Christmas and all that

Well Christmas Day is almost over and it has been a success. We invest so much into these days and they often fail to live up to expectation. All the meal came to gather at the right time, everything worked smoothly, I remembered all the bits and did sufficient vegetarian roast veggies(I know it sounds like an oxymoron but it isn't,I roast a whole batch in goose fat for the carnivores....mmmm yummy). If the meal fails or the meat is burnt then it effects the day. If the presents that have been bought don't elicit the right response from the receiver or it doesn't work, the wrong batteries have been bought or (more so these days) they are too complex for an adult to deal with and have to be handed to a tech savvy 8yo. It's all pressure on the day and when it works and you have a good, relaxing, stress free day it is really special.

Here's hoping that anyone who reads this has one of those. I also hope that it has been peaceful for all our troops deployed around the world. Keep safe ladies and gents in whatever inhospitable corner of the globe you have been deployed to. Thank you for your hard work, dedication and enabling us to sleep safer in our beds at night.

Hiatus

Haven't written to this for some time. As with many of us, reality takes over and we have to get out and earn the filthy lucre. In my quiet moments I have had pangs of guilt for not posting. It has been an eventful few months with the horrors of Mumbai, attacks in the Philippines, the Menezes trial,the credit crunch, more of our troops being killed on active service. There have also been some remarkable triumphs, the way that the population of Mumbai rallied and refused to give way to sectarian violence, the people who have refused to crumble under the strain of economic woes, the Help for Heroes organisation and many other examples of the indomitable nature of the human spirit.

The pundits seem to believe that the US economy will start to turn round mid next year and the UK will follow some 6 months later. I am sure that if the bunch of barely functional idiots that we have in charge don't actually start to do something rather than cancel public spending projects that benefit us all but especially our National Defence then the recovery will be delayed and prolonged.

I saw on US TV that one area of the economy that isn't suffering is the Sex Worker, I don't believe that for a moment. What I would imagine is that a. There will be more competition and b. People will not spend the money they used to when times were good. In my opinion the only recession and boom proof industries are Funeral directors and toilet paper manufacturers. There may be some others that are safe like alcohol, tobacco and condoms( the vices, guilty of two and an anti smoking nazi)but again like the sex worker industry people reduce consumption and go for a blended whisky rather than a single malt, a new world offering rather than a bottle of Petrus.

Here's hoping that any and all who read this have a Happy Xmas a Peaceful New Year and best of luck in weathering the economic storm.

Rants and ramblings

Normally I use this as an exercise in clearing myself all those pent up frustrations at the lunacy that pervades our lives now. I rail about the pathetic government we have leading us, the shabby treatment meted out to our troops or just to throw out some thoughts. I sat here and opened up my blog, thinking I haven't actually written anything for a while and feeling I should. I then realised that I use it as a catharsis and if I don't need that at the moment then no need to ramble or rant. I guess part of the reason why I don't need to is because I haven't been reading newspapers or watching the news too much recently. The reality is that all the issues still exist, Zimbabwe is worse now than ever, Brown and his loonies are still screwing Joe average every which way they can and twice on Sundays, our troops are still being mistreated and their trust abused, quality of life here gets worse by the day, knife crime increases and yet still I don't feel I want to rant. Is it because I feel more content in my skin, is it because I haven't been tapped into the news or is it that I am ground down by the detritus that is life in modern Britain in the "noughties". Maybe Pfizer can turn their attention from Viagra and look at something to cure the ennui bought about by the state of the nation!

Royalty

Reading the papers over the last few months has been a mixed bag for the inhabitants of Buck House. There is the scandal of the coke/sex royal, the joyriding Prince in his helicopter, Young Philips marrying a catholic who has converted to Anglicanism, Zara with Tyndall who is now due in Reading CC over Drink Drive allegation, the farce of the Diana enquiry and that silly, sad little man Al Fayad. Throw into the mix Harry trying to lead a quasi normal life as a serving officer albeit in one of the aristocratic regiments of the Household Cavalry. I know that in many eyes they are all fair game but shouldn't we, as the public simply say enough is enough, certainly we should have let Harry serve his time in the line. The so called "jolly" flights by William were nothing more than something that has always happened, the only difference is that he has been hung out to dry. Since the earliest of days of the RFC and RAF any opportunity to link personal pleasure to training flights was taken. This drivel about his trip to Afghanistan was pathetic, I wish that they could come out and prove how long ago the plans were laid for him to go there. The risk assessment alone would have taken weeks to carry out, approval from our pathetic Government another week and then Grammy and Pops had to say yea. Let's hope that the election results are catastrophic enough for Labour to divert the press to pontificating on the knives being out for Gobonastick Brown.

On the subject of elections, don't you just hate it when people hover outside the polling station and ask if they can see your polling card. The answer is no, it's my vote, everything about me when I vote is between me, the officers running the station and the ultimate outcome announced by the returning officer. For those who don't bother to vote, spare a thought for countries like Zimbabwe where, when and if you get to exercise your vote it may cost you your life if the "war veterans"(who are mostly under thirty so must have been 2 or 3 when serving)find out you voted for the wrong party. People have died for the right to vote and continue to die to exercise that right. We give it away so easily. It is especially surprising to me when a woman doesn't vote given that it is less than a century since Emily Davison was killed trying to get the vote and less than eighty years since the qualified right was abolished.

Time for a change

It was announced on the news last night that our Prime Minister has a support rating of 28%, the lowest rating of any PM since the 1930's when we were in the Great Depression. He has called the banks in today to berate them for the credit crunch. This from the man who stole £5 billion from pension pots, who has been behind the introduction of more and more stealth taxes since Labour came to power. The UK is in probably the worst situation since the Winter of Discontent in 1979, I cannot recall a time when morale and confidence was this low. Brown must be in a state of funk waiting for what his enemies will be plotting. The enemies are all those in his own party who will be sitting and silently plotting how to unseat him and take the power for themselves. The sooner the better! The big problem is that there is no discernible blue water between the two main parties, since New Labour arrived they have become more centre right than the Tories. It's only the defence,enterprise and business acumen that seperates the two now. The Liberals are a joke, they can afford to come out with all sorts of crack pot ideas because they know they will never have to implement or fund them. Their Leader is a cypher, a non entity and totally without significance. I wouldn't recognise him if he walked past me in the street. He has contributed nothing to the political scene. At least the past incumbents(Menzies excepted) had something about them, Jeremy Thorpe with his sex scandals, Paddy Pantsdown and Mr Sobriety, even the cabal who were behind the original Social and Liberal Democrats were more than just a dot on the page.

We get the leaders and the party we deserve, Winston Churchill with his womanising, misogynism, smoking and drinking would be completely un-electable today. Do we demand too much of our politicians in terms of private behaviour, because we do this and insist that they have had led a blameless existence we end up with non entities. The sort of person who achieved nothing at school and is likely to achieve nothing in life because they would never want to be part of a failure. It is inevitable in life that as you attempt, so you will sometimes fail. Success has a million fathers, failure is an orphan. The bland, self serving batch of politicians that we end up with have never done anything by and large. Those that end up in office and positions of responsibility are often those who have been the most mediocre.

Let's change PM, let's change parties, let's change politicians. Also let's elect people not bland non entities.

Shabby Treatment

I have now become an infrequent blogger. Pressures of work is my excuse. I am not a regular reader of the Mail but decided this week that I will buy it, mainly because of the DVD's. I love the stiff upper lip war films with John Mills, Noel Coward et al in them. Today's Mail(Sunday) had the front page covered with the story about the treatment of the returning fallen servicemen and contrasting how differently they are treated here and in Canada. It seems that "ceremonial" matters are not a Force priority for Thames Valley Police, it should be! They cannot be bothered to provide and escort for the coffins from the border with Wiltshire (who incidentally not only do so, but also pause at the War Memorial in Wootton Basset where the locals gather to pay respects)to the Coroner's Office in Oxford. What kind of mad society do we live in! Why haven't our elected representatives stood up in Parliament and demanded that these fallen be afforded full respect. Why doesn't the Chief Constable of Thames Valley afford them the respect of one uniformed service to another. Our Courts have this week allowed Abu Quatada to stay here at our expense and yet we cannot spare a couple of cars and motorcycle outriders to ensure that our heroic dead are treated with proper respect. In life they may not have been heroes or carried out heroic deeds but their sacrifice demands that we treat them like returning heroes. If I was living in Thames Valley I would be demanding of my local councillors an answer to this question and a refund of the Police Precept from my council community charge. The Chief Constable isn't serving me in the way I wish her to.

Sometime

It's been a while since I sat and placed metaphorical pen to paper in the ether. In my defense this was in part because I was actually using genuine pen and paper to berate my MP. There is a link on the Royal British Legion's site for The Broken Covenant in which their is discussion about how we as a nation have broken the covenant that exists between us and our Servicemen and women. Whatever your view on the wars that we are currently involved in we should never lose sight of the fact that we as civilians have the luxury of debate. The squaddie has none. He/she has signed the dotted line, taken the shilling and must troop off to whatever foreign clime deemed by the British Government to have caused offence or be in need of our assistance. I would urge anyone who peruses this rambling to have a look at the Royal British Legion site, whatever your view of the merits of the war in Iraq or Afgahnistan remember that it is the people in the uniform who are on the frontline that guarantee us the right to express those views. Consider this, Pakistan have this week insisted that You Tube block certain feeds, China blocks some of the BBC content, Zimbabwe doesn't even allow British journalists to report from there, we, within reason have pretty much unfettered access to all manner of information, news and content. We also have the right to express ourselves freely, again within reason. These were hard won freedoms, won by servicemen in uniform putting it all on the line. Support or don't support the war BUT ALWAYS SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!

Sense from a Politician

I never thought that I would see the day that a Politician spoke some sense. Mind you, much good it did him.


Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.

Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote: 'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.'


'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom'.

'We speak mainly ENGLISH; not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society. Learn the language!'

'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.'
'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'

'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom,
'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.'

'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'

Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, British citizens will find the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths. This is not a rant against any single group, rather it is to all who come to the UK and demand the right to impose their views upon us. If you chose to come here to escape the despotic regime in your own country then accept our democracy. By all means practice your faith, speak your language and maintain your culture however adapt to your new environs. Learn English, don't demand that we adapt to you. The amount of money that is spent on providing documents and leaflets in 20 or 30 different versions is truly mind boggling. If you don't like the fact that you can't read the leaflet in the Doctors Surgery(visit and treatment free), or that when you get arrested the papers are in English, then please feel free to let the door smack you in the arse on your way back to wherever you came from.

LIFE IS A TEST AND YOU'RE GRADED ON A CURVE

At age 4, success is not peeing in your pants.

At age 12, success is having friends.

At age 16, success is having a drivers license.

At age 20, success is having sex.

At age 35, success is having money.

At age 50, success is having money.

At age 60, success is having sex.

At age 70, success is having a driver's license.

At age 75, success is having friends.

At age 90, success is not peeing in your pants

Stumble

The interweb is a wonderful thing, I was stumbling around in my usual bumbling fashion today when I happened on the blog of Helen. The first title caught my attention, I wondered how someone could blog about mangoes. I started to read and then read the next. I loved the dry sardonic humour. Even if I don't necessarily agree with all that is said I loved the style. If someone can write like this it gives hope for us all.

Have a look at Obiterati.

2008

Well the New Year has crept in amongst us. Let's hope that it is a good year. I imagine that there is every possibility of a General Election being called. We will then have to make our choices based on the current crop of venal, self serving and similarly undistinguished gutter scrapings on offer. I can't think of a single politician currently in the house whom I'd either share a drink with or more importantly buy a drink for. My father used to say that this was a question to ask when voting for some-one, I have found nothing in his argument that that doesn't hold today. The latest pronouncement that the Government are going to bring laws to stop payment for sex. Is this original thought, no! Governments and Legislators have gone through these puritanical turns throughout history. Any time you over legislate or try and ban a pleasure be it sex, drink or stimulants you simply create a huge market that has to be fed, into this vacuum step Organised crime vis Prohibition in the US. I applaud the thought behind it regarding the prevention of exploitation and trafficking of women but the method being suggested is truly ludicrous and will bring in yet another series of laws that have been promulgated by this motley crew of malcontents and wishy-washy lentil steamers that will almost immediately be held in contempt, be impossible to police and be ignored by the populace.

On a separate matter, why are we still contributing millions of pounds to Zimbabwe? Mugabe has made it plain that he views us as the erstwhile Colonial Oppressors and the root of all that ails his country. It has nothing to do with the policies of land reform that have resulted in profitable, foreign currency earning farms being handed over to the political and military elite that he relies on to maintain his power. The Uk has handed over some £62million since 2002 for just humanitarian projects. This money has been supposedly administered and controlled by the EU. In reality 90% of it goes straight into Mugabe and his cronies pockets.