Does anyone want to solve abortion?

Of all the most personal issues that get kicked around as a political football, abortion is probably the most distasteful and most distressing. Any and every debate seems a million miles divorced of the realities that often underlie the decision to seek an abortion, which in our divided world can make one case almost entirely different to another.

Dividing Economic and Employment Recovery

Economics is not my strong point, but I think its worth digging into one of the assumptions being made by the media, especially in the language it uses whilst debating signs of an economic recovery. We here about economic recovery, and we assume this is good for the mere mortals at the bottom of the chain, but does this really hold truth? (With apologies to Naomi Klein from whom I learnt most of this).

Could power black outs ever be helpful?

I’ve seen more than one article or comment recently stating loudly and clearly that the problem isn’t solving Climate Change, its solving the power black outs that will become a reality if we continue to use electricity at our current rate. The mind set is one of utter presumption: I must be able to get electricity when I want it! But this cannot continue to be the mind set for much longer…

Alcohol and Anti-Capitalism

Apologies for the whinge that is approaching. Its been Climate Camp, and I wasn’t there, due to the clash with GreenBelt, and now I’m back, I’ve been trying to catch up on some of the happenings. Sadly, one of the easiest to learn about, given my preferred news sources, is a confrontation between Whitechapel Anarchist Group and many other climate campers.

Challenging Africa’s ‘enclosure’

One would hardly think it worth while to invest in African farmland, given the images of starvation which are still attached, and sometimes quite accurately, to the continent. But yet the BBC recently reported on a land grab that could threaten the food sovereignty, as well as the livelihoods, of many  vulnerable Africans.

On the Rise and Rise of Poker

A few nights ago I found myself watching a poker tournament on TV. This didn’t make a huge lot of sense to me. but it was an interesting thing to be able to reflect upon. I don’t know about you but Poker is something that seems to be undergoing a big renaissance right now, and has been since before the recession.

Lois: Would Women have caused the Credit Crunch?

Today sees the return of a former guest blogger to discuss an article I spotted but didn’t manage to get round to commenting on. Thankfully, someone else did it wonderfully for me; many thanks Lois! I have a couple of submissions for the next couple of weeks, but if the summer provides any thoughts on Gender, do send them over.

On Space Exploration

This month has seen the 40th anniversary of the first human visit to the moon, and so discussions of Space Travel have been in the news. The one which caught my eye was the announcement of a 12-week consultation on giving the UK its own Space Agency, much like NASA. Space is an area of fascination, but beyond specific scientific benefits, is investment in space travel really a great thing.

The Problem of No Fees Degrees

You might think that, with the announcement that the government is to offer students a chance to study for free, I’d be delighted. But as it happens, I’m not. The deal might sound excellent; you get to study for free and have no student loan. But this is hugely dangerous territory, for reasons that I shall explain.

Re-evaluating Family Matters

I found myself reading a science news article on the BBC about dementia risks amongst people who spend their middle-aged years living alone, which, it seems, might be higher than if people spend those years living with a partner. In the bizarre way that things connect in my head, it took me over to something that a friend wrote on their blog ages ago about life for those neither alone nor in families.