We Are All God’s Children – 2026/01/12

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The Toll of Innocence: Child Fatalities in the Shadow of Conflict – A Tribute to my marvellous Welsh Grans

My Gran had a stock response to expressions of racism, prejudice, and xenophobia in her presence. It was invariably, “We are all God’s children.” She loved all children, everywhere.

Let’s switch focus.

The Israel-Palestinian strife is unrelenting. It has now dragged into its third sinful, evil and merciless year. The true measure of this catastrophe is not land seized. It is not the strategies pursued. It is the stolen futures of innocent children. These are not mere statistics; they are lives extinguished, dreams crushed, families shattered forever. We face the human abyss of global crises. The cold data from UN agencies demands our moral outrage. It calls for urgent action.

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Justifying Business Data Requirements – 2026/01/11

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Justify Your Data Needs

Should All Business Data Requirements Be Justified in Business Terms?

A Pseudo-Debate

Motion: All business data requirements must be justified in business terms. Potential business utility should be a deciding factor in whether they are fulfilled.

For the Motion: Sir Afilonius Rex
Against the Motion: Martyn Rhisiart Jones

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The Magical Celtic Welshness of the Number Ten – 2026/01/10

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Ten out of Ten!

What do Richard Burton and Anthony Hopkins have to tell us about the magical Celtic number ten?

To capture the essence of these two titans, we must look at the number ten through two different lenses. One lens is the thunderous, poetic gravity of Richard Burton. The other is the quiet, rhythmic precision of Sir Anthony Hopkins.

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2026 Tech Trends: The Rise of Hyper-Hype – 2026/01/08

On Your Head!

Here are the next 7 big bandwagon topics that IT charlatans, grifters, LinkedIn thought leaders, and poser consultants will jump on, talk endlessly about, and pretend they’ve been experts in since 2012 (roughly ordered by how soon & how hard they’ll hit the hype cycle in 2026–2028):

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A Brief History of Data Warehousing – 2026/01/07

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Martyn Rhisiart Jones

Madrid, 7th January 2026

The origins of data warehousing are often pinned to the late 1980s, when the term “business data warehouse” first appeared in an influential IBM Systems Journal article by researchers Barry Devlin and Paul Murphy. I was based in Birmingham at that time, and I also wrote a similar foundational document on Information Centres for Sperry Univac.
Yet, as with many technological breakthroughs, the story is far richer and older than the conventional narrative suggests. The foundational components of what we now recognise as a data warehouse were quietly taking shape as early as the 1960s, driven by the need to organise, integrate, and analyse growing volumes of business information in an era of punch cards, magnetic tape, and the first mainframes.

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IT’S POLITICS: Independent Wales – 2026/01/05

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To begin at the beginning…

Does Independence for Wales Make Sense?

The question of Welsh independence, “Cymru Annibynnol”, is a multifaceted one, blending cultural pride, political aspirations, and harsh economic realities. As of January 2026, it’s a topic of growing debate, especially with the Senedd elections looming in May 2026. Support for independence has fluctuated but remains a minority view. However, it’s rising among younger demographics. This support could gain traction if Plaid Cymru (the pro-independence party) performs strongly. I will draw from recent polls and expert analyses. I will outline a balanced, non-partisan assessment based on key dimensions. These dimensions include political viability, economic feasibility, cultural significance, and public sentiment. Whether it “makes sense” ultimately depends on priorities (self-determination vs. stability) but the evidence suggests it’s theoretically possible yet fraught with challenges.

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