With the near future “deletion” of our Fleet Air capability, i.e. the scrapping of our aircraft carriers and the Harrier jump-jets it is hardly surprising that an element of sabre-rattling is commencing.
HMS Clyde was refused permission to stop in Rio. Clyde is the Royal Navy’s Falkland Islands protection ship and it is being suggested that turning her away from port in Rio de Janeiro is a sign that Brazil’s new left-wing government could be backing Argentine claims to the islands.
I hope the Cameron government is keeping an eye on these actions and hopefully may rescind some of the decisions recently made regarding our navy and the Fleet Air Arm.
On 10 November, 2010 Edward Woollard, 18, from Hampshire, was among protesters who broke into the Tory party headquarters and emerged on the roof. Yesterday he was sent to jail for two years and eight months after admitting at an earlier hearing to committing violent disorder.
So justice is seen to be done. Already there are cries of “not fair” as it is suggested that the court have made an example of him. That the sentence is too harsh.
Rubbish I say.
What if the fire extinguisher that he threw off the roof had actually hit someone. That person would have been severely injured or worse still they could have been killed. Would anyone have been calling the sentence unfair then ? Of course not.
Woollard may well have shown the usual teenage lack of control and got caught up in the “heat of the moment” but that is no excuse. Whilst I have every sympathy for his family I have none for him.
I am all for peaceful demos but these guys went on the rampage damaging property. People ended up in hospital, traumatised. What part of their brains were turned off such that they could not distinguish Right from Wrong ?
Mr Woollard has been taught a lesson and a strong message is being sent to all would be rioters and its about time.
So the axe is finally falling on the political piggies who have all had their noses in the trough.
MP Eric Illsley is under pressure to stand down after admitting he fraudulently claimed more than £14,000 in parliamentary expenses. And stand down he should.
Being an MP has proven to be a “nice little earner” for the many that have succumbed to the lure of easy loot. Well now the genie is out of the bottle and we the public have seen you for what you are. We have seen the sorts of things that MPs have claimed for. Ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous.
So now it’s time to face the consequences and if that means that you go to jail or even lose you political career then so be it.
“The Magical Adventures of Robin Hood”, currently being performed at the Glasgow Pavillion Theatre, are in trouble with the International Red Cross organisation. Specifically, they have contravened the Geneva Convention.
Some jobs-worth has dobbed the producers in to the authorities.
What, you may ask, has got the Red Cross all hot under the collar ? Apparently its the use of the Red Cross symboll
The symbol of the International Red Cross
on the uniform of Nurse Poultice, a character in the pantomime.
The following is a quote from a Red Cross spokesperson
“We have no desire to be the villains of the pantomime or to appear heavy-handed, but… the emblem is a special sign of neutrality and protection, recognised by all sides during armed conflicts.
“Misuse of that emblem – even when done in an innocent and light-hearted manner – has to be addressed. Repeated and widespread misuse of the Red Cross emblem could dilute its neutrality and its ability to protect.”
Well I’ve got news for you Mr. Spokesperson. “Mis-Use” of the emblem is rife in the UK kiddy community. For the princely sum of £2.99 you can go to a well-known internet retailer and obtain a nurses uniform that quite blatantly displays a red cross on the cap. Will the International Red Cross be sending “cease & desist” notices to all 3 -5 year olds who dare to flaunt their edicts.
And then there is Barbie. The little madam has even been known to don a nurses uniform, once again displaying the eponymous red cross logo. These items are widely available and I haven’t even mentioned the adult market place.
Yet the International Red Cross choose to go after a pantomime in Glasgow. Popular as it maybe with Jim Davidson top of the bill, the damage it would have done to the image of the Red Cross was negligible.
Until, that is, narrow-minded jobs-worths decided to stir up some unnecessary aggravation.
Presumably it is the same narrow mind that is being applied by ordering that ….. “Christmas has been banned by the Red Cross from its 430 fund-raising shops. Staff have been ordered to take down decorations and to remove any other signs of the Christian festival because they could offend Moslems.”
It is time to take a long hard look at the way our society is slowly being ground down by this kind of thinking. Slowly but surely the fun is being squeezed out of Britain. Everything that makes us smile is being displaced by the politically correct brigade, turning us into a grey society.
I’m not a cricket fan but way to go the England Cricket Team.
Congratulations to all involved. Let the party commence.
And I’d like to thank the team for giving me the ammunition to really wind up my Australian rellies. On my many trips down under they have never given me any peace about how crap we are on the international sports stage.
Well now its pay back time.
A BLOKE walks into a brothel and says, ”I’m a bit kinky, how much for total humiliation?” ”$60,” the madam replies. ”Wow, what do I get for that?” the bloke asks. ”A baggy green cap and an Australia cricket shirt,” she says.
What kind of idiot sets out to vandalise a lifeboat. Something that they, remember they are on an island, may come to depend on.
I have replicated the police press release in its entirety.
Come on. Someone out there knows who did this. Let the police know.
Appeal renewed after criminal damage to Freshwater Lifeboat
Press Releases
Published: 06/01/2011
Police are renewing an appeal for information after criminal damage was reported to a lifeboat on the Isle of Wight.
Vandals targeted Freshwater Independent Lifeboat’s 16ft inflatable inshore boat sometime overnight between Monday evening (December 27, 2010) and 9am on Tuesday morning (December 28, 2010).
The lifeboat, which was stored in a steel pen on the apron in front of a boathouse at Freshwater Bay, was found to have 17 holes in the side.
This damage is believed to have been caused deliberately. Police Community Support Officer PCSO Mike Thornton of the West Wight Safer Neighbourhoods team said: “This damage showed a complete lack of respect for members of our community who are dedicated to keeping us safe at sea. The vandals’ actions put the lives of the lifeboat crew at risk, and could have endangered someone else in need of a rescue.
“Several lines of enquiry continue to be pursued and I’m renewing an appeal for anyone with information to contact the police or Crimestoppers.
“We’re particularly keen to hear from people who were in or around Freshwater Bay last Monday night (December 27) or early Tuesday morning (December 28). The area is a popular place for fishermen and dog walkers.”
Just discovered that there will be a Census held March 27th, 2011. The official website is HERE
We are required by law to participate and apparently there will be 35,000 folks employed to make sure we do. There will even be officers out on the night of the Census to ensure anyone sleeping rough etc. is included !!!
We will be able to complete it online, for the very first time, which is a huge step forward.
Also we will be able to claim that we are English rather than British…Hooray !!!
Facebook in the news again. This time it’s not their fault.
A woman, Simone Back, posts her suicide note on Facebook. Updates her status to ‘Took all my pills be dead soon bye-bye everyone.’ and according to the press not one of her 1,048 “friends” tried to stop her. Apparently some of these so-called friends even posted sickening spiteful messages in response.
Her devastated mum wants to know why no-one helped her.
Well the sad fact is that these people are referred to as friends but they aren’t. What they really are is “contacts”, “acquaintances”, maybe even colleagues. The sad fact is that very few of these contacts should truly be called friends.
This sad story is just an indication of the anti-social trend that is seeping into our society. Our technologically connected world is hailed as the new utopia. A world where everyone knows what everyone is doing before they even do it.
Facebook is referred to as a social network website. I believe that whilst there are many good aspects to Facebook and their ilk they can rapidly become an antisocial network. They have put a friendly face to computers and the internet. Encouraged us to stay at home, socialise from afar. Mobile phones are having the same effect. You only have to people watch a group of teenagers walking down the street. They aren’t talking to each other. But each one of them is likely to be holding a phone with their thumbs going nineteen to the dozen, texting.
Maybe they are texting each other ???
The sad fact is that the nosey parker in us wants to know whats going on but do we really care. Patently, according to this story, we don’t.
Gerry, he may be gone but he will live on in his music.
Baker Street may be the song that everyone immediately thinks of at the mention of his name but his talent was so much more. Anyone who doubts that should go back and take a look at The Humblebums and Stealers Wheel as well as Gerry’s solo work.
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WrAnTz 