Quotulatiousness

April 25, 2020

Professor Neil Ferguson – “I wrote the code (thousands of lines of undocumented C) 13+ years ago to model flu pandemics…”

Filed under: Britain, Government, Health — Tags: , , , — Nicholas @ 03:00

An anonymous guest post at Hector Drummond’s blog pivots on the disturbing quote in the headline from one of the key advisors to the British government on the Wuhan Coronavirus epidemic:

To say I was gobsmacked at his admission is an understatement. He’s one of the experts advising the government about the Covid-19 pandemic, and was consulted in previous health crises such as Foot & Mouth disease. Like the approach to combating that, we’re seeing a kind of scorched earth approach to containing another transmissible disease.

Even though the “C” programming language that Ferguson used is nearly 50 years old, the language chosen isn’t the problem. Undocumented means that modules and other code fragments are not commented, so their purpose may be unclear to someone unfamiliar with the code. In the worst case it means that modules and variables don’t have self-documenting names. For example, an accounting program could have the variables BalanceBroughtForward and BalanceCarriedForward, but a sloppy programmer might call them B1 and B2 instead – a sure recipe for confusion.

The “C” language is good to work with but has some inherent issues which can lead to subtle bugs affecting the output without causing an error. A common problem is the conditional which uses two equals signs rather than one.

To compare variables A and B for equality you would write this: if (A == B). However, it’s easy to accidentally write this: if (A = B). The latter always returns true and assigns the value of variable B to A. I have no idea whether Ferguson’s code contains any bugs, this is just one minor example of the need for strict testing.

The reason for commenting code extensively and properly is so that the programmer himself, and anyone else who maintains it, can understand what it does and how it works, reduce the chance of mistakes and avoid unnecessary effort. During my IT career I would have terminated the contract of any contractor working for me who wrote thousands of lines of undocumented code. Not only is such code a nightmare for others to work on, it can be difficult for the original programmer to maintain if coming back to it after a long time. Sloppiness in the coding raises the worry of a concomitant lack of rigour in testing, although that’s not to assert Ferguson’s code isn’t working as intended and/or wasn’t tested.

The convertible plane: smoother and scrub in ONE

Filed under: Tools, Woodworking — Tags: , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

Rex Krueger
Published 3 Apr 2019

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QotD: The entitlement mindset of intellectuals

Filed under: Education, Politics, Quotations — Tags: , , — Nicholas @ 01:00

The intellectual wants the whole society to be a school writ large, to be like the environment where he did so well and was so well appreciated. By incorporating standards of reward that are different from the wider society, the schools guarantee that some will experience downward mobility later. Those at the top of the school’s hierarchy will feel entitled to a top position, not only in that micro-society but in the wider one, a society whose system they will resent when it fails to treat them according to their self-prescribed wants and entitlements. The school system thereby produces anti-capitalist feeling among intellectuals. Rather, it produces anti-capitalist feeling among verbal intellectuals. Why do the numbersmiths not develop the same attitudes as these wordsmiths? I conjecture that these quantitatively bright children, although they get good grades on the relevant examinations, do not receive the same face-to-face attention and approval from the teachers as do the verbally bright children. It is the verbal skills that bring these personal rewards from the teacher, and apparently it is these rewards that especially shape the sense of entitlement.

Robert Nozick, “Why Do Intellectuals Oppose Capitalism?”, Cato Policy Report, 1998-01-01.

April 24, 2020

How Sharp is your Plane? | Paul Sellers

Filed under: Tools, Woodworking — Tags: , , , — Nicholas @ 06:00

Paul Sellers
Published 23 Apr 2020

So you think you can sharpen your plane every few days. I wanted to dispel that mystery.

Planes need sharpening according to how much energy you need to make it cut. Experience has shown me that most woodworkers push their planes to the very limits of dullness. It’s a pure uneconomic waste of energy. I put this together to say Sharpen Up!

To find out more about sharpening a plane, see our video on Woodworking Masterclasses: https://bit.ly/2yGhyfq or for a beginner friendly guide, see Common Woodworking: https://bit.ly/2x6xeIM
——————–

Want to learn more about woodworking?

Go to Woodworking Masterclasses for weekly project episodes: http://bit.ly/2JeH3a9

Go to Common Woodworking for step-by-step beginner guides and courses: http://bit.ly/35VQV2o

http://bit.ly/2BXmuei for Paul’s latest ventures on his blog

From the comments:

Paul Sellers
4 hours ago (edited)
Oh my! I forgot to mention that I’m planing Texas MESQUITE! Almost two times harder and more densely grained than oak!

Minnesota Vikings 2020 draft — day one, first round

Filed under: Football — Tags: , , — Nicholas @ 05:00

The 2020 NFL draft is the first time that a draft has been conducted under lockdown, so the “big event” the NFL has hyped-up for the last few decades is now a virtual event hosted at ESPN’s studio in Connecticut. Each team has their own isolated General Manager, electronically in contact with key members of their coaching and scouting staffs, effectively conducting a mock draft for real from their respective basements. The possibilities for disruptions, errors, and unintentional gaffes are at an all-time high. It might even have been worth everyone’s time to follow on TV or online, just for that comic potential.

Coming into the first round of the draft, the Minnesota Vikings had their own pick at 25 and Buffalo’s pick at 22 obtained as part of the Stefon Diggs trade. Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman, known affectionately as “Trader Rick” for his long-standing habit of swapping draft picks during the draft, was expected to be his usual huckster self and few expected the Vikings to end up with both of their first round picks by the end of the day.

After the 2019 season, the Vikings had parted ways with some key players and had identified other needs on both sides of the ball that could be addressed in the draft. The priority of those needs can be debated, so this is not in canonical order by anyone’s standards:

  • Cornerback — Starting corners Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes along with nickel Mackenzie Alexander will all be wearing different uniforms for the 2020 season, leaving the Vikings very short-staffed at this position. At least one of the first five picks should be a corner. Some players that might be available in the first round include Trevon Diggs (who I think we can be pretty sure won’t be the Vikings’ pick, for reasons), Jaylon Johnson, Noah Igbinoghene, Kristian Fulton, and Jeff Gladney.
  • Wide Receiver — The surprising trade with Buffalo that netted the Vikings extra picks in the draft in exchange for the services of Stefon Diggs means that Minnesota has a vacancy opposite Adam Thielen. This is widely declared to be potentially the best draft for wide receivers in many years, so this is a need that should be relatively easy to address. Potentially available players include CeeDee Lamb, Henry Ruggs III, Justin Jefferson, Denzel Mimms, Tee Higgins, and Jalen Reagor.
  • Guard — The Vikings parted company this offseason with right guard Josh Kline which was unexpected as he had been a solid performer for the team in 2019. Pat Elflein was the most easily identified weak spot on the offensive line and at the very least needs to be challenged for his starting spot (many fans would say he should be cut, not just “challenged”). The team may consider Dru Samia ready to step in for Kline, but it’s not clear if Oli Udoh, Brett Jones, or Dakota Dozier can be seen as starting-level replacements. This isn’t seen as a strong draft for interior offensive linemen, so guards Robert Hunt, Damien Lewis, and Jonah Jackson are expected to still be available well into the second round. Centres Cesar Ruiz, Lloyd Cushenberry, Matt Hennessy, and Tyler Biadasz may also be still on the board on day two.
  • Defensive End — Everson Griffin exercised his option to void the remaining years of his contract and backup Stephen Weatherly left in free agency, which means the team may be looking to draft an edge rusher to shore up the defensive line. Ifeadi Odenigbo played very well in relief last season and could be ready to step into the starting role, but as with cornerbacks, you can never have too many talented pass rushers. K’Lavon Chaisson, Zack Baun, Yetur Gross-Matos, Terrell Lewis, and Julian Okwara are potential picks in the range the Vikings will be picking.
  • Tackle — Both Minnesota’s offensive tackles are under contract for this year, but left tackle Riley Rieff might be looking over his shoulder if the team decides to trade for Washington’s Trent Williams or draft one of the top college tackles to replace him. Most mock drafts show the top four or five tackles going off the board early in the first round, but one or two may drop into the mid-twenties: Mekhi Becton, Tristan Wirfs, Josh Jones, or Austin Jackson might be there by 22.
  • Defensive Tackle — The team cut Linval Joseph at nose tackle for salary cap reasons, and brought in Michael Pierce to replace him. Shamar Stephen is still available at the 3-tech, but the team may be considering trying to upgrade their interior pass rush capabilities with a rookie DT. A.J. Epenesa, Ross Blacklock, Justin Madabuike, Marlon Davidson, and Neville Gallimore might be available past the first twenty picks.
  • Safety — This may not be a dire need, but with Anthony Harris potentially playing on the franchise tag (if the team doesn’t trade him during the draft), and having lost backups Andrew Sendejo and Jayron Kearse to free agency, some long-term concerns exist in the backfield. Expected to still be available when the Vikings are on the clock: Xavier McKinney, Grant Delpit, hometown favourite Antoine Winfield Jr., Ashtyn Davis, and Jeremy Chinn.

All of the above was written before the draft began … I probably should have posted that on Thursday.

With the Vikings on the clock for the 22nd pick (originally Buffalo’s traded as part of the Stefon Diggs deal), Minnesota selected LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

Jefferson had an absolutely monstrous season for the Tigers in their National Championship season. He caught 111 passes on the year, which was the most in the country, accounting for 1,540 yards (third in the country) and 18 touchdowns (second in the country). I’m not sure how that only managed to get him on the All-SEC Second Team, but whatever. He had a huge performance in the Peach Bowl as well, catching 14 passes for 227 yards and four touchdowns. After that performance, it’s no surprise he decided to skip his senior season in Baton Rouge and enter the NFL Draft.

Jordan Reid of The Draft Network has Jefferson as his #4 wide receiver and the #18 player overall on the Big Board in his Draft Guide. Here is his evaluation of Jefferson.

    A former two-star recruit, but Justin Jefferson always had a high-star work ethic. Being that he was legacy and had brothers who suited up successfully for the Tigers, playing in Baton Rouge had a deeper meaning behind it. Since stepping on campus, many mentioned how hungry he was to succeed from the beginning. His quickness and smarts help him overcome what he lacks from a stature standpoint. After a successful year, he went on to top those totals and become the top slot option for a record setting offense. Scouts are enamored with Jefferson because of his football acumen, love for the game, and value that he brings. Because of questions about his in-game play strength, he may be limited to a slot only role where he won’t be challenged as frequently. Jefferson projects as first-round selection that will be an option to play early on as a rookie because of how mature his game is, plus his consistency as a catcher will enable him to take on a heavy workload in his first year and beyond.

Jefferson should become the immediate starter for the Vikings across from Thielen, and should be able to make a significant contribution to the Vikings’ offense immediately.

The Vikings were on the clock again with the 25th pick, but traded it to San Francisco, moving back to the 31st pick and getting the 49ers’ 117th in the 4th round and 176th in the fifth round.

With the 31st pick, the Vikings selected TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney.

Gladney may not have racked up a lot of interceptions during his time in Fort Worth, only picking off one pass. However, he’s certainly been around the football, having collected 15 pass breakups in each of the past two seasons while starting all 27 games for the Horned Frogs. After this year’s Scouting Combine, he had surgery to repair a meniscus injury that he played through as a senior, but he should be ready to go by the time Training Camp comes around.

Jordan Reid of The Draft Network has Gladney as his #3 cornerback and #24 overall on his Big Board in his Draft Guide. Here is his evaluation of Gladney.

    Starting since he stepped foot on campus, Gladney is one of the most competitive cornerback prospects that you will see in this class. Not just in coverage, but also as a run defender. He’s scrappy, tough, and physical. Projecting best in a press man scheme, Gladney has the physical attributes and vertical speed necessary to quickly become a starter. Possessing high-end athleticism and recovery skills, Gladney could prove to be one of the better defensive backs of this entire crop. There’s not much to dislike about his game overall and he has the talent to become a top-40 pick.

Field Rations, Foreign Legion, and French Anti-Semitism – WW2 – OOTF 010

Filed under: Europe, France, Germany, History, Italy, Military, WW2 — Tags: , , , , — Nicholas @ 04:00

World War Two
Published 23 Apr 2020

What did soldiers eat on the frontlines? What happened to the French Foreign Legion? And how is the legacy of Alfred Dreyfus handled in the anti-semitic Vichy France? Find out in this exciting episode of Out of the Foxholes!

Submit your own question for Out of the Foxholes: https://community.timeghost.tv/c/Out-…

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Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Written by: Rune Væver Hartvig
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Joram Appel
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Rune Væver Hartvig
Edited by: Mikołaj Cackowski
Sound design: Marek Kamiński
Map animations: Eastory (https://www.youtube.com/c/eastory)

Colorizations by:
Norman Stewart – https://oldtimesincolor.blogspot.com/

Sources:
Bundesarchiv
German soldiers eating (courtesy Josef Gierse)
Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe
IWM E 3799
From the Noun Project: Spam by Jay Adams, Biscuits by Xela Ub, can by Anniken & Andreas, Bread by Vallone Design, Jam by Vichanon Chaimsuk, honey by Marta Ambrosetti, Coffee by Larea, stew by Smalllike, Soup by Ben Davis

Soundtracks from the Epidemic Sound:
Trabant 33 – “When in Bavaria”
Rannar Sillard – “March Of The Brave 4”
Johannes Bornlof – “Deviation In Time”

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A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.

Prizes, patents, and the Society of the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce

Filed under: Britain, Business, Economics, History, Technology — Tags: , , , , , — Nicholas @ 03:00

In the most recent Age of Invention newsletter, Anton Howes explains why the Society of the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (now the Royal Society of Arts) wasn’t a fan of the British patent system and preferred to award prizes in areas that were unlikely to generate monopoly situations:

The back of the Royal Society of Arts building in London, 25 August 2005.
Photo by C.G.P. Grey (www.CGPGrey.com) via Wikimedia Commons.

… the Society’s early members had an aversion to monopolies, and patents are, after all, temporary monopolies. But there was actually a more practical reason to not give rewards to patented inventions. In fact, quite a few active members of the Society were themselves patentees, and patents for inventions were not generally lumped together for condemnation with practices like forestalling and engrossing. The practical reason for banning patents was that there was no point giving a prize for something that people were already doing anyway. Patents were expensive in the eighteenth century — depending on how you account for inflation, it could cost about £300,000 in modern terms to obtain one — so the fact that there was a patent for a process was a clear indication that it might be profitable. The Society, by contrast, was supposed to encourage things that would not otherwise have been done.

Thus, when a patent had already been granted for a process the Society had been considering giving a premium for, it purposefully backed down — not because the prize would infringe on the patent, but because its encouragement was no longer necessary. And so the effect of the ban on patented inventions was that the Society received, even unsolicited, exactly the kinds of inventions that there was less monetary incentive to invent. Occasionally, this meant trivial improvements — minor tweaks, here and there, to existing processes. An engineer might patent one invention, but not see it worth their time patenting another — through the Society’s prizes, they might at least get a bit of cash for it, or some recognition. The improvement would also be promoted through the Society’s publications. Or, the Society received inventions that were far from trivial, like the scandiscope for cleaning chimneys [here], but which were not all that profitable: inventions that saved lives, or had other beneficial effects on the health and wellbeing of workers and consumers. And finally, the Society received innovations that could not be patented, such as agricultural practices and the opening of new import trades. In the early nineteenth century the Society awarded its prizes to a whole host of naval officers, including an admiral, who came up with flag-based signalling systems between ships — early forms of semaphore.

Another effect of the ban on patents was that the Society also attracted submissions from different demographics. Many of its submissions came from people who were too poor to afford patents, as well as from those who were too rich — wealthy aristocrats for whom commercial considerations might seem vulgar. The poor would generally go for the cash prizes, and the aristocrats for the honorary medals. And the prizes were used by people who might otherwise be socially excluded from invention. In 1758, for example, the Society instructed its members in the American colonies to accept submissions from Native Americans. It also allowed women to claim premiums (just as it allowed them to be members). My favourite example is Ann Williams, postmistress at Gravesend, in Kent, who won twenty guineas from the Society in 1778 for her observations on the feeding and rearing of silk-worms. She kept them in one of the post-office pigeon-holes, referring to them affectionately as “my little family” of “innocent reptiles”. Unlike other elements of society, the Society of Arts accepted, as she put it to them, that “curiosity is inherent to all the daughters of Eve.”

The Society thus encouraged the kinds of inventions that might not otherwise have been created, and catered to the kinds of inventors who might not otherwise have been recognised. Rather than competing with the patent system, it complemented it, filling in the gaps that it left. The Society operated at the margins, and only at the margins, to the better completion of the whole. It found its niche, to the benefit of innovation overall.

Mauser-Norris Prototype: Origins of the Mauser Legacy

Filed under: Business, Europe, France, Germany, History, Military, Weapons — Tags: , , , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

Forgotten Weapons
Published 10 Jan 2020

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Today we are looking at one of the rarest and earliest rifles built by Paul and Wilhelm Mauser, a design which would set in motion all the events that led to the Mauser company becoming one of the great world leaders in small arms. The Mauser brothers were born in Oberndorf am Necker in the Kingdom of Württemberg, sons of a gunsmith. They would take up their father’s trade and were creative and intelligent boys, but opportunities were limited in the small, rural town of Oberndorf. In 1865 they presented a rifle to the Austrian Army in Vienna for trials, where it was rejected. However, it was noticed by an American sales rep for the Remington Company, a man named Samuel Norris. Norris saw the potential in the Mauser brothers’ design to convert needlefire rifles to metallic cartridges, and he signed a deal with the brothers to further develop the system.

The Mausers moved to Liege Belgium to do their work, and within just a few years they were making rifles for Norris. This example is based on a Chassepot, as Norris hoped to sell the conversion system to the French Army. That deal was rejected, however (the French were happy sticking with paper cartridges as of 1868), and Norris’ plans began to unravel when the Remington company discovered that he was making dealings in his own name instead of for them. The Mauser brothers ended up walking away from the deal with ownership of the patents they had filed with Norris, and when they submitted the design to the Prussians a process began which would result in the Mauser Model 1871 being adopted. From there, their talents would lead to the whole line of Mauser repeating rifles culminating in the Model 1898, arguably the pinnacle of the bolt action military rifle.

Thanks to the Liege Arms Museum for access to film this for you! If you are in Belgium, definitely plan to stop into the museum, part of the Grand Curtius. They have a very good selection of interesting and unusual arms on display. Further thanks to the Paul Mauser Archive for helping to arrange this filming!

https://www.grandcurtius.be

http://www.paul-mauser-archive.com

Contact:
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QotD: The best way to see Toronto (aka “Greater Parkdale”)

Filed under: Architecture, Cancon, Humour, Quotations — Tags: , — Nicholas @ 01:00

Asked by a visitor what is the best way to see Greater Parkdale, I replied, on your back in an ambulance. I was serious, of course. At street level, transient franchise shopfronts bear no architectural relation to the older buildings they have been stuck on. But from a reclining position, only the unmodified upper storeys can be seen, yet nothing above the second or third (thus deleting most of the appalling highrises). The city thus retains something of its fine and fusty Edwardian provincial order. Prone in this way, one might drive for miles through repulsively glitzy shopping districts, without seeing what’s been added since the Great War.

David Warren, “The scandal of interiors”, Essays in Idleness, 2018-01-25.

April 23, 2020

Make a saw vice from scrap-wood

Filed under: Tools, Woodworking — Tags: , , — Nicholas @ 06:00

Rex Krueger
Published 22 Apr 2020

Build a quick-release saw-vise from wood and common hardware.

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Other good saw vises:
James Wright: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUT84…
The Lie Nielsen Saw Vise (very simple): http://www.closegrain.com/2011/06/bui…

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Cheap metal/plastic hammer for plane adjusting: https://amzn.to/2XyE7Ln
Spade Bits: https://amzn.to/2U5kvML
Metal File: https://amzn.to/2CM985y (I don’t own this one, but it looks good and gets good reviews. DOESN’T NEED A HANDLE)
My favorite file handles: https://amzn.to/2TPNPpr
Block Plane Iron (if you can’t find a used one): https://amzn.to/2I6V1vh
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Mini-Hacksaw: https://amzn.to/2QlJR85
Blue Kreg measuring jig: https://amzn.to/2QTnKYd
Blue Handled Marples Chisels: https://amzn.to/2tVJARY
Suizan Dozuki Handsaw: https://amzn.to/3abRyXB
Vaughan Ryoba Handsaw: https://amzn.to/2GS96M0
Glue Dispenser Bottle: https://amzn.to/30ltwoB
Orange F Clamps: https://amzn.to/2u3tp4X
Blue Painters Tape: https://amzn.to/35V1Bgo
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1945: Japan Joins the Allies | The Indonesian War of Independence Part 1

Filed under: Asia, Britain, Europe, History, Japan, Military, WW2 — Tags: , , , , , — Nicholas @ 04:00

TimeGhost History
Published 22 Apr 2020

In Indonesia, following the end of the Second World War catalyses the end of brutal Japanese rule. Their exit prompts the Dutch to begin restoring their prewar colonial status over the archipelago. But nationalist spirits are brewing, their opportunity to proclaim Indonesian independence is transpiring.

Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TimeGhostHistory

Watch the Prologue to the Indonesian War of Independence series right here: https://youtu.be/IkKJSRaeOik

Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Written by: Isabel Wilson and Joram Appel
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Joram Appel
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Isabel Wilson and Joram Appel
Edited by: Karolina Dołęga
Sound design: Marek Kaminski

Colorizations:
Dememorabilia – https://www.instagram.com/dememorabilia/
Jaris Almazani (Artistic Man) – https://instagram.com/artistic.man?ig…

Sources:
Archive by Screenocean/Reuters https://www.screenocean.com.
Tropenmuseum, part of the National Museum of World Cultures
Imperial War Museum Arts: Ronald Searle, SE5895 , SE-5865, SE5663, SE5724
Rijksmuseum

Music:
“Deviation In Time” – Johannes Bornlof
“Last Point of Safe Return” – Fabien Tell
“Deflection” – Reynard Seidel
“Disciples of Sun Tzu” – Christian Andersen
“Split Decision” – Rannar Sillard
“Other Sides of Glory” – Fabien Tell
“Last Man Standing 3” – Johannes Bornlöf
“Magnificent March 3” – Johannes Bornlöf
“Deviation In Time” – Johannes Bornlof

A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.

From the comments:

TimeGhost History
1 day ago (edited)
For the last decades, writing colonial histories on events such as the Indonesian War of Independence has been a difficult task. Due to the incriminating nature of the events, records were either never made or have been regularly “lost” since. Political interest in the events was minimal in both The Netherlands and Indonesia, but times are changing. In recent years, a lot more research power has been allocated to this topic by Dutch and Indonesian Universities and Research collectives. Finding colonial truths is a huge focus of academia right now and their work has allowed us to get real with colonialism in this series. We’re sure that even more sources and stories will surface in the coming years, allowing for more books and documentary such as ours to be made. We’re interested to hear what you think about this episode! Make sure to let us know in the comments!

Cheers,
Izzy

Trial by jury

Filed under: Britain, History, Law, Liberty — Tags: , , , , — Nicholas @ 03:00

Peter Hitchens recounts the essential role of the jury system in the evolution of the English (and, by inheritance, the Australian, Canadian, and even American) constitutional rights of the individual, which today seems to be in peril:

A still from the 1957 movie Twelve Angry Men, directed by Sidney Lumet, starring Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, and Martin Balsam.

Am I going to have to fall out of love with juries? For decades I have defended these curious committees, which can ruin a man’s life in an afternoon. It has been a romance as much as it has been a reasoned position. Most people get their best lesson in jury trials from the 1957 movie Twelve Angry Men. In that version, a single determined juror, played by Henry Fonda, gradually wins the rest of the panel round to an acquittal, at great cost in emotion and patience. But what really won my heart was Thomas Macaulay’s account of the Trial of the Seven Bishops, in which a London jury defied the wishes of the would-be autocrat King James II in 1688. It was an astonishing event, a monarch’s authority challenged by — of all unlikely things — a collection of Anglican prelates. Their acquittal, perhaps more than anything else, led to James’s fall a few months later. It was the beginning of true constitutional monarchy in Europe, the genesis of the English Bill of Rights and the forerunner of the very similar American document of the same name. It could not have happened without a jury.

For without a jury, any trial is simply a process by which the state reassures itself that it has got the right man. A group of state employees, none of them especially distinguished, are asked to confirm the views of other state employees. With a jury, the government cannot know the outcome and must prove its case. And so the faint, phantasmal ideal of the presumption of innocence takes on actual flesh and bones and stands in the path of power. Juries grew up in England almost entirely by happy accident, and no government would nowadays willingly create them where they do not already operate. A brief fashion for them in 19th-century Europe was swiftly stamped out by governments that understood all too well how much they limited their power. I believe the last true Continental juries, sitting in the absence of a judge, were abolished in France in 1940 by the German occupation authorities. People in Anglosphere countries, unaware that true independent juries rarely exist outside the English-speaking world, have no idea what a precious possession they are.

I remember actually pounding the arm of my chair with delight as I read Macaulay’s account of the response of the bishops’ attorney, Francis Pemberton, when threatened by the chief Crown prosecutor, the solicitor general: “Record what you will. I am not afraid of you, Mister Solicitor!” So this was England after all, and even the majesty of the Stuart Crown could not overawe the defense. This was wholly thanks to the fact that the trial took place before a jury — which duly acquitted the bishops of “seditious libel,” the ludicrous charge by which James had hoped to crush opposition to his plans to reverse the Reformation. Without a jury, the king would of course have won his case, and England would have gone down the road to absolutism (already followed in France, Prussia, Russia, and the Habsburg dominions) with incalculable consequences for the whole world. Instead we had what came to be called the Glorious (or Bloodless) Revolution.

And my blood still runs faster when I recall this and other moments at which the mere existence of juries has made us all more free. Yet I also have terrible doubts. Is the independence of juries possible in the modern world, in which the English Bill of Rights is all but forgotten and a new dispensation reigns? All too often, I read reports of trials in my own country that fill me with doubt. I did my fair share of court reporting as an apprentice journalist many years ago, and I have a good understanding of how these things used to work and ought to work. Something has changed. There is a worrying number of sex cases now coming before the courts in which clear forensic proof of guilt is often unobtainable.

The alleged crimes themselves are repulsive, and the mere accusation is enough to nurture prejudice. The defendants have often been arrested in the scorching light of total publicity, in spectacular dawn raids totally unjustified by any immediate danger they present. Pre-trial media reporting has further undermined the presumption of innocence. In England there is still officially a strong rule against the media taking sides before the jury delivers its verdict. But this is not enforced as it once was. The prosecutions are frequently as emotional as they are unforensic, the opposite of the proper arrangement. Yet the defendants are often convicted even so (sometimes by majority verdicts, which in my view violate the whole jury principle). The state seems somehow to have turned the jury — often swayed by emotion — into its own weapon. And it is worse than the alternative. A wrongfully-convicted defendant, pronounced culpable by a jury of his peers, must feel a far deeper despair than one cast into prison by a mere panel of judges.

Quintinshill, the Worst Railway Disaster in British History

Filed under: Britain, History, Military, Railways, WW1 — Tags: , , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered
Published 15 Sep 2018

Railroads played a critical role for the United Kingdom in the Great War. But the increased burden on the nation’s railways had its cost. In the early morning hours of May 22, 1915, a crowded schedule resulted in the 1915 Quintinshill Rail Disaster, the worst railway disaster in British history. Its victims, mostly men of the 1/7 Royal Scots regiment, deserve to be remembered.

The History Guy uses media that are in the public domain. As photographs of actual events are sometimes not available, photographs of similar objects and events are used for illustration.

The episode includes historical photos involving the Great War and a 1915 railway disaster. Those photos are provided in context of the historical events. No graphic violence is shown.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheHistoryGuy

The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered is the place to find short snippets of forgotten history from five to fifteen minutes long. If you like history too, this is the channel for you.

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The episode is intended for educational purposes. All events are portrayed in historical context.

#quintinshill #wwi #thehistoryguy

QotD: Idiotarianism

Filed under: Politics, Quotations, USA — Tags: , — Nicholas @ 01:00

Way back when the term “idiotarian” was coined, it was quite explicitly aimed at the idiots of the Left and Right equally. The idiots of the Right have been somewhat quieter lately, but they’re no less idiots for that.

Glenn Reynolds, Instapundit, 2005-01-31.

April 22, 2020

Tanks of the Early North Africa Campaigns, by The Chieftain – WW2 Special

Filed under: Africa, Britain, Germany, History, Italy, Military, Weapons, WW2 — Tags: , , — Nicholas @ 06:00

World War Two
Published 21 Apr 2020

The Chieftain takes us to North Africa, where he talks us through the tanks that were used during the first months of the Battles in North Africa between the Italians and Germans on the one side and British and Commonwealth forces on the other.

Check out The Chieftains channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp4j…

Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TimeGhostHistory
Or join The TimeGhost Army directly at: https://timeghost.tv

Follow WW2 day by day on Instagram @World_war_two_realtime https://www.instagram.com/world_war_t…
Between 2 Wars: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list…
Source list: http://bit.ly/WW2sources

Written and Hosted by: The Chieftain
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Joram Appel
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: The Chieftain
Edited by: Mikołaj Cackowski
Sound design: Marek Kamiński
Map animations: Eastory (https://www.youtube.com/c/eastory)

Colorizations by:
Carlos Ortega Pereira,
BlauColorizations, https://www.instagram.com/blaucoloriz…
Adrien Fillon – https://www.instagram.com/adrien.colo…

Sources:
Bundesarchiv
IWM KID 502, H 20697, E 443, H 1148, E380, KID346, E 1002, E 5366, E676, F 4594, E 1416, E 6605, E 15182, O 747, E 5559, E 142, F 2919, E 5036, F 2441, E 1772, E 9562, NA 2304, E 7304, E 2138
Noun Project: company soldiers by Andrei Yushchenko, Radio by Pravin Unagar, gearbox by Baboons, Shield by Nikita Kozin, Weight by Vadim Solomakhin, Game by Ecem Afacan, Target by RITASYA

Soundtracks from the Epidemic Sound:
Reynard Seidel – “Deflection”
Johannes Bornlof – “Deviation In Time”
Johan Hynynen – “Dark Beginning”
Max Anson – “Ancient Saga”
Rannar Sillard – “Split Decision”
Fabien Tell – “Last Point of Safe Return”
Johannes Bornlof – “The Inspector 4”
Rannar Sillard – “Easy Target”
Philip Ayers – “Trapped in a Maze”
Phoenix Tails – “At the Front”

Archive by Screenocean/Reuters https://www.screenocean.com.

A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.

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