GATS (General Agreements on Trade and Services)

What does this mean for Ireland.

Do they automatically mean the privitisation of our pubic services such as healthcare and water supply.

Or does it actually mean that due to Ireland's position as a smei-private healthcare provider we are in risk of losing control of our healthcare system because of the system we have created.

It seems to me that we would only lose control of our public services because we would not be able to prove a position of multinational firms being seriously disturbing to the national organisation. Although these terms "seriously", "disturbing" and "the national organisation" have not been defined as of yet the risk of such action taking place lies solely with our own government who have been actively seeking to move the provision of our public services to private firms.

This leads me to question this argument against the Lisbon Treaty by the No-side. Does voting No remove this risk? I believe by removing the current government and installing one which is seeking to secure the complete revamping of the provision of public services is a better strategy.

Would voting No just remove our European wide involvement with joint public service provision agreements? I believe yes but we would still be left with parties in government and not, that wish to pursue identical policies here anyway.

Is this a question of fear in other European countries where public service provision is not under question, where governments are able to organise secure provision of the same public services which in Ireland are being delivered to sub-standard levels.

In my view this is not a valid reason to vote No but is of crucial importance to our future governance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Agreement_on_Trade_in_Services

http://www.caeuc.org/index.php?q=node/222

Broken External Hardrive

Having heard a shoe drop I returned to find my external hardrive no longer worked. I've been looking around to find some more interesting way to fix this than sending it to a recovery company.

It doesn't look like its going to be easy.

Going to have to build a clean box.

Do thrust http://www.myharddrivedied.com/

Don't thrust http://myhardrivedied.com/

Meraki Mesh routers

found out about these on

Wireles mesh networks to go

meraki

Freegate

Is this a system for effectively using Mesh networks.

Also two different programs which seem the same. One a Luxembourg designed application focused on Healthcare. Or two, an anti-censorship program used in China to gain access to the broader internet.

Luxembourg-Freegate

China-Freegate

Ubuntu on the XO Laptop

First Lubuntu Test ISOs Available
The Lubuntu project is advancing

Sofpedia Release Announce

Mesh Networks to Share Info

A company called SONbuddy offer a platform to create dedicated individual nets where information is only shared with thoes in your group of friends.

SONbuddy

A free version offering communication with two computers over two nodes.

SONbuddy-Lite

An International Research body WING investigating how to create standards to insure the information is secure.

http://www.wing-project.org/start

Not to mention the work of OLPC to create a similar net. Examples such as the first closed Wikipedia in Peru.

http://adage.com/globalnews/article?article_id=138719

The One Laptop per Child OLPC Website

Laptop-OLPC

nicholas negroponte on TED

The founder of the organisation Nicholas Negroponte on Ted

Mesh Neetworks and Data Storage

Use the XO Laptop as a model for sharing of all available information. Through a torrent system to insure all information is kept locally.

Only alow the XO connect to other genuine XOs. A complete adult block.

Wii-mote in XO Laptop

Allow teachers to send drawings to the students laptop easily