While I’m in a “fed up with the Government” kind of mood (which, let’s face it, is most of the time) have a read of this superb blog entry by Womble:
Womble's Rants: It's gone too far
Says it all for me, at the moment.
Wednesday, 21 November 2007
Roll of Honour
I was inspired to start blogging after reading some excellent blogs maintained by a few of the guys and gals on the Ludlow Survivors website. These ones are particularly noteworthy:
Womble’s Rants
Spike’s Mutterings
…and while on the subject, if you have even a passing interest in preparing for the unexpected, have a look on my favourite message board:
Ludlow Survivors
All well worth a read in my humble opinion.
Womble’s Rants
Spike’s Mutterings
…and while on the subject, if you have even a passing interest in preparing for the unexpected, have a look on my favourite message board:
Ludlow Survivors
All well worth a read in my humble opinion.
You wouldn’t want one of these in your bath!
Check this out:
I heard on the news this morning that archaeologists have discovered the fossilised remains of a giant scorpion that lived 320 million years ago. It would have been 2.5 meters long with bleeding great claws - quite a beast really. Apparently, it's OK though, because it didn’t have as sting in its tail. Bloody hell, I don’t think it needed one!
Full story here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7104421.stm
Full story here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7104421.stm
Bloody Labour Muppets (Again)!
There I am, doing my best to chill out driving home last night when THIS comes up on the news!
I am absolutely staggered that such important data has been treated as though it were no more important than an ordinary parcel. What concerns me even more is the implication this has for a Government that claims to be able to manage a complete National Identity Register. I had little trust in the Government to start with, but whatever little there may have been has now been eroded completely. How inept can a system be that allows key, personal data to be copied onto a CD?
What angered me further still was the attitude of the Home Office spokesman on Radio 4 last night. She patronisingly claimed that the National Identity Database would be free from this sort of risk as it was much more technically complex (I paraphrase her exact words, but that was the clear implication). To me this rationale is fundamentally flawed. In all other aspects of life, until someone can manage a simple system successfully, they are not given control of a more complex one. Would an RAF Tornado pilot be allowed to fly millions of pounds-worth of fast jet if they had not first mastered the controls of a basic, propeller driven trainer? I think not.
Our current Government seems to be of the belief that if there is a problem, technology has the ability to solve it. They never look at the underlying management structures and systems (the NHS being a glaring case in point) but simply invest billions in computer technology. Furthermore, I do not believe that they have the background or expertise to understand the gravity of this assumption. How can a bunch of people with little “real world” experience claim to know best how to implement a massive computer database. A system may have all of the safeguards in the world, but that does not take into account the human factor. I shudder when I think of the ramifications should even more critical, personal data to be lost from an even more comprehensive database.
My advice? Write to your MP and get onboard with these guys.
I am absolutely staggered that such important data has been treated as though it were no more important than an ordinary parcel. What concerns me even more is the implication this has for a Government that claims to be able to manage a complete National Identity Register. I had little trust in the Government to start with, but whatever little there may have been has now been eroded completely. How inept can a system be that allows key, personal data to be copied onto a CD?
What angered me further still was the attitude of the Home Office spokesman on Radio 4 last night. She patronisingly claimed that the National Identity Database would be free from this sort of risk as it was much more technically complex (I paraphrase her exact words, but that was the clear implication). To me this rationale is fundamentally flawed. In all other aspects of life, until someone can manage a simple system successfully, they are not given control of a more complex one. Would an RAF Tornado pilot be allowed to fly millions of pounds-worth of fast jet if they had not first mastered the controls of a basic, propeller driven trainer? I think not.
Our current Government seems to be of the belief that if there is a problem, technology has the ability to solve it. They never look at the underlying management structures and systems (the NHS being a glaring case in point) but simply invest billions in computer technology. Furthermore, I do not believe that they have the background or expertise to understand the gravity of this assumption. How can a bunch of people with little “real world” experience claim to know best how to implement a massive computer database. A system may have all of the safeguards in the world, but that does not take into account the human factor. I shudder when I think of the ramifications should even more critical, personal data to be lost from an even more comprehensive database.
My advice? Write to your MP and get onboard with these guys.
Tuesday, 20 November 2007
Blogging Again
Well, here we go again.
I had a blog a while back, but in a fit of pique (brought on by reasons that I can't remember) I went and deleted it. Anyway, in an equally spur-of-the-moment decision, I decided to set up a new one.
I used the old blog as a place to empty my head of the clutter of everyday life. A sounding-board, shoulder to cry on - call it what you will, but I did find it a useful tool. I plan to use this one in exactly the same manner. No theme or particular political message, just somewhere to store those persistent thoughts and stop them banging around inside my head.
Let's hope I manage to keep this one up for longer than the last.
I had a blog a while back, but in a fit of pique (brought on by reasons that I can't remember) I went and deleted it. Anyway, in an equally spur-of-the-moment decision, I decided to set up a new one.
I used the old blog as a place to empty my head of the clutter of everyday life. A sounding-board, shoulder to cry on - call it what you will, but I did find it a useful tool. I plan to use this one in exactly the same manner. No theme or particular political message, just somewhere to store those persistent thoughts and stop them banging around inside my head.
Let's hope I manage to keep this one up for longer than the last.
Monday, 19 November 2007
First Up.....
I'd like to use the first post in my new blog to say,
"Vicki, Charlotte and Alex, I love you all. You're what makes it all worthwhile!"
xxx
Edited (very, very belatedly) on 3rd June 2008 to add:
Beatrice, I love you too though you weren't around when I typed the first post!
xxx
"Vicki, Charlotte and Alex, I love you all. You're what makes it all worthwhile!"
xxx
Edited (very, very belatedly) on 3rd June 2008 to add:
Beatrice, I love you too though you weren't around when I typed the first post!
xxx
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