I always thought slugs were homeless snails...

Big Issue, originally uploaded by Dave Gorman.

... and now close up photography confirms my suspicions.

Dorking, Isle of Wight, London & Montrealx8

The last time I posted some of the 'Hello Photos' I ended the post by saying that was 122 gigs done and with just 6 to go.

Which means that after the following three photos it should now be 125 done and 3 to go.

Only it's not. It turns out I was lying. Not on purpose, mind.

But I'm delighted to say that I'll be heading to Montreal for a week at the Just For Laughs Festival. I'm a bit excited about that. If you know anyone in that part of the world, do let them know.

Hello Coventry!
(which is where Warwick Arts Centre is, despite the misleading name)

Hello Yeovil!

Hello Guildford!

Just Dorking, The Isle of Wight and the London gig which is for Shelter left here in the UK, then... and then eight shows in Montreal. All details are here.

Absolutely July 1st

So the two songs I brought in from home were Long Straight Lines by Matthew P:


I think it's ace. And regular listeners will have got used to me giving that kind of track a bit of a push because it's very much the kind of thing I like and listen to a lot at home.

My other selection this week was a bit more of a departure. It's not the kind of thing I usually listen to... but it's got under my skin and I think it's utterly beautiful. It's Broadcaster, featuring Peggy Seeger. I love Peggy Seeger.

I love the life she's lived and continues to live. The song - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - was written for her by Ewan MacColl when she was 21. It's been covered by so many people since then (I love the Johnny Cash version, Roberta Flak's is probably the best known, Elvis sang it... the list goes on and on) but here Peggy Seeger sings it again, now in her seventies and in a completely new style.


It was another busy show, with a return to the Birthday Quiz feature as well as our regular bits, Found Poetry, Ward's Weekly Word and Michael Legge Is Angry.

A couple of people got in touch after the Found Poetry to say, "you should do a small book of those." Um... I have!

You can get the podcast and/or subscribe for free here.

Hellos!

Hello Bristol!

Hello Truro!

Hello Reading!

Hello Cambridge!

Hello St Albans!

Hello King's Lynn!

Hello Cheltenham!

122 gigs done - Edinburgh & Melbourne Festivals included... just 6 more to go.

No Slouch

I'm indebted to @Dellybean for this picture taken in Common Room 11 at the Houses of Parliament where yesterday's Mass Lobby For Libel Reform was taking place.

My Mum's first reaction will be to swoon over the presence of Brian Cox. Her second will be to tell me off for my bad posture. I've always been a sloucher.

Never mind the fact that this was the occasion of my first (and no doubt last) speech in Parliament.

Or that immediately afterwards we headed to 10 Downing Street to hand in a petition. "It's all very well fighting for free speech," she'll say, "but you should sit up straight or you'll get a bad back."




She's right. I should. But we should also fight for free speech. What with it being free speech and that.

One of the problems with having proper celebs like Dara and Brian involved is that some people assume libel is some kind of celebrity issue. They hear the word 'libel' and they think of Elton John or Naomi Campbell and their dealings with the red tops. The campaign has nought to do with any of that. It's about the way in which libel is used to bully people into silence. Rich individuals and corporations are able to silence their critics simply by threatening a libel action... because very few people can afford to fight a libel case.

Matthias Rath is a doctor who sells vitamin pills. Not that much wrong with that. Except that was claiming that his vitamin pills can cure Aids. And cancer. And stuff. Ben Goldacre wrote about him in The Guardian. Rath sued for libel. The Guardian and Goldacre won the case but fighting it cost over £500,000. They will never recover the full costs. Winning a libel case has cost them 18 months and around £170,000. It also means that a chapter about Rath was omitted from Ben's book, Bad Science. (Although that chapter is now in the new edition and online for free here.)

How many people will fight a libel case - defend what they think is right - when the cost of doing so is years of your life and hundreds of thousands of pounds? We find out about the cases where brave people do stand and fight. What we don't see are the books and articles that don't get published because of the fear of litigation.

A young NHS biochemist spoke at yesterday's meeting. He's received a threat of libel for discussing treatments offered by a doctor that seem to be, let's say, outside the norm. He is not a wealthy man. He has no reasonable way of defending his point of view. He can fight and win... and be ruined. Or give in. He won't blog about science and medicine in future. He can't afford to take that risk.

Libel long ago stopped being to do with establishing the truth of the matter. It has become about establishing silence. And in some areas - public health and other areas of obvious public interest - silence is the last thing the world needs. The world needs debate.

The story of Peter Wilmshurst - touched on here - is another that illustrates what is wrong with the law at present.

Yesterday was an optimistic day. It felt like people understood why the draft bill isn't yet satisfactory.

Like many people, I first engaged with the campaign because of the Simon Singh case. The fact that the draft bill that is before Parliament does nothing to prevent a case like it happening in the future (or the cases of Wilmshurst or Goldacre) shows that it is incomplete. It doesn't address the very situations people set out to address.

But there is time. Amendments can be added. And for that to happen, people need to keep the pressure on their elected representatives to keep libel reform on the agenda. Do please write to your MP.  And I'll try to work on my posture.

Libel Reform. Nearly.

I've blogged before about the campaign for Libel Reform.

I first got involved in it when I heard about the plight of Simon Singh who was being sued for libel by the British Chiropractic Association after writing an article in the Guardian in which he offered the opinion that there was not a jot of evidence to support the efficacy of chiropractic treatments.

I'm able to say that there isn't a jot of evidence for it because Simon was heroic in the way that he stood up for what he believed in, fought the case and eventually won.

I say heroic because it took a huge amount of time and energy and involved spending huge amounts of money. It was risky. If the first judge's understanding of the word 'bogus' had remained he could easily have lost... but even having won he doesn't get all of his expenses covered.

Simply put, libel is a lose-lose situation. If you're accused of it you can give in straight away or stand and fight knowing that if you win you're down tens of thousands of pounds and if you lose you're ruined. Which means it can be used by the wealthy to bully others into silence. It takes extraordinary courage - and an extraordinarily understanding family - to stand up for what you believe in.

The campaign has been successful. To a point. There is a draft bill before parliament. It contains many good things. But not everything that's really needed. Crucially, a case such as Simon's could still happen under the proposed reforms.

The British Chiropractic Association were given the opportunity to have the words used in the article clarified. They turned that down. They were offered the right of reply. They turned that down too.

I can't see why any organisation interested in the pursuit of truth would do that. It is through a process of debate that science moves forward. Instead, it seems they were more interested in silencing a critic than in engaging with that debate.

And that seems especially wrong when it's a matter of health. Indeed for all matters of public interest, libel should not be a remedy. Because libel doesn't result in the truth. More often that not it simply results in the little guy shutting up.

Which is why a Public Interest Defence really needs to be added to the bill. If a subject is in the public interest - and health clearly is - then the subject is too important for debate to be brushed aside in this way.

There is a mass lobby in Parliament today - Wednesday - to try and drive this point home. You can come and join us if you like. There's more information here. Simon Singh will be there, I'll be saying a few words as will Dara O Briain, Brian Cox and others. We'll also be delivering a petition to Downing Street afterwards. (My Mum is quite excited about this. It's not the speaking in Parliament or the visiting Downing Street... it's the meeting Brian)

You can also write to your MP (link) and sign the petition (link)

It's a simple matter of free speech. A simple matter of trying to make the law fair for all.

Young Love

In the window of a London phone box two sorts of Young Love are being advertised: 

Stay classy Jedward!