I don't normally blog on technical stuff, mainly because there are so many others out there that do it so much better, however I am so pleased with my recent Ubuntu experience that I feel compelled.
I have toyed with linux before, even upgrading an old PC I had hanging around so that I could install Suse. At the time, I only had a dial-up internet connection and one snag I hit almost immediately is that the internal modem I had, in common with many others, was so "optimised" for windows that it couldn't be used with linux. I even got as far as buying a serial external modem before giving up through inertia and lack of time.
Later on I tried to set up a dual boot laptop installation using XP and Suse, but I couldn't do it and information was scarce and contradictory about the how and why.
Fast forward to now, less than half a day's effort has me with a fully working linux system that dual boots with no problem so I can still use Vista. There is loads of good reliable information about and things just work without a lot of mucking around - great.
I'm so enthused I'm going to try and run the VMware player from Ubuntu and see if my saved windows 2000 environment runs faster than it does running the player in Vista - I have a feeling I know the answer already.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Police and Thieves
Of course, it may just be clever editing, but I was struck by the juxtaposition of a massive Police presence at the climate change camp near Heathrow today and the murder of a father by a gang of vandals.
It would be a cheap and easy point to ask where the Police were when this was going on, however to be fair to them, charges are now being brought.
However, when there are people terrorising entire areas, it is hard to see how one local authority is setting priorities. Step forward, Peterborough, where I once lived. I wonder how many people there really feel that this was their tax cash being well spent? I wouldn't.
It would be a cheap and easy point to ask where the Police were when this was going on, however to be fair to them, charges are now being brought.
However, when there are people terrorising entire areas, it is hard to see how one local authority is setting priorities. Step forward, Peterborough, where I once lived. I wonder how many people there really feel that this was their tax cash being well spent? I wouldn't.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
More on Neil and DNA
Someone called Harry has done a far better job of pointing out the holes in Neil's DNA argument than I could do. I just know from stuff I've read about the technology and how it works, as well as the way some of the Police behave at times, that there is no hope of a universal database ever happening, let alone being the panacea that Neil naively considers it. Harry has some facts - good stuff.
But even if it could be made practical, it's just plain wrong for the government to assume my (and everyone else's) guilt unless proven otherwise. It flies in the face of everything I believe in.
But even if it could be made practical, it's just plain wrong for the government to assume my (and everyone else's) guilt unless proven otherwise. It flies in the face of everything I believe in.
That Nice Mr Major
As I've mentioned before, popular history seems to have recast John Major as a nice cricket loving bloke who was a bit of victim of circumstances.
This ignores his rise within the Tory party - he didn't do that without being an astute politician. More seriously, people seem to have forgotten his wicked scheme to avoid paying the paltry sum of five pounds to needy pensioners, cooked up whilst he was Social Security Minister and Britain was facing the coldest winter since 1947. In re-reading the history of this, kindly made available by Brian Deer, I came across something I'd forgotten - it was an uncharacteristically caring Mrs Thatcher who came to the (too little, too late) aid of the elderly poor, by overruling the crazy formula that meant extra payments would only have been made when Pork Airlines took over the London-New York routes. The formula, cooked up by that kindly Mr Major.
This ignores his rise within the Tory party - he didn't do that without being an astute politician. More seriously, people seem to have forgotten his wicked scheme to avoid paying the paltry sum of five pounds to needy pensioners, cooked up whilst he was Social Security Minister and Britain was facing the coldest winter since 1947. In re-reading the history of this, kindly made available by Brian Deer, I came across something I'd forgotten - it was an uncharacteristically caring Mrs Thatcher who came to the (too little, too late) aid of the elderly poor, by overruling the crazy formula that meant extra payments would only have been made when Pork Airlines took over the London-New York routes. The formula, cooked up by that kindly Mr Major.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Neil On DNA
To be fair we need to store DNA on everybody.
No Neil - that's not fair at all
The DNA database helps the police catch the correct perpetrators of many crimes - some of the most horrendous crimes and some of the most difficult to catch 'anonymous' crimes are solved mainly due to the database.
Big claims - no references or evidence as usual.
The success of the database is unquestionable and is good news for all of us - innocent people have been set free as a result of the database.
Examples? Oh, I forgot, it's Neil.
Whatever argument we have against the database, this is the first thought that needs to be in our mind.
Incorrect. I don't do crime (apart from very occasional speeding - and DNA won't help them catch me doing that) so the government can keep its hands off my DNA. I don't need to have my DNA in their database cluttering up the results, thanks.
While you're at it, Neil, see what you can dig up on a 1999 case in England - that of Raymond Easton.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
