A weekly roundup of talking points, sans effort

 

Thought for the week

“Whether you were for her or against her, Margaret Thatcher set the agenda for the past three and a half decades of British politics. All the debates that matter today in the public arena, whether in economics, social policy, politics, the law, the national culture or this country’s relations with the rest of the world, still bear something of the imprint she left on them in her years in office between 1979 and 1990.” The Guardian newspaper, in response to the death of former PM Margaret Thatcher on Monday.
 

Weekly high

If you’re unfamiliar with the book Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, or the Francois Truffaut cinematic adaptation, then it’s a dystopian vision of a future wherein the fire brigade breaks into people’s homes to incinerate literature, the traditional source of knowledge. An outright classic, despite owning a copy we’ve also ordered this new U.S. edition, which comes with match and striking strip on the side so it can be burnt. How daring.

 

Weekly low

OK, so you need to be patient with this one. The video below shows a brave Swedish journalist embarking on a taste experiment whilst visiting the headquarters of international brewing giant AB InBev, based in Belgium (responsible for the likes of Stella Artois). He hits the streets of the surrounding town, and collars the marketing chief in order to ascertain if anyone can actually tell the difference between the aforementioned brand and other common lagers. Hands up if you can guess the conclusion?
 

Things that might happen in the next week…

David Cameron flies out to Germany today for a rare visit to Chancellor Angela Merke’s country residence, Margaret Thatcher will received a state funeral on Wednesday, with full military honours- angering many members of the public- and the EC competition commission will consider Google’s proposals to label results that link to its own services, an offer that follows a year of negotiations and perpetual criticism aimed at the tech giant.

Just in case you missed it…

Last Friday we attended the launch of a brand new culture magazine aimed specifically at the North West, or perhaps more accurately Manchester and Liverpool. The Skinny lays claim to 91 issues to date in Glasgow and Edinburgh, with the well-respected regional newsprint title looking to establish a similarly good name for itself in this area of England. Take a look at the website here, or pick up a copy in city centre shops, bars and venues next time you’re in one of our two biggest towns.
 
If there is a success story, blunder, or news event you’d like to see included email helloATsmokinggun.co.uk or tweet using #blaggersblog. Happy Friday!