Dangerous drunk driver banned from driving

According to the BBC, the actor Kris Marshall has been successfully prosecuted for drink driving. It is news that will bring relief to the thousands of motorists and pedestrians who have to risk their lives every time they step outside their house.

Ok, so sarcasm doesn’t carry over well on the internet, but this is fucking ridiculous. The truth is, the guy drove to a Tesco’s car park, decided to go an have a swift half, ended up having a bit more than that and made the decision that he shouldn't drive, so slept in his car. Good fucking man, he's taken the sensible option and not risked his licence, his life or anyone else’s.

Or so you would think. Turns out that both the police and the magistrates court in south Somerset think that the correct solution would have been to drive home. At least that’s the only conclusion I can draw from their actions, where between them, they breathalyse him (After waking him up!), haul him in and then ban him. If he had driven home, the chances are he would still have his license. Assuming the court is bright enough to realise this fact, then they must realise the message they are sending?

The article does not make this clear but apparently having the keys in the ignition counts as driving, even if your seat back is basically horizontal. I find myself wondering if this was by any chance a WPC who thinks the natural home for car keys is the bottom of a handbag, and that the appropriate time to reach for them is 5 minutes after you get into the car and have fiddled with your face and hair. Obviously if it was a man, then he would know that getting into the car and putting the key in the ignition are actually one and the same activity. Draw your own conclusions.

This whole keys in the ignition thing is frankly worrying as it means that I illegally drove my parents cars multiple times as a child, when they got out of the car to put the bins out, step into a newsagent and the like. Maybe I really was a child criminal, although I expect my mother would disagree (I think!) Still, given the insanity we are seeing more and more in this country, I'm surprised I'm not considered a hardened criminal because I sometimes like a glass of wine with dinner at home.

Music industry starting to flex it's new found censorship muscles

I don't think this is going to come as any great surprise, but according to the BBC the British Phonographic Industry have written to BT asking them to block the pirate bay, and claimed that they will take the matter to court if they don't comply willingly.

This is now the first real test of the damage done by the initial court ruling that forced BT to block access to newbinz earlier this year. If that case is used as precedent to get this pushed through, it will show once and for all that the big media corporations have been handed censorship rights over the UKs access to the Internet.

The only glimmer of hope is that the newsboy case revolepved around a site that had already been ordered cellars down once before. It is only to be hoped that a reasonable court will realise that the pirate bay has ot been declared illegal in the uk.

It is important to note that the pirate bay itself is a search engine, that they do not host any infringing material themselves. Indeed, the searches that the pirate bay allow can be performed just as easily with google as wi the pirate bay.

It is impossible to overemphasise the importance of this step. If this goes to court and BT are ordered to block access to the pirate bay, it will indicate the beginning of a trend at sees the big corporations able to block any site at they deem to be objectional. If ever there was a moment for a British justice system to recognise the importance of what they are being asked to rule on, it is now, and I very much fear that this will not be the case.

The broken Texas judge

As I'm sure a lot of you already know, there is a video circling the net at the minute of a judge from Texas, William Adams, savagely beating his 16 year old daughter with a belt. If you haven't seen it yet, you can view it here but BE WARNED, its horrible viewing. However, I think its important that people do see and understand what an abusive monster this fucker is.

Now, this isn't really anything to do with the purpose of this blog, so you may be wondering why I'm posting it. The simple fact is I want as many people as possible to see it, and to know who this abusing cunt is. I want him to never be able to walk into a bar without someone recognising him. I want him to become a complete pariah. I want him to die alone, preferably of something painful.

Now, before people start harping on that we don't know its him (The police are not confirming anything), please note, he was interviewed by NBC and acknowledged that it was him, before making excuses that it wasn't as bad as the video made it look (I'll let you judge for yourself on that one).

Further more, I offer redemption. The man has proved to the world that he is fit only to attack children. If he wishes to show other wise, let him fight someone his own size. So here is my offer. Him and me, in a cage, no gloves, no holds barred. Hell, we can use belts if you like, let you have your "home" advantage. Oh an no refs. The match doesn't end until one man decides to walk out and the other man can't stop him from doing so.

So coward, you got the balls?

UK Police aquire tech to remotley intercept/track shut down mobiles

Close your eyes and imagine a police state, where you have no real control over your life. In your imagination, how many people are using a mobile phone? None? This, scarily is the world that the Met police force would like to see in place, if their latest purchase is to be believed. According to the Guardian, they have the kit in place to force phones in a 10km circle to hand over their IMEI and IMSI numbers, which can then be used to track the phone in real time.

Worse still is that the Met are refusing to reveal whether the system has been used in anger or not. How did we end up in a world where the police can track you via your mobile phone, without a warrant, along with hundreds of others, and then refuse to tell the public about it when asked? The simple reality is that the police are becoming less and less a public service and more a tool of the government, and our lives are becoming less and less our own.

UK Judge hands American big copyright a blank cheque to filter the internet

As you may recall, back in July, a UK judge ordered BT to block newzbin at the request of the big copyright lobby in the states. This has now been given a date - BT have 14 days to enact this requirement.

The interesting (And by interesting I mean utterly ridiculous) part is that the ruling states that BT must also block "any other IP address or URL whose sole or predominant purpose is to enable or facilitate access to the Newzbin[2] website". What this means is that the companies that brought this suit can simply decide they don't like a website, and tell BT to block it.

Now, I know what your thinking. Your thinking that this only applies to newzbin, right? Wrong, it also applies to "any other IP address or URL whose sole or predominant purpose is to enable or facilitate access to the Newzbin website". So sure, that sounds straightforward. But what if a site has a newsbinz search engine? What if it links to a few choice downloads? What if it just links to newsbinz homepage? What if it just links to copyright material full stop? It will take time, but we will see this ruling allow the yank copyright lobby exert a tighter and tighter grip on our internet connections.

I can't even attempt to convey my feelings on this, that someone could have this little understanding or respect for our freedom, is beyond words. All I will say is, it is my fervent hope, as society starts to wake up to the realisation that it is now a possession of the government and big corporations, that this judge will realise the part his ignorance played in the downfall. Frankly, I hope the guilt kills him.

UK internet now controlled by American Corporations

A touch dramatic? Maybe not. According to this BBC report, the MPA has received an injunction from the high court, ruling that BT must block access to the site "newsbinz" using its "CleanFeed" system.

I don't know where to begin with this. I am actually, physically, angry about this. Does the high court really think the file sharing is the same level of problem as child porn? Because that's what the CleanFeed system was put in place to stop.

Next, the fact that the MPA is an American corporation, so this isn't even in the interests of a British company. Of all the things our high court could be dealing with, why is it dealing with an American corporate is considered worthwhile?

Of course this being a test case, it will now be a trivial matter of throwing lawyers at the problem to have other ISPs forced to block newsbinz in a similar fashion. And then, that's it, precedent set, if the MPA doesn't like a site, for the cost of some lawyers, they can have it blocked from the UK internet.

What really pisses me off about this is that its censorship. You should NEVER take down something with a valid legal purpose, just because it is also used for copyright infringement. As long as there is one valid file up there, then the ONLY correct solution is to go after the individual uploaders. Don't like it? Well, I can't shoot the CEO of a certain American collective in the face, and I don't like it, but thats just tough luck.

I'm sick and tired of legitimate resources being attacked over what is a non-issue. Are you listening big content? This is a NON-ISSUE - if you magically stopped all infringement of your content you know what would happen to your profit line? It would drop! Dramatically. I can't wait until people no longer buy CDs - once everything is digital, the Indie will be king and you will be crying into your milk.

And BT - Why are you not appealing this? Why are you not dragging this to the European Court of Human Rights? You were on the front line when it came to the DEA, why are you sitting back and taking this? Or are you all talk and no trousers?

Word cannot describe how angry I am that this idiot judge has allowed this censorship, rather than sending the MPA lawyers packing - or better yet, sticking them in the tower of London. When the revolution eventually gets off its computer chair, you sir will the first against the wall.

In Soviet Britain, MPA censor YOU!

Dear Auntie - An open letter to the BBC

In a high quality, fact checked bit of reporting, the BBC have interviewed a "downloader" regarding a recent report from the big content industry's stating that piracy is costing them 30% of their income.

Now dis-regarding the fact that this kind of report seems to get put out annually, and is generally debunked within seconds, could you please answer a few questions for me? Assuming you have done more than read the report and regurgitate it, you should be able to answer all of these.

Regarding the report
What methodology was used to gather this data?
Is this methodology valid?

Regarding the interview
You stated that downloading was both illegal and against the law - please clarify, what criminal offence do downloaders commit? Please note, non-profit copyright infringement is a civil issue, so is neither illegal, or against the law [sic]
Please name anyone who has been sent to jail in the UK for downloading
Please name anyone who has been successfully sued in the UK for downloading

Now, I'm under no illusions that anyone at the BBC is going to read my little blog post, much less respond to it, but on the off chance, I would appreciate that along side the wordy prose that justifies your report, you would actually answer the specific questions asked with specific answers.

Sincerely
BBC licence player