Rail Ticket Pricing

It's that time of year again, when the Government hands over more of our money to Train Operating Companies and the fares still go up.
I don't travel abroad; why would I, I haven't seen all I want to see of this country; and anyway flying is not the greenest way to travel. The result is I have never needed a passport.
Some time after Yuletide I will be traveling to Newcastle to celebrate my son Daniel's birthday.
To travel by train it will cost me about £130 return. By EazyJet it is £55 plus intermediate travel which I estimate at £20 including a baggage allowance and insurance. Add in the cost of a passport, and within a very few trips I will have saved the cost of my passport and be in pocket.
Of course the planet will be in pocket several hundred kilos of CO2 too.
How can it be sustained. In country air travel should be taxed out of existance. Train Operating Companies must be forced into non-profit making status and the revenue from all transport taxation should be ploughed into rail infrastructure. 2 penny worth done.

Wednesdays - Love 'em or Hate 'em

Wednesday is that dreadful day in the calendar of those lucky enough to work in a Monday to Friday job when you reach half way through the week. First thing you still have over half the week to go before a weekend and by 5 o'clock there's only 2 days left and one of those is wonderful out to the pub Friday. So between waking and sleeping your psyche can do the equivalent of an emotional switch back.

This Wednesday is a grey day and from my window on Claverton Down, through a feast of red berries on the tree outside I can see a watery sun struggling to gain access to the planetary surface.

The wind is getting up now and the promise of a days sea fishing off Weymouth this Saturday is receding. I for one do not want to go out in an open boat with a Force 7 Gail blowing. Ah well perhaps another day. It'll be off to Sainsbury's for Mondays fish dinner.

Thanks to all those who have found me here and are actually reading this stuff.

How safe is the data on us? Prequel

I have a feeling The Register has the origin of this tale of CDs here.

How safe is the data on us?

Well there we go. Advertised and now removed from ebay are a pair of CDs which allegedly contain data from the Child Benefit agency. Although ebay or the seller have removed the item from sale I did manage to print a copy to a .PDF file here.

In this instance its hard to test the truth of the vendors claim. I expect someone in trench coat and trilby hat will be knocking on the vendor's door to do just that.

Be aware all the data about you could be turning up anywhere, anytime.