Christmas Eve

Well, it's Christmas Eve and am sat here reflecting on the year, considering next year and missing work. I am one of those lucky people who gets up each day and looks forward to work, I find it hard not being at work and I doubt that I'll fully switch off over the next 10 days or so that I have taken as leave. It's been an interesting year, discovered the delights of blogging, continued my exploration of the "wild side" and have clocked up air miles like it's going out of fashion. I have ranted about politicians, the way our troops are being treated, the self serving nature of those in power and the dumbing down of our society. It seems that we are deliberately rushing headlong to a society where mediocrity is celebrated, excellence is denigrated and poor performance and stupidity are never criticised. Any form of risk is being squeezed out of society and the result is that we are producing a nation of wimps. We are encouraged to bare our emotions and if you don't do this then you must be bottling it all up and this is bad, what happened to the stiff upper lip and grin and bear it? I for one don't want to gush with emotion all the time, I don't want people to see my heart on my sleeve and I don't feel as though I am liable to explode at any moment.

Enough of my ramblings, may I take this opportunity to wish anyone who stumbles across this blog a Very Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

Remembrance Day Pt2

I sat and watched the service and cried. I was like a little baby, I was so pathetic. All I could think about was all my mates who have died. All the men who died in WW1 and WW2 to stop Germany dominating Europe. Who controls our destiny now? The memorial to those that have died since the end of WW2 has 16000 names on it! WHY!!!

Remembrance Day

It will soon be the Eleventh day of the Eleventh month and at Eleven o'clock most of us will stand in respectful silence and remember those who have given their lives in the service of this country, this world and the greater good. Undoubtedly there will be some who will say that the sacrifice wasn't worth it, that the sacrifice of the young lads in Iraq and Afghanistan isn't worth it. In some respects they are right, every one of the lads that has died has been too high a price to pay. We don't deserve the sacrifice that our Armed Forces have made for us over the centuries, we have squandered the legacy of their sacrifice. A land fit for heroes after WW1 and they came back to dole queues and poverty. A bright new world after WW2 and we have seen the gradual interminable decline into a nation where a 93 year old man gets beaten up on a train and his attacker gets three years in prison and will be back out on the streets in 15-18months. A typist with RSI to the thumb gets £400000+ and a paralysed soldier with multiple injuries is entitled to under the new improved, revised compensation scheme to a maximum of £285000, all the Labour Minister for Veterans affairs can say when questioned is "Well, there was nothing there before" in a pathetic attempt to deflect blame onto the previous government!

Given the profligacy of the politicians at the feed trough when filling their own coffers you would think that when it is something as sensitive as this they would do something, but it seems that greed triumphs again for political animals.

Maybe when we have our two minutes silence and bow our heads in Remembrance, we and the politicians should also be bowing our heads in shame at the manner in which we treat those that serve and face the ultimate sacrifice to protect our way of life!

To any who read this, buy an extra Poppy this year, have one less pint, put the money in the Poppy jar. Remember those who served and think of those still serving.

Taxes

I see that the lunatics in charge of the asylum paused briefly in their headlong rush to tax every facet of our lives when they decided not to impose a tax on the amount of bins you use.

It would be an interesting exercise to see just how much our tax burdens have gone up since 97. I don't think that the other crew would have been any better but at least the taxes wouldn't have been so hidden and pervasive. The tearing open and plundering of the pensions is perhaps the most cynical exercise they have carried out and to crown that achievement, look how many pensioners of failed schemes and mismanaged funds get nothing. The elderly are often left in a pitiful state by the bureaucracy, having to suffer means testing, there life's savings are taken from them to pay for care. Imagine being old with bad teeth, you'll never get to a dentist on the NHS. Taxes should have been going down, we were going to have fewer civil servants, a better health service and better schools, remember "Things can only get better". Show me where things have got better? We have a Parliament making decisions on English matters filled with Scots, a Military being put in harms way by these people-not one has dragged on a uniform. High members of the Government travelling around advising on democracy and voting who basically disenfranchised 150000 people at the election he was in charge of in Scotland.

Is there a solution, probably not however:
Let's have a Parliament where English members vote on matters pertaining to England. Matters of truly National consequence open to all members. Let's have a requirement that at least some members of the Minister of State for Defence have seen the elephant. Let's have people accountable for their decisions, when an NHS computer system doesn't work and costs billions then heads should roll. When Junior Doctors cannot be sure that they will get a post while we strip trained people out of nations that can ill afford to lose them, someone should pay! When we insist on building our own version of an Attack helicopter at considerable extra cost than buying it off the shelf so that a safe seat can be protected from job losses some one should be called to task.

Delight

The frisson of excitement when visiting a courtesan, the delight of an affair, the pleasure of an illicit liaison. I wonder if this is a feeling more particular to the male of the species? Sometimes any of the above can be sufficient without the final denouement for some men(if this is the case, are they transgressing?). I wonder how many "happily" partnered(PC comes to my blog) sit at night after their partner has gone to bed and surf they adult channels on cable/satellite, get the adult movie when in the hotel and not indulging in any of the first three activities. Are we more inclined to this now because it is more obtainable? No more do we have to fumble amongst the top shelf magazines and hope that Mrs Johnson the stalwart of the W.I comes in, then furl it up in a copy of Gardner's Monthly (that remains pristine for the rest of it's time on earth) and hand it to the newsagent. The male of the species has probably always been like this and just the way of satiating the urge have changed. It would be interesting to know whether the distaff side has the same views but have never allowed them full exposure. Surely we are all inherently sexual?

Legalised

Pondering the whole issue of legalisation. It seems to me that there are pros and cons to both sides of the argument(pardon the pun). On the plus side you would hopefully be able to move from the sordid sad street scene where pimps and clients visit degrees of violence upon the WG's who more often than not are doing it to feed a habit of some description. At least there could be some sort of protection in the regulated red zones. One of the less obvious cons would be in this increasingly controlled and big brother environment I am sure that the powers that be would find some way of monitoring, registering both the participants. There would also be some benefit of controlling the traffickers who seem to be pouring Eastern Europeans into the WG environment. The greater evil in this case is surely the trafficker and the sad ones feeding their habits.

Teachers and small man syndrome

I am sat here pondering and trying to set down some cogent thoughts and realise that I have so many different random thoughts firing through that picking anyone would be dumb. One major issue is why do some teachers feel the need to play mind games with kids. They are already in a position of authority, why not be content with that! It's tough enough for kids dealing with puberty, raging hormones, exams, choosing courses and trying to find their niche in this world without having small minded teachers exercising their small man syndrome(in this case) or any other agendas on kids. I know that teachers are just like the rest of us and have baggage that they bring to work but I resent seeing it inflicted on kids, they should be trained and professional enough not to do it.

Customer Service

I have just had some building work done by one of those major national companies that advertise on TV. Now in the grand scheme of things I guess my money doesn't amount to much of a cheque for them but for me it was a considerable investment. The teams of workmen who were on site all commented on what a big job it was. Having handed over this cheque I would have thought that there would be some comment or some token of thanks. When I bought my new car the company gave me half a dozen bottles of wine, the sums involved are similar. I just think that it would be a decent gesture. It wouldn't cost much and would make me more happy to sing the companies praises.

Zimbabwe

We sit here with our troops at risk in Afghanistan, Iraq and goodness knows where else. The reason we supposedly went into Iraq was because Saddam had clearly identified WMD ready within 45 minutes. We all now know that this was an absolute load of tosh, the reason we went in was to effect a regime change, so that Bush Jnr could finish daddy's handiwork, so that Haliburton could get all these contracts and make vast sums of money. If we went into Iraq on the basis of a regime change then why aren't we doing the same in Zimbabwe where you have a country that could be the granary of South Central Africa, a tourist paradise but is in fact a basket case with inflation running at 7000%, an oppressive regime that sees torture and murder as adjuncts to the way it runs the country. This year World Food Programme will have to import and feed the starving populace. WFP will probably have to use vehicles that are provided by Mugabe and his thugs who will charge a fortune and also control who the food gets distributed to. Thus food will become political currency. There is a forthcoming summit in Lisbon and despite there being sanctions against Zimbabwe and it's corrupt rulers, no doubt some way will be found and Mugabe and his cronies will turn up in Lisbon. Why do these governments that throw our troops into harms way in such a cavalier fashion ignore Zimbabwe. Surely it cannot be linked to the lack of oil!

Speeding

It seems our politicians who preach at us all about creating a better society and zero tolerance are having difficulty in practicing. Our Solictor General Harriet Harman has just been caught speeding again. Back 2003 she was caught doing 99mph on the M4 and this time she has been nabbed speeding in Suffolk. Surely the Solicitor General should set the example for the rest of us to follow. Clearly the law, whilst being imposed in these cases is merely seen as an inconvenience by her. If she can't comply then a) how can you expect the rest of the slime bags in the Labour Party to do so, b) how can they and the all the other politicians in all their oleaginous splendour pontificate at the the general populace about zero tolerance and tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime! The last lot were no better with their return to Victorian values, what a joke that was.

Crusade

Following England's lacklustre performance last night in France I am sure that there will be an out cry demanding that Brian Ashton be immediately sacked. There are 30 players who haven't really coalesced into a team. Last night the one player who seemed to playing with pride in his shirt, the Red Rose and the expectations of the country was Jason Robinson. I am sure that each player that came off that pitch felt he had given his all but it didn't look like it from the side line. England have a huge mountain to climb, I hope that all the players and staff take a look at the strip they wear, think about what it means to themselves and think about the expectations of the supporters and play for the pride that it should instill. Play for the team, play for the supporters and play for the joy of the game.Look at how Portugal and Georgia played today and play with the passion that they showed, for 80 minutes Portugal gave with every fibre of their being. Watching Georgia against Ireland they showed why the format should be retained and the minnows should be given a chance to play the against the world's leading nations.

Pondering

I was pondering the old adage that BJ's end with the final peal of the wedding bells. Is there any truth in the tale? It would be an interesting survey to carry out. I would advance the fact that they are definitely like baby pandas, seldom seen! With a courtesan this and indeed many other activities that the average male would never mention to his partner can be indulged in and indeed celebrated. I imagine that there is also the anonymity element with a courtesan in that you can indulge and then there need never be the awkward pauses/glances when you have tried something out. Also she will never come back with the line "you want to try what?" because in most cases all activities will have been pre-arranged.

Malt Whisky

Just read a fellow bloggers comment about the joys of the simple things in life. Felt like sitting and writing about this. There is so much negative press about binge drinking, the ill effects of alcohol and the damage to society. The good that it does is so hard to quantify. There must be millions of people, who like myself enjoy sitting and saviouring a glass(or two) of a favourite tipple. It's been one of those days, you get home, deal with all the problems and pleasures of home life. That moment when you sit down holding the glass, sip and savour the taste of the elixir, it often causes a loud exhalation, a clearing of all the pent up frustrations of the day. I love a malt whisky(no brand mentioned but it's a peaty, smokey Islay delight), I always have it in a particular tumbler when I am at home. The ritual of preparation getting the glass out, taking the bottle off the shelf and out of the tubular storage box and pouring a splash, a scoosh, a modicum, a suitable measure and the first notes rise like an old friend greeting me, welcoming me back. Add a splash of water sometimes an ice cube and sip. I rarely have more than one because if I did it would detract from the exclusivity of the pleasure. I wonder if this falls under the heading of simple pleasure, it does for me. That, at the end of the day(pun intended)is the criteria that it has to meet for me.

Milestones

A few months ago we passed a momentous annual milestone! What is the milestone you may ask? Tax Freedom day, this is the day when each citizen finally finishes paying tax and starts earning money for themselves. This day has gradually crept up under Chancellor, now Prime Minister Brown by about 6 days. Sadly we haven't seen any commensurate improvement in the services that we expect to be funded from these taxes. Our health service hasn't improved, the staff certainly haven't been either looked after or paid better. Our roads and infrastructure have worsened in spite of not only these taxes but also the considerable revenue from the "safety cameras", there are fewer Police actually on the street dealing with crime, we have Community Safety Officers who laudable that they are do not have the powers or training of the police. We have an education system that is not only failing the youth but also failing to provide for the needs of the country today and certainly will not service our needs in the future. Universities are having to re-screen students and retrain them in basic English and mathematics. Is this a rant against the Labour Party and Government, in part yes but mainly it is a rant against the nature of our politicians. They are committed to lining their own nests at the expense of the ordinary citizen, the worst of these are the MEP's in Europe. This is typified by the ex member of the UKIP who was recently found guilty of fraud, sentenced to 9 months in gaol and can still keep his seat and more importantly his £60000pa salary. He can also apparently claim most of the allowances and employ members of his own family as secretarial support etc. Poor lamb, he won't be able to claim his attendance allowance or travel costs because he is topping up his striped sun tan. The question is Why? How many politicians currently sitting in Parliament have ever held a proper job? I don't mean as a barrister, union representative or any other non-job, how many have actually grafted away and earned a wage and had to live on that wage? I venture to suggest that there won't be many.

The thrill

I am sure that part of the reason for men's proclivities in pursuit of the opposite sex is the thrill of the chase. The chase includes the chatting up in a bar/club to the knock on the door of you chosen courtesan, or indeed waiting for her knock on your room in the hotel. The actual event is as exciting but in a completely different way. In the case of someone with a partner it is often enhanced by the potential of discovery. It has to be better than any of these extreme sports that people indulge in. It is definitely better than jumping of some bridge with an elastic band round your ankles.

An intriguing situation

As I sit and type this next posting I am content with the cathartic effect this "blogging" is having on me. It's amazing how simply having somewhere that you jot down the musings of a fevered mind can help. When something annoys me, aggravates or upsets me I come here and write the thoughts down. Many I don't post, the act alone is sufficient and I don't know that I want expose my whole soul in that way. The response that I have had from others has been an integral part of this catharsis in that receiving a semi anonymous response from some one that has no emotional involvement with me other than the effect of my ramblings either reinforces the view, gives a different view or allows a glimpse into their perspective of the same situation.

I have taken the decision that whatever people say in response to my ramblings I will publish(with the exception if that posting is offensive, illegal or repugnant). Fortunately I have not faced this issue yet. I have enjoyed all the replies received, I may not agree with all that has been said but I value the views expressed. In the light of this I want to thank Joanne for introducing me to the "art of blog", even though she wasn't aware that she had done so. I stumbled across her blog and became inspire.

Is it?

What constitutes activities that are beyond the pale? Well for me this is an easy question to answer. Suffice it say that Paul Gadd aka Gary Glitter can fester in a Vietnamese gaol until hell freezes over. Any activity involving body exudations is a no-no as far as I am concerned. I would also not countenance anything that involved serious, permanent(or potentially permanent)damage. I am also firmly heterosexual. Outside of these parameters I am reasonably content to either partake, accept or ignore. Surely it is these differences that make life so interesting. It is surprising that all these different shades of pleasure find partners and also people happy to service these needs for those that cannot sate the desires at home.

I wonder if there is any correlation between for example the number of dominatrixes and what is happening in society at the time? It would an interesting study, I think if we could see the ratio say at the time of the Wall Street Crash in the 1920's, the recession in the Eighties and today. Who knows we may have a better economic predictor than the FTSE100. Obviously the war years would have to be excluded. We could perhaps use the number and the type of services provided as an indicator of the health of society, the economy etc;

Modern Europe

I have been looking at various postings and some sites online. Interesting correlation between them and life in UK in general. It seems to me that there are a lot more adverts appearing where the individual is Eastern European. In many instance there will be a bald statement, almost like a wine bottle(with or without real cork) giving it geographical indicator, it's country of origin. Many of these appear to be of a very early vintage, with excellent full body, cover a broad spectrum of tastes and are relatively cheap. As a result of these offerings home grown either have to compete in the same shelf space or look for niche markets. Whilst short term there may be benefits for the consumer in that there will be a reduction in prices across the board, ultimately market forces will dictate. We could well end up with the situation that homegrown produce is less available, or is niche and either out of the reach financially for the average consumer or not to their taste. The Eastern European imports will eventually cease being available as their home markets develop and we will be left without either the import or reasonable home grown supplies to enjoy and indulge with. If you doubt that this will be an issue in your area I advise you to keep an eye on your supermarket shelves and watch for when they have a whole shelf filled with Polish Delicacies. I take no issue with the influx I merely point out that it is going on and that just as there can be a flow inwards it can quickly be reversed. What would happen to all the hotels in London, all the fruit farmers in Lincolnshire if suddenly all of Eastern Europe were to turn around and head back? Still at least we have the benefit of knowing that we will shortly be virtually governed from further East, to wit, Brussels and Strasbourg. We clearly cannot be trusted to voice our opinions via a referendum, our politicians(who have no vested interest, will vote on our behalf. Two centuries on and Napoleon gets his result, Europe controlled by France. Let's see how much Liberté, Egalité and Fraternité gets comes our way? I welcome the Eastern European influx, I hope that many stay and I fervently hope that their attendance leads to value for money, maintaining high quality service and in the grander scheme of things a reduction in the influence and power of France and Germany within Greater Europe.

Why do men have mistresses, visit courtesans, escorts, call girls, working girls, prostitutes etc etc? What drives them to lap dancing clubs, buy magazines and watch porn?

I think that there are a couple of dynamics at work here. Some men indulge because of an unsatisfactory life at home. How many married men complain that sex becomes a rote with no variety, the elusive BJ and general malaise sexually. In most cases it is not the fault of the poor wife, she has been caught up in the demands of the family, running the house etc. Some men indulge simply because of the thrill of the illicit, the frisson of excitement with an unknown woman, the knowledge that society views the act as unacceptable. There is also the element of being able to fish in waters that would normally be well beyond the norm. A man, no matter how ugly, old, fat, shy or under endowed can, with some selection be with stunningly attractive women who he probably wouldn't dare to even speak to normally. He faces little chance of rejection provided he is clean, polite, sensible and in possession of funds. Another reason for visiting may well be the possibility of indulging in activities that he knows would not be countenanced by his partner at home, this may be why we see so many politicians, business leaders being found in the arms of dominatrixes. There is also the ongoing debate regarding the genetic imperative for men to sow their seed as often and in as many places as possible. I don't believe that this bears on this debate. I think that it is simply the excitement, the pleasure and the ability to indulge.

Diatribe about the Military/Civilian covenant

News headlines about yet more of our troops being killed in a friendly fire incident. I don't take the populist view and blame the pilot, until a case is proven. I do feel that yet again it is an example of how badly let down our troops have been let down by our politicians. We had the example of the Sergeant in the tanks having to give up his body armour at the start of the war and dying as a result. We have troops patrolling in snatch Land Rovers and being destroyed by IED's, other nations forces in their armoured vehicles being uninjured in the same instance. There are insufficient helicopters to support the troops in Helmand, not enough vehicle kits for the weapons, troops in bases running low on basic ammunition. The Government that we elected have failed these brave young troops consistently. Since coming to power the troops have been regularly placed in harms way, they have been expected and required to pull this Government's fat out of the fire. As this happens they then reduce the number of troops on the ground by cutting the number of infantry battalions, the very troops you need most. This has a number of effects, firstly it increases the amount of time the others have to spend in the field and this then increases the number who leave on their own request and thus we increase the spiral of pressure. As far as I know, no member of this cabinet has ever drawn on uniform and stepped into the line of battle, they penny pinch with the troops. If a family wants to send a parcel to father, mother, son or daughter in combat zone they have to pay for it, no reduction in postage, all the aggravation in regards to taxation of troops serving overseas, the recent furore regarding awarding a separate medal for service in Helmand. The final breach in this covenant is that when our troops get injured in the line of duty they are shipped back to the UK and get stuck in Selly Oak Hospital, no slur on the hospital or the hard pressed NHS staff but why do we not have dedicated Military Hospitals, the answer is that this Goverment got rid of them! So, we have under equipped troops, underpaid, over stretched and undervalued by the Government.

These same politicians are the one's who are voting an increase in their already generous allowances and salaries, why do we continue to put of with this? We need to hold them to account, will we do this the next time we go to the polls? If the Government can tear this most basic of covenants apart is it any surprise that they are also going to sneak in the European Constitution without a referendum. No wonder so many people are quitting this country and emigrating to Australia, New Zealand etc.