Our Govt. sure loves a database...
It's been playing on our fears of terrorism and identity theft and immigration to try and push it's ID card and it's database on us all for a while now. But that's not enough - it's now using the populations fear of paedophiles to get anyone who goes near children to pay an extra £65 for a Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) on top of the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check they already have to undergo every year...
I think the real clowns are the ones behind this stupid scheme.
let's advertise our monolopy superfast broadband
Karoo - "Our new generation, up to 24Mbps broadband isn't just fast - it's superfast and reliable, so you can download films, music and photos faster...
But if you do - and we arbitrarily decide that we don't like what you're downloading - we'll cut you off without warning. Then charge you again to reconnect you. Well, only after we've got you to come into our offices to sign a piece of paper admitting you were bad and promise you won't do anything naughty ever again. And if you don't like it -tough, because there isn't another ISP you can go to in Hull.
It all seems a bit harsh and totally unfair.
Even the local MP there has put his oar in. Good for him.
- and anyway, what happened to all this competition that was supposed to happen as part of the telecommunication's privatisation that happened back in the 80s? Hmmmm? Oh wait -it's up in Hull - nobody cares what happens up there.
And another thing - what is the deal with ISPs constantly whining about how they can't provide a certain level of service if people are -you know, actually using the internet for anything more than a bit of web browsing and email of a evening... aren't they just admitting that they can't actually provide the service people are paying them for? But they do this while advertising constantly improving speeds, and charging more for those speeds? There's something fishy going on here.
But if you do - and we arbitrarily decide that we don't like what you're downloading - we'll cut you off without warning. Then charge you again to reconnect you. Well, only after we've got you to come into our offices to sign a piece of paper admitting you were bad and promise you won't do anything naughty ever again. And if you don't like it -tough, because there isn't another ISP you can go to in Hull.
It all seems a bit harsh and totally unfair.
Even the local MP there has put his oar in. Good for him.
- and anyway, what happened to all this competition that was supposed to happen as part of the telecommunication's privatisation that happened back in the 80s? Hmmmm? Oh wait -it's up in Hull - nobody cares what happens up there.
And another thing - what is the deal with ISPs constantly whining about how they can't provide a certain level of service if people are -you know, actually using the internet for anything more than a bit of web browsing and email of a evening... aren't they just admitting that they can't actually provide the service people are paying them for? But they do this while advertising constantly improving speeds, and charging more for those speeds? There's something fishy going on here.
into the memory hole...
Owners of Amazon's Kindle electronic book reader have received a nasty surprise, after discovering that copies of books by George Orwell had been deleted from their gadgets without their knowledge.
I can see the Chinese and other oppressive regimes suddenly taking an interest in this... a book that can be remotely censored. They must be salivating at the potential.
ordinary man takes photo of fish and chip shop - and gets arrested for terrorism for it
well, of course we all know that the Taliban are plotting terrorist attacks against our high street fish and chip shops don't we? No? Because that's the only way this story of how Alex Turner got arrested under section 44 of the prevention of terrorism act makes any sense.
But when it's so easy to intimidate a police woman merely by being 5 foot 11 inches tall and taking her photo - then I think it's time to give up - the terrorists have won already. Obviously she'd simply die of fright if ever a taller man - with a beard were to go "Boo!" at her.
Of course - there's another law altogether for the police - whenever they feel like it they can take pictures of whoever they like, whenever they like: Police photograph anti-airport campaigners talking to MP.* Yes, you read that right - don't you dare go and talk to your MP - lest you want the police to suspect you of being one of those evil terrorists and put you on their lists.
The war on street photography
*oh noes - I linked to a Daily Mail article. I feel dirty.
But when it's so easy to intimidate a police woman merely by being 5 foot 11 inches tall and taking her photo - then I think it's time to give up - the terrorists have won already. Obviously she'd simply die of fright if ever a taller man - with a beard were to go "Boo!" at her.
Of course - there's another law altogether for the police - whenever they feel like it they can take pictures of whoever they like, whenever they like: Police photograph anti-airport campaigners talking to MP.* Yes, you read that right - don't you dare go and talk to your MP - lest you want the police to suspect you of being one of those evil terrorists and put you on their lists.
The war on street photography
*oh noes - I linked to a Daily Mail article. I feel dirty.
why are we in Afghanstan ....
With the news full of how a few more British troops have died in duty in Afghanistan - Newsnight had tonight's whole program dedicated to asking 'what are we doing there...'
Throughout the whole program (and incidentally in the Prime Minister answers in Parliament's question time) not one person bothered to mention the real reason we're there, and why the US is there and why the Soviets where once there... it's all because duh the place is steeped in oil and gas. [But Gordon Brown couldn't say that - he just mumbled some nonsense about protecting us from terrorists. Which is the standard threadbare blanket excuse for everything these days.]
Which is all the more ironic considering that in the same question time the Prime Minister was patting himself on the back that the G20 where supposedly all pulling together to agree to maybe possibly vaguely do something about climate change... one day. Because yeah, if they ever do get to extract all that oil and gas - that won't increase carbon levels one jot will it. *eyeroll*
Throughout the whole program (and incidentally in the Prime Minister answers in Parliament's question time) not one person bothered to mention the real reason we're there, and why the US is there and why the Soviets where once there... it's all because duh the place is steeped in oil and gas. [But Gordon Brown couldn't say that - he just mumbled some nonsense about protecting us from terrorists. Which is the standard threadbare blanket excuse for everything these days.]
Which is all the more ironic considering that in the same question time the Prime Minister was patting himself on the back that the G20 where supposedly all pulling together to agree to maybe possibly vaguely do something about climate change... one day. Because yeah, if they ever do get to extract all that oil and gas - that won't increase carbon levels one jot will it. *eyeroll*
.JPG)
wash care label? -what's that?
Soooo - the bf is currently on a whole big trying-to-be-domesticated kick. Which would be great if he wasn't so bad at it, and he's very bad at it. Sometimes I can't help wondering if he hasn't spent most of his life living in a cave.
This morning he did the washing. 'Oh that's good' I thought. But then noticed - 'ooooh no - he's washed my current new favourite black t-shirt in with the bath and pedestal mats'. I mean, first things first - pedestal mats - eurgh! They're a mat that is designed to catch piss. I mean - if you've had an accident - surely it's much better that it goes on the floor where it can be quickly and easily mopped up? Not left to soak into a mat and lie there stinking until it gets washed? Secondly, they're fluffy and so now I've got a black t-shirt and black boxer shorts that are now covered in a thick layer of bath mat fluff. Ew.
Now I've got to find me a big roll of sellotape to get the worst of the fluff off...
This morning he did the washing. 'Oh that's good' I thought. But then noticed - 'ooooh no - he's washed my current new favourite black t-shirt in with the bath and pedestal mats'. I mean, first things first - pedestal mats - eurgh! They're a mat that is designed to catch piss. I mean - if you've had an accident - surely it's much better that it goes on the floor where it can be quickly and easily mopped up? Not left to soak into a mat and lie there stinking until it gets washed? Secondly, they're fluffy and so now I've got a black t-shirt and black boxer shorts that are now covered in a thick layer of bath mat fluff. Ew.
Now I've got to find me a big roll of sellotape to get the worst of the fluff off...
some bookmark dumping
Ken Livingstone: Privatisation has been a train wreck
Here's some out of date video podcasts for Creative Zen players... If it was such a good idea they should have kept it up...
I'm tired of seeing so many promising ideas just wither and die on the vine through neglect.
"The attempt of National Express to avoid any consequences for their other franchises from their abandonment of the east coast service is just another example of the privateers trying to take the public sector for a ride. As Lord Adonis says, "It is simply unacceptable to reap the benefits of contracts when times are good, only to walk away from them when times become more challenging."
Time and again, we have seen the nationalisation of losses and the privatisation of profits."
Here's some out of date video podcasts for Creative Zen players... If it was such a good idea they should have kept it up...
I'm tired of seeing so many promising ideas just wither and die on the vine through neglect.
Dollhouse episode seven: Echoes
Dollhouse season one, episode seven: Echoes | Anna Pickard | Culture | guardian.co.uk
Choice quotes:
At this point the programme-makers just threw a whole bunch of syllables into something pharmaceuticalish. The student had ingested "a psychotropic modification of ridiculouslongmadeupnamix".
"hippocampus randomwordus"
"the psychotropic notawordamol."
(except my boyf. -who's a Doctor, recognised some of those words and stuff... so ha! do your research you sad journo.)
..."some big cheese in the Rossum Corporation (whatever that is)"...
Oh come on! Am I the only person in the world who gets that reference? Rossum? As in "Rossum's Universal Robots" - as in R.U.R. - the play by Karel Čapek. The play where we got the word 'Robot' from?
Oh well, everyone will know soon enough - I've just read in my googling that's there's a film been made of it - and will be released sometime next year.
Choice quotes:
At this point the programme-makers just threw a whole bunch of syllables into something pharmaceuticalish. The student had ingested "a psychotropic modification of ridiculouslongmadeupnamix".
"hippocampus randomwordus"
"the psychotropic notawordamol."
(except my boyf. -who's a Doctor, recognised some of those words and stuff... so ha! do your research you sad journo.)
..."some big cheese in the Rossum Corporation (whatever that is)"...
Oh come on! Am I the only person in the world who gets that reference? Rossum? As in "Rossum's Universal Robots" - as in R.U.R. - the play by Karel Čapek. The play where we got the word 'Robot' from?
Oh well, everyone will know soon enough - I've just read in my googling that's there's a film been made of it - and will be released sometime next year.
mini
For a long while now - I've thought if I ever where to get some money I might buy myself one of those mac minis. Not for any good reason - I just thought it'd be handy and I could see first hand what the fuss about the damn things was. Because to be honest I can't see what the fuss is about from the admittedly limited experiences I've had with macs*.
Anyway that aside - I had a look at them on the Apple store today and jesus what! the prices! £500 for the meh spec'ed one and £650 for the one I'd be more interested in. And for that they still don't come with a keyboard and mouse.**
Well sod that - I think I'll manage to live on in a mac free world for a bit longer yet.
A cheap netbook with some form of linux on it might be nice... (and a LOT more affordable.)
[*IE - when I was on a college course a year so back - they had macs and the damn things kept crashing on me - and had to be constantly rebooted. I also hated that you couldn't just plug in a thumbdrive in and just pull it out again when you'd finished like you can on XP and Vista - what this business where you have to drag it to the trash bin before you unplug it? Jezus - that was how it did things back with floppy disks in the bloody Eighties - has it not progressed beyond that yet? That drove me insane then too. Still nannying the user who's too thick to see when the drive is being written to or something?]
[**not that I'd ever want a 'mighty mouse' - that was driving me mad at college too. Oh, that stupid nipple thing on top - that you had to paw like crazy to scroll through anything. And then it would gunge up and is totally impossible to clean. What is wrong with Apple? Why the hell can't they make a decent mouse. Ever. I mean they look nice - but no doubt they would crucify any other manufacturer who would make a mouse that looked as good as a Mac one - but had proper functionality - like pretty much any other mouse in the world.]
Anyway that aside - I had a look at them on the Apple store today and jesus what! the prices! £500 for the meh spec'ed one and £650 for the one I'd be more interested in. And for that they still don't come with a keyboard and mouse.**
Well sod that - I think I'll manage to live on in a mac free world for a bit longer yet.
A cheap netbook with some form of linux on it might be nice... (and a LOT more affordable.)
[*IE - when I was on a college course a year so back - they had macs and the damn things kept crashing on me - and had to be constantly rebooted. I also hated that you couldn't just plug in a thumbdrive in and just pull it out again when you'd finished like you can on XP and Vista - what this business where you have to drag it to the trash bin before you unplug it? Jezus - that was how it did things back with floppy disks in the bloody Eighties - has it not progressed beyond that yet? That drove me insane then too. Still nannying the user who's too thick to see when the drive is being written to or something?]
[**not that I'd ever want a 'mighty mouse' - that was driving me mad at college too. Oh, that stupid nipple thing on top - that you had to paw like crazy to scroll through anything. And then it would gunge up and is totally impossible to clean. What is wrong with Apple? Why the hell can't they make a decent mouse. Ever. I mean they look nice - but no doubt they would crucify any other manufacturer who would make a mouse that looked as good as a Mac one - but had proper functionality - like pretty much any other mouse in the world.]
5 days and counting...
I dunno - when your ISP can't get you onto Yahoo - one of the most popular ...what is yahoo exactly? A portal? web presence? anyway - whatever - when you can't get onto yahoo and more importantly for me - flickr - then that ISP isn't exactly fit for purpose is it?
Oh virgin.net - you are so about to be dumped.
this is supposed to be surprising news?
Jobs shortage 'will see 80,000 new graduates unemployed'
Yeah - there's thing called 'supply and demand' right - what it means is when a commodity is rare - they can command a high price, but when something is a lot more commonplace - they only command a lower price. So when the aim is get 50% of young people onto university courses (whether they're suited to that or not) mmmm - someone somewhere hasn't been thinking things through properly.
That's without going into the fact that the sheer numbers of young people going into universities now makes them more like conveyor-belt driven education factories.
Oh and apparently there's still a dire shortage of electricians and plumbers in the UK - but no one cares about those sort of things do they?
This is what you get when you have no-one but middle-class people* running the country - they're only able to see what they want for themselves and their children and just can't see the wider picture.
*this applies to ALL of the parties.
Yeah - there's thing called 'supply and demand' right - what it means is when a commodity is rare - they can command a high price, but when something is a lot more commonplace - they only command a lower price. So when the aim is get 50% of young people onto university courses (whether they're suited to that or not) mmmm - someone somewhere hasn't been thinking things through properly.
That's without going into the fact that the sheer numbers of young people going into universities now makes them more like conveyor-belt driven education factories.
Oh and apparently there's still a dire shortage of electricians and plumbers in the UK - but no one cares about those sort of things do they?
This is what you get when you have no-one but middle-class people* running the country - they're only able to see what they want for themselves and their children and just can't see the wider picture.
*this applies to ALL of the parties.
Bankers rhymes with... **** with good reason
I am slowly being driven insane by the banking system in this country.
Due to reasons too boring to go into here - I don't have a bank account. Up to know it's not bothered me too much – it's been an inconvenience certainly – but I've muddled through somehow without one for the past few years.
Now very recently I've come into a modest inheritance – so I have some actual money I need to put into a bank. Now you might think that in the current economic climate any bank would be desperate for any customer with a bit of money. Oh, but you'd be wrong. Very wrong. Because I haven't had a bank account for so long - it turns out I haven't got a credit rating. Big surprise there. But without a credit rating – a bank won't give me an account. Yes, it turns out you pretty much need a bank account to be able to er, open a bank account.... go figure!
Let's let this sink in... I haven't got a credit rating – well, because I haven't had a bank account for a while. So they won't give me a bank account because I haven't got a credit rating... Now I could understand this if I was asking for a mortgage or a loan or even a credit card – but no, all I want is a current account.
OK. So after being given the run-a-round – it turns out there are these super basic bank accounts you can get – they're really there because our government in it's 'wisdom' (*chokes*) has decided to phase out the old Giro cheque you used to be able to cash at a Post Office - so if you're on benefits you get one of these basic accounts and the Government pays the benefits straight into that account. [An aside – it used to be the case that when you signed on – an actual real life physical cheque would be posted to you and reach you 3 days later. But in this fast modern electronic world – where you would think it could reach you – at least the very next day – but no, instead it takes a whole day extra! No, I have no idea why this should be.]
Anyhow – I apply in one of these high street places for their basic account. I take in my proof of ID and utility bills to prove my address – only to be told it takes up to a MONTH to set up the account! Jeez what do they find to do in a whole month? But regardless - I put the paper work in – and the next day knowing I couldn't possibly wait that long went over to another bank – where I was told it would only take 7 to 10 working days. I applied for their basic account. Thinking at the worst having two accounts can't hurt.
Turns out it was just as well I did because to add insult to injury I received a letter today from the first bank saying they were unable to process my application – because I hadn't indicated whether I was a bankrupt or subject to an IVA. (Whatever that is.) Er, but when I handed the form in – it was to a member of staff who checked it over before taking it from me – if there was anything missing on the form – she would have told me there and then. So I believe they are lying – and because they think they're dealing with a unemployed person they don't care if I have an account with them or not (they don't make a profit from these accounts). But they expect me to go in and reapply and wait ANOTHER MONTH for them to get their act together... Er, I don't think I'll be doing that somehow.
Sigh.
And this has been only a part of the hassles I've had trying to open an account – there was another story where a staff member was on holiday for a week – so couldn't see me... and blah blah blah. Oh it's just frustrating to relate - and is all doubt to ass-hat incompetence.
So at the end of the day I am not in the least bit surprised that the banking system is in such a deep,deep crisis – it's obviously run by a bunch of complete brain-dead chimpanzees who couldn't find their own arse with both hands and a map...
Once (maybe that should IF) I ever get access to my own money – I'm not sure I'll want it sitting in a bank account. I might be better off keeping it under the mattress!
Due to reasons too boring to go into here - I don't have a bank account. Up to know it's not bothered me too much – it's been an inconvenience certainly – but I've muddled through somehow without one for the past few years.
Now very recently I've come into a modest inheritance – so I have some actual money I need to put into a bank. Now you might think that in the current economic climate any bank would be desperate for any customer with a bit of money. Oh, but you'd be wrong. Very wrong. Because I haven't had a bank account for so long - it turns out I haven't got a credit rating. Big surprise there. But without a credit rating – a bank won't give me an account. Yes, it turns out you pretty much need a bank account to be able to er, open a bank account.... go figure!
Let's let this sink in... I haven't got a credit rating – well, because I haven't had a bank account for a while. So they won't give me a bank account because I haven't got a credit rating... Now I could understand this if I was asking for a mortgage or a loan or even a credit card – but no, all I want is a current account.
OK. So after being given the run-a-round – it turns out there are these super basic bank accounts you can get – they're really there because our government in it's 'wisdom' (*chokes*) has decided to phase out the old Giro cheque you used to be able to cash at a Post Office - so if you're on benefits you get one of these basic accounts and the Government pays the benefits straight into that account. [An aside – it used to be the case that when you signed on – an actual real life physical cheque would be posted to you and reach you 3 days later. But in this fast modern electronic world – where you would think it could reach you – at least the very next day – but no, instead it takes a whole day extra! No, I have no idea why this should be.]
Anyhow – I apply in one of these high street places for their basic account. I take in my proof of ID and utility bills to prove my address – only to be told it takes up to a MONTH to set up the account! Jeez what do they find to do in a whole month? But regardless - I put the paper work in – and the next day knowing I couldn't possibly wait that long went over to another bank – where I was told it would only take 7 to 10 working days. I applied for their basic account. Thinking at the worst having two accounts can't hurt.
Turns out it was just as well I did because to add insult to injury I received a letter today from the first bank saying they were unable to process my application – because I hadn't indicated whether I was a bankrupt or subject to an IVA. (Whatever that is.) Er, but when I handed the form in – it was to a member of staff who checked it over before taking it from me – if there was anything missing on the form – she would have told me there and then. So I believe they are lying – and because they think they're dealing with a unemployed person they don't care if I have an account with them or not (they don't make a profit from these accounts). But they expect me to go in and reapply and wait ANOTHER MONTH for them to get their act together... Er, I don't think I'll be doing that somehow.
Sigh.
And this has been only a part of the hassles I've had trying to open an account – there was another story where a staff member was on holiday for a week – so couldn't see me... and blah blah blah. Oh it's just frustrating to relate - and is all doubt to ass-hat incompetence.
So at the end of the day I am not in the least bit surprised that the banking system is in such a deep,deep crisis – it's obviously run by a bunch of complete brain-dead chimpanzees who couldn't find their own arse with both hands and a map...
Once (maybe that should IF) I ever get access to my own money – I'm not sure I'll want it sitting in a bank account. I might be better off keeping it under the mattress!
digi-wrong wrong wrongs
Filesharing mum ordered to pay nearly $2m
Errrr. What? A $2 million fine? How is this is anywhere close to justice? Was Jammie a music pirate with her own website selling MPGs - or selling CDs earning herself millions and millions of dollars? Was she going around to music artists homes and stealing bags of money off them at gunpoint? Was any money at any time exchanged? So where did this figure come from? What would she have got as a fine if she's shoplifted a few CDs? I doubt it would have been in the millions. She wouldn't have got that for kidnap and murder.
So what message does this send out? 'OOOOoooh we shouldn't ever download music we haven't paid for because the music industry will get us"?
No. It sends the message that the RIAA is out of control (and don't think for a moment that a single artist is going to see a single cent of that money - ever since the RIAA have been suing people - a single penny hasn't gone to any artist. But a big chunk as been going to pay already plump lawyers and into their own pockets... [All of which is a good excuse to not buy CDs from the major labels - since it's obvious they funnel far too much money in order to hire their lawyers to attack music fans rather than -you know, pay artists.])
Nice to see this:
Lawyers plan class-action to reclaim "$100M+" RIAA "stole"
Because the RIAA seriously needs to be held to account.
Moby: The RIAA Needs to be Disbanded.
PC World: Has the RIAA's Fight Against File Sharing Gone Too Far?
Errrr. What? A $2 million fine? How is this is anywhere close to justice? Was Jammie a music pirate with her own website selling MPGs - or selling CDs earning herself millions and millions of dollars? Was she going around to music artists homes and stealing bags of money off them at gunpoint? Was any money at any time exchanged? So where did this figure come from? What would she have got as a fine if she's shoplifted a few CDs? I doubt it would have been in the millions. She wouldn't have got that for kidnap and murder.
So what message does this send out? 'OOOOoooh we shouldn't ever download music we haven't paid for because the music industry will get us"?
No. It sends the message that the RIAA is out of control (and don't think for a moment that a single artist is going to see a single cent of that money - ever since the RIAA have been suing people - a single penny hasn't gone to any artist. But a big chunk as been going to pay already plump lawyers and into their own pockets... [All of which is a good excuse to not buy CDs from the major labels - since it's obvious they funnel far too much money in order to hire their lawyers to attack music fans rather than -you know, pay artists.])
Nice to see this:
Lawyers plan class-action to reclaim "$100M+" RIAA "stole"
Because the RIAA seriously needs to be held to account.
Moby: The RIAA Needs to be Disbanded.
PC World: Has the RIAA's Fight Against File Sharing Gone Too Far?
one law for the poor - another for the MPs
Mmmmm.
So when some poor sod fiddles the benefit system and they get caught out... they usually get sent to court and are usually either fined and sent to jail. [Leaving aside for the moment other issues that the benefits paid out are often way, way below anything anyone could be expected to even subsist on - which in itself could be said to encourage people to cheat... they do so only to survive.]
But when MPs do it - they first claim they're doing nothing (technically) wrong. Then some quickly pay back what they claimed (surely that in itself is an admission of guilt -hummm?), then they censor what should be a matter of public record - another admission of guilt -surely.
Now the police are getting involved - but what are the chances of any MP being sent to court - and fined - and sent to prison? I'd say minimal - how many Labour party members got away with the cash for peerages thing that was going on not so long ago?
Where are the TV adverts for tax-payer-cheating MPs - like they have for 'targeting benefit thieves'...
So when some poor sod fiddles the benefit system and they get caught out... they usually get sent to court and are usually either fined and sent to jail. [Leaving aside for the moment other issues that the benefits paid out are often way, way below anything anyone could be expected to even subsist on - which in itself could be said to encourage people to cheat... they do so only to survive.]
But when MPs do it - they first claim they're doing nothing (technically) wrong. Then some quickly pay back what they claimed (surely that in itself is an admission of guilt -hummm?), then they censor what should be a matter of public record - another admission of guilt -surely.
Now the police are getting involved - but what are the chances of any MP being sent to court - and fined - and sent to prison? I'd say minimal - how many Labour party members got away with the cash for peerages thing that was going on not so long ago?
Where are the TV adverts for tax-payer-cheating MPs - like they have for 'targeting benefit thieves'...
nebulous coming to teevee?
ooooh ooooh oooooh
just read this on the news section of Graham Duff's own website:
Which is something to look forward to after what might be the last ever episode of Ideal.
just read this on the news section of Graham Duff's own website:
Graham is currently working on a TV adaptation of his popular Radio 4 sci-fi sit-com ‘Nebulous’.
Which is something to look forward to after what might be the last ever episode of Ideal.
speed bumps ahead in superhighway Britain
*shakes head*
Digital Britain: ISPs will have to cut filesharing by 70% under new proposals
Dying dinosaur Government - led around by the nose by a dying dinosaur entertainment industry...
Digital Britain: ISPs will have to cut filesharing by 70% under new proposals
Dying dinosaur Government - led around by the nose by a dying dinosaur entertainment industry...
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