Reflections - An interview with SPVR

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Learning for our future

Yesterday was a day for which the phrase "blowing a hoolie" was coined. It being blue bin day, that's recycling for Aberdeenshire Council, ours had been put out for emptying on Monday evening. But by the time I left the house and walked up the track to the road, the wind had knocked it over and distributed its contents in three directions. So there was a quarter-hour of litter pick up before I could start my walk. And a successful search for a place to leave the newly re-filled bin where it would not be re-emptied by the wind spirits. I also got caught by Tom Peterkin of the Press and Journal and requested to send him a photo of myself wearing a mask. I had one to hand and could easily understand why Tom might want it. The COVID-19 Committee ended with my having what could only be described as having a bit of a rant. Graham Simpson, who was a visitor at our meeting, opened his questioning with the subject of face-coverings, "Whatever someone thinks about mandat

Broadcast hazards

Thursday was another interesting day. And a varied one. The planned online meetings worked out as planned. The boffins - am I very old-fashioned to use that word? - in the Parliament, clearly worry a bit about us Parliamentarians' ability to adapt to the world of online meetings. The experience in Wales this week perhaps confirms their concerns. It's always been the case that a key rule for politicians is - assume all microphones are live at all times. But when you can't see the microphone or forget you are "mic'd up", danger beckons. Gordon Brown, over a decade ago, got into his car and forgot he was still wearing a broadcaster's radio mic on his lapel. His words of exasperation about someone he had just met were captured and subsequently transmitted. I have been using a Chromebook as my "device du jour" for my broadcasting. Don't worry too much about the techie language - inevitably as a software engineer I acquire computers like a st

Taking care of the data

The most worrying words one can currently read at present are probably; "Preliminary data from a study". If there's one industry that has grown dramatically during the COVID-19 crisis, it is that of speculation around the causes, effects and susceptibilities to this disease. And alongside this are the direct attempts to hijack public opinion with scare stories that rely on precisely no meaningful evidence to promote political extremism. So I am personally feeling a little uneasy this morning at my having placed a particular Facebook post and a Tweet out there this morning. The source is impeccable, or so I would like to believe—the Financial Times. The story contains those worrying words that will, if necessary, get the FT off the hook if the content of a story originating from the DNA testing firm who are revealing their results turns out to be rubbish. But I have made myself party to this through my social media activity. The story is interesting. It suggests th

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