Yes I know the Philippines quite well. I'd recommend Boracay (obv) and Palawan. Sabang, just south of Manila, is really good for coral. Manila itself is a traffic-choked shithole even by the sta… (View Post)

Sorry but if the sentences were for protesting as opposed to scaling the Dartford Bridge and bringing traffic to a halt for almost two days, it might indeed stifle freedom of expression and the UN mi… (View Post)

He'd probably still go to jail anyway as the state cases cannot be pardoned federally (though it is difficult to keep track with all the indictments). And federal prisons are generally preferabl… (View Post)

That's very true. Judgement and intelligence are only weakly correlated. Think of all the Oxbridge intellectuals who fell for Stalinism in the 1930s for instance. Or Noam Chomsky. 'Nuff sai… (View Post)

Cummings was a crank whose enthusiasm for big data was unmatched by any understanding of it or its limitations. I remember when he advertised for other cranks and misfits to join the Civil Service. I… (View Post)