Hutton: Take a job or lose benefits

Two things to say here. One, this is nothing new. Jobseekers have always been required to seek and take appropriate work in exchange for benefits while they look. Two, maybe if wages were at a decent level, people would be more inclined to take work. A member of a government who is asking for a 60%+ pay rise should think carefully about this.

We are being shafted!

Animals in hospitals, country ruled by hooded yobs, do-gooders saying we shouldn't punish them, the whole social infrastructure falling to bits. And Europe telling us we can't do anything about it because we will upset their human rights!!! Ha. Ha. Ha Ha Ha. Welcome to THEIR world. Well, back to the asylum for me.

I'm back

Well, I haven’t posted for a while because there is so much crap going on in the world that I can’t decide what to post on. And to do it all would take up more time than I have. So, here is a nice little quote I read recently-

"The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is that in a democracy you vote first and take orders later; in a dictatorship you don't have to waste your time voting."

Charles BukowskiUS (German-born) author & poet (1920 - 1994)

Gran Arrested for defending Her Property

It is reported that a grandmother who confronted rowdy youths has spent a night in police cells for defending her property. Had she telephoned the police, they would have been long gone before police arrived. I have little doubt that these youths knew this, and that any defensive action would result in arrest for her, not them. I would like to know if the youths were similarly treated for trespass and possible criminal damage. It is because they know that they will get away with it that this sort of behaviour is prevalent. While I do not condone law breaking or excessive violence, once the right to defend oneself and ones property with a swift clip around the ear is enshrined in law, these youths may think twice about violating common sensibilities.

Full story here.

Prescott's Indiscretion

So 2 jags Prescott has been outed as a philanderer. It seems every party has its adulterer. Can we believe that people who have a family home and a home in London, who have ample time and freedom to take extra marital partners are not going to take advantage of the situation? We cannot only blame the politicians. The women involved are equally guilty. We do not know the particular circumstances of Mr. Prescott’s indiscretion. But given these circumstances and the possibility of the woman involved making herself obviously available, how many of us could say, hand on heart ‘I would not do it’. I like to think if I were in a serious relationship (and surely marriage is the most serious of all) I would reject all such advances. I can put my hand on my heart and say that I would not actively seek a relationship outside of a longstanding commitment. But could I, would I reject the advances of an attractive female? While I hope so, the only test would be to be there and say ‘No’. I am not a lover of Mr. Prescott, or New Labour, but we should temper our immediate reaction to condemn with the compassion of common sense. Would I, given the same opportunities and circumstances be as moral as I expect this man to be? I rest my case.

Patches, I'm Depending On You Son.

Micro$oft has discovered more exploitable flaws in its Internet Explorer. They do not intend to release patches for them until Patch Tuesday, leaving third parties to produce patches. Thanks, Bill.

Re- Standards are Slipping!

I sent the body of this blog to BBC's letters page, and to the Radio Times. Reading the news yesterday morning, the story was still posted. However, the word ‘airplane’ had been replaced with the correct English form ‘aeroplane’. Thank you, BBC for helping to maintain standards. Maybe it wasn’t changed because of my response. But it does hearten me to think that an individual may still have some influence. To quote Citizen Smith (for those who remember him) Power to the People!

State of the Health Service

Many health/hospital trusts are trying to solve their ‘overspend’ problems by sacking staff. Unless the staff that are going are consultants or managers (which I doubt) the pitiful NHS wages saved will be a mere splash in the ocean. Here is my answer to the NHS funding problem.

• Sack all the managers whose job it is to oversee spending. Once you have someone in charge of finances, to the exclusion of other considerations that is when we see financial problems start. And it should save a considerable sum.


• Re-introduce matrons. They ensure that wards are run effectively and efficiently from a clinical point of view. The knock-on effect of this will be to see efficient use of resources, and a consequential reduction in spending.


• Raise the top rate of tax to 80% and use the extra money to fund the NHS.


• Stop using money to kill people (Iran) and use it in hospitals. It seems the NHS doesn’t have a bottomless pit of money, yet the engineered conflict in Iran does.

I doubt these simple solutions will be adopted. This would ruin the conservative plot, continued by Tony Blair to privatise the health service by the back door.

Standards are Slipping!

This morning I read on BBCi a local news story from the East Midlands region. ‘Woman’s car hit by ice from sky.’ Paragraph 3 starts ‘it is believed the ice ball fell from an airplane’. An airplane? Chambers dictionary states ‘Aeroplane is the standard form in British English’. And I always believed that the BBC was a stalwart of British conservatism. Britain is dead. Long live the 51st state.

Never Mind the Kids. Back to work!

The Liberal Democrats will force single parents back to work. As a single dad, forced out of work in 1993 due to lack help from Government and other agencies, I resent that I might be made to work. I am working part time, seeking full time employment but I resent the implication. How will this help truancy, the current trend of anti-social behaviour, and parents who already have problem kids? As single parents, we are already disadvantaged.

God will judge

Mr. Bush claims God speaks through him. Now his puppet, Tony Blair has said that God will judge the Iraq war. Which God would that be? Not Allah, I hope! What dangerous times we live in.

Nuclear War!!!!

Yesterday, I read in the news that government papers from 1975 had been made public under the 30 year rule. Apparently, old Harold (Wilson) would have been whisked away to an underground bunker. Art treasures would have been taken to an underground hideaway in Wales. And us? Well, we aren’t prime ministers, or art treasures (You speak for yourself!!) There were, apparently, no provisions for us. Well, who did Harold think he was going to Prime Minister over? And who would be there to look at the art treasures? Wasn’t the whole 70’s ‘nuclear thing’ a bit of a wet squib? We had no say in who, why or when they would be deployed. We had no protection, apart from the official line. Which as I remember was, paint your windows with white-wash, lean a door against a wall, cover it with sandbags and take a few months provisions in with you??!!!!??
Now, assuming we could do all this in the 3 minutes we were told we had, and we could fit in that much food, (maybe for a family of 4 0r 5?) can anybody explain why the armed forces were given different instructions? I had a friend at the time, who was a member of the armed forces. A marine, if I remember correctly. And the advice they were given? ‘If the bomb goes off, turn away from the blast, crouch down on your knees and elbows, cover your eyes and kiss your ass goodbye’!!!

Boxing Day Hunts

So the Countryside Alliance say thousands of people will support the Boxing Day hunts, because ‘a new poll showed only a third of people think the new legislation is working.’ Maybe thousands will support the hunts. But they will not be there because they do not believe the new legislation isn’t working. I do not believe it is working, but that doesn’t mean I disagree with the principle of the new legislation. They will be there because they support hunting. And if we wish to justify or otherwise hunting using these poll figures, then consider that by their own admission and interpretation of the poll results, two-thirds ( a good majority, I think you will agree) believe the new legislation is working and do not support the principle of hunting.

Christian Doc Payout Row

So, a Christian eye specialist loses his job because of his religion. Imagine the outcry, were he Muslim ousted by Christians. I hope United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust is investigating, and takes appropriate action, since they have reportedly paid undisclosed damages on the advice of lawyers. But I wish Dr Joseph Erian, at the centre of the row, had rejected the offer and exposed the bias in our so-called equal rights legislation. In my opinion they should have sacked (and deported) the Muslims forcing the issue.

Story HERE

Electronic Tagging

Re the girl who successfully had her electronic tag removed because it ‘clashed with her clothes’. This is tantamount to a convicted criminal claiming he shouldn’t be sent to prison, as it clashed with his lifestyle. It is quite clear to me that this girl was embarrassed at having to wear the tag. Had the decision to tag her been upheld, the embarrassment may have dissuaded her from committing further crime.  (As I believe punishment is supposed to do). She probably now feels she can manipulate the justice system, and will not have any concerns about further illegal activity. Send in the clowns!

Fred Dibnah

Fred Dibnah


I am currently (I mean at this moment) watching ‘The Fred Dibnah Story’ on UKTV Documentaries. The world is a sadder place for the loss of this great man. You may not agree with his beliefs, principles, call them what you want. But he was a genuine principled man who gave his all for his work, no vocation. I have just heard him say, after his first divorce that he felt he was becoming the man down the pub, propping up the bar and realised it had to change. Fred, I hope, wherever you are, the great steam rally in the sky, the great chimney in the sky or the great pile of bricks in the sky (!) that you can read this. To me and many others you would never be that. What a better world we would live in if more of us were like you. I regret deeply that I never met you in person. But I feel that I know you. I hope they have chimneys, steam engines and Guinness in heaven!

Don't Wear a Tie-pin

Don’t Wear a Tiepin

According to the Yorkshire Post and BBC News Wakefield Prison Officers have been told not to wear St. George Cross tie-pins bought in support of a cancer charity for fear they may be misinterpreted as racist symbols. Ms Owers, Chief Inspector of prisons, has said "staff should not wear unauthorised tie-pins". Well, if it is merely the wearing of an unauthorised tie-pin that is the issue, why were the officers not told this? Why is the Saint Georges Cross aspect being highlighted? If you ask me, this is the racist element of the issue. English people being told they cannot advertise their loyalty to and love for their country even in support of a worthy charity.

Hurricane Katrina II

Hurricane Katrina II

So George Bush is to lead an investigation into why his government didn’t offer enough aid quickly enough. Tweedledee and Tweedledum come to mind.

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina.

The US government has taken an unacceptable amount of time to begin organising help for the mostly poor people who have been affected. The UK is sending aid. Can we really get aid over the Atlantic Ocean to them before the richest country in the world’s own Government can get aid to them? I do not begrudge them aid, but if this is the case there is something terribly wrong.
     We also need to question why UK citizens were told to contact local consulates, even though they were known to be under water.
     Why was aid arriving for tsunami victims within 24 hours, yet it is now seven days since Katrina and still relief is not up to speed.
      Why when it was known that Katrina was going to devastate huge areas where people without the means to leave not supplied with the means to leave?  
     Why, although they must accept their share of the blame, are minor politicians being accused when George Bush could have overruled them and supplied relief in hours?
     Well, maybe Texas isn’t executing enough underprivileged, under represented people, and this is a convenient shortcut to further circumvent the legal system.
     

The right to live or die?

Fairly recently, people have tried to get the right to die for terminally ill patients who have no hope of recovery and wish to die painlessly and with dignity. This, of course, has been denied. Now we see a man who may lose the ability to make his decision to be kept alive known to doctors. He has asked the courts to ensure he is kept alive. With true British legal contradiction, he has been told the doctors can, if they see fit starve him to death.
I do not express, nor should you infer from this blog that I agree or disagree with the right to die or the right to live in these disturbing and somewhat complex cases. I am merely wishing to point out the ridiculous situation where the law denies death to one terminally ill patient, while denying life to another. The lawyers are getting rich on the back of our suffering.
Well done, Charles Dickens, for writing 'If the law supposes that', said Mr. Bumble, 'the law is an ass...'
I rest my case.