The Weasel is sweltering in the heat, since the temperature has reached above freezing all day. And the weather is set to reach a balmy 5 degrees Centigrade towards the weekend, when we shall slap on the factor 30 and have a barbeque. I have in the last two weeks, used enough coal to re-open a small colliery in Wales. I am not looking forward to seeing the leccy bill either.
I may have a touch of arthritis - something I get during prolonged spells of cold. It takes the form of pains that come and go within days, but then reappear somewhere else it makes me tired and lacking in energy and if ignored it's a hospital job. So if I am still feeling the aches tomorrow there will be brufen.
Now is the time to stop flogging dead horses. All last year I spent a lot of time, emotion and energy into building something that never took off. Time to let it go, and maybe get back to the book.
Blogging will be light for a while.
Does Scotland do Political Correctness?
A while back I got into a bit of trouble for suggesting that anti-English racism was alive and well in Scotland. I don't intend to re-visit that. This time, I really am intrigued though...
The kind of PC I am particularly interested in is the public sector sort; schools, hospitals, councils, etc. Let me make it clear, my feeling is that it is far less an issue up here than it is down South. I was particularly alarmed by this story from Sussex, about a man who was arrested and left in a cell for four hours after being wrongly accused of doing something vaguely un-PC.
According to the Mail the big issue was:
Now I am all for using imagination when it comes to semantic interpretation, but I would have thought that it was above the pay grade of most council staff. And since when did the police have a "legal duty to promote community cohesion" and how does this equate with arresting people for making complaints to the planning department?
Never mind, this was in Sussex. What I want to know is, are councils in Scotland so petty and hysterical? Are the police so obsessed with being nice to minorities at the expense of the majority? I would really like to know.
Here is what I think:
The Scots are in my experience polite and considerate. It would seem to me that old fashioned courtesy exists and accordingly there is not a need to enshrine this in law or to enforce it with the blunt instrument of law. After all, this is the country where you can be arrested for breach of the peace, merely for swearing at someone - this is not political correctness, but a recognition of common decorum. Surely the sort of behaviour we get in Sussex is born out of hysteria, itself born out of fear, born out of ignorance and mistrust. If minorities trust in society to protect them, the need for heavy handedness occurs less. So to answer my own question, I think that here, courtesy and respect for others renders the crass cudgel of PC irrelevant.
The kind of PC I am particularly interested in is the public sector sort; schools, hospitals, councils, etc. Let me make it clear, my feeling is that it is far less an issue up here than it is down South. I was particularly alarmed by this story from Sussex, about a man who was arrested and left in a cell for four hours after being wrongly accused of doing something vaguely un-PC.
According to the Mail the big issue was:
The email, concerning a planning appeal by a gipsy, included the phrase: ‘It’s the 'do as you likey' attitude that I am against.’
Council staff believed the email was offensive because ‘likey’ rhymes with the derogatory term ‘pikey’.
Chief Inspector Heather Keating said: ‘Sussex Police have a legal duty to promote community cohesion and tackle unlawful discrimination.
Now I am all for using imagination when it comes to semantic interpretation, but I would have thought that it was above the pay grade of most council staff. And since when did the police have a "legal duty to promote community cohesion" and how does this equate with arresting people for making complaints to the planning department?
Never mind, this was in Sussex. What I want to know is, are councils in Scotland so petty and hysterical? Are the police so obsessed with being nice to minorities at the expense of the majority? I would really like to know.
Here is what I think:
The Scots are in my experience polite and considerate. It would seem to me that old fashioned courtesy exists and accordingly there is not a need to enshrine this in law or to enforce it with the blunt instrument of law. After all, this is the country where you can be arrested for breach of the peace, merely for swearing at someone - this is not political correctness, but a recognition of common decorum. Surely the sort of behaviour we get in Sussex is born out of hysteria, itself born out of fear, born out of ignorance and mistrust. If minorities trust in society to protect them, the need for heavy handedness occurs less. So to answer my own question, I think that here, courtesy and respect for others renders the crass cudgel of PC irrelevant.
The Mighty Delusion
I believe it was Nicolae Ceaucescu, the President of Romania, "known" for is hunting prowess, to shoot thousands of wild animals, including pigs and brown bears, and was often photographed standing in front of the carcasses. The truth was, often the animals were drugged to slow them down, or coralled so that they had nowhere else to go other than a few yards from the President's custom made Holland and Hollands. Meetings with ordinary people in Romania were likewise organised, and it was a priority that he would never hear criticism or dissent.
It had the effect of maintaining Ceaucescu in a bubble, the kind of hermetic world where he assumed everyone loved him and his prowess as a hunter was indisputable. It was a delusion. Such a delusion that when the end came, he was a confused old man who was genuinely astonished that his loving subjects wanted him executed.
And so it was that Tessa Jowell was similarly maintained in a bubble of warmth and joy when she was scheduled to go on a meet and greet at a motorway services.
(http://counsellingresource.com/distress/schizophrenia/icd/hebephrenic.html)
Do you know, I don't think there is one word of that definition that could not reasonably be applied to Gordon Brown, as presented and reported. I particularly recall the Dan Hannan Video, (there is a brief cutaway towards the end) in this respect and Brown's own disastrous You Tube appearance.
It had the effect of maintaining Ceaucescu in a bubble, the kind of hermetic world where he assumed everyone loved him and his prowess as a hunter was indisputable. It was a delusion. Such a delusion that when the end came, he was a confused old man who was genuinely astonished that his loving subjects wanted him executed.
And so it was that Tessa Jowell was similarly maintained in a bubble of warmth and joy when she was scheduled to go on a meet and greet at a motorway services.
Click to Enlarge.
This is from a very revealing piece in The Mail, which I was alerted to via the Spectator.
The same piece contains an interesting insight into the bonhomie and lighter side (not) of the Prime Mentalist, with the startling claim that he is "Bonkers".
Heaven forbid these idiots ever stray into reality.
As an addition to this post, here is a definition of Hebephrenic Schizophrenia:
A form of schizophrenia in which affective changes are prominent, delusions and hallucinations fleeting and fragmentary, behaviour irresponsible and unpredictable, and mannerisms common. The mood is shallow and inappropirate and often accompanied by giggling or self-satisfied, self-absorbed smiling, or by a lofty manner, grimaces, mannerisms, pranks, hypochondriacal complaints, and reiterated phrases. Thought is disorganized and speech rambling and incoherent. There is a tendency to remain solitary, and behaviour seems empty of purpose and feeling. This form of schizphrenia usually starts between the ages of 15 and 25 years and tends to have a poor prognosis because of the rapid development of "negative" symptoms, particularly flattening of affect and loss of volition.
In addition, disturbances of affect and volition, and thought disorder are usually prominent. Hallucinations and delusions may be present but are not usually prominent. Drive and determination are lost and goals abandoned, so that the patient's behaviour becomes characteristically aimless and empty of purpose. A superficial and manneristic preoccupation with religion, philosophy, and other abstract themes may add to the listener's difficulty in following the train of thought.
(http://counsellingresource.com/distress/schizophrenia/icd/hebephrenic.html)
Do you know, I don't think there is one word of that definition that could not reasonably be applied to Gordon Brown, as presented and reported. I particularly recall the Dan Hannan Video, (there is a brief cutaway towards the end) in this respect and Brown's own disastrous You Tube appearance.
Let's have another cup of coffee, and let's have another piece of
PIE!
A whiter shade of Weasel
The lighter side of Wrinkled Weasel. I have been sifting through the archives and realise that once upon a time, I tried to be funny. Yeah or nay?
http://wrinkledweasel.blogspot.com/2006/12/start-new-hobby-for-winter-months.html
http://wrinkledweasel.blogspot.com/2006/12/donald-rumsfeld-explains.html
http://wrinkledweasel.blogspot.com/2006/12/looking-thro-margaret-gilmores-eyes.html
And finally,
EMO GIRL
Thanks Weas. Kewl. Oh My God I cannot believe it? Here I am on the Weasel's blog? But of course he is sooooooo old and probably a perv but anyway my My Space is crap and I am soooooo emo at the mo. Ur gonna be right mad at me enewy because I am not going out becoz I woz soooooo drunk last night and I woke up in my peejays (who put those on) with blue WKD dribbling out of my studs. And I was like, "Oh.My.God Ive got my peejays on and I was wearing ruched cargos and a tube last time I looked ...ssddd
http://wrinkledweasel.blogspot.com/2006/12/start-new-hobby-for-winter-months.html
http://wrinkledweasel.blogspot.com/2006/12/donald-rumsfeld-explains.html
http://wrinkledweasel.blogspot.com/2006/12/looking-thro-margaret-gilmores-eyes.html
And finally,
EMO GIRL
Thanks Weas. Kewl. Oh My God I cannot believe it? Here I am on the Weasel's blog? But of course he is sooooooo old and probably a perv but anyway my My Space is crap and I am soooooo emo at the mo. Ur gonna be right mad at me enewy because I am not going out becoz I woz soooooo drunk last night and I woke up in my peejays (who put those on) with blue WKD dribbling out of my studs. And I was like, "Oh.My.God Ive got my peejays on and I was wearing ruched cargos and a tube last time I looked ...ssddd
WW's Blog-O-Meter
I don't know about you, but I find blogs, including my own, are a bit patchy. That is, I go through phases of liking them, and not liking them. So here is this week's Blog-O-Meter, Weasel's guide to what's hot and what's not. Lack of inclusion implies nothing at all. I cannot mention everybody, good or bad.
Guido - Up
Guido Fawkes is lucky. People send him a lot of very good material, indeed anyone with half a brain could look good with the stuff he is privy to. At the moment news is hitting Guido before Nick Robinson gets it.
Tom Harris - Down
Since Tom had to restate his rather arbitrary comments policy, I notice that comment numbers have been down. Could that have anything to do with his posts? They seem to inhabit a parallel universe at the moment.
Polaris - Up
A new one to me. Polaris writes well and is funny.
Subrosa - Up
Goes from strength to strength, and unlike me, engages fully with her commenters.
Iain Dale - Down
Great if you are a fan of Iain. Boring if you aren't. Far too self-referential these days.
Special commendations to That's News, and Anna Raccoon who have provided good reads this week.
Please make your own submissions.
Thanks to Dave, Polaris, Bugger, Katabasis, King Athelstan, AP1984, Spartan, Denverthen, JPT, banned, Michael, Ruth@vs, Jim Baxter, Subrosa, Rebel Saint, boozer, Stewart Cowen, Kerry Katona, Winston, Ayrdale, Fraser, beeboids explode, Jimmy, Norton Folgate, Richard who have all made my life a bit richer this week.
(sorry to be soppy..it won't happen again)
Guido - Up
Guido Fawkes is lucky. People send him a lot of very good material, indeed anyone with half a brain could look good with the stuff he is privy to. At the moment news is hitting Guido before Nick Robinson gets it.
Tom Harris - Down
Since Tom had to restate his rather arbitrary comments policy, I notice that comment numbers have been down. Could that have anything to do with his posts? They seem to inhabit a parallel universe at the moment.
Polaris - Up
A new one to me. Polaris writes well and is funny.
Subrosa - Up
Goes from strength to strength, and unlike me, engages fully with her commenters.
Iain Dale - Down
Great if you are a fan of Iain. Boring if you aren't. Far too self-referential these days.
Special commendations to That's News, and Anna Raccoon who have provided good reads this week.
Please make your own submissions.
Thanks to Dave, Polaris, Bugger, Katabasis, King Athelstan, AP1984, Spartan, Denverthen, JPT, banned, Michael, Ruth@vs, Jim Baxter, Subrosa, Rebel Saint, boozer, Stewart Cowen, Kerry Katona, Winston, Ayrdale, Fraser, beeboids explode, Jimmy, Norton Folgate, Richard who have all made my life a bit richer this week.
(sorry to be soppy..it won't happen again)
Coo Coo Coo Choo
For some reason, this Song keeps running around my mind, and like Kylie, I just can't get it out of my head.
It's "Mrs Robinson" by Simon and Garfunkel, written for the film called "The Graduate", in which a woman in her fifties seduces a teenager.
Jesus loves you more than you will know, Iris
UPDATE: (Hat Tip, Jimmy)
It's "Mrs Robinson" by Simon and Garfunkel, written for the film called "The Graduate", in which a woman in her fifties seduces a teenager.
Jesus loves you more than you will know, Iris
UPDATE: (Hat Tip, Jimmy)
Time for a bit o' fun
Is Labour institutionally deceitful? I have put a poll on the side bar..please vote. Clearly this is not scientific, but I am interested to know what my regular readers think. (Don't worry, I shall do a similar poll on the Tories, so they are not going to get off either.)
At the bottom of New Labour is that terrible word, "Spin". It's news management, it is what they want us to interpret. It involves, if not lying, but omission of salient facts, often these facts are obfuscated. Fraser Nelson coined the word "Brownies" to denote the present PMs inability to be generous with the truth, for example, telling us that the election that never was, was called off so that he could "outline his vision", when everyone to everyone else it was obvious that he was going to lose.
What I mean by the question is, is that lies and deceit are the default option for Number Ten. When they have to announce something, they do not ask themselves "Are we being honest?". Instead they ask, "How will this play with the electorate?" Moreover, they do not believe in allowing us to have facts which will show them in a bad light, which makes informed dissent difficult.
But the biggest example I can think of is the Orwellian "Freedom of Information" act, which seems to be designed to do the opposite, which is to restrict the freedom of information. Had we relied upon this instrument to understand the scandal of MPs expenses, few of the major misdemeanors would ever have seen the light of day, since the "official" releases were heavily "redacted" - blanked out so heavily as to make nonsense of the information. It took the Telegraph, and Guido Fawkes to bring the truth, the terrible truth that many of our MPs are crooks, to the attention of the public. Had it been left to Number Ten and Gordon Brown, you would never have known. (Remember Michael Martin, the corrupt Speaker?)
So then, over to you.
At the bottom of New Labour is that terrible word, "Spin". It's news management, it is what they want us to interpret. It involves, if not lying, but omission of salient facts, often these facts are obfuscated. Fraser Nelson coined the word "Brownies" to denote the present PMs inability to be generous with the truth, for example, telling us that the election that never was, was called off so that he could "outline his vision", when everyone to everyone else it was obvious that he was going to lose.
What I mean by the question is, is that lies and deceit are the default option for Number Ten. When they have to announce something, they do not ask themselves "Are we being honest?". Instead they ask, "How will this play with the electorate?" Moreover, they do not believe in allowing us to have facts which will show them in a bad light, which makes informed dissent difficult.
But the biggest example I can think of is the Orwellian "Freedom of Information" act, which seems to be designed to do the opposite, which is to restrict the freedom of information. Had we relied upon this instrument to understand the scandal of MPs expenses, few of the major misdemeanors would ever have seen the light of day, since the "official" releases were heavily "redacted" - blanked out so heavily as to make nonsense of the information. It took the Telegraph, and Guido Fawkes to bring the truth, the terrible truth that many of our MPs are crooks, to the attention of the public. Had it been left to Number Ten and Gordon Brown, you would never have known. (Remember Michael Martin, the corrupt Speaker?)
So then, over to you.
Make the punishment fit the perp
It may seem a bit odd, this, but it is part of a mindset in the country which punishes obnoxious dick heads who want to take the piss and which believes in preserving a tranquil and very Swiss culture. You don't find dried sick outside the bars, you don't get dog poo and you don't get ghettos full of people who want to absorb the country into a Caliphate. Also, the authorities treat its citizens with respect - there being a far greater degree of local control. Why can't we follow their example?
Old Friends
I have been teasing an old aquaintance who I have not seen for 30 years. He has a blog and I tracked him down. He has no idea who WW is, though I never really got to know him that well, even though we worked together on several occasions. He was always modest, quiet and thoughtful and always a gentleman. But he's done very well since then.
http://briansibleysblog.blogspot.com/
Greetings, Brian.
http://briansibleysblog.blogspot.com/
Greetings, Brian.
Nick Robinson and the Arrogance of the BBC
Nick Robinson -
- The sneering contempt with which the BBC's Nick Robinson has dismissed the very substantial stories coming from some blogs is breathtaking in its arrogance. Robinson not only dismissed today's coup news out of hand, he characteristically dismissed the source. Even then, as the BBC Political Editor spoke, every MP was receiving the now notorious Hewitt/Hoon letter.
This is of course, the same Nick Robinson who spent days trying to ignore the Daniel Hannan video that ultimately went viral on YouTube.
It seems Nick has an aversion to big stories that do not emanate from him or his employers and his attitude to Guido for example goes between asperity and arch condescension.
I don't know why working for the BBC makes people so arrogant, but it does. I have no regrets that I never joined them.
In the era of what we are told is the revolution in journalism - blogging - this becomes what we call, "a story"
- The sneering contempt with which the BBC's Nick Robinson has dismissed the very substantial stories coming from some blogs is breathtaking in its arrogance. Robinson not only dismissed today's coup news out of hand, he characteristically dismissed the source. Even then, as the BBC Political Editor spoke, every MP was receiving the now notorious Hewitt/Hoon letter.
This is of course, the same Nick Robinson who spent days trying to ignore the Daniel Hannan video that ultimately went viral on YouTube.
It seems Nick has an aversion to big stories that do not emanate from him or his employers and his attitude to Guido for example goes between asperity and arch condescension.
I don't know why working for the BBC makes people so arrogant, but it does. I have no regrets that I never joined them.
Leadership Challenge to Gordon Brown
I get up, make scrambled eggs for Mrs Weasel, send her off in a defrosted car with a flask of hot coffee and some chicken rolls with cranberry sauce, and off she goes through the snow to the workhouse. Then I attend to other things and suddenly the interminable story of Gordon Brown and the will he/won't he go story goes into overdrive.
Guido has the letter. The MSM look stupid this morning, particularly Nick Robinson who insisted there was no leadership challenge, even after most MPs had the copy of the Hoon/Hewitt letter in their sweaty, sticky little fingers. The BBC should be singled out for particular criticism for the way they have handled the story so far - as usual, by not reporting it.
Even the Speccie had to hat tip Guido. This is certainly the year of the blog. (Not mine of course, but hey ho.)
So, what will happen next? By the time you read this it could all have changed, so there is not much point in speculating. However, the only way Brown would accede to a secret ballot, as demanded by the conspiritors, is if Mandelson tells him the game is up and the Prince of Darkness withdraws his support. This is Mandelson's call. If he choses, Gordon will go. It was Mandelson who pursuaded waverers to stick with Brown last time there was an attempted coup. So far, Peter Mandelson has been absent from the scene, which is ominous. Apparently, Mandy is booked for Newsnight tonight. If he is a no show, then it's curtains for Brown.
As we know, the plotters and would be plotters are cowards. None of them really have the cojones, hence the secret ballot. Somehow, I think Gordon will hang on. What does he have to lose personally? It is not as if he gives a shit about his party or his country.
UPDATE:
I was struck by this video of Patricia Hewitt, one of the coup conspiritors. Apart from the laughable assertion that this was "not a call for Gordon to resign", Hewitt looked remarkably peaceful; unstressed, not at all shifty and almost relieved. I am not sure what this means, but I suspect that she, like many others feel this is a point of catharsis.
Guido has the letter. The MSM look stupid this morning, particularly Nick Robinson who insisted there was no leadership challenge, even after most MPs had the copy of the Hoon/Hewitt letter in their sweaty, sticky little fingers. The BBC should be singled out for particular criticism for the way they have handled the story so far - as usual, by not reporting it.
Even the Speccie had to hat tip Guido. This is certainly the year of the blog. (Not mine of course, but hey ho.)
So, what will happen next? By the time you read this it could all have changed, so there is not much point in speculating. However, the only way Brown would accede to a secret ballot, as demanded by the conspiritors, is if Mandelson tells him the game is up and the Prince of Darkness withdraws his support. This is Mandelson's call. If he choses, Gordon will go. It was Mandelson who pursuaded waverers to stick with Brown last time there was an attempted coup. So far, Peter Mandelson has been absent from the scene, which is ominous. Apparently, Mandy is booked for Newsnight tonight. If he is a no show, then it's curtains for Brown.
As we know, the plotters and would be plotters are cowards. None of them really have the cojones, hence the secret ballot. Somehow, I think Gordon will hang on. What does he have to lose personally? It is not as if he gives a shit about his party or his country.
UPDATE:
I was struck by this video of Patricia Hewitt, one of the coup conspiritors. Apart from the laughable assertion that this was "not a call for Gordon to resign", Hewitt looked remarkably peaceful; unstressed, not at all shifty and almost relieved. I am not sure what this means, but I suspect that she, like many others feel this is a point of catharsis.
Where did my £2.35 billion go?
Today I shall give you an insight into the minutiae of life in Weasel's world. When I last looked out (just like that King in the carol) it was snowing; just like a Pizza - deep pan, crisp and even. (Just like the carol)
This means that the MGF is about as useful as a chocolate chastity belt and not as tasty. Proper drivers will know that, although it retains excellent stability under normal conditions, having its engine in the centre of the car, being a rear wheel drive and very torquey, it slithers all over the place on ice. Which is fun if you are in Lidl car park when it is empty, but slightly unnerving if you are on a public road. So it was with dismay that last night, I discovered that the MOT on the Volkswagen was about to expire. This required Mrs Weasel to change her plans over what was going to be an already fraught drive into work. Now, I am unlucky, one of the unluckiest people you will ever meet. I have never won anything and am always in the wrong place at the wrong time, so it is ten to one on that if I had sent Mrs Weasel out in the VW this morning, she would have had a prang and then found that, due to my negligence (the car being registered to me) the insurance was invalid.
And so it was that we gingerly made our way to the local railway station, whereupon Dr Weasel got a train, and then a bus, to the workhouse. By the Grace of God, my local garage was able to squeeze me in for an MOT and due to my diligence over the brakes last month, it passed without so much as the wash wipe reservoir needing to be filled up.
Icy? We apparently have not had the last of it. Which brings me to my £2.35 billion. Apparently, this is what Iceland owes the United Kingdom, after the collapse of Landsbanki left its British investors out of pocket. It is a debt which it does not intend to repay, after the President, Noggbad the Nogg, vetoed a bill in the Icelandic Parliament that was the instrument of repayment. Not only that, it will go to a referendum. Now, given that every man woman and child in Iceland will have to pay £20,000 to repay this debt, I believe I can safely predict which way the referendum will go. This leaves me, oh and you, with yet another hole in the public purse. Never mind that Iceland will be vetoed if they try and join the EU (lucky bastards), the credit rating of the country, this land of Sagas, rotten shark and Bjork, is now on a par with Kerry Katona's, also of Iceland fame. I don't blame Icelanders. After all, Gordon's reaction was to freeze all of Iceland's UK assets using anti-terrorist legislation. Icelanders themselves must be wondering where all that money went. To be honest, I don't know. Somebody somewhere is getting very fat on it, thank you. It must be grand theft. Either it never existed in the first place - or it has been stolen. Which is it? Ideas please. What we do know is that many of our local authorities have lost a lot of money - funds which they will have to find elsewhere, which probably means that as a result of the Lansbanki fiasco, your council tax will rise.
So, the weather has been crap. Tell me if you have had same. My tip: don't eat the yellow snow and stock up on pemmican.
This means that the MGF is about as useful as a chocolate chastity belt and not as tasty. Proper drivers will know that, although it retains excellent stability under normal conditions, having its engine in the centre of the car, being a rear wheel drive and very torquey, it slithers all over the place on ice. Which is fun if you are in Lidl car park when it is empty, but slightly unnerving if you are on a public road. So it was with dismay that last night, I discovered that the MOT on the Volkswagen was about to expire. This required Mrs Weasel to change her plans over what was going to be an already fraught drive into work. Now, I am unlucky, one of the unluckiest people you will ever meet. I have never won anything and am always in the wrong place at the wrong time, so it is ten to one on that if I had sent Mrs Weasel out in the VW this morning, she would have had a prang and then found that, due to my negligence (the car being registered to me) the insurance was invalid.
And so it was that we gingerly made our way to the local railway station, whereupon Dr Weasel got a train, and then a bus, to the workhouse. By the Grace of God, my local garage was able to squeeze me in for an MOT and due to my diligence over the brakes last month, it passed without so much as the wash wipe reservoir needing to be filled up.
Icy? We apparently have not had the last of it. Which brings me to my £2.35 billion. Apparently, this is what Iceland owes the United Kingdom, after the collapse of Landsbanki left its British investors out of pocket. It is a debt which it does not intend to repay, after the President, Noggbad the Nogg, vetoed a bill in the Icelandic Parliament that was the instrument of repayment. Not only that, it will go to a referendum. Now, given that every man woman and child in Iceland will have to pay £20,000 to repay this debt, I believe I can safely predict which way the referendum will go. This leaves me, oh and you, with yet another hole in the public purse. Never mind that Iceland will be vetoed if they try and join the EU (lucky bastards), the credit rating of the country, this land of Sagas, rotten shark and Bjork, is now on a par with Kerry Katona's, also of Iceland fame. I don't blame Icelanders. After all, Gordon's reaction was to freeze all of Iceland's UK assets using anti-terrorist legislation. Icelanders themselves must be wondering where all that money went. To be honest, I don't know. Somebody somewhere is getting very fat on it, thank you. It must be grand theft. Either it never existed in the first place - or it has been stolen. Which is it? Ideas please. What we do know is that many of our local authorities have lost a lot of money - funds which they will have to find elsewhere, which probably means that as a result of the Lansbanki fiasco, your council tax will rise.
So, the weather has been crap. Tell me if you have had same. My tip: don't eat the yellow snow and stock up on pemmican.
Cameron's hostage to fortune
Over at Political Betting, I caught sight of this picture.
PB points out that it's a bit Presidential, using the "I" rather than the "We". Full marks for using the word "cut" though. Brown continues to live in Tarquin Biscuitbarrel territory on that issue.
We all love the NHS with its cheery nurses and the aroma of urine and cabbage and Doctors with their long black beards and funny foreign names and dodgy qualifications (is it 10ccs or 100? mm, better go for the full, how you say, monty). But, there are plenty of services that you can cut in the NHS. For a start, what about the fertility treatment? I cannot for the life of me see how you can justify it, and yet the annual cost of this is about £170 million, the figure cited by our old friend and brainbox, Dim Prawnarolo, in answer to a Parliamentary Question. Dim, is of course all for it, being passionate about wimmin and wimmin's ishoos.
Here are a few comments and facts from a recent article in The Telegraph:
Largesse is a wonderful thing, but not if you are a ragged trousered philanthropist. The NHS should not be ring-fenced. It is, like everything else under Labour, overblown and over managed and highly inefficient.
The NHS already delivers less for the person who needs it for a one-off operation in their lifetime, or when they get old. A lot of money is spent these days diagnosing and treating gays with oral syphilis (an almost exclusively gay problem that is on the increase), who, one may argue, have inflicted this upon themselves by not having safe sex. But of course, you cannot get away with criticising their lifestyles, however much the taxpayer has to pick up the tab.
The NHS must contract. It must go back to the principles it first established, that it to provide necessary care to those who need it, not to those who cannot take responsibility for their own lifestyle decisions.
PB points out that it's a bit Presidential, using the "I" rather than the "We". Full marks for using the word "cut" though. Brown continues to live in Tarquin Biscuitbarrel territory on that issue.
We all love the NHS with its cheery nurses and the aroma of urine and cabbage and Doctors with their long black beards and funny foreign names and dodgy qualifications (is it 10ccs or 100? mm, better go for the full, how you say, monty). But, there are plenty of services that you can cut in the NHS. For a start, what about the fertility treatment? I cannot for the life of me see how you can justify it, and yet the annual cost of this is about £170 million, the figure cited by our old friend and brainbox, Dim Prawnarolo, in answer to a Parliamentary Question. Dim, is of course all for it, being passionate about wimmin and wimmin's ishoos.
Here are a few comments and facts from a recent article in The Telegraph:
the NHS is not made of money, or as Melanie Phillips put it, “it’s the National Health Service, not the National Happiness Service”. When this incredible organisation, a rightful source of national pride, was conceived (so to speak) it was intended to help the sick, not to provide liposuction for people who could easily lose weight themselves, sex-change operations and reverse sex change operations, pills for men who can’t get erections, boob jobs and fertility treatment, not to mention a staggering 180,000 abortions a year, each costing around £500 (the other 20,000 are paid for privately).
Largesse is a wonderful thing, but not if you are a ragged trousered philanthropist. The NHS should not be ring-fenced. It is, like everything else under Labour, overblown and over managed and highly inefficient.
The NHS already delivers less for the person who needs it for a one-off operation in their lifetime, or when they get old. A lot of money is spent these days diagnosing and treating gays with oral syphilis (an almost exclusively gay problem that is on the increase), who, one may argue, have inflicted this upon themselves by not having safe sex. But of course, you cannot get away with criticising their lifestyles, however much the taxpayer has to pick up the tab.
The NHS must contract. It must go back to the principles it first established, that it to provide necessary care to those who need it, not to those who cannot take responsibility for their own lifestyle decisions.
Will the collapse of the Eurozone save Brown?
Prime Minister Gordon Brown was not enthusiastic about joining the Euro when, back in June 2003 he declared we were not ready for the Euro. He gave us the famous five tests, which I am not going to repeat here, since they were so subject to interpretation and spin as to be meaningless. Nevertheless, Brown, at this point, was against it. There then came a hint, in December 2008 that Brown was wavering: "Desperate Gordon Brown eyes the Euro" screamed the Guardian. Typically, Brown has wavered over the issue, and perhaps it is his dithering that has saved us all in general, and him in particular.
Peter Obourne is in Grim Reaper mode over at the Observer with this article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jan/03/peter-oborne-end-of-eurozone
Oborne writes:
These stats put our problems into another perspective, do they not? Perhaps not surprisingly Europeans are taking full advantage of the devaluation of the pound to buy up our products and services. Obourne believes that, "The European single currency amounts to an experiment in social and economic engineering on a scale only very rarely before encountered in world history."
istockAnalyst's story on Saturday was entitled: Will The Euro Become The Most Hated Currency For 2010?
The writer paraphrases Milton Friedman: A one-size fits all monetary policy doesn't give the member countries the flexibility needed to stimulate their economies.
If tthe Obourne quote is not an exaggeration, and you believe Friedman, it would appear there is a prima facie case for Brown to have an awful lot of leeway. It may only be the kind that allows him to dither a bit more, but he can sit and dither while Rome burns.
Peter Obourne is in Grim Reaper mode over at the Observer with this article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jan/03/peter-oborne-end-of-eurozone
Oborne writes:
Consider the facts. In Spain, unemployment has already reached a gut-wrenching 19.3%. But unemployment for those between 16-24 is a catastrophic 42%. In Greece, youth unemployment is 25%, in Ireland 28.4% and Italy 26.9%. Marginal eurozone countries such as Greece, Spain and Ireland are not just in recession. They are in depression – and so long as they remain inside the euro there is no exit.
These stats put our problems into another perspective, do they not? Perhaps not surprisingly Europeans are taking full advantage of the devaluation of the pound to buy up our products and services. Obourne believes that, "The European single currency amounts to an experiment in social and economic engineering on a scale only very rarely before encountered in world history."
istockAnalyst's story on Saturday was entitled: Will The Euro Become The Most Hated Currency For 2010?
The writer paraphrases Milton Friedman: A one-size fits all monetary policy doesn't give the member countries the flexibility needed to stimulate their economies.
If tthe Obourne quote is not an exaggeration, and you believe Friedman, it would appear there is a prima facie case for Brown to have an awful lot of leeway. It may only be the kind that allows him to dither a bit more, but he can sit and dither while Rome burns.
Ever wondered why a fifth of the workforce are public sector?
Under Labour, the number of public sector employees has risen from 914,000 in 1997, to over Six Million today. Source:
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/public_sector/article6974029.ece
I did a bit of digging and looked at what kind of a job you can get if you want easy money. How about a job where you help children from the ages of 8 to 13 become involved in local government? A vital service I should have thought. Something essential, at a time when we owe billions and are taxed to breaking point?
Here it is - in the Guardian of course! :
Nice work if you can get it, and you can get it if you are a loser who cannot get a proper job. So this is where the Council Tax and the Government subsidies are going.
Or this one from the Department for International Development:
This all sounds very worthy, but, I thought we were in a terrible financial crisis, right here, in the UK. I have been told we are indebting our grandchildren and that our triple A rating is under review. So, WTF is this?
It is not the fact that there is anything particularly wrong about these jobs, it is that the Government has created, either directly or indirectly, over Five Million of them since it came to power. These are being paid for by increased borrowing and increased taxation in levels which are strangling the nation.
I say enough is enough.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/public_sector/article6974029.ece
I did a bit of digging and looked at what kind of a job you can get if you want easy money. How about a job where you help children from the ages of 8 to 13 become involved in local government? A vital service I should have thought. Something essential, at a time when we owe billions and are taxed to breaking point?
Here it is - in the Guardian of course! :
Do you have experience of working with groups of children aged 5 to 13? Are you committed to ensuring children having their voice heard? We are looking for a dynamic individual who will take on the challenge in supporting our participation work.
You will assist with and then also lead, on the planning and running of the Children’s Forum with the Children’s Participation Co-ordinator. The Children’s Forum is a borough-wide group open to children aged 8 to 13 who wish to be involved in Council decisions. In addition to this, there will be other participation projects you will work on, for example in schools and play centres.
Nice work if you can get it, and you can get it if you are a loser who cannot get a proper job. So this is where the Council Tax and the Government subsidies are going.
Or this one from the Department for International Development:
At DFID, helping poor people means tackling diverse challenges like addressing climate change and helping to bring peace and stability to conflict affected states...
If you are passionate about the impact learning and development can have on individual and collective performance and you want to be a part of our fight against world poverty, we may have the role you've been looking for.
Starting salary will be £41,900 (National) or
- £45,381 (London) progressing to a maximum of £51,424
- (National) or £55,188 (London)
This all sounds very worthy, but, I thought we were in a terrible financial crisis, right here, in the UK. I have been told we are indebting our grandchildren and that our triple A rating is under review. So, WTF is this?
It is not the fact that there is anything particularly wrong about these jobs, it is that the Government has created, either directly or indirectly, over Five Million of them since it came to power. These are being paid for by increased borrowing and increased taxation in levels which are strangling the nation.
I say enough is enough.
Gordon Brown's "Wake Up Call"
Apparently, Our Dear Leader has had a "wake up call".
This, from the official Number Ten web site:
Well, Mr Fucking Gordon Fucking Brown, we had a wake up call on 11th September 2001, over eight and a half years ago! How many more fucking wake up calls do you need Mr Gordon Fucking Brown, before you do something about it?
You could start by closing all the phony "educational establishments" that get bogus students in by the back door. You could repatriate Islamic hate-mongers and break up the ghettos and no-go areas in the UK. You could allow the police to stop and search swarthy men with beards and funny clothes, because, fuck me, they seem to fit the profile for terrorists, not Japanese tourists or old ladies. You could allow British citizens to defend their homes and their families.
Just don't give us this "Wake up call" shit. You should have woken up ten years ago.
(sorry about the swearing)
This, from the official Number Ten web site:
The Detroit plot thankfully failed. But it has been another wake-up call for the ongoing battles we must wage not just for security against terror but for the hearts and minds of a generation.
Well, Mr Fucking Gordon Fucking Brown, we had a wake up call on 11th September 2001, over eight and a half years ago! How many more fucking wake up calls do you need Mr Gordon Fucking Brown, before you do something about it?
You could start by closing all the phony "educational establishments" that get bogus students in by the back door. You could repatriate Islamic hate-mongers and break up the ghettos and no-go areas in the UK. You could allow the police to stop and search swarthy men with beards and funny clothes, because, fuck me, they seem to fit the profile for terrorists, not Japanese tourists or old ladies. You could allow British citizens to defend their homes and their families.
Just don't give us this "Wake up call" shit. You should have woken up ten years ago.
(sorry about the swearing)
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