Transport for London bids for control of Metronet

You just wonder how many more of these money-squandering disasters - all so that the City of London can vacuum out even more public money they have no right to - we have to go through before its all brought to a halt.

Hi Tom

Off topic but I thought you would be interested in this...

http://tinyurl.com/2mxhs4

When you read the above link, remember to click on the NO button on the top right, next to Anne McGuires reply.
I not that we are all called CUSTOMERS now, Patients is no longer in the Lexicon on Nu Labor.

"Patients is no longer in the Lexicon on Nu Labor."

Neither are the words humanity and compassion Andy, oh and socialism.

"Errors block benefits to disabled"

"Almost 80,000 sick and disabled people a year are being wrongly denied benefits, according to a BBC investigation for Radio Five Live."

"The investigation found that some handwritten medical reports were altered so that the meaning was completely changed, while in other cases a computer-based medical questionnaire produced misleading or nonsensical information."

"In another part of the report, the doctor had originally said that she was able to walk 30 metres. The "3" had later been turned into an "8", thereby making it less likely that she would be awarded DLA."

"The BBC approached Atos Origin for a response to the criticisms of its medical reporting but the company has declined to comment."

http://tinyurl.com/32zxrn

Was that the Five Live report sometime last year (check: yes, it was)?  I happen to have independent verification of that (which unfortunately I can't expound, much as I'd like to), just take my word for it that it involves sleaze, waste, an inordinately expensive IT contract, deprofessionalisation of medical staff, inhumane treatment of the genuinely ill and a nasty taste in the mouth of all concerned.  Oh, and the details of the software that decides who's ill enough to receive taxpayers money?  'Commercially confidential', naturally.

"City fears second bank is heading for credit crisis"

"Barclays was yesterday the subject of intense speculation in the City
after its share price sank by 6% as investors worried about its
financial stability."

"Shares in Barclays, which generates £4 of every £10 in profits from
its investment banking and fund management businesses, fell as much as
8% at one point to hit a two and a half year low over fears about
funding problems and speculation it was secretly predicting a dip in
profits."

"The Bank of England declined to comment on Barclays, but said it had
not made any emergency loans via its rescue fund on Thursday."

http://tinyurl.com/2bhz4l

"Top US analyst hits back after death threats over Citigroup downgrade"...

"Meredith Whitney, the analyst who prompted a $369 billion (£177 billion) plunge in the value of US shares on Thursday by issuing a negative note on Citigroup, hit out at Wall Street’s culture of intimidation yesterday after receiving several death threats from investors in the bank."

"Ms Whitney, a CIBC analyst who is married to the former World Wrestling Entertainment champion Death Mask, prompted a near 7 per cent drop in Citigroup’s shares on Thursday, after suggesting that the bank needed to raise more than $30 billion to restore its capital cushion."

"She also downgraded her recommendation on Citigroup’s shares to “market underperform” in the note that set off America’s biggest stock market decline since August." ...

http://tinyurl.com/2lezku

"Michael O'Higgins thinks the country is heading into a slump that could be worse than the Great Depression"

http://www.silverbearcafe.com/private/O'Higgins.html

"Last month, the US Treasury Department, with the blessing of the Federal Reserve Board, brokered a scheme to raise $80-$100 billion to prevent the collapse of the SIVs—a plan devised in the first instance to forestall a potentially disastrous crisis at Citigroup. There are growing indications that the scheme may fail."...

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/nov20 ... -n06.shtml

"One million pay mortgage with credit card"

"More than a million households have had to pay their mortgage or rent using a credit card in the last year alone, new research shows"

"According to housing charity Shelter, around six per cent of people have had to use credit to pay for the roof over their heads, with younger people the most likely to fall into the trap"...

http://tinyurl.com/3bdk3n

"One earth, three planets' worth of damage"...

http://tinyurl.com/2tnmdg

"Ian Gilmour served as defence secretary during Edward Heath's administration, before becoming Lord Privy Seal in Margaret Thatcher's first government"

"In September 1981 he was sacked by Mrs Thatcher and remained a prominent critic of what he regarded as extreme Thatcherite policies"

"He responded to his sacking by Mrs Thatcher by issuing a statement declaring that she was steering "full speed ahead for the rocks"...

http://tinyurl.com/3cwyru

"It is 25 years since Margaret Thatcher became prime minister. Click on an individual in the image or use the drop-down menu below to find out more about the members of her first cabinet, and what has happened to them since"...

http://tinyurl.com/3ca5ml

"Markets fear banks have $1 trillion in toxic debt"...

http://tinyurl.com/3ydkbp

As they never tell the truth you can bet it`s a lot MORE then what they say.

"Anatomy of a credit crisis"...

 http://tinyurl.com/27cxlf

"Bankers Fear World Economic Meltdown"...

http://tinyurl.com/hvmrk

Hi George,

I found this article that gives a non US/UK perspective of the world market (it is dated June 11, 2007) but imho states things more clearly than most posts, it seems that its a question of who blinks first. Apropo of nothing at all does anyone know what has happened to spartacuslives.org? one of my fav firebrands has shut up shop. I trawelled around for a bunch of fresh links and found this quite a nice collection, thought I should share :)

Thanks tio

Something very sinister going on here. Whats the betting New Labour as well as the tories have a hand in it...

http://www.georgegalloway.com/

Hi tio

"anyone know what has happened to spartacuslives.org?"

Got it here...

http://www.spartacuslives.org/ 

"Federal Liabilities Now Equal $175,000 for Every American"...

http://tinyurl.com/yt7w4g

Cheers George,

Sods law! spartacuslives.org had been missing since Sunday and immediately started up again after my post, anyway I'm glad they're back. I really think this sub prime monster isn't related to the Neocon Iraqi nexus apart from the fact that it is the ultimate expression of unfettered capitalism (read greed & stupidity) as defined by the Neocon Chicago school. It cannot have come at a worse time for the yanks, I wonder what dubbya is making of it all.

Thanks tio

I think something very evil is at work and somekind of plan is at work. Time will tell.

"I wonder what dubbya is making of it all."

He is the last of our problems, it is those who back him and tell him what to do that we must worry about. They will be around whoever is in the White house.

"On Tuesday night, November 13th, (at 11 p.m. EST/PST - 10 p.m. CST), the History Channel will present Megadisasters: Oil Apocalypse, a documentary that Los Angeles-based filmmaker Martin Kent is calling "a wake up call," about the world's energy crisis. "We can no longer count on getting all the gasoline we need -- and there's no plan B."

http://tinyurl.com/26ldfw

Thanks for the above to Postman Patel...

http://postmanpatel.blogspot.com/

Check wrt "He is the last of our problems" but monkey man must be considering how history will judge him as the man who presided over, nay facilitated, the collapse of the USAs position as world leader. Irrespective of its actions (cold war necessities aside) I must confess I was a fan of the US and this calamity is due in no small part to the lack of candor and good council from its parent.

"somekind of plan is at work", now you're just trying to get me deleted from this and any future threads by an expression of what you and I suspect has already transpired (or just deleted period). As for "Time will tell", time is already telling.

I am at this point heavily self medicated and reserve the right to retract everything I have said.

http://tinyurl.com/2fr67w

OK so the US sucks the sweat off a dead mans balls (terminolgy appropriated) the executive is seriously messed up. I realise now I'm going to lose but that is because I'm wasted but I will wake up sober, well sort of. It is distressing that so worthy a cause as educational software has been tainted by this collective of grotesque abhorations but you learn to take what you can get. You're cheating, taking advantage of someone who is not in complete control of his faculties.