“An old Royal Navy recipe for Curried Meatballs and the MoD’s policy on Alien Abduction are just two of the 3000 requests that the MoD has received since the Freedom of Information Act came into force on 1st January.”
Links to UK Government Freedom of Information sites:
» Ministry of Defence FoI Information
» Ministry of Defence FoI Reading Room
It really irks me that so many businesses can’t format their London telephone numbers correctly.
The area code is 020, not 0207 or 0208 !
London numbers should be formatted like this: (020) 7946 0999
The significance of the bracketed area code is that you can omit it altogether if you are calling from within the same code area. So to call a London number from within the London code area you just need to dial the local number, e.g. 7946 0999.
Wrong: (0207) 946 0999
Right: (020) 7946 0999
Please point offenders in this direction for some education!
» Ofcom: A User’s Guide to Telephone Numbering
» Ofcom: Telephone Numbers for drama purposes
Jose Avila recently moved to a new apartment in Arizona, but he couldn’t afford to furnish it. He discovered that he could order packing material from the FedEx web site and used his design skills to craft a sofa, dining table, chairs, desks and bed all from FedEx boxes.
» Blog: FedEx Furniture
Jose has published his marvelous handywork as a personal Blog but unfortunately those miserable people at FedEx are using legal force in an attempt to shut it down. They claim that he is infringing both the copyright and trademarks of FedEx and have invoked the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
» Stanford Law School: Latest News in FedExFurniture Case
… and there was me thinking that FedEx had a sense of humour?
» CNN Money: FedEx parody commercial
Some old photos showing how a common cash machine scam is operated.
Looks normal right?
But it isn’t!
The gangs attach these inconspicuous devices to the cash machine and wait for unsuspecting customers. When you insert your card they copy the magnetic stripe details, which is enough to create a cloned card. The camera records your key presses and so they have your PIN too. After skimming a few cards they download the information to a PC, often remotely from a nearby vehicle.
The first you know about it is when you find your bank account has been emptied 😥
Examine the card slot carefully before inserting your card. If you see anything suspicious, do not use the machine!
Most importantly, cover your hand when keying your PIN. This scam relies on being able to see your input, so don’t feel embarassed about covering up.
» BBC: Police issue cash machine warning
» Thames Valley Police: Suspected skimming device – Maidenhead
More photos at National Criminal Intelligence Service.
In case it wasn’t immediately obvious by reading the contents of this site, I am the sort of person who tends to complain when something annoys me. I don’t go out of my way to castigate random members of the public, but I do take exception to deliberately anti-social behaviour, particularly from kids who seem to revel in Chav culture.
I have noticed an alarming increase in violent assaults recently:
» BBC: Man sought over chip row stabbing
» BBC: Student dies in racist axe attack
» BBC: Man loses eye after bottle attack
“A man who was attacked by a gang of youths after his friend complained about a bike left in the middle of a pavement, has lost an eye.”
I have complained at kids before for leaving their bikes strewn across the pavement, or when they stand on street corners and try to intimidate local residents, but is it worth risking my eye or life to do this again?
The answer is no, I will no longer get involved. I have given up the fight for decency, from now on I’m a mouse. This is a depressing admission.
A few weeks ago I was running in a public park and was forced to hurdle over a dog lead because the dog walkers didn’t have the common decency to move aside. I made a passing remark about their behaviour (I wasn’t rude or abusive), which resulted in their throwing a glass bottle at me! What is provoking supposedly ordinary people to overreact in such a violent manner?
*squeak*
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