Random ramblings

Life in General

2010-12-13T03:03:00.002Z

Those who peruse my Random Ramblings will know that I am very pro our forces and all that they have to deal with, I am also anti the venal posturing of the political glitterati and partial to the delights of Bacchus.

As we slide into the period of contemplation and Saturnalia that has become known in these politcally correct times as "holidays" which we in our pre PC times used to call Christmas I am looking forward to being able to relax, escape the rat race and the products of fermentation and distillation in many varied forms. Whilst I am doing this and relaxing with my family around me I will certainly be sparing a thought for those families seperated by the necessity of having someone on the ramparts keeping the barbarians from our lives. If you have time over this period please think a moment of these people. Consider that we sleep safe at night because we have these guys and gals prepared to accept the challenge of manning those ramparts for us.

At the same time as we think of those on the ramparts consider by way of comparision the politicians who are currently awaiting trial for their claims for second homes they never used, duck ponds etc etc. In this time of belt tightening that will impact us all in many ways like, less maintainance of roads, fewer nurses, cuts in education(cornerstone of any future sucess) and defence cuts, let's see how many politicos, non jobs, quangos and local councillors who either get paid less, lose their jobs or actually become accountable us, the great unwashed?

Bacchus

2010-09-10T21:17:00.007+01:00

I have been sat here enjoying the fruits of Bacchus(wine) and it has taken my meandering thought train to sin tax. Governments all over the world rely upon the populace(povo, pobre, citoyen, comrade, mug) to continue to fill the coffers of Government for our consumption of alcohol and tobacco. I am sure that if they could work out a way to charge us for each thrust as we fornicate/copulate/procreate they would. As someone who is avowedly anti tobacco I have no issue with taxing tobacco and all it's derivatives and yet selfishly I resent every penny, euro, cent that they impose on my sin of choice.

I suppose this goes to prove that we are intrinsically self interested and self involved. In some respects this correlates with my previous ramble in that our political representatives reflect our society as a whole. I therefore pose the question-" are we all by nature venal and self serving"?

Since there are few if any who view or indeed comment on my ramblings I guess this is to some extent a fart in a forest, no-one smells or hears it, so no one responds. Ah Grasshopper, what is the sound of one hand clapping?

Another Catharsis

2010-09-09T21:26:00.004+01:00

Seems that life just continues to get more and more hectic. What do you give up on, well in this instance I gave up on this valve. So here I am back to vent, discuss, indulge in dialogue even if no-one reads my ramblings.

I was having a look at the Help for Heroes website today, what an incredible group they are and I include in that group all who have contributed. People do the most amazing things when they are motivated, a cause like this has motivated thousands who have done the most extraordinary things to raise money. From the wounded who have climbed mountains, run/walked/staggered marathons to youngsters who have raised money or given their pocket money. I am in awe of them. when the capacity for good is tapped into like this it is humbling, it also brings into stark relief the horrors that others visit on us.

Listening to the crass stupidity of the religious nut in Florida proposing to burn Korans to remember 9/11. Have we learnt nothing from the Holocaust, it is a short step from burning books to burning people. I am not religious but I would defend any persons right to worship the religion of their choice. All I ask in turn is to not have their choice shoved down my throat. This idiot in Florida appears to have forgotten that Christianity in recent times has pushed itself as the religion of tolerance(not always the case viz Crusades, Inquisition etc etc:). The incredibly sad part of all of this is that by and large the majority of the proponents of both faiths(Christian and Muslim) are content to co-exist and just want to get on and live their lives, worship their God and feed and educate their families. Zealots, fanatics and fundamentalists will lead us down the path to destruction if we don't stop them.

I know that the constitutional amendments enshrine the right to free speech and I imagine that this pompous preacher will invoke that to allow him to launch a diatribe and to destroy what I assume is his property(I assume that he has purchased Korans for this purpose). Surely Barack Hussein Obama should now show his leadership and intervene and try and persuade this idiot that he should not do this. He has already succeeded in inflaming the passions, in this case rightful passion, of the Muslim world. If he can't, then his own congregation should point out that this behaviour is likely to lead to more deaths of service personnel in Afghanistan.

I think that the thread that links these two together is that if the idiot gets his way then he is likely to create even more need for organisations like Help for Heroes. I know that there are a lot of people who for various reasons do not agree with the war in Afghanistan, whatever your thoughts on the war, support the troops who don't have the luxury that we have. We can say "no" and voice our negative views, they cannot. They have to pick up their kit and do our elected governments bidding, often under-supplied, under paid and over stretched.

Time passes

2009-11-01T10:34:00.002Z

It has been some time since my last blog. I have missed the catharsis, my occasional rants against the iniquities visited upon us by our Politicians have helped to clear my mind. I have to say that all my railing against them has paled into insignificance when you see exactly how venal and self serving they are! I read in the paper yesterday that the eventual repayment could be as much as £1million, in the same paper there was the comment that one Politician will only have to pay back £13000 of £63000 stolen from us, this equates to approximately a 20% return, on that basis they could have stolen as much as £20 million pounds.

Isn't that the amount it would cost for the TA to keep training? How munificent of Brown to stepp in to say that the Government will continue to fund them. The smoke and mirrors will be where else in the Defence budget will they take the money from. When you consider this have a look at the link to YouTube below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJH8EFz_0MU&feature=related

At this time of the year consider as you walk about on your daily lives these and many others. Wear your poppy with pride!

Pontification

2009-09-05T20:46:00.003+01:00

The tyranny of the blog

Every now and then I come on here and read blogs esp a certain Leeds lass and others and feel contrite because I haven't metaphorically put pen to paper and created. laid down, bared my thoughts and soul.

This is my personal rant against what I perceive as the iniquities of our society, fair to say a lot directed at our Politicians, especially the current rabble in power, by the way how in the seven shades of Hades is that twat Mandelson(three time crim) being touted as the next leader of the Labour Party. In my humble opinion this can only mean that he knows where some deep and dark skeleton is buried.

Anyway, I digress from the tyranny of the blog, I feel somewhat inadequate because I don't sally forth and bare my soul but then I pause and reflect that even on my most loquacious days I am reticent to let any one see my inner me. This is as close as it gets utilising the somewhat dubious anonymity of the web and relying on the fact that few if any read my random ramblings.

Let me add, that whatever form God, Yahweh, Mohamed, Buddha, Krishna et al takes wasn't he marvelous when he created the female form, but goodness gracious me why did he make it so difficult to understand? Was definitely on a good day when he decided to create rugby, alcohol and allow us to enjoy meat. Not sure when he decided to throw tobacco, vegetarians and Greenpeace into the mix but hey, we are all allowed off days.

Ramble done, cocktail calling.

The passing of the Seasons

2009-09-05T00:09:00.003+01:00

I've been out this afternoon and evening, a September eve with a full moon(I think) and because of the shitty weather had to have four layers of clothes, a hat and waterproofs. What the hell is going on, 1940, Battle of Britain, the RAF were sat in shirt sleeves waiting for the Germans to come over. Global warming or just the natural cycle of things.

What has happened to this year? Yesterday it was New Years Day and now it's nearly Autumn, leaves are going brown, nights are drawing in. Is it a function of growing older that the years go by faster? If it is then I need to go out and indulge in every way and with every one as soon as possible. Vices need to be enjoyed as often as practical and the corpus not so delecti needs to be worn to a nub. I want to appear in front of my maker in bits. Worse thing to hear at my funeral, "doesn't he look good". I want people saying, geez he is worn out and dragged out.

Oh happy thoughts!

Randoms

2009-08-14T21:45:00.002+01:00

Everything I enjoy is likely to kill me!

Government advice

I like sitting in the evening after I have finished work and enjoying either a few cocktails or some wine or even a bottle of Champagne occasionally. The way I do it is described as binge drinking and will probably kill me according to the advice from Gov't. I don't smoke so I am safe from Nanny on that(have to agree with her but that is because I am an Anti Smoking Nazi). I have never done drugs but feel that looking back at it, when it wasn't prohibited there wasn't the money in it and criminals didn't get involved. Not sure about this one, don't want it around but the solution we are trying at the moment isn't working. Sex, ah the eternal joy, licit, illicit, hidden, paid for, over the side in what ever form, it is great! If they could the Gov't would tax it, if they could they'd put a meter on dicks and fanny's and charge for entry. Food, we all love it, we all eat too much. Like sex it is a universal lever and pleasure. Food is unique however because so many of us have love/hate relationships with the dinner table. I wonder how much of it stems back to the days of "eat up, clear your plate or you don't get down from the table" that was imposed post rationing?

If I could answer these questions and pick the right numbers tonight, life would be simple.

Clarkson

2009-07-25T12:47:00.004+01:00

I see that Jezza has been carpetted again for an intemperate use of language. There was a huge furore over his driving a car up the side of a scottish hill, his suggestion about the murderous intent of lorry drivers, his description of Brown to an Aussie reporter. Has the BBC not realised that in the latter instance and his latest comment about Brown, Clarkson is reflecting the views of a large percentage of the UK populace. One only has to look at the result of the recent by-election in Norwich North(a previous Labour bastion) to see that this is the case. We are treated to the spectacle of a Prime Minister under seige from his own party, the opposition and the electorate, clinging like grim death to his role. It is entirely unedifying and demeaning for us as a country. He is surrounded by cronies who time and time again are caught out in lies and petty politicking.

The recent Labour scramble to denigrate Gen Dannant for daring to ask for extra troops and support for them to actually fight and prosecute the war in Afghanistan, a war that we have been put in by Labour(one of the few correct decisions they have made in my humble opinion). No doubt the comments by the former SAS Commander Brigadier A Wright over supplies today will put him in the firing line by the low lifes of the Labour spin factories. What a shabby lot our current batch of politicos are. We would be completely up the proverbial excrement creek without a propulsion method if Hitler was camped at Calais today. They would all be running round trying to get the next boat to Canada with as much money as they could stuff into their pockets.

The only issue I take with Clarkson on his comment is the use of the "c" word, Brown isn't one, they are useful, a source of eternal delight and wonder and shouldn't be denigrated in this way and associated with the festering pile of ordure that inhabits No10.

Think back the days of Cabinet meetings before Blunkett and Straw shuffled off. Between the three of them you had three good eys and four good ears, the most capable and intelligent creature in the room was Blunkett's dog. Are we really sure that the dog hadn't seen the light and led him into the field of cows and then tried to make a break for it? Sadie the Black Lab for PM, maybe we should start a petition!

No particular title Pt ll

2009-06-14T22:11:00.002+01:00

I am sat here having imbibed a few cocktails and feeling mellow.

It seems that this government and indeed many around the world are starting to move their sights and the sights of various NGO's, partial agencies and the rest of the dross funded by me the hard working tax payer to target my elixir of choice- to wit alcohol. Like any pleasure(Gov't speak "vice" therefore highly taxable) the various Politicians see it as an easy target. It provides huge amounts of revenue and they can tax it up the kazoo and know that we will continue to imbibe. Also like any pleasure the adage of "too much of a good thing does you harm" applies. The current "binge drinking" purge is actually nothing more than the press climbing on a band wagon. Pause for a moment dear reader(Jane Austen moment) and consider your youth, think how shedded you used to get! Are the teenagers/youths any worse than we were, I doubt it.

I send out a plea to all, we know you are going to tax our vices, be it booze, baccy or sex but please don't tax them 'til the pips pop. Let us enjoy them, life is too short to go without some buzz!

No particular title

2009-06-12T12:19:00.004+01:00

For a change I am on here with no particular rant or rambling to vent about.

Puzzling over the whole benefit that we as society accrue from the exam system and schooling system that seems to celebrate and promote mediocrity. There is no place in it for losers, they are all winners. I wonder how that equips youngsters for reality, the stark and harsh reality is(especially at the moment in business), if you aren't at the top of your game and winning, then you will lose. Sometimes even if you are doing well, you lose. Life is harsh, it isn't always fair, good guys do come second, good doesn't always triumph over evil. The mark of the individual is how he/she deals with that reality.

I guess the nub of what I am saying is that, given the alternative, you just have to stick your head down and soldier on. Never, ever give in. You may not reach your objective but you can stand there and say "I gave it my best shot".

Undignified Scramble

2009-05-28T08:47:00.002+01:00

Interesting being sat here on the sidelines watching our politicians scrambling about trying avoid losing their place at the trough. Many are using the Nuremburg defence and some commentators are coming out with statements like "well, it's the system that's at fault". That's very true, it is the system at fault but ask this- Who created the system? We elect our MP's to go up to London and represent our interests, they sit there and are required to promote the bedrock upon which we as a society continue to exist and hopefully evolve. They should by default be set higher standards of integrity and their own moral compasses should have told them that it is wrong to claim for a mortgage that you have paid off, a duck pond in your home in France, an extension so your brother can live with you or a 42" plasma TV. We the electorate have a right to expect that of them, they have a duty to meet that standard. That's why they put themselves up to be our elected representative! Now, human nature being what it is there will be some that slip and I take no issue with that, I do however feel that the venal, money grabbing that has gone on under this system with not a voice of dissent, a murmur of disquiet from any of the those with their snouts firmly buried in the trough means that we need a thorough cleaning of the pig sty. Brown you numb nut call an election, call it soon and let we the public decide who deserves to stay.

The latest debacle

2009-05-09T23:39:00.002+01:00

It just get's funnier and funnier. If you wrote it as a script for "Yes Minister" it would have been binned. Maybe reality TV does have it's place! Imagine the wife of Ken Follett, wealthy author feeling afraid and she has to get us, the tax payer to make her feel secure.

Doesn't it just warm your heart the a nurse's salary has been spent making her feel safe, or three nurse's have been used to furnish Keith Vaz's home or another way of looking at it 150000 bullet proof vests. The galling point of all of this is, they all say "it's all in the rules", does that make it right? Especially when they wrote the rules! It cannot be right to claim £25000 pa to furnish a home when a reasonable wage is less than that. Why should I pay for a Flat screen TV when I haven't bought one myself.

If I claim from work I have to show invoices and it has to be a justifiable business expense, heaven only knows that the Revenue will scrutinise it all and disallow and possibly fine me if not legitimate. MP's, we make our rules and you don't even have to show expenditure for £250 or less.

Let's just flush the whole sorry lot down the nearest drain and start again, bet Fly Blown Brown is clinging on just to milk every penny he can get before he has to call an election.

Politics

2009-03-30T21:59:00.002+01:00

Oh how the mighty have fallen. I find it intensely amusing that the prudish Jacqui Smith has been hoisted by her own petard. She has presided over a Home Office that has introduced and attempted to introduce all sorts of rules/laws regarding the nations sexuality and hubby has been sat at home enjoying the dubious delights of porn. I wonder if she was around as he was salivating over the delights of which ever pneumatic starlet was performing, oh wouldn't it be just the icing on this cake if it turns out that it was gay porn that he was indulging in!!!! Is it a sacking offence-No but the judgment and the lack of care and attention to detail hardly meet the standards expected of a Minister of State, especially one at the heart of our legal system. Small wonder that there are so many absconding asylum seekers and illegal immigrants in the country if she can't even be bothered to check her expenses claims. That should be a sacking offence-incompetence and lack of care destine her for a career on the back benches. 22K for staying with her sister seems exorbitant as well. This government has introduced more legislation and more criminal sanctions than any other in history when you compare like with like in terms of time in office. What odds for a Labour victory next election? Brown will out on his ear and hopefully some of the sleaze buckets that inhabit the present cabinet and back benches.

Christmas and all that

2008-12-25T17:33:00.004Z

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

2008-12-20T22:00:00.003Z

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

2008-06-01T20:25:00.002+01:00

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

2008-05-01T18:22:00.003+01:00

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

2008-04-15T11:59:00.005+01:00

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

2008-04-13T15:22:00.005+01:00

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

2008-02-27T18:34:00.003Z

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

2008-02-08T10:25:00.000Z

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

2008-02-05T21:31:00.000Z

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

2008-01-18T22:49:00.000Z

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

2008-01-05T16:11:00.000Z

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.

Christmas Eve

2007-12-24T09:37:00.001Z

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

2007-11-16T10:33:00.000Z

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

2007-11-04T23:11:00.000Z

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

2007-10-26T21:10:00.000+01:00

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

2007-10-23T21:46:00.000+01:00

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

2007-10-20T00:50:00.000+01:00

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

2007-10-18T15:42:00.000+01:00

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

2007-09-29T01:05:00.000+01:00

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

2007-09-23T00:03:00.000+01:00

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

2007-09-18T23:57:00.000+01:00

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

2007-09-15T23:48:00.000+01:00

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

2007-09-14T14:42:00.000+01:00

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

2007-09-12T23:03:00.000+01:00

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

2007-09-08T23:16:00.000+01:00

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

2007-09-03T16:07:00.000+01:00

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

2007-08-31T16:22:00.000+01:00

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?

2007-08-30T15:15:00.000+01:00

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

2007-08-29T12:00:00.000+01:00

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.

2007-08-27T10:43:00.000+01:00

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

2007-08-26T14:50:00.000+01:00

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.