No blogging this weekend....

The sun is out after all, why would I blog?

What a great Friday it turned out to be!

The words "top" and "story" in sequence have just turned what was a bad Friday into a very good one indeed.

Sky NewsSee yesterday's post here for details.

DWP statement on data security breach

The Department of Work and Pensions has issued a statement after The Register followed up my post from yesterday which revealed that the morons in the department were bundling passwords in the same packaging with encrypted data disc and sending them off to others.

The DWP spokeswoman told El Reg,

We take the security of individuals' data extremely seriously. We have carried out a major review of procedures around the transfer of data to ensure the security of customer information. We expect all managers to monitor the application of our security controls and ensure that the correct action is taken in all cases.

I think, when you cut through the PR-speak, that basically means "we don't comment on leaks especially when it's true"

Redundant Politician auctioned on eBay

Not many bids so far. Cue jokes about being "full of hot air" etc etc.

Bid on ebay

Are they lining up the men in white coats?

It's been known for some time that the Labour Party are bordering on bankruptcy as the Daily Mail reported yesterday. According to the Mail Labour are,

"facing a financial crisis as they make a desperate bid to put off £10million in loan repayments. The party are running out of money and are £20million in debt as they struggle to pay back loans made by wealthy businessmen in the run-up to the 2005 election."

Tribune goes even further suggesting bankruptcy is a very real possibility as there are fears that will refuse to sign off the books later this month and "declare the party insolvent" instead.

I mention this simply because yesterday a motion was also tabled by the Labour MP for Stroud, David Drew that states,

That this House congratulates Mind on its report, In the Red, which explores the links between debt, poverty and mental ill health; calls on the Office of Fair Trading, relevant government departments, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, statutory agencies using bailiffs, banks, creditors, energy and water companies, primary care trusts, local health boards and others to consider carefully the report's recommendations; commends the Financial Services Authority for supporting Mind's work to help people with mental health problems and debt to take control of their finances; and wishes Mind every success in developing its programme of financial capability workshops and website information and advice service.

They're not concerned for their own sanity and Gordon's are they? There is talk that Gordon is cracking up after all, perhaps there is a fear that a look at the accounts will push him over the edge so its best to praise Mind now so that they can get a good deal when the straightjacket arrives?

*** DWP staff breach data security rules ***

I've just been forwarded a copy of a rather interesting email that appears to have been sent by a Security Advisor at the Department of Work Pension to staff reminding them of the security polcies around the transfer of public data of a sensitive nature. It appears, as the email states, that some people at DWP are complete morons (emphasis mine).

Following the HMRC incident last November, increased security measures have been put in place for dealing with data transfers both clerically and electronically.

All staff should be aware of Security Notices 02/07 and 03/07 that were issued by the Departmental Security Team in December. This guidance covers data transfers and use of courier services. Information in these notices should be adhered to, in order for us to protect our customer information and the integrity of the Departments’ Security practices.

I have been advised of instances where password protected data has been sent out with the password being sent separately as detailed in Security Notice 02/07. However, once the data and the separate password are received, staff are then forwarding the data and password on together, this defeats the purpose of the security measure entirely.

Could I ask you to remind staff of the heightened security surrounding data transfer and ensure that data and passwords are sent separately.

Idiots, morons, fools, etc etc. Don;t worry about ID cards though. It will be impossible to hack!

Food for Thought?

The front page of the Independent (pictured) has amused me greatly. It makes the point that there is a global food shortage and Britain throws away loads of fresh food every day - the headline being 'What A Waste! The Scandal of our Throwaway Society'.

If you're wondering why this caused such merriment at such an early hour it's because I just couldn't help flipping the point over in my head and pondering on what the Indy headline would be if we were not throwing away the fresh food and eating it instead?

'Botchulism Britain - The Scandal of a Society Poisoning Itself' perhaps? 'The Out-of-Date British Way of Life - How Britain is slowly eating itself to death' maybe? What about 'Supermarket Salmonella Sweep - How the food retail giants force us to eat off food by hiking prices '?

You get the point I hope. Yes, we throwaway a lot of food each day. However, that's because firstly shops have no choice if the 'Use By' date passes. They cannot legally sell it. They can't even give it away to charity, and let's be honest, if they did, a paper like the Independent would lead on 'Helping the Homeless? - Scandal of supermarket giants that poision the soup kitchen'.

The second, and more individualistic reason we throw so much away is because of that little 'Use By' date again. We have been so infantilised by state regulation that most people just read the date, check the calendar, then chuck it. Having the knowledge to know when something is 'on the turn' or, when something will be OK if you cook it properly has been lost to lives indirectly and unconsciously ruled by regulations.

Some years ago we just had 'Best Before'. That essentially put out the message 'you should eat this before this date but if you eat it afterwards that's your choice and we're not responsibile for it if you get ill'. When they introduced 'Use By', which is an order rather than an advisory note, we deferred responsibilty of that decision to eat to the regulation itself that brought the labelling requirement in.

Ironically it was a regulation brought in, as ever, to protect the public in the great paternal/nanny state. The consequence being that those who would no doubt vehmently oppose the repealing of 'Use By' on health and safety grounds, now find themselves moaning that we all follow the instructions and chuck the stuff away so we don't potentially get ill.

Frankly this is the best example of the Law of Unitended Consequence I've ever seen.

Absurdity of the Day

It's in all the papers. If you're not from the EU and you're a footballer, you won't be able to play in the Premier League unless you pass a basic English language test. These sort of policies are absurd for two reasons.

Firstly the whole EU and non-EU distinction is crackers. Second, the manager of England doesn't even speak English (he is from the EU though so that's OK!).

The wrong bike for der Führer?

Rude words in the subtitles, but I couldn't help but laugh. This is what happens if you buy the wrong bike for der Führer.

Johann Hari proves he is an idiot and fails geography

This morning, Steve Richards at the Independent failed his numeracy test and now, via Croydonian is colleague, the ever so smug Johann Hari has failed his geography test. On the Indy's blog Open house Johann Hari says,

Boris will forever be the mayor of Zones Four to Six, the chief executive of Watford and Bromley and Amersham.

Johann darling. Amersham may look like it is zone six at the end of the Metropolitan line but it's actually part of Buckinghamshire and in Zone nine you idiot. Perhaps you need a history lesson on the Metropolitan Line as well and where it went too? As for Watford, that is in Hertfordshire and Zone seven.

Where do they find these complete prats? Seriously? If you'e so stupid that you just look at a tube map and assume that everything on it is in London should you really be paid to write for a national newspaper and pontificate your opinion?

What's more Johann, if you think Zone four equals suburbia heaven on earth then I suggest you go and visit Woolwich, plumstead and Abbeywood and inform some of the poorest postal districts in London with the lowest school attainment results that they're actually middle class.

You claim to speak for the poor in London, yet it appears you don't know where London ends, nor do you know very much about the reality of what the city looks like past the end of your "oh I live in the East End it's so raw and working class" nose.

Does Gordon have shares we don't know about?

How odd, Gordon Brown for Britain appears to now be an Italian Conference Call provider. Does Gordon's love for Britain and all that British now extend to Italy too?

via email

Don't believe the hype. It's probably rubbish

As Guido has noted, this whole rubbish tax "U-turn" sounds familiar as it was reported in October that Brown personally intervened to stop the scheme. Thus as Guido and Sam Coates say, he can't U-turn because he's already done it making it just another reanouncement.

However, something which I blogged on the day of the last "U-turn" has been missed. You see, at lunchtime on that day the Government published a response to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee on the subject the so-called "rubbish tax".

In that response it effectively said it was going ahead with the scheme by giving powers to local authorities to introduce it anyway. So there wasn't really a U-turn in October, but a neat bit of spin whereby he said one thing to get psoitive headlines and then - via the back door - in an obscure response document, said the opposite. One might even go as far to say that someone "lied".

Given this, why should anyone believe a word Brown says on this subject? The evidence suggests the last time he "U-turned" he'd spun back again without anyone noticing on the very same day. So has he really U-turned this time or is it just more spin so the papers report his (third?) relaunch in a positive way?
Image shamefully leeched from Guido

Steve Richards Quote of the Day

Interesting commentary from Steve Richards in his Indy column about Gordon Brown. It also has a brilliant quote saying,

"Currently a fatal narrative is in place. It can be summarised in three words: 'Brown is a disaster'".

A roaring success for basic numeracy in sub-editing surely? I fully expect some pedant to inform me that 'Brown' is a proper noun and therefore can be discounted as being a 'word', but this morning is sunny, the sky over London is blue as is City Hall.

Sue me!

Weird Wide Web

OK, so clearly I am having a b3ta archive evening as I have been away from the news for days, but tell me, is there anything more weird that a company that takes "factory damaged" coffins and make them in to sofas?
I'm open to weirder suggestions from the floor. However.... should anyone direct me to Real Doll, it's old, I saw it years ago, and whilst it is weird, it's by no means weird enough these days. Coffins as sofas however... now that's a different ball game!

The Truth behind 9/11

MANY WILL HAVE HEARD THE RUMOURS. NOW HERE THE TRUTH!!!!!*

* Caps lock added for comedy conspiracy loon touch. Also via b3ta.

Facebook Reality

Via b3ta

The long weekend is now here.....

No more posts for the next few days. It has been a hectic couple of days and I'm going to the countryside to relax.

Tumbleweed Central?

Nothing to see here, please move on!

The 'work of change' begins online... are P45s in the post yet?

What a great site it is not to have that smug looking Livingstone starring at me when I go to GLA website.

Now here's a question. When are the P45s being handed out for some of this lot?

Leadership bid rumours on Labour Home

OK< so it;s only Alex Hilton saying it, and he may just have been punked in a "Thatcher is Dead" type way, but according to his post of Labour Home, "rumour has it Jack Straw and David Miliband are considering leadership bids". Should the rumour be anymore than that it wouldn't surprise me.

THe thing that Brown must be realising this morning is that he's not going to be a long-term Prime Minister no matter how many "long-term decisions for the future" he might think he has made. A decade desperately wanting the Crown, and then a short-lived reign.

He really is Macbeth, to Blair's Duncan. Dunsinane Forest (the blonde mop of Johnson) has now moved the question that just remains is who will kill Macbeth and end the 15 year journey that led to power and glory but will end in tragedy.

My prediction is that the Labour Party will not commit fratricide. Instead it will just squabble and fall apart as each faction tries to position itself, and its man, for the coming "morning after the General Election".

The one thing Labour does not want - and it should be looking at the history of the Tories on this - is to go into the next election and win it with a tiny majority like John Major did. If it does it can kiss goodbye to power for a very long time.