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New Media Success for Tories

Flickr Photo Download: Anatomy of a hashtag: #cashgordon

That story in full….

Cash Gordon: Or, how a Tory hashtag plan backfired | Technology |


Black Power protest, Mexico 1968

BBC NEWS | Magazine | The other man on the podium

An interesting story about the Australian Silver Medalist caught up in the protest. The documentary is well worth checking out.

Wincanton Town Council

Lawyers have been called in to help resolve a row about floral displays in Wincanton.

I really like the quote –

“There is a big difference between deliberate concealment and a unintentional misunderstanding. The idea is to iron out these bugs in-house.”

Oh, my speeding ticket was unintentional. I didn’t mean to do it. I was only on the mobile at the time because they rang me – so it’s their fault I hit the child… etc, etc.

In the eyes of the law, ignorance is not an excuse. Especially when you are in the public service.

Jail knife carriers, says Cameron

BBC NEWS | Politics | Jail knife carriers, says Cameron

Conservative leader David Cameron calls for tougher measures to tackle knife crime


Likely suspect no 1.

Suspicious white male with a knife.

Diploma: How blair is still messing it up.



Bid for respect could kill off diplomas | Mortarboard | Guardian Unlimited

Read the rest of this entry

Spoilt children are unpleasant shock

The latest exhaustive research has shown that if parents spoil their children at home, it leads to disruptive behaviour in school.

“Some children are spoiled and it is not their fault, it is their parents.” Said the lead Researcher, Roald Dahl. “It was very clear in one case where the father, Mr Salt was so keen for a quiet life he would use money to placate his daughter, Veruca. This led to a poor emotional development and the use of manipulative behaviour in other situations.”

The full report is available on demand from Amazon, Waterstones, WH Smith and all good shops as Book or audio Recording. It is also available in two alternate renditions on DVD or VHS.

BBC NEWS | Education | Spoilt children ‘disrupt schools’

Web Filtering Issue

It is not often that I agree with Microsoft. But this to me is the same as censoring TV programmes because ‘children may be watching’. The best option is to educate children.

What happens is that all shows get dumbed down, but stay just as violent. This would happen on the internet to. Would it be the accidental blockees that would break through (I was once blocked in a school for searching ‘Play’ and ‘Tents’ while doing a tent construction project).

No. Porn will always find a way through. As will anything that someone wants to block. There are hundreds of ways through, so stop treating the symptom and look for the cause.

Microsoft exec tells MPs pre-installed security filters would mark a return to the ‘dark ages’ | Media |

Setting [filtering controls] at a high level is the equivalent to blocking the internet … it would be living in the dark ages in my view.”

Lambert was responding to a suggestion made by another witness before the culture select committee today, who had said filtering software should be pre-installed at a high security setting.

Iraqi Interpreters

Are our MP’s actually doing anything for the Iraqi interpreters? Of 12 known to a connection, 3 are now dead. This is beyond stupid. This is beyond ignorant.

If the British government had have got off it’s fat lazy arse when they got out of Basra, they could have saved some of these guys. To offer them pick up in Summer 2009 is a joke. A very black joke.

Most are running for their lives. Basra is not safe. Things are only getting better in Baghdad because all the insurgents are in Afghanistan or Basra. Relatives of the interpreters are being kidnapped because of the assumed money lavished upon interpreters. So they try to get out – to Jordan, to Egypt, anywhere.

If you and your family are under threat of death, making an application will not help. Getting a ticket number and waiting will not stop you being kidnapped, tortured, beaten, blown up, shot, hacked to death or stoned. Only getting out of that country will help.

Yet nowhere is safe. The Danes have lifted theirs out. The American Media is full of one of stories of interpreters being rescued. Why are we, the british public, the british media, the british government, ignoring this issue?

Write to your MP. Ask them what they have done. If they are Conservative, help them make the Labout Government look bad. If they are labour, ask them about their responsibility. If they are Lib Dem, ask them what they have done as part of their protest.

Write to your newspapers. Ask them why they are not reporting this issue. I have seen conversations with these people. It is not hard to find this information.

Fuck keeping quiet. WHAT ARE WE DOING?

Sack your MP

Did you know that there is no job description for an MP? Check it out. Go to The Work for You and check out how much money your MP gets for their ‘job’. Just have a look. Notcie that their expenses could keep you comfortable for a few years.

Fancy meeting your MP? all the information is here Why not find out what they intend to do for the money you pay them. They need all the help they can get, lets face it.

I mean, it’s obviously really important to have a job description. How else can you make performance targets that really mean anything? Just look at all those targets that MP’s set for the Police. Or Teachers. Or GP’s. Or Nurses. Look at how useful they are for making the job more efficient. Just look at all the happy smiling faces of the happy workforce. Like the Police. Or Teachers. Or GP’s. Or Nurses.

Now, imagine how hard it is for an MP not to have these targets to hit. Why don’t we help them out a little? otherwise, how will we know just how efficient they are being with our money?

Lets all set ourselves a target. Project manage your MP today. You know it makes good, economic sense.

Iraqi Interpreters – PQM

We have now had a response from David Heath (MP), who happens to be Lib Dem. He has been chasing this one for a while, and he sent a transcript from the PQM of 8th October. here are some interesting excerpts…

Obviously, we welcome the Government’s change of heart in relation to interpreters and other civilians, but we are entitled to ask why it has taken so long and precisely how generous the terms will be. What is the Government’s estimate of the number of people who will be entitled to take advantage of that change of policy?

The harsh truth is that Britain’s involvement in Iraq has been a catastrophe. Is it not time now to set a framework and a programme for the complete withdrawal of all our forces from Iraq?

The Prime Minister:
On the specific questions about interpreters, let me give the House the information. There are probably 200 who would immediately qualify as past staff members. There are 250 who are staff members at the moment. There may be others who will join that list once they have done a year’s service. We will discharge our obligations that they will either gain help to go to a country of their choice or be able, in agreed circumstances, to come to the United Kingdom. We will provide the support that is necessary for that to happen.

We will discharge our obligations. The Iraqis will take responsibility for their own security, and we will support them in doing so.

Can the Prime Minister give a reasonable and reliable figure for the likely number of ex-Ministry of Defence Iraqi employees who might come to Britain to seek asylum in due course? Finally, the Prime Minister has frantically been trying to row away from the Blair project and the Blair war—frantically rowing away from the Blair mother ship, as it were. Will he really make a difference, and show why he is so different, by apologising to the British people for this debacle?

The Prime Minister:
I think that I told the House the numbers of interpreters and other staff who would qualify under the scheme we have announced today. There are 200 who have already completed their work and 250 or so in situ. There are others who may qualify once they complete their work with us over a period of a year or more. Those are the kind of figures involved. They will either be people who will go to another country, with support from us, or, in agreed circumstances, come to the United Kingdom.

So… it would appear that any Iraqi who has been employed by the British armed forces for more than a year can take a ticket and wait to be rescued from almost crtain torture. You are number ’75’ in the queue. Your call is imporatnt to us. Press hash at any time to hear the options again.

Mr. Doug Henderson (Newcastle upon Tyne, North) (Lab):
I have a constituent who was involved in international protection for an international statesman who was visiting Iraq, and his life was saved by two local Iraqi security men. Are they the kind of staff whom my right hon. Friend envisages might be given access to the United Kingdom, as my constituent has requested?

The Prime Minister:
The persons I am talking about are mainly interpreters and translators who have worked for the British forces in Iraq—our direct employees, some of whom have finished their work but are vulnerable to attack, and some of whom are still working with us but do not meet the year’s qualification, although they may do so at a later date. Those are the men and women who would qualify for the proposals that we are putting forward today.

But no Timetable. That would be a Plan. And failure to plan is planning to fail. Put a deadline, otherwise they will be dead before they get through to a call adviser!

We have pulled out of Basra. Why are these people still there?

Can he really only ‘think of people’ and not take action?

All thos in favour of not just voting, but doing something raise theri hands…

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