James Miller

 

Monday, October 20, 2003

 

Farewell Concorde

So Concorde will no longer fly. Sad!

I flew in it twice and didn't regret the price at the time. Metier paid!

I also wangled my way into the cockpit. Pity I didn't have my camera with me!

Friday, October 17, 2003

 

Anglicans and Homosexuality

Can’t see what the fuss is about?

If you follow the common principles of all the world’s main religions, you are supposed to be welcoming, charitable, open and helpful to everybody, no matter what race, colour, state of health or wealth etc.

What is the difference with sexual orientation?

I despair as religion leads us further and further into a frightening world of intolerance and hate!

But then I never had any religion except for the good humanist principles!

Monday, October 13, 2003

 

Bushism

New Zealanders have adopted a new nickname for Australia's US-loving prime minister, John Howard: Bonsai (the little Bush).

This was published in today's Financial Times.

 

Fighting SPAM

For the last few weeks I have been using a spam-fighting company to try and reduce the level of spam I get.

Basically, they intercept your e-mails, remove the offensive ones, sanitise the rest and then pass them on to you. They also give you a list of all the e-mails they have stopped.

It was a disaster as their system removed all images, even non-offensive ones, virtually all attachments and meant that I had to give clients an e-mail address that bypassed the filter.

I have now cancelled the system and gone back to using POPFile, which deals with the problem on my computer.

That is the way to fight spam.

 

Analyse Your Phone Bills

My company, Daisy Analysis, has just launched an analyser for your phone bills.

Visit the Phone Analyser Web Site!

Saves you money by pointing out how you can use the phones more efficiently!

 

Bradford 0 Ipswich 1

Why do they make things difficult for themselves?

Judging by the press over the weekend, never has such a one-sided match only ended up as 1-0!

 

Milly Dowler and Texting

Her parents are launching a campaign to teach other parents so that they can contact their kids easily.

This is a very good idea!

Rather than send text messages from a phone which is rather tedious, I usually send mine from the desktop using some innovative software from LiquidDrop.

They even send you a conformation that the message has been received!

Monday, October 06, 2003

 

Prisongate by Sir David Ramsbotham

This book has just been published in the UK by Simon and Shuster and is Sir David's account of his time as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons.

He was not liked by the Prison Service and judging by the excerpts I have seen, it pulls no punches about how 'Prison Doesn't Work', the cost of crime etc. It will certainly not go down well with our current Home Secretary, who seems to believe that dropping litter should mean life without remission! (Sir David was actually appointed by John Major I believe!)

I suggest that if you don't read it, you at least watch out for Sir David.

He is actually a very interesting man, being a career soldier, who retired as a General. He first got a reputation with the media, when he abolished the practice of getting officers to explain what had happened in say a shooting incident in Northern Ireland. He was the man who got the ordinary soldiers who'd been there in front of the media. Polished it may not have been, but it gave the right impression.

When I have heard him talk, he has always impressed me as a man of real humanity and great depth, who is always seeking the truth.

The Government certainly didn't like his attitude and were glad he'd gone.

This book might change a few things!

He would make a very good and interesting speaker at any conference on Crime and Punishment!

 

Ipswich 2 Rotherham 1

I didn't go as I was at the races at Newmarket.

But phew!

Friday, October 03, 2003

 

More on Blunkett

I don't like to repeat topics, but Blunkett is at it again!

Fining truants, cutting legal aid, identity cards etc. Hitler would have loved him!

On legal aid, remember I'm married to one lawyer who works mainly for legel aid and our son, Henry, is another who does a lot of crime and immigration work.

Both say that levels have been cut so much, that you can't do a proper professional job for the rates.

Many lawyers now, won't handle a divorce on legel aid. No wonder domestic violence is still common!