Call to scrap 'illegal databases'

"BBC NEWS | UK | Call to scrap 'illegal databases'
A quarter of all government databases are illegal and should be scrapped or redesigned, according to a report. The government spends £16bn a year on databases and plans to spend a further £105bn on projects over five years..."

Telling those of us who are concerned about the creeping intrusion of this Government what we already know, I guess, but perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel.

BBC NEWS | UK | Call to scrap 'illegal databases'

Motoring justice?

Compare these two stories:

A motorcyclist whose bike's mudguard was held on with bootlaces has been jailed for 10 months after reaching speeds of up to 150mph in Devon. Michael Robillard's Suzuki 600 also had a loose seat as he sped along the A380 Exeter to Newton Abbot road. Robillard, 23, of Lymington Road, Torquay, admitted dangerous driving at Exeter Crown Court. He also admitted not having a licence or insurance, and failing to stop for police. He was banned from driving for two years.
BBC News | Bootlaced bike in 150mph chase

A peer who was jailed last month for 12 weeks for sending and receiving text messages while driving on the M1 has been released by the Court of Appeal [after serving 16 days]. On Christmas Day 2007, Lord Ahmed's Jaguar hit a stationary car in the outside lane of the motorway two minutes after he had sent the last of the messages. The driver of the other car, Martyn Gombar, 28, from Leigh, Greater Manchester, died in the crash. The Appeal Court suspended his sentence because of "exceptional" mitigation relating to his community work.
BBC News | Texting peer's road safety pledge

Speeding, no injuries - 10 months jail
Texting, quite possibly leading to a death - 16 days

Call that justice?

Campaigners lose Stansted battle

"BBC NEWS | England | Campaigners lose airport battle
Campaigners have lost their legal battle to block the expansion of Stansted Airport in Essex. Airport owner BAA wants to increase passenger numbers from 25 million to 35 million a year and outbound flights from 241,000 to 264,000 a year."

Well now - isn't that a surprise. Once again, the environment takes a back seat as the Government ably demonstrates they're in the back pockets of the airline industry.

What's up with ScribeFire?

All its recent releases (and it does seem to get updated incredibly often) seem to be buggy (this is in FF2). Its now incapable of making a successful posting on the first attempt. And what's with this image - img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif - they insist on putting (and I insist on removing) from the bottom of its posts?

Bank to pump £75bn into economy

"BBC NEWS | Business | Bank to pump £75bn into economy
The Bank of England is to create £75bn of new money in an attempt to revive lending and the battered economy. Bank Governor Mervyn King said the policy - called quantitative easing - was about pumping money into the wider system rather than simply to the banks."

"quantitative easing" - trust New Labour to come up with some bullshit term for it.

BBC NEWS | Business | Bank to pump £75bn into economy

Company sold workers' secret data

"BBC NEWS | UK | Company sold workers' secret data
The information watchdog has shut down a company which it says sold workers' confidential data, including union activities, to building firms. A raid on The Consulting Association in Droitwich, Worcs, revealed a serious breach of the Data Protection Act, the Information Commissioner's Office said. The ICO said a secret system was run for over 15 years enabling employers to unlawfully vet job applicants. Action is being considered against more than 40 firms who used the service."

Shouldn't the question also be raised as to how they got hold of this data in the first place? I can't think the employees provided it themselves, so it must have come from somewhere. The Government perhaps - did they actually sell it or even give it to them? Or perhaps they just found a set of CDs on a train?

BBC NEWS | UK | Company sold workers' secret data

British 'careless' with liberties

"BBC NEWS | Politics | British 'careless' with liberties
British people have been 'careless' with their civil liberties, but that is beginning to change, former shadow home affairs minister David Davis has said."

Oh, come on - when have we said "yes please, lets have yet another national database"? Its not us being careless - we're not having a say in the matter.

BBC NEWS | Politics | British 'careless' with liberties