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Shadow Libraries, AI and the Casual e-Reader – Whither Publishing and Copyright ?

 Blog first published November 2022. Updated April 2023, January 2025, July 2026. Editors note: After a long period when the 'authorities' seemed to be in abeyance on take-downs of the much loved and well-used shadow-libraries, they re-started their war in early 2025 with a vengeance by taking down two of the most popular (Anna's Archive and LibGen), by forcing ISPs to introduce server blockages. I suspect the timing of this was no coincidence, given the imminence of a new US government regime likely to be less favourably inclined towards to this type of industrial censorship, and the frequent 'spats' between the UK Labour government and the new US regime. The war has continued into 2026, with no end in sight despite Trump's anti-censorship stance. This nonsense has gone on for long enough...and could easily be sorted if vested interests wanted it. High time for a look at reforming the publishing industry model, I think... See update 26.7.26 below for more detai...
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Garendon Park, Loughborough - Public Access Developments

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  I’m publishing this post to provide interested users with a link to my website’s Garendon page, where you’ll find some useful information on public access to the Garendon Park development . Just follow the link. Herewith also  some recent developments..... Update 12.9.26:   Persimmon's failure to honour their commitments under the S106 Planning agreement is now becoming something of a joke..and an annoying one at that.  Despite promises in June that the Link between Hathern Drive and the main estate road at the Bavarian Gate would be opened 'by the end of this summer', nothing has happened, and the cabling work that was reputed to be the cause of the delay is still in progress. An inspection yesterday showed little sign of any progress since the last inspection in mid August. By contrast, housebuilding on the northern side of the estate is proceeding rapidly and the distributor road which is intended to serve it looks to be largely complete between the A512 and t...
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GLP-1 Agonists and Weight Loss Therapy - Efficacy and The Side Effects

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 Editors Note: Please see update of 10.9.26 for recent developments, including Retatrutide --------------------------- Weight loss therapies using GLP-1 agonists have been implicated in the news recently as having a tendency to cause gallstones, and in some cases more serious gall-bladder damage. A recent report confirmed that there has been a marked rise in gall-bladder removals in UK over the last few years, and MHRA have recently updated their guidance on weight loss jabs. Should we have expected this, and what might be the consequences ? The short answer to this question is …Yes - this particular side effect was predictable, particularly after longer-term exposure..... To explain this more fully, we first need a little background. GLP-1 agonists are one of the most successful weight-loss inducing agents produced by Big Pharma of recent times; they have already generated a level of demand in the otherwise healthy population which far outstrips the available supply. Orig...
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