L'Ombre de l'Olivier

The Shadow of the Olive Tree
Profile picture
  • Francis Turner

Marmite Madness Oct 13, 2016

The big news story in the UK today is the fight over the price of Marmite. The manufacturer of Marmite - Unilever - wants to raise prices by 10%, ostensibly due to the fall in the pound since Brexit, while major supermarkets like Tesco are objecting on behalf of their customers. Marmite, for those who have never tasted this sublime delicacy, is a spread that is consumed almost exclusively in the UK. There's a NZ variant - made in a factory that was affected by the earthquake there a few years ago, the so-called marmageddon - and the Australians make...

By Francis Turner Vote2 1

Tramp-talking Trump Oct 9, 2016

So Donald Trump actually talks like Hollywood thinks bazillionaire sexists should talk? I must clutch my pearls and retire to my fainting couch. Actually, no I won't. If you are actually shocked at this then I'm sorry you live in a really sheltered world. I don't condone it, but in my near half century on this planet I've any number of conversations with men I otherwise respect who have talked about the possibility of sex with certain females, discussed - sometimes in TMI detail - their sexual conquests, and so on. There's a certain category of male, and they are...

By Francis Turner Vote1 3

Is Trump That Bad? Oct 5, 2016

My last post was on why I thought Hillary Clinton's email server disqualified her from office. This may lead my reader(s) to think I approve of her main opponent - Donald Trump. First off I'd like to repeat the note I put at the top of the previous post: I'm not a US citizen this is in large part "not my circus, not my monkeys" Second I will note that I think Donald Trump is less bad than Hillary Clinton as a president. But this is a low bar. I think even Jill Stein of the Green party would be...

By Francis Turner Vote3 0

Why Hillary Clinton’s Email Server Matters Oct 5, 2016

Since I'm not a US citizen this is in large part "not my circus, not my monkeys" BUT, as someone who works in Internet security and has had dealing with people doing classified stuff, the email server IS A VERY VERY BIG DEAL. Whether it makes her worse than Trump is debatable, but personally I consider it disqualifies her from any public office at any level at all. I find it hard to express my opinion of her actions politely. It was unbelievably stupid and incredibly risky. I flat out don't believe she and/or her advisors weren't explicitly told not...

By Francis Turner Vote26 3

The resurrection of the blog Sep 23, 2016

Now seems like a good time to start blogging again. I'll be writing about books, politics, economics and probably computer/network security. This post is just the classic placeholder that will remain at the top if I don't actually do what I promise

By Francis Turner Vote2 0

Login