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When the Government introduced its ID card legislation several years ago, it made one thing clear. Even though it would be obligatory to register on the ID database when obtaining a new passport, it would not be compulsory to carry a card.

[..]

Now it turns out that they are planning to sneak in just such a power presumably hoping that no-one noticed. But the eagle-eyed lawyers at Liberty spotted that clauses in the draft Borders, Immigration and Citizenship Bill – confirmed as part of the Government’s programme for this session of parliament in the Queen’s Speech – give state officials the power to make anyone who has ever entered the country, at any time, prove who they are.

This would effectively cover any British citizen who has ever left the UK, even for a holiday, because they will have “entered” the UK on their return. It will mean that for the first time in more than half a century that the police will be able to demand your papers.

[Quote:]

I know you’ve heard this before, but it’s really simple:

The only reason to answer the phone when a customer calls is to make the customer happy.

If you’re not doing this or you are unable to do this, do not answer the phone.

[Quote:]

It’s official now. George Bush has entered not just the twilight of his presidency, but the Twilight Zone of history.

His interview with Charlie Gibson on ABC News is chock-full of Jabberwocky tangles of the mother tongue. Even on his way out the White House door, you still need a translator to decipher the President’s meaning.

Consider this doozie on the bid to free up credit markets:

“The system is becoming unthawed, and it’s going to take time for the system to become unthawed. What the American people have got to know is we’ve taken the steps to unthaw it, which is the first step to recovery.”

That’s what he said – what he meant was just the opposite. If the credit system was becoming “unthawed,” it would be freezing, which was the problem in the first place.

At least I think that’s what he meant.

[Quote:]

Ford CEO Alan Mulally, GM CEO Rick Wagoner and Chrysler chief Bob Nardelli all planned to road-trip to Washington in fuel-efficient hybrid cars for hearings on Thursday and Friday.

Mulally and Wagoner both said they’d work for $1 per year if their firms took any government loan money, while Ford offered to cancel management bonuses and salaried employees’ merit raises next year, and GM said it would slash top executives’ pay. Both said they would sell their corporate aircraft.

Well, after getting $28 million for the first four months on the job, that’s not an offer that impresses me all that much.

And to make things even worse – he’s talking about his salary, not his “total compensation”.

[Quote:]

Mr. Mulally was asked last week by members of Congress whether he’d cut his $2 million salary to $1. Mr. Mulally demurred, saying, “I think I’m ok where I am.” His total compensation in 2007 was $21.67 million, according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings. In the same year, Ford posted a loss of $2.72 billion.

[Quote:]

The interiors of Nariman House, Mumbai headquarters of the ultra-Orthodox Chabad Lubavitch movement, are seen after the commando operation in Mumbai, India, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2008. (AP Photo)

(more pictures at the link)

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Christopher Jamison, the Abbot of Worth in West Sussex, has accused the corporation of “exploiting spirituality” to sell its products and of turning Disneyland into a modern day pilgrimage site.

He argues that it pretends to provide stories with a moral message, but has actually helped to create a more materialistic culture.

[..]

While he acknowledges that Disney stories carry messages showing good triumphing over evil, he argues this is part of a ploy to persuade people that they should buy Disney products in order to be “a good and happy family”.

[..]

“The message behind every movie and book, behind every theme park and T-shirt is that our children’s world needs Disney,” he says.

“So they absolutely must go to see the next Disney movie, which we’ll also want to give them on DVD as a birthday present.

“They will be happier if they live the full Disney experience; and thousands of families around the world buy into this deeper message as they flock to Disneyland.”

He continues: “This is the new pilgrimage that children desire, a rite of passage into the meaning of life according to Disney.

Okay, my irony meter just exploded. Anyone have a spare for me?

[Quote:]

The ministerial meeting also backed the anti-cyber crime strategy that will see the creation of cross-border investigation teams and sanction the use of virtual patrols to police some areas of the net.

Other “practical measures” include encouraging better sharing of information between police forces in member nations and private companies on investigative methods and trends.

In particular the strategy aims to tackle the trade in images of children being sexually abused. In a statement outlining the strategy the EU claimed “half of all internet crime involves the production, distribution and sale of child pornography”.

Forces will also take part in “remote searches” and patrol online to track down criminals. The EU said controls were in place to ensure that data protection laws were not breached as this information was gathered and shared.

So foreign police can tell private companies to legally (try to) hack my computer, and it’s “all for the children!”

But hey, no worries, “controls are in place”, right?

Since I can’t find anywhere what these controls actually are, I’m going to assume it’s a piece of paper that reads “an exception to the data protection laws is as follows…” – and presto, the laws are not breached! Great control!

[Quote:]

They both say there are organized rings of thieves, who identify valuables in your checked luggage by looking at the TSA x-ray screens, then communicate with baggage handlers by text or cell phone, telling them exactly what to look for.

In the 1970s and 80s this used to be the norm and thus a stereotype in “third world” travel. The joke was that valuables in bags were like gifts to the customs handlers. Public confidence is a crucial part of TSA’s performance, so this misbehavior will be dismissed as an isolated event. In the mean time, they facilitate more crime than they prevent.

[Quote:]

After a legal complaint by 70-year-old William Gillis over the “twice as fast for half the price” statement found in iPhone 3G marketing, Apple responded with a 9-page, 32-point rebuttal—one paragraph of which included this overly harsh, but very telling, statement:

Plaintiff’s claims, and those of the purported class, are barred by the fact that the alleged deceptive statements were such that no reasonable person in Plaintiff’s position could have reasonably relied on or misunderstood Apple’s statements as claims of fact.

In other words, if you believe what Apple says in an Apple ad, you are not a reasonable person. Well that point is more clear by the moment, isn’t it?