As you know, it is very rare for me to pay for news via a printed newspaper. I was mighty impressed when The Guardian broke the story of the swindling members of parliament and then the phone hacking that saw the closure of the news of the (SCREWS) world. Absolutely no loss to the world at all.
But even the Guardian couldn't entice me back to being a full time reader of news through the medium of news print. It is only on occasion that I am drawn to them through their free to all, on-line news service still preferring to get my news from on-line newspaper articles suggested to me from others or the TV.
I am not alone in this, not reading newspapers, as the Internet has given us the choice not to need them. On my way home this evening I was listening to The Media Show on BBC Radio 4 and heard Mr David Lee, Investigations Editor of The Guardian newspaper pontificating on about his idea of introducing a Broadband Internet Levy to raise an annual fund to be handed out to all newspapers. You can listen to the new breed of street beggar here
Clearly we need choices in anything that is out there to be able to get different views and perspectives. First it was word of mouth and stories were passed along from person to person, village to village and town to town. Then came the written word or pictogram on rock, then slate then paper with one page news, then newspapers, then telegraph, radio and finally TV. Now, I understand that when papers where in their heyday they were making vast fortunes and creating rich dynasty's, so it's a bit rich when one of these dynasty's who year on year and in some cases decade after decade, are producing their very expensive and loss making pages, and I understand that the prats at the Guardian are losing about £100k per day are now suggesting that a £2.00 per month levy on broadband internet users and this should raise about £500 million per year to be used to bale out the newspaper industry? What a bloody nerve, if they can't operate profitably - close down. So, I don't read newspapers and if I did want to read one in paper form, I can walk to the local shop and pay across the counter for it, but what I shouldn't be asked for, is to pay a TAX that is going to prop up failing businesses that I can live without to pay people who cannot run a profitable business. Some may argue then that we should have left the banks to their own devices, but that is another argument all together, but, newspapers, NO, NOT NOW, NOT EVER!
We have TV, Radio and the Internet, if newspapers are a loss making medium how can they continue to pay, presumably high, salaries and dividends each year but expect to receive funding from the TaxPayer when it is not a company providing a critically required service to the nation, a bit like Channel 4, a commercial company, also funded by the Taxpayer. Just think how much we could shave of the license fee if we stopped funding A COMMERCIAL COMPANY.
So, to Mr Lee and The Guardian, start making a profit or shut up shop, but don't ever ask me for a hand out, I can watch the news or read one of the great blogs out there on the internet for my daily dose of news without baling you or any other commercially failing company!
Port De Soller Mallorca
Sunset
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
Book Review: Gabriel's Return by Steve Umstead
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"Gabriel's Redemption tell us the story of Commander Evan GABRIEL from the NAF, North American Federation, which comprises America, Canada, Cuba and Mexico and is head quartered in Toronto after most of the seaboard states have been swept away. The South American Federation largely made up of Brasil and Argentina after that continent is blown apart by nuclear war is a bit player with ambitions. GABRIEL is on the run, just because he doesn't want to be found, and hiding out in flea bit hotel in Jamaica after being dishonourably discharged when an off world mission on 'Eden' goes horribly wrong and he is (believed to be) the only survivor. We don't get to learn to much about this previous mission, which maybe we could have done as it left a big gap in the character of the 'hero' "Gabriel's Return,Book 2: After being reinstated into the NAF in Book 1 and carrying out a successful mission, Gabriel is posted to Mars along with his new team to help and assist the local Mars governments and the Mars Defence Force to clean up the corruption on the planet. After receiving opposition from the locals he and is team come to be accepted as they clean up the criminality without imposing penalties on the honest traders in the domed cities.
He is summoned to the office of the Governor of the largest city and finds that she wants him to take his team back to Eden where he lost 'all' of his team on his first mission to that planet. The terrorists are still operating there and the governors son, studying at the university, is taken hostage along with all of the other students in residence. Also received is an apparent call for help from the only other surviving member of Gabriel's first visit to the planet, who was found alive and until the moment the message was received, thought to be dead! If it wasn't for the other surviving member from his first mission there, Gabriel would probably have declined the request to rescue the kidnapped student, as the mission wasn't sanctioned by the NAF!
As they set of on their mission Gabriel has to brief his team and tell them that not only will they have to fight the terrorists but that almost all of the indigenous plant life is as deadly as a terrorists bullet but what they don't know is that the kidnapping is all part of a bigger plot that trebles the chances of this mission being as deadly as the first mission to the planet!
Umstead writes flowingly and the book moves along at a cracking pace keeping you interested and turning pages. It's not a terribly long book, just over 300 pages and as the narrative keeps you going, it will not take long to finish reading.
You can connect with Mr Umstead via Twitter @SteveUmstead
Related Posts -
Book Review: Gabriel's Redemption by Steve Umstead
Reading Enjoyment: 5 out of 5
Page length on kindle /iPad: 321
Plot: 5 out of 5
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5
Friday, 14 September 2012
Bruce Willis - Apple Terms and Conditions
It does not say 'purchase license' or redirect you to a note stating that you are not actually buying the item selected but rather, you are only buying or purchasing a license to keep the item, in your life time!
So, interestingly when this popped up this morning I had a look at it and I wonder if the mighty Apple have decided not to take on Mr Willis:
3. Transfer. You may not rent, lease, lend, redistribute or sublicense the Apple Software. You may, however, make a one-time permanent transfer of all of your license rights to the Apple Software to another party, provided that: (a) the transfer must include all of the Apple Software, including all its component parts, original media (if any), printed materials and this License; (b) you do not retain any copies of the Apple Software, full or partial, including copies stored on a computer or other storage device; and (c) the party receiving the Apple Software reads and agrees to accept the terms and conditions of this License.
But, as the license only allows you transfer to 'another' person, will Mr. Willis continue his threat to sue as he wants to make his collection, worth in the region of £40.000 (GBP), to all three of his daughters? Watch this space.
Thursday, 13 September 2012
Essex Police: Incompetent or just plain lazy
For a number of years now I have been asked by them to provide CCTV footage to assist in their investigations. And for years I have burnt off CD's with the required information, of which at least 3 out of every 5 discs burnt to disc from the system are never collected.
Now burning off discs from images saved on the system is a relatively simple enough task but it does take time to do it and so, my time and effort is a wasted exercise initiated by ESSEX POLICE.
Now, when you think about it, no POLICE force would look kindly upon any person or group, who time after time, made a nuisance of themselves or wasted their time by phoning or contacting them on issues which were deemed to be time wasting. In fact I would go as far as to say, that after a couple of time wasting calls or contacts the person wasting POLICE time would be arrested and charged for doing it!
So why shouldn't the POLICE OFFICER who phones me, not be treated in the same manner they would treat me, if I were guilty of that offence?
The most recent example of this was a phone call from an ESSEX POLICE Detective Sgt 'L' based in Rayleigh. She called me on 31st August 2012, concerning a break in to a games shop in the market.
I had reviewed the CCTV but had no discs available to burn off, so suggested that if she wanted a copy that someone come down with a blank disc and I would do it for them. I also explained that the two scrotes responsible for the break-in had originally turned up at the back of midnight to suss the place out and that during that visit there was probably at least two good facial images. I further informed her that on their return to carry out the actual break-in at 2 AM they were on site for over an hour and that there was a couple of good facial shots during that time too!
She asked when I would have new disc to burn on to, and I told her Monday, she replied that they could wait until then. I suggested that she wait until the Tuesday as there was no guarantee what time the office ancillary items would be delivered by the courier. I also informed her that I would be off from the Monday night, but that she would still be able to collect on the Tuesday, by visiting the office.
So, off I went on Monday afternoon 3rd of September, returning to the office on 10th September, and guess what, go to the top of the class if you guessed that the disc is still sitting on my desk 10 days later! And this, after me informing her that someone in the POLICE force might well recognise the criminals if their images were emailed around the district to other stations, So just how much of a screw up are ESSEX POLICE? You hand it to them on a plate and there is no hope of them actually following through, as I said this is not the first time, but it will be the last time. I will not now be burning off CCTV footage for them unless they turn up with a Request for Disclosure of Personal Data Under Section 29 (3) of the Data Protection Act 1998 and there has to be an officer on site waiting for the disc to be burnt off.
On another incident recently a PCSO phoned me and said they wanted footage of another incident that had taken place, I asked why they needed it and she said in case there is an insurance claim, WTF! So I asked why, are ESSEX POLICE now taking on the liability for insurance cover for the property? In the end a Sgt phoned me and when I explained my requirements he threatened to come to the site and seize it by way of trying to bully me into just burning it off for him. So, not only do they appear incompetent and lazy, but if you do not give the item without complying with the rules, i.e. without the aforementioned 'request for Disclosure' which is a legal requirement, even for ESSEX POLICE to comply with, they try and bully you into submission..
On another incident today, after reporting that some of the local worthies had hidden a video recorder under a stall, after having been refused to have it bought from them by the local Cash Converters (pawn shop), two PCSO's from ESSEX POLICE arrived, caught up with them in one of the car parks and one of the PCSO's was eating her sandwich while questioning the 'suspects'! I know they have to eat, but in the street dealing with people. Maybe next time they'll pull out a fold down table and chair and invite the person being questioned to join them in a snack lunch!
So, I'll ask again JUST HOW INCOMPETENT and LAZY are ESSEX POLICE?
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