tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31119225.post8237483645923051621..comments2024-02-26T15:58:56.816+00:00Comments on The 3Rs - Reading, Ranting & Recipes: herschelianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17414522582684680371noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31119225.post-39609409333019246582008-05-28T00:57:00.000+01:002008-05-28T00:57:00.000+01:00bybee - Obama the new Tony Blair? be afraid, be ve...bybee - Obama the new Tony Blair? be afraid, be very afraid!<BR/><BR/>nick - I guess you and I will never really see eye to eye about the dangers of state surveillance. I suspect part of my disquiet (and Jeanne's) stems from living in South Africa during the apartheid years and seeing how easily and frequently such surveillance could be used to control the population.<BR/><BR/>marycontrary - maybe the powers that be in Chicago could learn from the British experience with CCTV, many studies have been done, and its benefits are dubious to say the least.herschelianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17414522582684680371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31119225.post-89634877348761651822008-05-23T15:37:00.000+01:002008-05-23T15:37:00.000+01:00Don't get me started on surveillance. Step over h...Don't get me started on surveillance. Step over here, let us scan your eyeballs and store that together with your credit card details on a database. If you've done nothing wrong you have nothing to fear! Yeah right. Forget it. The other lunatic scheme is the idea that I want an Oyster card, a cash card and a credit card all linked and rolled into one. Are you people crazy?? I'll be right behind you at that protest group...Jeannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12325204219395014329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31119225.post-75816452695461268902008-05-21T14:59:00.000+01:002008-05-21T14:59:00.000+01:00I have read a few of Val McDermid novels. I found...I have read a few of Val McDermid novels. I found them enjoyable but uneven. Some work better than others. I would recommend her to anyone who likes the harder edged mysteries.<BR/><BR/>I live outside Chicago and that city has been beefing up its system of security cameras. I think many of the large cities in the U.S. are not far behind the U.K. I agree with Nick about the expense and your comments about the effectiveness. Chicago is on track for a record number of teen murders most of which will not be solved by the cameras because the gunmen knew where the cameras were and remained outside the viewing area. But the news media over here constantly touts the high tech capabilities of the system. I would add another caveat to the ones you listed--security of the files the government keeps. Has anyone heard of lost laptops and disks??MaryContraryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16350460293199385621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31119225.post-73549823758804428962008-05-21T13:17:00.000+01:002008-05-21T13:17:00.000+01:00I went off Val McDermid some time ago. Can't remem...I went off Val McDermid some time ago. Can't remember why now, I think I just found her books a bit samey. Must give her another try.<BR/><BR/>Well, H, we've discussed surveillance before! I think the threat to any particular individual is vastly exaggerated, though if you happen to be the one fingered on some ludicrous pretext, it's no joke. My real grouse is the expense of all this nonsense - mammoth databases, database-watchers, new offices etc - when public services like the NHS are starved of cash. And you're right, terrorism is now the bogus excuse for all these sinister new laws, and the MPs mindlessly swallow it and vote everything through.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31119225.post-74645341601436062582008-05-21T12:56:00.000+01:002008-05-21T12:56:00.000+01:00My Welsh co-worker told me today that Obama is the...My Welsh co-worker told me today that Obama is the new American Tony Blair. Shudder.Bybeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10061186489010154661noreply@blogger.com