Facebook, privacy and perverts

The Sun leads on calls for Facebook to be held responsible for perverts using false identities on the site.
But how can they do it?
Is it practical?
There's some useful information from the Internet Watch Foundation, here at 10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know and at the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre but parental responsibility is the key.
It can't be left to other agencies while the technology is not up to policing the web. The risk is just too great.
The internet is a force for good but it has allowed individuals with latent perverse desires to come to the fore.
We must all be on our guard.

Nutt off message and on bike

Is there no scope for anyone being 'off message' in the UK?
The unfortunately named Prof Nutt declared that alcohol was more dangerous than some drugs and he's clearly right.
We thrive on idependent thought but apparently this undermines the message.
Surely it highlights it and provokes an open debate to get people thinking.
We were highly critical when this sort of thing happened in an Eastern European country in the old iron curtain days.
We looked on with a wagging finger of liberalism at Solidarity's protests in Gdansk.
How have we got here?

Marker morons

This dynamic duo were caught by police after a burglary because of their bizarre attempts at a disguise.
They drew 'masks' on their faces in permanent marker.
In America, naturally.

Schwarzenegger power

Arnie Schwarzenegger has denied deliberately insulting a political opponent in a coded e-mail message.
If you can't read it the seven lines start with the letters F, U, C, K, Y, O and U.
According to The Independent: 'The mathematical probability of the seven-letter phrase "fuck you" ... is 26 to the power of seven – or about 8,031,810,176 – to one.'
Judge for yourself.

Pop goes a cliche

In The Times Philip Collins (is that his real name?) contends that Pop Music can't do Politics.
What rubbish this is.
He cites a 'lack of intelligent lyrical comment' but merely exposes himself to ridicule over his lack of musical knowledge.
Hey Phil, try Frank Turner, Show of Hands, Green Day, Blabbermouth, Michael Franti, Steve Knightley or Martyn Joseph.

Baffle of Bosworth Field

Interesting piece in The Times and elsewhere about the establishment of the true location of the Battle of Bosworth Field.
It seems the visitor centre is in the wrong place and should be two miles away.
Picture the scene yesterday morning in Pennington Street where a harassed news editor thinks: 'Hmm we need a sidebar to complement this. Find me a scholar Tarquin.'
Up steps Michael Jones, author of Bosworth 1485: Psychology of a Battle.
A perfect choice? Maybe not.
As Ben Hoyle's Times story reveals, the current investigation dismissed 'Michael K. Jones’s theory that the battle was eight miles away in Warwickshire'.
So what are we to make of the final paragraph of the accompanying piece by the aforementioned Jones.
He says: 'Walking the actual field of combat remains one of the most powerful ways to connect with the past.'
Of course it begs the question: How does he know?

Short shrift from Sarkozy

French president Nicholas Sarkozy is embroiled in a domestic row over the cost of a shower built at taxpayers' expense but never used.
Rag Reader understands that President Sarkozy, 5ft 4in, is keen to distance himself from any suggestions that the reason he did not use the shower in question was because he could not reach the taps.
Sarkozy, who loves Gordon Brown but not in a sexual way and enjoys the company of shorter people, lists as his hobbies; standing on boxes and wearing platform shoes.
And he did not pick short factory workers to make himself look taller when making a speech.