Second Life Day today
Well, Spent a bit of the day in Second Life today while the BlogPower awards preparations have been going on. Tom Paine from
Last Ditch has invested a significant amount of time and effort to make sure everything is up and running and needs to be congratulated. I, of course, have played around setting off fireworks and getting people drunk.
James of course is all geared up to host the awards with his usual flair and has been practising his role, between his online drinking bouts. So it should be interesting.
Sadly some people can't make it and it was particularly disappointing that after
Ruthie tried on a pair of Fishnets and lacy underwear she can't make it. I'm sure we will all be thinking about her.
Anyway, tomorrow is the day, just over 14 hours away at 14:00Z the BlogPower Awards. Instructions for getting there are
here. See you there.
Super. More restrictions on the way.
With the discovery of two car bombs in London, read
here, the government will no doubt have to increase the restrictions and arrest more people. Clearly we have not been arresting the right ones. These ones have actually managed to make some bombs despite all the work our guys have been doing.
Is this because there are so many of them? Or it is because we are target ting the wrong ones in our PC way? Our security services can only do so much and if we overload them with PC distractions we could very well find the next lot manage to set them off.
Good news that the found these though before they went off.
Oh the irony.
Reading this article about the porn star who met Tony as one of his potential donors. Read
here.
I found it funny that the one person who gets screwed for a living is the only one not screwed by Blair.
Just my sense of humour.
Why? For heavens sake why?
It seems the Spice Girls could be making a comeback. Read
here.
The only redeeming feature is it is for a short space of time.
Even so Why? Sporty, Scary and Baby must need some dosh.
OldGinger is busy politically but could do with some cash as well. Posh though, has plenty and can she leave David alone with the babysitters?
I'm torn.
I don't know if this is a sign of how we are in a society or how society has made us. Read
here.
On the one hand it's something we would all love to do and on the other it looks like a human being, admittedly one working for dark forces, is seriously ill.
As the state clamps down on people we can be sure we will see a lot of the states enforcers as being on the dark side. Of course the armed ones will fare better. For now.
Oh! And I hear Blair has finally gone.
Took his time getting out.
I understand he has taken the envoy role. Read
here.
Fingers crossed.
Wonder what his missus is going to do. New project? The Blair Witch Project seems a good title.
And they say councils are stupid.
Well this shows that they understand the mentality of the British voter all too well. Read
here. I missed this the first time round but picked up the link from Not Proud of Britain.
'Whitehall advice to councils is not to introduce the idea of fortnightly collections too near polling day.
Its Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap) added: "It is advisable to roll out the scheme in autumn, winter or early spring such that by the time warmer weather arrives, residents are used to the scheme and initial resistance has faded." '
Translation : The UK public is so thick they can't remember the screwing we have given them. So we can do all we want to them up until a couple of months before the polls open and they will still all vote for their favourite party. The floaters, of course, realising that all the parties are pretty much the same won't even be bothered voting.
Clearly we have the government we deserve.
Win Win for the UK in the short term.
It seems that Blair is being groomed for a ME peacemaking role. Read
here.
Now before we all fall off our chairs laughing we need to look at both sides of this.
Cons
1) Well he ain't exactly a peacekeeper is he?
2) He is not exactly going to be impartial.
3) The ME envoys won't see him as impartial either.
4) He is bloody useless.
5) He will gain a level of immunity for a while.
Pros
1) We get rid of him from the UK.
2) He is not paid by us, well not all of him.
3) Someone in the ME may give him the lead injection he deserves and we are too civilised to do.
4) We get rid of him from the UK.
So all in all it sounds a middle of the road option between him being tried for war crimes and him escaping to the lecture circuit in the US. Neither will allow him to escape the justice that is his due but it keeps him out of our hair for a while.
Damn those 4x4s.
I've just been out on four separate trips this morning taking my daughter and granddaughter all over the place because of the weather. It's lashing down and really windy.
Damn this global warming and all those 4x4 drivers. We are going to be burnt to a crisp.
Russian business dealings.
It seems that BP has been forced into selling it's holdings in Russia to Gazprom. Read
here. In the sort of negotiations normally reserved for garages in the East End. Another nail in the coffin for those that want to invest in Russia.
I've also heard that Gazprom is interested in purchasing Centrica. Read
here.
Now, if it does, can we take this as time to send a message. We nationalise Centrica and give Gazprom a screwing then compensate BP with the proceeds.
What's good for the goose and all that.
Led by traitors.
Been catching up on the blogs I've missed over the last week.
It seems my
piece on the EU constitution was a bit premature as per the comments.
By the looks of things this is the sole reason that Blair chose this date to stand down as PM. Just after he screws us for the final time as PM. There is clearly a plan being executed between Gordo and Blair where Blair would do the dirty deed and Gordo has someone to blame. Someone who has then moved beyond the repercussions of his actions.
Gordo will talk it all up about him trying to stop it but if he really wanted to do so he would instigate a coup in the cabinet. It is beyond Blair to stop it now if he did. Gordo won't because this suits him. It's clearly factored into his plans.
What a conniving bunch that we have in power. Even as power changes hands the manipulation, lies and spin is clearly still on the agenda.
Back to normal.
Daughter came home late last night and although I still got up with my granddaughter this morning it will be the last time for a while. I'm looking forward to a wild evening where I go to bed later than 11:30 tonight.
So at 10:00 this morning I took the baby up to see her mum.
Checklist checked, had I done what I was supposed to, Mmmm.
1) Baby still alive, all limbs attached and fully functional. Quick look. Check.
Err. That's it. I don't have many objectives when I am looking after kids.
Here are a couple of photographs I took this week. Posted as requested by Ruthie.
My granddaughter, just a few weeks from her second birthday.
Here she is doing my work while I was worn out.
And here she is relaxing. Don't tell her mum.
Ain't she a cutie. Gets it from her grandad.
Second Life
I've been to Second Life a few times now and done some exploring. Very interesting and I met a few friendly people.
Look who I was chatting to last night after the baby was in bed.
I wonder if she looks like Nora Batty in real life. I can't complain she was pleasant enough and my avatar isn't short, tubby and bald.
I also chatted to a boxer. It seems that your SL character can build up strength, stamina and speed by going to the gym. She took me to her gym to show me around and had a wrestling match with her instructor as a demonstration. Unbelievably, it seems that they hold matches in SL where when you are a certain skill level you can get paid. They also have people in shooting competitions, sword fighting, car racing..... There is lots in there.
On the downside you can have neighbours like Tom who set up a derelict flats with sewage, dumped cars and general rubbish to make an eyesore for the awards and put pressure on him. Just goes to show it really is a slice of life.
It's certainly interesting but I still can't see the hook that will get me to part with any real money.
We are now 'Little Satan'
The Iranians, clearly our best friends in the world, think that the UK is behind everything that goes on in Iran. We are the Little Satan. Read
here.
Finally we are moving up in the world. Sadly, it's in an area we could do without the enhanced status. I'm sure that this does not bode well for the future.
I can only hope that our FO will look at the state of our foreign relations after Blair goes, I just don't see Gordo wanting to do anything in this area that costs money, and works towards repairing our worldwide standing and reputation. It should be easy if the right steps are taken and the right noises made. I just don't see it happening but fingers crossed.
Someone help me.
It's only been a week and I'm going loopy.
I find I know the names of the people in Balamory and can't get the theme song out of my head plus I find I'm looking forward to seeing Tikkabilla as I quite fancy the little blond woman presenting it. What's worse is that the TV is on for background noise and the baby doesn't even watch it. Although she dances, and I have to as well, whenever any music comes on. And I can assure you it happens a lot. It'll do me good. If I live.
As we are starting potty training I have to relive the joys of cheering when anything appears in the potty as well.
But it's not all bad news. I was finger painting today and, oh sorry, the baby was finger painting today and she made less of a mess than I did.
Anyway off to bed. I need to get my sleep because this is wearing me out.
This looks like good news.
Been busy but still managed to notice
this. So it looks like Blair won't be able to sign away our country after all.
An evening in my other life.
Up at 06:00 with the little one today. The ex-wife called at 12:00 while she was having a nap and wanted to take the little one out for the afternoon. So I got to spent a bit of time in Second Life where I discovered the seedier site of the game. I also got slapped. It really is looking too much like real life to me. I just don't see how it can be long lasting but millions of people have spent a fortune setting up homes and getting jobs. I just don't get it. It's fun at the moment though.
Anyway, I've enough drugs and booze to see off Keith Richards, Ozzy and everyone in BlogPower. Plus enough firepower to start a war.
If you are in there look me up. 'Bag Writer' I'll spend a bit of time in there at the least up until the awards ceremony which is why I joined up. And if anyone can explain what the hook is then let me know.
One thing I have noticed though. I need to improve my typing. by the time I've typed my message I've missed half the conversation when I'm with more than one person. Plus, keeping track of the threads while missing half the words is unusual enough to confuse me.
Busy few days.
I've been a bit busy for a few days. Daughter has gone away for a little holiday and I'm literally left holding the baby. Boy, have I forgotten what it was like. Getting up at 6:30 to 7:00 every day and going all day until 20:00. I thought my stint at this was long gone.
So for the last few days I've just been looking at the BBC site picking a subject and making a five minute comment. Followed by any responses I need to make. I missed going around all the blogs I normally frequent. My mother looked after her for most of the day so I caught up with the blogs today, didn't leave any comments though and finally got rid of the obsolete blogs on my sidebar. So tidying up is complete as well.
And now she is in bed I'm looking at Second Life. That's keeping me busy. So many keys and clicks. Have not found the reload or fire buttons yet. That's all I'm used to.
This doesn't look good.
It seems that the Palestinian government has sworn in a new cabinet. Read
here.
It seems however that it is missing a fundamental component, The actual winners of the popular vote. Plus, and more importantly, the people in control on the ground.
What can they be thinking? This will fan the flames, not that they need much fanning in that tinderbox.
But it's not all bad news, at least they are not killing Israelis.
What is the point of this?
This guy is a contestant on a TV show. He is also a sex offender. The police contacted the show to alert them to this fact because the victim or the victims family may see him. Now you might think that this sounds OK but I wonder why they went that far. He comes off the register next month. Read
here.
He also has clearly served whatever sentence he was set. Considering he was convicted in December 2005 and here we are 18 months later and he has clearly served his time and his sex offenders register is lapsing. Does being on the sex offenders register mean you cannot be a public figure? So theoretically next month he could be on the TV for his victim and the victims family to see. Of course no one will touch him now and with his name and a partial history made public he will have difficulty getting a job never mind getting a new place on any talent show.
This just seems to verge on the spiteful.
Important message being put out.
Well it seems that the important messages are sometimes the simplest things.
The government is planning to make the registration of fathers' names on birth certificates compulsory. The Institute of Public Policy Research said the move would send an important signal about fathers' roles and duties. Read
here.
Now if the state can't get the names of these fathers from the mother when the CSA is pushing for them how is the DWP going to do it? In addition how will another piece of paper increase the pressure on the absent partner. How heavy is a birth certificate nowadays? The fathers are not all feckless. It's just so easy for women to appeal to the blokes urges and then they are trapped. The men have no say and the women have total control. I want to be looked after for the next 20 years find a bloke willing to have sex with you. Wow! that must be difficult. Try and find one with a future, which you can deliberately screw up, or one with rich parents for one mistake. In a pinch though anyone with a willie will do. Just tell them your on the pill.
On the one hand the state says that families are better then provides financial inducement to single mums. Read
here for details. The state says that women with kids get £x. That is way over what they can earn in a part time job. Decades ago it encouraged single mums by giving them free money, houses etc. with little call on the fathers. Then it realised that this was costing a fortune and the state wanted to recoup the costs and the CSA was born. The rules were so strict that it was impossible for a father to have any life with another family unless that women was working and they wanted a cut of that too. Some of the atrocities committed by those rules are unbelievable. The people they were after simply avoided it and the ones that were hammered was the general law abiding chaps who actually were responsible parents anyway. I know families that went on the social themselves to avoid it as they were actually better off that way.
I think a stronger signal might be when the government actually comes out with a coherent all round policy on this issue which basically stops encouraging women financially to have kids. Everything else is just another sticking plaster that won't fix the problem.
Setting priorities.
Well it seems that despite being number one in cameras which are there theoretically to improve road safety our road safety figures are now the worst in Europe. Read
here.
To be honest I find it hard to believe because I was always under the impression our road safety stacked up well to theirs especially after seeing some of their driving first hand on my travels. Nevertheless it seems drink driving is on the increase again because we are concentrating on speeders. The easy target.
Bit of a shock that it should prove that drink driving should increase because there is little chance of getting caught. Probably the only way you get caught is if you have a crash. I just don't know who that could have been foreseen when they decided to remove the police from the streets and put those cameras capable of but one single purpose there instead.
So we must therefore assume that these people could see this. They just don't care because it seems to me that the guys who are paid vast amounts of money to look at these things don't see further than the end of the bank balance. Camera's bring in easy dosh for a minimal investment. Nicking drunk drivers and patrolling costs money and the fines don't compensate for the cost due to the way the fine system works never mind make a profit. To put sufficient police on the road across the UK would cost millions. Little money would be collected in comparison to the costs. Camera's are low risk as well, after all filling in the H&S sheets for the risky business of going out on the roads where there are people who may fight back must leave them little time for actually patrolling anyway.
The police are being run as a business now. The ROI for the cameras is much, much greater than for the other aspects of police work. The easy stuff with the quick returns is what they are going for so it won't be long before we see other 'crimes' where a camera will be sufficient to ensure someone parts with their dosh. That's why we are number one in the world for camera's and it will get worse. Still time to get that
hoodie while you still can.
It's easy to equate all crimes as the same all over the UK. Speeding equals going through a red light equals dangerous driving equals robbery equals assault equals murder. OK, the penalties are different but you can easily say. 'Don't know what they are complaining about. They are breaking the law'. It's true but there needs to be priorities and clearly they are skewed towards taking on the easy targets. The law abiding cash rich motorist and not the high risk muggers, burglars or drunks, drivers or otherwise.
It's finished now.
Well, the BlogPower awards have finished. I didn't win but nevertheless am pleased that so many voted for me. Thank you for that. It is nice to know that this little window to my soul is appreciated.
The process itself was quite interesting as well. A little bit of controversy. Next year will, hopefully, benefit from this and will undoubtedly be better. That is if James and his team are going to go through the trauma again.
Thanks again to all those that voted for me.
Updated Links.
Just added some new blogs to the sidebar.
These blogs were discovered through the BlogPower awards and the corresponding browsing or some who I've been visiting for a while now but not added until now.
There are some outstanding blogs out there. I wish I had the time to visit them more often.
At the end of the month I'm going to go down the links and remove any that have not posted in the last two months and that will bring my housekeeping up to date.
New business opportunities.
Came across this
article on my travels about a spy drone being used by the Merseyside Police. It got me thinking. Many, many, years ago I purchased a radio controlled helicopter with the intention of automating the controls and making them simpler, basically for people just to move the stickup and it goes up, left to go left etc. As you may be aware flying this things is not easy and takes some skill. Anyway I'm a computer person and hopeless with many other things so I never managed to control it sufficiently and the project was shelved due to lack of funding. Oh well. Look at the market now.
Back to the present, this made me think that it's time I bought a hoodie. Don't laugh. Who knows in this modern day who is watching when you walk down the street. Open a bag of crisps and one pops out on the ground. Wham! An £80 fine. The computer calculates you are walking with intent. Wham! Your face is on Crimewatch alongside Osama but displayed more prominently. But consider that with the lack of actually real coppers on the street, a hoodie or a head covering would be ideal.
I actually wonder if dropping a £50 note would generate a £80 fine as well. I have no doubt the £50 would be kept as evidence.
What else is there? A device that jams RFID tags such as those in your passports. A device to erase or destroy RFID tags. A jammer for the CCTV cameras not hard wired in. Home brewing and wine making equipment. That's the legal stuff. If I wanted to be a criminal I could go into the market for cake making, tobacconist (Just thought, it must be illegal to smoke in a tobacconists), car number plate production, passport copying. The list goes on, and on. Of course when I pop down to the local drug dealer for my cream bun I may as well pick up a Romanian sex slave, an Uzi, 20 fags and slip my change in the box marked for terrorism.
I'll stick with the legal ones, for now, these must be the next growth market in the UK. Everything else is going backwards under the guise of climate change.
How can they predict such high growth?
The African economy is predicted to expand 6.2%. Read
here. Now our economy isn't predicted to do as well but we are still going to be sending aid to them. Sounds like we don't need to send so much. Yippee! Finally.
But hold on. Now bearing that in mind it says last year it grew 5.5% and it predicts that it needs to grow by 7% if it is to half poverty rates by 2015. I'm not clear about this but I think that if our growth isn't doing so well then they don't get the aid they need, it just won't be there, so we won't be making massive increases despite what our useless politicians might think they can do with our money. Bearing in mind climate change, which already is changing peoples attitudes, and looks like it will reduce trade for Africa so their component is likely to fall or at least stagnate.
Knowing the black hole that is Africa and my, simple, understanding of what is going on over there I suspect that this statement must mean that in reality growth is hovering around the 1% mark tops for a couple of countries whilst the rest are dependant on our aid or financial jiggery pokery which has increased by the amount sufficient to bring it to 6.2% over all. In which case Africa's GDP isn't up to much nor is is looking as good as the article implies.
We really need to change what we are doing in Africa. We won't be able to keep up this level of aid forever with our bloated state and the belt tightening we will have to do with climate change as well as the million and one other 'fees' we will be paying. Eventually we just won't be willing to spend the money while we suffer at home.
In the meantime our politicians continue to pour the money into Africa exactly as we have done for decades without change. Of course it will be different this time.
Talk about out of touch.
My car insurance renewal came through today. It was for just over £300. Fully Comp and Protected No Claims. Pretty much the same as last year if I remember correctly.
So I thought I should really add my daughter to the policy so that when she passes her test she can have transport capability. So I call the renewal line and enquire about how much it will cost to add my daughter.
£1,200 ish just to add her to my policy. WTF!!!! I couldn't believe it. To be honest I was thinking it might be another £150 or so but nowhere near that much. Clearly I have lived a sheltered life.
I now understand why there are 2M people driving around without tax and insurance. No coppers on the road only speed cameras and radar vans on bridges. Even if you got caught you would never be fined the same amount you would pay for insurance, tax and keeping the car roadworthy. I'm only a poor student your honour. The alternative is to pay massive amounts and, the best bit, part of the payment is for those that have not got insurance. In reality the legitimate drivers pay for the others.
I've discussed this with my neighbour. He has three kids all with cars and it seems that it's because I've a 2l model. Whoopie Do Dah. Only a couple of years ago I had a 3.5l one. I'm sure glad that I never enquired then or I would be pushing up daisies now. He seems to think that it would be cheaper for me to buy her a Corsa 1.2 or something similar and get her insured on that. I'm going to make some enquiries but from the figures he gave me for his kids he is right.
As an aside my son is looking at taking some lessons. He is looking at going to Uni so will need some form of transport. As he is younger than my daughter, by 1.5 years, I'm convinced that I would be able to buy him a brand new Corsa for the cost of his insurance.
Scotland does badly again.
Although last time it came top in the survey for worst country for violence this time it is bottom in West Europe for 'Best small country'. It seems that the survey by one of the old governments advisers has identified Scotland as performing badly in economic performance, employment rates, health and education. Life expectancy is low as well. Read
here. Not too good for Scotland.
Now remind me if I'm wrong but wasn't Scotland a Labour stronghold. Filled with people like Mr E's favourite
Councillor Kelly. So for the past 60 years everything has been pushed as much as possible with a bias the Labour way. You could say that it is as close to the Labour ideal as anything could be. So, being a Socialist stronghold all are now in the same boat and have the same issues as everyone else in that boat which includes dying younger so that is OK then. Yet they get enhanced health care we don't get, how does that work then? With their handouts and allowances, low life expectancy and sub standard education they are looking like more like an African country than a western one.
Meanwhile in the rest of the UK there are a few areas where things are falling apart but overall everything is just bubbling along with the sheep getting fed and watered so they just carry on oblivious.
With the SNP now in power in Scotland but only having a one person majority. It is not enough to push things their own way so won't be too much rocking the boat but at least now there won't be the guaranteed bias on any new policies. Doesn't mean that there won't be a coalition of the others but you can hope.
Fingers crossed that something gets done there over the next few years. It will be interesting to watch.
New fangled technology. Just like the old stuff really..
I've been looking for a document for some time now in bookstores and on the web but no joy. On Friday I found a link to a PDF copy on BitTorrent. I knew roughly what BitTorrent was but no as much on the details so off I went to have a look and see what was there.
It's one of these P2P systems that seem to be used for all the latest pirated software packages. Looking at what is available there is a lot of pirated movies, CDs and software. And, of course, the biggest use seems to be porn. Ah well. It's what the Internet is there for.
Now I remember in the good old days linked to Usenet. Watching the percentages climb on that picture that you wanted of whatever celebrity had their kit off at the time. In those days via a 14K modem it was not much fun particularly when there was a segment missing. Funny porn was the most popular use then as well. Happily all that is available on web pages now. Although for class totty try
Theo Spark's excellent site.
Now of course you have the dubious pleasure of watching something download, albeit at a much faster rate, yet still stopping with only a few blocks to go. I've downloaded over 4Gb of files so far but, of course, the file I wanted I have about 5% of and it is only 1Mb.
There were some interesting documents on VideoBlogging and PodCasting as well as a massive selection of these short videos that are making the rounds.
The only difference from the good old days is that the files are not on a central server but spread around individuals PCs and you need to declare an interest in the files you want so you can start the transfers and also help provide the storage space and bandwidth. A good idea and an example of what can happen when the right people look at a problem.
The other thing that seems to be consistent is that everyone seems to use obscure bloody codecs for the video files . Which mean half of them don't run until you find the right codec. Why they don't stick to the tried and tested and think it is worthwhile just to save a few Kb is beyond me. Guys, think of the KISS principle.
It must be a full moon. There are so many nutters out.
All the loonies are out lately. Here is the latest from another of these that want as many cars off the road as possible and the speed cut down to 2mph. After that we will all need someone with a red flag walking in front.
Read
here as this guy proposes psychometric tests for drivers with the following two questions as examples;
At what speed would you anticipate driving down this road? Bugger! What does that number 30 mean in that sign just over there?
Have you ever left the traffic lights while they have been on red? Red? Mmmm. What other colours are there?
Now this guy might be so thick that he would fall for these questions which by the way would probably be fail questions. Everyone else would not fall for something so obvious. So the next step would be a multi page questions with those ink blots. Data kept in a government DB and analysed for any child abuse, theft, anarchistic tendencies. Not only do you not get a drivers license but a tag to wear instead.
But think of the possibilities for crime fighting. Gun license 'q21345 'Have you ever though of shooting someone?' Mmmm. Difficult one that. How about tick box questions when you want to buy knives. 'Have you ever thought about stabbing a politician or a whishy washy whiney liberal to death?' Bugger, I really need these plastic knifes. What do I say? Yes or No.
What a total tosser. He's another one been added to my list. I'm sorting them by weight so I can balance the rope out. All you need is a single span then. Although it will have to be a long one.
Security is only as good as it's weakest point.
So why is the US relaxing it's rules for passports? Read
here.
Now I'm not an expert but would this not be a good time for the bad guys to travel.
I sometime wonder why we are introducing all these new laws and making people get rectally examined by customs when they clearly are Mr and Mrs Average and the only threat is they will complain bitterly yet they then just throw the doors open because it's getting a bit busy and people have not had the common sense to apply for a passport in enough time to actually get one.
Talk about left hand right hand.
Interfering government.
This morning I got a credit card statement through the post. Nothing too exciting but it had a T&C change on it. It seems that the interest rate has gone up. I'm not sure how much until I look in my spreadsheet.
Now I was expecting this. Since the government has been interfering in private business and making grand statements about the fees being extortionate and they need to change. Of course it all being voluntary or else. The rules were already set there are charges, or penalties, defined and people have been breaking those rules and getting fined. Now I accept that in some cases there are people getting screwed by the banks but that has been the case since before Jesus found his loan refused because he didn't earn enough.
So the banks were told that the cost were exorbitant and that they needed to reflect the true costs. Banks, being businesses, are in it for the money. So they need to balance the income from somewhere so in a true reflection of today's Socialist society. The cost of the rule breaker is to be paid for by all the users as a whole. So now I, and millions of others, costs will go up for those that can't work out how to pay by a particular day, when it's written on the statement or can't work out that a balance plus this new purchase takes you over your agreed limit.
But the part that really drives me loopy. The charges need to reflect the true costs.
Parking on double yellows Cost 0 Fine £50.
Leaving your bin out a night early. Cost 0 Fine £1,000
Dropping two Quavers. Cost 0. Fine £80
Walking through town with a keg of beer. Cost 0 Fine £50
Beeping your horn in a racial manner. Cost 0 Fine £500
Failing to pay Red Ken's anti-car tax Cost £10 Fine £100
They really are a bunch of opportunistic hypocritical thieving interfering b4$^4rds.
My list is getting longer. Soon I'll either have to recycle or buy some more hemp. I'm not removing anyone unless they are already dead.
Aliens walk among us.
Here is someone who was bleeding green blood. Read
here.
Now the reason was supposed to be his medication but who believes that?
Now I wonder how soon it will be before some Spock fans start taking it to be as realistic as possible and pops off.
Standards have come down.
Reading this
article by Boris Johnson on the new edict on drinking from the DoH.
He says; 'For well over 45 centuries the human race has been squeezing grapes and fermenting the juice into anything between seven and 15 per cent alcohol, and so producing the ecstatic drink that has been as sacred to every pagan religion as it is to Christianity.
As a great French historian has pointed out, the vineyards of France are perhaps the single greatest cultural legacy of the Roman empire, and it is now more than two millennia since people in Britain first became aware of the intoxicating powers of wine.
In all that time, no government in history has yet thought the people so moronic that they needed to be told, on the bottle, that wine could go to your head'
Read the whole article. He is right. We should fight and not just this. Although I would say one thing which he clearly has not recognised.
He says that 'In all that time, no government in history has yet thought the people so moronic that they needed to be told, on the bottle, that wine could go to your head'. He forgot that at no time in history had people voted for a bunch like the current government. This alone shows that our collective IQ is dropping, almost daily, and by the middle of this century we shall be lucky if any of us can operate a DVD recorder. And if you doubt this just look at how many people still think Labour is doing the right thing.
Do these people ever think before they speak?
Take the latest statement from Peter Hain who obviously thinks that in his bid for the Labour deputy role has to just make some sound bites for telly. Read
here.
He has clearly come out with this proposal whilst talking to the 5 year old creator of the Olympic Logo. I can imagine it now. The 5 year old whispers to his mates. 'Watch how gullible these people are?' Turns to Peter Hain and suggested that because buying houses is so expensive that if the someone else paid the stamp duty instead then this would help those without houses to afford them. It's unfair that the buyers get away without paying anything. Peter's face goes blank as neurons start firing and slowly but surely the brain comes up to it's maximum potential. Needles move and the IQ digits increase until they peak, after thirty seconds, at 10% of the normal human level, about average for a politician but, precisely, half that of a total idiot. The brain processes the information. When I bought my house it was cost of house plus stamp duty. If the seller had paid I would have paid cost of house. The neurons are at full power now, well full for a politician, all the kids he is sitting with are running well about that. Move stamp duty and the buyer pays less. Yet, we still get our bit for doing nothing. And we can employ a few people to manage this process. How can we lose? Eventually, he comes to the conclusion there is no downside. His face beams and he looks at the laughing child next to him. 'You've just given me an idea' he says. The 5 year old hands him and invoice and says 'Can I have your autograph please. I want to be just like you when I grow up.' All the kids fall about but he just guesses they have seen something funny. A warning thought flickers across his mind. Too late. The neurons power down for a hard earned rest. Power down complete in 0.001 seconds. They needed a rest. He signs the paper. Another consultancy fee generated.
So out he trots with his idea in front of the media. Something that will actually increase the cost for the buyer because as sure as politicians are totally useless thieving b4$^47ds then you can be sure when things are totalled the costs will be rounded up and charges made for handling this chore by the seller. This will never get off the ground. But he could well have shown enough stupidity to get a high profile role in the government.
BlogPower Award voting now started.
The BlogPower awards are now past the nomination stage and into the voting stage.
I've been along and voted.
To my surprise I found I hd been nominated for a couple and actually made it to the voting stage for one, Best Fisker. Mmmmm. I wouldn't class myself as a Fisker, a wanna be Fisker, maybe. I've even got some votes. So thank you for that.
Now this must be the best year ever.
With this
news about the NHS having a £500M surplus we can only see things getting better.
With this £500M saving we can look forward to a saving of even more next year. It looks like it's all coasting downhill from here.
All hail the government bean counters who
fiddled the booksmanaged to make such a considerable saving.
Someone makes a mistake. You get entertainment.
Go and see
this at Tim Worstall's site. I sprayed tea all over my keyboard and screen.
Just one pathetic little sound triggered it.
Virgin Media really is crap.
Last Thursday evening my set top box went faulty. It started crackling and you could not hear what was going on. So I phoned up Tech Support on Friday for an engineer. Earliest they could get one was Tuesday. So I objected and was also put on a list if there was a cancellation.
Today I called to see what time my engineer is coming around. Nobody is. Seems one was sent out on Friday but I was not in. I did go out for half an hour, if that, to pick the little one up. Clearly there was a cancellation but no card was left. What a surprise. They are offering me an engineer for Friday but I'm objecting again and the system is down so they can't do anything special at the moment for booking something.
Can Virgin really stick to that name when it is clearly screwing me? I've got no TV and have no chance of getting it for a week. And yet the customer is their priority. I don't think so. I'm clearly not.
Where is the competition? It seems my other options are that I go Sky or
Freeview. I don't watch a lot of telly so either would not be a problem for me. Tonight we will have a family meeting and we can discuss it.
Only problem is with telling them to get stuffed is that I use the broadband, a lot, and I still want that. I could go to
BT as there are other benefits such as a fixed
IP. Or I stick with Virgin broadband which I have not had a problem with. Do I just get rid of them completely?
One thing is certain. I'm getting rid of the TV. I'll have to change my phone as well as I may want to move broadband as well and a
BT line is required. It's slightly cheaper as well for the
volume of calls I use.
So current status of decision making process :
1) TV moves to Sky or
Freeview.
2) Phone to
BT and I need to decide do keep the same number or not.
3) Leave broadband with Virgin.
One thing that always annoys me about this
sort of situation is that whenever you call the call centres the people are really nice. I've spoken to a few and even when I start they are still polite. It's difficult going on at them when they are not the problem. I'd hate to work in a call centre. I tell them that I'm not getting at them but their organisation and they apologise. It's part of the training. From what I can work out most of the population will feel better with an apology. Personally, I find automatic apologies from a third party annoying. It's not something they caused. They are apologising because that is what they are expected to do and it is meaningless. Interestingly enough I like the engineers apologies because it is more like it. I'm sorry for the delay but our management is crap. How can you argue with that?
No comment necessary
Go and read
this at Tim Blairs. Then try and think of what they must be thinking to make a decision like this.
Olympic Logo. Cool idea.
I think it's wonderful that they allowed a school competition to create a logo for the London Olympic Games in 2012.
Especially when they chose the work of that 5 to 8 year age group. The children's parents must be ecstatic. Although maybe they shouldn't have chosen the entry from the mentally disabled team but you know how it is nowadays. I hope they were not sick from the crayons.
Update : I've just found out that they actually paid money for this. And it was done by grown ups. Well clearly kids were involved somewhere. And vicious mean ones at that.
Update 2 : Apparently the whole thing was done by adults and cost £400K. Surely that was within budget. I'm not holding my breath.
Update 3 : I've just remembered that they are looking at the World Cup next. I'd like to take this opportunity to announce that my Granddaughter is going into the design business. She's just coming up to two but she is showing some promise. She has already drawn something similar to that logo already.
Taking DNA without consent.
Just finished reading Chris Ryan's book Ultimate Weapon. It's based around the reasons for going to war with Iraq and I quite like these sorts of stories which you don't have to think too hard about.
Anyway, in one chapter they have a sample of this guys hair and then the feed it into the big one. Big one? The one that has being secretly built up from samples taking for other purposes and sent for analysis which DNA is secretly tested and stored. I had thought about this before, a long time ago, but thought we would never keep it quiet but after the last few years where school teachers are taking fingerprints of kids and nothing is done, no big outcry, it was not so far fetched.
This was so simple that even our useless government could do it.
You visit the hospital or whatever, get blood taken which is sent to a central lab. Central lab tests blood and also extracts DNA and puts on DB. You get your results and are none the wiser. DB is only accessible to certain groups to keep the people in the know down. Classified project. Think of all the blood tests taken for all new born babies, people that visit hospital even if just for a minor scrape.
Hell, they may even have their own DNA lab. How many of these Labs are there in the UK? Do they all get processed by a central lab as well? If they need to get someones DNA just send them a Child Support form. Slapper X says you are the dad. Brilliant, not only do they provide a sample but they also have to pay for it. Can it get any better than that for these guys?
Now I'm in the situation where I actually find I believe this DB exists. Yet, have absolutely no evidence whatsoever. My thought processes are saying it must be true.
Is this how conspiracy theories start?
Blogpower Awards 2007
Nominations are open for these new, highly-transparent, awards. They are another James Higham initiative for the betterment of the blogosphere brought to you by the Blogpower bloggers' cooperative.
Nominations and voting are both open to all in the following categories :-
- Best Britblog or Column
- Best North American Blog or Column
- Best Blog or Column outside North America and the U.K.
- Best Fisker
- Best Ranter
- Best Political Blog or Column
- Best Blogpower Blog or Column
- Best Layout and Style
- Best Blog Name
- Best Little Blogger (Less than 100 uniques a day)
- Most Articulate Wordsmith
- Most Under-rated Blog or Column
- Most Over-rated Blog or Column
- Most Politically Incorrect Blog or Column
- Most Sadly Missed Blog or Column
- Most Consistently Entertaining Blog or Column
- Prettiest or Tastiest Blog or Column (foodie/domestic goddess blogs)
- Award for Services to Blogging
- Best Post of All Time
- Most Unintentionally Humorous post
List of current nominees, plus all the information you need is over at Blogpower HQ,
Defending the BlogUniquely, you are encouraged to nominate your own blog, so here is an opportunity for hitherto underappreciated or even previously unseen gems to shine.
This entire article was stolen from Tom Payne's blog
The Last Ditch because it said all that was need to be said, was better written that anything I could do and it was quicker to cut and paste than type. Thanks Tom. Who probably does not know yet.
Happiness. How do you measure it?
There is an
article at the Adam Smith Institute Blog by Tim Worsall on happiness and how the UK is one of the happiest places around. Being classed as happy. Read the linked articles for the full details.
Maybe I'm just thick, and I'm not discounting it, but unless you go to a club and discuss the topic most of us seem to discuss things that make us unhappy. We discuss the pathetic state of the weather, taxes, the state of the country, how useless our politicians are, how stupid people are on the latest fad show and blogs and the media seem to do nothing but talk about things that are -ve as well, accidents, disasters, bad uns, how bad we are as a people or the state of the UK. It's our culture. Using this basis you would assume that most of us are unhappy.
A few weeks ago I was told by a reader if I was so unhappy I should move abroad. I responded that I wasn't that unhappy. In fact I personally was doing OK. Family OK, good job, enough money to live on. I just didn't think the situation was OK and fair. It is unlikely to impact on me personally because of where I live but will on others in other places and it does not fit in with my sense of fair play and is therefore not right. Does that make me unhappy? Sure, a little bit, but unhappy as a whole, No.
I've always classed myself as an average bloke. What I see and like most other blokes do as well. At least 95%. The real blokes not these namby pamby whingey whiney people though. The noisy 5% that seem to get 95% of the attention. So I would guess that 95% of the general population is like me as well. but that is pure guesswork. Do they base it on the number of murders, riots, strikes? If so would we be in the top group? I doubt it many places which are not there have better records than us.
So, if this country is high on the list of happy people and we all know what is happening here then it makes me fear for the future when so many other countries are unhappy. And they all seem to blame their unhappiness on us. partly due to our foreign policy and our whingy whiney people apologising for everything. Someone sees us apologising for the situation they are in and all of a sudden it is our false. They then want compensation and revenge. Now apologising may make us happy but it then leads to unhappiness elsewhere.
The twist in the tale is that we have an article that comes to a conclusion I kind of agree with but based on no facts I understand. That worries me as that was my original feeling on the death penalty, interment, gun bans, drug policy and immigration. All the things I agreed about on gut feel have bitten the dust through logic.
Mmmm. I'm unhappy now.
and ended as a peaceful morning.
Well I went round to discuss the kids with the mum this morning.
As expected the mum had been brought up to speed including who the culprits were. I explained from my side what had happened. It wasn't her kids of course. They were suitably apologetic and so was she. She explained how she had given them a hard time and how sorry they were. All this while in the house the kids were running around screaming and shouting and having a good time.
I explained that as far as I was concerned it was over and I would forget it but if something else happened while she was away then next time I would call the police. I said I was not risking my family because her kids were out of control and suggested that she watches who their friends were. She said she had banned the two lads who were here from the house. Well, I remember when my parents didn't like any of my friends. I just ignored them.
I've done what I can. We will just have to see.
It started as a peaceful evening.
So there I was watering the garden and thud. Something flew past my head and landed on the grass. Looked down and there was an empty beer bottle. Knowing the neighbours and the trajectory it could only be from one place so off I went. Only took a few steps before another thud informed me another had arrived and as I exited my garden I heard another bottle shattering onto concrete.
Two doors away I heard the teenagers laughing as they ran into the house after hearing the breaking glass. The must have thought that as it was going dark nobody would be out and the first we knew would be smashing glass. By the time we got out there would be no sign of anyone. Must have been a shock then when there was a loud banging on the front door. It went quiet inside as if they were hoping that ignoring it would solve the problem. After a couple of further bangs on the door it was opened by the eldest daughter.
Fourteen years of age. Already a heavy drinker, smoker and from what I understand also a different type of smoker as well. In the background her brother, twelve I think, and also a bit of a drinker and smoker, he looked a bit fearful. 'Hi, What's up?' she says as if I have just come round for a cup of sugar. 'Where is your mum?' I ask. 'Out at a party' 'OK. Who has been throwing bottles into my garden?' Silence.
'I want someone round right now to pick up this glass' I said as I walked away. 'I'll do it' said the lad. He followed me up the road followed by someone I didn't know. When we got to my house I let the son in and told the other lad to take a hike. Or something like that.
Got him some gloves and a bucket and while he was picking up the glass I asked him who had thrown it. He mentioned a name I thought I recognised. He also told me him mum would not be back until 4:00 or so. I told him I would be round the next day to speak to her. I also remembered where I had heard the name. He was one of a gang of troublemakers from a neighbouring estate. One with a bit of a youth problem, drink, drugs and violence. Great.
So tomorrow I will go around. She will be all apologetic, make the kids apologise, which they will do without any problems, and yet nothing will change. She will blame it on the others and carry on as normal, Well, normal for her.
What else can I do? My only other real option was calling the police. What would that have done? They would not have done anything. The only person who could do something is not even there. What hope do the kids have?
Freedom is something that needs to be fought for.
Someone quoted this to me yesterday which came from a Liberal, John Mill, as a justification against what is happening to us on a regular basis in the UK.
"the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection. That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant."
I have no idea where he got that from he is normally a Sun man but he does visit a few blogs so it could be on one of those. I googled for the name myself.
I often wonder how people who have fought for freedom or still live in an oppressive society when even speaking out about these things can leave to death or imprisonment are the ones who really believe in them. Here we are in the UK where we are supposed to be free but many of the things which define a free society no longer exist or are perverted so they may as well not exist. Yet we still class ourselves as free. Our ancestors fought for it and we earned the rights that go with the fighting. We spread that around and we have not been invaded yet so we must still be free. Yet, we clearly are not.
One of the sites I visit on a regular basis is SurvivalBlog. A quote today explains what I feel is happening to the West. The
quote is by Norman Podhoretz, editor, Commentary, Harvard Business Review, 1981.
"Far from being grateful defenders of the system from which they have profited, the children of capitalism tend to turn against it. Thus it is that radicals and even revolutionaries almost always stem from the middle and upper classes rather than the working class or the poor, in whose name they presume to speak. And thus it is that what is called liberalism today is increasingly identified with the more, rather than the less, prosperous sectors of American society."
It's all these people who have lived lives untouched by anything in life that do not see the dark side of humans and truly believed the world is a magical and peaceful place. They see the Israelis as the bad guys being a technically superior force picking on those poor Palestinians. It is of no interest to them that the Palestinians keep blowing themselves up. The media who seem to be made up of the same type of people does not help.
Same with many of the things in life they are protected in the areas they live and therefore nobody on the planet needs weapons to defend themselves. They don’t get SO19 kicking their way into their homes shooting therefore it’s not a problem. Hypocritically they insist on severe punishments and removal of rights for others doing the same things they do. On the other hand they do get called names so we need to stamp this out.
Maybe Freedom is something you don’t appreciate until you have fought for it. Maybe I will never have to but sometime, soon, it will have to be fought for again. If I’m around then I’m sure I would do what I need to do to protect my family. I won’t be relying on a third party.
It's Tax Freedom Day
Finally, we have got to the day where we have finished paying for Gordos bloated public sector for this year.
I'd have a party but I need to put a bit aside to pay for the PFI deals that have not been covered by this.
