Stodge.org

I found some particularly good comments on the Blairwarch.co.uk blog article about the National ID card scheme:

“This is going to be one of the biggest wastes of public money ever. Still, as an IT contractor, maybe I will be lucky enough to get on the gravy train? I’ve worked on 2 local govt projects in the past 3 years, and each time the project has been cancelled after close on £1 million has been spent.” - Will

“The pressure is likely to be immense, given the timing of the next election and the likelihood of political weight being brought to bear to have it done and dusted before a likely Labour defeat. See rail privatisation for an example of what happens when you rush in order to make life difficult for the next people.”

The ID Card scheme is going to make a lot of IT contractors very well off. It’s an enormous project and it will require a lot of people. The chances of the biggest government IT project ever running according to schedule are minimal, and our prime minister is almost certainly counting on the fact that the fall-out of the National ID Card scheme will be the burden another government.

This short essay at the “Right to Create” explains the fallacy of IT Patents. We are often told by pro-patent advocates that a harmonious patent system is required for a thriving information economy. For those of us involved in IT, this just does not add up. Lawyers cost money, and patents (both the ones you have and the ones you dont have) end up costing businesses money.

“Many of you, no doubt, are familiar with Bastiat’s Parable of the Broken Window, in which is illustrated the fallacy of economic benefit caused by a small boy who throws a stone through the shopkeeper’s window, causing money to be spent by the keeper to pay a glazier to replace the window, which the glazier then uses to buy bread and shoes, etc.”

Like all of Batistat’s fallacies, begin with a widely held belief (e.g. economic protectionism is good), and then this notion is expanded upon in order to reveal it’s real absurdity. In this case, the easayist shows that arguing for IT patents makes as much sense as paying little boys to throw stones through windows.
And as a reminder to information activists, Cory Doctorow is hosting the final Copyfighter’s drunken brunch, possibly somewhere near the Stanhope Centre, near Hyde Park. Do please check Cory’s blog if you care for that sort of thing.

This exciting Flash game reveals just how hard shooting caged quails on a private game-shooting reserve must be. I’ve never shot a live animal, but once I began to play this game, the adrenelin rush was nothing short of incredible. How could anybody object to this truly noble sport?

The concept of the game is simple as it is beautiful; wait until the bird is released, take aim and then blast your prey out of the sky.

Completing this game will require the dexterity and moral courage of America’s Vice-President… please do nnot blame me if you fail tomeasure up to his standards of strength and moral courage.

The Bad Astronomy Blog has an interesting story about presidential interference in NASA’s scientific operations. It seems that the president is happy to be pro-science as long as none of the findings conflict with his supporter’s beliefes or short-term financial goals.

A recent blog-posting on the �Shelley the Republican� blog demonstrates that you can justify almost any act of violence, repression and destruction by posting an image of a small blond child weeping at a funeral. When a small blond kid cries then armies move. Exceptional budgets are authorized and the brave and patriotic armed forces go to work.

As shelley says: �we never want our citizens to suffer like this again�, because she knows that nothing ends suffering like an international mobilization followed by a multi-year hostile occupation.

Now I very much doubt that American conservatives get to see images of starving and mutilated olive-skinned children on their nightly news; That sort of image doesn’t sell a war in the same way that weeping blond children do.

When asked to justify war in Iraq, most war-supporters will quickly remind us of Saddam’s appalling human rights record. They will position American and British involvement in the middle-east as if it were some kind of humanitarian mission. They genuinely believe that their president authorized a $200bn spend for mainly humanitarian reasons.

“I completely support the fact we should to to Iran, Syria, North Korea and any other country that threatens peace in civilization all Cesear-style. ” - Shelley

The truth comes out; many of the people who most avidly support war in Iraq are explicit supporters of imperialism, and would happily support their politicians if they decided to nuke the whole of the middle-east. Anything to keep the depressing foreign death-toll from their nightly news.

“Shelley for President - the one candidate who isn’t afraid to use a nuclear weapon to discipline out of control, weaker governments who call for our death. I’m willing to stake my reputation that the U.S. Colony of Iran could be a great tourist destination. I won’t even bother to set up a Constitution.” - “Shelley”

What I find most baffling about this whole thing is that many of the people who are most comfortable with the idea of nuclear genocide are also the ones who claim to be Christians. I’m not aware of any teachings of the mythical christ-figure advocating thermo-nuclear obliteration of ones foes, but then again I don’t pay too much attention to my bible.