The Bear's Claws

As the world's attention is diverted towards Beijing, I see that the Russians have interceded in a separarist fight in Georgia (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7548715.stm). The antics of the ex-KGB man is beginning to get worrying. Russia seems to be regressing back about 30 years.

Support Droids

I had a meeting yesterday near my brother's house so afterwards I met up and joined him in something to eat.

Unfortunately his broadband connection had completely died overnight and I voluteered to help.

Big Big Mistake ....

The symptoms were that the ADSL connection to the ISP were dead. orange fault light on router flashing happily

Ran through the normal checks - connection from PC to router OK? yes

Router OK? yes - swapped it out with his old one and problem remained.

Checked account details on router - yup fine

Connection from router to phone point - looks OK

So phone up support.

I explained the symptoms, ran through what I had done, and gently suggested that it probably wasn't us but rather BT.

Without going through the 45 minute call which would bore everybody to death I would suggest that reinstalling winsock on the PC would probably not help .....

Bloody droid

Oh and the Broadband connection came back to life on its own later in the evening.

Blood group

Just heard that my daughter's blood group is AB-

Rocking horse dung that one!

Navel Gazing

The news that a Conservative PPC (Ian Oakley) indulged in a vitriolic and nasty campaign against his, primarily Lib Dem, opponents is deeply disturbing. Whatever the reasons behind his attacks (personally - and without any evidence at all- I would suggest that he needs medical help) serious questions must be asked as to how such a man became selected by the Conservatives.

Update

There is a certain amount of speculation that my thoughts on his mental health might not be too far off the mark ( http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/879086/thoughts-onthe-ian-oakley-case.thtml ) in which case one wonders whether or not there should be psychological and psychometric testing for candidates. It would happen in many other professions so why not for parliamentary candidates?

More Government incompetance

I would love to be in estate agent's and solicitor's offices today as the phones go red hot with people cancelling/postponing any house purchases that might be in the pipeline if this story is true http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/Ministers-Consider-Plans-To-Temporarily-Scrap-Stamp-Duty-To-Boost-Housing-Market/Article/200808115070980?lpos=Business_0&lid=ARTICLE_15070980_Ministers%2BConsider%2BPlans%2BTo%2BTemporarily%2BScrap%2BStamp%2BDuty%2BTo%2BBoost%2BHousing%2BMarket%2B

The government is panicking, having screwed up big time. Now ALL house sales will stop stone dead whilst everyone waits and sees .....

The Guardian Makes A Complete Arse of Itself (again)

There was a long article on Friday in the Guardian concerning photography in public places and included claims that photographers would need to be registered with the Boys-In-Blue and be RFID chipped. Unfortunately for the Grauniad that was a load of complete bollocks since it was based upon an April Fool in Editorial Photographer.... Ooops!

Story in El Reg: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/01/graun_wurst_blowback/

And the Grauniad article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/01/google.searchengines?gusrc=rss&feed=commentisfree

China

The Chinese just don't get it. The mechanics of repression have eaten so deeply into what remains of their soul that they cannot just let go. Promises have been made to the West but when it comes down to it they cannot move away from the old ways - even for a few weeks. A facade of tolerance is appearing but once the Games are over the regime will re-exert itself. It's the only way they know.

Bit harsh? Possibly but let's wait and see.