In the spirit of the recent government diktat from dorky Francis Maude for all motorists to get into their cars, then queue for hours to buy up all available petrol, I’ve decided to jump the gun on the water shortage!
I’ve now run round the house turning all the taps on and put the lawn sprinklers on full blast because I’m just outside the hosepipe ban area.
Hosepipe Ban
Five Baths!
My partner plans to have five baths today as well.
This will ensure that all the water is gone before the ban starts!
News Items The only news item missing is that from a premiership football club at the wrong end of the league regarding the future employment status of it’s manager… There have been two news items in the UK today that must surely have everyone either rolling their eyes in the air, or laughing down their...
Atlantic Ocean Floor Profile Following the (as yet unresolved) crash of the Air France airbus on flight AF 447, much has been made about the ocean floor having huge cracks and being very uneven. Most atlases, online and TV news reports say this and back the statement up with visual imagery of the bathymetry. See...
Orwell must be turning in his grave in despair that what he predicted as a warning about what not to do, now looks like coming to fruition.
Remarkably, since wangling themselves into government, the conservative-libdem coalition government is now actually dropping a key part of their manifesto which they laboriously agreed two years ago. This can still be found on the government website, page 11 to be exact (pdf) . Here’s what they said:
The Government believes that the British state has become too authoritarian…. We need to restore the rights of individuals in the face of encroaching state power – FAIL
…reverse the substantial erosion of civil liberties and roll back state intrusion – FAIL
… introduce safeguards against the misuse of anti-terrorism legislation – FAIL
…end the storage of internet and email records without good reason – FAIL
…a British Bill of Rights that … protects and extends British liberties – FAIL
(Actually, the whole Con-Dem pledge list makes good reading to see just how far removed from it our evil diktat of quangos has become.)
Johann Wolfgang Goethe (Photo credit: andreasmarx)
Not so long ago I was haranguing the former Labour government about their plans for ID Cards, their laws over CCTV and photographing in public places, the reduction in privacy for individuals and the removal of our civil rights over detention without trial, due cause and 3rd party notification for first 90 days and them 42 days.
I left the Labour Party because of it and have not rejoined.
Huge Vocal Resentment Against UK Government Secret Citizen Monitoring Plans.
Now, the tories and their liberal stooges have been shown to be both serially evil in their pronouncements and plans, and also serially incompetent of managing almost anything.
Their pathetic management of a minor industrial dispute (the fuel shortage) which did nothing except invoke almost universal resentment of the coalition and reawaken a general awareness of their ineffectiveness comes on top of stripping the very foundations away from one of UK society’s greatest inventions of the Industrial Age, our National Health Service (NHS).
Top this behavioural abomination with that of the revolving door policy between banking and politics which they continue to promote with zero penalties for failure while the population-at-large have to prop up the whole system with their taxes means only two things to me.
The government must do something desperate to have any hope of re-election in 3 years – this means either war (patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel) or economic boom-and-bust gambling.
They will do something desperate to have any hope of re-election in 3 years – this means either war (patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel) or economic boom-and-bust gambling.
Astute folk will see this as my prediction for government actions over the next 3 years.
Tories: Keep Friends Happy
Meanwhile, hundreds of extra Tory donors will soon be available to bankroll the “all is good” story. They will arrive as beneficiaries of the windfall provided as the “former NHS” contracts are handed out to friends, much like Michael Ashcroft benefited from the first round of NHS privatisation during the Thatcher era. This article on Powerbase and this one (sourced from a now defunct article in The Scotsman) show quite clearly that 1/3 of cleaning contracts went to Ashcroft’s businesses during this time, saying;
MICHAEL Ashcroft, (…) bankrolled an “independent” publicity campaign that allowed his multi-million-pound contract cleaning empire to prosper and led to a change in the law. The campaign was run from the London office of the former Conservative Scottish secretary, Michael Forsyth. A spokesman for Mr Ashcroft confirmed last night that he had contributed to the Public and Local Service Efficiency Campaign (PULSE), which was set up in 1985 to persuade the public sector to contract out services such as cleaning and catering. The campaign had been disbanded by the end of the 1980s after the Conservative government passed the 1988 Local Government Act . Mr Ashcroft’s Hawley Services Group, a contract cleaning firm later known as ADT, flourished under the new regime, with ADT, winning a third of NHS contracts between 1983 and 1988.
For further information into the depths that the Tories will go to enable all public money to be fed straight to their business friends, see this article which pulls apart the dealings of Ashcroft, discredited Dame Shirley Porter, NIMBY Nicholas Ridley, Chris Chope (the dog turd of Christchurch) and current (dodgy expenses, remember) minister Eric Pickles.
How Bad was Thatcher’s Recession compared to the Current Economic Slump? Q. Well, how would you find out, exactly? A. Surprisingly easily. This graph here compares historical economic slumps with the current one, on a month by month basis. It’s taken from the “National Institute of Economic and Social Research” (NIESR) website here. Notionally, it’s...
Too Little, Too Late, Gordon Brown This morning, PM Gordon Brown told Andrew Marr that he wants to ‘clean up’ parliament. He wants a ‘code of conduct’ for MPs to follow. The thing is, there’s already a code of conduct – it’s called the law! All we, ‘the people’ want, is to have reasonable laws...
This is a victory of sorts for the millions who have been scammed by him over the last few years. However, what has actually happened has been a kind of plea bargaining, much favoured in the US. (Here’s his home-town take on it.)
Rotten Bad Smell
Hunstville 0, Willms 1
Instead of being stripped completely of his ill-gotten gains and being chucked in the slammer for a few years, he has reached a settlement whereby no admission of guilt has been made!
This is exactly what I suggested would happen, because the self-proclaimed philanthropist Jesse will do anything, absolutely anything, to stay in business.
He’s not been punished by the law which explains the lingering smell I have, possibly due to his key lawyers having previously worked at the FTC. Maybe it is the old boy network? Whatever.
The millions (yes, millions the FTC say) of people scammed may be temporarily amazed at the $359-million judgement, but seeing as how the original complaint was for over $450m they’ll soon realise that he’s got off with $100m! However it’s worded, Willms has weaselled out of any admission of guilt, which means he’s still in business.
What cunning plans could now be afoot, with $100m to back them up, they’ll wonder? It’s like The Return of Fu Manchu.
Almost 4 Million Questions
Willms’ Blog Release – notice how he promotes the $25k ‘gift’, but not his $359m settlement?
Like me, the millions scammed by him will be questioning how he isn’t, right now, being butt-plugged in Huntsville, instead of having 7 days to calmly surrender his bank accounts to prove that he can stump up the $359m negotiated, meanwhile making gratuitous comments about better business practices in future whilst still singing the praises of his $1000 philanthropic gestures.
True, Willms et al have to hand over all their money and have promised as much under sufferance of perjury.
True, they all have to notify the FTC of their whereabouts for the next 20 years and all their business proceeds. They have to keep compliance records for 5 years.
True, Willms must tell the FTC his jobs, phone numbers, businesses in which he’s involved etc
True, Willms et al have 180 days to hand over all details of all their businesses and contacts within those businesses.
True, Willms for the next five years must give a copy of the FTC order (the pdf attached) to each person he does business with and that they have 30 days to sign and return it to the FTC.
True for all of that, but, Willms can still do business and who knows if any of his victims will get recompensed. A lot of the order’s wording is to ensure that the US & Canadian Inland Revenue get their taxes from Willms et al for the last three years. What about the little people?
This article guesses that victims won’t see any of the cash. My guess is that only those people that actually complained to the FTC will get cash, which is why it’s so important to complain, as I’ve suggested for years.
The Return of Fu Manchu
This article thinks that he’s had to hand over everything (though I can’t see how they justify that, given what we know about business secrecy in Nicosia, Cyprus), yet it also points out that the bans that Willms has had to acquiesce to only apply to the USA! That is, there’s nothing at all saying Willms can’t set up anywhere else, like Korea say, and hammer the world from there!
He settled with Microsoft, yet carried on trading as usual.
He settled with Symantech, yet carried on trading as usual.
He settled with Oprah Winfrey, yet carried on trading as usual.
He settled with Dr Oz, yet carried on trading as usual.
He settled with Google yet carried on trading as usual.
Now he has settled with the FTC. I’d be amazed (yet obviously pleased) if he changed the patterns of a lifetime. Only time will tell.
On top of this, Willms himself states on his blog entry (see screenshot above);
We are working to resolve issues relating to past marketing practices for products that our company no longer sells. Through this process, we have taken steps to assure(sic) that our business practices are in full compliance with the law. We are excited by the opportunity to continue giving customers access to a variety of products and services at significant savings. – n.b. the emphasis is mine.
…..which looks to me that it’s more web business, not a change in business type.
It’s a victory, but not the one the whole world wants. It all leaves a bad, lingering, smell…..
Apart from Willms, Sechrist and others, the business entities that we’ve come across in our investigations here, are all in the judgement. It writes that “Corporate Defendants” means:
1021018 Alberta Ltd, also d..b.a. Just Think Media, Credit Report America, Wulongsource, and Wuyi Source;
1016363 Alberta Ltd also d.b.a. eDirect Software;
1524948 Alberta Ltd, also d.b.a. Terra Marketing Group, Swipe.Bids.com, and SwipeAuctions.com;
Circle Media Bids Limited, also d.b.a. SwipeBids.com SwipeAuctions.com, and SellofAuctions.com;
Coastwest Holdings Limited;
Farend Services Ltd;
JDW Media, LLC;
Net Soft Media, LLC, also d.b.a. SwipeBids.com;
Sphere Media, LLC, also d.b,a SwipeBids.com and SwipeAuctions.com;
I’ve listed these so that they appear in search engines and so that people realise the lengths of obfuscation that Willms has used in his activities.
Office Politics
I say Willms, because he is recognised in the judgement as the prime mover in the scams. He has been pinched for hundreds of millions – the others have been collared for a few tens of thousands at most each, some, for nothing, because (how embarrassing is that for them?), they have nothing – yes really!
How annoying for the two Gravers that their payments are about the same as young Jesse Wilms’ fish tank! ($30,000 in 2010 he paid for it)
I wonder how the Children’s Hospital Boston and the Gulf Coast Restoration Fund both realise that they’ve got less from philanthropic Jesse than he’s spent on his fish tank? ($25k each) I wonder how they feel now, knowing that this money was stolen from ordinary consumers, people like themselves?
How galling for Sechrist, Callister, and Milne. They can pay nothing, Willms can pay $359m! If they’re still working for him I bet that that’s fun in the office!
Just Think Media Settles With Google Over Trademark Infringement Last year Jesse Willms threw the lawyer dogs at me which forced me to pull some posts. I’d been calling him a scammer which was obviously in clear contradiction of his (now public) self-vision as a charitable philanthropist. However yesterday, Google, who had originally sued 50...
The few readers of these pages may have noticed some diminishment in content recently; specifically: http://strangelyperfect.tv/7955/facebook-msnbc-jesse-willms-swipe-auctions-and-doctored-photos/ http://strangelyperfect.tv/8860/jesse-willms-favourite-tv-clips/ http://strangelyperfect.tv/8740/the-three-rules-of-trust-using-swipeauctionsbids-as-anexample/comment-page-1/#comment-3066 You’ll now find that these links no longer work. Cause and Effect The cause of all of this was a cease and desist request to me via email by a lawyer, Matt Thomson working at Kronenberger Burgoyne. ...
That it was. I first threatened and then did leave the Labour Party over it. Right at the time they were trying to bring in Identity Cards and lock uncharged people away for 90 days, reduced to 42 days (yes really, they were – It’s like a bad dream) they also added some “rules” for state benefit claimants. These are well explained at the top of Ron’s blog entry:
It’s been brought to my attention that page 16 of the ESA Notes Sheet ESA40 04/09 contains this gem:- You must also tell us if you or your partner (among much else):- My parentheses and italics. go away from home, even if it is for a day
Ron (for it is he!)
And indeed it is so! The document can be downloaded in full here on the DirectGov website. A screenshot I’ve taken, highlighted the important bits and shown it here. n.b. Ron is disabled, in several ways, not least by having the fat burned from the soles of his feet with a lightning strike!
Why Is This Important?
A. Well actually, it contravenes everything that Britain and other freedom-loving peoples have fought for regarding the right not just to life, but to a decent life, free of oppression, free to move and enjoy living just for its own sake, the UK having signed up for all of this in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
It’s part of the United Nations Charter, adopted in 1948 and part of International Law since 1976.
Image via Wikipedia
Here are the bits in which the highlighted line in the screenshot above breaks the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
Article 2: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status – BROKEN. Ron’s status is different from others in that he is disabled. And, by limiting his freedom of movement as described, this breaks
Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. BROKEN. Ron’s freedom of movement is not the same as those not on benefit.
Article 5: No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. BROKEN. It is degrading to have to inform faceless bureaucrats of one’s location on a daily basis.
Article 12: No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks. BROKEN AGAIN. It is degrading to have to inform faceless bureaucrats of one’s location on a daily basis.
Article 27: Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits. BROKEN: Ron cannot participate freely. Neither can his partner (if he has one). He must inform the government of his movements which then prevents his free enjoyment that life in a free society provides.
Article 30: Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein. BROKEN. The UK state has removed Ron’s rights as defined and make law in the articles above.
What Else is Bonkers About This?
You may have noticed I highlighted another line. For the lazy, this is how it reads, and when you’ve read it, then realise how bad these draconian rules really are:
You must also tell us if you or your partner, DIE!!!
Laughable bureaucracy, eh?
Finale
Of course, I can see why the state may want to do all of this – the powers-that-be have been making a big play in rustling up public opinion against “scroungers”. But what Labour started, the Tories, as I predicted, have taken all of this up with a vengeance. True, it’s fine to have paid work and/or a vocation that enervates oneself. It’s part of the human condition to feel wanted and valued among one’s fellows. But it’s all wrong to penalise the weakest in society and those that need the most support, by infringing and removing their basic human right of free movement to enjoy the society we’ve created.
Q. How to solve the conundrum?
A. I don’t know and I don’t care actually, because I’m not in government and don’t have the power to change.
Those that are, you know, the elected or non-elected ones who decide that they’re better than us, they’re the ones who must, should and can change the rules, because they’re the ones that set them up in the first place!
Introduction Many years ago when I was living in France and during a prolonged period of French atomic weapon testing on the Moruroa atoll, the Greenpeace ship, Rainbow Warrior, was blown up in a New Zealand harbour. Initially, it was thought to be an accident. Now, as soon as this happened, I thought “who has...
Too Little, Too Late, Gordon Brown This morning, PM Gordon Brown told Andrew Marr that he wants to ‘clean up’ parliament. He wants a ‘code of conduct’ for MPs to follow. The thing is, there’s already a code of conduct – it’s called the law! All we, ‘the people’ want, is to have reasonable laws...
Decent people everywhere will be appalled to learn that the charity Mencap recently sponsored an award at the first ever ERSA Employability Awards. ERSA are the trade body who were formed in 2005 to lie on behalf of the money … Continue reading → […]
The Civil Service Rank and File Network have called a rally outside the PCS conference this week to demand action from the union on the vicious benefit sanctioning regime. Benefit sanctions are set to become a huge issue for public … Continue reading → […]
