Random News Stories

[LMNO]

Superbowl measles outbreak linked to anti-vaccination movement.

Sometimes, you gotta love it when herd immunity breaks down.

Humans are a funny species.  You can grind their noses in their own poop, and they will still side with superstition over reason any day of the week.

IT SMELLS LIKE ROSES, I TELL YA!
                                  \






(relax.  it's just chocolate.)

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Superbowl measles outbreak linked to anti-vaccination movement.

Sometimes, you gotta love it when herd immunity breaks down.

This is funny except for the inevitable deaths of the immunocompromised who rely on herd immunity because they can't get vaccinated.

I fucking hate those anti-vaccine fucks.

[Cainad (dec.)]

Superbowl measles outbreak linked to anti-vaccination movement.

Sometimes, you gotta love it when herd immunity breaks down.

This is funny except for the inevitable deaths of the immunocompromised who rely on herd immunity because they can't get vaccinated.

I fucking hate those anti-vaccine fucks.

It's like people came up with an ass-backwards way to be horrible to others less fortunate than they are, even if it's at their own expense.

[Junkenstein]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17252190

Not really worthy of a thread, given how inevitable it was really. So, PUTIN'S BACK BABY.
It is almost like he never left.


Given Russia's past of dealing with comrades for being ..... disloyal to mother Russia, I wonder if we may yet see dissent in Moscow?
Briefly, of course.

[Junkenstein]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-17310549

"The Falkirk MP headbutted Conservative MP for Pudsey Stuart Andrew during a brawl at the Strangers' Bar."

It tends to be rather rare that I feel any kind on national pride, but that made me smile. You can take the man out of Scotland, but you can't take his desire to attack people with his head.

Perhaps best of all is the total and utter sincerity where he apparently uttered the immortal phrase

""You can't touch me, I'm an MP."

Not seeking re-election is madness. That's a vote winner hands down.

(Yes, yes, obvious injustice, if you or I did it then jail for sure but I'm taking any politician being head butted as a win, however minor)

[Junkenstein]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17347173

The Commons agreed on Monday evening, without a vote, to add a line to the code specifying that the standards commissioner "may not investigate a specific matter... which relates only to the conduct of a member in their private and personal lives".

Arguing in favour of the change, Mr Walker said "the bedroom and the bottle" were "the two weaknesses that seem most likely to compromise MPs in their private lives".

Without his amendment, he said, "every sexual peccadillo, domestic dispute or unguarded cross word will lead to tabloid calls for the commissioner to take action".

Emphasis mine, just found it somewhat amusing. Seems to be a meaningful nod to enough people to pass it. Not that this would link in to the whole press situation going along at the moment. Would be nice to get a list of who the first to agree were. Then I can start speculating on which are alcoholic or enjoy recreational substances and those engaged in sexual misadventures. I assume misadventures, as you tend to be quite proud of an adventure. For reference see Lembit Opik.

[Junkenstein]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17413777

Police investigate attempted break-in at Parliament

The attempted break-in took place in the Norman Shaw Buildings where Ed Miliband's office is.

But it was not the Labour Party leader's suite which was targeted, sources have told the BBC.

Sources have told the BBC that the door of an office used by Labour staff was forced, and that it follows a spate of laptop thefts around the House of Commons.

1- If it's an attempted break in, this implies it was aborted. How is it then possible to make a determination on who was or was not the target? Why would someone target a less important figure if you can easily target the more important figure?

2-This is the first I've heard about multiple thefts. Who else has been a victim? Given the massive breaches in data security just from leaving laptops on trains and the like, this would surely warrant serious investigation? Is it possible none of these laptops had any sensitive information whatsoever? Possibly, though I would say unlikely.

3- The attempt was at around 7pm. In London. Sounds smart, I'm sure everyone round that way is in bed by then. This does not suggest Oceans 11 style cunning and forethought. It sounds more like opportunism or total confidence that they would not be caught. Given as they haven't been caught.....

4-There is a pretty solid CCTV coverage around this area. Just think it's worth noting this.

This stinks more than a kettle of boiling piss. Behold as nothing comes from it.

[Cain]

I suspect Ed Miliband was not a target, because the idea of Ed Miliband having anything worth stealing or exposing is laughable on the face of it.  "Slightly pink in the right light Ed" is about the most boringly conventional nonentity to grace Parliament since Nick Clegg.

So, what else can you get from the Norman Shaw building?  Well, access to the Palace of Westminster, for one.

But before jumping to conclusions, lets look at these previous thefts:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13467210

The Metropolitan Police are investigating a spate of laptop thefts from Parliamentary buildings.

The news came as Labour MP Keith Vaz revealed he was the latest victim, when a laptop and iPad were stolen from his Westminster office on Thursday.

Mr Vaz's office is within the Norman Shaw North building on Victoria Embankment, close to the Palace of Westminster.

The MP for Leicester East told BBC Radio 5 live the equipment taken contained information relating "to the work I do as the chairman of the home affairs committee, which includes policing issues".

Emphasis mine.  Also

Mr Vaz said his office building was "supposed to be secure" and the thief "must" have full security clearance to move around.

"If this happened to a constituent, I would call a residents' meeting - which I am happy to do - and get more CCTV cameras in the corridors.

"Oddly enough, I could only find one, in the car park... pretty astonishing for an iconic building like Parliament."

Within the remit of the Home Affairs Select Committee is, of course, the News of the World phone hacking scandal, as well as police issues.  I bet someone would be willing to pay to know what Keith Vaz knows.

[Junkenstein]

Ah. This clarifies a couple of things. Me being backward, I assumed "Recent spate of thefts" to refer to recently. Obviously "recently" means "has happened in previous years"

Given the remarks in the article in regard to CCTV, I have to find this somewhat strange. I walk past multiple cameras every day and I am not in an area that either needs or warrants them. I seem to have made the age old mistake of assuming buildings in need of good security would have basic security.

Further than this, considering laptops have recently been stolen over a number of years... is anyone going to pick up the phone and arrange for this to be rectified? I'm being silly again.

I suspect Cain may be right in regards to the target not being inconspicuous Ed. The perpetrator having full clearance seems blindingly obvious, as seems to be the desire to ignore it as hard as possible. The chances of it being the same person being involved in all offences must be above average.

My question is this: Why not just use a good old fashioned bribe? Vaz shares all the new labour trappings, including a suggestibility to sleaze. The only reason I can see to rob him is that his price was a little too high. Which also makes no sense as surely he'd have a fairly good idea of who the thief works for.


It's a bad day when a briefcase full of used notes looks like the classy option.

[Telarus]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/mexican-drug-cartel-knights-templar-cease-fire-for-popes-visit/story-e6frf7k6-1226303513690

Mexican drug cartel Knights Templar cease fire for Pope's visit

THE Knights Templars drugs cartel is calling a short truce - but only to welcome Pope Benedict XVI to Mexico.

"They did put up signs announcing this," a Guanajuato state government source told AFP privately on Sunday.

The Knights Templars are holding off on all violent action, we are not killers, welcome to the Pope," the official said paraphrasing one of the signs put up in the town of Irapuato, Guanajuato state.

The signs were seen in at least seven towns statewide.

The Pope arrives March 23 in Leon, in the neighbouring state of Michoacan, where the Knights Templars were founded.

President Felipe Calderon has launched a military crackdown against the cartels battling it out for control of the lucrative drug trade, in which some 50,000 Mexicans have lost their lives since 2006.

[Junkenstein]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17503116

Conservative Party co-treasurer Peter Cruddas has resigned with immediate effect after a newspaper claimed he was prepared to arrange access to the prime minister and chancellor for £250,000

Sleaze? In Government? Again? I'll shut up this barely qualifies as news now.

More interesting
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-17502417

Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina has said the war on drugs has failed, and it is time to end the "taboo" on discussing decriminalisation.

Nice to see some balls here. I doubt this will lead to any particular change in local or global policies. Depending on how far this gets pushed it could have a few interesting outcomes. One is probably a new Presidente. I wonder how much history this General has read?

[Cain]

Yeah, saw the Cruddas story.  I have a friend who has been working on coding government lobbying and access for a while now...I wonder if his system predicted Cruddas as a player?  Will have to shoot him off an email, see what he's got.

[MMIX]

Yeah, saw the Cruddas story.  I have a friend who has been working on coding government lobbying and access for a while now...I wonder if his system predicted Cruddas as a player?  Will have to shoot him off an email, see what he's got.

Hmmmm, politicians are corrupt - well thats hardly news is it? I kinda liked Charlie Brooker's take on it

"David Cameron: the world's first pay-per-view Prime Minister."

[Cain]

The program wasn't about finding corruption - this was about assessing and weighing access and influence in government departments and, as it turned out, detecting networks of influence within government.

Anyway, Cameron said he wasn't going to release the names of people he'd had private dinners with, but this was possibly the shortest lived resistance movement in history, as he just declared about 10 minutes ago that he would give up names.

[Junkenstein]

http://www.totalpolitics.com/blog/314662/mps-try-to-overturn-and39god-can-healand39-ad-ban.thtml

Three Christian MPs are trying to overturn an advertising ban on claiming that 'God can heal'.

Gary Streeter (Con), Gavin Shuker (Lab) and Tim Farron (Lib Dem) say that they want the Advertising Standards Authority to produce "indisputable scientific evidence" to say that prayer does not work - otherwise they will raise the issue in Parliament.

The MPs wrote to dispute the ruling after the outpouring of support and prayer for football star Fabrice Muamba.

3 MP's need the concept of "burden of proof" explained to them. Probably slowly, with pictures.




Good to have chaps like this in charge of the future of the NHS.