Comedy producer Geoffrey Perkins dies

"BBC NEWS | UK | Comedy producer dies in accident
The former BBC TV head of comedy has died in a road accident in London. Geoffrey Perkins, 55, worked for many years for BBC Radio, where he created the game Mornington Crescent in I'm Sorry Haven't a Clue. He also produced the radio series of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the first BBC Radio comedy in stereo. He also worked for Hat Trick productions on shows including Spitting Image and Father Ted."

This came as a bit of a shock.

BBC NEWS | UK | Comedy producer dies in accident

McCain picks female running mate

"BBC NEWS | World | Americas | McCain picks female running mate
US Republican presidential hopeful John McCain has picked Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, as his surprise running mate. At 44, she is three years younger than Barack Obama and is credited with reforms during her first term, but she is relatively unknown in US politics."

Now, tell me that this isn't a sly move to pick up Hillary supporters who don't like Barack!

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | McCain picks female running mate

Sync iCal and Google Calendar

"BusySync - Sync iCal and Google Calendar - from BusyMac
With BusySync it's incredibly easy to share iCal calendars with family or coworkers on your LAN without the need for a dedicated server. Shared calendars can be viewed and edited by multiple users, and changes are instantly published and synchronized with all users on the network. You can even make changes to shared calendars while offline and your changes will sync when you reconnect to the network."

At last - some Mac software that will allow you to publish one or more iCal calendars on the web (via Google Calendars) without getting into the horrendous sync problems you inevitable end up with when using software that goes both ways. And it doesn't need 10.5 or the very latest version of iCal either! UK cost is £17 inc VAT.

BusySync - Sync iCal and Google Calendar - from BusyMac

iPhone ad rapped

"BBC NEWS | Technology | iPhone ad rapped as 'misleading'
A television advert for the iPhone misled consumers, the Advertising Standards Authority has ruled.

Two complaints to the watchdog noted that the advert said "all the parts of the internet are on the iPhone". But the ASA said because the iPhone did not support Flash or Java, the claim was misleading.

Apple had argued its claim referred to availability of webpages, rather than their specific appearance."

Ah, so its great that you can get to the URL of a Flash website - but its not actually important that you can read any of it? Come off it, Apple - that's never going to fly.

BBC NEWS | Technology | iPhone ad rapped as 'misleading'

Shell V-Powers their profits

Filled up with Shell V Power (99 RON) again yesterday and thought I'd take a leaflet about their drivers' club. If you opt for the "money off petrol vouchers", you get 1/2p per litre bought and the lowest value voucher they'll send you is £2.50. In other words, you need to buy 500 litres to get anything, and at the current price (118.9p/litre), that's £594.50 to get £2.50 back - or 0.4% discount. Whoopy do!

Shell earnings last year? £13.9Bn - or £1.5m per hour.

Are these two facts related at all?

'Massive failure' over data loss

"BBC NEWS | Politics | 'Massive failure' over data loss
Ministers have been accused of a "massive failure of duty" after thousands of criminals' details, stored on a computer memory stick, were lost. Details of 84,000 prisoners in England and Wales were lost by private firm PA Consulting.

The missing device includes un-encrypted details about 10000 prolific offenders. It also includes the including names, dates of births and some release dates of all 84000 prisoners in England and Wales - and a further 33000 records from the police national computer.

PA Consulting is one of the companies that has been involved in developing the government's controversial ID card scheme - opposed by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats."

So they can't even keep hold of a small dataset - what are they going to be like with the whole country's data?

BBC NEWS | Politics | 'Massive failure' over data loss

Peru moves to end Amazon protests

"BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Peru moves to end Amazon protests
Some 65 Amazon tribes say the law will make it easier for big energy companies to buy up their land, parts of which are known to be rich in oil and gas."

This is very bad news. Again big global businesses are being allow to ride rough-shod over the lives of indigenous people. Whilst it would be bad news anywhere else in the world, to allow any increase in the industrialisation of the Amazon rainforest is tragic.

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Peru moves to end Amazon protests

A-level pass rate and A grades up - yet again

"BBC NEWS | Education | A-level pass rate and A grades up
There has been another increase in the A-level pass rate and the proportion of entries awarded the top A grade. Figures from the Joint Council for Qualifications show 97.2% of entries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland passed, up from 96.9%. A grades went to 25.9% of the entries, up from 25.3% - and in Northern Ireland more than a third achieved an A."

The pass rates are set by the exam boards. The only way that a higher percentage can pass is if they change the percentages. And that's exactly what they're doing. It started with the Tories and New Labour (aka Thatcherism continued) are perpetuating the trend. They're not getting easier - the kids aren't getting brighter - the exam boards are simply letting more people pass.

BBC NEWS | Education | A-level pass rate and A grades up

Microsoft sees end of Windows era

"BBC NEWS | Technology | Microsoft sees end of Windows era
Microsoft has kicked off a research project to create software that will take over when it retires Windows. Called Midori, the cut-down operating system is radically different to Microsoft's older programs."

Well, if its "cut-down" its already radically different from any version of Windows!

BBC NEWS | Technology | Microsoft sees end of Windows era

UK in 'delusion' over emissions

"BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | UK in 'delusion' over emissions
The UK has been living under a delusion over its claim to be cutting greenhouse gases, according to two reports that will shake the climate change debate. They show that instead of falling since the 1990s, UK greenhouse emissions have been growing in line with the economy."

Who's deluded - who's deluding? The Government might be pulling the wool over people's eyes again, but the public know that New Labour's green credentials are pretty flimsy by their continuing insistance on allowing the expansion of airports. Green taxes on their own achieve nothing unless alternatives are provided - and I don't see much in the way of public transport construction going on.

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | UK in 'delusion' over emissions

Anger over £1bn Centrica profits

"BBC NEWS | Business | Anger over £1bn Centrica profits
Consumer groups have expressed anger as British Gas owner Centrica revealed £5m-per-day profits, after announcing a record price hike on Wednesday. Centrica said the rise was justified and was needed to offset higher costs.

Sam Laidlaw, Centrica's chief executive, said: 'This is a business that has got a million shareholders - a lot of pension funds and people have got their savings invested in British Gas shares and we have to look after them'."

Good grief - I've probably got shares in Centrica indirectly via my employers' pension fund but that doesn't justify whacking such a massive increase on prices. For goodness sake, Government, its time to cut out this blatant snouts-in-the-trough crap.

At the end of the day its all Thatcher's fault for selling off the (our) Utilities: how many dipsticks bought into her propaganda about everyone owning shares? Just how much more have your Utility bills gone up compared to the piffling dividends you've received?

BBC NEWS | Business | Anger over £1bn Centrica profits

Pick your weather

The BBC - or is it the Met Office - seem to be having problems predicting the weather recently. Time to go back to the seaweed, folks.

Dad's Army Archive reporting for duty Sir!

"BBC - Archive - Dad's Army - Homepage
On 31 July 1968, viewers of BBC One met a group of elderly soldiers and a 'stupid boy' for the first time. 'Dad's Army' became an instant classic with its gentle humour, nostalgia and pride in the men who gave their all for their country, whatever that all happened to be."

I've always been a big fan of the series and this new archive is well worth a visit. My 65-year-old brother and I still make much use of the phrase "stupid boy".

BBC - Archive - Dad's Army - Homepage

Higher oil price boosts BP profit

"BBC NEWS | Business | Higher oil price boosts BP profit
Oil giant BP has announced a 6% rise in profits for the second quarter of 2008, largely thanks to a sharp rise in the price of oil. Unions are calling for a windfall tax on BP and other oil producers."

Well, instead of giving money to the government, who would surely piss it away in the same regardless manner as they do our taxes, why not get BP to fit thousands of solar heating or electricity generation systems to houses around the UK for free?

BBC NEWS | Business | Higher oil price boosts BP profit

3,000 passports and visas stolen

"BBC NEWS | UK | 3,000 passports and visas stolen
About 3,000 blank passports and visas have been stolen while being transported from Manchester to London. However, the passport service said the stolen documents could not be used by thieves because of their hi-tech embedded chip security features."

Yeah, right - does anyone really believe that?

BBC NEWS | UK | 3,000 passports and visas stolen

2010 Camaro still a gas-guzzler

"GM unveils 'fuel-sipping' Camaro - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro (1) - CNNMoney.com
...when General Motors unveiled the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Monday afternoon, it was the car's fuel economy numbers that were front and center. V6 versions, which GM expects will be the biggest sellers, are expected to get 26 miles per gallon on the highway. "

Hardly an achievement, guys. What does it return around town? 10mpg?

GM unveils 'fuel-sipping' Camaro - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro (1) - CNNMoney.com

Arctic 'has 90bn barrels of oil'

"BBC NEWS | Business | Arctic 'has 90bn barrels of oil'
According to the US Geological Survey, the Arctic holds about 13% of the world's undiscovered oil, 30% of the undiscovered natural gas, and 20% of the undiscovered natural gas liquids. Exploration companies believe the recent rapid ice melt in the Arctic may make it easier to get reserves out of the region."

Its almost as if Nature is saying "go ahead, mankind, seal your own fate even faster".

BBC NEWS | Business | Arctic 'has 90bn barrels of oil'

Fuel duty increase postponed

"BBC NEWS | Politics | Fuel duty increase is postponed
The planned 2p increase in fuel duty this October is to be postponed. This is the second time it has been put back - it was due to be introduced in March, but was delayed for six months because of rising oil prices."

I should think so too - fuel prices have a direct impact on inflation and pay rises, so if he wants to keep any control over the economy, it would have been pretty stupid to put prices up again.

"The price of unleaded petrol has risen 25% over the past year and pressure has been mounting for duty to be cut."

Which really makes you wonder about the official figures for inflation, doesn't it? Diesel has gone up by 36% and that would have a more significant impact on food prices, etc.

BBC NEWS | Politics | Fuel duty increase is postponed

Motocross in the sun

Sunday's Hare and Hounds motocross, hosted by the Northampton Motocycle Club at Wood End near Towcester went very well: good turn out and nice weather too. Pity the wives and GFs of the riders, though, given the amount of cow muck that seemed to be everywhere!

Hello

Hello,
originally uploaded by peter_hasselbom.

Just a nice image.