... and for that matter does the public need this?
Our new government is to do away with Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities. "Government to press ahead with radical NHS reform plans". More bureaucratic upset and confusion in the NHS. Haven't we had enough of "radical NHS reform plans"?
And who is going to replace the PCTs and the SHAs?
Don Van Vliet, known under his musical pseudonym as "Captain Beefheart", has been a hero of mine, (along with Frank Zappa - a close friend and collabarator), since the tender age of 14 years. Just as Punk was emerging, with the Damned, the Sex Pistols, the Buzzcocks, the Clash, Siousie and the Banshees etc, my school colleagues were into Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull etc etc. In 1976-77 only a very few of us turned on to punk. But even then I couldn't turn them on to Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa. The few obituaries I have seen (Rolling Stone, Guardian) emphasise his music and not his visual art.
His drawings and paintings, many done after his "retirement" from music, are as significant as the music. And the words to the music are poetry.
I was fortunate to see him perform at Wakefield Town Hall (of all places!) on his last UK tour in the early '80s (around the time of the "Doc at the Radar Station" album). I am fortunate to have three original paintings.
I am listening to Trout Mask Replica now. My children, my neighbours' children dance to Bat Chain Puller ... and I look at the paintings on my wall.
What should I quote?
The poet Ian McKellen recently chose "Moonlight in Vermont" on the BBC's eternal Desert Island Disks.
Obviously I cannot choose an instrumental ... I could give you Ant Man Bee, Ella Guru, Bat Chain Puller but I'll give you two less famous ditties ...
PARACHOKE STARE
I walk, I talk but nobody cares
I walk, I talk but nobody hears
I walk, I talk but nobody's there
And if they are they give me the parachoke stare
I walk I don't know where
Everywhere I go I get the parachoke stare
APES MA
Apes Ma, Apes Ma
Your cage's too dirty Apes Ma
Remember when you were young Apes Ma You used to break out of your cage You know you're not strong enough to do that anymore
And Apes Ma The little girl that named you years ago has died now And you're older Apes Ma
Remember when your name was in the paper Apes Ma
Apes Ma, Apes Ma You're eating too much You're going to the bathroom too much, Apes Ma
And Apes Ma Your cage isn't getting any bigger, Apes Ma
A long time since I blogged anything about leukaemia and medicine.
However, I have been pointed (thanks Andy - didn't realise until today you had commented way back when!) to this report on the Beeb about research just published in The Lancet regarding the highly successful use of Mitoxantrone in the treatment of relapsed childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. So successful in fact that the trial abandoned use of the traditional medication, Idarubicin - "Randomisation was stopped in December, 2007 because of differences in progression-free and overall survival between the two groups".
My friend and erstwhile employer, Morais, took me for a business lunch with a client last week to the end of the road at the fishing village of Sta Catarina. We were both on the look out for fresh fish and, in my case, fresh tuna (I had been eyeing not so fresh albacore on the city market for a week!). And I found one!
Why was I looking for fresh tuna? Because I had come across this simple but fascinating recipe from Vietnam in Alan Davidson’s Seafood of South-East Asia:
“This dish is best made with tunny, but other fish with a relatively high fat content, for example Spanish mackerel, may be used. One effect of the tea is to balance the fat. The tea itself may be ordinary black tea if lotus tea (that is to say, tea containing the little white glands from lotus flowers) is not available.
800 grams tunny, in steaks
cooking oil
lotus tea
100 grams pork, diced (optional)
1 small onion, sliced
1 ½ soupspoonfuls nuoc nam (fish sauce)
½ teaspoonful black pepper
1 ½ soupspoonfuls sugar
Heat the oil and cook the tunny steaks in it until they are beginning to turn brown. Reserve them. Meanwhile make a pot of quite strong tea.
Put the fish and pork in a roomy casserole, pour the tea over them, add all the other ingredients and let the whole mixture simmer over a low flame for 40 minutes (or longer if the steaks are very thick).”
I used one tuna steak of perhaps 1 ½ cm thick and black tea – other ingredients as above.The Nuoc Nam is I think essential. If you’ve gone to the expense of buying good tuna, buy good rice to accompany.
Delicious!
Morais asked me for the recipe today so here it is!
A long time since I posted an aphorism - I'm not changing the header but here's a good one from an 1897 letter by perhaps the Master of Aphorisms, Oscar Wilde.
“I would sooner have fifty unnatural vices than one unnatural virtue. It is unnatural virtue that makes the world, for those who suffer, such a premature hell.”
Seemingly Bahnhof as yet has received no threats of legal action - a bit of a surprise given Sweden's efforts to "get" Julian Assange of Wikileaks over previously dismissed sex offence accusations and Sweden's equivalent of the MPAA's former efforts to "sting" Bahnhof over file-sharing (see previous posts). The Swiss Internet company Switch is also resisting pressure ...
From the Guardian:
"WikiLeaks site's Swiss registrar dismisses pressure to take it offline
Swiss registrar Switch says there is 'no reason' why WikiLeaks should be forced off internet, despite French and US demands
WikiLeaks has been fighting to stay online since releasing a cache of sensitive diplomatic cables to five international media organisations.
WikiLeaks received a boost tonight when Switzerland rejected growing international calls to force the site off the internet.
The whistleblowers site, which has been publishing leaked US embassy cables, was forced to switch domain names to WikiLeaks.ch yesterday after the US host of its main website, WikiLeaks.org, pulled the plug following mounting political pressure.
The site's new Swiss registrar, Switch, today said there was "no reason" why it should be forced offline, despite demands from France and the US. Switch is a non-profit registrar set up by the Swiss government for all 1.5 million Swiss .ch domain names.
The reassurances come just hours after eBay-owned PayPal, the primary donation channel to WikiLeaks, terminated its links with the site, citing "illegal activity". France yesterday added to US calls for all companies and organisations to terminate their relationship with WikiLeaks following the release of 250,000 secret US diplomatic cables.
The Swiss Pirate Party, which registered the WikiLeaks.ch domain name earlier this year on behalf of the site, said Switch had reassured the party that it would not block the site.
An email sent by Denis Simonet, president of the Swiss Pirate Party, to international members of the liberal political group said: "Some minutes ago I got good news: Switch, the registrar for .ch domains, told us that there is no reason to block wikileaks.ch."
Laurence Kaye, leader of the UK-based Pirate Party, tonight told the Guardian: "International Pirate Parties now have an integral role in allowing access to WikiLeaks. I wish some of our other politicians had the same guts.
"We support the WikiLeaks project as access to information is the prerequisite for an informed and engaged democracy."
Julian Assange handed himself in to London police at 0930 this morning and is expected to appear in a magistrate's court later.
Meanwhile hackers (Operation Payback) brought down the website of PostFinance on Monday night and are threatening to the same to PayPal - what about Mastercard? However, as I write the PostFinance website is back up.
Yesterday I wondered on how Wikileaks would continue to receive donations since PayPal shut its account down (and now its Swiss bank Post Finance and Mastercard - see here).
Here's how. In other news it seems that Julian Assange is going to turn himself in today, will appear in court and apply for bail.
"The Obama administration is forbidding government employees to call up the wikileaks documents on government computers, including those at the Library of Congress and on military bases. That policy is just plain stupid, and unworthy of Obama’s renowned intellect. I don’t want my intelligence analysts not knowing about the fall-out from the wikileaks cables!"
I confirmed this with a US government source in the International Broadcasting Bureau (the USG's media bureau - Voice of America, Radio Marti etc etc) this morning:
"I believe there is an Executive Order prohibiting any unauthorized USG computer from accessing Wikileaks. That would cover VOA reporters too."
The weekend seems to have been relatively quiet on the Wikileaks front.
Only two real breaking stories but some interesting commentary and background.
The breaking stories are that the latest release of US State Dept. cables includes one requesting an inventory of strategic points of interest to the US in each country where it is represented.
In this story the lawyers of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange claim they are being hassled by the security services.
Some interesting background and commentary:
First up is Swedish ISP Bahnhof's role in keeping Wikileaks online (from CNN! and pointed out to me by friends at Bahnhof who are also the technical contact for the São Tomé e Príncipe domain).
Then we have Marc Ambinder in the US National Journal questioning the IT systems that allowed how US military private Bradley Manning had access (in Iraq at the time) to so much classified material.
You can no longer donate to Wikileaks using Paypal.
Finally, extremely well-argued commentary from Juan Cole (which I don't entirely agree with) on Informed Comment.
The Beeb has picked up on the story of Wikileaks being thrown off the EveryDNS service. So Wikileaks relocated to a server at IP address http://213.251.145.96/ or http:/www.wikileaks.ch (in Switzerland). Meanwhile a whole bunch of Wikileak mirrors have cropped up - list available at http://wikileaks.info.
Ironically, and to quote from the BBC,
"One web expert explained that Wikileaks had managed to re-establish web access via a different address,
"Users visiting the www.wikileaks.ch website appear to be directed via a Swedish website on to a server in France which is now hosting their main website," explained Sebastien Lahtinen, director of web hosting firm NetConnex.
In a surprising twist, the .ch address is also hosted by EveryDNS.
"It seems a strange choice given that they pulled the plug on the .org address just a few hours ago," said Paul Mutton, a security analyst at internet services firm Netcraft. "It could be that Wikileaks is quite happy to play a cat and mouse game with them," he added."
So here is the EveryDNS press release on its suspension of Wikileaks ...
"All systems are functioning normally.
EveryDNS.net provided domain name system (DNS) services to the wikileaks.org domain name until 10PM EST, December 2, 2010, when such services were terminated. As with other users of the EveryDNS.net network, this service was provided for free. The termination of services was effected pursuant to, and in accordance with, the EveryDNS.net Acceptable Use Policy.
More specifically, the services were terminated for violation of the provision which states that "Member shall not interfere with another Member's use and enjoyment of the Service or another entity's use and enjoyment of similar services." The interference at issues arises from the fact that wikileaks.org has become the target of multiple distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks. These attacks have, and future attacks would, threaten the stability of the EveryDNS.net infrastructure, which enables access to almost 500,000 other websites.
Thus, last night, at approximately 10PM EST, December 1, 2010 a 24 hour termination notification email was sent to the email address associated with the wikileaks.org account. In addition to this email, notices were sent to Wikileaks via Twitter and the chat function available through the wikileaks.org website. Any downtime of the wikileaks.org website has resulted from its failure to use another hosted DNS service provider."
Wikileaks principal host was on amazon.com servers. Amazon stopped hosting earlier this week. But Wikileaks had back-up servers including at Bahnhof one of Sweden's largest ISPs and a partner in São Tomé's national domain holder. Wikileaks used the firm everydns (http://www.everydns.com/) to provide DNS services (i.e. resolving web addresses to IP addresses).
I am in formed that everydns has stopped providing DNS services for them early Friday morning due to Denial-of-Service attacks and hence Wikileaks is offline.
I also noted this morning that the UK Guardian newspaper's Wikileaks blog was offline but seems to be back up now ...
Reading the heavily technical Symantec report on Stuxnet. It gets stranger and stranger ...
From what I understand first the Siemens PLC needs to be infected via Siemens proprietary Step 7 Windows-based software. Then the PLC needs to connect to "Command and Control" servers via an Internet link. Only then can a programmer change the code in the PLC. Symantec has monitored infections through connections to these Command and Control servers.
The apparent sudden cessation of Iranian infections in August is probably due, according to Symantec, to the Iranians shutting down Internet connections between PLCs and the C & C servers, rather than a real end to infections.
What I haven't fathomed yet is why/how come Iran bought so heavily into Siemens PLC and Step 7 technology and why other countries with the same Siemens PLCs have not been so affected ... is Siemens marketshare so much smaller? ... surely other countries are just as prone to IT security lapses as Iran? ... was Siemens part of the story? ... is there something in Symantec's technical discussion missing e.g. deliberate geographical targetting? More as I read more ...
As we said yesterday, Iran claims this is CIA disinformation:
See paragraphs 10 and 11:
VZCZCXRO2648 OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV DE RUEHRH #0649/01 1110847 ZNY SSSSS ZZH O 200847Z APR 08 FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8227 INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD IMMEDIATE 0650 RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 RIYADH 000649
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
WHITE HOUSE FOR OVP, DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP AND S/I SATTERFIELD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/2018 TAGS: EAIDECONEFINIZPGOVPRELMOPSSAIR SUBJECT: SAUDI KING ABDULLAH AND SENIOR PRINCES ON SAUDI POLICY TOWARD IRAQ
Classified By: CDA Michael Gfoeller, Reasons 1.4 (b,d)
¶1. (S) Summary: US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and General David Petraeus met with Saudi King Abdullah bin Abd al-Aziz, Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, General Presidency of Intelligence Chief Prince Muqrin bin Abd al-Aziz, and Interior Minister Nayif bin Abd al-Aziz during their April 14-15 visit to Riyadh. The Saudi King and senior Princes reviewed Saudi policy toward Iraq in detail, all making essentially the same points. They said that the Kingdom will not send an ambassador to Baghdad or open an embassy until the King and senior Saudi officials are satisfied that the security situation has improved and the Iraqi government has implemented policies that benefit all Iraqis, reinforce Iraq's Arab identity, and resist Iranian influence. The Saudis evinced somewhat greater flexibility regarding the issues of economic and humanitarian assistance for Iraq and debt forgiveness. In a conversation with the Charge' on April 17, Saudi Ambassador to the US Adel al-Jubeir indicated that the King had been very impressed by the visit of Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus, and al-Jubeir hinted that the Saudi government might announce changes to its Iraq policy before the President's visit to Riyadh in mid-May. End Summary.
Positive Signs in Iraq
¶2. (S) In all their meetings with the Saudi royals, both Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus conveyed the progress in Iraq and confirmed the negative role Iran is playing in Iraq. They characterized the recent ISF-led operations in Basra and Baghdad as having a striking effect against the Shia militias, most importantly turning Iraqi public opinion away from the militias. While Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's decision to take action against the militias was described as hasty and not well-planned, Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus emphasized that any tactical shortfalls were overshadowed by the greater positive effect of unifying Iraq and demonstrating the GOI's, and most specifically al-Maliki's, determined resolve to take on the Shia militias, especially Jaysh al-Madhi. Concurrently, these operations unequivocally demonstrated Iran's subversive activities in Iraq and its broader regional ambitions. Throughout all their discussions, Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus stressed the importance and urgent need for the Saudis to join us in supporting Iraq.
The Saudi Embassy Issue
¶3. (S) King Abdullah, the Foreign Minister, and Prince Muqrin all stated that the Saudi government would not send an ambassador to Baghdad or open an embassy there in the near future, citing both security and political grounds in support of this position. The Foreign Minister stated that he had considered dispatching an ambassador and had sent Saudi diplomats to Baghdad to identify a site for the Saudi embassy. However, he said. "the King simply forbade us to go any farther." King Abdullah confirmed this account in a separate meeting with Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus. The King asserted that the security situation in Baghdad was too dangerous for him to risk sending a Saudi ambassador there. "He would immediately become a target for the terrorists and the militias," he said.
¶4. (S) The King also rejected the suggestion that by sending a Saudi ambassador to Baghdad he could give essential political support to the Iraqi government as it struggles to resist Iranian influence and subversion. He expressed lingering doubt on the Iraqi government's willingness to resist Iran. He also repeated his frequently voiced doubts about Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki himself by alluding to his "Iranian connections." The Saudi monarch stated that he does not trust al-Maliki because the Iraqi Prime Minister had "lied" to him in the past by promising to take certain actions and then failing to do so. The King did not say precisely what these allegedly broken promises might have been. He repeated his oft heard view that al-Maliki rules Iraq on behalf of his Shiite sect instead of all Iraqis.
¶5. (S) However, in a potentially significant move, the King did not reject the idea of dispatching a Saudi ambassador to Baghdad completely. Instead, he said that he would consider
RIYADH 00000649 002 OF 003
doing so after the Iraqi provincial elections are held in the autumn. The conduct of these elections would indicate whether or not the Iraqi government is truly interested in ruling on behalf of all Iraqis or merely in support of the Shia, King Abdullah asserted.
Grudging Acknowledgment of Change in Iraq
¶6. (S) The Foreign Minister signaled another potential softening in Saudi policy by saying that the Kingdom's problem was not with al-Maliki as a person but rather with the conduct of the Iraqi government. The King himself admitted that the Iraqi government's performance has improved in recent months and grudgingly accepted the point that al-Maliki and his security forces have indeed been fighting extremists, specifically Shia extremists in both Basra and Baghdad and Sunni extremists and Al Qaeda in Mosul. However, the King and the senior Princes argued that more time would be required to judge whether the recent change in Iraqi behavior was lasting and sincere. The King suggested that much of the Iraqi government's improved performance is attributable to US prodding rather than change in Iraqi attitudes.
¶7. (S) The Foreign Minister also suggested that the USG should prod Ayatollah Sistani to speak out in favor of a unified Iraq and national reconciliation among different Iraqi sects and groups. "You have paid a heavy price in blood and treasure, and Sistani and his people have benefited directly. You have every right to ask this of him," Prince Saud al-Faisal said.
Possible Saudi Economic Assistance
¶8. (S) The King, Prince Muqrin, and the Foreign Minister all suggested that the Saudi government might be willing to consider the provision of economic and humanitarian assistance to Iraq. Prince Muqrin asked Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus to send him a list of the kinds of assistance that the US government would like to see the Kingdom provide Iraq. Al-Jubeir later told the Charge' that this assistance would be separate from the USD 1 billion in aid that the Saudi government had promised at the Madrid Conference but still not delivered due to security worries. He said that the Madrid commitment consisted of $500 million in trade credits and $500 million in project assistance with strict conditionally, along the lines of what the World Bank would require. Al-Jubeir added that the assistance the Saudi government might provide via Prince Muqrin would initially be in the range of $75-$300 million.
Possible Debt Relief
¶9. (S) The King noted that Saudi debt relief for Iraq "will come at some point," although he did not say when. Al-Jubeir told the Charge' that debt relief is a real possibility. He also noted that the Saudi government might make changes to its Iraq policy, perhaps including both assistance and debt relief, prior to the President's visit to Riyadh.
The Need to Resist Iran
¶10. (S) The King, Foreign Minister, Prince Muqrin, and Prince Nayif all agreed that the Kingdom needs to cooperate with the US on resisting and rolling back Iranian influence and subversion in Iraq. The King was particularly adamant on this point, and it was echoed by the senior princes as well. Al-Jubeir recalled the King's frequent exhortations to the US to attack Iran and so put an end to its nuclear weapons program. "He told you to cut off the head of the snake," he recalled to the Charge', adding that working with the US to roll back Iranian influence in Iraq is a strategic priority for the King and his government.
¶11. (S) The Foreign Minister, on the other hand, called instead for much more severe US and international sanctions on Iran, including a travel ban and further restrictions on bank lending. Prince Muqrin echoed these views, emphasizing that some sanctions could be implemented without UN approval. The Foreign Minister also stated that the use of military pressure against Iran should not be ruled out.
RIYADH 00000649 003 OF 003
¶12. (S) Comment: Saudi attitudes toward Iraq, from the King on down, remain marked by skepticism and suspicion. That said, the Saudis have noticed recent events in Iraq and are eager to work with the US to resist and reverse Iranian encroachment in Iraq. The King was impressed by Ambassador Crocker's and General Petraeus' visit, as were the Foreign Minister, GPI Chief, and Interior Minister. Cautious as ever, the Saudis may nevertheless be willing to consider new measures in the areas of assistance and debt relief, although further discussions will be required to make these ideas a reality. End Comment. ¶13. (U) This cable was reviewed and cleared by Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus. GFOELLER
We are not medically trained. While we will endeavour to be as accurate as possible with medical information, we cannot accept responsibility for any errors. Medical details given apply only to our daughter, the form of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia she has and the treatment she is receiving. Please consult your doctor if you have questions or doubts of any kind
Our daughter, Kezia, came down with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia at the age of two years in 2006 and was evacuated to the UK for treatment. Mum, Nanda, accompanied her and later Nanda's son Jaime went to the UK. Dad, Angus, stayed in Africa earning to support them and periodically visited them. Kezia finished treatment in 2008 and the family returned to Sao Tome e Principe mid-2009. Kezia is doing fine and hasn't relapsed but won'nt be considered "clear" until 2013. Meanwhile Dad was made redundant - at the best of times he's a consultant, sometimes a teacher and often unemployed. Poor White Trash.
We reserve the right to go off topic and talk about anything we damn well like.
