Critical Faculty Dojo has been nominated in the following categories - Thanks people, it is really appreciated.
Blogpower: Best Britblog or Column
Blogpower: Best Political Blog or Column
Blogpower: Best Blog Name
I don't know if CFD will make the final cut for voting in any of them, but if it does please don't forget to actually vote.
Even if it dosn't, please still vote for any other blogs there you think deserve it.
Oh! And feel free to make comments - I know people are visiting...
Wednesday, 6 June 2007
EU saves us from deadly barometer threat!!
Headline: The heroic EU has saved the grateful citizens of Europe, yet again from another deadly curse of our times.
The fearsome Mercury Barometer will terrorise us no more! Thanks to The EU’s environment committee, including two British Labour MEPs, Linda McAvan and Glenis Wilmott.
After the bruising battle the Miss McAvan, a Yorkshire MEP, bluntly stated there is "clear evidence" that mercury in barometers was "highly dangerous".
A sinister conspiracy of traditional British barometer makers and restorers, backed by Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies, have finally been outflanked and foiled by this stalwart paragon of democracy and are now facing the closure they so richly deserve. They almost got away at the last moment, but the redoubtable, the steely eyed Lord Rooker UK minister for sustainable farming and food, managed to prevent that.
As we all know these merchants of death are single headedly responsible for the terrible swathe of death and destruction wrought by mercury barometers over the last three centuries or more. Not to mention the acres – oops! Square kilometres think I got away with that one - of land left uninhabitable.
I don't see anyone trying to ban Compact Flourescent Light bulbs. No they are promoting them as environmentally friendly! I expect McAven & Willmott will probably tell you so too.
Now compact fluorescent bulbs contain an average of 5 milligrams of mercury each, not a huge amount you might think. All CFLs will eventually need to be disposed of though - and you know they will end up in the trash and get broken.
Well some 200 million light bulbs a year are sold in the UK alone - replace them all with compact flourecent bulbs and you could end up with a Metric Ton of mercury being dumped in the UK every year.
Contrast that with the odd broken mercury barometer!
So in the great scheme of things – would it really have hurt for them to have granted an exemption?
The fearsome Mercury Barometer will terrorise us no more! Thanks to The EU’s environment committee, including two British Labour MEPs, Linda McAvan and Glenis Wilmott.
After the bruising battle the Miss McAvan, a Yorkshire MEP, bluntly stated there is "clear evidence" that mercury in barometers was "highly dangerous".
A sinister conspiracy of traditional British barometer makers and restorers, backed by Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies, have finally been outflanked and foiled by this stalwart paragon of democracy and are now facing the closure they so richly deserve. They almost got away at the last moment, but the redoubtable, the steely eyed Lord Rooker UK minister for sustainable farming and food, managed to prevent that.
As we all know these merchants of death are single headedly responsible for the terrible swathe of death and destruction wrought by mercury barometers over the last three centuries or more. Not to mention the acres – oops! Square kilometres think I got away with that one - of land left uninhabitable.
I don't see anyone trying to ban Compact Flourescent Light bulbs. No they are promoting them as environmentally friendly! I expect McAven & Willmott will probably tell you so too.
Now compact fluorescent bulbs contain an average of 5 milligrams of mercury each, not a huge amount you might think. All CFLs will eventually need to be disposed of though - and you know they will end up in the trash and get broken.
Well some 200 million light bulbs a year are sold in the UK alone - replace them all with compact flourecent bulbs and you could end up with a Metric Ton of mercury being dumped in the UK every year.
Contrast that with the odd broken mercury barometer!
So in the great scheme of things – would it really have hurt for them to have granted an exemption?
iTune tracks contain details of who bought them.
Do you have an iPod?
Have you bought any tracks from iTunes since May 30th 2007?
Apparently tracks bought on iTunes since May 30th, whether free of DRM or not, have the full name and account information , including e-mail address, of who those bought them, imbedded within the file.
It is probably done as an anti-piracy measure to help track down anyone putting downloads on file-sharing sites.
Now if you should share a file, or have it stolen along with your iPod, the question you need to ask yourselves is:
How long before a utility program is produced which can strip out that information – and how safe will your ‘identity’ be then?
Have you bought any tracks from iTunes since May 30th 2007?
Apparently tracks bought on iTunes since May 30th, whether free of DRM or not, have the full name and account information , including e-mail address, of who those bought them, imbedded within the file.
It is probably done as an anti-piracy measure to help track down anyone putting downloads on file-sharing sites.
Now if you should share a file, or have it stolen along with your iPod, the question you need to ask yourselves is:
”Do I feel lucky?”
How long before a utility program is produced which can strip out that information – and how safe will your ‘identity’ be then?
Amnesty's concerns over freedom on the net
Amnesty International are raising concerns about net censorship ahead of a conference they are organising on the subject.
Amnesty are highlighting that the internet,
Amnesty also attack companies such as Google - particularly their presence in China, Microsoft and Yahoo of all being complicit in censorship.
Tim Hancock the campaign director said:
Amnesty point out it’s not just filtering, increasingly it was seeing ‘politically motivated’ closures of websites and internet cafes, also threats and imprisonments. In February, Abdul Kareem Nabeel Suleiman, a young Egyptian blogger, was imprisoned for four years for insulting Islam and defaming the President of Egypt.
Amnesty's is re launching their website irrepressible.info to highlight freedom on the net
Amnesty are highlighting that the internet,
"could change beyond all recognition" unless action is taken against the erosion of online freedom . Getting into a computing (main) frame ;-) of mind they warn that the
"virus of internet repression"has now spread to dozens of governments.
Amnesty also attack companies such as Google - particularly their presence in China, Microsoft and Yahoo of all being complicit in censorship.
Tim Hancock the campaign director said:
"The Chinese model of an internet that allows economic growth but not free speech, or privacy, is growing in popularity. From a handful of countries five years ago, to dozens of governments today, who block sites and arrest bloggers".
"Unless we act on this issue, the internet could change beyond all recognition in the years to come. More and more governments are realising the utility of controlling what people see online and major internet companies, in an attempt to expand their markets, are colluding in these attempts,"
Amnesty point out it’s not just filtering, increasingly it was seeing ‘politically motivated’ closures of websites and internet cafes, also threats and imprisonments. In February, Abdul Kareem Nabeel Suleiman, a young Egyptian blogger, was imprisoned for four years for insulting Islam and defaming the President of Egypt.
Amnesty's is re launching their website irrepressible.info to highlight freedom on the net
Tuesday, 5 June 2007
UK Government targets drinkers in their own homes
UK Ministers have decided they want to change English drinking culture
Ministers want to change the English ‘drinking culture’ and the willingness to accept ‘drunkenness’ and ‘anti-social behaviour’ as a normal part of life. They have a new strategy and are planning more social engineering…
Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker stated: "It is unacceptable for people to use alcohol and urinate in the street, vomit and carry on.
All sounds reasonably ok so far, from a mildly authoritarian, curtain twitching perspective, you might think.
The strategy apparently includes plans for ‘alcoholics’ (presumably, sooner, or later, anyone arrested for being drunk) to be sent for compulsory counselling after being arrested.
Frank Soodeen of Alcohol Concern enthusiastically referred to the strategy as a "big step forward", but said still more money was needed. He went on:"We are incredibly excited. It looks far more, ambitious and far-reaching, than it’s predecessor.".
The Government is primly claiming there are 7.1m "hazardous and harmful" drinkers in England, costing the health economy £1.3bn. So they are looking for justification then. All those virtual criminals wasting ‘health economy’ money! Jail is too good for them!
But Health minister Caroline Flint doesn’t just have her sights on antisocial drinkers. Oh no!
This time they are also planning to target older people who they consider to drink ‘too much’, in their own homes. She glossed on: "There are people, adults, who on a very regular basis are probably drinking twice the amount that is recommended."
Who recommends? The Government. How much is too much? Well the Government tell you that, although the evidence had not changed they recently changed the advice for pregnant women.
Hang on! Let’s stop for a moment and go over all that more carefully.
The government forces you to be part of a decrepit, mismanaged, ‘health service’, that swallows millions extra - without any obvious improvement.
There is no choice, no opt out. It effectively uses force, or the threat of force, to make you pay significant amounts of cash into it weather you want to or not. No choice.
They then use the possibility that you may use this ‘service’ to justify intruding into what you do in your own home, in private, to make sure you are not damaging your health. Drink related this time. They are well on the way with smoking, how long before eating too much gets worked in there?
Is it still your health? Is it still your body? Not entirely if they want control over it.
And you don’t even get to make your own informed choice as to what ‘too much’ might be in any given circumstances. Not you. No they decide that for you.
Could you see the French putting up with that?
Ministers want to change the English ‘drinking culture’ and the willingness to accept ‘drunkenness’ and ‘anti-social behaviour’ as a normal part of life. They have a new strategy and are planning more social engineering…
Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker stated: "It is unacceptable for people to use alcohol and urinate in the street, vomit and carry on.
All sounds reasonably ok so far, from a mildly authoritarian, curtain twitching perspective, you might think.
The strategy apparently includes plans for ‘alcoholics’ (presumably, sooner, or later, anyone arrested for being drunk) to be sent for compulsory counselling after being arrested.
Frank Soodeen of Alcohol Concern enthusiastically referred to the strategy as a "big step forward", but said still more money was needed. He went on:"We are incredibly excited. It looks far more, ambitious and far-reaching, than it’s predecessor.".
The Government is primly claiming there are 7.1m "hazardous and harmful" drinkers in England, costing the health economy £1.3bn. So they are looking for justification then. All those virtual criminals wasting ‘health economy’ money! Jail is too good for them!
But Health minister Caroline Flint doesn’t just have her sights on antisocial drinkers. Oh no!
This time they are also planning to target older people who they consider to drink ‘too much’, in their own homes. She glossed on: "There are people, adults, who on a very regular basis are probably drinking twice the amount that is recommended."
Who recommends? The Government. How much is too much? Well the Government tell you that, although the evidence had not changed they recently changed the advice for pregnant women.
Hang on! Let’s stop for a moment and go over all that more carefully.
The government forces you to be part of a decrepit, mismanaged, ‘health service’, that swallows millions extra - without any obvious improvement.
There is no choice, no opt out. It effectively uses force, or the threat of force, to make you pay significant amounts of cash into it weather you want to or not. No choice.
They then use the possibility that you may use this ‘service’ to justify intruding into what you do in your own home, in private, to make sure you are not damaging your health. Drink related this time. They are well on the way with smoking, how long before eating too much gets worked in there?
Is it still your health? Is it still your body? Not entirely if they want control over it.
And you don’t even get to make your own informed choice as to what ‘too much’ might be in any given circumstances. Not you. No they decide that for you.
Could you see the French putting up with that?
Patriotic Nu-Lab Ministers
Two UK ministers Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly and Immigration Minister Liam Byrne are pushing for a national day to promote a stronger sense of British identity - They say it could become a new bank holiday.
Prime-minister-in-waiting (elect is not really appropriate) Gordon Brown has himself previously floated the idea of day to promote the nation's identity.
What is truly incredible is that these same politicians and their fellow travellers have been vigorously suppressing (here, here, here, here) any shred of British Identity, or pride for decades, largely in the name of multiculturalism, anti imperialism and political correctness. Whilst at the same time they have been busily promoting regional identities. Well they have been reasonably successful.
Never obviously concerned about the UK as nation, it has now dawned on Nu-Lab that this may not necessarily have been entirely good for them.
Their former strongholds in Scotland and Wales are now not nearly so Nu-Lab friendly, as voters have abandoned them wholesale for Nationalist Parties.
Then there are multiple terrorist plots by disaffected second generation immigrants, who obviously feel so little sense of common identity, or even humanity, with their fellow compatriots that they are apparently quite happy to indiscriminately murder, as many as possible, as spectacularly as possible.
Much of England prefers the Liberals, or the Conservatives and are now conscious of the fact that significant numbers of the Nu-Lab government is Scottish based and get to stuff legislation down their throats that will never trouble Scottish voters.
Nu-Lab are in real danger of literally rendering themselves a permanently unelectable rump, as a result of the law of unintended consequences.
This might go some way towards explaining their newfound enthusiasm for being British and developing a strong sense of British identity.
Prime-minister-in-waiting (elect is not really appropriate) Gordon Brown has himself previously floated the idea of day to promote the nation's identity.
What is truly incredible is that these same politicians and their fellow travellers have been vigorously suppressing (here, here, here, here) any shred of British Identity, or pride for decades, largely in the name of multiculturalism, anti imperialism and political correctness. Whilst at the same time they have been busily promoting regional identities. Well they have been reasonably successful.
Never obviously concerned about the UK as nation, it has now dawned on Nu-Lab that this may not necessarily have been entirely good for them.
Their former strongholds in Scotland and Wales are now not nearly so Nu-Lab friendly, as voters have abandoned them wholesale for Nationalist Parties.
Then there are multiple terrorist plots by disaffected second generation immigrants, who obviously feel so little sense of common identity, or even humanity, with their fellow compatriots that they are apparently quite happy to indiscriminately murder, as many as possible, as spectacularly as possible.
Much of England prefers the Liberals, or the Conservatives and are now conscious of the fact that significant numbers of the Nu-Lab government is Scottish based and get to stuff legislation down their throats that will never trouble Scottish voters.
Nu-Lab are in real danger of literally rendering themselves a permanently unelectable rump, as a result of the law of unintended consequences.
This might go some way towards explaining their newfound enthusiasm for being British and developing a strong sense of British identity.
Olympic class... Rubbish
Yet another example of staggering Government incompetence – The new Olympic Logo has been unveiled. Apparently it took a year to design and cost a mere £400,000 (around $800,000 bucks).
Quite frankly it is rubbish, but what is really irritating is that a lot of money was spent on it. Money better spent on something else.
They could have got something better more-or-less for free, if they had organised a schools competition with the prise as VIP tickets.
No they have to spend a fortune and end up with something else that sounds ok ‘on paper’ (in the pub after a few drinks mre like) but is as usual not fit for purpose. They will hang onto it like grim death because people won’t get sufficiently worked up about it to complain loudly for long enough, unlike something like H.I.P.s
Quite frankly it is rubbish, but what is really irritating is that a lot of money was spent on it. Money better spent on something else.
They could have got something better more-or-less for free, if they had organised a schools competition with the prise as VIP tickets.
No they have to spend a fortune and end up with something else that sounds ok ‘on paper’ (in the pub after a few drinks mre like) but is as usual not fit for purpose. They will hang onto it like grim death because people won’t get sufficiently worked up about it to complain loudly for long enough, unlike something like H.I.P.s
Monday, 4 June 2007
A gift for Dave the Chameleon?
Here is something that ought to play to Dave the Chameleon’s showdown with those in his party that advocate selective education. Will he be able to restrain his new News of the World "Alastair Campbell", or will we be seeing veiled accusations of racism trotted out against advocates of selection?
A report produced by a campaign group, the Runnymede Trust, suggests increased school choice does little to enhance the opportunities of black pupils saying: black ethnic minority parents find it difficult to exercise choice, this can lead to further segregation and that many found the complexities in applying to selective schools off-putting.
They say that because many parents find it difficult to exercise choice, they downgrade their options before selecting schools.
The campaign group also say that people with English as a second language tended to choose the school closest to them – except in the case when it came to those selecting single sex schools, there it was not a problem.
Parents trying to get their children into schools in local authority areas with a high number of schools that control their own admissions, found the process especially difficult, the report said.
Choice policies could also lead to young people from different ethnic groups being kept apart, the report argued.
It seems to be from the direction of the report that the problem isn’t so much with selective education, as some parents (and probably not just those with English as a second language) unwillingness to use it as it is meant to be. You can lead a horse to water…
A report produced by a campaign group, the Runnymede Trust, suggests increased school choice does little to enhance the opportunities of black pupils saying: black ethnic minority parents find it difficult to exercise choice, this can lead to further segregation and that many found the complexities in applying to selective schools off-putting.
They say that because many parents find it difficult to exercise choice, they downgrade their options before selecting schools.
The campaign group also say that people with English as a second language tended to choose the school closest to them – except in the case when it came to those selecting single sex schools, there it was not a problem.
Parents trying to get their children into schools in local authority areas with a high number of schools that control their own admissions, found the process especially difficult, the report said.
Choice policies could also lead to young people from different ethnic groups being kept apart, the report argued.
It seems to be from the direction of the report that the problem isn’t so much with selective education, as some parents (and probably not just those with English as a second language) unwillingness to use it as it is meant to be. You can lead a horse to water…
Saturday, 2 June 2007
Rostock & two smoking barrels
Anti Globalisation Stormtroopers clashed with German police in the city of Rostock protesting against next week's G8 summit of leading industrial nations in Heiligendamm, about 16 miles away.
A spokesperson for police described it as a "massive assault".
The BBC reported that it only involved a small portion of the estimated 30,000 people who had joined the rally, failing to follow the logic that if only 5% of the crowd had been involved that would still be 1,500 violent protestors, even half that would be pretty massive if they were bearing down on you armed with lumps of wood and rocks, as they were.
The BBC is interested if you have attended the protest and breathlessly ask for your feedback and pictures.
One gets the impression they would have been there themselves if only they could have got their hand on some designer rocks…
A spokesperson for police described it as a "massive assault".
The BBC reported that it only involved a small portion of the estimated 30,000 people who had joined the rally, failing to follow the logic that if only 5% of the crowd had been involved that would still be 1,500 violent protestors, even half that would be pretty massive if they were bearing down on you armed with lumps of wood and rocks, as they were.
The BBC is interested if you have attended the protest and breathlessly ask for your feedback and pictures.
One gets the impression they would have been there themselves if only they could have got their hand on some designer rocks…
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