I have had an idle night this evening just surfing the net and generally watching Blackpool beating West Brom and also watching that wonderful series 'Spooks'. This is my little paradise, my computer, two tellies and my keyboard. I am never bored and I can seek out my mates whenever I want. Downstairs is my wife of 41 years tapping away on her DS games player secure that she is at long last free of watching SKY Sports!
Like so many others I 'Google' the past and present and tonight I 'googled' my old school. Way back in 1954 I achieved the almost impossible for a kid from a Council estate beause I passed the 11+ and qualified for a really elite grammar school. It was called Derby School and it had 400 years of tradition behind it.
This poor kid from a Scottish working class family actually qualified for a school for the 'posh' kids and my parents were ecstatic! Unfortunately neither of us could,at the time, cope with my achievement and I failed miserably when it came around to the GCE results. However my REAL education had been achieved and I have never looked back from the wonderful Derby School education that I received.
Tonight I 'Googled' Derby School and found a wonderful photograoph of my teachers (or so many of them). I could not believe it! There in front of my eyes were Fizzer, Loopy, Jack, Rocky and Boris! The Internet is a wonderful tool if used properly. Tears in the eyes folks...if only I knew then what I know now!
Monday, 1 November 2010
Thursday, 28 October 2010
The European Union...yet again!
Whenever David Cameron talks about the European Union he likes to give the impression that he is sceptical and that he will challenge the EU particularly with regard to our contributions. In reality I suspect that we have been, as usual, stitched up so that we will always have to ante up despite the obvious profligacy of all concerned with the EU.
How in hell did we sleepwalk into this nightmare where all the EU countries are cutting their budgets to meet the challenge of the banks and the EU blithely decides that they want to spend more? The MEPs are claiming ridiculous expenses as ever and the EU has become a byword for extravagance.
I will repeat yet again that they cannot be audited...the Commissioners (the only people with any real power) are unelected (like Cathy Ashton) and the MEPs have no real authority. The whole show is a charade. It is almost as if Moscow has been moved to Brussels and yet every one of our politicians cannot bring themselves to grant the British people a referendum on this farce.
The EU budget will continue to rise. Year after year we will pay more and more even though our own budget will have to decrease. Someday, one day, we will have to refuse to pay. It has to happen because we the British will not sacrifice our families for a political cause. Sooner or later somebody will emerge to lead us out of the EU and I sure hope that it happens before I pass on.
Our politicians will one day have to decide what they want. We have been sadly let down by the Political Class but one day someone will realise that they have to give the public a referendum on the EU. Oh where is that person? What will they lose by asking the British public what they really want?
When will they spend our taxes on us? When will they consult us? When will they abide by their election promises? In short they cannot rule without our consent even though they are doing it. Remember the verbage of the last electoral contest. They did not mean a word of it. In other words they all lied and we let them lie. We have accepted that our politicians lie and because of that we now have the EU.
We deserve all we get!
How in hell did we sleepwalk into this nightmare where all the EU countries are cutting their budgets to meet the challenge of the banks and the EU blithely decides that they want to spend more? The MEPs are claiming ridiculous expenses as ever and the EU has become a byword for extravagance.
I will repeat yet again that they cannot be audited...the Commissioners (the only people with any real power) are unelected (like Cathy Ashton) and the MEPs have no real authority. The whole show is a charade. It is almost as if Moscow has been moved to Brussels and yet every one of our politicians cannot bring themselves to grant the British people a referendum on this farce.
The EU budget will continue to rise. Year after year we will pay more and more even though our own budget will have to decrease. Someday, one day, we will have to refuse to pay. It has to happen because we the British will not sacrifice our families for a political cause. Sooner or later somebody will emerge to lead us out of the EU and I sure hope that it happens before I pass on.
Our politicians will one day have to decide what they want. We have been sadly let down by the Political Class but one day someone will realise that they have to give the public a referendum on the EU. Oh where is that person? What will they lose by asking the British public what they really want?
When will they spend our taxes on us? When will they consult us? When will they abide by their election promises? In short they cannot rule without our consent even though they are doing it. Remember the verbage of the last electoral contest. They did not mean a word of it. In other words they all lied and we let them lie. We have accepted that our politicians lie and because of that we now have the EU.
We deserve all we get!
Wednesday, 27 October 2010
Housing Benefit
Ha! The Coalition are turning the tables and focusing on 'fairness'. At long last somebody is concentrating on the unfair system which allows immigrant/unemployed families to enjoy a standard of living not afforded to ordinary working families.
Tonight on 'Newsnight' an immigrant family (the father of course on sick leave) are complaining of the unfair system! Another unemployed family compalin that they have just got their kids into a really good school and might now have to move. The BBC are as usual trying to make a case that the immigrant and workshy are being penalised.
And about time to! How fair is it that working families cannot afford these luxury apartments/houses when under the NoLab government they were handed out willy nilly. They campaign that the Tories are gerrymandering the housing to gain an electoral advanatage.
It is a desperate ploy and as we have seen tonight live on BBC 2 their 'clients' all believe that they can just sit back and claim their 'entitlement'. I seriously hope that the Coalition will continue to educate these workshy no hopers that their days of an easy life has just suddenly disappeared.
Unless you have integrated, got a job and contribute to our economy then you can face life on a housing estate where you can join people with a similar outlook/aspiration/ambition because life is about to change for you.
If you don't like it then how about life back in Somalia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan....etc! Yeah I thought not!
Tonight on 'Newsnight' an immigrant family (the father of course on sick leave) are complaining of the unfair system! Another unemployed family compalin that they have just got their kids into a really good school and might now have to move. The BBC are as usual trying to make a case that the immigrant and workshy are being penalised.
And about time to! How fair is it that working families cannot afford these luxury apartments/houses when under the NoLab government they were handed out willy nilly. They campaign that the Tories are gerrymandering the housing to gain an electoral advanatage.
It is a desperate ploy and as we have seen tonight live on BBC 2 their 'clients' all believe that they can just sit back and claim their 'entitlement'. I seriously hope that the Coalition will continue to educate these workshy no hopers that their days of an easy life has just suddenly disappeared.
Unless you have integrated, got a job and contribute to our economy then you can face life on a housing estate where you can join people with a similar outlook/aspiration/ambition because life is about to change for you.
If you don't like it then how about life back in Somalia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan....etc! Yeah I thought not!
Where are we on the EU?
I am intrigued by the stance of the Coalition and David Cameron on our relationship with the European Union. I am an implacable enemy of the EU because my generation were railroaded into what has become a Socialist conspiracy when they proclaimed that is was a trade agreement. I actually voted for the propaganda way back in the seventies and have regretted it ever since.
David Cameron gives the impression that he is not the greatest fan of the EU and that he will fight for our cause. I wonder just how far he is prepared to go? Watching PM's Question Time there is little doubt that his backbenchers are being primed to ask the questions. I believe that the Coalition government are preparing for battle. I really hope so because this corrupt, unaudited, organisation needs to be challenged!
A referendum would help. No fudges, no deals, no promises...just do we want to contribute to the EU or not? Why is that not an option?
David Cameron gives the impression that he is not the greatest fan of the EU and that he will fight for our cause. I wonder just how far he is prepared to go? Watching PM's Question Time there is little doubt that his backbenchers are being primed to ask the questions. I believe that the Coalition government are preparing for battle. I really hope so because this corrupt, unaudited, organisation needs to be challenged!
A referendum would help. No fudges, no deals, no promises...just do we want to contribute to the EU or not? Why is that not an option?
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Talking down Britain...
Generally the people who I speak to agree that we have to give the Coalition an opportunity to get us out of the mess that NoLab left us in. Most of us realise that the economy had been wrecked by incompetence and an immoral disregard for common sense. The public had been to led to expect a standard of living that they could not afford and reality has to kick in at some time.
Despite this I am amazed at how many groupings are talking the country down. I can understand how Her Majesty's Opposition, after their abject performance in power, would hope that any future plans from the government failed. I realise that a certain section of the media have vested interests so hope that The Coalition fails but surely in the interests of the country at least a fair hearing is in order.
I have already in a previous post castigated the miserable BBC for their lead in hoping that the Coalition fails but the disease has also spread to SKY News who appear to highlight any morsel of bad news and begrudge news which most of us would welcome.
In the meantime digging away at the foundations of the country are the evil unions who seem to spend their whole time spreading alarm and despondency and creating situations designed to harm the government and the public at large. Their latest guise is to threaten that firefighters will take strike action on Bonfire Night! They beggar belief!
What is it about Britain and the British way of life which engenders such hatred and disloyalty? Why is it that so many of the so called intelligentsia, the media, the politicians and the unions appear to hate the country that spawned them?
In the meantime the general public, in the guise of the taxpayer, continues to have this unshakable faith that everything will work out in the end and that they won't need to riot on the streets to defend their faith and their way of life. I hope that they are right but there does appear to be far too many forces for evil around us for comfort.
Despite this I am amazed at how many groupings are talking the country down. I can understand how Her Majesty's Opposition, after their abject performance in power, would hope that any future plans from the government failed. I realise that a certain section of the media have vested interests so hope that The Coalition fails but surely in the interests of the country at least a fair hearing is in order.
I have already in a previous post castigated the miserable BBC for their lead in hoping that the Coalition fails but the disease has also spread to SKY News who appear to highlight any morsel of bad news and begrudge news which most of us would welcome.
In the meantime digging away at the foundations of the country are the evil unions who seem to spend their whole time spreading alarm and despondency and creating situations designed to harm the government and the public at large. Their latest guise is to threaten that firefighters will take strike action on Bonfire Night! They beggar belief!
What is it about Britain and the British way of life which engenders such hatred and disloyalty? Why is it that so many of the so called intelligentsia, the media, the politicians and the unions appear to hate the country that spawned them?
In the meantime the general public, in the guise of the taxpayer, continues to have this unshakable faith that everything will work out in the end and that they won't need to riot on the streets to defend their faith and their way of life. I hope that they are right but there does appear to be far too many forces for evil around us for comfort.
Saturday, 23 October 2010
The BBC and impartiality...
I am amazed that the BBC has not been taken to task from the Government about their coverage of everything political. Their blatant bias continues unabated even to the point that their presenters and journalists are mounting a far better opposition to the Coalition than the official opposition.
The difference is of course that NoLab left the country in such a dreadful state that they really cannot really mount an effective attack on anything that the Coalition proposes. The Brown/Blair/Darling axis has drawn the teeth from any realistic opposition. It is therefore unsurprising that the BBC have taken up the cudgels but it is not their brief.
The brief of the BBC is to report the news accurately and not to bend their coverage to support the views of any individual political group. Unfortunately during the Blair/Brown years the BBC decided that socialism was their given bias and almost without exception their staff have been recruited with that bias in mind.
Perhaps it is time for the government to sort them out. If I was David Cameron I would be gently suggesting a few changes to the funding of the BBC unless they begin to fulfill their role. I for one do not wish to support anything even vaguely socialist so my licence fee is given reluctantly.
If the BBC want to follow their socialist path then so be it but they then forfeit my licence fee. To my mind they should be fed to the competitive market and then they will discover reality. It has to come....
The difference is of course that NoLab left the country in such a dreadful state that they really cannot really mount an effective attack on anything that the Coalition proposes. The Brown/Blair/Darling axis has drawn the teeth from any realistic opposition. It is therefore unsurprising that the BBC have taken up the cudgels but it is not their brief.
The brief of the BBC is to report the news accurately and not to bend their coverage to support the views of any individual political group. Unfortunately during the Blair/Brown years the BBC decided that socialism was their given bias and almost without exception their staff have been recruited with that bias in mind.
Perhaps it is time for the government to sort them out. If I was David Cameron I would be gently suggesting a few changes to the funding of the BBC unless they begin to fulfill their role. I for one do not wish to support anything even vaguely socialist so my licence fee is given reluctantly.
If the BBC want to follow their socialist path then so be it but they then forfeit my licence fee. To my mind they should be fed to the competitive market and then they will discover reality. It has to come....
Friday, 22 October 2010
The European Union
Are we beginning to see the death throes of this socialist conspiration to enslave Western Europe to an unelected, unaudited, political elite who tried to bind so many diverse countries together to provide a world power.
It is becoming so obvious that this power grouping is falling apart at the seams that the major players, France and Germany, are beginning to realise that they alone cannot prop up Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and Eire.
Apparently Angela Merkel (The German Chancellor) is asking for French support to change the constitution so that the weaker countries can default on their debts without countries like Germany and France bailing them out! Yippee! At last the truth is beginning to emerge because the Germans are starting to feel the pinch. That means that the whole EU concept, which has been at fault from the start, is now in the balance.
Already the EU has voted for an increase in the contributions from member states despite almost every member state cutting everything to survive. Only the EU politburo can consider an increase in membership contributions despite the economic realities. As usual they ignore the obvious as Gordon Brown and his socialist partners did in the UK.
Historically every time a Socialist government has grasped power the result has always been economic disaster. It is always the same and has been so for the past 50 years. The EU is a financial disaster. The finances of countries like, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain and Eire cannot be saved by France and Germany (and the UK). They must find their own salvation.
For whatever reason the weaker countries have sat back and relied on the EU. It is a socialist principle but in practice it does not work. The State cannot employ everyone even though in the UK they tried to do it. The EU is deeply flawed and when it unravels so may people will suffer.
Watch closely because as usual any Socialist power grab normally fails in the end because they are all about dogma and have little experience of reality. Time will tell!
It is becoming so obvious that this power grouping is falling apart at the seams that the major players, France and Germany, are beginning to realise that they alone cannot prop up Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and Eire.
Apparently Angela Merkel (The German Chancellor) is asking for French support to change the constitution so that the weaker countries can default on their debts without countries like Germany and France bailing them out! Yippee! At last the truth is beginning to emerge because the Germans are starting to feel the pinch. That means that the whole EU concept, which has been at fault from the start, is now in the balance.
Already the EU has voted for an increase in the contributions from member states despite almost every member state cutting everything to survive. Only the EU politburo can consider an increase in membership contributions despite the economic realities. As usual they ignore the obvious as Gordon Brown and his socialist partners did in the UK.
Historically every time a Socialist government has grasped power the result has always been economic disaster. It is always the same and has been so for the past 50 years. The EU is a financial disaster. The finances of countries like, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain and Eire cannot be saved by France and Germany (and the UK). They must find their own salvation.
For whatever reason the weaker countries have sat back and relied on the EU. It is a socialist principle but in practice it does not work. The State cannot employ everyone even though in the UK they tried to do it. The EU is deeply flawed and when it unravels so may people will suffer.
Watch closely because as usual any Socialist power grab normally fails in the end because they are all about dogma and have little experience of reality. Time will tell!
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