Stop and search? Carry the card

Now here's a piece of journalism I like.

Download, print and carry the stop and search card, hand it over to any police officer who stops you and make sure they understand that if the search is intrusive or unlawful you will be taking action and seeking compensation through the courts, this may be the only way to stop this offensive treatment of the general public - hit back at what they care about - their money, after all it is the tool of choice for the authorities so let's play them at their own game.

REDA MORE at:-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/feb/09/liberty-central-stop-and-search-police

Obama begins cybersecurity review

A review of how well the US thwarts spies and malicious hackers has been started by President Barack Obama.

The end result will be a strategy to improve the way the US defends itself against net-borne threats.

While campaigning, President Obama likened net risks to the threat of nuclear or biological attack.

Just who's he kidding, as far as I was aware a nuclear or biological attack usually means people die or get seriously hurt whilst a net attack means inconvenience or costs money to deal with

..... Of course, I was forgetting - it's the money that matters, people will replace themselves whilst the government cannot replace the money that was lost. Plus the side benefit that we may all be persuaded to accept monitoring and restrictions online so that the government can 'protect us' from this dire threat.

.... Now I understand!


READ MORE at:-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7880695.stm

Teens targeted in net safety push

The BBC reports that

Half of Europe's teenagers browse the web with no parental oversight or supervision, a survey suggests.

The research into the web habits of 20,000 14 to 19-year-olds across Europe found that 51% enjoy unfettered access to any and every website.

Well I should b&%&*y think so too! considering that you can get married at 16 and you are legally an adult at 18 I would think it completely unreasonable to have to be supervised while using the net, I know what my reaction would have been at that age.

How dare people continue to treat young people as children way beyond the age at which they are legally adults and considered old enough to work, vote, pay taxes, die for their country.

Grrrrr, about time nanny learned when she wasn't welcome and minded her own business! Like keeping an eye on MP's expenses, supervising the financial industry, keeping the economy healthy.

As my grandfather said "too many do-gooders to do any bl%&dy good"

EU fines firm E35,000 for selling 'illegal' seeds

Even in these days of oppressive monitoring and control I was naiive enough to think that a farmer for example could grow his traditional crops and either sell the produce or perhaps allow the seeds to develop and sell them on - seems a reasonable enough activity to me!

Now I have (belatedly) read about the independent seed saving and selling association Kokopelli which was prosecuted under EU laws making it illegal to sell seed varieties which are not registered and approved, even if the seeds are old varieties which have been around for thousands of years!

Do I hear you say "couldn't we just register the seeds then?", in the UK it costs £2,000 + to register a 'new' variety and then £300 every year to maintain that registration. Small beer to the big outfits like Monsanto but impossibly expensive for small or non-profit organisations.

On the brighter side :-) there are still ways around this:-

Kokopelli offer a membership scheme where different levels of members will be issued with various seeds to grow, you can even adopt a seed to culture and preserve.

Garden Organic use a similar scheme, whereby you become a seed guardian and pass the seed on to others.

At a more local level, you could hold a Seed Swap. Visit Seedy Sunday to find out more and for help in organising one.


READ MORE at:-
http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news6221.htm

http://www.seedysunday.org/

http://www.kokopelli-seeds.com/

http://organicgardening.org.uk/hsl/

Identity cards 'could be used to spy on people'

Shock horror -Members of the Home Affairs Select Committee said they were concerned that the way the authorities use sensitive data gathered in the multi-billion pound programme could "creep" to include spying. Well, I never would have thought of that one would I?

I cannot quite figure whether politicians are incredibly naiive and blinkered or simply lying through their collective teeth.

They pass laws giving the authorities incredibly wide ranging powers to monitor and control us but seem surprised to learn that those powers may actually get used for more than they were intended for.

A bit like the anti harrasment laws which are now being used to protect unethical companies from legitimate protest.


READ MORE at:-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2093784/Identity-cards-could-be-used-to-spy-on-people.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/3561963/A-sinister-Act-of-subterfuge.html

https://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/47452/ID-cards-may-be-used-to-spy-on-us-

http://www.yourrights.org.uk/yourrights/the-right-of-peaceful-protest/harassment-and-interference-with-contracts.html

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/04/308039.html

Litter Lout Terrorists?

I don't like people who drop litter or allow their dogs to foul public spaces; I get angry when people misuse disabled badges but I would hardly regard any of them as 'terrorists', yet local authorities admit to using anti terror legislation which permits them to carry out surveillance operations against you in order to investigate these henious 'crimes'.

Apply for a school place for your child and the council may place you under surveillance to make sure that you are telling the truth on your application!

But of course, I forgot - if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear - silly me!

READ MORE at:-
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1904583/Councils-admit-using-anti-terror-laws-to-spy-on-public.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2696031/Anti-terrorism-laws-used-to-spy-on-noisy-children.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2248295/Second-council-admits-using-anti-terror-surveillance-over-school-places.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/2910962/Council-uses-anti-terror-rules-to-spy-on-man-with-noisy-wardrobe.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3333366/Half-of-councils-use-anti-terror-laws-to-spy-on-bin-crimes.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2696035/Anti-terrorism-laws-Snoops-persecute-minor-offenders-as-crooks-avoid-justice.html

Telegraph - The Government is creating a surveillance state

Even in the name of countering crime, why should the state know everything about us?

The evidence is growing by the week that the Government is creating a surveillance state.

It was confirmed yesterday that a database containing the international travel records of all citizens is being compiled; and Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, is drawing up plans to keep similar details of every phone call and email that is sent.

In addition, the records of all children are to be held on a system called ContactPoint, a national ID database is currently being developed, all health records currently held by GPs will be centrally available and a database of DNA profiles, ostensibly for criminals, is being built by stealth.

Meanwhile, the ubiquitous CCTV cameras in every public space make personal privacy increasingly hard to maintain. Even in the name of countering crime or combating terrorism, why should the state know where you are going, where you have been and whom you call while watching everyone's movements on camera?

Concerns about these developments are no longer confined to a few people dismissed by ministers as paranoid obsessives who fail to understand the security requirements of the modern state. Last year, a Commons select committee made a number of recommendations about the need for new regulations, controls and restrictions on state accumulation of information about its citizens. A few days ago, a House of Lords committee published a report stating unequivocally that monitoring the everyday activities of innocent individuals was becoming "pervasive" and "routine". The peers noted that this intrusiveness had altered the relationship between the state and its citizens and represented "one of the most significant changes in the life of the nation since the end of the Second World War". The peers also observed that most Britons were unaware of the extent of these surveillance practices and did not fully appreciate their potential consequences. One reason for this is the lamentable record of the Commons in curtailing these developments.

However, while the Government says it recognises that many people may well feel uncomfortable with the increase in surveillance it insists is for their own good and proposes to do nothing to curtail it. Indeed, the Coroners and Justice Bill currently before parliament contains powers to let Whitehall departments and other state agencies use and share personal data for whatever purpose a minister sees fit. This removes protections that exist in statute precisely to stop this happening.

If parliament is really serious about halting the advance of the surveillance state it must draw the line now and throw out this pernicious measure.


READ MORE at:-
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/4560123/The-Government-is-creating-a-surveillance-state.html