Ashes to Ashes – now that’s how to do a finale

// May 22nd, 2010 // No Comments » // telly

It was touching, profound, and above all true to itself. It ties up what needs tying up, but doesn’t entirely close off the universe that it is set in. What more could a body ask for?

And thank God here’s how they didn’t do it (it’s the US finale to Life on Mars).

This is an oddly massive finale week on the tellyvisual box, with the Fringe series finale watched yesterday (oh boy was that good!, it’s on tonight on 3e) and Lost the beginning of next week.

What if there was an election and nobody won?

// May 7th, 2010 // No Comments » // ukge2010

That is pretty much what they’ve had in the UK. Labour lost massive numbers of seats, the Tories appear to be solidly short of a majority and the LibDems simply failed to convert support in votes.

It is possible, even more than probable, that another election would lead to an even more balanced parliament. If there is another election held in a short while when a minority Tory administration has had to impose significant cuts and do many, many unpopular things without being able to do anything that has an upside they are likely to lose as many seats as they might gain. While it is hard to see Labour gaining the 70/80 seats they would need to command a majority. It’s not a rerun of a British election in 1983, it is more like Ireland in 82/83.

The Tories baseless fear of PR

// May 5th, 2010 // No Comments » // ukge2010

Jason notes the fear factor being raised by the Daily Mail against PR. One does have to wonder if the poor dears writing for the Daily Mail in the UK know how PR works. Someone should get Richard Waghorne to help them out with it.

Fact is that the Tories would start life under a new PR system with a much better set up than anyone else. True all 3 of the major UK parties would fracture to some degree in the 1st election under what the form of PR-STV they might adopt, there are the Tories who would vote UKIP as 1st preference but they would come back to the Tories in later counts, the same for the LibDems as the more sandal orientated went for a walk in the meadows with the Greens. But it is the Labour movement which would split the most, producing a jamboree of leftish and far leftish parties that would emerge with so much antipathy between them that transfers would not be forthcoming. The 80s militant era would be a cake walk in comparison. It’s no coincidence that the right has tended to get people elected President in France despite the supposed left leaning nature of their voters.

So come on for the big win Conservatives and support PR. You’ve nothing to lose.

My first 419 scam mail as Gaeilge

// May 1st, 2010 // 1 Comment » // abuse

I got this in my inbox yesterday from a .fr email address. It’s my 1st ever 419 scam mail as Gaeilge! The ’419′ is the Nigerian variation on the old Spanish Prisoner scam. I had to use google translate to get the detail as my own Gaeilge tends more towards the spoken than the written. Though I twigged from the off that it was a scam mail. It was entitled “Sócmhainní Neamhéilithe”

and goes on to say

“Tá mé ag dul i dteagmháil leat i leith ar ár gcliant go déanach, ina náisiúnach de do thír féin agus leis na hinfheistíochtaí a rinne sé le banc infheistíochta.

Ar an 20 Samhain 2003, i dtaisce ar ár gcliant suim na Ceithre milliúin Dollar na Stát Aontaithe faoi bainistíocht punainne ár banc infheistíochta le haghaidh 4 Blianta agus an éarlais a aibiú ar an 20 Samhain, 2007 le níos mó ná 98%, a méideanna le fás iomlán de Seven milliúin naoi gcéad agus is Fiche ar an Mhíle Dollar na Stát Aontaithe. Cistí seo ós rud é go bhfuil a aibiú agus an rolla-os a chionn ar na cistí a bhfuil feidhm freisin

Ár gcliant a fuair bás i mí na Nollag 2007 ag an aois de 81 ag an am a bhí sé ag tabhairt chun críche na nósanna imeachta colscaradh a 4 deich mbliana’s pósadh fada. Níor luaigh ár gcliant a neasghaol nó do thairbhí a eastáit ollmhóra toisc go raibh sé ina bhfuil dílleachta agus aon pháistí agus gach iarracht a aimsiú agus a dteaghlaigh a bheith nár éirigh leo.

An chúis is mó de theagmháil a bhfuil tú chun tú a bheith i mar chomharba nó neasghaol ar an eastát ollmhór ar ár gcliant go déanach. Tá mé ag ráthú leat go mbeadh sé seo a bheith déanta faoi shocrú dlisteanach más féidir liom do chuid comhoibriú agus rúndacht daingean.

Má fhaigheann tú féin in ann a bheith ag obair leis dom ar seo, a fháil ar ais leis chugamsa le haghaidh tuilleadh sonraí a fháil ar conas dul ar aghaidh le: Do Ainm agus Seoladh an iomlán, Do Áit agus Dáta Breithe, Do shonraí teileafóin Príobháideacha agus gairm chuig: gbafaso@aim.com do thoil, más rud é nach bhfuil suim agat sa togra seo cineálta ríomhphoist seo a scriosadh, agus ní bheidh dul i dteagmháil leat mé arís mar gheall ar an nádúr íogair den phróiseas seo.

Ag feitheamh le do fhreagra práinneach.

E. Laurent”

Google translates this as

“I am contacting you in respect to our late client, a national of your country and the investments he has made an investment bank.

On November 20, 2003, our client deposited the sum of four million U.S. Dollars under our bank investment portfolio management for four years and the deposit matured on November 20, 2007 with more than 98%, which amounts to overall growth of nine percent and millions Seven Twenty Mile U.S. Dollar. These funds have since matured and the roll-over of funds which also

Our client who died in December 2007 at the age of 81 at the time it was finalizing the divorce procedures’s four decade long marriage. Our client did not mention a close relative or beneficiary of vast estates because he was an orphan and has no children and strive to find and their families to be unsuccessful.

The main reason of contacting you to invite you to participate in as a successor or close the vast estate of our late client. I guarantee you that this would be done under a legitimate if I can fix your cooperation and strict confidentiality.

If you are able to work with me on this, get back with me for more details on how to proceed with: Your full Name and Address, Your Place and date of birth, your phone data Private and profession to: gbafaso@aim.com please, if you are not interested in this proposal kindly delete this email, and will not contact you again because of the sensitive nature of this process.

Awaiting your urgent response. ”

Is this a mark of the growth of our indigenous knowledge economy?