Random Thoughts for 21st October 2013: An insomnia fuelled catch up
Not much blogging going on here at the moment. There are reasons for that, although we won’t go into that now, and I am wondering if I ought to change my approach. There doesn’t seem to be much focus or direction to this blog when I do post. However, (and as if to handily illustrate that randomness) I will make use of a night of serious insomnia to catch up with posting some links. So here is the latest in my series of Random Thoughts posts with links, things found on the web and other stuff that has occurred to me between 3rd August 2013 and 21st October 2013:
UpRising Leadership Programme in Bedfordshire
Last month I had a meeting with some lovely people from the UpRising Leadership Programme, an organisation that is “dedicated to nurturing and developing young people between the age of 19 and 25 to become the next generation of effective leaders across the public, private and voluntary sector.” They’ve been operating in Bedford since 2011 and have recently expanded into Luton and the rest of Bedfordshire. This is the kind of project that ticks a lot of boxes for me and done right, which I think these guys will, could help address a real need locally.
Electoral Reform Society 2013 Council Election Results
Having blogged about the ERS’s elections in August I thought I ought to follow up with a link to the results.
Historian spent his life battling to save important old buildings – Luton Today
Description of the life and work of local Author, lecturer, historian and archaeologist James Dyer who made a huge contribution to providing knowledge and understanding of Luton’s history.
The Real Blog: Strange to be blog of the year
Really pleased that David Boyle won this year’s Lib Dem Blog of the Year. A very worthy winner.
I stumble upon this community initiative the other day. I don’t think they are quite there yet — it is a worthwhile and ambitious project and deserves to succeed.
BBC Four – Ancient Greece: The Greatest Show on Earth
As part of my ongoing programme of self eduction, I’ve been learning some interesting stuff about the ancient Greeks over the last few months. This has been mostly courtesy of Yale University via iTunesU, but has included enjoying the latest documentary from Dr Michael Scott about theatre in the ancient world: ‘Ancient Greece: The Greatest Show on Earth‘. The main lesson I took away from this being that situation comedy flourishes under authoritarian regimes.
The Women’s Institute – no longer about ‘jam and Jerusalem’
I’ve long thought that one important lesson for any politician to learn is “Don’t **** with the WI”. More members than the political parties, more progressive than you might think, and apparently now growing in the cities.
BBC News – Little Wars: How HG Wells created hobby war gaming
“You only have to play at Little Wars three or four times to realise just what a blundering thing Great War must be,”
This content was originally posted on my old Strange Thoughts blog.