Author: siskinbob

Formerly employed by MOD and IBM, now retired

The press in this country are despicable.


The press in this country are despicable.

It doesn’t matter who you are or what your past is. As soon as you look like you are doing well for yourself, riding high, the press search long and hard to find the dirt. They delight in bringing you down.

Nathan Hageman committed a criminal act, went to court and was sentenced nearly 5 years ago. He’s done his time. Yet the Mail seems to think that his sentence wasn’t enough and that he should continue to pay for the crime for the rest of his life.

Yes it is awful what he did to another human being, regardless of whether that person was male of female. That doesn’t mean that he should be hounded and penalised for the rest of his life.

Maybe the press that we have in this country reflect the British psyche but I for one am sick of them.

My message to the press is

“Get off your fat arses, go out and do some real investigative journalism”

Red or Black liar could lose his £1m prize money: Real victim was his girlfriend | Mail Online.

Nick Helm’s password joke is Edinburgh Fringe funniest


Well I liked too so I thought it was worth repeating here

Nick won for the joke:

“I needed a password eight characters long so I picked Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.”

BBC News – Nick Helm’s password joke is Edinburgh Fringe funniest.

Time For A Smile


English is a Difficult Language to Learn

There is no egg in the eggplant,
No ham in the hamburger,
And neither pine nor apple in the pineapple.

English muffins were not invented in England,
and French fries were not invented in France.

We sometimes take English for granted.
But if we examine its paradoxes we find that:

  • Quicksand takes you down slowly;
  • Boxing rings are square;
  • The guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And what about the noun roots of verbs?

  • If writers write, how come fingers don’t fing?
  • If the plural of tooth is teeth, shouldn’t the plural of phone booth be phone beeth?
  • If the teacher taught, why didn’t the preacher praught?
  • If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat!?
  • Why do people recite at a play, yet play at a recital?
  • Or park on driveways and drive on parkways?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language:

  • Where a house can burn up… as it burns down
  • In which you fill in a form… by filling it out
  • Where an alarm is only heard once it goes off!

English was created by people, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (Which, of course, isn’t a race at all).

That is why when the stars are out they are visible…
But when the lights are out… they are invisible.

But I still can’t figure out why it is that when I wind up my watch, it starts… But when I wind up this discussion…It ends.

For more stuff like this try http://myhumor.org/default.asp

UK has its coolest summer since 1993 – Climate Change, Environment


So thats what they mean by “Global Warming” – Our summers get cooler and wetter !!!

UK has its coolest summer since 1993 – Climate Change, Environment – The Independent.

Waterlooville man caught with knife in Southsea


Only 180 Hours free work ?

Strikes me he got off lightly.

I got caught down in Portsmouth with nothing more than a set of mole grips and a stillson wrench and I have been made to do months and months of unpaid work.

Working on my daughters kitchen and bathrooms seem to be rather like painting the Forth Road Bridge….. never-ending.

Waterlooville man caught with knife in Southsea – East Hampshire – The News.

When did I move to Seattle ?


I have been watching the TV crime series “The Killing” and I think that it has been raining or just plain damp in every episode. Since it is predominantly damp here and has been for the last few days I was beginning to think I had been transported………to Seattle.

Mind you, they must have very soft rain. In some of the shots, typically Richmond’s campaign office, the rain is streaming down the glass ceiling and windows.

When that amount of rain falls on my conservatory I can’t hear myself think.

View From The conservatory


The view today has started on the dark side and has only gotten darker. Initially this was down to the weather which is damp, damp and more damp. It was very grey out there. Just when the sun began to shine the view took a turn for the worse.

I was just wrapping up a conference call with my manager when my eye was taken by a flurry of movement outside. One of the neighbours cats had managed to get hold of a squirrel which was squealing frantically while struggling to get free. Needless to say I broke off from my conference call and rushed outside in the vain hope of making the cat let the squirrel loose before any lasting damage was done. Unfortunately I was too late. The cat took off to hunt another day but I had to dispatch the squirrel which was in a bad way. So that’s four squirrels that have met their ends in my garden after an encounter with the neighbours cats.

As an observation, I note that the crows sat up in the trees above this one-sided scrap were very vocal. They started their calling at the same time as the cat captured the squirrel and continued well after I had scared the cat away. I just wonder whether their calls were in outrage at the attack or if they were getting excited at the possibility of a free lunch.

‘Couldn’t be bothered’ Pc Michele Selby jailed


I am normally a firm supporter of our police who I believe, for the most part, get a raw deal. But this takes the biscuit.

This constable had a total loss of perspective and decided that delivering post was more important than apprehending a potential criminal.

That poor decision was a life changing one for PC Selby. She has lost her job and has gone to jail. Perhaps a bit harsh but compared to the sentences that have been handed out recently for looters and rioters I believe it is only right.

BBC News – ‘Couldn’t be bothered’ Pc Michele Selby jailed.

Disembowling at Southsea Common – A Normal Saturday Night In Pompey


Actually, when I first read the headline I thought it was an article regarding the loss of the bowling green which just goes to show that I should read more slowly.

So, on this day in 1782, between 20,000 and 100,000 people gathered for the execution of David Tyrie who had been convicted of treason. I bet Pompey would be really pleased to draw such a crowd.

And then the hangman forgets to bring a rope !!! Not a problem in a naval town back in 1782. After being hanged, drawn and quartered he was buried. Only to be dug up again and his body further cut up for souvenirs.

Sounds just like the Pompey of today. Nothing changes.

Disembowling at Southsea Common – Remember When – The News.

Bellowhead – What a blast


I had heard that they were brilliant live but so far I have not been able to get to see them. Spotted that they were on Sky Arts and recorded the 30 minute program “Bellowhead Live At Latitude”.

Boy was I disappointed.

The program wasn’t long enough. Talk about energy. These guys could power the whole of the UK with their stage show. They never stand still and they know how to entertain, keep the audience connected. Catch this show and you will see what I mean.

Needless to say they are now very near the top of my “bands to see” wish list.