Have a look here.

Once again, the labout government has gone completely potty. He's the first paragraph...

All UK homes should have access to broadband and faster download speeds by 2012, the government has said.

Right then - this looks perfectly reasonable, doesn't it? Or....naybe not...

Now, on the face of it, this seems sensible. After all, a decent net connection is something a geek like me should be shouting for, right?

Well - no. Why not?

Meet grandmother. She has a computer that we maintain for her, on which she does a little. Perhaps once or twice a month it's dusted.

She doesn't want the internet. She doesn't need it.

I don't want her to have the internet - because once "adaquate" protection is installed on it - fire wall, virus scanner, adware scanner - it won't be hugely more useful then a paperweight.

Remember, I'm all for the internet and technology. But I'm totaly against a top down, govenment driven target for everyone to have broadband by *some date*. Because to use broadband, you need a computer - who's going to pay for that...?

Another quote.

The report also looked at the issue of internet piracy. Mr Burnham said the government would look at setting up a new digital rights agency and wanted to introduce legislation requiring internet service providers to notify illegal file-sharers directly about their activity.

So after using govenment funding (read: our taxes) to force everyone to have broadband, they now want a new govenment agency to monitor what everybody looks at. Funded by...well...have a guess...

Right now we have a problem with copyright theft, corpyright law and what people think, do and say.

But the solution to that is not a whole new enforcement agency to stop teeny boppers downloading a music free act, such as Britney Spears.

We have bigger problems. Little things like rape, murder and violence - which I consider to be more important.

O'Barmy

In the UK I've been unable to escape from the coming Messiah. On every news channel, every third second seems dedicated to the man.

To me, this is excessive. I believe that no matter what he does he can never live up to the expectations of change, now that a Black Man is president.

I believe this for a simple reason - the world is not defined by one person. If Hilary had won there would be an equivalent demand for change - because a women had won.

If "that other guy" had won then he would face the same problems as Obama and Hilary. We would still have an economic crisis. We would still be looking at the destruction in Gaza and shaking our heads.

The world would be the Same.

For those who say "But things are different now" - it won't be. People used to say that women in politics would help encourage peace and a less confrontational style.

Well, actually - I still know people who believe that. Despite the evidence of Margret Thatcher and the Falklands war.

It doesn't matter if the leader of a nation is male, female or an underage goat* - what matters is what they do, what they say and what they command.

That I await with interest. But please - some other news? Sometime today??

---
*And if you don't like the goat you can curry it. Which makes it distinctly more useful then bush....

Scarf wearers

There’s a small group of people I have problems with.

They all seem to follow a fairly set pattern – pretty, blonde – and typically wearing a shawl or scarf made from the wool of some strange African tribe. They believe they are environmentally minded “people persons” and they typically have qualifications in things like English Literature or other arty subjects.

Oh – and they work in HR.

If you’re looking for someone to take offense at something, look no further. Political correctness is important to them – because they’re so no nice and perfect, everyone else must be as well.

What’s got my goat up about them this time?

Well, it’s my emails. I’ve had for some time an email signature. It’s my name, how to contact me and a short message – “Kill a tree. Print this email”.

I may not be much of an environmentalist when it comes to electricity – but I do like trees. So I’d rather they weren’t cut down wholesale to print out my emails on. And I do send lots.

Still – back to the point. The only person to complain about my little signature is a scarf wearer.

On the grounds that some people wouldn’t find it funny.

Sodding hard drives

And now, for the second time, a Maxtor hard drive has died on me.

Without any real abuse, cause or even wear and tear - it's dead. Toast. Corpse like.

100Gb of assorted stuff, in the process of being sorted - GONE.

Including a 2/3 put together present for a friend.

Grrrrr

Email madness

So here I am, sitting at work - alone.

To cover for an ill member of staff, so I'm feeling warm and full of virtue. My one good dead of the year.

Anyway, here I am, trying to decipher a work related email I've received. I can't understand it.

In full, it reads...

--
pretty raspberries will get to it Z
--

It means nothing to me.

Any ideas people?

My telepathy isn't what it used to be

This post has been delayed for some time since I saw the article it's based on. What can I say, Christmas got in the way.

I'm doing it now because I'm sitting in an office, far from my own, waiting for some software to install. This is going to take some time...

The topic today is quite simple - a news article that some of you - ok, lets be honest - all of you probably missed.

There is in fact a type of film that will damage your love life.

We're not talking "Sorry dear, I'm watching xxxxxxx" type damage - anything can cause neglect and distraction. No, I'm talking far, far worse then that.

We're talking romantic comedy.

I know, I can hear it from here - girls love those things. Yes, they almost all do.

That's the problem.

Yes, I know, I know - I can feel you glaring from here. I know I'm not an unbiased observer here - I'm not a fan of the genre by any definition. So feel free not to take my word on it - I'll post a link at the end of the file.

But the problem is simple - look at any "rom com" and you see a few common traits. The characters don't talk - they fall in love. Almost spontaneously, sometimes without even speaking a word.

They then seem to break up their budding relationship, over some lack of communication issue. One of them (typically the man, but that's another rant entirely) will make some huge overblown romantic gesture that's almost completely insane - and all is well.

They never sit down and talk. More to the point, the men are always supposed to know exactly what to do, say or how she's feeling.

Now, I know some of you are thinking or saying "But isn't that what love is?"

No, that's telepathy.

A truly great expectation.