Saturday 28 February 2009

Humyo Free Online File Storage

Humyo Free Online File Storage
 
Finally got round to sorting out my online file storage via Humyo, who offer a free 10 gig account which is not bad. I already have such an account with Box net storage via Netvibes, but that's only one gig, handy, but not enough.



Signing up is very easy and once you have confirmed your account via email, you are able to up and download files.
If you want to use Drag and Drop, you will need to download Java, which can be done via Humyo and restart your browser.





You can either use you browser to interact with Humyo or download their client software, which I have, but not installed yet, so stay tuned for a review of that side of Humyo.

You can create folders, upload files and then drag files to folders just like you can on the desktop.



You can also share files by creating links and incorporating those links in your website, emails or blogs.

Here is a sample of some of the files I have uploaded and made public.

Craig Murray - The Catholic Orangemen of Togo


Craig Murray - The Catholic Orangemen of Togo Zip File

Bloggers Handbook 2

BlogBash

The Zen of Blogging

Mastering Twitter

The AllTweet Journal

Viral Marketing


Share and enjoy!


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Monday 23 February 2009

Police order journalist to destroy photos - HoldtheFrontPage.co.uk - Comment



Regional press news - this story published 23 February 2009
Police order journalist to destroy photos
by holdthefrontpage staff

A south-east reporter was told to destroy pictures of people sledging in a public park as they could constitute an act of voyeurism.

Alex Lewis, from the St Albans Review, was snapping some locals enjoying the recent snow when a man allegedly threatened him after he thought the reporter was taking images of his children.

Alex called the police but when an officer arrived, he told him that his camera phone would have to be confiscated as evidence for a charge of voyeurism unless he agreed to delete the images.

Alex told HTFP: "With the benefit of hindsight, I feel I was a bit unfair on the police officer as I never explained I was a reporter – mainly out of curiosity to see what would happen.

"As far as I and my paper are concerned, the incident is closed."

The Sexual Offences Act 2003 defines voyeurism as observing someone doing a private act without their consent for sexual gratification.

It adds: "A person is doing a private act if the person is in a place which, in the circumstances, would reasonably be expected to provide privacy, and the person's genitals, buttocks or breasts are exposed or covered only with underwear, the person is using a lavatory or the person is doing a sexual act that is not of a kind ordinarily done in public."

The Review has asked Hertfordshire Constabulary how the pictures of fully-clothed people sledging in a public park could be classed as voyeurism but says it is yet to receive a response.

No-one from Hertfordshire Constabulary was available for comment.



Journalism jobs and news from Holdthefrontpage.co.uk


My immediate thoughts on reading this article were, who was the man threatening the reporter? and why are they treating it as closed?
Surely there is a case of a reporter going about his business reporting on what was a very news worthy event for most of the mainstream media, being threatened, then calling for assistance from the police only to end up as the perpetrator rather than the victim.

No..it doesn't seem right.

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Sunday 22 February 2009

Sunday 15 February 2009

Cash for Questions, Cash for Honours, Cash for Peers, now Cash For Cops!

Police chiefs' association accused of profiteering

By Brian Brady, Whitehall Editor

Sunday, 15 February 2009




The private organisation representing Britain's top police officers faced demands last night for reform – or even disbanding – over allegations that it was being run as a business with a multi-million-pound budget relying heavily on public funds.

Civil liberties campaigners and opposition politicians called for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to be "stopped in its tracks" amid growing concerns over its burgeoning powers.

ACPO, a private company, is paid millions of pounds a year by the taxpayer to, in effect, run the nation's police forces. It has been viewed as providing a vital public service in writing the rules on police operations, advising ministers, and campaigning on issues such as the proposed 90-day detention of terror suspects and the DNA database.

But a newspaper investigation has raised concerns over "profit-making" activities, including selling information from the police national computer for up to £70 a time – when ACPO pays just 60p for the details.

The organisation also markets "police approval" logos to firms selling anti-theft devices and runs a separate private firm offering training to speed-camera operators.


Police chiefs' association accused of profiteering - Home News, UK - The Independent


I just assumed that ACPO was a public association, and I am quite shocked that that this isn't the case.

My gut reaction is one of a conflict of interest situation could possibly arise between what is just and what is profitable.

(ACPO is a Registered Trademark of the 'Filth-U-Like' Propaganda Division of Murkybackwaters/Shady Umbrella Corp;-)

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Friday 13 February 2009

Is the Crown Prosecution Service fit for purpose?

Is the Crown Prosecution Service fit for purpose?

From the BBC

No police officers will be prosecuted over the death of Jean Charles de Menezes, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.

It follows a review of new evidence which came to light at his inquest.

Mr de Menezes, 27, was shot dead by police at Stockwell Tube station in south London after he was mistaken for one of the failed 21 July 2005 bombers.



A spokeswoman for the Justice 4 Jean campaign said she was "absolutely furious" with the decision.

In December, an inquest jury returned an open verdict - rejecting the police view that he was killed lawfully.

Stephen O'Doherty, the lawyer who led the CPS review, said: "I have now concluded that there is insufficient evidence that any offence was committed by any individual officers in relation to the tragic death of Mr de Menezes."

'Inconsistencies'

The officers, known as Charlie 2 and Charlie 12, told the inquest they had shouted a warning at Mr de Menezes and he had continued moving towards them.

But passengers at the inquest had said this was not the case, and the jury did not accept the officers' accounts.

Mr O'Doherty said: "Although there were some inconsistencies in what the officers said at the inquest, there were also inconsistencies in what passengers had said.

"I concluded that in the confusion of what occurred on the day, a jury could not be sure that any officer had deliberately given a false account of events."


It's unbelievable that the CPS had taken this decision without talking to the family or their representatives
Yasmin Khan
Justice 4 Jean

Mr O'Doherty said there was no fresh evidence presented to the inquest to make him reconsider an earlier decision not to prosecute senior officers for negligence.

He has written to Mr de Menezes' family to explain the decision, he added.

Yasmin Khan of the Justice 4 Jean campaign described the CPS decision as "morally reprehensible and legally wrong".


This case is, as I have said before, a whitewash and fairly typical behaviour from what is supposed to be an independent body

My partner received one of those letters from the CPS and it was riddled with inconsistencies supplied by the police. Based on these erroneous errors, ( or lies, depending on how one looks at it), they did not proceed with her case either.

Again wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong!!!!

BBC NEWS | UK | Family anger over Menezes review


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"Those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history" - B Obama.

"Those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history". B Obama.






Let me make myself clear, I do not support this Dutch MP, nor have I watched his film and probably never will.

What I am about is the stiffing of dissent in all it's forms.

I have had to deal with a lot of unpleasant people in my life, with a lot of unpleasant ideas and opinions. No doubt a lot of these people felt the same about me.

I was raised to believe in the principle that, though I may disagree with what you say or believe and I may even challenge you on those issues, I will defend your right to say it or believe it.

This action by the Home Secretary does nothing for debate, freedom of speech or democracy and revels more about NuLabour attitude towards these principles, the disdain they have for the critical thinking abilities of the people of the UK and gives the impression that they are cowards but are still willing and able to use 'gunboat' politics to achieve their aims.



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Thursday 12 February 2009

Cash for Amendments is going the same way as Cash for Honours - No where.

Police will not investigate 'cash for amendments' allegations





Scotland Yard will not investigate allegations that peers attempted to change the law in favour of companies employing them

* Jenny Percival
* guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 11 February 2009 16.38 GMT

Labour peers accused of attempting to change the law in favour of companies employing them will not be investigated by the police, Scotland Yard said today.

John Yates, assistant commissioner at the Metropolitan police, took the final decision not to launch a criminal investigation after reviewing the allegations and discussing them with Lady Royall, the leader of the Lords, the force said in a statement.

The Sunday Times alleged last month that four Labour peers – Lord Moonie, Lord Truscott, Lord Taylor of Blackburn and Lord Snape – had discussed amending legislation in return for a fee, which would be in breach of parliamentary standards. The four deny breaking any rules.

The Met said that it had reviewed the original Sunday Times article and other material provided by the newspaper. "In particular, we have carefully examined the position of Lord Taylor and Lord Truscott in the context of a possible investigation for the common law offence of bribery. We have also considered possible offences of misconduct in public office," said a spokesman.

The spokesman said the Met had also obtained written legal advice from the Crown Prosecution Service and spoken to Royall, who had ordered an internal investigation.

The Lords subcommittee on peers' interests had already begun a preliminary examination and had announced its intention to deal robustly with any members who had broken the rules, the police statement said.

The Met concluded: "The application of criminal law to members of the House of Lords in the circumstances that have arisen here is far from clear. In addition, there are very clear difficulties in gathering and adducing evidence in these circumstances in the context of parliamentary privilege.

"These factors, when set alongside the preliminary examination, lead us to the decision that the Metropolitan police will not undertake a criminal inquiry into any of the allegations raised."

The statement added that the Met would reconsider its decision if further evidence or information come to light.

How come that I am not surprised by this?

Well for several reasons.

Given what I have observed about the standards of detective work in the UK, they are lazy, corrupt and incompetent in their role.

If the evidence is clear cut, doesn't need them to actually do anything and the person confesses there maybe a remote chance that the police might take the case to the CPS.

More likely is that they will lose/despoil evidence, then lie to the CPS to cover up their mistakes and then make out that it is all the victims fault.

However, in a case like this, neither the police nor the CPS are going to go against their political masters, provoke a constitutional crisis and undermine the standing of the establishment because that's just not cricket is it?

If these people had been employee's of a small business who had sold out to it's rivals, they would have been charged, but they are not.

They are examples of the bare-face contempt that the 'ruling classes' have for the people of the UK. Untouchable, elitist and privileged.


Police will not investigate 'cash for amendments' allegations | Politics | guardian.co.uk


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Wednesday 11 February 2009

The Tweetminster Widget on The Tao of Unified Page Theory

The Tweetminster Widget on The Tao of Unified Page Theory





http://TwitPWR.com/TwitterServices/

Now you can keep up with the Great and the 'also ran's.'

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Sunday 8 February 2009

"Can I exchange this? This one seems overly expensive and somewhat faulty."

"Can I exchange this?

JS with sis

This one seems overly expensive and somewhat faulty. "

Expenses row: 'Lodger' deal earns Jacqui Smith £100,000 as she claims sister's house is main home

By Simon Walters and Martin Delgado
Last updated at 1:32 AM on 08th February 2009

Good investment: Jacqui Smith has claimed over £116,000 on her 'second home' in
Redditch

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has claimed more than £116,000 in Commons expenses for a 'second home' while effectively lodging with her sister.

Ms Smith claims the maximum parliamentary second-home allowance, currently a tax-free £24,006 a year, on the
detached house in her West Midlands constituency, where her husband and two young children live and which she bought for £300,000 five years ago.

She is able to do so because she has told
the Commons authorities that her 'main home' is a house in London owned solely by her sister, Sara, where she stays on some weekdays.

Nor is this the only large expense caused by the Home Secretary's decision to share her sister's house.

Two
policemen provide a round-the-clock guard at the South London property, costing taxpayers an estimated £200,000 a year. The two officers are stationed at the property on a shift basis.

So here we are, in the year 2009, with some of our most vulnerable citizens facing eviction, bank-corrupt-see, mounting debts and worse, whilst these career politicians keep lining their pockets and the pockets of their city friends, (largely by printing more new fiat money) in an 'I'm Al'right Jack' mentality.

Does this seem like value for money?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1138782/Expenses-row-Lodger-deal-earns-Jacqui-Smith-100-000-claims-sisters-house-main-home.html?ITO=1490

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Saturday 7 February 2009

"Meaoweeow, arrruw, rauoo, meaow! Charly says......"

"Meaoweeow, arrruw, rauoo, meaow!"

"Charly says never vote for stranges or take up offers to look at their ballot box"



Labour paid sex offender for work

Russo helped the Labour Party during the 1997, 2001 and 2005 elections

The Labour Party paid a sex offender convicted in the United States more than £2,500 to help it with its 2005 election campaign, the BBC has learned.

Activist Tim Russo, 41, was a visits co-ordinator in the East Midlands but did not have a UK work visa.

The Labour Party said it was unaware of Russo's past. It said it had not hired him but only paid expenses.

Russo was convicted in 2002 of trying to arrange sex with someone he thought was a 13-year-old boy.

The person he met online was in fact an FBI officer investigating internet paedophiles.

Russo had sent him pornography and was eventually found guilty of importuning (harassment) and attempting to disseminate matter harmful to juveniles. He was sentenced to a community service order and a year on probation by a county court in Cleveland, Ohio.

..'Criminal convictions'

Spending declared by the East Midlands Labour Party after the 2005 campaign revealed that Russo received £2,560 from the party for his "consultancy services", despite having neither a work permit or a work entry visa.

Russo also helped the Labour Party in two earlier general election campaigns in 1997 and 2001.

Ghuffar Usman, a Nottingham solicitor specialising in immigration cases, said he believed Labour had acted illegally.

"They should have applied for a work permit in the first place, having secured a work permit, then Mr Russo would have been free to apply for a visa allowing him to come to the UK to undertake work in accordance with that work permit for the Labour Party."





BBC NEWS | England | Labour paid sex offender for work
Charly had something to say about the dangers of teapots too!

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Wednesday 4 February 2009

Do Millipedes have spines?

Do Millipedes have spines?

giant millipede


MP's bury torture evidence

The government was accused last night of hiding behind claims of a threat to national security to suppress evidence of torture by the CIA on a prisoner still held in Guantánamo Bay.

An unprecedented high court ruling yesterday blamed the US, with British connivance, for keeping the "powerful evidence" secret, sparking criticism from lawyers, campaigners and MPs, who claimed the government had capitulated to American bullying.

Two senior judges said they were powerless to reveal the information about the torture of Binyam Mohamed, an Ethiopian-born British resident, because David Miliband, the foreign secretary, had warned the court the US was threatening to stop sharing intelligence about terrorism with the UK.

In a scathing judgment, Lord Justice Thomas and Mr Justice Lloyd Jones said the evidence, and what MI5 knew about it, must remain secret because according to Miliband, the American threats meant "the public of the United Kingdom would be put at risk".

The judges made clear they were unhappy with their decision, but said they had no alternative as a result of Miliband's claim. Their ruling revealed that Miliband stuck to his position about the threat to the UK even after Barack Obama signed orders two weeks ago banning torture and announcing the closure of the Guantánamo Bay prison camp.

Last night Miliband seemingly backtracked on his office's submission, saying there had been no threat by the US to break off intelligence co-operation. "It's American information and it is for the Americans to decide whether to publish their information," Miliband told Channel 4 television.


Evidence of torture 'buried by ministers' | World news guardian.co.uk


Miliband defends secrecy stance

Miliband defends evidence burial



David Miliband statement on US 'torture pressure'


David Miliband has told MPs that releasing classified US information could do "real and significant damage" to British national security.

Publishing details of the treatment of Binyam Mohamed against US wishes could hurt trust key to intelligence sharing.

The Lib Dems said documents proved the US had threatened the UK over the issue, a claim that Mr Miliband denies.

A US government letter to the Foreign Office warned of "lasting damage" to intelligence sharing if this happened.

'Real threat'

Mr Miliband has said the US did not threaten to "break off" security cooperation if its secret papers had been made public, a claim made by two High Court judges in a ruling on Wednesday.

But Channel 4 News reported that the US State Department wrote to the Foreign Office last August saying the publication of classified documents relating to the case was "likely to result in serious damage to US national security".

Disclosure of the information could also "harm existing intelligence information-sharing arrangements" between the two nations, the letter added.



Miliband defends secrecy stance


So our special relationship with the US reminds me of those relationships enjoyed by the victims of sex offenders, based on threats disguised as promises. Well, "the public of the United Kingdom would be put at risk", certainly sounds like a threat to me.

On another note, it seems the new tenant of the Oval Office has finally decided whilst adding arthropods to the collection, to keep the old poodle.


Obama greets good friend Blair

"It has heard it's Master's call..." (Nod to Tolkin)

 

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Mystery of missing by-election records

The Courier: Taking you to the heart of Tayside and Fife

Mystery of missing by-election records

EXCLUSIVE: By Steve Bargeton, political editor

by election records missing

 

THE ONLY official record of who voted in a Westminster by-election that rocked the political world has mysteriously gone missing placing a question mark over the result.

In a surprise result in November last year, Labour won the Glenrothes by-election with a 6737 majority over the SNP.

All the major parties, including Labour on election night itself, had predicted that the nationalists would narrowly win the seat, which borders Prime Minister Gordon’s Brown’s constituency.

The Labour victory sent shockwaves through the SNP and was the catalyst for a revival of Labour’s fortunes nationally.

In December the SNP in Glenrothes applied to the sheriff court to obtain a copy of the marked electoral register—on which officials in polling stations score out voters as they register to vote. It is the official record of who presented themselves to vote.

Candidates and their agents are allowed to see a copy of the register, which records only who voted and not how they voted.

However, after repeated requests for the document last month, Councillor John Beare, the convener of the SNP Central Fife constituency, has been told that it has gone missing.

Mr Beare said he was told renovation work has been carried out at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court and that some documentation had been removed for confidential waste disposal.

Under the present electoral arrangements, certain papers including voting papers and a copy of the marked electoral register are to be kept by the sheriff clerk for that electoral area for a year after an election.

It does seem rather odd doesn't it?

And not a word in the Nationals? Very odd?

Next they will be trying to tell us that electronic voting is the way ahead!

Err? No! Electronic voting cannot be trusted.

Politicians: Taking us all to the cleaners

The Courier: Taking you to the heart of Tayside and Fife

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Tuesday 3 February 2009

In eight English councils, the shortfall is so acute that more than a third of all social work posts are empty

This isn't news! this has been the situation for years, even under the last Conservative administration.




Social work faces recruitment crisis after Baby P case, Tories say Around one in seven social work jobs is empty because of a "recruitment crisis" that threatens vulnerable children, the Conservatives have said.

By James Kirkup, Political Correspondent
Last Updated: 10:15AM GMT 03 Feb 2009

In eight English councils, the shortfall is so acute that more than a third of all social work posts are empty, the Tories said.

Among them is Haringey in north London, now notorious for the death of Baby P last year.

The Conservatives' children's spokesman, Tim Loughton, will today publish the results of a party study into the state of social work, which makes a number of recommendations to change

A third of people who graduate with social work qualifications never enter the profession.
Many who do start the job leave within the first year, the Tories have found.

Social work faces recruitment crisis after Baby P case, Tories say - Telegraph

It has been my observations of Social Workers that most of those who take up the challenge of Children's Services have not been up to the job, and look at it as a short term situation, looks good on the CV, and to move on to another post quick
in case their ineffectual dabbling comes to light.

I have had social workers, on a lot more money and better career prospects than I working in residential child care, asking me if they need to turn up at court with their client!

Hey! your the child's SW on nearly £30,000 a year, what do you think?

Many have left in tears when the child challenges them on the level of care (or not) the SW has demonstrated.

I have seen just how many placements and Social Workers these children I have looked after have been allocated, and it is not surprising that most of these young people leave care without any social or educational attainment to enable them to function. They have little concept of adults being consistent or reliable because they have been let down those who remit is to be consistent and reliable, and see Social Services as part of the problem rather than a solution.

I find it rather odd that our leaders have to go to Finland to find out, after all the time and money thrown at Children's Services, that having someone who will be a constant during the child's care needs would help.

They could have paid me all that money and I could have told them.

I would call them Muppets but that would be an insult to puppeteers, so I will just say Useless and leave it at that.

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Sunday 1 February 2009

Wildcat wildfire: Frantic bids to stop strikes spreading - The Independant

I believe that the government fears these desperate actions of our indigenous work force may lead a worse situation than the Thatcher Poll Tax Riots and the Miners Strike combined given that these sorts of practice of hiring foreign workers goes beyond our traditional scapegoats of blue collar workers and is now biting into white collar fields.



I recall Scargill walking away with blood running down his face from police baton charges, the right-wing skinhead factions who attacked striking miners wives and children.






Poll Tax Riots.




Miners Strike.

I also remember Blair Peach and other incidence of the abuse of power.


And as for the standard of the policing these demonstrations, it is also worth remembering that not all those on the picket line or the demonstrations share the same ideals as the demonstrators.




and that you will not hear of see about it in the state/corporation controlled mainstream media and the clamp down on photo-journalists by legislation such as this.



Which will leave them free to deploy things such as these, if the police or army become reluctant to use excessive force.





Wildcat wildfire: Frantic bids to stop strikes spreading - Home News, UK - The Independent


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