http://jonathan.rawle.org Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:51:14 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The EU Commission is proposing an extension to copyright on sound recordings, the same idea having been rejected by the UK government last year. At present, copyright on a recording lasts for 50 years, after which it enters the public domain. The proposal is for the copyright to be extended ... http://jonathan.rawle.org/2008/07/18/against-sound-recording-copyright-extension/ In July 2006, another Wikipedia user left a message on my talk page to say that he had begun an article on renowned Leicester space physicist Ken Pounds, and noting that I was a Leicester physicist, invited me to contribute to the article. Although I was reluctant to write about ... http://jonathan.rawle.org/2008/05/26/wikipedia-whos-copying-whom/ I have just discovered an error which means that any e-mails sent via the "Send an email" link were not reaching me. The fault has existed ever since I updated my website layout in February. Anyone using the contact form to send a message will have been told "Your message ... http://jonathan.rawle.org/2008/05/17/important-notice-e-mails-sent-via-this-site-lost/ Today the Chancellor finally announced what the measure would be to compensate people who have lost out due to the income tax changes. They are going to give all basic rate taxpayers an extra £120 by raising the personal tax allowance by five times that amount. That was the solution ... http://jonathan.rawle.org/2008/05/13/income-tax-they-took-my-idea/ Last week the government seemingly did a u-turn over the scrapping of the 10 pence rate of income tax, although it is far from clear what form the compensation will take for people on lower incomes who will lose out under the new tax regime. It's difficult to see how the ... http://jonathan.rawle.org/2008/04/28/income-tax-and-bank-charges/ I received my copy of the Spring 2008 University of Leicester Graduates' Review today, and was quite surprised to find my photo of Leicester Prison accompanying an article on TV and internet in prisons. They have credited the photo to "http://jonathan.rawle.org/gallery/using/", which is actually my page of terms and conditions for ... http://jonathan.rawle.org/2008/04/18/leicester-spring-2008-graduates-review/ Today is Mothering Sunday in the UK, on which people honour their mothers, often giving gifts and cards. However, unlike the American Mother's Day, which is celebrated on the second Sunday in May and is a 20th century invention, Mothering Sunday has much earlier origins as a date in the ... http://jonathan.rawle.org/2008/03/02/mothering-sunday-or-mothers-day/ It has emerged that customers in Northern Ireland who bank with the Nationwide building society, and who used cash machines belonging to Northern Bank, did not have the sums of money they withdrew debited from their accounts. The fault has existed since November, and 7,500 customers have been affected, withdrawing ... http://jonathan.rawle.org/2008/03/01/dont-bank-on-keeping-free-cash/ Following the news that GCap Media are to scrap their theJazz and Planet Rock digital radio stations, it seemed that Classic FM, as an analogue station, would emerge unscathed. Unfortunately, the closures have had a knock-on effect that has changed Classic FM for the worst. In the week, I'm only really ... http://jonathan.rawle.org/2008/02/29/not-impressed-by-new-classic-fm-schedule/ Today it was proposed that smokers should have to buy an annual permit if they want to be able to buy cigarettes. The proposal, by government advisory board Health England, is that smokers would have to choose to "opt in" to buying tobacco by paying £10 a year for a ... http://jonathan.rawle.org/2008/02/15/smoking-licences-a-good-idea/