INTRODUCTION

Having finally completed (after a couple of false starts – fortunately not a DQ offence in the blogosphere!) my post about the Metropolitan line I now have this offering which includes some links and a couple of quality infographics.

HIGH TIDE

This morning the Great Ouse was at very high tide. Cormorant Platform was almost enitrely submerged. There was also a high tide yesterday morning, but not quite so high as this – I have pictures from both for comparison purposes.

In addition to these, my walk this morning provided some other splendid pictures. I saw a small rodent by the water near the bandstand, and a hare, a member of the lagamorph order of mammals later on in the walk. The lagamorphs and rodents form a cohort (intermediate between an order and a class in the system of classification) called Glires. For a fun and digestible account of these relationships and others among living things I recommend Richard Dawkins’s book “The Ancestors Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Life”.

I also got a few more pictures of other things that I consider worth sharing…

LINKS

I have some petitions to share with you, but will start with the other links first:

First up, this from counterpunch titled “Return to Crisis – Things Keep Getting Worse”

My next two links both come from the Corbyn campaign:

• A comprehensive listing of Jeremy Corbyn’s policies.
• A close focus on one policy area – no surprise to anyone who knows anything about me I have opted for his policy on Railways.

The wonderful kittysjones has this piece turning her guns on the Daily Mail for its (and Tory MuPpet Ian Liddell-Grainger’s) response to the news that UN Special Raporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Catalina Devandas Aguilar will be investigating the UK’s welfare reforms to see if they constitute human rights abuses. Ms Jones’ excoriation of the Daily Mail is an excellent read.

My next link is to a story of yet another outrage perpetrated by religious zealots, brought to my attention by newhumanist. This is the story of an Indian rationalist murdered in his own home.

Courtesy of pertinentproblems comes this account of why TTIP would be bad for Europe.

Cosmos Up, a regular source of good material, have this about New Horizons’ next target.

PETITIONS

First up, courtesy of change.org comes this one having a go at Virgin Trains over the amount by which they are increasing their fares.

My next two links are both concerned with women’s rights:

• This one from thepetitionsite about a truly appalling story from India: A “village court” made up exclusively of men has sentenced two sisters (aged 23 and 15) to be gang-raped for something (I refuse to call it a crime because it is not) that their brother did. Please sign and share the petition against this utter barbarity.
• A reminder of a petition of shared before, which comes by way of 38Degrees under the heading “Celebrate Suffragettes not Serial Killers“. I have a quote from the body of the petition and a link to the website of the true East End Womens Museum:
  “The founder (a former Head of Diversity at Google) claims “It is not celebrating the crimes of Jack the Ripper but looking at why and how the women got in that situation in the first place”. This victim blaming attitude is unacceptable and cannot be condoned“

My remaining petitions all concern one man, the

INHUMANE DESPICABLE SOCIOPATH

First, Maggie Zolobajluk’s well merited victory celebration (kudos also to Mike Sivier of Vox Political whose FOI request started the whole process).

Second, this from thepetitionsite demanding IDS’s resignation.

Finally, this petition to parliament to assess the full impact of cuts to support & social care for disabled people.

INFOGRAPHICS

A couple of classics to end this post: