Came across an interesting character today via Twitter https://twitter.com/stellacreasy/status/385373352866906112 and https://gascoigne.eventbrite.com/

George
Gascoigne, one of the often-overlooked generation before Shakespeare,
is remembered in Walthamstow as the town's own Elizabethan poet. He was
also a soldier turned pacifist, a lawyer, a writer of prose fiction
before the time of the novel, a courtier who failed at court despite
being the inventor of the cult of Elizabeth as a demi-goddess married to
her country, a member of a family so dysfunctional that his mother
stole his sheep, and an MP who was drummed out of parliament for being a
"common rhymer and notorious ruffian".

Excellent article

High praise indeed: the inestimable @mollycrabapple seems to have annoyed her Gitmo minders... http://t.co/Jp698uFPOQ

— Clive Stafford Smith (@CliveSSmith) September 12, 2013

Inside a Guantanamo Bay Prison Tour - Molly Crabapple Returns to Guantanamo Bay

By Molly Crabapple

Very interesting article

Homelands: Should nations stay within their historical boundaries? @CharlesCrawford in Aeon today: http://t.co/mjWm0ZqFny

— Aeon Magazine (@aeonmag) September 5, 2013

There are only two questions in politics: who decides? and who decides who decides? Every country solves these questions in its own way, be it through democracy, autocracy or dictatorship. But however it answers, the same dilemma emerges again at a deeper level. Who gets to say what is or is not a country?

Command 135 initiated - http://boingboing.net/2013/08/27/the-most-mysterious-radio-sign.html

— Nick Cotter (@BuckBullet) August 28, 2013

Via Boing Boing

The most mysterious radio signal in the world

Rob Beschizza at 7:55 am Tue, Aug 27, 2013

The most mysterious village in Russia.

In the 2013 year of firsts - first trip to The Hidden Hut, first time at one of their Feast Nights and first gig of the year and first gig in Cornwall....

So the Judiciary have noticed that the current government doesn't follow the law and doesn't keep its promises

Interesting research on the bees http://qz.com/107970/scientists-discover-whats-killing-the-bees-and-its-...

When researchers collected pollen from hives on the east coast pollinating cranberry, watermelon and other crops and fed it to healthy bees, those bees showed a significant decline in their ability to resist infection by a parasite called Nosema ceranae. The parasite has been implicated in Colony Collapse Disorder though scientists took pains to point out that their findings do not directly link the pesticides to CCD. The pollen was contaminated on average with nine different pesticides and fungicides though scientists discovered 21 agricultural chemicals in one sample. Scientists identified eight ag chemicals associated with increased risk of infection by the parasite.

Discovered today that Canterbury has Cornish Choughs in its coat of arms

The arms of the City of Canterbury, featuring Cornish Choughs pic.twitter.com/WCkJ1tEyUt

— Cornish Bygone Times (@PRScredda) July 19, 2013

This seems to be due to Canterbury having adopted them from the Arms of Thomas Becket.

According to http://www.bowdlers.com/index.php?page=the-chough

Robert Bolt:

Roper: So now you’d give the Devil benefit of law!

More: Yes. What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?

Roper: I’d cut down every law in England to do that!

More: Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned ’round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country’s planted thick with laws from coast to coast– man’s laws, not God’s– and if you cut them down—and you’re just the man to do it—do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I’d give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety’s sake.

A Man for All Seasons

Thanks to http://www.ministryoftruth.me.uk/2013/07/24/cameron-porn-advisors-websit... for the reminder...

It is the Feast of St Peter and St Paul. On this day on 1899 the Doukhobors, sort of Russian Quakers, burned all their weapons and ...

— Richard Coles (@RevRichardColes) June 29, 2013

... ever after have protested against government and church interference by talking all their clothes off and singing.

— Richard Coles (@RevRichardColes) June 29, 2013