Odds on Rifkind getting into the Lords?

I think it will probably still happen - he did not come across at all well in the dispatches programme.  Claiming as an MP that he is "self-employed" and that £67k was too small a salary to live on, hence the need to take on consultancies work.

Type 26 initial investment announced

Initial investment announced for Type 26.
 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-31554494

Always interesting to see how this works, in some ways BAE have the government over a barrel - in order to safeguard British jobs.  So the question of is this the most effective capability often comes a distant second.

As with the Type 45 I expect the eventual number of ships will be much reduced as costs spiral (as they are bound to on a complex project which are often optimistically budgeted).

Government bribes for older people

In the past few years successive UK government have had policies skewed toward older people (for older people read "active voters").

So things like:

1. Winter fuel allowance
2. Free bus travel
3. Free TV licence for over 75
4. NS&I pensioner bonds with market beating interest rates

All with no means testing.  This leaves younger people (read "unlikely to vote") struggling for things like living wage, help with travel costs, expensive childcare, and a housing crisis.

It is not fair and the bribery with tax payers money has to stop!

See related article - estimated cost £3bn:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31580520

Film: Jack Reacher directed by Christopher McQuarrie

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790724/

Book: Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges

I saw the film imitation game before christmas.  A good film but it felt like it mainly covered Turing from the war years.  So I bought the book as I wanted to find out more about him.

It is a large book, but very readable.  It covers Turing's early years very well and you get a good impression of what shaped him.  Both the public school/Cambridge system, the tragic death of his school friend Christopher Morcom, and his repressed homosexuality.

Of course the war and the cracking of enigma is a large part of the book.  The last part of the book is the birth of computing and Turing's vision of what computers could do (despite being surrounded by early computers which were primitive to say the least).

The book covers right up to his tragic death, presumed suicide and also gives a good social coverage of Britain at that time.

Film: Invictus Directed by Clint Eastwood

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1057500/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Film: Ex Machina Directed by Alex Garland

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0470752/

Really good, minimalist film about a reclusive social media CEO who has been perfecting human like AI in his remote home.

An employee "wins" a trip to go out to his retreat and gets to see his creation.  He is completely amazed and is given the chance to meet the AI and see if they can pass the Turing test.

But it is all downhill from there.  The CEO character has many flaws one of which is wanting to be treated like a "regular" guy, but when he is he then gets upset and angry.

The AI is haunting, and is playing it's own game intent on escape.  One of the really good scenes are the power failures it induces in the building so it can speak to the employee "truthfully" about the CEO and his intentions.

A really good film and thought provoking too.