CmdrGravy - Slashdot User

Submission + - Minature Stonehenge Discovered In Wiltshire (bbc.co.uk) 1

Submitted by CmdrGravy on Saturday October 03, 2009 @06:07PM

CmdrGravy writes: Archaeologists claim to have found a "minature stonehenge" nearby the larger and better known one. The archaeologists claim that hewn into the living rock is the legacy of an ancient race of druids. Dr Tufnell the principal archaeologist responsible for the find went on to say
"Mini Stonehenge! 'Tis a magic place where the moon doth rise with a dragon's face. Mini Stonehenge! Where the virgins lie and the prayers of devils fill the midnight sky"
No one seems quite sure what he meant by that but futher details will be published in full, soon.

Submission + - Scientologists In Row With BBC

Submitted by

CmdrGravy

on Sunday May 13, 2007 @04:21PM

CmdrGravy writes: "The Church Of Scientology is currently engaged in a row with BBC over a Panorama investigation by the BBC reporter John Sweeney. John is investigating the Church Of Scientology for the program to find out if they have changed in the last few years and moved away from the questionable practices and secrecy they have employed in the past.

The row centres around a YouTube video posted by the scientologists and a DVD they have released which show Mr Sweeney losing his temper with a scientology spokesman Tom Davis in which Mr Sweeney is driven to yelling at Tom Davis at the top of his voice. Mr Sweeney has since apologised for losing his temper which he says he now realises was both wrong and stupid. In the DVD the scientologists also accuse the BBC of organising an anti scientology demonstration and yelling terrorist death threats at John Travolta, allegations which the BBC denounce as being clearly laughable and utter nonsense. John Travolta has also accused of Mr Sweeney of harbouring "personal prejudices, bigotry and animosity" against Scientology in the documentary, and accused the reporter of displaying "hatred against my religion." This despite the fact that in the UK scientology is not classed as a religion due to the financial nature of their practices.

Mr Sweeneys outburst came at the end of a tour of a scientology exhibition which attempts to portray psychiatrists as evil nazi type torturers entitled "Psychiatry: Industry of Death" which is both gruesome and utterly unconvincing. In the days previous to this Mr Sweeney and his camera team became the latest in a long line of reporters to suffer harassment at the hands of scientologists whereby he has been shouted at, spied on, denounced as a bigot by John Travolta had his hotel invaded at midnight, and had mysterious strangers visit his neighbours and family and spy on his wedding. You can begin to see why someone might lose their temper having been victim to this sort of activity.

There is an excellent article in the Telegraph and you can read about the incident in Mr Sweeneys own words here at the BBC.

The video of Mr Sweeney losing his temper is available on YouTube, the argument is about Tom Davis claiming he has said things in a previous interview with someone else at which Tom Davis was not present and therefore cannot know what he has said. During this interview with, I think, an ex scientologist Tom Davis burst in half way through to make claims that the interviewee was some kind of paedophile.

Happily it looks like the BBC is going to stand behind their reporter, judging by this interview with the programs editor and the general tone of their reporting but, really why I'm posting this on /., what can be done against an organisation so determined to prevent fair and unbiased reporting on their activities and is clearly able to utilise the power of the internet and YouTube to further their aims. The BBC is a large organisation and can survive attacks like this which would easily cause a lot more problems to individuals or smaller organisations, is there a way of levelling the playing field in favour of the general population being able to access accurate information on organisations or corporations rather than propaganda put out by the said organisations or corporations ?"

Submission + - British Cops Hack Into Government Computers

Submitted by

CmdrGravy

on Monday January 22, 2007 @10:38AM

CmdrGravy writes: "The British Police have hacked into Government computers as part of the on-going cash for peerages investigation and uncovered evidence which has, so far, led to one arrest and charge of perverting the course of justice for a leading Labour party figure. This charge carries a potential life sentence.

The police have the power to hack into computer systems as part of an investigation and it is this power which they have used to hack into the Governments and the Labour Parties computers. On previous occasions they have said they did not believe the govenment was providing them with the information they had been asking for and had warned that they would seek other methods to gather evidence.

It is suspected that the investigation has led to the discovery of large quantities of evidence the government had not passed on the police and led swiftly to the dawn raid on the house of Ruth Turner a senior Labour party figure. She has been charged with perverting the course of justice and could face a life behind bars when prosecuted.

The police won't say what tools they have used but apparently it is a tool set they use in serious fraud cases to seek out and identify the information they want from the computer systems which they have infiltrated. Does anyone know what tools these might be and are slashdotters happy with the powers the police appear to have to break into whatever Government, or private computer system they like ?

Read more in the Telegraph."

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