As if we ever needed any more proof that mass database "secure" personal information systems are potentially ridiculous at stopping any willing criminal from avoiding it, and thus only being effective at controlling, guiding and recording perfectly law abiding people, news reaches us that flaws with the Oyster card will be published. The system has been cracked and it means that countries all over the world now need to re-evaluate how much stock they put in these systems. But is it right to publish how to work around the system?

Here is a round up of some of the more obvious news of the last few days. Right now I'm actually likely to be in a hot air balloon for a work social, so if they feel a bit old then sorry...it's likely I'm just a bit high (*groans*?)

First up... Testing students narrows learning. Ofsted has been saying for years that strict curriculum's lead to schools teaching to test. Anyone that's gone through our educational system in the last decade or so knows this is the case as teachers work through a curriculum book to get us to learn what is most likely to be in the exam with only the few going so far as to actually inspire and help us become learning individuals.

Yesterday the new Finance bill went through with a comfortable vote on all counts, the government and Labour party clearly rallied together enough not to enable the Tories to claim a victory here. The main crux of the debates yesterday surrounded car taxation and partly fuel duty for those in "remote rural" areas.

Without sugar coating it, the debate was awful. It was engaging in a way that usually only a minor car accident can be, and definitely showed the worst of our elected representatives.

Can I just say... HALLELUJAH! If there is a god then they have obviously heard our collective prayers because today's PMQs was far beyond head and shoulders above the rest of the recent events

The reason for this seems to be partly down to a slight reduction in the heckling, but in reality I believe it to be because of as much as half the amount of planted Labour questions, real issues being discussed, and perhaps through a lack of pressure a Prime Minister that actually answered questions better without the constant need to attack "the party opposite"

I am fairly certain I've mentioned this before but thankfully the news has FINALLY picked up on this bullshit policy change by First Bristol that has hidden motives written all over it. This change is that when bus drivers don't have enough money on them to give you the change you are due, they can give you change tickets as they always have done, but now you can only redeem those at a travel store that are located in only two places in the City of Bristol.

It started with patio-heaters and air conditioning units, it has resulted in ex-Shell boss saying that inefficient cars should be banned, but it is interesting that in between these two wishes stands another Lib Dem gem, contravening just about all employment law you can on the subject and banning so many "foreigners" from coming in to our football teams.

This unbelievable story broke over a week ago now, but I decided to hold off on it because perhaps staggering this kind of thing will alert more people that care about cycle paths about what is going on. In short the local council, the illustriously moronic Bristol City Council, have decided that not only do they need to create a "rapid transport" scheme to replace the trams that they voted against considering in 2004. This has obviously annoyed no small number of people since the plan is to turn a stretch of the Bath to Bristol rail path in to a bus route.

At Liberal Polemic, Tom Papworth has submitted a very well written blog to his site that is worth a read. Unfortunately I can't bring myself to agree with his way of thinking.

Quite aside from the potential of an over-charging of people compared to todays "rate" due to essential roads becoming the most liable for the heaviest charging because of what essentially amounts to a monopoly on traversable routes, the scenario of roads vital to only the few becoming hazards which can lead to the knock on detriment of the rest of society, the potential congestion issues that could arise, and the fact that building new roads in the area's where congestion and pollution causes us the most problem is nigh on impossible...I believe such idea's set a dangerous precedent in the way our taxation is seen.

Two news items came up yesterday around the same time, both about Bristol City Council that didn't put them in a favourable light. The first is about further movement on the idea of congestion charging in Bristol city centre, and the second is about the council apparently toying with the idea of not giving money to charities that are critical of them. Now I was not a fan of the Lib Dem council that was in place up until the last election, it was far too soft on corporations that effectively held monopolies in the area and seemed to be doing far too little. By contrast this new council headed up by Labour talks a lot but seemingly only to hide the fact they are being so god damn authoritarian on issues.

Me and my girlfriend are running late one day, we're due to go out with friends in town if I remember correctly, and when we got on our local First bus service we are charged £4.20 together for the privilege of being taken about 20 minutes (walk time) down the road. We look at each other with a little bit of shock, it would probably only cost us £6-8 to get a taxi from the luxury of our front door let alone after traipsing all the way up to the main road. We think, if we were a group of 3 or more, why would we get the bus?

In this post:

• The cost of public transport
• The environmental impact
• Politicians need to get involved more