The internet has definitely had that effect. So when the PM says we have no choice but to go to war, we can now check with our colleagues in Germany, say and see if this is a beat up. That much is an improvement in my eyes.

And yet, even Google has its unintended [perhaps] tyranny. By ensuring that your side of an argument floods the web, all your arguments are on the Google front and Nos 2-5 pages and the other man’s argument is relegated.

Given the new impatience these days, that ensures that only your side is heard.

For me, this moves the goalposts of rational argument, away from personal factual knowledge to be more reliant on deduction (and even induction sometimes).

This does make it so much easier to challenge established authority, such as governments. They no longer have a near monopoly on easy access to the truth.

However, as so many truths about and for government originate within government, strong pressure must be kept up, through such things as freedom of information laws and, particularly, government departments of statistical analysis and publication. And access to raw statistics is especially important, rather than governments’ analysis and summary spin.

Best regards

Oh dear. Now he’s gone and made me look harder. His choice of place actually shares the 672 international dialing code with somewhere else (well, at least according to my phone book, if not Wikipedia), which is what I found. In fact my phone book does not mention his choice. The rainfall (rather than precipitation) is what settles it.

I wonder if anyone knows where I found: it has its own Internet country designation (and James’ choice does not, at least and again according to Wikipedia).

N5 is also a very good one.

Best regards

Nigel, no rules. Just trying to find that happy medium which will challenge but not flummox. N1 was interesting, was it not?

However, I failed on 2 and 4, until I used computer search (so Dearieme and I need to consider teaming up).

Definitely much much to hard; well, at least compared to yesterday.

It’s got to the stage where I’d like to know the rules.

Best regards

4 was easy because at Uni I knew the twin sons of the then dictator. “What’s your father’s political party called?” I asked.
“Man, we’s de True Whigs.”
“Ah, you’ve still got Whigs and Tories?”
“No, man, jus’ Whigs.”