Posts by jm83

Dragon Bannatyne threatens to break arms of 'Russian' bloke

rewards for violence

Why cant a working man in this day and age pay for violence to be inflicted upon would be familial harmers... Once again its one rule for the rich and....

London plods raid Wikipedia in counter-anarchist operation

Re: Aaron Em

Have you looked hard for a good Anarchist argument or just raged down the pub about what you perceive anarchism to be?

Re: Living through the 70s

You might want to have a try at reading it. Its more to do with having a raving lunatic in the Whitehouse, political meddling in the middle east, fear of imminent apocalypse, strikes, etc etc.

I dont think people are offended by sexist/racist jokes, but they do make you look lazy, stupid and/or racist/sexist.

Smoking in confined public places is just rude and a pain in the arse for the majority of people who, guess what, dont smoke.

CCTV - hmmm, yes theres lots and its of questionable value, but I've never felt its impact really and I believe its still illegal in residential areas

Not wearing a seatbelt, bit stupid really innit? some laws are there to protect imbeciles. If you're caught speeding, youre caught speeding. tough titties, take it like a man.

Has anyone ever sued the council for grazing a knee? Sue a surgeon for leaving a scalpel in you yeah.

You seem to be living in Daily Mail land?

Strange Days Indeed

+1 for Francis Wheen's book Strange Days Indeed: The Golden Age of Paranoia. We seem to be living through the 70s (which is great for me as I wasnt alive the first time)

Scotland Yard probes News of the World computer hacking claims

HMRC

thats unlikely to happen... Private Eye often carry interesting stories about the head of HMRC.

Doom dude says violent games lower aggression

Research

How about someone does some actual tests into this. Maybe using one of those machines out of bladerunner.

NotW 'targeted' phone of Sarah Payne's mum

Re: Yawn

Then stop effing reading articles about it.

Some of us are still interested.

Ten... in-ear headphones

Nice buds

I have a pair of Creative EP830 - £30 - £40 (anything less and their fakes) which work very nicely.

I cant really compare them to any of the ones you've reviewed mind.

Virgin Media sees 36,000 cable customers scarper in Q2

My experience

the cable was great... let down massively though when I moved to a non cable area. I originally intended to leave and was hit with a disconnection bill of £120 (no one mentioned I would be hit with this during the call where i asked to leave). Despite paying for one package and one cable, the £120 was because they make three disconnection charges (tv, phone and bb). This is compounded further by the fact I'd had the service for about 2 yrs but recently upgraded the TV from M to L, this of course (though no one mentioned at the time) reset my 12 month contract.

Eventually agreed to continue with virgin copper bb (with very patchy WiFi modem), until the contract expired when I move to Be Broadband (which provides a much quicker and reliable service). (Also worth noting Virgin continued charging me and tried to blame BE for not using the MAC correctly?!)

This is why, despite their excellent cable service, i will always think twice about using them again

George Lucas defeated by Stormtrooper helmet man

re: Lucas

According to one Prof Kermode, Lucas himself admits he can't tell a story he just thinks of the characters of action figures. He also apparently believes all the scenes that ever need to be imagined have already been filmed and so just copies whats already out there.

Contract

He should've had a contract really.

I know Lucas is rich enough already and was clearly using bullying tactics. However the helmets and armour wouldnt be worth squat if it wasnt for the films.

Market rationalist pigs get the best choice of totty

rebuttles

"Julie Bindel's assertion that foreign women working in London brothels was evidence of sex slavery" - I dont know the content of the original article, but given that prostitution in itself is illegal, by definition all prostitutes employers (pimps if you like) are therefore also illegal, this means the pro's have no employment rights and are more vulnerable to being taken advantage of (if you'll excuse the pun)

"Jeremy Leggett has told us that solar cells will be price-comparable with coal-fired 'leccy in a couple of years thus we must throw lots of subsidy cash at solar right now: wouldn't it be better to wait until they actually are price-comparable, and then install them?" - Presumably the point here is that the photovoltaic industry needs customers and investment to become cost-effective... that isnt going to be acheived by everyone sitting on their hands. (the fact that solar in the UK is a bit silly is by the by)

Chinese lecturer demands his students acquire iPads

ambiguity

I think its relevant to point out that two other purveyors of sharp suits and light make up are recruitment consultants and estate agents.

Euro beaks to rule if TVCatchup.com is legal

and...

if the TV channels decide to show crap or go out of business then TVCatchup will find itself in trouble.

TVCatchup is parasitic, but it is (as you say) only offering a service that the Channels should be offering.

Given we (the licence paying public) own at least some of those channels, I think it should be ruled illegal.

Japanese erections named 'Bollox', 'Wonder Device'

Fabulous Awning

Will John Stalker and Drummer be doing the advertising?

'Wilful blindness? We've heard of it,' says Murdoch

Mr magoo

He's doing an excellent impression of a confused and frail old man.

If it turns out that it is the case he is way past it, well I think it was sun tzu who said "when your enemy is at their weakest, that is when you should strike hardest" (or words to that affect)

Rebekah Brooks quits - Murdoch accepts this time

Comment below

It may or may not be hacking. It is still illegal to intercept telecommunication messages not intended for you.

Same as reading someones post.

riddled

Her use as a meatshield for the murdochs had clearly run its cause.

I'm sure she will still get herself a plum job somewhere else... hopefully it will be working in the kitchens at her majesty's pleasure though.

IT suppliers fear new GP consortia will 'create difficulties'

Re: Excellent

When companies like this 'complain' about gov't measures I generally assume it means they are ecstatic over said measures.

Think about when the Banks complained about some of osbournes 'tough' talking.

Heavy coffee drinking wards off deadly cancer in men

Re: Risk

Care to back this claim up?

How is 'old age' defined?

I smell something which would expelled from near a bull's prostate.

NHS IT dino-project NPfIT should be killed off - NAO

Re: Privacy

When you say 'the NHS', which bit are you referring to?

GP practices are private firms set up much like solicitor practices. They are funded by NHS tariffs is all.

Hospitals are all either funded like universitys (again NHS tariffs) or on route to be funded in this way.

PCT's which commission the services and calculate the tariffs are being scrapped to be replaced by consortia of GPs.

SHA's which provide some sort of guidance and manage direction from DoH, also being scrapped.

The NHS as an entity you can blame doesnt really exist anymore.

Coalition fails business on banks, says survey

Eggs in a basket

Yes, it shows financial prudence and objectivity. If someone is betting their house and kids on a business they're an idiot. It's cheaper and safer to bet with other peoples money (the banks).

It's all arse about tit anyway, if a bank isnt willing to invest in you, theres probably something wrong with your business plan.

re: wtf

So in your world... loans are surely non existant? either everyone uses their own savings for everything or theyre not worth investing in?

Also, if you perhaps set up a business, would you not want some personal savings for when it (probably) all goes tits up?

Facebook Comments kill web freedom

More interesting friends...

...get some and you may find it less boring.

Radioactive Tokyo tapwater HARMS BABIES ... if drunk for a year

Titanic

people forget, there were hundreds of hours of uneventful, perfectly enjoyable sailing before the titanic hit that iceberg.

Brian May stands up for Welsh badgers

Muckspreader

The clues in the name really; surprise surprise he is also a farmer... and known for spouting shit on occasion.

South West Trains puts squeeze on commuters

Southeastern

I'm not a spotter so couldn't tell you if they're the same type of carriages but SouthEastern use carriage with a similar 2 - 3 layout... needless to say the rows of 3 seats are best avoided.

NHS to share foreigners' data with border agency

Re: better data distribution

That sounds a lot like what is intended with the much derided SCR... I hope you weren't one of those who opted out?

Woman fingers ex in 15-foot strip pole theft mystery

Getting my coat already.

Probably took it down the pawn [porn] shop

Jon Bon Jovi accuses Steve Jobs of murdering music biz

Re: Pierre

Actually theres a lot to be said for the medieval model,

Where else in the world is music so professionalised?

In poorer parts of the world it's just about getting together having a sing song and bonding.

That said, World Music is shite.

too late

music died when someone figured out how to record it.

Oh wait no it didnt die, it just changed.

Fukushima update: No chance cooling fuel can breach vessels

Re: Chernobyl "not that serious."

Perhaps you'd like to elaborate on that?

Making allusions and guesses doesnt help anyone. lets have some facts.

Dim Brits think TARDIS IS REAL

Re: Relative

I was talking about earth time... If I happen to find a way to go quick enough to slow time, I wont be travelling in earth time anymore.

Pint for you though sir.

not always

There is an American physicist (Ronald Mallett) who has developed a machine that in theory could bring things here from the future. So time travel would be possible but you could only go back to when the machine was turned on. or something.

Anyway, were travelling through time now at the rate of 60 mins per hour. (Slower when moving faster)

Arguably

They exist... they just don't work as intended.

Whitehall to puff punters: 'Hide your fags'

on second thought...

...smoking does have negative externalities other than on the users health. For instance cleaning up of ciggy butts or enforcement of bans/legal age of purchase. Also arguably the VAT should not be included in the comparison as this is applicable to most goods and contributes towards a society in which people have money/means to buy ciggys.

Agreed.

People should be able to take whatever substance they like, but should be taxed at an appropriate level that the state can afford to pick up the pieces.

Currently we pay to keep narcotics illegal (massively when it comes to police, customs etc) and then pay to pick up the peices when people abuse them.

Make them legal, clean and tax em.

Surprise.

Cost: £5bn per yr.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8086142.stm

Revenues received: £10.5bn

http://www.the-tma.org.uk/tma-publications-research/facts-figures/tax-revenue-from-tobacco/

Turns out you smokers are doing the rest of us a favour. Cheers.

I'm quite glad all that nasty tar and crap in your artery's is doing something productive.

Have a pint on me.

Addiction?

I've often wondered if the enjoyment from smoking is largely derived from the release of tension, caused by the cravings.

The above post would seem to suggest someone needs to take a quick 5 mins outside. get some 'fresh' air.

Government needs to bring IT skills in-house

Re: Ir35

Isnt IR35 about making sure contractors pay a fair amount of tax on their earnings?

Contractors can and do still earn upwards of £500per day, which is quite a substantial amount. They also often still dodge tax, which doesn't help anyone.

'You don't even know what change management is'

Re: Point Proven?

Would you put the manager of a finance dept in charge of the HR dept? Would you put the manager of a hospital trust in charge of a car factory? Would you put Alex ferguson in charge of the England Rugby squad?

In the same way you have managers who specialise in different areas of business or different entire industries, you can have people who specialise in managing change. Is that so difficult to grasp?

It's the same with journalist surely, being a 'Journalist' does not qualify you to write about any subject.

beaurocrats.

You will want us to sack all those paper pushers in the payroll department then?

Mid-Atlantic Ocean temperatures peaked in 1998

Armchair science

So taking the average along one line of latitude give you the full picture? It tell's scientists something, but nothing about global climate change (man made or not).

Gamble

It's never going to be certain one way or the other, however, if we act and man made climate change is wrong then all we will have done is saved some energy, created some new sciencey industry, possibly found new fuel sources and generally increased effeciency/reduced wastage all round.

What happens if no one does anything and man made climate change turns out to be real?

Climate Change

The average weather in one locale is not Climate.

Amazon buys Lovefilm

Re: Website

I also think the service is fine, if disks dont work you can tell them and generally get a replacement and freebie sent out quickly.

Agree about the advertising, although I just send it all back to them.

UK doctor loses unencrypted laptop containing patient data

Re: Personal Laptop - In a secure enviornment

"The NHS" does not exist, it is merely a wrapper to identify something currently made up of thousands of small organisations (GP's, hospitals) grouped under 150odd PCT's and 10 SHA's. There is no 'one' NHS desktop environment or standard. They generally play it their own way to some extent, which may explain the enormous expense and complexity of the NPfIT.

When IT projects go right

Clarification

You're perhaps playing a bit fast and loose with those numbers, the £12.7bn is over 10 years, it has also been reduced, it was down to at least £12.1bn by the end of the Labour Gov't and I presume it is lower still now. It is also not just being spent on the health records, for that money we get electronic x-rays (widely hailed as a triumpth), electronic prescriptions, choose and book, 1 internal mail system, NHS Spine network thing... etc etc.

Increasing the healthcare spend per person is a different argument. I presume this figure is calculated based on how much the average person requires anyway. Do people get turned away because a care provider has run out of money?

Personally, I'm quite happy money is being spent to modernise the NHS, the patient records system makes sense, it is logical that their should be a standard health record that can easily be transmitted between care providers when I move or need care whilst not being at home.

My understanding is the delays in implementation of certain elements can be put down to the fractured nature of the NHS (12 SHA's and 125 PCTS) of course with 3-500 GP consortia in charge this will improve Im sure.