LibDem Blogs - Archived!

My journey into encryption is still distracting me as I have John the Ripper in its second day of running on one of my computers trying to crack my Linux passwords. But, I managed to drag myself away for long enough to do what I meant to do in the first place which is extend my [...]

I was fascinated when I heard the comment Carbon footprint. Seeing Colin Ross's posting on the issue jogged the old grey matter - my curiosity was aroused when I saw there's a test one can do.What is your Carbon footprint?It saysWe all produce carbon dioxide (CO2) in our daily activities, this all contributes to global warming as carbon dioxide is one of the so called "greenhouse gases". The average UK household produces 10 tonnes of CO2 a year (households in the USA produce 19 tonnes). My household produces 4 tonnes. Tried the test 3 times just to be sure. Can't ...

Mike Smithson at politicalbetting.com is talking up Mark Warner's chances of winning the Democratic nomination in 2008. He recommends backing the outgoing Governor of Virginia at 8/1 for the Democrat nomination and 40/1 to be President. For more on Warner see the profile in last Sunday's Observer.

"UK Still A Target, Warns Met Chief" Well, I'm glad that one's cleared up then. I mean, really? You mean those Islamic fundamentalists haven't just sat down around a table, decided that they're being a bit nasty, aren't they, and that they should just give up their struggle to subjugate the rest of the world under Islamic rule and enjoy a nice cup of tea instead? I'm so glad that one's cleared up. It's such a bloody obvious statement of fact - and yet it is there on the front page, the lead item, on the BBC website. The ...

With a vote due in the House of Commons later that day on 24 hour opening, AMs yesterday were indulging in binge-politicking. This involves raising a series of in-jokes and obscure political points mixed in with local issues until we all drop to the ground from exhaustion. At least Kirsty Williams' intervention was in keeping with the alcohol-related theme of the day, even if she wanted to save the last pub in the village rather than get it to call last orders earlier: Kirsty Williams: You may or may not be aware of the case of the ...

We all produce carbon dioxide (CO2) in our daily activities, this all contributes to global warming as carbon dioxide is one of the so called "greenhouse gases". The average UK household produces 10 tonnes of CO2 a year (households in the USA produce 19 tonnes). According to a test my household produces 3 tonnes, an amount I intend the reduce.

I've mentioned before that the Government has picked up on Kingston's scheme to persuade the travel industry to offer discounts to families taking holidays during the school holiday period. The national scheme, called Every Lesson Counts, has just been launched. It provides links to a good number of early booking deals on family holidays offered through ABTA, the Federation of Tour Operators and Enjoy Britain. I'll be monitoring this - it's not clear how many holidays will qualify, and whilst I wish the scheme every success I do hope it isn't just a bit of ...

After a 30 year drought Australia are in the World Cup Finals :-)))))))))))))))))) Yippee !!!!

Via Make Blog comes PocketMod. It’s a DIY paper-based PDA. Customise which pages you want, print it out, some folds and a snip, and voilà! I chose a 2005 calendar, a week planner, a shopping list, a sudoku puzzle, a blank sudoku grid, and some note space. Yes, I’m having a slow lunch hour. Tags: pocketmod, origami

A young upper-class wastrel, good-natured and kind-hearted, but mentally quite negligible. This combination of traits frequently leads to trouble. A member in good standing of the Drones Club. (link)

Apparently there aren’t enough nice pictures on blogs. So here’s the Moon from where I work as it was late yesterday afternoon. Although my camera phone and the Eldoradoesque framing do make it look like the Sun. Tags: moon

If you can’t guarantee at least denting the government’s majority a bit, why waste your time trying to annul legislation that is about to be enacted? Mark Oaten has made the solemn prediction that the Licensing Act will lead to a “Christmas crisis” (it must be so, ‘cos it alliterates), with Theresa May saying much the [...]

These were so much fun last time, I think they may be regular feature. These come from this week’s Dewey Decimal subject mappings. Longest number: Race films - 791.43652996073 Sexiest number: Erotic stories, Korean - 895.7300803538 Grossest number: Sick in motion pictures - 791.436561 Most out of this world: Lunar volcanoes - 551.2109991 Most down to Earth: Interactive whiteboards [...]

BBC: DUP leader Ian Paisley and his fellow party officers are facing legal action by his daughter Rhonda for alleged sexual discrimination. She has alleged she did not get a job as a DUP policy officer last year because of her gender. If I were her, I’d be rather more miffed at the fact that I seem to [...]

Predictive Diallers (Ministry of Defence) Q: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many calls were made from call centres in his Department in 2004–05 using predictive diallers; how many such calls resulted in contact being made with the recipient without a Government agent available to talk to them; and what assessment he has made of the likely impact of Ofcom's policy on silent calls on

These are source from another blog, but that blog takes some time to load hence I have copied the original here. He entitles it "Remember when governments were stupid rather than nasty". “Political suicide can end a career.” - John Major “Suicide is a real threat to health.” - Virginia Bottomley “Anyone would think we were living on some island somewhere.” - George Walden “It’s not the future

The Western Mail reports that dozens of UFOs that the Ministry of Defence cannot explain have been sighted in Wales and a lot of these have been seen above Swansea. Rumours that these unexplained objectives are in fact a series of kites being flown by the University management team cannot be confirmed or denied.

The European Court of Auditors, has refused to give the annual euro-accounts the all-clear, for the 11th year running. This report repeats concerns about the accuracy of the books on the 2004 budget totalling nearly £70 billion.

OK. It is now clear that White Phosphorous munitions were used by US forces in an urban area in Fallujah. British forces in Iraq were actually redeployed to facilitate the overall Fallujah operation. We are implicated by the actions of a formal ally which has not signed the same intenational treaties as we have done. Have British Ministers committed offences under intenational law? We need a proper answer in Parliament asap.

The mini-handout we did for the local parties reads as follows: Although no-one can predict the future, whoever is in government after the next election will need to face a number of challenges: The struggle to extend freedom: to what extent is it justified to limit civil liberties in order to fight threats to those liberties such [...]