February 2009
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Twitter Updates for 2009-02-04

Stop & Search Tactics of Politicised Peelers

I'm Not a Terrorist

Criminal policing

Did you know … police face few sanctions even if their conduct, such as searching you for ‘over-confidence’, is deemed unlawful, says Mark Thomas

Back in the heady days of September 2007 I was at an arms fair in the Docklands in London, though to avoid confusion I should add I was outside speaking against it, rather than inside browsing. The crowd I addressed was a mixture of Quakers and crusties and for my troubles the police stopped and searched me as I left the event, an incident that I wrote about in Cif.

When the police conduct a stop and search they have to fill out a form giving their reasons and hand a copy over to you. On mine they wrote that Mr Thomas appeared to be an “influential individual” – a quote I intend to use in future publicity – and had attempted to walk past the police with an “over-confident manner” – always a sure sign of criminal intent. Maybe I am wrong, perhaps there is a forensic linkage with having an “over-confident manner” and criminality, perhaps the police routinely chase suspects through our metropolis shouting, “Stop him, he’s got a jaunty demeanour!” But I got the distinct impression the police were stopping me because they thought they could. Continue reading this item…

Golliwot!

So, Carol Thatcher has been grassed up for an off-the-cuff (and ostensibly private) utterance in the BBC’s ‘One Show’ green room. A throwaway comment comparing an international tennis star’s hair to that of a ‘Golliwog’ has landed her in a jam.

Carol ThatcherGreen rooms are notoriously ‘public’ places where the great, the good, and the bad try to out do each other with anecdotes, tales of derring do (or should that be dewwing do in Ms thatcher’s case), and thirdhand gossip, and tawdry name dropping – well, the good and the bad do, the great don’t need to and rarely condescend.

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Are You a Twitter Snob…?

The 5 Stages of Twitter

As with many new technologies, applicationss, etc., the uptake is in stages; from early adopters onward. Viewed from the other end of the telescope there are equal stages that any individual goes through in getting to grips with said technology, apps, etc. – though not necessarily all the stages, many don’t even get past ‘Go!’…

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