For All Your 'Mole Infestation' Problems Hire Special Advisor Jack Russell !
Do you hear, do you hear that thunder? ooh yeah! - Men at Work
From the Telegraph
Damian Green affair: Police hunting for Whitehall moles, says Jacqui Smith
Police are hunting for a number of moles across Whitehall following the Damian Green leak affair, Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, has suggested.
As I previously commented upon, this story has and will rumble on.....
By Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent
Last Updated: 11:26PM GMT 04 Dec 2008
Damian Green - Damian Green affair: Police hunting for Whitehall moles, says Jacqui Smith
Damian Green's arrest has prompted a hunt for Whitehall moles, says Jacqui Smith
She told MPs that the police leak inquiry which led to the arrest of the shadow immigration minister and a junior civil servant was only one of a number of similar investigations by the police.
Rumours have been circulating about a mole in a senior position at the Treasury, particularly after key sections of last month's pre-Budget report were leaked in advance.
Miss Smith appeared to confirm the reports, telling MPs: "There have been other situations where the police have been invited to investigate."
A Home Office spokesman later added: "There are other police inquiries going on about other moles."
Neither the Cabinet Office, whose role it is to liaise with the police over investigations, or Scotland Yard would comment.
The Home Secretary's revelation came as she attempted to explain to MPs the chain of events which led to the raids on the homes and Commons office of Mr Green, insisting that she did not know of his arrest in advance.
She was embarrassed when her predecessor, John Reid, expressed surprised at her lack of involvement in the dramatic events of last week.
In a rare intervention, he told her: ``I have to say I'm surprised that you weren't informed that your opposite number, effectively, was about to be arrested.
``I can not think that if I had been told that this had been done after the event that I would have remained as placid as you have in these circumstances.
``For my part I would have wanted to have been informed and to have expressed a view on it."
Miss Smith hit back: ``On the subject of placidity, sometimes I think it behoves Home Secretaries to deal calmly with issues that are of significance, such as this one.''
Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, described the claim that she did not know the police were planning to swoop on Mr Green as "utterly inexplicable," while Miss Smith's opposite number, Dominic Grieve, accused her of seeking to ``wash her hands'' of her responsibilities.
(and a shout arose from the crowd "Give us Barabbas")
He added: ``This episode has nothing to do with national security and everything to do with political embarrassment.
``It heralds a systematic breakdown in trust between officials and ministers arising from the Home Secretary's willingness to conceal failings in her department on matters of manifest public interest.''
Flippin' heck! Though it chokes me to say this but..Well done John! but IMHO it is more to do with, as the old East end gangster expression, 'putting the frighteners on 'em'
Miss Smith defended the police operation on the grounds that the leaks received by Mr Green had struck "at the heart of Government."
Next time use a bigger stake, you know what the undead are like...
She accused Mr Grieve of being "cavalier" in his response to the scandal, adding that the "sustained" leaking by the Home Office mole Christopher Galley, a junior civil servant, gave cause for concern because he had access to sensitive information, potentially relating to matters of national security.
"Even if I had been informed, I believe it would have been wholly inappropriate for me to seek to intervene in the operational decisions being taken by the police," she said. "I don't do that and I should not do that."
Oh yes! the cry of National Security, a useful tool of the powerful to commit all sorts of High Crimes and misdemeanours.
Damian Green affair: Police hunting for Whitehall moles, says Jacqui Smith - Telegraph
Friday, 5 December 2008
For All Your 'Mole Infestation' Problems Hire Special Advisor Jack Russell !
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
The Sun does indeed shine on the righteous and unrighteous alike
The Sun does indeed shine on the righteous and unrighteous alike.
Not a publication I buy or read, even if it was the only reading material in a twenty mile radius of me, but I must say that, given the amount of weight that they used behind the election of Tony Blair's government in the first place, finally reality seems to be dawning on The Sun and it's readers.
We are a police state here & now | Trevor Kavanagh | The Sun |News|Columnists|kavanagh
Monday, 1 December 2008
Victim of “Honour” killing is failed by the police and then by the IPCC
From The Times
December 1, 2008
Promotion for PC Angela Cornes who ignored victim Banaz Mahmod
PC Angela Cornes
A police officer whose blunders were criticised after Britain’s most notorious “honour” killing has escaped punishment after the collapse of disciplinary proceedings against her.
When a bleeding and distressed Banaz Mahmod told PC Angela Cornes that her father had just tried to murder her, the officer dismissed her as a melodramatic drunk. Instead of investigating the young woman’s allegations, she wanted to charge her with criminal damage for breaking a window during her escape.
Three weeks later, Miss Mahmod, 20, was raped, tortured and strangled at her South London home. Her body was put in a suitcase and buried in the garden of a house in Birmingham.
PC Cornes had been due to face a disciplinary hearing last month after a lengthy investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The Times has discovered that all charges against her have been dropped. Instead of dismissal, she is in line to be promoted to sergeant and given a backdated pay rise. Miss Mahmod’s murder – punishment for falling in love with the wrong man – was orchestrated by her father and an uncle, Iraqi Kurds, now serving life after an Old Bailey trial in June last year.
The IPCC investigated after the trial had ended. The victim had told police four times, between December 2005 and January 2006, that her family wanted her dead and had given them a list naming the men likely to carry out the murder. She even gave evidence to the jury from beyond the grave, in a video recording made from her hospital bed on the day she first met PC Cornes.
Last April, the police watchdog announced that two officers, PC Cornes and her supervising inspector, would be ordered to appear before a disciplinary panel “to explain their actions”.
Both faced the threat of dismissal for conduct which “fell below the required standard”. Officers were said to have displayed “insensitivity and a lack of understanding”.
In April, Nicola Williams, an IPCC commissioner, said that Miss Mahmod “lost her life in terrible circumstances”. She had been “let down by the service she received” from the police and it was “entirely appropriate for two officers to face a disciplinary panel”.
The hearing was scheduled for November 17 but all charges against the pair were withdrawn because of “insufficient evidence”. Parties involved were told on November 14. No public announcement was made.
Would that be the "No Comment" type of lack of evidence by any chance?
This sort of thing goes on all of the time, the toothless IPCC receive a complaint and then a token investigation is conducted which gets nowhere because of various vested interests.
Shoddy and shambolic are the words that spring to mind, quickly followed by typical and expected.
Instead of disciplinary proceedings, The Times can reveal that PC Cornes is to receive “words of advice”, the lowest sanction – less severe than a written warning – that can be given to a serving police officer. She is due for a pay rise after being selected for promotion to sergeant, a rise through the ranks which was delayed pending the findings of the disciplinary panel.
One word of advice which was missing, to both officer and the investigating officers of the IPCC, "tender your resignations."
Sunday, 30 November 2008
..And this next one goes out to you, our brave war veterans..
".......And this next one goes out to you our brave war veterans...
It is one! two, three, four what the hell are we fight for...."
From the Mirror
The pictures of police brutality that will shock all of Britain.
Police beat handcuffed war veteran Mark Aspinall
These shameful and inexcusable scenes show a war hero who served his country in Iraq and Afghanistan fearing for his life amid a violent and unprovoked assault by police.
Lance Corporal Mark Aspinall – highly praised by his commanding officer for bravery against the Taliban in Afghanistan – was set upon by three uniformed officers on his home town High Street.
The sickening attack – caught in forensic detail on CCTV – led a crown court judge to label it one of the worst examples of police aggression he had ever seen. Yet, in a travesty of justice, it was Mark who was at first convicted by magistrates of attacking the policemen... despite the video footage clearly showing he was the victim.
Last night, Mark, 24, who had 14 head and face injuries, said: “I was scared for my life. I was being battered and my head was being pushed into the ground.
“I remember thinking, ‘I’m going to die here. I can’t believe I’ve survived Afghanistan and Iraq and now I’m going to die on this main road in my home town at the hands of the police’.
“Yet I was the one who ended up in the dock, not the officers.”
Mark was convicted by magistrates of two counts of police assault – and his ordeal only ended when Crown Court judge John Phipps watched the damning footage and quashed the verdict on appeal.
Who are these magistrates? And are they still in their positions? I sincerely hope not!
He said: “I am shocked and appalled at the level of police violence shown here”, adding that he had “great concerns” about the footage and effectively branding the policemen liars by saying: “I would go as far as to say the statements (by the officers) contain untruths.”
The nine-minute video shows PC Peter Lightfoot punching Mark eight times.
Mark had been out for drinks with friends in Wigan, Lancs, and left the town’s Walkabout bar at 2.40am on Sunday July 27. Police had been called to deal with a man said to be causing a nuisance to paramedics.
Special constable Lightfoot, 39 – a volunteer officer whose main job is as a van driver – and his two colleagues wrongly believed Mark was their man. He explained he had done nothing wrong, but they chased him and threw him to the floor.
“They asked me what I was doing and I told them I was just standing around. They came up and pushed me and I said ‘Don’t f***ing touch me’.
“I had been drinking, I was pretty leathered, I know that... but I was NOT being violent.”
The footage opens with an unsteady Mark drunkenly standing in the street and calling out to the officers.
As can be clearly seen, he stands 10ft from them in the middle of the road as they stand on the pavement.
Suddenly, the three officers move as one and start running across the road towards Mark.
Startled, he falls over and as he gets to his feet one officer rugby-tackles him, while the other two help bundle him to the ground. Then the vicious assault begins.
PC Lightfoot, who weighs more than 20st, bangs Mark’s head on the road twice before leaning over and shouting into his ear, while his two colleagues kneel on Mark’s legs.
Mark, in pain, tries to kick out and bites one of the officer’s legs in self-defence.
His punishment is fierce and immediate. The officer pushes his booted foot in Mark’s face while PC Lightfoot grabs his hair and repeatedly scrapes his face on the tarmac.
Even though Mark is lying unmoving on the ground, PC Lightfoot punches him twice, checks to see who is watching, then punches him another six times on the back and shoulders.
The eight pump-action blows come in eight seconds. PC Lightfoot stops the beating only as people driving past slow down to watch. The footage shows Mark pinned to the floor for a total of five minutes and 16 seconds. The most brutal section lasts for one minute 35 seconds.
Eventually, Mark was bundled into a police van in handcuffs, taken to Wigan police station and kept in custody for 20 hours.
He was charged with two counts of police assault and a public order offence – swearing at the officers. On September 22, at Wigan magistrates court, the three officers read statements to the court that Mark had been “behaving violently” and “issued challenges”.
Three JPs found Mark guilty of the two assaults – despite viewing the footage. In a final insult, he was ordered to pay PC Lightfoot £100 in compensation and one of the other officers £150.
He was also ordered to serve 200 hours community service and given a three-month suspended prison sentence. Mark, who returned from Afghanistan in February and was working his notice in the Army at the time of attack, said: “I went in to the Army thinking this country was worth fighting for.
“I put my life on the line every day in Afghanistan, so to come back and be treated like this for no reason was just so depressing. My plan was to join the fire service when I came out of the Army – but I was rejected because of my conviction. It meant I was unemployable for anything I wanted to do.”
Determined to clear his name, Mark lodged an appeal. And at Liverpool crown court on November 13, Judge Phipps saw the footage and asked incredulously: “Where is this man of violence?”
Mark said: “In court the police said I was out of control, but you can see I was just lying there. I was drunk, I’ll admit that, but I wasn’t causing trouble. I swore at the officers after they pushed me, but I was not challenging them or threatening them. At no point in the CCTV can you see me being violent.
“It was awful. I had come back from fighting in Afghanistan and now, on community service, I was painting a school as a convict, standing next to men who were drug dealers and robbers.”
Yesterday Mark received the £250 compensation back from the officers.
Brought up in Wigan by supermarket assistant mum Kathleen, 59, and his factory engineer dad John, 61, Mark revealed: “My grandad had been in the Army and when I joined my parents were so proud of me.
“I lost two friends – one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan – and although I loved the Army I wanted to come out and try something else.”
He added: “I’m delighted to have cleared my name, but it is scandalous that I was treated like this.”
At his home in Orrell, Wigan, PC Lightfoot, a Special Constable for 19 years, refused to discuss his attack on Mark saying: “Go away. You are not welcome.”
Special constables have the same power of arrest as regular full-time officers and are subject to the same rules, but are not paid.
A police spokesman said: “Greater Manchester Police’s professional standards branch is investigating the conduct of officers on the Wigan division.
“One officer has had his duties restricted and another two are being investigated.
“The matter has been voluntarily referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, but an independent complaint has also been made.”
So, is this the sort of Britain that this young man signed up to protect? No I don't think so.
Nothing will happen to either these police officers nor to the magistrates, though a fitting punishment would be a six month tour of Hellman Province, would do them all a world of good.
Exclusive: Three police officers beat up handcuffed Iraq war veteran - mirror.co.uk
Friday, 28 November 2008
So how do you Twitter? Ah! well Yoono....
I started using Yoono, a Firefox extension about 2 or 3 weeks ago and I am gradually finding that it is an excellent vehicle to communicate across many IM and social networking platforms.
It integrates well with Firefox and runs as you can see, as a left hand side bar, (no option to switch to the right as yet).
One of the more potentially exciting features is the ability to post directly to your blog.
I say potentially because I haven't actually been successful in doing this.
Yoono appears to have sent the posting, but when I have checked the actual blog, it is nowhere to be seen.
So if anyone has any ideas on how I can solve this, please leave a comment!
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vWnKT83364ijaQt2gZB7lmhP2uFSkGp1Gw93FK6BSzGwrQvNImN7B5sPAOE7bCiHzVOLyO2PY_HjPnm1rBk2fsfki-V8zRvJX8Dp_kgCHG9bddqzYJ63Rj1XU-TonKn_7OG8IJYCo1uXkpP9Plzw8_=s0-d)
And so, it begins.......
And so, it begins... (Ambassador Kosh of The Vorlon Empire)
From the BBC
Senior Tory angered by his arrest
Mr Green said politicians have a duty to hold the government to account
A senior Conservative MP has reacted angrily to his arrest by police investigating the alleged leaking of Home Office information.
Damian Green denied any wrongdoing and said: "I was astonished to have spent more than nine hours today under arrest for doing my job."
BBC NEWS | Politics | Senior Tory angered by his arrest
Police say Mr Green was held on Thursday on suspicion of "conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office".
He was questioned, but has not been charged and was bailed until February.
This is rich when you consider the actions of this government from almost day one of their Stewardship.
What? Clarify? Ok.
Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone
The rebellion of 47 backbenchers who were against the plans to cut benefits to single parents.
In the October of 1998 the former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, the only country in Latin America not to support Argentina in the Falkland Islands Conflict, was arrested at the request of Spanish judges, seeking to extradite him to face charges related to more than 4000 political killings alleged to have taken place in Chile. He was in the UK to undergo surgery.
Home Secretary Jack Straw ordered he was too ill to extradite and allowed him to return to Chile.
In 2008 however, if you are Ghanaian, you are more likely to be removed from your sickbed and deported back to Africa to die.
At the end of October 1998, in an out of season, moment of madness, Welsh Secretary Ron Davies became the first member of Tony Blair's Cabinet to resign citing a "serious lapse of judgement" after he forgot all about the dangers of talking to strangers on Clapham Common and was later robbed at knifepoint.
He had been the bookies favourite to become the First Secretary of the Welsh Assembly after winning a ballot earlier in the year by a head.
In the middle of December 1998, under the cover of British Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Mandelson resigning for failing to disclose a pre-election winning, £373000 home loan from Paymaster General Geoffrey Robinson, Saddam Hussain decided, with all that distraction, that he might get away with failing to comply with weapons inspections.
However, the ever-vigilant US President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair responded to this with air strikes on Iraq.
6th March 2000
Ken Livingstone announces his intention to stand as an independent candidate for London Mayor.
One month later the MP for Brent East received a letter telling him he had been expelled from the Labour Party for at least five years for failing to back the official Labour candidate Frank Dobson. Mr Livingstone shrugged off the move as a "trial separation" and went on to win the mayoral election in May 2000.
7th June 2000
Blair is heckled and slow hand-clapped as he delivers a speech to the Women’s Institute.
After what Mr Blair had hoped would be a speech to win back the initiative from the Tories he received poor applause and drew criticism from some audience members who said his speech was too political. Some women began to heckle and slow clap the PM before the WI chairman appealed to them to stop.
29th June 2000
Blair announces that police will be able to charge on-the-spot fines for public drunkenness.
5th July 2000
PMs eldest son Euan reprimanded by police for being drunk and incapable in a post-exams celebration.
Euan was found drunk and vomiting in Leicester Square and was taken to a police station. The incident came just a few days after Tony Blair suggested on-the-spot fines for drunkenness. Mr Blair reacted the next day saying being a father was sometimes more difficult than being prime minister.
5th September 2000
Fuel protests over rise in petrol prices begin. Crisis Cabinet meetings in what was seen as the greatest test of Blair’s premiership.
24th January 2001
Peter Mandelson resigns over Hinduja passports affair. He is later cleared of wrongdoing.
16th July 2001
More than 100 backbencher’s rebel over a bid to remove two independently minded MPs as chairmen of two committees
28th May 2002
Transport Secretary Stephen Byers resigns after a long running row over good day to bury bad news email sent by his adviser.
The scandal revolved around Mr Byers' special adviser or spin doctor Jo Moore who sent an email on 911 suggesting that news from the department was unlikely to receive the usual press scrutiny on that day. Mr Byers was not involved in that email but became embroiled in a wider row about the influence of non-accountable special advisers.
10th December 2002
Cherie Blair apologises for embarrassment caused by buying flats with the help of convicted fraudster Peter Foster.
15th February 2003
An estimated million people’s march through London to protest against war with Iraq.
17th March 2003
Robin Cook quits as leader of the Commons because of his opposition to attacking Iraq.
18th March 2003
139 Labour MPs vote against the government’s decision to go to war with Iraq.
20th March 2003
War on Iraq begins as US forces launch first air strikes on Baghdad.
US President George W Bush delivered a live television address shortly after explosions rocked the capital at 05:34 local time 02:34 GMT signalling the start of the US led campaign to topple Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. The following day the US and British launched a massive aerial assault on Baghdad in what the US called its "shock and awe" strategy. Mr Bush declared an end to major combat operations on 1 May 2003.
12th May 2003
Clare Short quits over Iraq saying Tony Blair had broken promises over the country’s future.
29th May 2003
On the Today programme Andrew Gilligan reports allegations that the government enhanced its dossier on Iraq’s WMD.
Want me to go on? OK.
28th January 2004
Lord Hutton’s report absolves government of almost any blame in Kelly affair and points finger at BBC reporting.
Key allegations about the government's Iraq dossier reported by the BBC's Andrew Gilligan were "unfounded" and the BBC's editorial procedures were "defective" Lord Hutton said. He concluded that there was no underhand government strategy to name Dr Kelly. The report caused massive upheaval at the BBC with the resignations of Chairman Gavyn Davies and Director General Greg Dyke.
26th February 2004
Speaking on Today Clare Short alleges UN Secretary General Kofi Annans office was bugged by MI6.
20th April 2004
Blair confirms there will be a referendum on the EU constitution a U turn on his previous position.
For months the prime minister had denied the need for a vote but with clamour over Europe issues growing louder he said that he would "let the people have a final say". Conservative leader Michael Howard asked him "Who will ever trust you again"
And we all know what happened there don't we?
14th July 2004
Butler report finds that some intelligence on Iraq’s WMDs had turned out to be unreliable but Blair had acted in good faith.
16th March 2006
Labours treasurer Jack Dromey reveals he and other officials did not know the party had secretly borrowed millions of £s.
Mr Dromey told BBC News that neither he nor Labour's elected chairman knew about the loans from businessmen despite being regularly consulted about bank loans. He said the Electoral Commission should investigate the issue of loans to political parties from non-commercial sources. Home Secretary Charles Clarke said it was reasonable for an internal inquiry to take place but denied "cash for honours" claims.
25th April 2006
The Home Office admits 1023 foreign criminals were released without being considered for deportation.
Home Secretary Charles Clarke refused to step down but conceded he did not know where most of the released prisoners were. Among them were three murderers and nine rapists. Opposition leaders accused him of failing to protect the public.
10th July 2006
John Prescott comes under pressure to quit after it emerges a US tycoon gave him a cowboy outfit during a visit to his ranch.
(LOL 'I wanna be Sherriff')
12th July 2006
Lord Levy is arrested and bailed by police over the cash for honours probe.
Tony Blair's chief fundraiser denied any wrongdoing and accused the police of using their arrest powers "totally unnecessarily". The peer was one of several key figures in securing multimillion pound loans to the Labour Party in 2005. Police are examining whether honours were ever given as reward for financial help to the three main parties.
14th December 2006
Police interview Blair about cash for honours affair.
Mr Blair became the first prime minister to be questioned by police in the course of an investigation. He was interviewed twice in December and January 2007 but not under caution so he was being treated as a witness rather than a suspect. Mr Blair's chief fundraiser Lord Levy and Downing Street political adviser Ruth Turner were arrested on separate occasions in January 2007 and released after questioning. the Crown Prosecution Service announced on the 20th of July 2007, that Lord Levy was not to be prosecuted.
History it would seem, like a rather fat-laden meal, repeats......
Back to the BBC....
Speaking outside the House of Commons, Mr Green said: "I emphatically deny I have done anything wrong.
"I have many times made public information that the government wanted to keep secret - information that the public has a right to know.
"In a democracy, opposition politicians have a duty to hold the government to account.
This is Shamocracy mate, didn't anyone tell you?
"I was elected to the House of Commons precisely to do that and I certainly intend to continue doing so."
Mr Green's arrest is believed to be connected to the arrest of a man suspected of being a Home Office whistle-blower.
It follows a series of leaks, including:
* The November 2007 revelation that the home secretary knew the Security Industry Authority had granted licences to 5,000 illegal workers, but decided not to publicise it.
* The February 2008 news that an illegal immigrant had been employed as a cleaner in the House of Commons.
* A whips' list of potential Labour rebels in the vote on plans to increase the pre-charge terror detention limit to 42 days.
* A letter from the home secretary warning that a recession could lead to a rise in crime.
The BBC understands Tory leader David Cameron is angry about what has happened and stands by Mr Green.
Speaking on BBC One's Question Time on Thursday, shadow chancellor George Osborne said: "I think it's absolutely extraordinary that the police have taken that decision.
"It has long been the case in our democracy that MPs have received information from civil servants - I think to hide information from the public is wrong.
"It is early days, it's an extraordinary case. I think there are going to be some very, very big questions asked of the police."
A spokesman for the Conservative Party said Mr Green had "on a number of occasions, legitimately revealed information which the Home Office chose not to make public.
"Disclosure of this information was manifestly in the public interest."
Conservative sources said a police investigation into a high-ranking politician would have to have been cleared at "the very top" and have described the actions as "Stalinesque".
But a Downing Street spokesman said: "This is a matter for the police. The prime minister had no prior knowledge of the arrest of Mr Green and was only informed after the event."
Strange how David Cameron knew, and Boris. Bit odd, don't you think?
Why should GB have to know? After all, that is the point of pogrom isn't it, to permit the use of plausible deniability?
And now we go live over to Stalin's Tomb, where a séance is being conducted to gain the late Soviet Leaders opinion....
...Keep building upon my evil works Mr Prime Minister, and those of your predecessors. Serve your masters well and you will descend to my left hand....Now I must go, I have a meeting with comrade Pol Pot...
Well it would seem that the current UK government tactics are being warmly received by the former Soviet Leader, wherever he is... now back to the studio...
Mayor of London Boris Johnson has said he was informed in advance of the Met's plan to arrest Mr Green, and expressed "trenchant" concerns about the move.
Mr Green, the MP for Ashford in Kent, who has been the Conservatives' immigration spokesman since December 2005, was arrested shortly before 1400 GMT at his constituency home.
The Tories say they understand counter-terrorism officers were involved in searches of his home and offices.
So, instead of utilising the skills and expertise of our highly trained and motivated counter-terrorism officers (LOL), to protect the citizens of the UK, we find that they have been poking around the properties of one of the Queen's loyal opposition. Does this seem a useful and cost effective use of their time? And what nasty little false flag have they not seen, fluttering?
Is it just a case of constructing a sentence out of the following, news, day, bury, good, to, bad.
In a statement, the Met said the arrest was made without any ministerial influence.
Right, so this was not a political act then?
They said: "The investigation into the alleged leak of confidential government material followed the receipt by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) of a complaint from the Cabinet Office.
So, the office which is responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom, (would that be the drugs cabinet?), complained to the police, then informed David Cameron and Boris Johnson but failed to inform their boss?
If we take what the PM said to be accurate, who took the decision not to inform him, why they took that decision and did they have the authority to take such a decision? Are these not reasonable questions to ask?
If you did something similar, in your job would you expect to keep it?
"The decision to make today's arrest was taken solely by the MPS without any ministerial knowledge or approval."
It said search warrants had been carried out at a home in Kent, a home in west London, business premises in Kent and in central London
"The search at the residential address in west London has concluded, the other searches continue," it added.
So much for the pledge about protecting whistle-blowers, more like payback and a warning to anyone leaking information that BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU!.
This story will no doubt develop further throughout the next few days and is one which could be an indicator of things to come.
Unfortunately, the people of this land are quite use to 'doffing the forelock to their betters', plus a few decades to jerk around with the education system to create an uncritical, low brow populous, without the faculties to see beyond the immediate, which has no comprehension of the events of history and understands little how it has shaped their lives. Nor do they care.
As long John Sargeant gets through, we'll be alright.
Ah! yes! the spirit of the Blitz!
See also here, here, and this little story here.
But one should go here for checking the pulse, heart and respiration.
and here.
Thursday, 27 November 2008
Netvibes v iGoogle v Pageflakes
Over the past couple of days I have embarked on trying to not only get to grips with several new applications which I have installed, but also with Twitter and it's many tools.
I decided to do a few searches on some of my pet subjects, and one in particular, Netvibes, provided some interesting responses.
Opinion was mainly divided into three camps. The Netvibes Camp, staffed mainly by staunch, long term advocates of Netvibes.
There are also some new adoptees from the iGoogle Camp, who have not liked the recent changes which have happened, and a similar tale from those who have just left Pageflakes over the advertising debacle.
Mind you, there a a lot of iGoogle and Pageflakes fans out there who don't like Netvibes at all! And a few ex-Netvibes users who didn't like the changes when Netvibes released 'Ginger'!
I personally like and favour Netvibes, but that doesn't mean that I automatically discount the others as I have included them in my Netvibes universe under their own tabs.
Monday, 24 November 2008
A Montage of Time
I was up far too early this morning, doing the usual, tea, toilet, smoke, de-flea the dog, and in the midst of all that at five am, I was on the net, sorting out emails, reading a few comments made over night.
I am not sure what led me to do this post..oh yes, sorting out my Netvibes Tabs. Occasionally, in my haste to place a new feed or a new website to my Netvibes page, I seldom care on which Tab they end up, so it was with my Blogcatlog Tab.
It was full of websites I had grabbed and they were little to do with Blogcatalog. and one of them was my Flicker account which I hadn't done anything with for ages. So as I was I put it in it's relevant Tab, I remembered about Blogger and it's use of Picasa, so I decided to make create a slideshow of the images I uploaded since starting The Tao of Blog.
Most of the images made articles but some did not, but what is kind of interesting, well from my perspective, is not just the changes in the blogs development, what stayed and what didn't, what worked and what didn't, but the content, the snapshots of moments in time, both personal and public, what was in the news, comments being made from websites and blogs, a montage of time.
I placed a small slideshow in the margin and created this below for the posting. A larger slideshow can be viewed of the Netvibes version of this blog.
Sunday, 23 November 2008
Greorge Orwell's Diaries online at THE ORWELL PRIZE
What can I add to what has already been said regarding George Orwell?
Nothing, but this site can...
THE ORWELL PRIZE
See also here
Saturday, 22 November 2008
Blears sounds warning about BNP
I just love the net....
Blears sounds warning about BNP
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has said white working-class voters turn to the British National Party because they feel ignored by mainstream parties.
Writing in the Guardian newspaper, Ms Blears accuses the BNP of playing on people's apprehensions and peddling "pernicious but plausible lies".
She says other parties had to work to win back voters on "ignored" estates.
The minister made similar comments in 2006 after the far-right party made gains in the local elections.
BBC NEWS | UK | Blears sounds warning about BNP
These two things made me laugh but on two seperate levels.
