RogiLife.Com

If you are using CrashPlan as one of your backup solutions, you may want to fully read this blog post and then go on to fully read the related thread on CrashPlan’s user forums.

If you are using CrashPlan as your only backup solution, then you absolutely should follow the links above.

There are some serious questions being asked at CrashPlan by users of the service.

[Update: Note that as of 7th May 2010 this has never been satisfactorily resolved or explained. Crashplan are still evasive as to the possible cause of the failed restores, in my opinion. Due to this I personally have completely stopped using Crashplan on all of my systems. See the updated original blog post and the forum thread for the entire story.]

An important reminder now that the holiday season is approaching; raisins and grapes can kill dogs.

‘This is not to say you need live in fear of your dog keeling over dead if he swallows a grape or two. However, if he downs a handful of grapes or even a smaller amount of raisins, get him to your veterinarian right away. Aggressive treatment with intravenous fluids and close monitoring are his best chance for survival.’

At this time of the year there are often a lot of cakes, biscuits, puddings, deserts and so on around that contain grapes and/or raisins. Do not allow your dog to eat any of these things as grapes and raisins are highly toxic to dogs and can easily kill them.

There are more details here on this old post of mine: Raisin the alarm, do not poison your dogs.

Take heed as dogs will eat foods containing these things given a chance.  Make sure that it is a chance they do not get.

An official petition has been launched to call for public photography restrictions imposed by the UK’s Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 to be overturned.

The new legislation, introduced by the UK Government on 16 February, makes it a potential crime to take pictures of police officers and other armed forces. The petition, available on the UK Prime Minister’s website, was launched by photographer Simon Taylor.

‘On the 16th of February, the government passed a law (in the Counter Terrorism Act) making it illegal to take a photograph of a police officer, military personnel or member of the intelligence services – or a photograph which “may be of use for terrorism”. This definition is vague at best, and open to interpretation by the police – who under Home Secretary guidelines can “restrict photography in public places”,’ the petition reads.

‘We call for these vague restrictions to be lifted, as they can easily be misused by the police.’

The 2008 Act amends the Terrorism Act 2000 regarding offences relating to information about members of armed forces, intelligence services and police.

The new set of rules, under section 76 of the 2008 Act and section 58A of the Terrorism Act 2000, will target anyone who ‘elicits or attempts to elicit information about (members of armed forces) which is of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism’.

A person found guilty of this offence could be liable to imprisonment for up to 10 years, and to a fine.

To sign the petition, visit the official page at petitions.number10.gov.uk.

Having said in my last post that Portugal cannot be beaten, there is one way in which Spain is a whole lot more attractive than Portugal, and that’s in the price of gas.

Gas prices in Spain and Portugal

Spain is on the left. The price of gas in Spain is around 25 cents per litre less expensive than it is in Portugal.

That makes it basically free for me to drive to Spain and back, as long as I fill my gas tank when I am there.

Good luck to the Spanish, but that kind of price difference really shows just how badly we here in Portugal are getting ripped off every time we pay for gas.

Ronnie Biggs, the old Great Train Robber, has been moved from his prison cell to a hospital in Norwich, England, as he has pneumonia.

His son Michael has issued another appeal for his father’s release;

“My father is a very sick man who will be 80 this year,” said Mr Biggs, who lives in London. “Why don’t they just show some compassion and free him so he can be with his family? Why waste taxpayers’ money now? My dad isn’t a danger to anyone.”

Back in 2007, Biggs himself issued a statement appealing for release on compassionate grounds;

“I am an old man and often wonder if I truly deserve the extent of my punishment. I have accepted it and only want freedom to die with my family and not in jail. I hope Mr Straw decides to allow me to do that. I have been in jail for a long time and I want to die a free man. I am sorry for what happened. It has not been an easy ride over the years. Even in Brazil I was a prisoner of my own making.”

Biggs undeniably did, whilst on the run, clearly ‘take the piss’ out of the British authorities for years on end (not least by making this ‘No One Is Innocent’ video with the Sex Pistols) and was thus guaranteed to wind up in a world of trouble when he returned to the UK, but hasn’t he done enough time now? I’d say so.

I don’t really have any great sympathy for the old blagger as far as him getting a hard time when he returned, and nor would he expect any – he is a proper old-time criminal, but enough is enough now, no?

It’s not like he was one of the Kray brothers, after all.

Have a heart. Let him out.

Want to help? There is a petition you can sign for Biggs release.