Archbishop Cranmer's embers are glowing over Gordon Brown's "Sermon" in St Paul's.
Kezia Dugdale tells us how we can learn lessons on gender equality from Rwanda.
Lawson Narse has a nice take on one of my favourite David Bowie Albums.
And finally
Old Holborn namechecks my old chums, the Fairtrade Organic Lesbian Collective.
The diversity of sexuality
Forgive me. I am becoming a slave to statporn. Regular bloggers will know what I mean.
But seriously.
A while back an MP was discovered, deceased, apparently the subject of a bizarre sex death; Stephen Milligan was found, dressed only in stockings and suspenders with a piece of Satsuma in his mouth. He had been taking illegal drugs. And then there was Mark Oaten, and Simon Hughes, and..well the list is endless. In other news, Max Mosley was exposed as a sado-masochist.
Ken Livingstone said something about this which I did not forget. He said that (to paraphrase) there is a spectrum of sexuality. You cannot logically describe people as gay or straight or deviant because the boundaries are not clear. I don't think they are. I think we are desperate, in our unimaginative ways, to pigeon hole (not a euphemism) people in all sorts of ways, but especially naughty sexual ones. Now, there will be people out there who know for certain what they are. Good luck to them. But there are also many who do not. Simon Hughes, when it came out that he was "secretly" gay said, "It's not as simple as that". I believe him. It is not as simple as that.
I am always irritated by people who ask me "And what do you do?" I used to say I was a lion tamer, and I got away with it every time, but now I am more likely to say "I don't know".
Before you ask, I am fairly certain that I am straight, being on my second marriage, with two kids, and some lapses in fidelity of the heterosexual kind several years back. It probably explains why, in 1972, I felt totally comfortable living with a screaming queen in a remote farm cottage.
But I digress. What I am trying to say, given today's rather confusing news that the husband of the Home Secretary watches gay porn, is that you can no more pin people down on sexuality than you can pin people down on the food they eat. We are all different and diverse on both counts and I kind of hope that in the future, when people say "that's disgusting" it will carry as much weight as when they are talking about Brussels Sprouts.
But seriously.
A while back an MP was discovered, deceased, apparently the subject of a bizarre sex death; Stephen Milligan was found, dressed only in stockings and suspenders with a piece of Satsuma in his mouth. He had been taking illegal drugs. And then there was Mark Oaten, and Simon Hughes, and..well the list is endless. In other news, Max Mosley was exposed as a sado-masochist.
Ken Livingstone said something about this which I did not forget. He said that (to paraphrase) there is a spectrum of sexuality. You cannot logically describe people as gay or straight or deviant because the boundaries are not clear. I don't think they are. I think we are desperate, in our unimaginative ways, to pigeon hole (not a euphemism) people in all sorts of ways, but especially naughty sexual ones. Now, there will be people out there who know for certain what they are. Good luck to them. But there are also many who do not. Simon Hughes, when it came out that he was "secretly" gay said, "It's not as simple as that". I believe him. It is not as simple as that.
I am always irritated by people who ask me "And what do you do?" I used to say I was a lion tamer, and I got away with it every time, but now I am more likely to say "I don't know".
Before you ask, I am fairly certain that I am straight, being on my second marriage, with two kids, and some lapses in fidelity of the heterosexual kind several years back. It probably explains why, in 1972, I felt totally comfortable living with a screaming queen in a remote farm cottage.
But I digress. What I am trying to say, given today's rather confusing news that the husband of the Home Secretary watches gay porn, is that you can no more pin people down on sexuality than you can pin people down on the food they eat. We are all different and diverse on both counts and I kind of hope that in the future, when people say "that's disgusting" it will carry as much weight as when they are talking about Brussels Sprouts.
Follow the Money
Yesterday, on Tom Harris' blog I posted a comment about a parallel between Nixon and his mooted impeachment under three articles, and Culpability Brown:
1. Obstruction of Justice
2. Abuse of Power.
3. Contempt of Congress
I bemoaned the fact that Brown and New Labour have gotten away with high crimes and misdemeanors, but I finished the comment by saying:
And sooner or later, somebody in some government department or somebody from number ten, with an axe to grind will provide evidence that will resist shredding and spin.
And now it seems that the comment was more prescient than I had suspected; following the revelation that the husband of Jacqui Smith has been downloading pornography at Tax Payer's expense, the BBC reports:
BBC political correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti said there were rumours "whizzing round Labour's circles" that there may be a Tory mole in the House of Commons fees office, following several leaks.
So perhaps the Watergate analogy was not as far fetched as I suspected it might be, for the instructions given to the two reporters who broke the story, by "Deep Throat" was FOLLOW THE MONEY.
The Jacqui Smith story is hardly of Watergate proportions, but it is only the next in a long line of drip, drip revelations that are damaging to the Government. Very soon, a lot more of these stories are going to reach the public domain and there is nothing legal the Government can do to stop them.
After Daniel Hannan: Can the Bloggers set the News Agenda?
The Daniel Hannan viral video has blown the bloody doors off. The rules are changing. Who controls the news agenda now? Are there lessons to be learned from history?
Newsgathering has always put its participants under pressure. Deadlines must be met. It is therefore necessary to invoke an editorial policy which will inform the gathering of news and direct its findings, because, in the heat of the moment, no such decisions can be made. The job of the reporter is to send in copy. Nobody is allowed to return empty handed, so the value of some news is inherently degraded by necessity rather than newsworthiness. Editorial policy in this country has, since the Second World War been subject to a voluntary consensus on what constitutes news. Occasionally, but not often, individual media sources will take a different slant on the same story, but by and large, the subject matter in Editorial meetings is the same in every Mainstream Media (MSM) outlet in the country, every day of every year, and very narrow it is too. It is possible, with very little experience, to predict what the leading stories will be on a given day.
The importance the news agenda plays in the lives of the majority is minor. Ask people what they are worried about or happy about and the answer is going to be highly parochial. There is a sociopathic reaction to what news editors believe is important. People on the whole, just want to be left alone. The MSM is for people who either work in it, appear in it, or need a light hobby that does not require too much custom made equipment to indulge it, while they wait for the train or sit in the dentist's waiting room.
The above scenario plays out, and has played out for some years. It is only when the hoi-polloi begin to sense that their private and tranquil lives are somehow subject to outside interference do they look up and sniff the coffee.
Most of us will now know someone who has recently been made redundant. They may also be sympathetic enough to understand the implications. Reality is biting.
This has happened regularly througout history and by and large the establishment have been able to control it. They have been able to, either disguise the truth or suppress it or discredit or suppress those who differ. The last time that the British Government seriously considered losing control of the country was during the early stages of the French Revolution. It is impossible to underestimate how much of a reality was the idea that it would spread. British Radicals at the time considered that it heralded a new political order, coming out of the economic crisis that precipitated it that was due in part to a spiral of credit.
"..it was the burden of debt and the collapse of credit that forced the calling of the Estates General and structured the whole of the early revolutionary debate in France. Reading Burke’s Reflections in the light of this shows how his thinking about political stability is influenced either by explicitly financial issues or by political issues relating to the likely creditworthiness of the resulting regime."
(http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521579117&ss=exc)
So there is nothing new under the sun. Fear about the French Revolution and its impact upon British society, together with domestic problems carried on well into the next century.
In 1819 a demonstration took place in Manchester at St. Peter's Fields.
Newsgathering has always put its participants under pressure. Deadlines must be met. It is therefore necessary to invoke an editorial policy which will inform the gathering of news and direct its findings, because, in the heat of the moment, no such decisions can be made. The job of the reporter is to send in copy. Nobody is allowed to return empty handed, so the value of some news is inherently degraded by necessity rather than newsworthiness. Editorial policy in this country has, since the Second World War been subject to a voluntary consensus on what constitutes news. Occasionally, but not often, individual media sources will take a different slant on the same story, but by and large, the subject matter in Editorial meetings is the same in every Mainstream Media (MSM) outlet in the country, every day of every year, and very narrow it is too. It is possible, with very little experience, to predict what the leading stories will be on a given day.
The importance the news agenda plays in the lives of the majority is minor. Ask people what they are worried about or happy about and the answer is going to be highly parochial. There is a sociopathic reaction to what news editors believe is important. People on the whole, just want to be left alone. The MSM is for people who either work in it, appear in it, or need a light hobby that does not require too much custom made equipment to indulge it, while they wait for the train or sit in the dentist's waiting room.
The above scenario plays out, and has played out for some years. It is only when the hoi-polloi begin to sense that their private and tranquil lives are somehow subject to outside interference do they look up and sniff the coffee.
Most of us will now know someone who has recently been made redundant. They may also be sympathetic enough to understand the implications. Reality is biting.
This has happened regularly througout history and by and large the establishment have been able to control it. They have been able to, either disguise the truth or suppress it or discredit or suppress those who differ. The last time that the British Government seriously considered losing control of the country was during the early stages of the French Revolution. It is impossible to underestimate how much of a reality was the idea that it would spread. British Radicals at the time considered that it heralded a new political order, coming out of the economic crisis that precipitated it that was due in part to a spiral of credit.
"..it was the burden of debt and the collapse of credit that forced the calling of the Estates General and structured the whole of the early revolutionary debate in France. Reading Burke’s Reflections in the light of this shows how his thinking about political stability is influenced either by explicitly financial issues or by political issues relating to the likely creditworthiness of the resulting regime."
(http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521579117&ss=exc)
So there is nothing new under the sun. Fear about the French Revolution and its impact upon British society, together with domestic problems carried on well into the next century.
In 1819 a demonstration took place in Manchester at St. Peter's Fields.
On August 16th, 60 to 80 thousand people carrying banners bearing slogans against the Corn Laws, and in favour of universal suffrage, held a meeting at St. Peter's Fields. Magistrates ordered the arrest of the principle speakers. The Yeomanry were sent in to make the arrests and were confronted by the crowds. They drew their swords and killed a dozen or more protestors and injured five hundred, and the Peterloo massacre entered history. What was interesting, and relevant to this piece, is that it was the first time that a number of national journalists were present. They were sympathetic to the protesters and support went, as we would say today, viral.
There is a great difference now. The Main Stream Media are on the side of the Establishment. Opposition to the status quo has been fully marginalised to the extent that when Daniel Hannan's speech to Gordon Brown "went viral", he was still being written off as a maverick and an irrelevance by most of them who grudgingly reported it, days later, as an internet novelty.
There are some very credible political bloggers who are now constituting something new. They are the Fifth Estate; the so-called Fourth Estate has been subsumed into the miasma of received opinion and venality.
They can and do set the agenda. Guido Fawkes made us look at a charity called the Smith institute that was not a charity at all but a funded arm of the Labour Party. Mike Smithson faithfully publishes what people really think about the state of the parties. Thomas Cranmer upholds the views of Christians in a country where they have been marginalised in the name of political correctness. The Devil's Kitchen exposes hypocrisy everywhere, no holds barred. Iain Dale provides a much needed platform for free speech and right wing thinking and is the most influential, right of centre blogger in the country. All of these are not paid for out of public funds or beholden to anyone but themselves.
If you have any doubts as to whether Bloggers can set the agenda, visit them and make up your own mind. The MSM is tired, toadying and only after an easy ride. See what is going down and decide to find out the truth.
Tasers to be deployed over G20
According to The Times, Scotland Yard will be deploying specialist officers trained to use 50,000-volt Taser stun guns.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/G20/article5993139.ece
Read the post below.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/G20/article5993139.ece
Read the post below.
G20 - Don't go - Guest Blogger Electro Kevin
I am pleased to be able to welcome a guest commenter to Wrinkled Weasel's World, Electro Kevin. He has his own blog here: http://electro-kevin-electro-kevin.blogspot.com/ I have followed his blog for some years now and commend it to you.
EK used to be a police officer and it is fair to say he saw plenty of action. Nowadays Kevin drives high speed trains, including those fabulous Eurostar machines. I have always felt that the police don't get to talk freely about their work, for reasons that are understandable. I worked with some of them many years ago and my experience was that they are very heavily managed; in other words they do as they are told. The idea that they somehow make it up as they go along has always struck me as being nonsense. They are driven from above and it is obvious to me that there is often a political hand in what they do. Anyway, here is Kevin, he has seen it from the inside.
On the subject of policing which you'd asked me to explain on your blog.
I don't know what police tactics are nowadays - though they seem to be lock-down and divide as you say.
I would expect there to be far more intelligence gathering than there used to be before hand and interception of trouble makers etc.
As for the police's position as individuals ? Coppers can be a mercenary lot. They'll do what ever their paymasters tell them to - those principled enough not to enforce laws they don't believe in have left the job already. Coppers will be grasping for overtime in these straitened times and for job security. Expect to get a thorough spanking if you get too close and you're not in Muslim garb.
The problem I see with the G20 demos is that today's march was headed with a banner which said "Jobs Justice Environment" anyone who swells their numbers for whatever ideological reason (be it you're fed up with tax and leftist government or wanker Brown) will find themselves added to the head count and unwittingly allied with the wrong agenda.
The government will use these demos as a mandate to persue the greenist (stealth tax) agenda, the justice agenda (socialism).
We'll be told that jobs will come with greenism and 'justice' whilst Nu Lab use this as an excuse as to why we've been knocked back economically to the 1920s. "Your austerity is to pay to save the planet and it's what you told us to do."
My advice to anyone ? Don't go. EK
Teaching Grumpy Spaniards to smile is not enough
A recent report that the Spanish Tourist Industry is trying to inculcate a warmer welcome from the locals to us beer belly Brits is gratifying, but does not, I feel, get to the root of the problem.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5054841/Grumpy-Spaniards-told-to-smile-in-bid-to-boost-tourism.html
I have visited Spain only four times - Majorca, Menorca, Tossa de Mar and Majorca again, all for the purposes of getting some sunshine during the winter months. I do not get drunk, I do not puke, I do not take drugs or go to discos. I like to walk, eat and dine.
The trouble is, on each occasion, I have been aware that the "welcome" I got was paper thin. At one hotel, two nights of our stay were wrecked by Spanish college students who rampaged through the hotel all night. My complaints were met with a shrug. On another trip I took a liking to a very local restaurant and asked to book for Sunday lunch, only to be told that they only served local people on Sunday. My overall impression is that if anything goes wrong, you will not get much help or sympathy.
Having said that, when they try they really do try. I remember turning up in Ciudadela at about 2.30 one day when we were parched and starving hungry from a long walk. We went into a tiny cafe and asked for lunch. There was a look of horror on the face of the Woman who was obviously the owner. "But we have stopped serving lunch and there is nothing left", she said with a look of anguish. She did, however, invite us in, sat us at a table and said that she would try and find "something simple".
Within minutes we had: A carafe of wine, crusty bread, fresh Gazpacho, fish fragranced with salt sea air, a huge mixed salad and fries, followed by "flan". I think we were charged the equivalent of a few pounds for two.
I recently re-read a wonderful account in microcosm of Spain's transition from impoverished agricultural/maritime economy to Tourist hotspot, in the Norman Lewis book, "Voices of the old Sea". What struck me was that Lewis had to spend months, even years, spending every summer in the same small seaside town in order to be acknowledged or included in the affairs of the locals, despite speaking good Spanish, and the local dialect and working hard with the fishermen.
Somehow, I think, in these days of straightened economies and competition for tourist Euros, the Spanish have to learn a lot more than how to smile.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5054841/Grumpy-Spaniards-told-to-smile-in-bid-to-boost-tourism.html
I have visited Spain only four times - Majorca, Menorca, Tossa de Mar and Majorca again, all for the purposes of getting some sunshine during the winter months. I do not get drunk, I do not puke, I do not take drugs or go to discos. I like to walk, eat and dine.
The trouble is, on each occasion, I have been aware that the "welcome" I got was paper thin. At one hotel, two nights of our stay were wrecked by Spanish college students who rampaged through the hotel all night. My complaints were met with a shrug. On another trip I took a liking to a very local restaurant and asked to book for Sunday lunch, only to be told that they only served local people on Sunday. My overall impression is that if anything goes wrong, you will not get much help or sympathy.
Having said that, when they try they really do try. I remember turning up in Ciudadela at about 2.30 one day when we were parched and starving hungry from a long walk. We went into a tiny cafe and asked for lunch. There was a look of horror on the face of the Woman who was obviously the owner. "But we have stopped serving lunch and there is nothing left", she said with a look of anguish. She did, however, invite us in, sat us at a table and said that she would try and find "something simple".
Within minutes we had: A carafe of wine, crusty bread, fresh Gazpacho, fish fragranced with salt sea air, a huge mixed salad and fries, followed by "flan". I think we were charged the equivalent of a few pounds for two.
I recently re-read a wonderful account in microcosm of Spain's transition from impoverished agricultural/maritime economy to Tourist hotspot, in the Norman Lewis book, "Voices of the old Sea". What struck me was that Lewis had to spend months, even years, spending every summer in the same small seaside town in order to be acknowledged or included in the affairs of the locals, despite speaking good Spanish, and the local dialect and working hard with the fishermen.
Somehow, I think, in these days of straightened economies and competition for tourist Euros, the Spanish have to learn a lot more than how to smile.
John Prescott talks sense
John Prescott on the viral Daniel Hannan Video:
It seems Mr Prescott reads my blog and the comments I leave on Mr Dale's. Well done John for being honest enough and astute enough to see what's going down.
Link to Prescott's blog HERE
I think this is a perfect example of the power shift away from the mainstream media to the internet. Instead of having to get past the editorial filter of journalists and editors, people are starting to set the news agenda and the hacks are having to catch up.
It seems Mr Prescott reads my blog and the comments I leave on Mr Dale's. Well done John for being honest enough and astute enough to see what's going down.
Link to Prescott's blog HERE
A word from Guest Blogger - Georgina Hoy-Manners
Hellay chaps. Jolly nice to be allied to blog away on the Weasel's blog. Do you nay, I really do not like the idea of us having a nuclear deterrent. They are noisy and expensive and who are they gaying to point it at?
Nipped into the Cod for a Gin and It and do you nay there was that chap Derek Draper. He looked very sheepish and ordered a bacon sarnie and a glass of Staropramen. We all thought he was going to behave until he asked the barman for another "serviette" and asked where the "toilet" was and then it all turned nasty.
The Painy Club has been simply beastly this week. Little Araminta Kettle-Fraybisher screamed and screamed until I calmed her dine with some Calpol and some left over Charlie from last night, and Lysistrata Tollemache wet her self in the saddle...In. The . Saddle!!! "Get dine," I shited, lidely..but she took nay natice whatsoever. I went hiking this week in the Cairngorms. A few pals lost the odd toe due to frostbite, but they soon had the old Le Creuset out and knocked up a hearty game soup (add a few fennel seeds at the end, it's delicious) and then the cry was onward and upward without crampons. We took it easy.. just did abite 45 miles altogether until my darling fiance, Freddy came and rescued us in his helicopter. Everyone had hypothermia by that time but I had them singing, "Ten Green Bottles" to keep spirits up. Well its off to muck ite the horses for me and later we are having a few friends arind for some high quality skunk and a few nibbles. Toodle pip!!
Yours ever, George
ps Weas is so BCBG
MSM loses control of the media narrative
Recently Derek Draper, he of the Labour List blog and exaggerated psychology qualifications, has been singlehandedly defending Labour against the attacks of the blogosphere and the phenomenon that is Daniel Hannan. Don't worry folks, Derek Draper is not important. Remember Derek Hatton, another cheeky lefty chappy who infested the media for a moment? He has "self-actualised" as fellow phony psychobabblers say, and now drives a 60 grand Range Rover and sells holiday apartments in Cyprus.
There is a time for a loud mouth pub bore. They provide a breath of fresh air for pomaded pundits and guilt ridden Guardianistas. This is his moment. They know he is filth but the Establishment loves a bit of rough to play with. He is doing the job they cannot possibly be seen to do and that is kick the Tories.
No, Draper will pass - and quite quickly, because respectable Labour voters won't want to associate with him; the ordinary working people who form the productive part of the economy and still inexplicably vote Labour.
What I find fascinating is the way the media has handled it, and the narrative, both on the BBC and Channel Four is that Hannan is a maverick unknown who got lucky on Youtube. What they cannot afford to do is to acknowledge that they have lost control of the agenda and can no longer rely on the love in between the editors of Today, Newsnight and others, and the Government spin doctors.
They have lost control of the media. They know it, and frankly they are increasingly looking like an aetheist who wakes up one morning to find God sitting at the end of his bed.
There is a time for a loud mouth pub bore. They provide a breath of fresh air for pomaded pundits and guilt ridden Guardianistas. This is his moment. They know he is filth but the Establishment loves a bit of rough to play with. He is doing the job they cannot possibly be seen to do and that is kick the Tories.
No, Draper will pass - and quite quickly, because respectable Labour voters won't want to associate with him; the ordinary working people who form the productive part of the economy and still inexplicably vote Labour.
What I find fascinating is the way the media has handled it, and the narrative, both on the BBC and Channel Four is that Hannan is a maverick unknown who got lucky on Youtube. What they cannot afford to do is to acknowledge that they have lost control of the agenda and can no longer rely on the love in between the editors of Today, Newsnight and others, and the Government spin doctors.
They have lost control of the media. They know it, and frankly they are increasingly looking like an aetheist who wakes up one morning to find God sitting at the end of his bed.
How sincere is David Miliband on Iraq inquiry?
So, many of you will have heard something you do not get in the Commons these days from New Labour; an answer. This was about the timing of an inquiry into the war in Iraq. Not only that, a one word answer. The question asked of Foreign Secretary David Milliband was:
"So he can give a commitment today, can he, that we will set up this inquiry as soon as practicable after the 1st, July - that's given is it?
Milliband: "Yes. Next question..."
The speculation about this has now gone into overdrive.
Quick to smell a rat, William Hague was reported thus:
It is said that history is always written by the victors (attributed to Churchill). Given their propensity to re-write history in their favour, the Labour Government has a vested interest in determining the terms of reference of such an inquiry before they are thrown out of of office at the next election and the long list of misdemeanors unravels in the court of public opinion. Even though Labour know they are almost certainly going to lose the next general election, information about the conduct of the war could impact on their electoral chances for decades. (People still remember the Belgrano affair from the Thatcher era - a drop in the ocean compared to Iraq)
This announcement, though broadly welcome, has all the hallmarks of a Labour spin operation, with speculation that Gordon Brown will make an announcement about it at the Labour Party autumn conference.
For me, the idea that those who perpetrated this war crime could in any way be involved in an inquiry is absurd and abominable. Let us hope that William Hague and his colleagues will reserve the right to re-draw the terms of reference once they are in power.
The day of reckoning for Labour, not just for the war, but for their disastrous handling of the economy and ten years of social engineering, and the abolition of civil liberties, must come. And on that day, History must be written not just by the victors, but by the guardians of the truth.
"So he can give a commitment today, can he, that we will set up this inquiry as soon as practicable after the 1st, July - that's given is it?
Milliband: "Yes. Next question..."
The speculation about this has now gone into overdrive.
Quick to smell a rat, William Hague was reported thus:
The precise terms of the inquiry would be likely to have been agreed by the three party leaders. But Mr Hague said today that a Conservative administration would seek to widen any review set up by the current Government if they felt it was not comprehensive enough. (The Times)
It is said that history is always written by the victors (attributed to Churchill). Given their propensity to re-write history in their favour, the Labour Government has a vested interest in determining the terms of reference of such an inquiry before they are thrown out of of office at the next election and the long list of misdemeanors unravels in the court of public opinion. Even though Labour know they are almost certainly going to lose the next general election, information about the conduct of the war could impact on their electoral chances for decades. (People still remember the Belgrano affair from the Thatcher era - a drop in the ocean compared to Iraq)
This announcement, though broadly welcome, has all the hallmarks of a Labour spin operation, with speculation that Gordon Brown will make an announcement about it at the Labour Party autumn conference.
For me, the idea that those who perpetrated this war crime could in any way be involved in an inquiry is absurd and abominable. Let us hope that William Hague and his colleagues will reserve the right to re-draw the terms of reference once they are in power.
The day of reckoning for Labour, not just for the war, but for their disastrous handling of the economy and ten years of social engineering, and the abolition of civil liberties, must come. And on that day, History must be written not just by the victors, but by the guardians of the truth.
The BBC legitimizes truth
A goodly number of people, complaining about the lack of Daniel Hannan's prescient and historic speech to the Prime Minister have complained about not only the BBC's lack of coverage of the event, but the failure of two chief correspondents, Nick Robinson and Mark Mardell, to even give it a mention. I wondered why?
What is it about the BBC that has us all in thrall to it, in a manner that speaks of the kind of faith you normally associate with a religious cult? What makes us all rush to bbc.co.uk in times of national crisis?
Let's roll back a bit, to my old friend, recent history. Years ago, at the height of the Cold War, the USSR regularly blocked BBC transmissions. They did this because they realised that the Corporation was a powerful threat to control of their particular narrative. After the wall came down, BBC transmissions were not only allowed in Russia, but the were relayed on FM by Russian Stations. This practice continued until recently, when Putin ordered FM transmissions of BBC programmes to be dropped.
When I was training to be a broadcaster it was acknowledged that the world sought to find out, not only the truth, but the unbiased truth, by tuning in on their scratchy, medium and short wave transistor radios to the BBC's World Service. The BBC was the benchmark in truth; a drawn sword parting the darkness of ignorance, as it was characterised by it's first Director General, Lord Reith.
Before that, news of the War with Germany was sent straight to those valve radios from Alexandra Palace. We may not have heard the whole truth then, but it was a pretty good rendition of it. The fact that the BBC's wartime output was propagandistic, is not in itself a bad thing as this was mitigated by the fact that it was on the side of the people and on the side of right. It was also a reflection of the patrician stance the Corporation took in patrician times.
The value of a media organisation, or indeed an individual, is other peoples' opinion of it. Vaclav Havel, former President of Czechoslovakia, wrote a play called "Largo Desolato" The hero of the play, Leopold, is a hero/dissident professor who fears being sent to prison for his outspoken attacks on the regime. He is visited by two "secret police" in what is, artistically a sort of homage to Beckett. Leopold finds that his identity is vested in his actions; his profile as a dissident. It comes as a shock to him at the end of the play that the secret police are no longer interested in him because he is no longer important, no longer a threat.
The lesson, I suppose you can learn from this is that the value of an organisation is also predicated upon the importance people place on it. In the case of the BBC, it has been venerated, apotheosed, as the fount of truth and knowledge. Perhaps that goes some way to explaining the outrage evinced by those who believe it is no longer these things. It has legitimized the true reporting of facts because it once, scrupulously did. It it now like a defunct religion, relying upon a rump of fanatics to prop it up.
If the BBC continues to be so out of touch, so malign in it's intent to prop up a wicked regime, I hope that people will not only lose interest in it, but cease to worship at it's hallowed portals.
What is it about the BBC that has us all in thrall to it, in a manner that speaks of the kind of faith you normally associate with a religious cult? What makes us all rush to bbc.co.uk in times of national crisis?
Let's roll back a bit, to my old friend, recent history. Years ago, at the height of the Cold War, the USSR regularly blocked BBC transmissions. They did this because they realised that the Corporation was a powerful threat to control of their particular narrative. After the wall came down, BBC transmissions were not only allowed in Russia, but the were relayed on FM by Russian Stations. This practice continued until recently, when Putin ordered FM transmissions of BBC programmes to be dropped.
When I was training to be a broadcaster it was acknowledged that the world sought to find out, not only the truth, but the unbiased truth, by tuning in on their scratchy, medium and short wave transistor radios to the BBC's World Service. The BBC was the benchmark in truth; a drawn sword parting the darkness of ignorance, as it was characterised by it's first Director General, Lord Reith.
Before that, news of the War with Germany was sent straight to those valve radios from Alexandra Palace. We may not have heard the whole truth then, but it was a pretty good rendition of it. The fact that the BBC's wartime output was propagandistic, is not in itself a bad thing as this was mitigated by the fact that it was on the side of the people and on the side of right. It was also a reflection of the patrician stance the Corporation took in patrician times.
The value of a media organisation, or indeed an individual, is other peoples' opinion of it. Vaclav Havel, former President of Czechoslovakia, wrote a play called "Largo Desolato" The hero of the play, Leopold, is a hero/dissident professor who fears being sent to prison for his outspoken attacks on the regime. He is visited by two "secret police" in what is, artistically a sort of homage to Beckett. Leopold finds that his identity is vested in his actions; his profile as a dissident. It comes as a shock to him at the end of the play that the secret police are no longer interested in him because he is no longer important, no longer a threat.
The lesson, I suppose you can learn from this is that the value of an organisation is also predicated upon the importance people place on it. In the case of the BBC, it has been venerated, apotheosed, as the fount of truth and knowledge. Perhaps that goes some way to explaining the outrage evinced by those who believe it is no longer these things. It has legitimized the true reporting of facts because it once, scrupulously did. It it now like a defunct religion, relying upon a rump of fanatics to prop it up.
If the BBC continues to be so out of touch, so malign in it's intent to prop up a wicked regime, I hope that people will not only lose interest in it, but cease to worship at it's hallowed portals.
Sir Fred Goodwin - War Criminal
Sir Fred Goodwin, the fat cat banker has escaped abroad like a wanted Nazi war criminal. Too right. He is a criminal. And now it has been reported that his Edinburgh home has been vandalised. As far as I am concerned that should be the least of his worries. He has committed treason, theft and fraud and should be arrested and charged accordingly.
The Hannan Speech in Full
(This speech, delivered to Gordon Brown, who had previously addressed MEPs was received by the PM who grinned like an idiot all the way through. Daniel Hannan's addresss is Churchillian in execution; Hannan skewers the PM like a stuck pig. I produce it here as a record of the truth about rotten New Labour and rotten Gordon Brown and also because it will become a speech of historical importance. Scroll down the blog for the video version)
"Prime Minister, I see you’ve already mastered the essential craft of this Parliament – that being to say one thing in this chamber, and a very different thing to your home electorate. You’ve spoken here about free trade, and amen to that; who would have guessed, listening to you just now, that you were the author of the phrase ‘British Jobs for British Workers’, and that you have subsidised - where you have not nationalised outright - swathes of our economy, including the car industry and many of the banks.
"Prime Minister, I see you’ve already mastered the essential craft of this Parliament – that being to say one thing in this chamber, and a very different thing to your home electorate. You’ve spoken here about free trade, and amen to that; who would have guessed, listening to you just now, that you were the author of the phrase ‘British Jobs for British Workers’, and that you have subsidised - where you have not nationalised outright - swathes of our economy, including the car industry and many of the banks.
Perhaps you would have more moral authority in this house if your actions matched your words. Perhaps you would have more legitimacy in the councils of the world if the United Kingdom were not going into this recession in the worst condition of any G20 country.
The truth, Prime Minister, is that you have run out of our money. The country as a whole is now in negative equity. Every British child is born owing around £20,000. Servicing the interest on that debt is going to cost more than educating the child.
Now once again today you tried to spread the blame around, you spoke about an international recession; an international crisis. Well, it is true that we are all sailing together into the squall – but not every vessel in the convoy is in the same dilapidated condition. Other ships used the good years to caulk their hulls and clear up their rigging – in other words, to pay off debt – but you used the good years to raise borrowing yet further. As a consequence, under your captaincy, our hull is pressed deep into the water line, under the accumulated weight of your debt. We are now running a deficit that touches almost 10% of GDP – an unbelievable figure. More than Pakistan, more than Hungary – countries where the IMF has already been called in.
Now, it’s not that you’re not apologising - like everyone else, I’ve long accepted that you’re pathologically incapable of accepting responsibility for these things these things - it’s that you’re carrying on, wilfully worsening the situation, wantonly spending what little we have left. Last year, in the last twelve months, 125,000 private sector jobs have been lost – and yet you’ve created 30,000 public sector jobs. Prime Minister you cannot go on forever squeezing the productive bit of the economy in order to fund an unprecedented engorging of the unproductive bit.
You cannot spend your way out of recession or borrow your way out of debt. And when you repeat, in that wooden and perfunctory way, that our situation is better than others, that we’re well place to weather the storm, I have to tell you, you sound like a Brezhnev-era Apparatchik giving the party line. You know, and we know, and you know that we know that it’s nonsense. Everyone knows that Britain is the worst placed to go into these hard times. The IMF has said so. The European Commission has said so. The markets have said so, which is why our currency has devalued by 30% – and soon the voters, too, will get their chance to say so.
They can see what the markets have already seen: that you are a devalued Prime Minister, of a devalued Government."
(If you needed any proof that the BBC is part of the problem, and most of the rest of the MSM, it didn't even get a mention, not even on the BBC Europe correspondent's blog. I urge everyone that reads this and agrees with it to publish it on their blogs, either the speech or the video or both)
Music
For those of you who are missing the music, I have apparently exceeded my bandwith allowance. Please be assured that we value your patience and understanding in this matter and that normal service will be resumed when I can be arsed.
Point of Departure
Tonight was a big moment in the life of a big man. Tom Harris, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State has voted against a Government Three Line Whip for the first time. Harris' career seems to have taken a very interesting turn in the last few months. First, there was the hoo ha about single mothers and council flats. He wrote:
Teenage girls shouldn't be having underage sex. Why? Because it's wrong.
Teenage girls shouldn't choose to have babies as an alternative to getting an education and a career. Why? Because it's wrong.
Parents shouldn't teach their children that a lifetime on benefits is attractive or even acceptable. Why? Because it's wrong.
And now, Tom's attention has turned to freedom of speech and thought, (not something you would normally associate with New Labour)
Tonight for the first time he has voted against his own government.
You can read about it HERE
In the meantime I can only publicly wish you well and assert that you have served to bring the office of Member of Parliament into some repute. Not because you have done something with which I agree, but because you have made the transition from weathervane to signpost.
This song is for you.
02 Keep The Faith.mp3
Woodstock - nearly 40 years on
Does anyone remember it?
Billed as Three Days of Peace and Love, with the added attraction of a lot of rain and terrible music quality, Woodstock gained mythic status as the embodiment of the hippie dream in August 1969, a dream that turned into a nightmare six months later at Altamont.
I have been listening to recordings of the event and they are dire. There are going to be a lot of 40th Anniversary special editions flying about and well, you cannot polish a turd. Crosby Stills and Nash were ragged, helped eventually by some studio overdubs. Many bands simply declined to appear. Jethro Tull were very big at the time but heard that it was chaos and the bands weren't being paid. Canned Heat were obviously so loaded it sounded as if somebody had leapt onto the stage from the crowd to sing "Goin' up the Country", instead of "Bob (The Bear) Hite". The Incredible String Band were ghastly, not helped by spending three days in their wet stage clothes. I suppose their are some good musical moments, but none spring to mind.
All in all, love and peace and all that, man, but you were better off doing what Joni did and sit in a nice hotel in New York and write the Myth.
11 Woodstock.mp3
The Fruit of Your Labours and The death of capitalist integrity
The global buying up of toxic debt means that ordinary people like you and me are taking on the debts of those who should never have been lent money in the first place. It is as if a street beggar asked you for £50,000 and you said "OK", here's the fifty grand, pay me when you can". But it is worse than that because you did not have fifty grand either, so you borrowed it, and the people who lent it to you may have hedged their money and sooner or later, this IOU has been passed around so many times that nobody knows where the real money is. That's how the sub-prime market collapsed.Governments like the US and UK are pumping billions into the banking system to shore up the increasingly catastrophic capitalist model. This money is going straight into the pockets of bankers, speculators and people who are already rich beyond my imagination.
I well remember a similar thing happened on "Black Wednesday" when we rocketed out of the ERM and people like George Soros took $1 billion to add to his...billions.
At the time I had a friend who was a partner in one of the oldest, most well known finance houses in the city. He said his computer screen may as well have said "Free Money, get it here". And of course he took it and made a lot of money on the day.
This is what is happening now; it's the reason the markets rallied today because the bankers know they are in a win/win situation.
So what does all this money mean? How can I understand how I fit in? It's actually very easy. I fit in because I will pay for this out of higher taxes, redundancy, re-possession and poverty. In other words, the people who still have jobs will earn this the hard way. Every penny we earn, doing real jobs, such as nursing or selling groceries or picking fruit or fighting fires, will put this money into the Exchequer, who have been busy paying it out to the financiers at a rate never seen on the entire planet. In other words, people who are already very rich are becoming richer on the back of ordinary workers. People will lose their jobs because the liquidity in their industry has been siphoned off to prop up the system.
I heard that a friend of a friend has just been made redundant. These are real people who will face real hardship, possibly the loss of their homes, but certainly the loss of their self respect.
Should we weep or be angry?
Find the cost of Freedom
This iconic picture speaks to me of the wealth of nations born upon the backs of honest workers who just wanted to feed their kids. They strove for independence and pride at a time when people were begging for jobs and for food. They built a great nation based upon one of the most significant declarations in the history of the planet...We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.My God, what have we done?
(Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young)
Scottish Racism update
My comments about Scottish Racism against the English has, it is fair to say generated a lot of heat. For a small blog like this, over 50 comments is not inconsiderable, and it is still running. I am grateful to all those who have bothered to comment, but I must say that those who accused me of citing "anecdotal" evidence as if that did not count, have to face the fact that there is a lot of anecdotal evidence from people all over, who, like me, have had to deal with the almost daily round of aggression and abuse.
This comment: http://wrinkledweasel.blogspot.com/2009/03/scottish-racism.html?showComment=1237320660000#c4228821696115370410
and this comment: http://wrinkledweasel.blogspot.com/2009/03/scottish-racism.html?showComment=1237256040000#c6446919883551572740
were particularly compelling. As for accusations of lack of hard "data", well, it's staring you in the face.
It all adds up to the fact that the Scots cannot face their demons because they are blinded by rage about us and the fact that I have dared to criticise a vile national trait. It adds up to the fact that we English cannot display our nationality in your country because it will end in violence.
By the Way, there was a very heated debate recently on the subject of who could vote in a referendum on Scottish independence, HERE.
The comments on this piece are very revealing, and it generated over 300 comments. So I ask you: As an Englishman, I have been a resident in Scotland for six years. Sir Sean Connery lives in the Bahamas and has lived abroad for decades, who should be allowed to vote in a referendum, either, both or none? Please do not believe one commenter on that thread who asserted that as an Englishman, my interests are better served voting against independence. They are not. The way the SNP are handling things, I am with them and as an ardent nationalist, I believe in the right of countries to rule themselves.
This comment: http://wrinkledweasel.blogspot.com/2009/03/scottish-racism.html?showComment=1237320660000#c4228821696115370410
and this comment: http://wrinkledweasel.blogspot.com/2009/03/scottish-racism.html?showComment=1237256040000#c6446919883551572740
were particularly compelling. As for accusations of lack of hard "data", well, it's staring you in the face.
It all adds up to the fact that the Scots cannot face their demons because they are blinded by rage about us and the fact that I have dared to criticise a vile national trait. It adds up to the fact that we English cannot display our nationality in your country because it will end in violence.
By the Way, there was a very heated debate recently on the subject of who could vote in a referendum on Scottish independence, HERE.
The comments on this piece are very revealing, and it generated over 300 comments. So I ask you: As an Englishman, I have been a resident in Scotland for six years. Sir Sean Connery lives in the Bahamas and has lived abroad for decades, who should be allowed to vote in a referendum, either, both or none? Please do not believe one commenter on that thread who asserted that as an Englishman, my interests are better served voting against independence. They are not. The way the SNP are handling things, I am with them and as an ardent nationalist, I believe in the right of countries to rule themselves.
The Islam Conspiracy
There is nothing short of a conspiracy in this country to cover-up actions by Muslims that don't fit the "narrative"; the message being that most Muslims are law abiding citizens, whose dearest wish is to embrace British culture and Laws and live a quiet, integrated life. Bollocks. The Government wants you to believe that. The BBC wants you to believe that, and the Police and the legislature are demonstrably part of a conspiracy to cover up the truth. (In four years of blogging I have never used that word. Now is the time.)
Let's just recall a story I found a while back to set this in context. It is about the right to defend your home from intruders. This is a basic right, I believe, and one that should be upheld in law, but this was not so for one man:
So, so much for the right do defend your home. It may land you in jail, on a charge of GBH. Unless you are a Muslim who is also a Government Advisor.
In which case, you will not even be charged, even if you stab your assailant several times.
The Daily Mail is the only paper carrying the story and the BBC has completely suppressed it
Let's just recall a story I found a while back to set this in context. It is about the right to defend your home from intruders. This is a basic right, I believe, and one that should be upheld in law, but this was not so for one man:
A disabled man who used a hockey stick to beat off intruders at his home has described the law as "a joke" after being arrested and prosecuted. According to the Telegraph:
Philip Cook, 56, grabbed the stick to defend his wife and daughter after they were attacked. When the police arrived they charged him with grievous bodily harm. Mr Cook's ordeal did not end until a year-and-a-half later when he was found not guilty at Bristol Crown Court.
So, so much for the right do defend your home. It may land you in jail, on a charge of GBH. Unless you are a Muslim who is also a Government Advisor.
In which case, you will not even be charged, even if you stab your assailant several times.
The Daily Mail is the only paper carrying the story and the BBC has completely suppressed it
An influential Muslim who advises the Government on combating terrorism will not face charges, despite stabbing a man at his home.
Prosecutors have decided that Inayat Bunglawala acted in self-defence when a drunk turned up at his £300,000 house in Luton, Bedfordshire, in the early hours of the morning.
After a scuffle, the 25-year-old man was left bleeding from six knife wounds to his back, requiring emergency surgery that confined him to hospital for four days.
But the Crown Prosecution Service has accepted Mr Bunglawala’s version of events and has dropped the case – to the immense anger of the injured man and his family.
The Injured intruder was very drunk, but the twist is, he used to live in the house now occupied by the Bunglawalas.
In this country, there is one rule for Muslims, especially if they have Government Connections.
and another rule for the rest of us.
Not only that, this piece of news has been spiked by most of the MSM. You are not being told the truth in this country and you certainly cannot trust the BBC or the Government or the Police. Look what's going down.
Colonel Mustard hacks Weasel's blog
Hello you pusilanimous panty scrapers. It's Colonel Mustard here, hacking Weasel's blog again, just because I can!
Have you tried pressing the "Next Blog" button on the top of the blogger bar? Don't bother, fellow voyeurs and sticky keyboarders, it's a waste of time; it will either be some foreigner saying something completely unintelligible next to a picture of a kitten, or some daft girly whining on about dildos and periods.
Ever had a wee in a bespoke suit? Gordon Brown has. Ever scraped a bogie on a Turnbull and Asser Silk Tie?
Got Norovirus yet? No? Then go the Fat Duck at Bray. You'll be shitting jus. Try the tasting menu; I am told the smegma ice cream and the pilchard semolina are the best you can get. Just don't ask Heston Blumenthal why pork isn't on the menu - I gather he has anger management issues.
Toodle Pip. Weasel is so BCBG.
Women can be fooled
Blokes - if you are caught, red handed, and the evidence is plain that you have been fooling around, then I recommend the "alien" defense. Works for me every time.
This is true:
In 1989, RAF Wattisham in Suffolk was phoned by a “distressed female” who described being engaged in conversation by an alien with a Scandinavian accent while walking her dog. The alien then departed in his spaceship.
Women - Know Your Outer Limits!
This is true:
In 1989, RAF Wattisham in Suffolk was phoned by a “distressed female” who described being engaged in conversation by an alien with a Scandinavian accent while walking her dog. The alien then departed in his spaceship.
Women - Know Your Outer Limits!
A message of motivation and determination
It's been reported in the Stars and Stripes, the "Independent News Source for the US Military Community" that a base in Japan is to hold a competitive eating contest.
According to the site,
One of the most recognized names in the world of competitive eating will judge a hot dog-eating contest for single sailors April 3
This champion is called, predictably, Takeru "The Tsunami" Kobayashi, who muched his way through 59 hot dogs in an eat-off. Stars and Stripes is upbeat about the morale booster at their naval base:
Kobayashi not only brings with him his celebrity status as a competitive eater, but also a message of motivation and determination
You know, I often wondered why American Service Personnel were so feared and respected.
Spring
The song, "Good King Wenceslas" is based on a 13th Century tune called Tempus Adest Floridum or Spring has unrapped her flowers. Thank you for reading this far.
From the Archives
One you may have missed - a record review...
http://wrinkledweasel.blogspot.com/2006/05/freddie-gage-speaks-exclusively-to.html
And a restaurant review
http://wrinkledweasel.blogspot.com/2006/05/louis-nose-spigolosa-master-detective.html
http://wrinkledweasel.blogspot.com/2006/05/freddie-gage-speaks-exclusively-to.html
And a restaurant review
http://wrinkledweasel.blogspot.com/2006/05/louis-nose-spigolosa-master-detective.html
Eurovision - My Lyrics
The World is very hard
And sometimes not so nice
The iron grip of indifference
holds me like a vice
but when I see a kitten
or a crying child
I drown my sorrows down the pub
with a pint of Mild
And sometimes not so nice
The iron grip of indifference
holds me like a vice
but when I see a kitten
or a crying child
I drown my sorrows down the pub
with a pint of Mild
Thanks
I would like to thank all the people who regularly visit this blog, and especially those who use the little "follow" button. It means a lot. Thanks for coming here by searching for "nadgers", "wrinkled nude" (You'll be lucky), "Sarah Wilmshurst" and many of the other weird search terms that bring you here. I hope you are not totally disappointed.
Super, CJ
This is CJ Sebright, a miniature chicken. CJ was homed via the Scottish SSPCA and has joined the flock at Weasel Hall. Blogging will be light while the weather lasts, as the Weasel is busy being Jethro Tull (not the one in tights and a flute).
(You can click on the picture to get a closer look)
Words and Music by Bob David Bell.
Artist representation by Wrinkled Weasel for : www.jukeboxjudy.com
Malvolio
MARIA.
He's coming, madam:
But in very strange manner. He is sure possessed.
OLIVIA.
Why, what's the matter? does he rave?
MARIA.
No, madam, he does nothing but smile: your ladyship were
best to have some guard about you if he come;
For, sure, the man is tainted in his wits.
OLIVIA.
Go call him hither.--I'm as mad as he,
If sad and merry madness equal be.--
[Enter MALVOLIO.]
How now, Malvolio?
MALVOLIO.
Sweet lady, ho, ho.
[Smiles fantastically.]
OLIVIA.
Smil'st thou?
I sent for thee upon a sad occasion.
MALVOLIO.
Sad, lady? I could be sad: this does make some
obstruction in the blood, this cross-gartering. But what of that?
If it please the eye of one, it is with me as the very true
sonnet is: 'Please one and please all.'
OLIVIA.
Why, how dost thou, man? what is the matter with thee?
Not black in my mind, though yellow in my legs.
It did come to his hands, and commands shall be executed.
I think we do know the sweet Roman hand.
Cameron to freeze BBC licence fee
just announced:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/david-cameron/5000775/David-Cameron-BBC-licence-fee-should-be-frozen-this-year.html
But is there a subtle message going on here - is Cameron fed up of Labour bias? The statement says (and it is very carefully worded)
The BBC also needs to maintain public support
Am I reading to much into this or is it a dig at the loss of credibility the BBC has suffered due to its biased reporting, lies, obscenity and faking of documentary footage and competitions?
Is that the first shot across the bows of this national disgrace? Will Dave get some cojones and chop off the head of this monstrosity?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/david-cameron/5000775/David-Cameron-BBC-licence-fee-should-be-frozen-this-year.html
But is there a subtle message going on here - is Cameron fed up of Labour bias? The statement says (and it is very carefully worded)
The BBC also needs to maintain public support
Am I reading to much into this or is it a dig at the loss of credibility the BBC has suffered due to its biased reporting, lies, obscenity and faking of documentary footage and competitions?
Is that the first shot across the bows of this national disgrace? Will Dave get some cojones and chop off the head of this monstrosity?
money money money
I have to admit that I am a petrolhead.
Driving a car is like making love to a beautiful woman - as Swiss Tony would say.
My weakness is Swedish automobilia. I have had four Saabs and a Volvo. Saabs are a bit like Alfas. You have to love them enough to spend a great deal of money keeping them on the road because when they go wrong they tend to make Gordon Brown's borrowing requirement look parsimonius and the acme of fiscal propriety.
So it is with sadness that I find that Saab is in danger of becoming another victim of the global financial crisis. They have already terminated 750 of their employees at their Trollhattan plant. Saab is owned by General Motors, the US giant, and of late, Saabs have been sidlined by the company. The future of Saab is uncertain.
Absolut, another prestige brand, is owned by the Frogs - Pernod Ricard, but appears to be doing well.
What worries me is how a brand like Saab, that makes a particularly Swedish car, has been subsumed into the global homogeny, leaving the punters with little choice and leaving Sweden with a loss of its great national identity. It may get worse, Abba may become a franchise. Sex may be licensed to other countries. Ikea may dumb down.
planned transformational change strategist required
The Weasel has a confession. He has worked in a call centre.
Now, I should also say that I have visited Buckingham Palace as a member of the press, interviewed Princes, been at a private party with Cliff and the Shadows and Joan Collins, taken champagne in the boardrooms of Fortnums, The Royal Academy, and a hundred other places you may know. But the nadir of my life was working in a call centre. If ever you doubt the existence of hell, get a job in one.
So it was with much interest and a feeling of quiet disgust that I came across this advert:
Now, I should also say that I have visited Buckingham Palace as a member of the press, interviewed Princes, been at a private party with Cliff and the Shadows and Joan Collins, taken champagne in the boardrooms of Fortnums, The Royal Academy, and a hundred other places you may know. But the nadir of my life was working in a call centre. If ever you doubt the existence of hell, get a job in one.
So it was with much interest and a feeling of quiet disgust that I came across this advert:
Head of Call Centre Site
North West
Circa £100k
Role Overview
Working for an exceptional business and UK brand, we are looking to secure a Head of Site for the North West. You will be responsible for driving the operational and strategic direction of a 900 seat contact centre but in addition work across the wider business in terms of transformational change and strategy.
35% of the role is described as leading the site operationally and strategically through the effective management and leadership of your management team. You will be responsible for the centre’s performance through 3 direct line managers who are tasked at delivering the day to day operational metrics. In addition, they support you with the strategic development of projects to improve specific issues, performance or processes that add value to the customer and business.
The remaining 65% offers you the opportunity to work at a strategic level across the wider business network developing and driving transformational change (i.e. develop thought provoking ideas and strategies around Customer Retention)
This is a high paced environment requiring people with a strong presence and gravitas who can clearly demonstrate their knowledge of strategy within a customer focused contact centre operation. You will have an energetic leadership and personal style that allows you to influence and manage key stakeholders across a variety of functions such as Marketing, Finance, Customer Experience and peers.
This is truly a fantastic opportunity to work with a forward thinking company that delivers on putting the customer at the heart of its business. This is one of the best roles we are currently working on and a rare opportunity to secure an influential role within an organisation that allows you to be creative in the way you deliver.
Key Traits and Areas of Experience Required:
• Significant experience of delivering within a multi channel / functional call centre (Min 800 seats) within a blue chip organisation
• Significant experience of delivering transformation and change across the wider business is a MUST
• A passion for ‘grass roots’ and the experience to work strategically
• Experience of encouraging direct reports to work at a strategic level that challenges the norm and develops the operation
• Demonstrable experience of significant change management within a fast paced and ever evolving business
• Previous responsibility for customer retention strategy and operations
• A passion for innovative strategy and delivering the detail in an engaging style
• Development and delivery of exceptional service footprints that support product / customer development
• Strong stakeholder management skills across Marketing, Finance, Project, Customer Experience is essential
• Full commercial knowledge in terms of P&L and core business metrics
WANKERS
I have pulled
I got a charming email last night from someone I do not recall meeting.
What shall I do?
Hello ,
My Name is Sunsy Timbow. from Sierra Loene in west Africa presently residing in Dakar senegal. I was impressed to seek my soul mate, and also i like to establish a long lasting relationship with you. I will be waiting for your reply so that i will give you my picture and more about me.
Thanks and waiting to hear from you soonest.
Love From,
Sunsy Timbow.
What shall I do?
Did you pack this bag yourself, sir?
Apparently, one of the Scum bag Muzzies who proclaimed death to the Royal Anglian Regiment at the recent protest in Luton, is a baggage handler at Luton Airport.
I guess that's just fine and dandy then. No need to pack a bomb fellow Fatwah Friends - we have men on the inside.
I guess that's just fine and dandy then. No need to pack a bomb fellow Fatwah Friends - we have men on the inside.
For all you Scots who think I am biased
Here is a post I did a few years ago.
http://wrinkledweasel.blogspot.com/2006/12/honoured-dead.html
It is a salute to Scots Fishermen. No more needs to be said on that score, except that the SNP has been consistent in supporting the industry throughout its time in power.
BTW. In England, it has been established in various tests that the English actually like Scots accents. If you need proof, just think of all the fantastic Scottish people who do the media so well - Laura Kuenssberg being one of my personal faves. When we hear a Scots accent, our day cheers up. When you lot hear an English one, the chips on shoulders start flying. It's not fair and you need to do something about it.
http://wrinkledweasel.blogspot.com/2006/12/honoured-dead.html
It is a salute to Scots Fishermen. No more needs to be said on that score, except that the SNP has been consistent in supporting the industry throughout its time in power.
BTW. In England, it has been established in various tests that the English actually like Scots accents. If you need proof, just think of all the fantastic Scottish people who do the media so well - Laura Kuenssberg being one of my personal faves. When we hear a Scots accent, our day cheers up. When you lot hear an English one, the chips on shoulders start flying. It's not fair and you need to do something about it.
Pop Goes the Weasel No.23440388a
The Weasel is currently listening to Sunday at Devil Dirt, the latest from the strange, serendipitous duo, Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan.
A lot of things were said about the Robert Plant and Alison Krauss album and it won them a fistful of prestige awards, and I guess this offering comes out of the same stable - the pairing of two unlikely singers that makes for some highly original and attractive melodies.
It's a proper album. All the songs are good. There's a wonderful, mellow blues number called Shotgun Blues with a steel dobro accompaninment, some fantastic duets that sound like a cross between Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits and Alison Goldfrapp and an understated and brilliant homage to Dr John, the Night Tripper on Back Burner. But the track I have posted is where they seem to do a Bond Theme. (I had to pick one, though they are all worthy)
It's called Come on Over (Turn me On). Buy the album, you will not be disappointed.
The production values are high; it was recorded at Air and Abbey Road in London, also the USA, and also, inexplicably at a Studio 3 miles down the road from where I live!
Three Wishes
To cut a long story short, I did a good turn to this wizened old lady. She then revealed herself to be some kind of wisewoman who could offer me three wishes.
"Oh", I pondered, "Three Wishes! Like in Three Wishes". "Yes, of course", she murmered testily, with a stare that suggested she was now beginning to regret the offer, thinking "Oh, another twat". "Usual rules, no exceptions, and if you want that sort of thing then reply to one of your spam emails", she added, as a caution. I took that to mean I could not ask for unlimited wishes or a penis extension or world peace, even though, to be honest, world peace would be a waste of a wish, I think.
"OK, here goes"
Number One. A day in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Number Two. Riches beyond the dreams of avarice.
Number Three. The ability to do one thing really, really well.
Well, the old bag managed to nearly get out of all three, using various caveats and equivocations that I did not build into the wishes, but I can now apply perfect eyeliner without the use of a mirror.
When your chance comes, just be ready for it, that's all.
"Oh", I pondered, "Three Wishes! Like in Three Wishes". "Yes, of course", she murmered testily, with a stare that suggested she was now beginning to regret the offer, thinking "Oh, another twat". "Usual rules, no exceptions, and if you want that sort of thing then reply to one of your spam emails", she added, as a caution. I took that to mean I could not ask for unlimited wishes or a penis extension or world peace, even though, to be honest, world peace would be a waste of a wish, I think.
"OK, here goes"
Number One. A day in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Number Two. Riches beyond the dreams of avarice.
Number Three. The ability to do one thing really, really well.
Well, the old bag managed to nearly get out of all three, using various caveats and equivocations that I did not build into the wishes, but I can now apply perfect eyeliner without the use of a mirror.
When your chance comes, just be ready for it, that's all.
Propaganda
Propaganda is the dissemination of information aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people.As opposed to impartially providing information, propaganda in its most basic sense presents information in order to influence its audience. Propaganda often presents facts selectively (thus lying by omission) to encourage a particular synthesis, or gives loaded messages in order to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the information presented. The desired result is a change of the attitude toward the subject in the target audience to further a political agenda.
Propaganda is the deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist.
—Garth S. Jowett and Victoria O'Donnell, Propaganda and Persuasion
Hat Tip to Guthrum
I think the above has come to the fore in the wake of the BBCs coverage of the counter protest against Muslim extremists in Luton. The BBC is a master of propaganda in this respect, mainly through omission and selectivitiy, but also through deliberate manipulation of the facts.
Judge in Ahmed case is former Political Appointee
Judge Alan Wilkie, the judge in the Ahmed Case, is a former Labour appointee to the Law Commission, with more than one case of finding for the government in matters of legal advice.
So what is going down here? A judge with close political connections to the present Government is trying a case in which a politically appointed peer is charged with dangerous driving.
Law Commisioners are appointed by the Lord Chancellor or the Secretary of State for Justice and serve for three years. In essence, he is chosen in part, according to his willingness to cooperate with the Government. And cooperate he did. Several times. Wilkie has "previous", to be taken into consideration.
During his tenure, Judge Wilkie was commissioned by Jack Straw to head a 20 month inquiry into the "double jeopardy" rule, after Straw decided you should be able to try someone for the same crime again if the jury does not get the answer "right" the first time. Judge Wilkie provided just the findings Straw wanted.
Nice to know that Alan Wilkie is on such good terms with Jack Straw. I wonder if they keep in touch? I am willing to bet they do. Have they discussed the Ahmed case? You might think that. I couldn't possibly comment.
So what is going down here? A judge with close political connections to the present Government is trying a case in which a politically appointed peer is charged with dangerous driving.
Law Commisioners are appointed by the Lord Chancellor or the Secretary of State for Justice and serve for three years. In essence, he is chosen in part, according to his willingness to cooperate with the Government. And cooperate he did. Several times. Wilkie has "previous", to be taken into consideration.
During his tenure, Judge Wilkie was commissioned by Jack Straw to head a 20 month inquiry into the "double jeopardy" rule, after Straw decided you should be able to try someone for the same crime again if the jury does not get the answer "right" the first time. Judge Wilkie provided just the findings Straw wanted.
This is not the first time that Judge Wilkie has been of one accord with Mr Straw. In 2000, Wilkie found similarly in Straw’s favour over the introduction of Prosecutor’s right of appeal.
Other areas the Judge was involved in included the controversy over abolishing trial by jury, when he felt it necessary to "clarify" his position by circulating an assurance to politicians that
"It is not our intention by our scheme to reduce the number of jury trials, or the number of counts on an indictment which will be the subject of jury trial".
Nice to know that Alan Wilkie is on such good terms with Jack Straw. I wonder if they keep in touch? I am willing to bet they do. Have they discussed the Ahmed case? You might think that. I couldn't possibly comment.
Luton Protests
Here is a longer, non censored version of the counter protest against the scumbag pigs who insulted the returning 2nd battalion Royal Anglian Regiment, as they paraded through Luton. Well done, Luton. A to any Muslims out there. Be warned. No sanitised BBC version of events, no pleading "free speech" is going to protect your brand of hatred from the reactions of decent citizens. You might just get a taste of the kind of justice you preach about.
Hat tip to "dazed and confused" at Old Holborn's place.
PS I wasn't there, but it looked to me as if the plod found this as distasteful as anybody else. From what I can make out from the film, their body language shows that they are relaxed and exasperated.
Hat tip to "dazed and confused" at Old Holborn's place.
PS I wasn't there, but it looked to me as if the plod found this as distasteful as anybody else. From what I can make out from the film, their body language shows that they are relaxed and exasperated.
Scottish Racist Watch
As I said, due to the fact that some Scots are in denial about racism against the English, I continue to report incidents on this blog.
The latest comes from Bannockburn. A scumbag called Kevin Testall pleaded guilty at Stirling Sheriff Court to acting in a racially aggressive manner towards his female, English neighbour.
According to the Stirling Observer:
The latest comes from Bannockburn. A scumbag called Kevin Testall pleaded guilty at Stirling Sheriff Court to acting in a racially aggressive manner towards his female, English neighbour.
According to the Stirling Observer:
the occupants of Mrs Cross’s home heard shouting and swearing, went into her back kitchen, and saw Tetstall, an unemployed concrete fixer, in her garden in an agitated state.The depute fiscal said Mrs Cross opened her back door and asked Tetstall to keep his voice down, saying there were children in the house.
Tetstall replied: “Shut up you f****** old English cow, f*** off back to England.”
English in Scotland have to deal with this sort of thing all the time. Don't you think you need to do something about your attitudes?
Honestly I don't know why any of us bother
Lord Ahmed has been freed on appeal. He spent 16 days in jail for dangerous driving that resulted in the death of another motorist.
Recently, a man called Robert Bennet, was sentenced to six months in prison for riding a motorcycle, with his 14 year old son on the back, at 122 miles per hour. Reckless and stupid. The thing is, he killed nobody. He was not texting at the time of the incident.
A waitress got 21 months for killing someone whilst texting. But of course this waitress was not a Muslim and a Labour Peer. 21 months, waitress. 16 days Muslim politician? See the difference there?
This Ahmed affair stinks.
Recently, a man called Robert Bennet, was sentenced to six months in prison for riding a motorcycle, with his 14 year old son on the back, at 122 miles per hour. Reckless and stupid. The thing is, he killed nobody. He was not texting at the time of the incident.
A waitress got 21 months for killing someone whilst texting. But of course this waitress was not a Muslim and a Labour Peer. 21 months, waitress. 16 days Muslim politician? See the difference there?
This Ahmed affair stinks.
Starting with snuff
Ever tried taking snuff? I know, you thought it died out in the 19th century. Well, it never went away. Snuff taking or Snuffing, is popular and is making a comeback, and the Weasel, being ever so ahead of trends and oh so cool, has been snuffing for a year now.
I stopped smoking 14 years ago, but the seductive qualities of tobacco never really got suppresed in my bio-memory. For those who want to give up smoking or for those who want an alternative, why not try snuff?
There are hundreds of different blends, but to begin with, you would be advised to try an easy one like Gawith Apricot or Lowen-prise. Snuffing is a technique that you have to learn. If you over do it, it can be a bit sneezy, to say the least.
Anyway, if you want to know more and try a few, go to
http://www.snuffstore.co.uk/
There is a whole new world of sensation awaiting you.
Here is an article:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-428868/Smoking-ban-puts-snuff-fashion.html
BTW, regardless of what it claims in the above article, nobody has gotten cancer from inhaling snuff. Nobody, never.
Happy snuffing!
NOTE: If any snufftakers are reading this, and would like to take part in a documentary film on the subject, please contact me.
ChickenProp
The girls (and Darcy) adore bananas. I have just been to give them a treat. I get massacred. They tread on my feet! They eyeball me!
When I open the back door, the key jangles in the lock. They know that sound. They are ready and expectant. We now have 16 chickens. All of them have names and they all have different personalities. A good flock is about 12. The reason for this is body language. Whoever heard of body language in a Chicken? Well, it is true. Watching them, you get to understand their level of security. Hens have levels of alertness, characterised by their movements, such as the way they crane their necks and the way they stick together or not. Over the years, we have found that when there are about twelve, with a cockerel who is reasonably in control, they are relaxed. They are much more casual and tend to go into their own little worlds. Less than twelve, and you get a lot of nervous looking about and craning of necks.
Our girls roam free. They do not leave the estate because they have no need to. We have had three fox attacks. Many have been killed or left half dead. But they have a great life. They do as they wish and they have a great relationship with me and Mrs Weasel. If you are in the slightest doubt that these creatures should be treated to freedom and dignity, just spend some time with us and watch.
I said that they all have names. Except one. The one in the picture does not have a name because young master Weasel insisted on naming this new one, a wheaten Marans, and then found he was too busy to think one up.
So over to you. Any suggestions - name that chicken!
Strange Justice
The chap that threw a shoe at President Bush during a visit to Iraq, has been jailed for three years.
Hundreds of thousands of people have died because of George Bush. This guy gets three years for throwing a shoe (and missing). And this is the result of bringing peace and democracy to Iraq.
Hundreds of thousands of people have died because of George Bush. This guy gets three years for throwing a shoe (and missing). And this is the result of bringing peace and democracy to Iraq.
Democracy in this country will break down
I have a connection with the Royal Anglian Regiment, albeit a tenuous one.
This week Islamist extremists protested at a parade of the regiment, in Luton.
According to the Guardian:
And more protests are promised. This is just vile; hatred writ large.
Back to my connection. My dad was a boy soldier in the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment, which later joined The Anglians as the second battalion.
So, with me there is a connection and some pride and a sense of ownership of these lads.
I don't like the way our democracy is going. The Muslim population has doubled in five years in this country. Sooner or later, democracy may be on their side. Perhaps Democracy has had its run.
This week Islamist extremists protested at a parade of the regiment, in Luton.
According to the Guardian:
About a dozen people shouted "terrorists" and held placards saying "Anglian soldiers go to hell" and "butchers of Basra" as soldiers from the 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, paraded through the town.
And more protests are promised. This is just vile; hatred writ large.
Back to my connection. My dad was a boy soldier in the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment, which later joined The Anglians as the second battalion.
So, with me there is a connection and some pride and a sense of ownership of these lads.
I don't like the way our democracy is going. The Muslim population has doubled in five years in this country. Sooner or later, democracy may be on their side. Perhaps Democracy has had its run.
Bernie Ecclestone gets fleeced
Poor old Bernie Ecclestone. His very tall wife stands to get one billion bazoombas from the diminutive boss of F1 and well known briber of the Labour party, in a record divorce settlement.
So, Mrs Ecclestone (former model), what first attracted you, as struggling brolly dolly and parvenu model, to the multibillionaire midget, Bernie Ecclestone?
Weasel's agony and advice column
The blogosphere is awash with comments about the current financial situation and the mess we are in. I place the blame with Labour. They are the ones who have spent our money, who have taken it away from those who prop up this country and given it to those who just scrounge or to pressure groups who claim victim hood and scream blue murder.
So This is not about that.
This is about finding alternative ways to live, because, believe me, you cannot carry on as you were. No more maxing the cards out, no more state of the art TVs, no more shiny new cars..etc.
So here is a tip.
Go somewhere quiet and decide what in life is really important to you. Ten to one it is not money. It will probably something like health and happiness. So, what makes you happy? More of everything?
One of the papers recently published a till receipt for the drinks bill of one party at a London club. The bill came to over £45,000. That was for bottles of wine. Now, I like wine. I like champagne, particulary Mumm and Krug. But, £45,000? What was that all about?
Going back to basics means confronting our insecurities about who we are. I am regularly seen driving a naff little car. I hate it. It makes me feel little and powerless. But it was born out of a decision to save money on tax and running costs. It is not the only car I have, but it gets used a lot. We do not spend a lot on eating out. This being Scotland, and its inhabitants being congenitally unable to cook or serve food properly, it is not too tempting.
But you can go further. You can dump the TV. It is Satan tempting you to buy, consume and sod your neighbour. At Weasel Hall, we read, play games, cook elaborate meals, drink Martinis and pursue hobbies like knitting and magic tricks. If the weather is decent, we spend every moment on the estate, such as it is.
Years ago I was overspending. We learned that lesson the hard way. Weasels have not had credit cards for five years. Everything we have, we own. If we get stuck we go without. None of this is easy, and I wont pretend we are poor, but this era is a great opportunity to re-assess lifestyle and personal goals.
Oh shit, I sound like Mystic Meg!
I don't want to sound preachy. The point is to challenge you about your lifestyle and ask you how you propose to improve it, and protect yourself, as far as you can, against the coming storm.
I am genuinely interested to know what you think.
So This is not about that.
This is about finding alternative ways to live, because, believe me, you cannot carry on as you were. No more maxing the cards out, no more state of the art TVs, no more shiny new cars..etc.
So here is a tip.
Go somewhere quiet and decide what in life is really important to you. Ten to one it is not money. It will probably something like health and happiness. So, what makes you happy? More of everything?
One of the papers recently published a till receipt for the drinks bill of one party at a London club. The bill came to over £45,000. That was for bottles of wine. Now, I like wine. I like champagne, particulary Mumm and Krug. But, £45,000? What was that all about?
Going back to basics means confronting our insecurities about who we are. I am regularly seen driving a naff little car. I hate it. It makes me feel little and powerless. But it was born out of a decision to save money on tax and running costs. It is not the only car I have, but it gets used a lot. We do not spend a lot on eating out. This being Scotland, and its inhabitants being congenitally unable to cook or serve food properly, it is not too tempting.
But you can go further. You can dump the TV. It is Satan tempting you to buy, consume and sod your neighbour. At Weasel Hall, we read, play games, cook elaborate meals, drink Martinis and pursue hobbies like knitting and magic tricks. If the weather is decent, we spend every moment on the estate, such as it is.
Years ago I was overspending. We learned that lesson the hard way. Weasels have not had credit cards for five years. Everything we have, we own. If we get stuck we go without. None of this is easy, and I wont pretend we are poor, but this era is a great opportunity to re-assess lifestyle and personal goals.
Oh shit, I sound like Mystic Meg!
I don't want to sound preachy. The point is to challenge you about your lifestyle and ask you how you propose to improve it, and protect yourself, as far as you can, against the coming storm.
I am genuinely interested to know what you think.
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