Recent Posts

Flight routes Brussels-Geneva
EU Politics

Single European Sky

Yesterday afternoon I was sat in the 10ºC sunshine at 1200m above sea level sipping a beer in Châtel (Haute Savoie) after 3 days of skiing, with no sign of snow in the village. Yet climate change and energy efficiency were on my mind – it was more interesting to […]

Labour slogans
UK Politics

Labour logo and slogan overload!

Can someone please explain to me what’s going on with the Labour Party’s branding strategy, or the lack of it? I’ve already posted about Labour’s logo problem (i.e. what is the logo presently) but now the party also has 3 different slogans on the go – the Blair-era new Labour […]

whodoicall.eu - One President of the EU
EU Politics

whodoicall.eu – One President of the EU

It’s probably the most famous quote about European politics – Henry Kissinger’s “Who do I call if I want to call Europe?” From today there’s a new campaign website that might just start to give an answer to that historic question… whodoicall.eu calls for One President of the EU – […]

IE logo
Technology

Mac, IE6 and Parallels

I’m quite proud of never having owned a PC. Since a BBC B micro, I moved to a Mac Performa 400 in 1994, then on to an original iMac in 1998, a slot loading iMac, an iBook and now a PowerBook G4. Yet for the last 5 months I’ve faced […]

Hands on head
EU Politics

Hannan: so now you know how it feels

It was with a wry smile that I read Daniel Hannan’s blog post about how he feels he has been harshly treated by the Financial Times. I’m not sure about the pros and cons of the case itself, but welcome to the club Daniel – you’ve just faced a newspaper […]

STIB bus
Technology

Rook a tourist: airport transport

Every country has its scheme to get more money out of travellers going to and from the airport than would otherwise be the fare for a journey of the same distance. STIB, the Brussels public transport, has a new one for the Airport Express buses 11 and 12 from Zaventem […]

Technology

Deeper underground: Copenhagen Metro

Copenhagen Metro is one of the most modern underground systems in the world, and has been designed with security in mind – lights are on along all the tunnels, and there are escape routes too. Sit at the back of the train, turn off the flash on your camera, and […]

Kent logo
Observations

Short pause: off to Copenhagen

Delving into the depths of EU politics is going quiet for a few days as I’m off to Copenhagen with a bunch of Swedes and we’re going to a concert of a rather good Swedish rock band – Kent (and yes, I am offsetting my emissions for the journey). I […]

The Times
EU Politics

Times leader about the EP – lacklustre and facile

How can a newspaper that is supposed to have a serious and sensible reputation write such complete such a rubbish leader? Well, of course it’s one about the EU – a topic that is clearly too complex for the dim-wits to understand. The article in question is a leader from […]

112 Logo
EU Politics

112: the European Emergency Number

You don’t care too much about emergency telephone numbers until, well, you’re in an emergency situation (or, as was the case for me today, you’re helping someone who is). As this emergency was taking place in Belgium I needed to call the Belgian emergency services and didn’t have the number […]

Pile of Euros
EU Politics

MEP fraud allegations: critique gaining credibility

So apparently MEPs are on the make. Well, that’s according to Chris Davies, Lib Dem MEP for the North West. Some bloggers follow up in a similar vein: Matt Wardman, Norfolk Blogger, and there’s a less pro-Davies line from The Yorkshire Guidon. What should be made of all of this? […]