond.

Welcome to the first day of the rest of the year – a time full of possibilities! Of course most of those possibilities are, in my opinion at least, not the best we could have had but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see about that. Now, I’m not exactly full of confidence for the future seeing what I know about the past and what we are constantly reminded of each day on the news – that too many people out there are more than happy to spend their lives make the world a worse place (as if that made any sense at all). What I didn’t expect, and obviously came as quite a shock to a significant percentage on both sides of ‘The Pond’ is that a significant number of people, seemingly deliberately, have actually voted to make the world (again in my opinion) an objectively worse place to live in or, at the very least, a more chaotic and turbulent one.

I really should have put a bet on the result of the vote for the UK to leave the EU. Just days before the polls I predicted the result and got it spot on. From conversations at work and elsewhere I knew that many people intended to vote to leave for, yet again in my opinion, generally irrational reasons. The fallout from that decision is still largely up in the air but will come down (around our ears) sooner rather than later. As far as I know the value of Sterling on International markets still hasn’t recovered after 6 months. Those in favour of Brexit usually wave their hands at this point, mention that currencies fluctuate, and say that any loss is temporary. As I said – irrational. When Article 50 is enacted in a few months’ time I doubt very much if the value of Sterling will go UP. I’m not exactly sticking my neck out here by saying that its value will drop through the floor and probably stay there for the foreseeable future with all that entails. If any of my American readers are thinking of visiting the UK I’d wait on buying your money until the Spring. It’ll be a LOT cheaper here after that.

Article 50 will, naturally, have other consequences too. If I was a businessman who had any significant dealings with the EU I would’ve had fairly detailed contingency plans drawn up by now. The enactment of Article 50 will be, I firmly believe, a starting gun for those companies to move some or all of their manufacture or distribution elements on to the European mainland to avoid any future tariffs imposed post-Brexit. Any non-UK owned companies may move lock, stock and barrel to places like Holland (where they speak excellent English) to guarantee full access to the Single Market. After all they’re in the UK for that very reason. The idea that they would stay out of the EU marketplace through some kind of loyalty to the UK is nonsensical where money is concerned. Shareholders do not value sentimentality above balance sheets.

So, if things go as planned (which I imagine they will) what do I think the future holds for jolly old England? I think it’s a given that inflation will increase. It’s already bubbling under and sooner or later things will be passed on to the consumer. As over 40% of our food is imported and much is payed for in dollars I would think that inflation will increase month on month for years ahead. Public spending will decrease which will mean less spending on things like Health and Education. Get used to longer waiting lists and dilapidated buildings (and roads). The balance of payments will shift in the wrong direction and government borrowing will increase. Taxes will rise with little to show for the rises from the public’s perspective. As we get closer to actual Brexit more and more companies will move some of their operations to the Continent. The rest will either go to the wall or cut back as much as they can to maintain profitability. Unemployment will increase as will under payed part-time working and so-called zero hours work. Taxes will increase to pay for unemployment and we will see an increase in poverty, destitution and the dreaded food banks. Charities will be stretched to their limits.

Political unrest will naturally increase. We will see an increase in protest marching and the follow on riots. The main political parties will increasing move away from the centre to, in part, compete with organisations from the political extremes. Violence against minorities will increase as will the tolerance of such activity. Taxes will increase to provide more police, better equipment for the police and more surveillance technology. There will be talk, yet again, of Identity Cards and some kind of pledge of allegiance (as has already been mentioned in regard to future Public servants). This will divide public opinion but will probably be made compulsorily after a short trial period. It will have no noticeable effect on political unrest nor will it make people feel safer. Prison populations will increase as will new prison building. With increased unemployment, especially amongst the young (many of whom can no longer afford to attend University with the increased tuition fees), a national Youth Work programme will be developed as a form of National Service. Many will regard this as a good thing.

Well, that’s enough predicting for one day. I’m starting to depress myself here! I really hope that most of the above never comes to pass, I really do. I just hope that I’m being unduly pessimistic about the whole thing. I do actually seem to be in the minority with my expectations of economic suicide followed by disaster. I hope that I’m wrong, dead wrong. I’m not worried personally. I have a pretty safe job and I fully expect to be retired in the next 5 years. I don’t need much to get by so, financially at least, I should be OK. Thankfully I don’t have children so I don’t keep myself awake at nights worrying about their future – not that such things accomplish much to be honest. On my more optimistic days I wonder if Article 50 will, in fact, be enacted. I assume that the Supreme Court will force the Government to allow a debate and vote on it in Parliament. There’s a slim possibility that it might not get through the Parliamentary process. Unlikely, but it’s there. Then there’s the 2 year process to leave the EU. It is possible that the Government might abandon things and revoke the Article before we actually leave. It’s also possible that we might have a change of Government who have a mandate to keep us in the EU. Possibly. I can at least dream. No matter what I think the next 5-10 years are going to be interesting if nothing else. Watching a country crumble through its own self-inflicted wounds would, however, be more interesting if it wasn’t where I actually lived. Looking back from 2020 (The Year of Hindsight!) I’ll need to dig this post out and see how accurate I was. 50% seems reasonable I think. If I get more than 50% right I’ll be worried……  

Cartoon Time.

Happy New Year 2017! Here's hoping that it's going to be better than any of us expect.....