Germany will Sensor the Internet

But of course it’s “for the children.” Germany passed an Internet censorship bill under the guise of stopping child pornography…

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4406608,00.html

This is always the first set in full government censorship. Find something almost everybody decries, make a law banning it, and further use that law to censor all free information exchange where that now illegal item can be obtained.

The bill as it stands right now doesn’t prevent a person from viewing a site deemed to contain child pornography it just makes them click through a displayed stop sign (and I’m sure record their IP address for government agents can come arrest them).

The problem I have with a bill involving any kind of censorship is this. If you give a government an inch they’ll take a mile. This is true of every government. Right now they will only censor child pornography but next it will be anything deeming sexually abnormal and eventually it will involve anything that speaks badly about the German government.

More Stupidity from Across the Pond

Two stories of idiocy coming from The Commonwealth of Britain (also known as Oceania). First off we have a story from Bruce Schneier’s own blog…

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/blackburn/4425941.East_Lancashire_youngsters_see_film_on_
terrorism_danger/

The Party is showing videos to children aged at 10 and 11 years. From the article…

More than 2,000 10 and 11-year-olds will see a short film, which urges them to tell the police, their parents or a teacher if they hear anyone expressing extremist views.

This is stupid on enough levels to recreate Dante’s Inferno. First of all you know “extremist views” are anything The Party doesn’t agree with. I’m sure most people who read this blog would fall under this category, I know I do.

The terrorism message is also illustrated with a re-telling of the story of Guy Fawkes, saying that his strong views began forming when he was at school in York. It has been designed to deliver the message of fighting terrorism in [an] accessible way for children.

It’s funny I know Britain celebrates Guy Fawke’s Day. It’s celebrating by lighting bonfires (at least it was, I know many cities have outlawed bonfires). But now The Party is saying he’s an example of terrorism. I’m sure us Americans are terrorists two since we broke away from Oceania long ago.

Source: http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/blackburn/4425941.East_Lancashire_youngsters_see_film_on_
terrorism_danger/

But that’s not all ladies and gentlemen. From Say Uncle we have another story involving Oceania’s stupidity…

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/5310445/Golfers-arrested-after-fighting-off-gang-attempting-to-steal-clubs.html

In the story some teenagers wielding planks of wood (I thought no violent crime could happen once you took away guns) tried to rob several people playing golf. Apparently they didn’t realize that golf clubs are equally effective at bludgeoning people as wood planks. The golfers defended themselves as they should have the right to.

Being this is across the pond though they were arrested for defending themselves. And of course the golden quote…

Mr Walden said: “I cannot say who was at fault and who was not at fault yesterday.

Maybe I can tell you what happened, some punk kids thought they saw some easy targets, they were wrong. Man I hope the people of Oceania rebel sooner rather then later.

Source: http://www.saysuncle.com/2009/06/09/where-defense-is-outlawed/

Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts

Especially if those Greeks are a Japanese University…

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Japan-university-gives-away-apf-15379360.html?.v=3

Aoyama Gakuin University located in the city of Tokyo is giving 550 students free iPhones. Sounds like a great deal huh? Well wait until you see the string attached to this one…

The gadget will work as a tool for studies, but it also comes with GPS, a satellite navigation system that automatically checks on its whereabouts. The university plans to use that as a way check attendance.

By check attendance they mean track the students’ whereabouts. So as long as you’re willing to have your university actively track you everywhere you go (with the phone at least) you to can have a free phone.

Of course I am curious how they are tracking the phones. Because it can’t be with software on the phone since third parties can’t write software that runs in the background on an iPhone. Maybe they are jailbreaking the phones. Either way doing a full reset would take care of either scenario. Granted the school would also notice that any reset phone is no longer reporting tracking information back to them.

The other method is either the government or cell phone carriers must be giving the university access to the tracking information. In a country without freedom like Japan this is of course very possible.

Either way there is an easy solution. If you’re a student with one of these “free” phone just give it to a buddy who’s going to class when you want to skip. The phone can only report back where it is, so if it’s in class so are you.

Australia and the UK to Test Anti-Speed Device

Welcome to the Commonwealth people. You have the right to shut up and do as you’re told. You want to speed? Tough we will now control how fast your vehicle goes…

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/19/2574601.htm

Australia is testing a new device which will limit the speed of your vehicle. If you are speeding a warning will go off in your vehicle, if you continue speeding all power is cut off from your vehicle and you end up with a coasting piece of metal.

But wait it’s not just Australia it’s also the UK…

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/article6260444.ece

They will begin testing it this summer on taxis and buses. Remember the Nanny State knows what’s best for you.

England’s Child Database Launched

www.internetnews.com – Personal Data of Millions Lost in U.K. Security Breachnews.bbc.co.uk – Database of all Children LaunchedMore proof England is taking the novel 1984 literally…

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8052512.stm

Here is the basics of the situation…

The government says it will enable more co-ordinated services for children and ensure none slips through the net.
It will hold the details of 11 million children and young people aged up to 18 years.

Don’t worry though access to the database is limited…

It says 390,000 people will have access to the database, but will have gone through stringent security training.

See they people with access to the database, you know the very few 390,000 of them, will have very good security training. Just like the British government, oh wait…

http://www.internetnews.com/breakingnews/article.php/3712501

But what could possibly be contained in this database? Well the following…

Name, address, date of birth, gender and contact details for parents or carers

Each child also has a unique identifying number

Details of the child’s school and GP practice and for other practitioners or services working with the child

Whether the practitioner is the lead professional for that child

I give it less then a year (and that’s being VERY generous) before the database is compromised and the information contained in it is leaked.

Handcuffed and Fined for not Holding Escalator Rail

Another interesting story brought to you by dvorak.org/blog…

http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2009/05/18/hancuffed-thrown-in-cell-fined-for-not-holding-escalator-handrail/

In Montreal apparently it’s illegal to use an escalator without holding onto the hand rails. This woman was handcuffed, thrown in a holding cell, and then fined $100.00 for her illegal activities.

Welcome to the nanny police state.

New York to Enact “Fat Tax”

In another story dealing with New York the nanny state…

http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/05/14/new-york-bill-would-add-fat-tax-video-games-dvds-junk-food

It appears New York is trying to pass a law that would put a tax on anything that “makes kids fat.” In other words they are low on money and the way to make more money is to tax popular things like video games and DVDs.