Recently I blogged about the Beta launch of UnionBook which is a social networking site for Trade Unionists. Over 500 people have already joined up and I have found it very useful as a networking tool and it has raised the profile of campaigns that my colleagues and I are involved in.This weekend will see the public launch of UnionBook - the social networking website for trade unionists, sponsored by LabourStart.This public launch will increase the membership of the site which can only lead to the site being an even more powerful tool.
UnionBook offers many features that you and your union will find useful. Among these are:
* Blogs - build your own blog today. Free, with no ads.
* Groups - create a group to support your union and your campaigns. Groups can have discussion forums and shared documents. They can be public or closed. They're a very powerful tool.
* Post your profile and sign up your friends - just like in any other social network (with certain subtle differences).
We're adding more features all the time, fixing and tweaking things, but with over 500 users already using our beta version, we think it's time to go live and to recruit thousands more trade unionists. UnionBook will never be as big as the giant commercial networks like Facebook, but once we have several thousand trade unionists using it, I'm confident that it will become a powerful tool for our movement worldwide.
A Young Boy’s Dream…
It actually starts back in the 70s during my childhood where I spent a lot of time watching Japanese anime which often featured robot themes. I remember saying to myself as a child, “I will build one of those when I grow up.
There are many applications for an gynoid robot such as Aiko. Aiko can be used in the home environment for companionship or simply cleaning, business offices as reception and assistance or even in International Airports. With proper funding a dream can become reality.
In Home: Aiko can help kids with their maths, help the elderly people read newspapers, check the weather, distinguish between different medicines etc...
In the office: Aiko can be used at information desks, alert meeting times, give directions... such as food court, washroom, elevators... etc.
Security in Airports: Aiko can detect 250 faces per second (N:1). Aiko can do a quick filter of known faces at the airport, answer arrival/departure time questions or give locations to certain gates and answer other queries etc.
Companionship: Regarding companionship, yes, it is possible to have Aiko as a companion. Aiko has sensitivity sensors on her face and body, including her breasts and even down there. Aiko can tell the difference between being touched gently and being tickled. The BRAINS software and Aiko can be re-designed to simulate her having an "O....". I know that it has caused some controversy by putting sensors in Aiko’s private areas. But I want to make it clear that I am not trying to play God, I am just an inventor, and I believe I am helping science move forward.
Yesterday was the 25th anniversary of the decision to ban Trade Unions at the Government Communications Head Quarters (GCHQ). In January 1984 the Conservative Government at the time made a decision to ban trade union membership in the intelligence gathering centre. The foreign secretary announced to a shocked House of Commons that independent unions would be banned from GCHQ.During the 1980's and 1990's annual marches were held in January, these continued until the ban was lifted. This occurred when Labour won the general election in May 1997 and subsequently they restored full trade union rights.
The TUC, CCSU, the leaders of all opposition parties, and MPs from all parties erupted in indignant anger at this declaration.
In the short period between the announcement and the implementation of the ban on 1 March 1984, the entire labour movement joined forces to oppose the ban.
The level of solidarity, particularly from trade union members in those areas unconnected with the civil service or even the public sector, was a great source of encouragement to their counterparts in GCHQ.
After 1 March, a determined group of 150 union members remained steadfast in refusing to give up their rights. They became known as the “GCHQ trade unionists”. In 1988, 14 workers were dismissed because of their refusal to resign their union membership.
On Friday July 25 the sacked trade unionists made a symbolic march back inside GCHQ to mark the end of the infamous union ban, some of whom continue to work in GCHQ to this day.
Scotland's favourite Bard, is famous the world over for his poems and songs, often regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic Movement he is still inspiring and influencing Scottish literature centuries after his death.
Address To A Haggis
Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the pudding-race!
Aboon them a' yet tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o'a grace
As lang's my arm.
The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin was help to mend a mill
In time o'need,
While thro' your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.
His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An' cut you up wi' ready sleight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin', rich!
Then, horn for horn, they stretch an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
Bethankit! hums.
Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad make her spew
Wi' perfect sconner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
On sic a dinner?
Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckles as wither'd rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash;
His nieve a nit;
Thro' blody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!
But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll mak it whissle;
An' legs an' arms, an' hands will sned,
Like taps o' trissle.
Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o' fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer
Gie her a haggis!
Yesterday was rather hectic, I had to attend two Trade Union meetings in Birmingham. In the morning I only just managed to get to the station in time to catch the train. I had forgotten to factor in the school kids making their way towards the various schools and the amount of traffic it caused. It was slow going trying to cross all the busy roads!
As I mentioned in a previous post Richard's new blog site promoting independent book stores reminded me of a couple of local book shops that had been recommended to me. I promised to go and check them out and and give a review...
Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.
Thich Nhat Hhan
“Frankly the job could be done with half as many, it could be more productive, more efficient, it could deliver a lot more value for money for the taxpayer.Mark has branded the words as narrow minded, naïve and insulting showing that Lord Jones has a complete lack of understanding of what the Civil Service does:
"I was amazed, quite frankly, at how many people deserved the sack and yet that was the one threat that they never ever worked under, because it doesn't exist."
"Civil servants are working flat out in Jobcentres across the country to get people back into work, as well as gearing up for tax return deadline day and ensuring the courts system operates smoothly.I would like to add that in addition to the billions wasted on private sector consultants and botched privatisations even more is wasted on inadequate or undeliverable computer systems. Only yesterday the Public Accounts Committee issued a report warning that the Defence Information Infrastructure (DII) programme is already 18 months late and at least £182m over budget!
"Lord Jones would do well to remember that the driving licence in his wallet and the passport in his pocket are delivered by low paid civil servants who deliver the everyday things we take for granted.
“He must be living on another planet if he thinks these things can be done with half the people. Civil and public servants across the UK will find his comments grossly insulting.
"The civil service has already suffered 80,000 job cuts which has damaged service levels and with more cuts to follow key services will remain at breaking point.
"Rather than making ill informed comments, Lord Jones should remember the billions being wasted on private sector consultants and the billions lost through botched privatisations.”
The £7.1bn Defence Information Infrastructure (DII) programme was intended to provide a single information infrastructure serving the army, navy, airforce and central MoD command but the project is now 18 months late and at least £182m over budget, a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report warned today.
If fully implemented the system will support 150,000 terminals and 300,000 users at more than 2,000 sites, as well as troops on operations and Royal Navy ships. The EDS-led Atlas consortium won the contract to design, install and run the DII back in 2005.
As well as problems with software delivery, the PAC blames "totally inadequate research" in assessing the buildings where terminals would be installed - many of which were subsequently found to contain asbestos - for causing delays to the project.
The rollout methodology, proposed by Atlas, was too inflexible to cope with the challenging reality on the ground, according to the PAC.
1) Blue Peter or Magpie?BTW: The best chocolate of all time is still Maya Gold.
Blue Peter - & yes I am old enough to remember the elephant incident. I can also remember thinking how cruel it was and being secretly happy when the keeper slipped ;-)
2) What was your favourite comic?
Jackie (I think that is how it is spelt...)
3) What was your favourite sweet of all time?
Mint Cracknell and Old English Spangles.
4) Ever set light to something with a magnifying glass?
No!!!
5) How did you cover your school books?
I didn't usually.
6) Favourite lesson?
Music and science. In the third year when science split into it different areas I would have liked to have studied Botany but it wasn't an option. We were told it was too difficult!
7) Were you ever a monitor, prefect, headboy/girl?
No, I was far to quiet and retiring to even get noticed ;-)
8) Ever represented your school at sports?
I have never been into sports.
9) Ever played an Instrument?
Recorder, Clarinet and Bamboo Pipe.
10) What did you play in the Nativity?
The flower girl. My job was to spread flowers round the crib. I really would love to tell you about my brothers escapades in the school nativities, but this is about me isn't it ;-)
To finish my ABC garden theme I present you with the Japanese (Zen) garden at Kingtson Lacey in Dorset.Confused by thoughts,
we experience duality in life.
Unencumbered by ideas,
the enlightened see the one Reality.
Hui - Neng
Pastime with good company
I love and shall unto I die.
Grudge whoso will, but none deny,
So God be pleased, this live will I.
For my pastance
Hunt, sing, and dance.
My heart is set
All goodly sport
To my comfort.
Who shall me let?
Youth will have needs dalliance,
Of good or ill some pastance.
Company me thinketh then best
All thoftes and fantasies to digest.
For idleness
Is chief mistress
Of vices all.
Than who can say
But "pass the day"
Is best of all?
Company with honesty
Is virtue, and vice to flee.
Company is good or ill
But every man hath his free will.
The best ensue,
The worst eschew,
My mind shall be.
Virtue to use,
Vice to refuse,
I shall use me.
By Henry VIII
Just in case you think I have forgotten how to spell, it is an alternative spelling for gate, the dictionary tells me so ;-)
Hope is with you when you believe
The earth is not a dream but living flesh,
that sight, touch, and hearing do not lie,
That all thing you have ever seen here
Are like a garden looked at from a gate.
You cannot enter. But you're sure it's there.
Could we but look more clearly and wisely
We might discover somewhere in the garden
A strange new flower and an unnamed star.
Some people say that we should not trust our eyes,
That there is nothing, just a seeming,
There are the ones who have no hope.
They think the moment we turn away,
The world, behind our backs, ceases to exist,
As if snatched up by the hand of thieves.
Czeslaw Milosz
A huge public vote swept the Armed forces Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum to first place in the "heritage" category of the National Lottery Good Causes Awards - an event broadcast live on BBC1.I have driven past it many times and amazingly never even thought of visiting. I really must make the effort it looks like a really interesting place. I had no idea that so many memorials were within the grounds.
The prestigious heritage award, one of seven categories recognising the nation's favorite lottery-funded causes, was presented to the Armed Forces Memorial which has recieved £2.4 million of lottery money. It commemorates the 16,000 service men and women who have been killed on duty or as a result of terrorism since the end of the Second World War.
As well as being the outright winner of the heritage category, the Armed Forces Memorial gained more votes than any other project on the night, and also more than any other project during the five years that the awards have been running.
Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense regardless of how it turns out.
Vaclav Havel
