Tuesday, February 28, 2006
The Disturbing Case Of Andy Gunn And His Mail.
Hepatitis C campaigner Andy Gunn, who was infected through faulty blood products, has complained to the police that his mail is being intercepted, after a letter from his lawyer in the United States was delivered to his home in Inverness, Scotland, in a House of Lords envelope.
Andy is currently trying to sue the US manufacturers of the blood products which infected him and hundreds of others during the 1980s.
A spokesman for the US lawyers said the letter had been sent to their client's home address in Inverness in their standard office stationery.
The UK Government recently admitted that nearly all its files on the infection of patients through NHS blood products had been destroyed, denying claims of a cover-up and saying the loss was a "regrettable" accident.
A spokesman for the Home Office said it did not comment on "security matters".
A disturbing incident indeed, and the standard Home Office "no comment" trotted out every time they have something to hide is disgracefully inadequate.
See all recent posts.
Andy is currently trying to sue the US manufacturers of the blood products which infected him and hundreds of others during the 1980s.
A spokesman for the US lawyers said the letter had been sent to their client's home address in Inverness in their standard office stationery.
The UK Government recently admitted that nearly all its files on the infection of patients through NHS blood products had been destroyed, denying claims of a cover-up and saying the loss was a "regrettable" accident.
A spokesman for the Home Office said it did not comment on "security matters".
A disturbing incident indeed, and the standard Home Office "no comment" trotted out every time they have something to hide is disgracefully inadequate.
See all recent posts.
No Hope.
Apart from being an excellent news source, ALJAZEERA is worth a visit for the topical animated cartoons by Shujaat, which can be found at the foot of the homepage.
These are stills from a recent one.
See all recent posts.
These are stills from a recent one.
See all recent posts.
The Big Yin And Aussie PM Howard.
When Australian Prime Minister John Howard criticised bad language on television, claiming that swearing on TV has led to a demise in Aussie manners, Scottish comedian Billy Connelly was quick to voice his opinion on the matter.
"How dare he? What a silly, boring little man. His only function is to let you know what Harry Potter's going to look like when he's old. I would run miles to avoid meeting him.
"It's a load of rubbish. There are times to swear and times not to swear - I swear but I'm very, very good at it and no animals were hurt while I was learning how to do it."
See all recent posts.
"How dare he? What a silly, boring little man. His only function is to let you know what Harry Potter's going to look like when he's old. I would run miles to avoid meeting him.
"It's a load of rubbish. There are times to swear and times not to swear - I swear but I'm very, very good at it and no animals were hurt while I was learning how to do it."
See all recent posts.
American's Finally Sussing Their President.
Pessimism about Iraq war at new high.......
Only 18 percent have favorable view of vice president Cheney.......Bush's approval rating fallen to all-time low of 34 percent
.......Says latest CBS poll.
Bush Ratings At An All-Time Low.
See all recent posts.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Leanach Cottage, Culloden Moor.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Canis Lupus Familiaris.
Iran And Russia Nuclear Talks.
Isliye aiy Sharif Insano, Jang Taltee rahe to
behtar hai, Aap aor Hum, Sabhi ke aangan mein, shamma jalti rahe to behtar hai!!
..................
..........“It is better to avoid war so that a light will remain visible in our yards.”
Russia's president, Vladimir Putin,
said last Wednesday that talks with Iran on a Russian proposal intended to resolve an international crisis over Tehran's suspected nuclear weapons programme were not going easily, ''but we are counting on reaching a
positive result,'' he added.
''We are not losing optimism," said Putin. "We are
waiting for a final response from the Iranian negotiators,
and we hope for a positive result."
Today The Telegraph reports that, according to Iran's
nuclear chief, a "basic agreement" has been reached with Russia
on a joint venture to enrich uranium.
"Talks to complete this package will continue in coming days in Russia," he said.
"There are different parts that need to be discussed. These are not just related to forming a company, there are other elements. There are political issues and the proposal should be seen as a package."
"We have set a precondition" - but didn't elaborate on what that might be.
At least somebody is talking of solutions instead of war.
More from ALJAZEERA here.
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Friday, February 24, 2006
The Consequences Of Sex Outside Marraige.
A man in Sudan has been forced to take a goat as his "wife", after he was caught having sex with the animal.
A council of elders ordered the man to pay a dowry of 15,000 dinars to Mr Alifi, the owner of the beast.
"We have given him the goat, and as far as we know they are still together," Mr Alifi said.
See all recent posts.
A council of elders ordered the man to pay a dowry of 15,000 dinars to Mr Alifi, the owner of the beast.
"We have given him the goat, and as far as we know they are still together," Mr Alifi said.
See all recent posts.
Scouser's Culinary Treat.
Scouser over at Absolutely Average shared his recipe for Lobscouse with the world and me the other day, describing the dish as being "most welcome on a cold winter night."
My corner of Scotland being cold enough to freeze brass monkey's dangly bits, I took him at his word and proceeded to the kitchen, armed with the stated ingredients, and set about the culinary creation.
Of course, having been up all night the night before sorting out dodgy computers, I didn't start till an hour before the Mongrel was due home from work expecting fed, and with a cooking time of eternity she had to content herself with cheese on toast as a stopgap against complete collapse from the effects of malnutrition.
As one who can't cook anything but spaghetti bolognese, this was a recipe I could follow, the vital criteria being my indefatigability in peeling five pounds of potatoes and a pound of carrots.
Of course the meat was a problem, given that here in the Highlands of Scotland, where the sheep outnumber the human population, getting a hold of a half pound of lamb involves a 110 mile round trip in a 25 miles to the gallon gas-guzzling Volvo!
But that's cooking, I guess.
Anyway, the Mongrel and me had our Lobscouse just before midnight, and it was well worth the wait, the petrol, the bleeding fingers from the tattie peeler and the Mongrel sleeping in for her work this morning.
And there's enough of the delicious stuff to feed us and Kaspy the Collie for a week.
See all recent posts.
My corner of Scotland being cold enough to freeze brass monkey's dangly bits, I took him at his word and proceeded to the kitchen, armed with the stated ingredients, and set about the culinary creation.
Of course, having been up all night the night before sorting out dodgy computers, I didn't start till an hour before the Mongrel was due home from work expecting fed, and with a cooking time of eternity she had to content herself with cheese on toast as a stopgap against complete collapse from the effects of malnutrition.
As one who can't cook anything but spaghetti bolognese, this was a recipe I could follow, the vital criteria being my indefatigability in peeling five pounds of potatoes and a pound of carrots.
Of course the meat was a problem, given that here in the Highlands of Scotland, where the sheep outnumber the human population, getting a hold of a half pound of lamb involves a 110 mile round trip in a 25 miles to the gallon gas-guzzling Volvo!
But that's cooking, I guess.
Anyway, the Mongrel and me had our Lobscouse just before midnight, and it was well worth the wait, the petrol, the bleeding fingers from the tattie peeler and the Mongrel sleeping in for her work this morning.
And there's enough of the delicious stuff to feed us and Kaspy the Collie for a week.
See all recent posts.
Is Bush Planning Gulags In America?
In January this year the Army Corps of Engineers awarded Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root a $385 million contract to construct detention centres somewhere in the United States, to deal with “an emergency influx of immigrants into the U.S., or to support the rapid development of new programs”.
Recent developments suggest that the Bush administration may be thinking about what to do with Americans who are deemed insufficiently loyal or who disseminate information that may be considered helpful to the enemy.
During Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on Feb. 6, Sen. Lindsey Graham suggested to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales a new target for the administration’s domestic operations -- Fifth Columnists, supposedly disloyal Americans who sympathize and collaborate with the enemy, and U.S. officials have cited the need to challenge news that undercuts Bush’s actions as a key front in defeating the terrorists, who are aided by “news informers” in the words of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Little attention has been paid to the phrase “rapid development of new programs” and what kind of programs would require a major expansion of detention centers, each capable of holding 5,000 people.
One commentator says that “detention centers could be used to detain American citizens if the Bush administration were to declare martial law.”
Another thinks that because “another terror attack is all but certain, it seems far more likely that the centers would be used for post-911-type detentions of immigrants rather than a sudden deluge” of immigrants flooding across the border.
And Vietnam-era whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg said, “Almost certainly this is preparation for a roundup after the next 9/11 for Mid-Easterners, Muslims and possibly dissenters.
I hope Tony Blair doesn't know about this, or he'll be wanting a set of his own concentration camps to keep all those dissenting old-age pensioners who shout "rubbish" at Labour conferences, smokers, rebellious backbenchers, dissident princes, ladies who dare read out names of dead soldiers, and PM-in-waiting Gordon Brown out of the way.
See all recent posts.
Recent developments suggest that the Bush administration may be thinking about what to do with Americans who are deemed insufficiently loyal or who disseminate information that may be considered helpful to the enemy.
During Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on Feb. 6, Sen. Lindsey Graham suggested to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales a new target for the administration’s domestic operations -- Fifth Columnists, supposedly disloyal Americans who sympathize and collaborate with the enemy, and U.S. officials have cited the need to challenge news that undercuts Bush’s actions as a key front in defeating the terrorists, who are aided by “news informers” in the words of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Little attention has been paid to the phrase “rapid development of new programs” and what kind of programs would require a major expansion of detention centers, each capable of holding 5,000 people.
One commentator says that “detention centers could be used to detain American citizens if the Bush administration were to declare martial law.”
Another thinks that because “another terror attack is all but certain, it seems far more likely that the centers would be used for post-911-type detentions of immigrants rather than a sudden deluge” of immigrants flooding across the border.
And Vietnam-era whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg said, “Almost certainly this is preparation for a roundup after the next 9/11 for Mid-Easterners, Muslims and possibly dissenters.
I hope Tony Blair doesn't know about this, or he'll be wanting a set of his own concentration camps to keep all those dissenting old-age pensioners who shout "rubbish" at Labour conferences, smokers, rebellious backbenchers, dissident princes, ladies who dare read out names of dead soldiers, and PM-in-waiting Gordon Brown out of the way.
See all recent posts.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Judge Says Wallace The Wild Boar Is Just A Hairy Pig.
A pig expert told Sheriff Court in Stirling, Scotland, that Ian Hogg, a farmer accused of keeping "wild boar" without a licence, could only have been keeping "hairy pigs" at his smallholding near Dunblane.
Environmental health officials testified that they had seen more than a dozen "wild boar" on Mr Hogg's land.
Dr Macdonald, a senior lecturer at the Royal Veterinary School in Edinburgh, and a specialist in pigs, peccaries and hippos at Edinburgh Zoo, said: "These are effectively domesticated animals which are kept because whoever wants to buy their meat wants to buy it from something that's hairy and looks like it's just come out of the Black Forest. But wild, no. We hunted out the wild boar centuries ago."
Sheriff Andrew Cubie found farmer Hogg not guilty.
See all recent posts.
Environmental health officials testified that they had seen more than a dozen "wild boar" on Mr Hogg's land.
Dr Macdonald, a senior lecturer at the Royal Veterinary School in Edinburgh, and a specialist in pigs, peccaries and hippos at Edinburgh Zoo, said: "These are effectively domesticated animals which are kept because whoever wants to buy their meat wants to buy it from something that's hairy and looks like it's just come out of the Black Forest. But wild, no. We hunted out the wild boar centuries ago."
Sheriff Andrew Cubie found farmer Hogg not guilty.
See all recent posts.
Oops....... Back Shortly.
I don't know what's been goin' on here but......
I spent all last night fighting with first my iBook, then the back-up Mac Mini, and after various doomed efforts to cure some serious and sudden sickness in both of them, had to back up all my data, most of which was already duplicated on an external hard-drive but waiting to go onto DVD, which I did, my motto being always back-up your back-ups.
Before zeroing both machines and loading them again!
I still don't know what the problem was, but it was an expensive all-nighter in coffee, Jaffa Cakes and tobacco, and I'm still sitting here having had no beauty sleep.
And I've got the dinner to make for the Mongrel coming home from work - in a couple of hours.
See all recent posts.
I spent all last night fighting with first my iBook, then the back-up Mac Mini, and after various doomed efforts to cure some serious and sudden sickness in both of them, had to back up all my data, most of which was already duplicated on an external hard-drive but waiting to go onto DVD, which I did, my motto being always back-up your back-ups.
Before zeroing both machines and loading them again!
I still don't know what the problem was, but it was an expensive all-nighter in coffee, Jaffa Cakes and tobacco, and I'm still sitting here having had no beauty sleep.
And I've got the dinner to make for the Mongrel coming home from work - in a couple of hours.
See all recent posts.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
US Custody Deaths.
A report to be published later today by Human Rights First says that 98 prisoners have died in US custody in Iraq and Afghanistan since August 2002.
At least 34 of these were suspected or confirmed homicides caused by "intentional or reckless behaviour".
Another eleven cases are regarded as suspicious, and between eight and twelve prisoners were tortured to death.
"They (US troops) are human beings, they violate the law, they make mistakes and they have to be held accountable and the good thing about our system is that we do hold people accountable," the US ambassador told the BBC's Newsnight programme.
UK MP Bob Marshall-Andrews said that the report confirmed "in statistical terms the appalling evidence already available in footage".
"If it is indeed systemic, then the responsibility for it must go right to the top, and that would apply to both British and American governments," he said.
He's right, and I have no doubt he will waste no time in telling Tony Blair just that.
See This Is London for more.
See all recent posts.
At least 34 of these were suspected or confirmed homicides caused by "intentional or reckless behaviour".
Another eleven cases are regarded as suspicious, and between eight and twelve prisoners were tortured to death.
"They (US troops) are human beings, they violate the law, they make mistakes and they have to be held accountable and the good thing about our system is that we do hold people accountable," the US ambassador told the BBC's Newsnight programme.
UK MP Bob Marshall-Andrews said that the report confirmed "in statistical terms the appalling evidence already available in footage".
"If it is indeed systemic, then the responsibility for it must go right to the top, and that would apply to both British and American governments," he said.
He's right, and I have no doubt he will waste no time in telling Tony Blair just that.
See This Is London for more.
See all recent posts.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Jail For "Nessie Bomb" Smart-Ass.
The man who claimed he had a bomb in his bag on a flight from Inverness in December last year, then said the incident was blown up out of all proportion when armed police hauled him off the plane only to find two Loch Ness Monster furry toys in his bag, appeared in court today.
Inverness Sheriff Alasdair MacFayden didn't agree, and showing the same lack of humour as airline staff and armed response units, jailed the silly bugger for two months.
A fitting sentence for anyone with so little taste they buy "Nessie Monster" tourist trash made in Taiwan.
See all recent posts.
Inverness Sheriff Alasdair MacFayden didn't agree, and showing the same lack of humour as airline staff and armed response units, jailed the silly bugger for two months.
A fitting sentence for anyone with so little taste they buy "Nessie Monster" tourist trash made in Taiwan.
See all recent posts.
Actors Held Under Anti-Terror Laws.
Four actors who play al-Qaida suspects in a British movie that won a prestigious prize were detained by police at Luton airport as they returned from the Berlin Film Festival and questioned under anti-terror laws, along with two of the former terrorism suspects they play on screen.
Rizwan Ahmed, one of the actors, said police swore at him and asked if he had become an actor to further the Islamic cause, and was questioned about his views on the Iraq war by a female officer.
"She asked me whether I intended to do more documentary films, specifically more political ones like The Road to Guantánamo. She asked 'Did you become an actor mainly to do films like this, to publicise the struggles of Muslims?"
"The officers wanted to ask them some questions under the counter-terrorism act," a police spokesperson said. "All were released within the hour. Part of the counter-terrorism act allows us to stop and examine people if something happens that might be suspicious."
So from that we are to assume making award-winning movies of a critical nature is "suspicious" activity worthy of investigation by Bedfordshire police.
Or could it be, and it is a more likely explanation, the actors had the wrong color skin for white, racist, anti-Muslim coppers eager for a bit of harassment to brighten up an otherwise boring day?
Riz Ahmed in the LIP
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Rizwan Ahmed, one of the actors, said police swore at him and asked if he had become an actor to further the Islamic cause, and was questioned about his views on the Iraq war by a female officer.
"She asked me whether I intended to do more documentary films, specifically more political ones like The Road to Guantánamo. She asked 'Did you become an actor mainly to do films like this, to publicise the struggles of Muslims?"
"The officers wanted to ask them some questions under the counter-terrorism act," a police spokesperson said. "All were released within the hour. Part of the counter-terrorism act allows us to stop and examine people if something happens that might be suspicious."
So from that we are to assume making award-winning movies of a critical nature is "suspicious" activity worthy of investigation by Bedfordshire police.
Or could it be, and it is a more likely explanation, the actors had the wrong color skin for white, racist, anti-Muslim coppers eager for a bit of harassment to brighten up an otherwise boring day?
Riz Ahmed in the LIP
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Monday, February 20, 2006
Tessa Jowell On Culture And Sport In Germany.
You couldn't make it up!
Blair's government are struggling with an unpopular and illegal war in Iraq, troops who abuse Iraqi people, and more soldiers being sent to the most dangerous corner of Afghanistan. Ministers are desperately denying they know about torture flights into UK airports, and are in chaos over their views on Guantanamo.
Muslims are demonstrating on our streets about badly drawn cartoons, and want Sharia law on the streets of Birmingham, Iran fancies a nuke, Hamas democracy is causing headaches, Osama is laughing fit to bust in his cave, and Israel is whining about how unfair EVERYTHING is while they wipe out as many Palestinians as they can in between getting upset about the Christian church, big yellow bulldozers, and finding excuses to bring up the holocaust in even the simplest conversation about the weather.
Blair is frantically pushing through ridiculous terror laws, taking away freedom and civil liberties, stopping us smoking and trying to find a "legacy" that doesn't include the words "Iraq" or "Poodle." Council tax is soaring, Wembley Stadium looks like it will never be finished, bird flu is on our doorstep and the people who have to deal with it, DEFRA, couldn't organize a piss-up in a brewery.
Metropolitan police chief Sir Ian Blair is still in his job, scared to arrest anyone in case it's politically incorrect, and thinks he's the real Prime Minister Blair. He wants to carry out drug tests on his police force in between embarrassing speeches, and fire any coppers who test positive - which means there will be nobody left to arrest anybody who calls the Welsh rude names or reads out the names of war dead within hearing distance of Downing Street.
And....... if all that wasn't bad enough, Tony has Tessa Jowell, the culture and sport secretary and minister for women, in the cabinet.
Tessa, priorities firmly in place, has urged England's star footballers to use their influence as role models to campaign against fans using prostitutes during the World Cup finals in Germany, and called for “vigilance to protect women from exploitation” amid expectations that 40,000 foreign sex workers will arrive in Germany for the tournament.
The Football Association are presently scratching their dangly bits and wondering what prostitutes in Germany can do to help them win a match, and a sex club owner in Cologne commented: “The sex industry was legalised. The girls pay taxes and health insurance. This letter is childish. I would not have expected it from an adult.”
He could at least have offered Tessa a job!
CC.
See all recent posts.
Blair's government are struggling with an unpopular and illegal war in Iraq, troops who abuse Iraqi people, and more soldiers being sent to the most dangerous corner of Afghanistan. Ministers are desperately denying they know about torture flights into UK airports, and are in chaos over their views on Guantanamo.
Muslims are demonstrating on our streets about badly drawn cartoons, and want Sharia law on the streets of Birmingham, Iran fancies a nuke, Hamas democracy is causing headaches, Osama is laughing fit to bust in his cave, and Israel is whining about how unfair EVERYTHING is while they wipe out as many Palestinians as they can in between getting upset about the Christian church, big yellow bulldozers, and finding excuses to bring up the holocaust in even the simplest conversation about the weather.
Blair is frantically pushing through ridiculous terror laws, taking away freedom and civil liberties, stopping us smoking and trying to find a "legacy" that doesn't include the words "Iraq" or "Poodle." Council tax is soaring, Wembley Stadium looks like it will never be finished, bird flu is on our doorstep and the people who have to deal with it, DEFRA, couldn't organize a piss-up in a brewery.
Metropolitan police chief Sir Ian Blair is still in his job, scared to arrest anyone in case it's politically incorrect, and thinks he's the real Prime Minister Blair. He wants to carry out drug tests on his police force in between embarrassing speeches, and fire any coppers who test positive - which means there will be nobody left to arrest anybody who calls the Welsh rude names or reads out the names of war dead within hearing distance of Downing Street.
And....... if all that wasn't bad enough, Tony has Tessa Jowell, the culture and sport secretary and minister for women, in the cabinet.
Tessa, priorities firmly in place, has urged England's star footballers to use their influence as role models to campaign against fans using prostitutes during the World Cup finals in Germany, and called for “vigilance to protect women from exploitation” amid expectations that 40,000 foreign sex workers will arrive in Germany for the tournament.
The Football Association are presently scratching their dangly bits and wondering what prostitutes in Germany can do to help them win a match, and a sex club owner in Cologne commented: “The sex industry was legalised. The girls pay taxes and health insurance. This letter is childish. I would not have expected it from an adult.”
He could at least have offered Tessa a job!
CC.
See all recent posts.
Counting Bush's Mistakes.
..."The Louder He Spoke Of His Honor, The Faster We Counted Our Spoons." .......And No Administration In US History Has Spoken Louder, Or As Often, Of It's Honor.
Who's Counting Bush's Mistakes?
Given how ambitious and wide-ranging the incompetence of this administration has been, it's high time we started keeping track of its many failures, says Stephen Pizzo.
Fiscal Management
Katrina relief
Medicare Drug Program
Afghanistan
Iraq
Iran
North Korea
Social Programs
The Military
The Environment
Trade
Energy
Consumers
Human Rights
....... But don't bother George W. Bush with any of this. While seldom right, he is never in doubt. Doubt is Bush's enemy. Worry? How can he worry when he has no doubts?
It is indeed a desperately sorry state of affairs when you add it all up.
You can read the whole ARTICLE HERE.
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Snobbery Is Still Alive And Well And Should Be Kicked In Ben Kingsley's Ass.
Actor Ben Kingsley, after being knighted by Mrs Queen, said: "There is no Mr Ben Kingsley anymore. Being a Sir brings with it responsibility."
He later criticised a German reporter for calling him Mr Kingsley. "It's Sir Ben. I've not been a Mr for two years," he said.
Mister Benny the Luvvie is a half-baked snob, and anyone meeting him only to be told to address him as "Sir Ben" ought to tell him he's a jumped-up asshole.
Then sharply kick him in said asshole to remind him that despite being a "Sir," he still has one and is one.
Britain, to it's detriment, has too many genuine upper-class twits with handles in front of their names without pretendy ones like Kingsley trying to get in on their sad acts.
Just saying, Sir Asshole.
asshole |ˈasˌhōl| |ˌøsˈhoʊl| |ˌɑːshəʊl|
noun vulgar slang
the anus.
• an irritating or contemptible person.
He later criticised a German reporter for calling him Mr Kingsley. "It's Sir Ben. I've not been a Mr for two years," he said.
Mister Benny the Luvvie is a half-baked snob, and anyone meeting him only to be told to address him as "Sir Ben" ought to tell him he's a jumped-up asshole.
Then sharply kick him in said asshole to remind him that despite being a "Sir," he still has one and is one.
Britain, to it's detriment, has too many genuine upper-class twits with handles in front of their names without pretendy ones like Kingsley trying to get in on their sad acts.
Just saying, Sir Asshole.
asshole |ˈasˌhōl| |ˌøsˈhoʊl| |ˌɑːshəʊl|
noun vulgar slang
the anus.
• an irritating or contemptible person.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Osama Puts His Feet Up And Chuckles.......
While Blair and Bush do his job for him.
From Simon Jenkins in The Sunday Times.
Were I Bin Laden I could not have dreamt that the spirit of 9/11 would be so vigorous five years on. I have western leaders still parroting my motto that “9/11 alters everything” and “the rules of the game are changed”. I have the Taliban resurgent, financed by Europe’s voracious demand for oil and opium. I have the Pentagon and Scotland Yard paying me the compliment of a “long war” of indefinite duration. My potency is said to require more defence spending than was needed to contain the might of the Soviet Union.
And from Henry Porter in The Observer.
The genius of Bin Laden was to strike at the West when its leaders were so callow, so unread, so lacking in wisdom, so unversed in the democracies they eagerly sought to lead, in the culture of rights and liberty which they so hastily dismiss. George W Bush and Tony Blair have the arrogance of the generation that grew up in the Sixties - and the ignorance. Nothing that happened before has impinged on their actions since 9/11. They have come to consider themselves as divinely empowered to take all necessary action. They have both deceived their peoples and are bent on stripping them of ancient and hard-fought-for liberties.
See all recent posts.
From Simon Jenkins in The Sunday Times.
Were I Bin Laden I could not have dreamt that the spirit of 9/11 would be so vigorous five years on. I have western leaders still parroting my motto that “9/11 alters everything” and “the rules of the game are changed”. I have the Taliban resurgent, financed by Europe’s voracious demand for oil and opium. I have the Pentagon and Scotland Yard paying me the compliment of a “long war” of indefinite duration. My potency is said to require more defence spending than was needed to contain the might of the Soviet Union.
And from Henry Porter in The Observer.
The genius of Bin Laden was to strike at the West when its leaders were so callow, so unread, so lacking in wisdom, so unversed in the democracies they eagerly sought to lead, in the culture of rights and liberty which they so hastily dismiss. George W Bush and Tony Blair have the arrogance of the generation that grew up in the Sixties - and the ignorance. Nothing that happened before has impinged on their actions since 9/11. They have come to consider themselves as divinely empowered to take all necessary action. They have both deceived their peoples and are bent on stripping them of ancient and hard-fought-for liberties.
See all recent posts.
The Dirty Business Of Democracy.
Israel is to withhold an estimated $50m in monthly customs revenues due to the Palestinian Authority, and tighten borders for people and food crossing into Gaza.
Ahead of a cabinet meeting, acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called the Hamas-led PA a "terrorist authority" and ruled out direct talks.
This latest decision comes hot on the heels of the American claw-back of $50 made to the Palestinian Authority.
---------------------------
A two day meeting in Texas on 8/9 February chaired by Edward Djerejian, a former US ambassador to Israel and Syria, who was briefed by the US State Department beforehand, was held with Israeli and Palestinian representatives to discuss ways of sidelining Hamas.
A participant said those present had discussed how to sideline Hamas, whose parliamentary victory has been seen as a serious obstacle to any peace settlement. Jibril Rajoub, national security adviser to Abbas, who led the Palestinian delegation, confirmed yesterday that the meeting had been backed by Washington. “I believe that the State Department has a great interest that our talks should succeed,” he said.
“Hamas’s victory last month was a political accident that can still be reversed,” Rajoub is said to have told the meeting.
The talks have opened a new channel of communication between Abbas, Ehud Olmert, the acting Israeli prime minister, and the Americans. The source said the meeting’s findings had been reported to both leaders and also to Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state.
After all the posturing by Bush and his administration about the need for democracy in the Middle East, they now are determined to destroy it simply because it doesn't suit the US and Israel.
It's a dirty game, is democracy the American way.
Also: Israel Not Amused At Moscow
See all recent posts.
Ahead of a cabinet meeting, acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called the Hamas-led PA a "terrorist authority" and ruled out direct talks.
This latest decision comes hot on the heels of the American claw-back of $50 made to the Palestinian Authority.
---------------------------
A two day meeting in Texas on 8/9 February chaired by Edward Djerejian, a former US ambassador to Israel and Syria, who was briefed by the US State Department beforehand, was held with Israeli and Palestinian representatives to discuss ways of sidelining Hamas.
A participant said those present had discussed how to sideline Hamas, whose parliamentary victory has been seen as a serious obstacle to any peace settlement. Jibril Rajoub, national security adviser to Abbas, who led the Palestinian delegation, confirmed yesterday that the meeting had been backed by Washington. “I believe that the State Department has a great interest that our talks should succeed,” he said.
“Hamas’s victory last month was a political accident that can still be reversed,” Rajoub is said to have told the meeting.
The talks have opened a new channel of communication between Abbas, Ehud Olmert, the acting Israeli prime minister, and the Americans. The source said the meeting’s findings had been reported to both leaders and also to Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state.
After all the posturing by Bush and his administration about the need for democracy in the Middle East, they now are determined to destroy it simply because it doesn't suit the US and Israel.
It's a dirty game, is democracy the American way.
Also: Israel Not Amused At Moscow
See all recent posts.
Microsuck To Teach Old Bill New Tricks.
MICROSOFT
May Teach British Police
To BREAK The Built In Encryption
In New Operating System VISTA.......
You've got to hand it to Bill Gates. After he fleeces the public for the long awaited (not by me) Vista operating system which is to eventually replace XP, he's going to cash in again by teaching PC Plod to hack it.......
Just to keep you all SAFE, you understand.
"It is our goal to give PC users the control and confidence they need so they can continue to get the most out of their PCs," said a Microsuck spokeswoman.
Tux the Linux Penguin.
Alternatives: SUSE LINUX. Penguin Power at a great price - Free!
Or The MAC, not free, but oh so nice.
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The American Response To Democracy.
The United States State Department has asked the Palestinian Authority to return $50m of aid, saying it does not want the money to go to a Hamas-led government that refuses to recognise Israel.
The spreading and recognition of democracy, American style. We love democracy - as long as it's the democracy WE choose.
The Palestinian Authority has agreed to return the money, most of which is still in the bank.
A dignified response from the Palestinians to a country which has lost the moral high ground in everything they say and everything they touch.
Also Israel Not Amused At Moscow
See all recent posts.
The spreading and recognition of democracy, American style. We love democracy - as long as it's the democracy WE choose.
The Palestinian Authority has agreed to return the money, most of which is still in the bank.
A dignified response from the Palestinians to a country which has lost the moral high ground in everything they say and everything they touch.
Also Israel Not Amused At Moscow
See all recent posts.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
The Tories Go Crawling In Washington.
Tory Shadow Cabinet members Liam Fox, George Osborne and William Hague are in Washington to patch up relations with the White House after their falling out two years ago.
Same old Tories, despite all they say.
After watching Tony Blair's adventures with Washington, they've learned nothing, either. Anybody with an ounce of wit who wants to be elected to government in this country now should avoid Bush and his cronies like the plague.
CC.
See all recent posts.
Same old Tories, despite all they say.
After watching Tony Blair's adventures with Washington, they've learned nothing, either. Anybody with an ounce of wit who wants to be elected to government in this country now should avoid Bush and his cronies like the plague.
CC.
See all recent posts.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Glorifying Bad Law.
...glorification innefective authoritarianism Words placards catch-all wooly ambiguousPRESS RELEASE LAW blair vague bad law
MPs voted today to reinstate a new offence of glorifying terrorism in the Government's Terror Bill, rejecting a series of Lords amendments to the legislation.
The Government won a vote on the glorification clause by 315 votes to 277.
"Glorification has no place and should have no place in our law. It is incapable of proper interpretation .... and risks criminalising those the Government does not intend to criminalise. It is, frankly, as a concept, rubbish." (Shadow attorney general Dominic Grieve)
Careful what you say out there, or PM Blair and PC Blair will be round to get you.
CC.
See all recent posts.
The Great Blair Con.
The Independent publishes detailed analysis of how Tony Blair manipulated the serious threat of terrorism facing Britain to suit the Government's political agenda.
A Centre for Policy Studies pamphlet, titled The Use and Abuse of Terror, by Peter Oborne, examines the actions of the police and security forces since 11 September 2001, and investigates how they and the Government have exploited the scare stories in recent years.
THE RICIN PLOT. How ministers used discovery of poison to justify Iraq war - but there was none.
OLD TRAFFORD. How plot to bomb Manchester United ground in 2004 was a total fabrication.
BOMBING AFTERMATH. How Blair destroyed a cross-party deal on anti-terror laws after London attacks.
"New Labour has set out to politicise terror, to use it for narrow party advantage. Few people now believe what the Prime Minister, the security services and police tell us about security matters."
For the life of me I cannot grasp how the British public, who patently mistrust Blair and the Government and believe little or nothing of what they say, have swallowed the spin and the lies so completely, gone along so meekly as their country slides dangerously close to becoming a police state.
A Centre for Policy Studies pamphlet, titled The Use and Abuse of Terror, by Peter Oborne, examines the actions of the police and security forces since 11 September 2001, and investigates how they and the Government have exploited the scare stories in recent years.
THE RICIN PLOT. How ministers used discovery of poison to justify Iraq war - but there was none.
OLD TRAFFORD. How plot to bomb Manchester United ground in 2004 was a total fabrication.
BOMBING AFTERMATH. How Blair destroyed a cross-party deal on anti-terror laws after London attacks.
"New Labour has set out to politicise terror, to use it for narrow party advantage. Few people now believe what the Prime Minister, the security services and police tell us about security matters."
For the life of me I cannot grasp how the British public, who patently mistrust Blair and the Government and believe little or nothing of what they say, have swallowed the spin and the lies so completely, gone along so meekly as their country slides dangerously close to becoming a police state.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
The Cheney Friendly Fire Cover-Up.
WHEN the Vice-President of the United States discharges his shotgun into the face of 78-year-old Republican lawyer it seems strange that the world does not hear about it for nearly 24 hours.
The press were not amused and wanted to know why there was such a delay.
Scott McClellan, the President’s spokesman, was accused of “totally ducking and weaving”, and “being a jerk” by the press corps. McClellan pleaded with reporters not to yell at him, and implored them to “calm down”.
Cheney Hunts Prey
CC.
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The press were not amused and wanted to know why there was such a delay.
Scott McClellan, the President’s spokesman, was accused of “totally ducking and weaving”, and “being a jerk” by the press corps. McClellan pleaded with reporters not to yell at him, and implored them to “calm down”.
Cheney Hunts Prey
CC.
See all recent posts.
A Sad Day For Us All.
This is the
beginning of the end for
the notion of freedom
in Britain .......and we'll never get it back.
Last night the in the Commons the Government
won the vote on ID cards.
Government staves off ID rebels.
ID cards in two years as rebellion fails.
Say NO2ID and the database state.
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Monday, February 13, 2006
ID Cards Discredited Yet Again While Blair Is AWOL Abroad.
A British Nato and defence specialist today undermines Tony Blair and Charles Clarke's claims that the new identity cards database for 60 million British citizens is safe and secure.
Brian Gladwin, from Worcester, now a security consultant to US government agencies, warns the new database will "create safety and security risks for all those whose details are entered on the system".
This comes on the day of a crucial Commons vote on identity cards - and Tony Blair is going to absent, after his plane blew a raspberry in South Africa!
See all recent posts.
Brian Gladwin, from Worcester, now a security consultant to US government agencies, warns the new database will "create safety and security risks for all those whose details are entered on the system".
This comes on the day of a crucial Commons vote on identity cards - and Tony Blair is going to absent, after his plane blew a raspberry in South Africa!
See all recent posts.
Cheney Hunts Prey.
US Vice-President Dick Cheney, described as an experienced hunter, shot a man instead of a quail on Saturday.
According to a spokeswoman, Mr Cheney spent Sunday afternoon at the hospital having the birdshit removed from his head.
CC.
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According to a spokeswoman, Mr Cheney spent Sunday afternoon at the hospital having the birdshit removed from his head.
CC.
See all recent posts.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Israel Not Amused At Moscow.
Israeli politicians exploded in fury yesterday at the news that Russia is planning talks with Hamas, the Islamic group who won the Palestinian elections last month.
Education minister Meir Sheetrit described the move as a "stab in the back", and Israel's president, Moshe Katsav, said the move would endanger the peace process in the Middle East.
The decision by Russia to talk to Hamas comes despite the statement made by Russia, Europe, America and the UN that Hamas must renounce violence and recognize Israel before taking part in any negotiations.
Israel has questioned Russia's fitness to take part in future peace talks, but Sergei Ivanov, the Russian defence minister, said: "Sometime in the future, many leading states will start supporting Hamas and have some contacts."
The Israeli president's statement that Russian talks would endanger the peace process in the Middle East is a typical and ridiculous response, given that there is no peace process worth mentioning at the moment, a situation Israel seems keen to preserve.
Surely the Russians are right to talk to Hamas, despite the usual and entirely predictable temper tantrums of Israel. Whether Israel and the US like the flavour or not, democracy has come in the shape of Hamas, and somebody has to speak to them sometime.
Better sooner than too late.
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Education minister Meir Sheetrit described the move as a "stab in the back", and Israel's president, Moshe Katsav, said the move would endanger the peace process in the Middle East.
The decision by Russia to talk to Hamas comes despite the statement made by Russia, Europe, America and the UN that Hamas must renounce violence and recognize Israel before taking part in any negotiations.
Israel has questioned Russia's fitness to take part in future peace talks, but Sergei Ivanov, the Russian defence minister, said: "Sometime in the future, many leading states will start supporting Hamas and have some contacts."
The Israeli president's statement that Russian talks would endanger the peace process in the Middle East is a typical and ridiculous response, given that there is no peace process worth mentioning at the moment, a situation Israel seems keen to preserve.
Surely the Russians are right to talk to Hamas, despite the usual and entirely predictable temper tantrums of Israel. Whether Israel and the US like the flavour or not, democracy has come in the shape of Hamas, and somebody has to speak to them sometime.
Better sooner than too late.
See all recent posts.
Friday, February 10, 2006
Blair Talking Up ID Card Terror Angle Again.
Prime Minister Tony Blair, speaking at Labour's spring conference in Blackpool, has said that guaranteeing security is as important to Labour as fairness, as he prepares for key votes next week on identity cards and anti-terror laws
Resurrecting the already discredited claims that the introduction of identity cards and a national database are required to combat terrorism points more to Blair's authoritarian instincts than any serious analysis by the government as to how an ID card and a huge database containing personal details of every UK citizen is going to guarantee our safety, any more than the four million cameras that watch our every move helped stop the London suicide bombers.
That's a quarter of the world’s cameras to photograph 1 per cent of the world’s population, and all they did was let us look at the terrorists as they made their final, devastating journey to activate their explosives.
If ID cards and the database had been up and running, each of the bombers would have legally held one. The security services know that they are not effective as an anti-terrorist measure, but still Blair wants a central register, held on a supercomputer that will contain more than 50 pieces of information about each cardholder, including biometric information. And of course every person will have to pay for the privilege of carrying a card which is required by law.
Surely this is an experiment in social control rather than a serious measure against terrorism.
Of course, the other excuse for the ID card scheme, which was talked up after the government stopped pushing the terrorism angle for a while, was identity theft, but, after a Dutch security company announced recently that it had found a flaw in the biometric technology to be used by the government which could make identity fraud worse rather than combating it....... we have Tony flagging up the terrorism threat again.
Surely the best way to combat terrorism and identity theft would be to have our police wasting less time and resources following up trivial complaints, such as someone saying publicly that in their opinion gay people should not be allowed to adopt, or interviewing a politician or minor celebrity for calling the Welsh something naughty, or arresting people reading out the names of the Iraq war dead within hearing distance of Downing Street.
An end to police abusing their "stop and search" powers under the anti-terrorism emergency laws - 36,000 stopped and searched last year compared to 10,200 in 2001, might free up time to do something actually useful. In his annual review of the Terrorism Act, Lord Carlile said the use of Section 44 "could be cut by at least 50% without significant risk to the public or detriment to policing".
And while any racist attack is deplorable, I wonder at police in Manchester choosing to arrest an 11 year old boy for an incident in school which, surely, might better be firmly and sensibly dealt with without recourse to the law.
While police in London stand back and do nothing as demonstrators wave placards inciting the violence and murder that Blair wants to take away our freedoms to avoid.
See all recent posts.
Resurrecting the already discredited claims that the introduction of identity cards and a national database are required to combat terrorism points more to Blair's authoritarian instincts than any serious analysis by the government as to how an ID card and a huge database containing personal details of every UK citizen is going to guarantee our safety, any more than the four million cameras that watch our every move helped stop the London suicide bombers.
That's a quarter of the world’s cameras to photograph 1 per cent of the world’s population, and all they did was let us look at the terrorists as they made their final, devastating journey to activate their explosives.
If ID cards and the database had been up and running, each of the bombers would have legally held one. The security services know that they are not effective as an anti-terrorist measure, but still Blair wants a central register, held on a supercomputer that will contain more than 50 pieces of information about each cardholder, including biometric information. And of course every person will have to pay for the privilege of carrying a card which is required by law.
Surely this is an experiment in social control rather than a serious measure against terrorism.
Of course, the other excuse for the ID card scheme, which was talked up after the government stopped pushing the terrorism angle for a while, was identity theft, but, after a Dutch security company announced recently that it had found a flaw in the biometric technology to be used by the government which could make identity fraud worse rather than combating it....... we have Tony flagging up the terrorism threat again.
Surely the best way to combat terrorism and identity theft would be to have our police wasting less time and resources following up trivial complaints, such as someone saying publicly that in their opinion gay people should not be allowed to adopt, or interviewing a politician or minor celebrity for calling the Welsh something naughty, or arresting people reading out the names of the Iraq war dead within hearing distance of Downing Street.
An end to police abusing their "stop and search" powers under the anti-terrorism emergency laws - 36,000 stopped and searched last year compared to 10,200 in 2001, might free up time to do something actually useful. In his annual review of the Terrorism Act, Lord Carlile said the use of Section 44 "could be cut by at least 50% without significant risk to the public or detriment to policing".
And while any racist attack is deplorable, I wonder at police in Manchester choosing to arrest an 11 year old boy for an incident in school which, surely, might better be firmly and sensibly dealt with without recourse to the law.
While police in London stand back and do nothing as demonstrators wave placards inciting the violence and murder that Blair wants to take away our freedoms to avoid.
See all recent posts.
A Stark Choice - Die Snogging Or Get Religion.
Snogging many partners almost quadruples a teenager's risk of contracting two potentially deadly infections, researchers have warned.
Teens can choose between meningitis and septicaemia if they French kiss at least seven partners in a fortnight, and the researchers say teenagers should change their behaviour.
Cut back to six snogging partners a fortnight?
The team have concluded that teenagers who attend religious events were less likely to contract meningococcal disease, because they were less likely to kiss so many partners.
They must have scoured the whole UK to find all three of them, easily recognized because nobody looked more bored and miserable.
See all recent posts.
Teens can choose between meningitis and septicaemia if they French kiss at least seven partners in a fortnight, and the researchers say teenagers should change their behaviour.
Cut back to six snogging partners a fortnight?
The team have concluded that teenagers who attend religious events were less likely to contract meningococcal disease, because they were less likely to kiss so many partners.
They must have scoured the whole UK to find all three of them, easily recognized because nobody looked more bored and miserable.
See all recent posts.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Blonde Has Moment.
A woman whose Land Rover Freelander plunged down a 20ft embankment at Sale Water Park, Manchester, managed to escape through a rear window as her vehicle sank in a lake.
She said later: “I’d had a really busy day and don’t know what happened. One minute I was parking the car, the next I was in the water. I just had a blonde moment.”
A blonde moment. I think that's a wonderful comment.
See all recent posts.
She said later: “I’d had a really busy day and don’t know what happened. One minute I was parking the car, the next I was in the water. I just had a blonde moment.”
A blonde moment. I think that's a wonderful comment.
See all recent posts.
The Israeli Idea Of Tolerance.
An ancient Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem is being dug up and skeletons removed, despite a temporary ban on work granted by the Islamic Court, so that a "museum of tolerance" may be built on the site to promote "unity and respect among Jews and between people of all faiths".
Under Israel's "absentee property" law the one thousand year old cemetery was taken over by the Custodian of Absentee Property after the 1948 war.
Israeli parties to the work are resting part of their case on what they say was an 1894 ruling by the then Sharia court that the sanctity of a cemetery could be lifted, but Palestinians say only a Muslim could make such a decision.
Surely this is not to be a museum of tolerance, but a monument to Israeli provocation, religious bigotry, hate, racism, and failure to learn from past inhumanities inflicted upon them - apart from one lesson, of course.
Treat others you do not like and who get in your way as Nazi Germany treated you, Amen.
See all recent posts.
Under Israel's "absentee property" law the one thousand year old cemetery was taken over by the Custodian of Absentee Property after the 1948 war.
Israeli parties to the work are resting part of their case on what they say was an 1894 ruling by the then Sharia court that the sanctity of a cemetery could be lifted, but Palestinians say only a Muslim could make such a decision.
Surely this is not to be a museum of tolerance, but a monument to Israeli provocation, religious bigotry, hate, racism, and failure to learn from past inhumanities inflicted upon them - apart from one lesson, of course.
Treat others you do not like and who get in your way as Nazi Germany treated you, Amen.
See all recent posts.
The Pragmatic Baby And The Handy Pooch.
A mum in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, became hysterical when she came back into the house after hanging out the washing to find her baby suckling the dog.
A relative who witnessed what happened was less concerned. "The baby was satisfied, since his belly was full and his lips had traces of milk," he said.
A smart move if you're six months old and take a sudden fancy for a fast food snack.
See all recent posts.
A relative who witnessed what happened was less concerned. "The baby was satisfied, since his belly was full and his lips had traces of milk," he said.
A smart move if you're six months old and take a sudden fancy for a fast food snack.
See all recent posts.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Something Inoffensive.
To finish off a week that has seen everybody offended about something.
Colcam.Image
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Colcam.Image
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Saturday, February 04, 2006
A Visit From The Anonymous Smoking Police In Germany.
The secret police, Hamburg division, have visited this blog and, naturally, wished to remain anonymous.
My post about the smoking ban in Scotland, and how it will affect truck drivers, made it into the news section of SMOKEFREELONDON.COM, and obviously attracted the attention of the German smoke police. I expect to hear the patter of jackboots in the drive early tomorrow morning at the first flick of my Zippo.
While welcoming comments on this blog, I have great difficulty in understanding the mentality of anonymous writers, who are invariably rude, unpleasant, have no interest in debate and simply dictate, assuming that by remaining anonymous I am unable to respond to their comments, as they never come back to the site to check. Or if they do, not one of them has had the cojones to answer the question I always ask: Why do you feel it necessary to remain anonymous?
Anonymous said:
Nanny State? Before the smoking ban it was a smoker-dictated state, so now everyone has the choice.
We don't need smoker-nanny to tell us where to breathe second-hand smoke.
And a truck is a workplace, so it should be smoke-free! Simple.
# posted by Anonymous : 11:49 AM
Colcam replied:
Thank you Anonymous - I take it you are a non-smoker - an angry, bitter one. I fail to see how smoke in a truck you are not travelling in can possibly affect you.
I am not talking about the ban in its entirety - only the parts of the ban that are stupid and impossible to enforce.
Why are people like you always ANONYMOUS?
Is it lack of conviction in what you are saying? Is it because you know you are being ridiculous? Is it because you are so politically correct you are embarrassed by it?
Have a ciggie - it'll relax you.
# posted by colcam : 7:07 PM
Why not tell me? I'm really interested to know.
See all recent posts.
My post about the smoking ban in Scotland, and how it will affect truck drivers, made it into the news section of SMOKEFREELONDON.COM, and obviously attracted the attention of the German smoke police. I expect to hear the patter of jackboots in the drive early tomorrow morning at the first flick of my Zippo.
While welcoming comments on this blog, I have great difficulty in understanding the mentality of anonymous writers, who are invariably rude, unpleasant, have no interest in debate and simply dictate, assuming that by remaining anonymous I am unable to respond to their comments, as they never come back to the site to check. Or if they do, not one of them has had the cojones to answer the question I always ask: Why do you feel it necessary to remain anonymous?
Anonymous said:
Nanny State? Before the smoking ban it was a smoker-dictated state, so now everyone has the choice.
We don't need smoker-nanny to tell us where to breathe second-hand smoke.
And a truck is a workplace, so it should be smoke-free! Simple.
# posted by Anonymous : 11:49 AM
Colcam replied:
Thank you Anonymous - I take it you are a non-smoker - an angry, bitter one. I fail to see how smoke in a truck you are not travelling in can possibly affect you.
I am not talking about the ban in its entirety - only the parts of the ban that are stupid and impossible to enforce.
Why are people like you always ANONYMOUS?
Is it lack of conviction in what you are saying? Is it because you know you are being ridiculous? Is it because you are so politically correct you are embarrassed by it?
Have a ciggie - it'll relax you.
# posted by colcam : 7:07 PM
Why not tell me? I'm really interested to know.
See all recent posts.
George Galloway Held In Egypt.
Gorgeous George Galloway has been refused entry into Egypt and was detained "on grounds of national security" on arrival at Cairo airport.
He is being held in a cell, and says he has had nothing to eat or drink.
Happy days!
Sadly, the authorities there are giving him back to us, and we can look forward to hearing him whining endlessly about it all.
See all recent posts.
He is being held in a cell, and says he has had nothing to eat or drink.
Happy days!
Sadly, the authorities there are giving him back to us, and we can look forward to hearing him whining endlessly about it all.
See all recent posts.
Anglo American Relations Tense.
Harvey Bennett of Long Island cast off five plastic bottles containing messages in August 2005 from off the New York coast, hoping that at least one of them might reach foreign climes, and thought his wishes had come true when five months later he received a package that had been posted in Bournemouth on the south coast of England.
His bubble was soon burst, however, when he opened the package to find one of his bottles, accompanied by a letter.
"I recently found your bottle while taking a scenic walk on the beach by Poole Harbour," read the letter, which was signed by one Henry Bigglesworth.
"While you may consider this some profound experiment on the path and speed of oceanic currents, I have another name for it: litter," the letter said.
The irate Mr Bigglesworth then continued to expound on his views about the American people, many of which were described by the East Hampton Star newspaper as "less than flattering".
"You Americans don't seem to be happy unless you are mucking about somewhere," he said.
Nice one Henry - and how typically English!
From ALJAZEERA.NET. No wonder Bampot Bush wanted to blow them up!
---------------------------
See all recent posts.
His bubble was soon burst, however, when he opened the package to find one of his bottles, accompanied by a letter.
"I recently found your bottle while taking a scenic walk on the beach by Poole Harbour," read the letter, which was signed by one Henry Bigglesworth.
"While you may consider this some profound experiment on the path and speed of oceanic currents, I have another name for it: litter," the letter said.
The irate Mr Bigglesworth then continued to expound on his views about the American people, many of which were described by the East Hampton Star newspaper as "less than flattering".
"You Americans don't seem to be happy unless you are mucking about somewhere," he said.
Nice one Henry - and how typically English!
From ALJAZEERA.NET. No wonder Bampot Bush wanted to blow them up!
---------------------------
See all recent posts.
Friday, February 03, 2006
McNanny Says No.
One of the dafter quirks of the smoking ban, which comes into effect next month in Scotland, is that drivers of vans and heavy goods vehicles will be breaking the law if they smoke in the cab of their van or truck, even if alone.
For the long distance truck driver, who is routinely on the road six days a week, sleeping and spending his or her leisure hours in the cab, no exceptions have been made, even though nobody else is in the truck. A cigarette can only be smoked if the driver leaves the vehicle.
This means that for the van or truck driver entering Scotland from England, smoking while in the vehicle must cease on crossing the border, and will be illegal until that vehicle enters England on the return journey, when the driver may happily smoke himself sick.
How this is to be enforced, of course, is a mystery. Perhaps the police are going to conduct raids on parked trucks in the middle of the night, but I doubt that, because on my frequent long trips on some of Scotland's main routes late at night, I have never seen a police vehicle once. I don't know what they do, but they certainly aren't patrolling some of the most dangerous roads in the country.
Drivers of company cars, however, are allowed to smoke.
The Nanny State in all it's wisdom.
See all recent posts.
For the long distance truck driver, who is routinely on the road six days a week, sleeping and spending his or her leisure hours in the cab, no exceptions have been made, even though nobody else is in the truck. A cigarette can only be smoked if the driver leaves the vehicle.
This means that for the van or truck driver entering Scotland from England, smoking while in the vehicle must cease on crossing the border, and will be illegal until that vehicle enters England on the return journey, when the driver may happily smoke himself sick.
How this is to be enforced, of course, is a mystery. Perhaps the police are going to conduct raids on parked trucks in the middle of the night, but I doubt that, because on my frequent long trips on some of Scotland's main routes late at night, I have never seen a police vehicle once. I don't know what they do, but they certainly aren't patrolling some of the most dangerous roads in the country.
Drivers of company cars, however, are allowed to smoke.
The Nanny State in all it's wisdom.
See all recent posts.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
HMS Daring - Where Did They Get The Bit Stuck On Top?
HMS Daring, the first of the Royal Navy's £6 billion fleet of six Type 45 Destroyers, was launched today on the River Clyde in Glasgow.
It may be appropriate that the bit stuck on top of this efficient and deadly killing machine bears an uncanny resemblance to the famous memorial to the war dead which overlooks Dundee and the River Tay.
See all recent posts.
It may be appropriate that the bit stuck on top of this efficient and deadly killing machine bears an uncanny resemblance to the famous memorial to the war dead which overlooks Dundee and the River Tay.
See all recent posts.
Alex Salmond Is Right - It's A badge Of Shame On Blair.
I mentioned yesterday the death of the one hundredth soldier killed in Iraq, less than 24 hours after the death of Lance Corporal Alan Douglas, aged 22, from Aberdeen, whose father said: "He was against the war. He couldn’t see the point of it. The lives of 99 young men have now been lost - and all for nothing."
The one hundredth to die was Corporal Gordon Alexander Pritchard, aged 31, from Edinburgh, cavalryman with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. He was married, with three children under the age of five.
Both Scottish.
Defence Secretary John Reid, also a Scot, said it was an appropriate time to reflect on the "dedication, courage, professionalism and sacrifice" of the armed forces and their families.
Prime Minister Tony Blair was told of Corporal Pritchard’s death after arriving at a meeting in London to organise support for the peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan. The Prime Minister grimaced but insisted that there would be no backing away from the Iraqi mission.
“Our response has got to be to redouble our efforts to make sure the people of Afghanistan and Iraq achieve the democracy they want,” he said.
Fine words.
Alex Salmond, the leader of the Scottish National Party, described the deaths as "a badge of shame" on the Prime Minister.
And how right he is.
See all recent posts.
The one hundredth to die was Corporal Gordon Alexander Pritchard, aged 31, from Edinburgh, cavalryman with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. He was married, with three children under the age of five.
Both Scottish.
Defence Secretary John Reid, also a Scot, said it was an appropriate time to reflect on the "dedication, courage, professionalism and sacrifice" of the armed forces and their families.
Prime Minister Tony Blair was told of Corporal Pritchard’s death after arriving at a meeting in London to organise support for the peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan. The Prime Minister grimaced but insisted that there would be no backing away from the Iraqi mission.
“Our response has got to be to redouble our efforts to make sure the people of Afghanistan and Iraq achieve the democracy they want,” he said.
Fine words.
Alex Salmond, the leader of the Scottish National Party, described the deaths as "a badge of shame" on the Prime Minister.
And how right he is.
See all recent posts.
Living In Hell And Other Stories At The National Gallery.
A series of large-format photographs, captioned with headlines from the artist's local paper, the Hackney Gazette. The images are updated versions of Old Master paintings.
Photographer Tom Hunter's Living in Hell exhibition at the National Gallery, featuring all the images from the show and the paintings that inspired them.
The National Gallery, London
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Photographer Tom Hunter's Living in Hell exhibition at the National Gallery, featuring all the images from the show and the paintings that inspired them.
The National Gallery, London
See all recent posts.
Blair Buggered Again.
Blair and his henchmen have suffered two shock defeats over attempts to overturn Lords changes to the controversial Racial and Religious Hatred Bill.
288 votes to 278 to back a key Lords amendment to the bill.
Analysis of the division list showed that Blair, the Prime Minister, voted in the first division but not in the second, which was lost by one vote.
Silly bugger.
Shami Chakrabarti, of Liberty, said her organisation "takes great heart as Parliament stands up for our rights and freedoms once more".
Shami is turning out to be quite a formidable opponent to the government in matters of freedom and civil liberties.
Thank goodness.
Shami Chakrabarti of Liberty
Liberty
See all recent posts.
288 votes to 278 to back a key Lords amendment to the bill.
Analysis of the division list showed that Blair, the Prime Minister, voted in the first division but not in the second, which was lost by one vote.
Silly bugger.
Shami Chakrabarti, of Liberty, said her organisation "takes great heart as Parliament stands up for our rights and freedoms once more".
Shami is turning out to be quite a formidable opponent to the government in matters of freedom and civil liberties.
Thank goodness.
Shami Chakrabarti of Liberty
Liberty
See all recent posts.
© Colcam 2005-2007
