Amazon uses a predictive algorithm to suggest items to buy, based on a customer's previous purchases and viewing history. Facebook's suggested friends feature predicts who users might know but aren't connected with online which is fine in the no so serious online
world but predictive algorithms are now being used in the more serious real world to advise on possible future outcomes.
Almost a third of the UK's police forces are also using predictive algorithms to fight crime and at least 53 councils are using computer models to detect problems from traffic management to benefits sanctions before they happen, according to new research by Cardiff University.
Users say that these algorithms mean problems can be predicted and therefore prevented which sounds dangerously like profiling to me and we have been there before and it was abandoned as unworkable.
Bristol City Council have been using it for years and have a database and a set of rules based on benefits, school attendance, crime, homelessness, teenage pregnancy and mental health to predict which children could suffer from domestic violence or sexual abuse and who then receives the extra support.
Kent Police are using a predictive algorithm to help decide which cases to follow up with further investigation based on historical information.
Apart from the large amount of information collected about a person to be able to derive an accurate profile, it has echoes of The Minority Report where computers advise the Police to arrest suspects prior to any crime being committed.
That the Police, or Council, would ignore a warning issued from a Computer regarding a person based on events that have not yet happened may not yet be so worrisome but will soon be as it becomes more and more influential in the hands of those who make the decisions.
Thursday, 28 February 2019
Tuesday, 26 February 2019
20C In Winter Isn't Right
If wildfires in the Arctic Circle isn't enough to make you wonder if something is wrong then Winter temperatures of 20.3C in the UK should stir something in even the most spaced out of slow to stir brain cells.
This weekend i joined others sat outside a heaving riverside pub, most people wearing short sleeves and a few hardy ones in shorts but most with sunglasses either balanced on top of their heads or doing their job of blocking out the sun shining down from a cloudless, blue sky.
It may be a familiar scene in June, July or August but this is February and still Winter and this could only be happening after a sustained period of seriously messing with the atmosphere.
Hearing it described as 'glorious' and 'beautiful' rather misses the point that however nice the warmth may feel, you shouldn't be able to sit outside at this time of year in clothes meant for Summer without turning a nasty shade of blue and shivering your teeth loose.
The top 20 hottest years on record have all happened within the past 22 years but the sting comes when the sun goes down at at around half past five and the temperature drops and you suddenly realise that wearing that thin blouse and skirt or short sleeved shirt and shorts wasn't such a good idea.
It doesn't bode well for the rest of the year when the even higher temperatures kick in but mostly why is it not jolting in the brains of the people who can actually do something about it that 20C in Winter is very, very wrong.
This weekend i joined others sat outside a heaving riverside pub, most people wearing short sleeves and a few hardy ones in shorts but most with sunglasses either balanced on top of their heads or doing their job of blocking out the sun shining down from a cloudless, blue sky.
It may be a familiar scene in June, July or August but this is February and still Winter and this could only be happening after a sustained period of seriously messing with the atmosphere.
Hearing it described as 'glorious' and 'beautiful' rather misses the point that however nice the warmth may feel, you shouldn't be able to sit outside at this time of year in clothes meant for Summer without turning a nasty shade of blue and shivering your teeth loose.
The top 20 hottest years on record have all happened within the past 22 years but the sting comes when the sun goes down at at around half past five and the temperature drops and you suddenly realise that wearing that thin blouse and skirt or short sleeved shirt and shorts wasn't such a good idea.
It doesn't bode well for the rest of the year when the even higher temperatures kick in but mostly why is it not jolting in the brains of the people who can actually do something about it that 20C in Winter is very, very wrong.
Monday, 25 February 2019
Handing The Chagos Islands Back
A nasty remnant of the British Empire is that we still cling to some parts of the World where we really have no right to be, the Falklands and Gibraltar the most obvious but the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean is another one until today anyway when the UN's Highest
Court ruled that Britain's actions were unlawful and that it must be handed back to Mauritius 'as soon as possible'.
It is half a century since the UK took control of the Chagos Islands and evicted the entire population of 1,500 before inviting the US to build a military base on the largest atoll, Diego Garcia.
The British Government has offered the pathetic excuse that: 'The defence facilities on the British Indian Ocean Territory help to protect people here in Britain and around the world from terrorist threats, organised crime and piracy'.
A poorer excuse is hard to think of and a dreadful throwback to our dark colonial times that the Chagos Islanders should be happy to be turfed out of their own country: 'to help protect the people of Britain'.
It is reminiscent of the referendums in Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands where the inhabitants were asked if they wanted to be British or Spanish/Argentinian and surprise, surprise, both places, which are full of Brits, decided they wanted to stay British.
The British Empire was a bullying, murderous regime which pillaged the globes resources and to try and defend it is wrong as is to try to argue that we were doing the right thing to empty an Island nation of all it's citizens and claim it for ourselves.
Court ruled that Britain's actions were unlawful and that it must be handed back to Mauritius 'as soon as possible'.
It is half a century since the UK took control of the Chagos Islands and evicted the entire population of 1,500 before inviting the US to build a military base on the largest atoll, Diego Garcia.
The British Government has offered the pathetic excuse that: 'The defence facilities on the British Indian Ocean Territory help to protect people here in Britain and around the world from terrorist threats, organised crime and piracy'.
A poorer excuse is hard to think of and a dreadful throwback to our dark colonial times that the Chagos Islanders should be happy to be turfed out of their own country: 'to help protect the people of Britain'.
It is reminiscent of the referendums in Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands where the inhabitants were asked if they wanted to be British or Spanish/Argentinian and surprise, surprise, both places, which are full of Brits, decided they wanted to stay British.
The British Empire was a bullying, murderous regime which pillaged the globes resources and to try and defend it is wrong as is to try to argue that we were doing the right thing to empty an Island nation of all it's citizens and claim it for ourselves.
Europeans Trust China & Russia More Than America
A Pew Poll has found that when it comes to doing the right thing regarding World Affairs, there is only one person we Europeans can turn to outside of our own continent and that's Vladimir Putin but if Vlad is off fighting bears or in Siberia or something, our next choice is China's Xi Jinping.
Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Emmanuel Macron top the poll with Britain's Theresa May not even in sight which is fair as you wouldn't trust her to look after your plant when you are on holiday.
America, led by the thatched head of Donald Trump was seventh with even Americans putting Merkel and Macron above their own tiny handed President in trusting them to do the right thing.
Pew said its latest survey showed that international citizens have 'significant concerns about America's role in world affairs under Trump' but then there have been concerns about America's role in the World as far as i can remember regardless of the President.
That we would now look towards Russia and China in a crisis before America is surprising but not unexpected as America's soft power continues to decline under the current Administration.
Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Emmanuel Macron top the poll with Britain's Theresa May not even in sight which is fair as you wouldn't trust her to look after your plant when you are on holiday.
America, led by the thatched head of Donald Trump was seventh with even Americans putting Merkel and Macron above their own tiny handed President in trusting them to do the right thing.
Pew said its latest survey showed that international citizens have 'significant concerns about America's role in world affairs under Trump' but then there have been concerns about America's role in the World as far as i can remember regardless of the President.
That we would now look towards Russia and China in a crisis before America is surprising but not unexpected as America's soft power continues to decline under the current Administration.
Sunday, 24 February 2019
May Running Down Brexit Clock
There is only so many times that the Prime Minister can say that she is not running down the clock for the Brexit vote so her MP's are forced to choose just between her deal or no Deal before the 29 March deadline.
She must have said it dozens of times and she has had to say it again today as she delayed the vote until 12 March which still gives everyone 17 days to sort out something if her vote is turned down again as expected.
Admittedly she waited until she was thousands of miles away in Egypt to announce it and just breezily just happened to mention that the vote which was meant to be going ahead this week has been cancelled.
With 33 days to go, even her own MPs are now calling for an extension to the negotiating period to allow Britain more time to iron out the deal agreements, possibly eyeing the pathetic six deals which have done so far, and even the EU are taking pity on us and mumbling that the actual leaving date could be pushed back another 21 months if we want.
As we would need 40 deals to just break even with what we currently have with the EU, the agreed deals to run from 29 March that we have put in place with Israel, The Palestinian Authority, Switzerland, The Faroe Islands, Eastern and Southern Africa and Chile is a poor return for two years worth of negotiations.
I don't think Mrs May is running down the clock, i think she and her Government are just woefully hopeless and not just at negotiating with the EU, just inadequate in general.
She must have said it dozens of times and she has had to say it again today as she delayed the vote until 12 March which still gives everyone 17 days to sort out something if her vote is turned down again as expected.
Admittedly she waited until she was thousands of miles away in Egypt to announce it and just breezily just happened to mention that the vote which was meant to be going ahead this week has been cancelled.
With 33 days to go, even her own MPs are now calling for an extension to the negotiating period to allow Britain more time to iron out the deal agreements, possibly eyeing the pathetic six deals which have done so far, and even the EU are taking pity on us and mumbling that the actual leaving date could be pushed back another 21 months if we want.
As we would need 40 deals to just break even with what we currently have with the EU, the agreed deals to run from 29 March that we have put in place with Israel, The Palestinian Authority, Switzerland, The Faroe Islands, Eastern and Southern Africa and Chile is a poor return for two years worth of negotiations.
I don't think Mrs May is running down the clock, i think she and her Government are just woefully hopeless and not just at negotiating with the EU, just inadequate in general.
Saturday, 23 February 2019
Church Of England Not Coming To The Rescue
So the saying almost goes, give a starving man a fish and he will have a meal, show a starving man how to fish and he will have a meal everyday but tell him to pray for a fish and he will die of hunger waiting for a fish so religion is not a very good plan for anyone hungry.
It is also not the best thing if you are poor but don't fear because the Church of England are on the case and they are worrying what effect Brexit will have on the most vulnerable.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has told the Church of England’s General Synod that the Church cannot ignore the warnings about the possible profound impact that the next months may possibly have on the poorest of our society.
With the Church’s property portfolio and investments means that it is sitting on wealth of £8.3bn, which last year alone increased by £400m, i wonder what the Church is planning.
Funding more food banks? Financial handouts? Opening up their Churches for the homeless? Building drop in centres with free meals?
In their wisdom they have decided that the best way to address the forthcoming pain and financial insecurity is to pray for five days.
Unless they are asking for God to send down McDonald vouchers, i wouldn't hold my breath that the big man in the sky will be helping so as you were, huddled in draughty doorways with empty stomachs in the knowledge that you are being mentioned in five days worth of prayers to the guy who almost killed every living person on Earth with a massive flood. Thanks.
It is also not the best thing if you are poor but don't fear because the Church of England are on the case and they are worrying what effect Brexit will have on the most vulnerable.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has told the Church of England’s General Synod that the Church cannot ignore the warnings about the possible profound impact that the next months may possibly have on the poorest of our society.
With the Church’s property portfolio and investments means that it is sitting on wealth of £8.3bn, which last year alone increased by £400m, i wonder what the Church is planning.
Funding more food banks? Financial handouts? Opening up their Churches for the homeless? Building drop in centres with free meals?
In their wisdom they have decided that the best way to address the forthcoming pain and financial insecurity is to pray for five days.
Unless they are asking for God to send down McDonald vouchers, i wouldn't hold my breath that the big man in the sky will be helping so as you were, huddled in draughty doorways with empty stomachs in the knowledge that you are being mentioned in five days worth of prayers to the guy who almost killed every living person on Earth with a massive flood. Thanks.
Karma Alive And Well In Germany
Police in southern Germany say a slaughterhouse worker suffered injuries after being kicked in the face by a dead cow.
In a statement, police said the cow was killed early Thursday at an abattoir in Aalen, and hung from a meat hook for further processing.
Police said the carcass then kicked the man in the face, apparently due to a nerve impulse that experts say isn't uncommon.
I admit it gave me a chuckle and the sound of vegetarians everywhere shouting 'Serves you right' and laughing was deafening and that is the second time this week that i have laughed at a German deservedly getting hurt.
A hunter in Munich was shot by his dog when the pooch jumped on the loaded gun and knocked the trigger shooting the hunter in the arm.
As if getting shot by your dog isn't bad enough, he then had his hunting licence revoked and his arms licence withdrawn as he was not deemed responsible enough to own a weapon.
Nothing funny about getting kicked in the face by a dead cow or shot in the arm by your pet..okay maybe there is.
In a statement, police said the cow was killed early Thursday at an abattoir in Aalen, and hung from a meat hook for further processing.
Police said the carcass then kicked the man in the face, apparently due to a nerve impulse that experts say isn't uncommon.
I admit it gave me a chuckle and the sound of vegetarians everywhere shouting 'Serves you right' and laughing was deafening and that is the second time this week that i have laughed at a German deservedly getting hurt.
A hunter in Munich was shot by his dog when the pooch jumped on the loaded gun and knocked the trigger shooting the hunter in the arm.
As if getting shot by your dog isn't bad enough, he then had his hunting licence revoked and his arms licence withdrawn as he was not deemed responsible enough to own a weapon.
Nothing funny about getting kicked in the face by a dead cow or shot in the arm by your pet..okay maybe there is.
Friday, 22 February 2019
British Swearwords Ranked
The UK’s communications regulator, Ofcom, has rated every swear word in the English language in order of offensiveness after interviewing viewers to find just how offensive they find a vast array of rude and offensive words and insults.
What Ofcom found was that the following words were seen as mild and okay to use around children: Arse, Bloody, Bugger, Cow, Crap, Damn, Ginger, Git, God, Goddam, Jesus Christ, Minger and sod-off.
Medium and unacceptable before the 9pm watershed included Arsehole, Balls, Bint, Bitch, Bollocks, Bullshit, Feck, Munter, Pissed/pissed off, Shit, Son of a bitch and Tits.
Strong and definitely only acceptable after 9pm are Bastard, Beaver, Bellend, Cock, Dick, Dickhead, Fanny, Flaps, Gash, Knob, Minge, Prick, Punani, Pussy, Snatch and Twat.
Strongest and only to be used very rarely are Cunt, Fuck, Motherfucker.
What Ofcom found was that the following words were seen as mild and okay to use around children: Arse, Bloody, Bugger, Cow, Crap, Damn, Ginger, Git, God, Goddam, Jesus Christ, Minger and sod-off.
Medium and unacceptable before the 9pm watershed included Arsehole, Balls, Bint, Bitch, Bollocks, Bullshit, Feck, Munter, Pissed/pissed off, Shit, Son of a bitch and Tits.
Strong and definitely only acceptable after 9pm are Bastard, Beaver, Bellend, Cock, Dick, Dickhead, Fanny, Flaps, Gash, Knob, Minge, Prick, Punani, Pussy, Snatch and Twat.
Strongest and only to be used very rarely are Cunt, Fuck, Motherfucker.
Wednesday, 20 February 2019
Welcome To The Independent Group
Exciting times in British politics as the Labour and Conservative Party shed members to a new, young and sexy political party.
Three Conservative MPs have now teamed up with eight Labour MPs in the new anti-Brexit Independent Group who are placing themselves in the center between a Labour Party which has tipped too far left and a Conservative Party who have moved too far right.
I like Jeremy Corbyn, i find his left wing policies chime very much with my own views but he has been a massive disappointment in his Brexit dealings and actually seeming to want it to happen where as many Labour supporters are calling for him to denounce it or at the very least call for a second referendum so we can knock it out once and for all.
The anti-semitism i don't really buy, anti-Israel certainly but that has been conflated into anti-Jewish and is in the Tories interests to keep that particular pot bubbling to detract from their own anti-Islamic hysteria.
The invite has been handed out for Labour, Lib Dems and Conservatives who are unhappy with their Parties direction to join the Independent Group but what they need now is for a big hitter to join.
Anna Soubry and Chuka Umanna are relatively big names but whether they have the clout to persuade those who feel 'politically homeless' to make the leap to a new, unestablished Party remains to be seen but nobody can say that 2019 has been boring in British politics.
With at least 48% of the population against Brexit, this could turn out to be a big moment in British politics and it's two party monopoly and i really hope it succeeds, they just need a big name to front it.
Three Conservative MPs have now teamed up with eight Labour MPs in the new anti-Brexit Independent Group who are placing themselves in the center between a Labour Party which has tipped too far left and a Conservative Party who have moved too far right.
I like Jeremy Corbyn, i find his left wing policies chime very much with my own views but he has been a massive disappointment in his Brexit dealings and actually seeming to want it to happen where as many Labour supporters are calling for him to denounce it or at the very least call for a second referendum so we can knock it out once and for all.
The anti-semitism i don't really buy, anti-Israel certainly but that has been conflated into anti-Jewish and is in the Tories interests to keep that particular pot bubbling to detract from their own anti-Islamic hysteria.
The invite has been handed out for Labour, Lib Dems and Conservatives who are unhappy with their Parties direction to join the Independent Group but what they need now is for a big hitter to join.
Anna Soubry and Chuka Umanna are relatively big names but whether they have the clout to persuade those who feel 'politically homeless' to make the leap to a new, unestablished Party remains to be seen but nobody can say that 2019 has been boring in British politics.
With at least 48% of the population against Brexit, this could turn out to be a big moment in British politics and it's two party monopoly and i really hope it succeeds, they just need a big name to front it.
Sunday, 17 February 2019
Yet Another Prominent Brexit Supporter Leaves UK
Britain's richest man, Jim Ratcliffe, joins other Brexit patriots like James Dyson (moved company to Singapore), John Redwood (advised investors to put money abroad), Jacob Rees-Mogg (firm opens funds in Dublin) and Nigel Lawson (seeking French residency) in showing their support in the Brexit they support by protecting themselves and their money in the Brxit storm that is coming.
I think it is fair to say that Brexiteers in their dim and slow way, are realising that as we lurch towards the March 29th deadline, Brexit is turning out to be very different to what they were promised two years ago.
The fact that so many of its prominent supporters are either leaving the UK, or making plans to leave, shows that rather than the UK prospering after Brexit as they said, they aren't sticking around when the brown stuff hits the fan.
It is also telling that the people who are shouting the loudest about how Brexit is a good thing, such as Lord Ashcroft, James Dyson, Louise Mensch, Lord Lawson, Richard Littlejohn and Rupert Murdoch all love Britain so much that they choose to live in other countries.
That the racists who read the line 'Leave The EU' as kicking all the foreigners out of the UK' look to be disappointed as freedom of movement seems to be an EU red line for any deal so they will still be bothered by brown faces in their communities as well as making us all poorer.
I think it is fair to say that Brexiteers in their dim and slow way, are realising that as we lurch towards the March 29th deadline, Brexit is turning out to be very different to what they were promised two years ago.
The fact that so many of its prominent supporters are either leaving the UK, or making plans to leave, shows that rather than the UK prospering after Brexit as they said, they aren't sticking around when the brown stuff hits the fan.
It is also telling that the people who are shouting the loudest about how Brexit is a good thing, such as Lord Ashcroft, James Dyson, Louise Mensch, Lord Lawson, Richard Littlejohn and Rupert Murdoch all love Britain so much that they choose to live in other countries.
That the racists who read the line 'Leave The EU' as kicking all the foreigners out of the UK' look to be disappointed as freedom of movement seems to be an EU red line for any deal so they will still be bothered by brown faces in their communities as well as making us all poorer.
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