There are stories in the news today about thousands of people complaining to Ofcom about unfair practices in the "download a ringtone to your mobi" market. People are complaining that they downloaded a ringtone and then kept getting texts about the service, only realising when their bill came, or their credit ran out, that they had actually signed up to a subscription service.

What is Ofcom's answer to this? Teach schoolchildren to read the small print. Brilliant. I guess the 30,000 complaints Ofcom received about the Brand & Ross obscene phonecall fiasco means our children will be having lessons in how to not listen to Radio 2 on a Saturday night?

If you are too stupid to understand the words on the TV screen advertising the offer, then you should not be allowed to have a mobile phone.

I wonder why this market exists at all. You can buy a full song - the proper song - from iTunes for 79p. You can convert it to a ringtone in a number of ways, and then send it via Bluetooth or file copy to the phone, and set it as the ringtone. The software is out there, and it's free. Why do people pay £1.50 for a crappy MIDI version of 30 seconds of a song anyway? It's absurd.

F**K GOD:
=========

I am yet to be shown beyond reasonable doubt,
That there's a man in the sky, up there on a cloud.
Watching over all that I do and think,
Convicting me of thought crimes before I can blink.

Won't someone provide evidence once and for all,
Just a picture and a miracle, maybe a phone call?
Just to say hello, and prove that he's there,
Just to tell us that he really does care.

Does the magic man in the sky actually give a damn?
Aren't we all part of some wondrous plan?
I keep getting told that, by religious types,
But we still suffer tsunamis, earthquakes, mudslides...

"Oh," say the same ones, "it's a test!"
Who, when given children to care for, molest.
To say so isn't wicked, or at least not as bad,
As the ones in charge who are really quite mad.

"There was a garden of Eden, and a talking snake!"
A chatty, limbless, scaly, elongate reptile?! Give me a break!
Their nonsense knows no bounds, but they demand respect,
Proselytise at my door, and expect to be decked.

"A global flood was wrought on this world!"
Yeah, by a 'loving' god whose creations he killed.
And what's his next trick to cleanse us again?
He's fresh out of water, he's a has-been.

His holy books are childish, and full of hate,
This isn't a god that I would call 'great'.
And he didn't know pi, 3.14159...
The Greeks knew it long before the Bible's time.

His son died for our sins, and I have to repay?!
I wasn't alive back in the day!
I had no say in his sacrifice,
To have been asked if he should, would've been nice.

But arrogance is his passion, and intolerance his way,
God forbid if you turn out gay!
Adulterers are to be stoned, he's such a nice guy!
Follow this maniac?! Why should I?

I'm really quite happy living without him,
An evil, ego-maniacal, inventor of sin.
His morals are base, mine are much better,
I suggest you ditch this childish bed-wetter.

You'll feel much happier, not living in fear,
Of a god you think exists, but is nowhere near.
His existence is a myth, your blind faith is just odd.
I'm not sorry to say this, but there is no god.

---
By darkpaw, 14/11/2008.

A petition was started on the government's e-petition website regarding the removal of NHS funding for the bizarre anti-science known as homeopathy. Here's the response from the government:
"Although the Department of Health provides strategic leadership to the NHS and social care organisations in England, it is for local NHS organisations to plan, develop and improve services for local people. These bodies are best placed to respond to patients’ concerns and needs, so it is their responsibility to commission healthcare services and treatments. The clinical and cost effectiveness, safety and availability of suitably qualified practitioners are all issues that have to be taken into account when deciding what treatment to provide.

The White Paper Our Health, our care, our say makes it clear that Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) will be holding GP practices accountable for the use of public money under practice-based commissioning, and that PCTs will be expected to support practices that are innovative and entrepreneurial, and which extend patient choice."

Richard Dawkins puts it well in his documentary "The Enemies of Reason: The Irrational Health System" when he reveals that the NHS has five homeopathic hospitals being funded by the taxpayer every year. We are actually paying for people to be given WATER as a cure for their illnesses. Yes, water! Simple water. This is nothing but a sham. I am incensed that we have to pay taxes for this utter tripe. The 'doctors' claim that it is the active ingredient that cures the patient, not just the water. Richard Dawkins shows us how much of the 'active ingredient' is actually present in the water. For every ONE MOLECULE of that ingredient, it requires the same number of molecules of water as there are n our solar system (or maybe it was universe, I forget now).

Does no one else see the insanity in this? Our government should be using OUR money to pay for PROVEN medicines, not pissing it away on placebos for dummies. F**king pathetic government.

California bans same-sex marriage
From BBC News:
Californian voters have chosen to ban same-sex marriage, months after it was legalised by the state's top court. The measure restricting marriage to heterosexual couples gained 52% support - more than 5.1 million votes - with nearly all precincts declaring results. Twenty-seven US states already ban same-sex marriage. California's legal approval had seen thousands of gay couples wed there since May. State Attorney General Jerry Brown has said those marriages will remain valid.

Legal challenges to the measure, known as Proposition 8, are likely. The referendum called for the California constitution to be amended by adding the phrase that: "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognised in California."

Bitter campaign
The ballot measure was keenly fought with more than $70m spent on advertising by both sides - breaking national records for campaigning on a social policy initiative. The BBC's Peter Bowes in Los Angeles says that for many liberal Californians, on a day when Barack Obama was swept to victory, the election was a bittersweet experience. He said they won the White House - but lost on an issue many believed had already been resolved by the courts.

Conservative groups have welcomed the ban. "People believe in the institution of marriage" said Frank Schubert, co-manager of the Yes on 8 campaign. "It's one institution that crosses ethnic divides, that crosses partisan divides."

But gay rights supporters vowed to fight on. Kate Kendall, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights said "there has been enormous movement in favour of full equality in eight short years. That is the direction this is heading, and if it's not today or tomorrow, it will be soon," she added.

Florida and Arizona also backed proposals to ban gay marriage, by 62% and 56% respectively, on 4 November.
---

Well, isn't that a surprise? Religious groups have got their way in America once more. Same-sex marriage is now banned in California. Why? Because religious pricks are the most discriminatory bunch of people on this planet. They've also voted to ban moderate gambling, stem cell research and various other things that irk the religious tools of this world.

I suggest that if religious groups can be so blatantly discriminatory, then everyone else can be, too. Let's see how religious zealots feel when a gay bus driver refuses to let someone on because they're wearing a cross. How about when a gay taxi driver refuses to take their fare because they don't agree with the church's views on homosexuality or stem cell research?

Banning same-sex marriage is PURELY a religious position. For a tolerant and free society - as America always claims to be - this is really not a good advert for them. Doesn't your Constitution say, "Freedom of religion and freedom from religion"? And yet government offices are enforcing Christian and Mormon theology on the public.

America is a shambles. Their only saving grace is that they've finally got rid of the Republican virus. A shame Obama opposes same-sex marriage, too (as a Christian, of course). F-ing pathetic.

Khamenei enters fake degree row
From BBC News:
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned against undermining the government following parliament's dismissal of the interior minister. He said God would not easily forgive those who made irresponsible remarks and allegations about the government.

Earlier this week, parliament voted to sack Interior Minister Ali Kordan after he admitted forging an Oxford degree. The scandal has been seen as a major blow to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who faces re-election next summer. He has been accused by MPs of grave naivety for having been taken in by his minister's lies.

Ayatollah Khamenei said certain people in Iran were trying to blow some issues out of proportion. "This careless atmosphere of talking against the government is not to be easily forgiven by God," he warned. His comments were clearly directed against those who voted to impeach Mr Kordan earlier this week, the BBC's Jon Leyne in Tehran says. And by implication, the supreme leader is also giving his support to Mr Ahmadinejad, who also came under strong criticism in parliament, our correspondent adds.

As if to underline the message, one weekly news magazine that has been sharply critical of the president over the scandal has said it fears it is about to be closed down. Lawyers for the moderate Shahrvand Emrouz said it had been banned by the Iranian press watchdog, although it had not yet received official notification.

'Laughing stock'
Mr Kordan claims he was approached with the offer of a doctorate by the Tehran representative of an institution described as the London Oxford University. But the certificate turned out to be an obvious forgery, which was littered with misspellings. The scandal has made the former minister a national laughing stock, with a fake resignation letter being passed round purporting to be from him, but full of misprints and crossings-out. One MP said Mr Kordan - who worked as a university lecturer - had related invented tales to his students about his days in Oxford. In fact he has never visited and does not even have a first degree. The post of interior minister is crucial in organising the presidential elections which are due to be held in the middle of 2009.
---

So when religious nutjobs claim that the West is corrupt it's okay to do so, but when corruption appears on their own doorstep, suddenly talking about it is something that won't sit well with 'God'? Can we say double standards, anyone?

Well, if you lie about having a degree from Oxford, and tell tales of the time you spent at Oxford, even though you didn't, expect to be called up on those lies. No one is shielded against the truth, and government ministers should be a little more intelligent so as to not get into such a corrupt position in the first place.

I would also like to mention that people say the West is corrupt, but OXFORD UNIVERSITY IS IN THE WEST! If you think we're so corrupt, stop coming here and getting degrees from our universities. If you think yours are so fabulous, go to them instead!

From BBC News:
A Muslim catering manager has accused the Metropolitan Police of religious discrimination as he was told he may have to handle sausages and bacon.

Hasanali Khoja was told he would be expected to handle pork products at his new job at the Empress State Building in Earls Court, west London. His lawyer said Mr Khoja was excused from pork meat in his previous job at Hendon Police College in north London. An informal agreement was reached with the force but he wants it formalised. An employment tribunal in Watford will consider his claim in May 2009.

A Metropolitan Police (Met) spokesman said it was defending a claim of religious discrimination brought against it at an employment tribunal.

Islam forbids the consumption of pork meat or products containing pork.

Mr Khoja, a senior catering manager, has been working with the Met since 2005 and filed the claim in the tribunal last year. He said: "Obviously nobody in my situation would be happy. Pork handling is the issue."

Religious beliefs
His lawyer Khalid Sofi said: "The claim is about his religious beliefs. They failed to accommodate him as they had a duty to do under the law. He would have had to do certain things and bacon would have been involved." Mr Sofi said the Met reached an informal agreement with his client in June to excuse him from handling pork products after he took special leave from his job.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "A catering manager is bringing employment tribunal proceedings against the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) alleging religious belief discrimination. "The MPS is defending the claim."
---

This Muslim is a catering manager. He KNOWS he has to handle various types of food. He should have been prepared for that. Why should he be allowed to excuse himself from parts of his job? Let's say a shelf-stacker at Tesco doesn't particularly like dogs, should they be excused from putting tins of dog food on the shelves?

It's funny how Muslims are quite happy to work in shops that sell alcohol, and actively sell it in their corner shops; they're happy to buy food from shops that sell pork, but the moment they have to come into contact with pork, or a dog, or alcohol, they claim religious discrimination.

When is the world going to wake up and realise that the religious beliefs of someone do not take precedence over reality and society? And why aren't religious people following their religion to the letter? If their religion says to stone homosexuals and adulterers, they should do it. However, society demands that they don't. So why is it okay to ignore one part of the religion and not others? The point is, this Muslim simply wants to cause a problem. I hope the MPS don't bow down to the barmy religious beliefs of people. If you don't like handling pork, don't fecking well get a job as a caterer!

The Atheist Bus Campaign has hit £130,928! The campaign is now going to go nationwide! No longer restricted by funds to buses around London, it is hitting a nationwide audience, and this is a very good thing. People should be free of the barmy ideas of religions. No one knows if a god exists, but they will happily preach it to people, so why can't we have adverts that say there's probably no god? Seems fair enough to me.

Oh, and to everyone who wants to know why the adverts will say "There's probably no god..." it's because this is the correct position to be in. No one knows if a god exists or not, and we can't prove it either way. I'm an atheist because no one has given me sufficient evidence that ANY god exists. I personally do not know if a god exists, but I have rejected all the gods of the various religions on this faith-obsessed planet.

UPDATE: It's almost £141,000 now! Well done, everyone!

...for a number of reasons.

Firstly, Apple's latest financial results show a massive increase in sales, cash and profitability.

Secondly, Apple is saying NO to Proposition 8 in California. Here's the blurb from Apple's Hot News page:
Apple is publicly opposing Proposition 8 and making a donation of $100,000 to the No on 8 campaign. Apple was among the first California companies to offer equal rights and benefits to our employees’ same-sex partners, and we strongly believe that a person’s fundamental rights — including the right to marry — should not be affected by their sexual orientation. Apple views this as a civil rights issue, rather than just a political issue, and is therefore speaking out publicly against Proposition 8.
---

I agree with Apple on this. Why should someone's sexuality be a barrier to equal rights? If Apple wants to treat its own staff equally regardless of sexuality, then that's a good thing. Ethical companies like this are a great example of progressive humanity. The only reasons to support Prop 8 are religious ones, and religion should not be allowed to rules everyone's lives. Isn't there freedom FROM religion in America?

It seems that a little publicity really does get people going. The Atheist Bus donation campaign needed to raise £11,000 to put adverts on 60 buses in London for a month starting in January. They are currently at £92,000! Please, don't think that this means you shouldn't donate. The adverts will go ahead in London, and I guess they'll use the surplus to put the adverts on the Tube or buses in other cities in the UK.

Whatever they raise, you can be assured it will go to a worthy cause. Please give generously.

Yes, that's right... Because I ordered a t-shirt, I am being recommended a CD of monks chanting. Bl00dy marvellous.