A Long Time Resting.....

It’s been almost two months since I've posted on here and I am ashamed of myself; I needed a break.

I've also been testing new technologies to make my writing life easier but somehow I never got re-started.

A lot has happened in the world in the time I have been away and if I had been writing, it would probably have included the following earth shattering events:

 

The World:

Tunisians demonstrate and get rid of ‘tyrant’

Egyptians demonstrate for even longer and – eventually – get rid of ‘tyrant’

Other Arab countries start queueing to demonstrate and get rid of ‘tyrants’

Daily Mail tries to create hysteria over Muslim takeover of UK and the world

 

UK Politics

Liberal coalition ministers have been noticeably less ‘visible’ in the media

VAT increases to 20 percent

Fuel prices rocket, yet again, as crude oil prices rise, 1p tax goes on a litre of fuel and VAT is added to that

Inflation rises

Jobless total rises

Coalition still using the old “left with a huge deficit” excuse

More troops lose their lives in Afghanistan

Still no-one is brave enough to ask the question: “how much is this bloody war costing?”

Ministers abstain over vote on EU Court ruling that prisoners should get the vote

Cameron still confuses everyone with Big Society

Coalition announce their intention to modernise (a.k.a privatise) the NHS

Multi-million pound Nimrod air defence aircraft get broken up for scrap to save a few bob.

Coalition announce plans to sell our forests (it’s the only thing left to sell)

 

Celebrity Stuff:

Katie Price announces split from her cage fighting husband after almost a year.

Meanwhile, Peter Andre (Katie’s previous ex-husband) seriously dates Elen Rives (footballer Frank Lampard’s ex-wife)

Katie Price is spotted (mainly in the Daily Mail) partying – lots!

The world’s 2nd most boring couple Katy Perry and Russell Brand allegedly seek counselling after he tweeted a pic of her without makeup

Elton John and his partner have a baby.

 

More UK Politics:

Labour’s Shadow Chancellor resigns after his police protection officer is, allegedly, overly 'protective' of said Shadow Chancellor's wife.

It is revealed that over 50% of Conservative party funding comes from City finance (highest in 5 years)

Coalition go on using the “inherited with a huge deficit” excuse

Our student protesters are no longer 'revolting' – for now at least

Bankers resume paying themselves excessive bonuses

Wikileaks extradition hearing suspended, once more, after the revelation Julian Assange allegedly applied for a ‘missionary position’ in Sweden.

After ‘outrage’ from the Big Society (that’s you and me – I think!) The PM announces a government U-turn on selling the forests (maybe he has turned over a new leaf?)

 

More Showbiz Stuff:

Daily Mail ‘reports’ on actress Emma Watson’s ‘wardrobe malfunction’ as an excuse to publish a paparazzi shot of her nipple

Prince Philip reaches 90 (years old….not number of gaffes!)

Top Gear presenters offend all Mexicans – apparently!

England Rugby team are playing well this year

Big Fat Gypsies hold weddings in our living rooms

Actress and celebrity Kelly Brook poses full frontal wearing nothing but lipstick – all over!

Coronation Street gets more depressing

Emmerdale gets more depressing

Eastenders ……well it was always…… depressing!

Oh and did I mention….?? Kelly Brook posed full frontal wearing nothing but lipstick – all over?

Apparently, her mum said ‘they’ (I presume she was referring to the pictures) have the ‘Wow Factor’!!

Well, you should never argue with a Mum!!

Happy Days!!



-

Is Vince Cable A Fool Or A Mischief Maker?

Is this the face of a fool or the face of a mischief maker?

Business Secretary, Vince Cable, who has long been respected for his forthright views on the economy and his personal reservations about his party’s power sharing coalition with the Conservatives, has been caught in a ‘sting’ by two journalists from the Daily Telegraph posing as single women from his constituency.

During their recorded meeting, Mr Cable is said to have described dealing with his coalition partners as like “fighting a war” and while talking of his options said: ”They know I have nuclear weapons, but I don’t have any conventional weapons. If they push me too far then I can walk out and bring the government down and they know that.”

Mr Cable is widely known to be disillusioned with recent political events, after being embarrassed by his party’s change of policy regarding the rise in university tuition fees and the resistance of the Conservatives to force action against the banks.

His biggest ‘sin’ however, was to boast he was personally at war with the Murdoch publishing empire and he would do everything in his power to make sure it was blocked from taking control of the BskyB satellite network.

The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister have now announced that Mr Cable is to be stripped of his responsibilities for any decisions regarding media and broadcasting, although he will still keep his (much reduced) business portfolio. He is said to be feeling ‘foolish’.

A statement from Downing Street stated:

“The Prime Minister is clear that Mr Cable’s comments were totally unacceptable and inappropriate.”

But then he would say that. The PM has a lot to thank Rupert Murdoch for; after all, the publishing magnate’s newspapers backed the Conservatives in the lead up to last May’s elections.

So is Mr Cable a fool?

I find it hard to believe that someone of his intelligence and experience in politics would be tricked so easily by an audience of two women he did not know and to whom he was to make such unguarded and unwise statements.

Is he a mischief maker?
 
Well, if he had been sacked from his role in government, he would be free to form a splinter group of Lib Dem MPs; they are known to be tired of the way the Conservatives have been using their party to absorb the public’s displeasure following the coalition’s recent policy announcements. Had he been sacked, Cable could have forced an early end to the Coalition.

Whatever he is, he has now demonstrated all is not well amongst those public smiles portrayed by the Cameron Cabinet in the media.

Leader of the Opposition, Ed Miliband has today commented that these revelations prove the coalition is just “a sham”.

Give the man a cigar! That’s something many of us have known since May!

Boris Johnson's Ethnically Cleansed TV On The Radio!

London Mayor, Boris Johnson's widely reported remarks, criticising the coalition government for their proposed draconian housing benefit reforms, appeared at first sight to be spontaneous.

But, I wonder, if they were that spontaneous, why did he have a television crew filming what was supposed to be a regular radio interview with broadcaster Vanessa Feltz.

It seems his comments might not have been so 'off the cuff' after all!

Not Very Sweet To Sir Alan Sugar!

My favourite quote of today, was heard during a seminar at the Kent 2020 Vision business event in Maidstone this afternoon.

During a seminar on being an entrepreneur, ex The Apprentice contestant, Paula Jones, described her stoney faced television 'boss' Sir Alan Sugar by saying:

"He's quite offensive but indescriminately so"

I was not quite sure whether it was a compliment or an insult but it made me laugh anyway!

The BBC And Its License For Abuse!

I am almost starting to feel sorry for the MPs who were exposed for making excessive use of their expenses.

They have been vilified by the media (quite rightly) and the BBC have been particularly diligent in scrutinising and exposing every claim made.

Today, though, it appears to be a case of ‘pots and kettles’.

The news has broken that three BBC executives managed to claim over £12,650 in taxi fares during a three month period. One managed to blow £675 over two days alone, which makes those duck houses and pork pies claimed by MPs seem like an act of thrift.

A BBC spokesperson (for they have to be politically correct) has said that taxis are the most efficient way of conducting business en route and said of one of the claimants she.....

“....is incredibly busy, so she has to use her time as efficiently as possible.”

and

"Whenever she is travelling to meetings, she will schedule in a number of business calls to make the best use of this travel time. Because of the confidential nature of these discussions, it is not possible to hold them in public."

What a load of old cock! Presumably, they are so confidential they even request drivers who are deaf mutes too!

Thousands of people have the same requirements in their business lives each day, but they manage to use more economically sound ways of being successful. They travel with us ‘common people’ and still manage to get by.

What really irritates me, though, is they are using our ‘common people’ money - through the license fee - to pay for their inflated sense of importance.

Maybe it is time the BBC faced an independent audit after all!

Eruption And Disruption - It's 'Plane' Crazy!

So who really is running the asylum?

Six days after our planes were grounded, airports are still closed and an estimated 150,000 UK travellers are stranded abroad, unable to get home.

The cause, as we all know by now, is an erupting volcano in Iceland.

I am finding it really hard to comprehend that such chaos has been caused by one relatively small natural occurrence and it seems I am not alone.

Yesterday, Willie Walsh the CEO of British Airways flew on one of his planes to test whether any damage would really be caused by the dust cloud i.e. is the situation really as dangerous as we are being led to believe?

He returned in one piece - I am sure much to the annoyance of many of his recently striking cabin crews - convinced the disruption to air travel and his company's revenues was not justified.

Which brings me back to the original question: who is responsible for making the initial decision?

It seems it was not made by our own government but taken somewhere in Europe where, as we all know, they are true professionals in inventing silly rules and regulations.

But this is not a piece of stupidity about the straightness of a banana, it is far more disruptive and for many, financially disastrous.

The contradictory updates have been almost a work of farce: Scotland and Northern Ireland can fly now.... oh no they can't....all airports will open tomorrow.....oh no they won't ....but they might..... errrr not... etc. etc.

I guess, in one sense, the regulators and health and safety obsessives can claim a massive success; no planes will come crashing out of the skies as they haven't been able to leave the ground in the first place - it's the equivalent of making sure there are no motoring accidents by removing the wheels from cars!

If this decision was taken in Brussels, then it should not be too long before UKIP start spouting on about being a classic example of what our future has in store as part of a United States Of Europe!

Personally, I would rather take my chances with the volcano!

If Only All Election Candidates Were As Good....!

To borrow a catchphrase from the 'old school' entertainer, Max Bygraves:

"I wanna tell you a story"
(those under the age of 45 should click the link! LOL)

On the day of the Liberal Democrats manifesto launch, I wrote a post about party leader, Nick Clegg and how I was impressed by what he had said and the way he had presented the party.

The following morning, I received a written comment from Keith Nevols thanking me for the kind words and introducing himself as my local Lib Dem candidate.

I could not resist the opportunity to have an impish dig at the fact I had not had any election literature from him and that he was a full week behind both the Conservatives and Labour.

Within two hours, he replied, telling me he had contacted the Lib Dem regional office and his literature would be delivered to my house in the next few days. He also promised to email me an electronic copy of the flyer he was using while canvassing. He apologised for not having been to my area yet and provided contact details should I need to ask him something specific.

That evening was the live TV leader's debate and Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, did very well.

At quarter to midnight I received an email with the promised literature from Keith.

Now that is the kind of service we should all be getting from those who are campaigning in this election. Keith has shown he listens, he cares and he keeps his word.

Well done and thank you Keith....I owe you one!!

If all Lib Dems are as proactive as my local candidate, they deserve a chance at the top table.

I hope Keith will have the success to be able to use another of Mr Bygraves catchphrases on May 6th:

"I've arrived - and to prove it, I'm here!"


To read Keith's blog click here.

Clegg Has The Best Line Of The Night!

The best quote to come out of the live Leaders debate tonight, came from the man whom the immediate polls have declared as the winner of the night - Nick Clegg.

Referring to his two fellow debaters, Gordon Brown and David Cameron, he said:

“The more they attack each other the more they sound the same”

He was right.

It will be interesting to read whether the papers agree tomorrow - whatever their political affiliation!

Cameron's Hollow Conservatives!

David Cameron's choice of venue for the launch of his party's election manifesto, this morning, struck me as being a strange one, until I realised that Battersea Power Station has an immensely impressive facade but very little on the inside. Do you see the irony?

Just like the Conservative party, it is struggling to convince anyone it is worth the investment and will return a long term benefit.

Cameron's headline grabbing idea of community ownership sounds very impressive in the media but he has forgotten one little thing; most of the electorate suffer from total apathy and are as likely to participate in the running of councils and hospitals as they are to give up their high definition televisions.

Sadly, he seems yet to realise that real life is not like an episode from Eastenders and we are increasingly made up from divided communities who could never agree about anything.

As many scientists have found out - theory is a wonderful thing until it becomes reality!

Feel The Lurve And Dream The Dream It's Election Time In The UK!

The starter has finally fired the gun and the race is officially on to be first over the doorway of No10

Yep, there is going to be a ballot on May 6th

Gordon Brown has been to see the Queen at Buckingham Palace, to ask her permission to disband parliament so campaigning can begin (I wonder what would happen if she had said no) and while almost a quarter of the present inmates in the Palace of Westminster will be ‘retiring’ (many were given no choice after their creative accounting practices), the rest will be wearing out the shoe leather and knocking on doors around the country canvassing for votes

There’ll be hardly a baby, pensioner, immigrant, muslim, gay activist, union official or jobseeker (preferably all in one for the great photo opportunity it will present) who will not be courted and able to feel the ‘lurve’ as it is radiated from all those who seek to be elected.

Meanwhile, the ‘Bitchy Fairy’ will be set free to malign and mock any opponent who has the audacity to try to ruin such worthy ambition

Claims and counter claims; promises and denials, we are going to be brainwashed by both the media and aspiring politicians, into thinking everything will be well in the world if we vote for a certain party or candidate

We are even going to be given four and a half hours extra sleep time when the party leaders (although not from all parties) debate ‘live’ on the TV for the first time - I am almost looking forward to the commercial breaks!

Make the most of the next few weeks, for like in all good dreams, we eventually wake up and are faced with reality!

No Room At The Inn For Gays - But Jesus Is OK!

While the political rumblings might not be as severe as the 7.2 on the Richter scale being experienced by those in Mexico, Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Grayling, must have felt more than a little quake in the pit of his stomach following publication of comments he made in private to the Centre For Policy Studies, a centre-right think tank.

He was referring to the case of a gay male couple turned away from a B&B on the grounds that the owner’s religious convictions meant she could not allow them to stay.

Mr Grayling expressed his personal view (in private to the committee but secretly recorded and sent to the Observer) that: "I think we need to allow people to have their own consciences” and “if it's a question of somebody who's doing a B&B in their own home, that individual should have the right to decide who does and who doesn't come into their own home."

Of course, technically at least, he is wrong as the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 states no one should be refused goods or services on the grounds of their sexuality.

But, the law does not often allow for the concept of common sense or political point scoring.

The media has been full of what should really have been a non-story and the fact it has even gained such prominence I find to be more worrying than the actual incident at the B&B itself.

Most of us would have walked away from the experience with the attitude that ‘shit happens’ and booked into somewhere else that was more tolerant of our lifestyle and was run by someone with less hostile views. Nothing would ever have been heard of the story again.

However, the couple in question, who apparently felt "we were treated as lepers in the worst possible way." (is there a good way?) felt the need to report the B&B owner to the police and are considering suing “for a principle”.

And that is where 'politics' checked into the B&B and I became disturbed:

One of the couple is, apparently, leader of the Lib Dem group on his local council.

Stonewall the activist organisation promoting gay rights has warned:

"There are lots of gay people out there who are thinking about voting Conservative – many for the first time in their lives,"

"They will now be interrogating these issues much more thoroughly."

Did you spot the implied threat?

The Observer, a paper which would be outraged if a similarly dubious recording had been made by an agency of the state, seems to find it acceptable to print Mr Grayling’s personal views when they are not even shared by the party he represents.

We are in election year and we must remember everyone wants to ‘score a goal’ against the opposition, or position themselves into a better place on the field of play.

One thing is for certain. Legislation cannot force acceptability of what is still a minority (yes, shock horror, the gay community is still a minority), albeit vocal group of people.

Acceptability comes about by behaviour and example.

For me, the couple lost all sympathy when they were seen on yesterday’s news 'mugging' the camera while draped in each other’s arms. It was a show of carefully staged ‘affection’ making a political point too crass even for the Camerons or the Browns to attempt.

Perhaps, the situation was best summed up by Andrea Williams, the director of the Christian Legal Centre:

"It is vital in a diverse and free society that we truly tolerate one another's views."

That should be taken as a two way street!!

Richard Madeley On Saddam And Blair!

If I was Tony Blair I would be seriously worried tonight.

TV presenter, Richard Madeley, who is the 'Dick' of the legendary TV partnership of Richard and Judy has felt the need to make a short film for BBC's Daily Politics show in defence of our previous prime minister.

I am not sure which shocks me the most: TB needing to be defended by RM or RM becoming an authority on the legalities of war.

It has to be said, that as a political analyst, Richard makes a very good television presenter.

Watch for yourself here and weep!

Could it soon be "Arise Sir Dick"?

Blair And Iraq - All In One Picture!

Having spent today following the reports of Tony Blair's historic grilling, yesterday, at the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq War, I was really not sure what impression I was left with.

Then, I saw the above picture in The London Daily News and it seemed to sum it all up perfectly!!

It's All White..!

I think this satellite picture of our snow covered island is just amazing.

It does more to explain the extent of our present condition than a thousand words in the media ever could!

The 'Coup' Could Have Worked...Or Could It?

The BBC's Political Editor, Nick Robinson, has claimed on tonight's BBC News that six members of Gordon Brown's cabinet WERE prepared to support a leadership challenge.

Amongst those he named, were David Miliband, Jack Straw and Harriet Harman. All have subsequently claimed - some more convincingly than others - their support for Brown's leadership.

It does go some way to explaining why support from members of his cabinet took several hours to be made public.

While, GB is probably now holding interviews for a food taster, David Cameron will be rubbing his hands in glee, as he contemplates being elected into government without having to think of a single policy.

It seems that slime appears in many forms!

Surprise Surprise...It Is Winter And It Is Snowing!!

If you were watching the TV news this evening you would think we were approaching the end of the world.

Shock horror....it has been snowing!

The white stuff has already caused chaos in Northern parts of the country and now there is more panic as it is heads to the capital and into the South East over the next few hours.

Hello...newsflash.... it is winter and this sort of thing happens at this particular time of year!

I grant you that people have short memories and the last few winters have been fairly mild but the snow that has fallen this year is no more than in the average winters I remember from my past.

People living in other countries, where snow is a regular part of their lives, must roll on the floor and wet themselves laughing at how such a small amount of adverse weather can cause such chaos here in the UK.

Lets be positive: kids are getting more time off school to play, workers have a believable excuse for not getting into their workplace and the best bit of all....we do not have to listen to the empty election promises of our political leaders while the cold front takes over the headlines.

See?......it isn't all bad!!

Weird But.....Works For Me!

I don't have a clue what this has to do with the drink Orangina but after a week of depressing news it made me smile.

Probably, because I can imagine the outrage from the PC police if it were ever to be shown during the ad breaks of the UK's TV channels!

Edward Woodward - 'That's a Wrap!'

You know when you are getting older - the 'stars' you have always watched on-screen start to disappear.

Today, it was the turn of the great actor, Edward Woodward, who died at the age of 79.

I first watched him in the TV series Callan and was mesmerised by his clipped speech, which although was meant to sound posh, still had a touch of the 'common' in it. He had a unique ability to make his characters sound classy but with a hidden menace.

Younger fans will remember him for his starring role in the US series The Equaliser where he played a hitman (during the filming of one series he suffered a heart attack).

He never made it to the lofty status of acting's hierarchy by becoming a 'Lord' or a 'Sir' but he was as good as any of them and was never too serious about his fame.

I shall, like many others, miss him.

As they say in the movies... "That's a wrap"

Life On Planet Concussion!

It has been a while since I last posted on here, following my spectacular dive down the stairs and my teeth numbing stop, using my head as a brake, against a doorframe.

Since my unplanned flight, I have been living on Planet Concussion. It is a strange world I entered after needing the rather confusing quality of service available from the NHS (could do better – maybe more written later) and where I have imagined strange things to be happening all around me.

For instance, I had visions of the leader of the over hyped and allegedly racist BNP being grilled on Question Time while outside the studios, demonstrations were taking place ; of MPs being made to re-pay and apologise for the expenses they had inadvertently claimed while “just following the rules”; of X Factor contestants taking up more space in newspapers than proper journalism; of footballer’s wives miraculously being able to give birth to babies; of even more of our troops losing their lives in a mystical land called Afghanistan; of senior scientific advisors to the government being sacked for not agreeing with the political will of our rulers; of bankers being curbed from receiving huge bonuses for doing what they are already paid to do and of the next prime minister of our great country performing a complete U-turn over holding a referendum over Europe.

The weirdest vision of all was the one where Transport for London insisted that actress Kelly Brook should have her own 'buns' concealed with...even bigger buns on a poster advertising the play Calender Girls on London's underground trains.

Planet Concussion is a scary place to be and I am really looking forward to returning to the real world, where things like these would never happen!!

London's 'Mayor Boris' Tries to 'Stuff' Paxo

I have only just caught up with this interview between London's somewhat eccentric Mayor, Boris Johnson and BBC Newsnight's 'Rottweiler' frontman Jeremy Paxman. It was recorded at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester on October 5th.

I am not sure if it is really about politics or is just an audition for the lead roles in a situation comedy. Judge for yourself - and weep!