tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52268527699365274892024-03-05T03:12:24.087-08:00Just Sitting and ThinkingRandom thoughts, musings and other triviality on lifeMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-73358782416697665672022-09-23T12:48:00.001-07:002022-09-23T12:48:30.702-07:00Here we go..."The time for mourning has passed, the time for living has begun." Diana, Countess de Ros
And so we begin anew, by fixing the link to the latest <a href="http://www.kppresents.com/contributions/detectivecase24.htm">Croonford Detectives</a> case...
A poker night is a great place to hear about some <a href="http://www.kppresents.com/multiplemaidens/homevisits.htm">Home Visits</a>...
Three generations of one family in which <a href="http://www.kppresents.com/relativeperils/bwbglongago.htm">Boys will be Girls</a>...
A new episode of <a href="http://www.kppresents.com/reflections/itowordinarydays.htm">In Their Own Words</a>...
Discover the reasons for <a href="http://www.kppresents.com/readersrequests/stayinginthecloset.htm">Staying in the Closet</a>...
We ask <a href="http://www.kppresents.com/relativeperils/wijaysbignight.htm">What If</a> Jay Edwards and friends interrupted a Seventies night in front of the television...
Beauty and the Best bring a <a href="http://www.kppresents.com/relativeperils/batbfamilytogether.htm">Family Together</a>...
And finally, The Games Player has a <a href="http://www.kppresents.com/relativeperils/tgpsummertime.htm">Summertime</a> tale...
I will be back, as always God Willing, on Friday 7th October - which means Halloween is coming... Until then, I remain,
KP
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-71757128840123404552013-08-13T05:26:00.001-07:002013-08-13T05:26:38.566-07:00Three yearsYou know the saying "Time flies when you're having fun?" Well, in many ways the last thing I would call the last three years has been fun. In fact, to call it fun would be like calling the lowest circle of hell a charming little holiday retreat on the South coast. So no, it has not been fun, and so much has happened since I even looked at this that it beggars belief.
The thing is, I have wanted so much and for so long to write here about what happened, but I dare not do so. In many ways, I still can't put down exactly what I have experienced, or thought, or wanted to say because it would be wrong to do so, but I need to start writing about my experiences and issues somewhere, so it may as well be here.
So let me make a simple direct statement of how things are and leave it at that, and then consider how much I can say about how I got here.
A year ago I effectively had a work-related meltdown, and lost all motivation to do my job. I have struggled since that time to deal with the issues, and the causes, to a greater or lesser degree, and paid the price that struggle required. Still am paying the price, if truth be told, but that's one of the things I need ot be careful how I talk about it.
Alastair is now getting ready to start his second year of an Accountancy degree at Manchester, having done a two year BTec - and he loves every second of it. I am so proud of him for that.
Doreen keeps well, and enjoys her job as a LSA at a local Catholic school.
Stuart plays for a local football team, and is doign his GCSEs. both boys are as tall as, or taller then Doreen and I.
And me? I need to lose a lot of weight, and I still have a way to go before I even approach all right, but I'm getting there. Forgive me if I start to use this as a vehicle for my thoughts on that journey from now on.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-43780354994477066362010-08-06T07:11:00.000-07:002010-08-06T07:17:51.190-07:00Long time no postNeglected this a bit, haven't I?<br /><br />Two years ago, I was walking both literally and figuratively speaking on eggshells, after Doreen had her mastectomy. She was in pain, exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally, and despite all the best efforts I could make to support her nothing I did seemed to be the right thing. It's taken me a long time to come to a realisation about those times, and that realisation is this.<br /><br />I did some stupid things, and in trying to put my own fears and tiredness to one side I inadvertantly made things much worse. I'm sorry I did, but now the thing to do is to let go of any further resentments and anger about those things. Neither of us were coping very well, and we took it out on each other a bit. I need to ask forgiveness for that, and move on.<br /><br />It's not been helped by a lot of uncertainty over my job over the last seven months, and a working relationship with a manager that could have been better. Both resolved now - again, time to move on<br /><br />Things are getting better, but it is a long haul. We have other worries now of course - less than two weeks to Alastair's AS results, and Stuart starts secondary school in just four weeks. Hard to believe, as well, but it's one month to our Twentieth wedding anniversary - I need to sort out something special for that. Wonder what the best thing to do would be?Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-17548718843700764452010-04-28T04:19:00.000-07:002010-04-28T04:20:50.091-07:00BoredBoring, boring, bloody boring. All the talk of a hung parliament has indeed made me disillusioned and not willing to post the same thing up every single day. Sorry about that.<br /><br />mind you, it's just been reported that Gordie in an "open mic" moment called a voter who had just harranged him a "bigoted woman." Good move, my man - you just lost a whole new tranch of votes.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-73458506198382626932010-04-16T02:26:00.000-07:002010-04-16T02:34:52.479-07:00Conservative ClaimsA little late, but with thanks to the Daily Telegraph.<br /><br /><strong>Economy </strong><br /><br />Key economic policies include: <br /><br />• A one year public sector pay freeze in 2011 (excluding the one million lowest paid workers) <em>Note no word as to what those lower paid workers may get as a rise...</em><br />• Bringing forward the date at which the state pension age starts to rise to 66, although it will not be sooner than 2016 for men and 2020 for women <em>In other words, after the next election.</em><br />• Stopping tax credits to families with incomes over £50,000 <em>Actually, I hate to say it, but that is fair – although I should point out I get no credits anyway.</em><br />• Cutting spending on Child Trust Funds for all but the poorest third of families and families with disabled children <em>Not sure I agree with this one – but I can’t talk, as no way I will ever take advantage of this.</em><br />• Capping the biggest public sector pensions above £50,000 They get that much? <em>I presume they mean per annum, not the pension pot.</em><br />• A five per cent pay cut for Ministers followed by a five-year freeze, and a 10 per cent reduction in the number of MPs <em>Well – why not reform the whole package – maybe that will come later.</em><br />• Reduce welfare dependency The devil here is in the detail – and I need to study that carefully. <em>I still remember the “shirker society” side of Thatcherism, and that was only partially true.</em><br /><br /><strong>Health </strong><br /><br />Specific health policies include: <br /><br />• Scrapping all politically-motivated targets <em>Is there any other type – ALL health care targets have a political motivation , in that they are designed to make it look as if something is being done.</em><br />• Putting more detailed NHS performance data online <em>No, no, no – that means more beaurocracy. More administrators, not less, and less money to health care.</em><br />• Improving cancer and stroke survival rates <em>How – preemptive care, financing the new drugs, how?</em><br />• Enabling patients to rate hospitals and doctors <em>They do that anyway – I’ve seen “performance satisfaction questionnaires” and I’ve seen better ones designed by “A”-level students!</em><br />• Giving anyone the power to choose any healthcare provider that meets NHS standards <em>If they can get a bed – do this, and anyone can go anywhere. Besides, who decides if the standards are adequately policed?</em><br />• Putting patients in charge of their own health records <em>Sounds nice – but we are not the experts in this.</em><br />• Opening up the NHS to new independent and voluntary sector providers <em>In other words, privatization.</em><br />• Linking GPs' pay to the quality of results they deliver <em>As opposed to the hours they are forced to put in in underesourced clinics?</em><br /><br /><strong>Education </strong><br /><br />Specific education policies include: <br /><br />• Raising the entry requirement for taxpayer-funded primary teacher training and requiring new graduates to have at least a 2:2 in their degree to get state-funded training <em>I thought they had to have a 2.2 to get into a PGCE course anyway?</em><br />• Paying the student loan repayments for top maths and science graduates while they remain teachers <em>Student loans are the worst possible thing any government has done – and they should all be scrapped. I favour a “graduate tax” to cover the costs.</em><br />• Giving teachers the strongest possible protection from false accusations <em>As opposed to giving them the power to discipline?</em><br />• Strengthening home-school behaviour contracts <em>They don’t work.</em><br />• Establishing a simple reading test at the age of six <em>That is what the old KS1 tests were designed to do – and they were universally hated.</em><br />• Reforming the National Curriculum <em>Hmm</em><br />• Overhauling Key Stage 2 tests and league tables <em>How about scrapping them and trusting the teachers to assess their pupils?</em><br />• Allowing all state schools to offer high quality international examinations <em>You mean fund the International Baccalaureate? That’s an expensive puppy – and involves much more than just exams.</em><br />• Giving parents the power to save schools threatened by closure <em>By taking them over?</em><br />• Extra funding for children from disadvantaged backgrounds <em>That might help – if it was matched by funding for the schools to provide after school facilities for those kids.</em><br />• Providing 10,000 university places this year, paid for by giving graduates incentives to pay back their loans early <em>In the current climate, they can’t even get a job!</em><br /><br /><strong>Tax </strong><br /><br />The Conservatives' tax plans include: <br /><br />• Raising the Inheritance Tax threshold to £1 million <em>Not gonna affect me...</em><br />• Raising the stamp duty threshold to £250,000 for first-time buyers <em>That buys a one bedroom flat in the seedier parts of London – useless.</em><br />• Cutting corporation tax So they can invest in their employees? <em>Some might, some won’t.</em><br />• Cutting employer National Insurance contributions for first ten employees of new businesses <em>Hmmm</em><br />• Floor under landfill tax until 2020 <em>Interesting choice of words – it implies a minimum, but not a maximum...</em><br />• Reform Air Passenger Duty <em>Oh please do – this tax is hated.</em><br />• <em>A word on the proposed £150 Married Couples Allowance – that’s £3 a week, barely enough to buy two coffees at Starbucks. Derisatory and insulting – as well as demeaning to strong couples who are not married.</em><br /><br /><strong>Europe </strong><br /><br />Specific European Union policies include: <br /><br />• A full opt-out from the Charter of Fundamental Rights <br />• Greater protection against EU encroachment <br />• Restoring national control over social and employment legislation <br /><br /><em>This goes against the way the European Union is going – so is this the first stage of an exit policy?</em><br /><br /><strong>Defence </strong><br /><br />Specific defence policies include: <br /><br />• Doubling the operational bonus for troops serving in Afghanistan <em>That’s from £200 to £400, right?</em><br />• Ensuring that Forces' families and veterans are taken care of <em>They should be anyway.</em><br />• Tracking and monitoring veterans' mental health after they leave the Armed Forces <em>How about the third part – treating the problems?</em><br />• Launching a Strategic Defence Review <em>A given for all governments</em><br />• Maximising efficiency in the Ministry of Defence <em>Cuts?</em><br />• Streamlining the procurement process <em>Cuts?</em><br /><br /><strong>Foreign </strong><br /><br />The party's five major foreign policy themes are: <br /><br />• Creating a National Security Council <em>How does this relate to the Joint Chiefs of Staff?</em><br />• Committing to the transatlantic alliance<em> We like Obama</em><br />• Deepening of alliances beyond Europe and North America <em>We really like Obama</em><br />• Reforming older institutions such as the UN and making effective use of new ones such as G20 <em>We kinda like the other guys too</em><br />• Upholding our own values abroad <em>So long as they let us have our way</em><br /><br />Transport <br /><br />Key transport policies include: <br /><br />• Building a high-speed rail link connecting London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds with the Continent <em>They like the idea – it’s the route that’s the issue, specifically...</em><br />• Blocking moves for a third runway at Heathrow Airport <em>And plan a major Rail Terminal with the high speed link instead</em><br />• Blocking plans for second runways at Stansted and Gatwick airports <em>Gatwick cannot be done for another 10 years – which leaves Stansted.</em><br />• Improving Britain's railways <em>After all, it was our party that ruined them with privatization.</em><br />• Cutting congestion and making Britain's roads safer <em>How?</em><br />• Making local transport greener <em>How?</em><br /><br /><strong>Police</strong><br /><br />Voters will be able to elect police commissioners who will hold chief constables to account for the performance of their forces, the manifesto says. Commissioners would be responsible for “setting the budget and the strategy for local police forces”, while the police retain “operational independence”. <br /><br /><em>So we become like the States, with elected police chiefs and the police under them? Over there, that can make the police a political animal – as shown brilliantly in shows like Hill Street Blues. The police need to be above politics, not embroiled in them.</em><br /><br /><strong>Immigration</strong><br /><br />The manifesto says immigration has “enriched our nation” and the economy needs “the brightest and the best”. <br />But it says immigration is too high and promises to reduce net migration to “tens of thousands” a year, without giving any more details. <br />The Conservatives promise an annual limit on immigration, new curbs on unskilled workers, and “transitional controls” on new European Union members. <br />But with other EU nationals guaranteed freedom of entry, a Tory government would have no way of restricting European workers. <br /><br /><em>There’s also a lot of opposition from former Commonwealth countries, who see this as an infringement of their rites. This will be a real hot potato in the coming weeks.</em><br /><br />Verdict – still not convinced. Next.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-7778772900747931342010-04-12T07:06:00.000-07:002010-04-12T07:37:41.953-07:00Labour promises...One of the joys of a UK General Electino is when the main parties launch their manifesto - it gives ordinary plebs like me a chance to look at the salient points and speak our mind.<br /><br />For example, today Labour launched their election document - with thanks to the BBC for doing the heavy work for me, let's look at the salient points...<br /><br /><strong>ON THE ECONOMY</strong><br /><br />Secure the recovery by supporting the economy and halving the deficit by 2014 through growth, fair taxes and cuts to lower priority spending <em>Have they changed their assumptions on projected growth? Because if not, there's an incredibly big risk their plans may go askew...</em><br /><br />A commitment not to raise any of the rates of income tax and not to extend VAT to food, children's clothes, books, newspapers and public transport fares <em>Big deal - they made the same promise on Income Tax in 2005, and we had a new higher band brought in last week. At any rate, that does not stop them (a) changing the bands of income at which the tax is paid, (b)Increasing the rate of VAT, and most crucially (c) says nothign about the National Insurance increase</em><br /><br />National Minimum Wage to rise in line with average earnings by the end of the next Parliament <em>Define average, and if this is a hugn parliament this could easily be ditched.</em><br /><br />Government as an employer committed to offering a living wage to staff in all departments. This is currently set at £7.60 - higher than the minimum wage <br />Promise to keep business taxes "as low as possible" <em>There's a wooly statement if ever there was one - andno mention of potential cuts in said public service staff.</em><br /><br />Realise stakes in publicly-controlled banks, introduce a global levy and reform banking rules <em>In other words, we want our money back - and if nobody can pay?</em><br /><br />An option to turn Northern Rock into a mutual rather than privatising it as part of a wider commitment to building societies <em>Hmm - is this a recognition they can never sell back this particular bank to return it to the way it was before they bought it?</em><br /><br /><br /><strong>ON SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES</strong><br /><br />New rights for parents at schools in England to initiate change in school leadership, with under-performing schools taken over by more successful management teams <em>Right - because parents knwo how to fix years of underinvestment and either demoralised, ill-equipped or downright bad staff?</em><br /><br />Expansion of free nursery places for two-year-olds and 15 hours a week of flexible, free nursery education for three and four-year-olds <em>Nice idea - but sometimes it's better to keep kids at home for some of the time. Where's the help fro stay-at-home parents?</em><br /><br />One-to-one and small-group tuition for every primary school child falling behind, personal tutors and choice of "good" qualifications for secondary age children <em>Oh, another wooly word - "good". If they said "Appropriate", and defined hwo that can be acheived, I may give them more credit. As it is, it sounds like No Child Left Behind - and my US friends can say how that was received.</em><br /><br />Every young person guaranteed education or training until 18, with 75% going on to higher education or workplace training by the age of 30 <em>Well, they;d already started the process of raisign the school leaving age to 18 anyway.</em><br /><br />Commitment to raise living standards for the "squeezed middle" from 2012 with a "toddlers tax credit" equating to £4 a week extra for families with one and two-year-olds <em>Generosity - that will buy two tins of follow-on milk or some fresh veggies.</em><br /><br />Up to 70,000 advanced apprenticeships a year and Skills Accounts for workers to upgrade their skills <em>See above re: education to 18</em><br /><br />Paid paternity leave doubled to four weeks <em>Again, a generous provision - not. The European standard is three months paid paternity leave</em><br /><br /><strong>ON HEALTH</strong><br /><br />Patients in England guaranteed to get results of cancer tests within a week <em>It should be 24 hours if truth be told - and that is possible if the beaurocracy was removed.</em><br /><br />Maximum 18-week wait for treatment after initial GP consultation - or private treatment will be offered <em>Err - isn't it a maximum 18 week now?</em><br /><br />Routine health checks for those aged 40 to 74, aimed at preventing heart attacks and strokes <em>Again, this is being introduced anyway</em><br /><br />National Care Service to ensure free care in the home for those with the greatest needs and a cap on the costs of residential care <em>OH, here we go - one of my personal bugbears is the fact we do nto pay for hoem support for long term sick and the elderly without the need for means testing - that's part of what they paid NI for, after all. Setting a cap is not enough - you need to promise free as needed.</em><br /><br />Every hospital to become a foundation trust, with more freedom to run its own affairs <em>No, no, no - with all the talk of consolidation and "efficiency savings", you do NOT make a pledge to do something that will need more administrators!!</em><br /><br /><strong>ON CRIME, JUSTICE AND IMMIGRATION</strong><br /><br />Powers to sack chief constables if they fail to meet minimum standards within three years <em>Who sets the standards - and hwo do you account for regional issues/difficulties?</em><br /><br />As a "last resort", failing forces could be taken over by more successful constabularies <em>The sound you hear is a lead balloon falling as the force eladers contemplate their workload doublign overnight...</em><br /><br />Funding to maintain police and community support officer numbers, with them spending 80% of their time on the beat <em>Not increase, maintain - and who will do the mountain of paperwork they have to fill in now?</em><br /><br />Family intervention projects to tackle anti-social behaviour, with financial support for victims to pursue injunctions - with the costs being met by police forces or councils "who let them down" <em>Here's an idea - and I can't believe I'm saying this - but give th epolice effective powers to crack down on the perpetrators of the anti-social behaviour, rather than directing money to failing schemes to tackle the source of the problem.</em><br /><br />Harder English tests to be taken by all migrants before they arrive; in the public sector, all employees who have contact with public to have "appropriate" level of English <em>Hmm - not sure where I stand on this one. Let's see what the others have to say.</em><br /><br />The link between staying for a set period and being able to settle or gain citizenship will be broken - replaced by a points-based system <em>Isn't that what they're doign now for non-EU residents? Just need calrification...</em><br /><br /><strong>ON POLITICAL REFORM</strong><br />Public right to recall MPs not disciplined in Parliament after being found guilty of gross financial misconduct <em>Oh please - apply the same rules we have in business. If you're caught fiddlign the books, you're sacked and preosecuted.</em><br /><br />Referendums on the alternative vote method of electing MPs and proportional representation in an elected House of Lords, before 2011 <em>I support reform of oru electroal system, and of the House of Lords, but if this is a paper pushing exercise which cna be ignored, it has no staying power.</em><br /><br />Fixed-term parliaments and free vote in the Commons on reducing the voting age to 16 <em>In principle, fine - the ability to decide when to call an election should not be in the hands of one man. In practice... </em><br /><br />MPs banned from working for lobbying companies and independent body to rule on applications from MPs to take second jobs <em>Let's see the detail - the devil will be in that.</em><br /><br /><strong>IN OTHER AREAS</strong><br /><br />No stamp duty for first-time buyers on all house purchases below £250,000 for two years, paid for by a 5% rate on homes worth more than £1m <em>for those wondering, stamp duty is a tax on house purchase - 1% of the purchase price when it is over £200,000, rising as the price goes up. Personally, £250,000 is too small - that barely covers a flat in London.</em><br /><br />A "People's Bank" to be created at the Post Office, helping to sustain the network, alongside legal rights to accounts in private banks and a clampdown on doorstep lenders <em>Funny - we used to have a "People's Bank" at the Post Office called Girobank, before it was sold off...</em><br /><br />Labour appear to have dropped their commitment to privatising Royal Mail <em>This is a real politcal hot potato - they want to sell of the Post Office, but it's too complicated and costly to do so without upsetting a lot of people.</em><br /><br />Job or training place for young people out of work for six months but benefits cut at 10 months if they refuse a place. Guarantee of work for anyone unemployed for more than two years. <em>How is this going to be enforced - and what sort of work.</em><br /><br />A right to request flexible working for older workers, ending default retirement at 65. The link between the state pension and earnings re-established from 2012 <em>On the first one, there's a lot of legal red tape to untangle - and what about those of us who have retirement ages written into our contracts? On the second, the link should never have been broken in the first place!</em><br /><br />Commitment to high-speed rail linking London, Birmingham, the East Midlands, Manchester, northern England and Scotland <em>And yet no commitment rto help fund Crossrail in London? Interesting...</em><br /><br />A goal that all young people contribute at least 50 hours to their communities by the age of 19 <em>Now, this sounds so like the Conservative announcement on a National Citizen's Service commitment - is this a late addition? And, in addition, what if you don't believe this should be a cumpolsary thing?</em><br /><br />Powers for supporters' trusts to be able to buy stakes in football clubs <em>A la Barcelona? Why does this need special legislation anyway?</em><br /><br />About 40% low-carbon electricity by 2020, and 400,000 new green jobs by 2015 <em>The sums don't add up on this - but it needs to be compared to the other plans to be announced this week.</em><br /><br />Legislation for "Pay as you Save" schemes allowing people to fund home energy improvements through subsequent savings on utility bills <em>Need more detail</em><br /><br />Biodegradable and recyclable materials banned from landfill <em>This smacks of "ticking the green credentials" box. Also, is this the first step to forcing homwowners to sort their waste out into different boxes/bags/recepticles?</em><br /><br /><br />So, there's my first thoughts. Tomorrow - the Conservatives...Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-88167375834901666962010-04-08T03:38:00.000-07:002010-04-08T03:49:52.711-07:00Is it just fantasy?Someone will need to remind me, but was it Bill Clinton who had on his desk at the White House a sign that read "It's the economy, stupid?"<br /><br />You see, if there is one thing that is going to dominate this election it is the economy. To be blunt, Britain is in a real mess in terms of the public finances - everyone, and I mean everyone, knows that there have to be cuts in public spending, and tax rises. Who, however, are the one community that seem not to be able to acknowledge this one simple fact, and say what they intend to do in terms everyone can understand?<br /><br />You guessed it - politicians.<br /><br />Take, for example, National Insurance. This is a tax we pay on our wages, nominally to cover things like the National Health Service and pensions. The Labour party want to increase this from next year by 1% across the board - both for workers and the employers, who have to pay this out of their coffers as well.<br /><br />Labour state this will cover the need for further tax increase, based on an assumption the the national economy will be growing by the time it comes in during 2011 by about 3.5%. Right now, it's barely staying at a level of 0.5%, so we have a fairly big assumtpion right there. They also say they will preserve funding for "front line" services - police, teachers and the NHS - but refuse to say where further cuts will lie. They also just brought in a new income tax level of 50% for earnings over £150,000 per annum.<br /><br />The Conservatives say they will not impose the increase fro low earners. and freeze it for employers. The money that saves in the NHS, for example, will then be used for cancer drugs, while further savings will be found using "efficiency savings."<br /><br />I love that term - it means they think cuts can be made in administrative and other areas. It always reminds me of an episode of Yes Minister where Sir Humphrey Appleby says they can make the cuts, but need to take on more staff to make them...<br /><br />What both parties refuse ot say, at least up to this point ,is (a) where the cuts will land, and (b) what other tax rises may be needed. So, my first challenge to both Labour and Conservatives, as well as the other parties, is this. Tell me, in clear and unambiguous terms, what you will do to try and reduce the deficit and how it will affect me, and I may consider voting for you.<br /><br />The key words are "clear and unambiguous". It's a challenge - one I hope you can rise to.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-28435089700652169582010-04-06T01:30:00.000-07:002010-04-06T01:33:08.993-07:00And they're off!Well, at long last it's official - Gordie is going to pop in and see Lizzie at her London pad today, and then the general melee can begin.<br /><br />I'm going to use this as a sounding post for my thoughts on the campaign as it carries on - which may or may not turn otu to eb a good idea, but I need somewhere to organise how I feel about this one.<br /><br />Opinion pols will play abig part in this - but remember, you can't trust these things as far as as you can metaphorically throw them as a rule. Here's the golden rule for this year - for the Tories to win outright, they need a swing of 16% in their favour. The most favourable poll currently has them at about 10% ahead - which is hung parliament territory.<br /><br />So, let us cry havok and let loose the dogs of war - we have some fun ahead for the next 31 days...Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-9828606340805955862010-03-19T07:37:00.001-07:002010-03-19T08:09:47.639-07:00Hush, listen, what's that sound?It's the sound of people getting ready to rumble, it's the sound of knives been sharpened - it's the sound of a general election in the UK. Here's a quick guide to the how, why and wherefore for my non-UK friends who read this, so that when I start using this to give my thoughts on the campaign you can see why certain things happen.<br /><br /><strong>Why Now?</strong><br /><br />Under UK law, a parliament can only sit for a maximum of five years after the last Parliament first met. That was on 11th May 2005, after the elections held on 4th May. After that, there has to be a period of time to allow the electoral procedure to complete, of not less than 21 days. The tradition in the UK is to hold an election on a Thursday, so the latest possible date is 3 June 2010.<br /><br />Running an election is a mammoth logistical exercise, however, and elections to the local councils in the UK take place in most places on 6th May - so that is the most likely date.<br /><br /><strong>When will it be called?</strong><br /><br />That is entirely in the purview of the Prime Minister, who must inform the Queen before he announces the date. If it was 6th May, the most likely date for the announcement would be 15th April. Parliament is about to rise for the Easter recess, however, probably on 31st March after the Budget next week. There would be good money on putting the election being called then, or when they return on the 12th of April.<br /><br /><strong>So who is being elected?</strong><br /><br />Contrary to what many people think, we do not vote in the UK for someone to be Prime Minister - we vote for a representative to the House of Commons for the constituency we live in to act as a Member of Parliament. There are 650 seats in the new parliament, and the leader of whichever party gets the most seats is likely to be invited The Queen to form a Government. At this time, we do not elect members of the other chamber of government, The House of Lords, but a key election issue this time may be reform of that system.<br /><br />Having said that, the election always focuses on the leaders of the parties involved, so it looks like an election of the prime minister.<br /><br /><strong>Who can stand for election?</strong><br /><br />Honestly - anyone who can get 10 people to sign a piece of paper and can find £500 for a deposit. If they get more than 5% of the total vote, they get the money back, otherwise it goes towards the costs of running the election.<br /><br /><strong>Who wins?</strong><br /><br />We have a "First past the post" system in the UK - one vote for every eligible person on the Electoral Register who is over 18, and whoever gets the most votes wins. Voting is not compulsory either, unlike say Australia.<br /><br /><strong>Who are the main contenders?</strong><br /><br />In recent years, the Labour Party (under Gordon Brown) and the Conservative Party (David Cameron) have been the largest groups, followed by the Liberal Democrats (Nick Clegg). Labour have been the party in charge for the last 13 years. In Scotland, the Scottish Nationalist Party have a substantial block, and in Wales Plaid Cymru. Northern Ireland has a slightly different structure.<br /><br /><strong>What happens during the campaign?</strong><br /><br />Unlike the US, the moment an election is called something called the "Fair Airtime" rule kicks in, which means that all major parties have to have equal representation on television and radio news programmes and current affairs reports. Each party is also allocated a number of 5 or 10 minute election broadcast slots, dependant on how many seats they are standing for. If a party has candidates in fifty seats, say, they get one 5 minute free to air broadcast on all stations - and all the major terrestrial channels are obliged to show them as are Sky in the UK. The more seats, the more broadcasts.<br /><br />This year, fro the first time, there will also be televised US style debates - one on the BBC, one on Independent Television and on on Sky.<br /><br />The press are allowed to show support for one or other parties, and always do. In fact, half the fun of the campaign is seeing what they write about the candidates...<br /><br />Individual candidates also have strict restrictions put on how much they are allowed to spend in terms of election materials, and must account for it all.<br /><br /><strong>On the day?</strong><br /><br />Polling goes from 7 am to 10 pm. No party is allowed to actively campaign on the day - the most they can do is ask if you have voted. The second the clock hits 10, the polls close and, to put it mildly, all bets are off. Counting in most areas starts immediately - some rural areas and Northern Ireland start in the following morning - and the first constituency result is normally available by about 11.30. Most seats have announced by about 6 am.<br /><br />Assuming one party gets 326 or more seats, they will call on The Queen in the early afternoon of the Friday to be invited to form a Government. The new Parliament meets the following week for the first time.<br /><br /><strong>When was the last time no-one got a majority of seats?</strong><br /><br />1973 - February. The correct term for this is a hung parliament - and there is a very real chance that will happen this time. Expect fun if it does.<br /><br />That oen lasted exactly 8 months...<br /><br /><br />Hopefully, that starts to set the scene. More as time progresses - the next big indicator is next week;s budget, when we see how much or little they want to do.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-33447034178823827862010-03-08T03:14:00.001-08:002010-03-08T03:33:52.640-08:00Sheesh!Oh, this could get me into trouble...<br /><br />Apologies for the extended absence. If you watch the business news, you will know the industry I work in and the company I work for has had some unfortunate moves recently, and my focus has been solely on trying to work out if I’ll still have a job at the end of it. The good news is, I will. The bad news is, I don’t know where in the organisation yet. It feels awfully like what happened when I was made redundant from Boots a few years back – but not quite as bad.<br /><br />Actually, a lot of things in the news recently have brought back memories of the past. Take, for example, the recent press reports about a young man named Jon Venables. To many, the name may mean nothing, but for those who were around in the early 80’s it means one thing – Jamie Bulger, a two year old boy who was taken from a shopping centre in Bootle in 1993 and killed by two ten years old, Robert Thomson and Jon Venables. The two boys were convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, but were released on licence in 2001 after various court rulings. Both boys were given new identities and strict limits were placed on where they could or could not go – including banning them from Liverpool.<br /><br />The case caused much discussion at the time, particularly as the boys were so young and the fact they were tried in an adult court. As they were released on licence, it also meant if they were suspected of any sort of crime, or of any act that would present a danger to the public, they could be recalled to prison at any time without warning.<br /><br />Last week, it was announced that Jon Venables had been recalled to prison for “serious offences.” Since that time, there has been much speculation as to the nature of those offences, and also the fact that no further details have been officially released.<br /><br />Herein lies the quandary – if more details are released, then the identity this young man has been living under is blown, and that contravenes certain rulings at the time of their trial and release. It also virtually guarantees that there is no way he can get a fair trial if these offences lead to a new court case- the prejudice against him would be so strong it would be next to impossible to guarantee an unbiased jury.<br /><br />On the other hand, if there is evidence he has committed a truly serious offence, then there has to be a trial to establish his guilt or innocence, and in the UK that is trial by jury. You see the dilemma? I hope so – and no, I don’t have an easy answer. I have a view on the subject, but that is a private affair.<br /><br />For once.<br /><br />You see, there is another person to consider in this as well – the other young man, Robert Thomson. If, as indeed may be the case, the name Venables had been living under becomes public knowledge, then there is a very real chance Thomson will be found and named. For all any of us know, he may be trying to rebuild his life and has genuinely atoned for his past crimes – would it be right and proper for him to be exposed and forced into hiding as well?<br /><br />The people I feel most sorry for, however, and the parents of Jamie Bulger. They have had old wounds, which will never fully heal, opened afresh. They have made their views clear, and deserve to know what exactly is going on here. I hope someone has told them and asked them not to pass this on – vigilante justice is not the right way forward, but they have a right to know.<br /><br />Is this all that’s brought my out of hiding? Nope – but they’re for another day. There’s also an election coming up here – with your permission, when it’s called I’ll use this to express my views on the events of the campaign as they arise. I’ll share some of my thoughts on what I call the “Phony Campaign” tomorrow.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-77192229433548986612010-01-05T03:30:00.000-08:002010-01-05T03:47:41.620-08:00Happy New YearWell, 2010 has to be better than 2009 in oh so many ways as far as I am concerned. TO say this last year has been tough is like saying one of my favourite things is to sit down with a good book and some nice music in the background - an understatement if ever there was one.<br /><br />On a professional and personal level, I let a lot of things slip, and I am sorry that happened. I need to work now to ensure that I make up for my mistakes - and I guess this blog is going to play a part in that. So, if I post here and I sound depressed or down, it's because I am and I need to sound off somewhere. This is probably as good a place as any.<br /><br />So, some random thoughts...<br /><br /><br /><br />The incident in Detroit with the attempt to blow up a plane on Christmas Day should teach is an important lesson. Well, several actually, but here's the big one - no system, however watertight it seems, can cope with the human factor, and in particular our inborn ability to screw up big time.<br /><br />When I first started working with computers back in the early Eighties (and how scary a thought it is that was nearly thirty years ago is not a factor here) one fact was drummed into my head. When it comes to computers, remember GIGO - Garbage In, Garbage Out. If a mistake is made and it is not caught, then don't blame the messenger when things go wrong. The other appropriate analogy here is from one of my favourite fictional characters, George Montgomery Scott - "The more complex the system, the easier it is to throw a spanner in the works."<br /><br />It was human error that led to that bomber boarding the plane, and no matter how sophisticated the security screening errors will happen.<br /><br />By the bye - Gordon Brown announced on the Radio here on Sunday full body X-ray scanners would be introduced at all UK airports. There's a report today that migth already be an issue with pornography laws in the UK - I'll let you read about that <a href="http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20100105/tuk-airport-body-scanners-break-child-po-45dbed5.html">here.</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Talking of Gordie - we are now officially in a protracted Phony War prior to the expected election. Under the parliamentary system in the UK, the latest that election can be held is technically June 7th (I think) but more likely Thursday June 3rd. Brown has already made it clear he will not call an early election, which suggests May as the best time. So we now have five months of Brown declaring the Conservatives are creating a two-tier society with their plans, and David Cameron declaring the Labour party have ruined the UK.<br /><br />Oh Goodie.<br /><br />Want to know why so many people in the UK despair of politics? It's simple - they're fed up with the name calling and arguments which ignore their needs. I won;t ignore the issues that arise, but I have to confess now neither party interest me - but under our system of "First past the Post" for each area and whoever gets most seats wins the election, we really have very little choice.<br /><br />It's going to be long, occasionally boring, but potentially interesting.<br /><br /><br /><br />It's cold here in London - but at least we don't have snow.<br /><br />Yet.<br /><br />What amazes me is, because such weather as we are having is "rare", nobody has the foresight to say "Spend some money now just in case". TO me, it's a no-brainer. But then, I'm not a politician.<br /><br />Is that a good or a bad thing? You decide...Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-82189664128879775632009-11-13T01:55:00.001-08:002009-11-13T01:57:10.534-08:00Thinking of the boysLet me share, without comment, some recent photos of my sons.<br /><br />Youngest first<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2ggOFo1vw2HAG4Qh6Sq-0DdjqgSGB8JcgVWH1kWq5RiqqEjK7Y7p608VDxn4NBxj8xa3T2Doytp12T5a_7w4om85qvdi1PxFKIrexA4DCBYbYyWSnUgTztS18iwHgDWKTKMmQJardOG6/s1600-h/IMG_0003.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2ggOFo1vw2HAG4Qh6Sq-0DdjqgSGB8JcgVWH1kWq5RiqqEjK7Y7p608VDxn4NBxj8xa3T2Doytp12T5a_7w4om85qvdi1PxFKIrexA4DCBYbYyWSnUgTztS18iwHgDWKTKMmQJardOG6/s200/IMG_0003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403524842542058866" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWP43gTPUHNLPzDarxVCd_ldGiH7ok0XgSlvmDFj2LpQSUfsXxO61nHNDNdYliryQkZD8Puz5gtwHD_haVnFOgc_byUFzp1bmGwBBvkTM6tIoXjmJGQr8uSlx4stBjAwVztJI7nBF78Mu/s1600-h/IMG_0002.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWP43gTPUHNLPzDarxVCd_ldGiH7ok0XgSlvmDFj2LpQSUfsXxO61nHNDNdYliryQkZD8Puz5gtwHD_haVnFOgc_byUFzp1bmGwBBvkTM6tIoXjmJGQr8uSlx4stBjAwVztJI7nBF78Mu/s200/IMG_0002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403524754911863874" /></a><br /><br />and then the older lad.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxX-b_MaD72xa_bJEp7qP7-uHITGJeekM_2JquAm9X7vBLQrvX3LiCwp2dqtXX9OqO9y-abIMCOWvxo3XJGueffewCs_js6HeWNZXMF1AqtuBCyOgATJOLUpvRifGv09HoroIg1ixX-b_D/s1600-h/IMG_0023.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxX-b_MaD72xa_bJEp7qP7-uHITGJeekM_2JquAm9X7vBLQrvX3LiCwp2dqtXX9OqO9y-abIMCOWvxo3XJGueffewCs_js6HeWNZXMF1AqtuBCyOgATJOLUpvRifGv09HoroIg1ixX-b_D/s200/IMG_0023.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403525045097315522" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7yofWi8yy7sqTkQioJiffN7m0ThMmg-yr9Xb2FcEboTT1Cpodw0RRHYdLqBs5j1MVdz0Vd_AVdp54zZrRfGGiopvJN34fH0ljO2jp8q4jxcL-tsKshWP9IXkWOMwMpJRd_usocFdsWcTT/s1600-h/IMG_0009.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7yofWi8yy7sqTkQioJiffN7m0ThMmg-yr9Xb2FcEboTT1Cpodw0RRHYdLqBs5j1MVdz0Vd_AVdp54zZrRfGGiopvJN34fH0ljO2jp8q4jxcL-tsKshWP9IXkWOMwMpJRd_usocFdsWcTT/s200/IMG_0009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403524988722970130" /></a>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-20997167652792288022009-11-11T00:34:00.000-08:002009-11-11T00:36:39.048-08:00On the Eleventh hour....As some of you know, my late father was a veteran of World War II, going over to Normandy on D-Day+1 and making his way up through Germany - at one point as one of those who discovered a wooden stockade outside a town called Buchenwald.<br /><br />I also have a brother who derved in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for all I know (we haven;t spoken for a while) is still out there.<br /><br />For those sacrficied their lives and their youth, and for those who continue to do so today, to allow us the freedom fo thought and expression that places like this allow, remember them at 11 am today. Here's a song on the subject.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2kX_3y3u5Uo&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2kX_3y3u5Uo&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-86409045139265180292009-11-02T05:18:00.000-08:002009-11-02T05:27:48.859-08:00Money, money, money, money...If you're going to spend, spend wisely, or so they say. Maybe, but last Saturday we spent, or committed to spend, a lot more money than usual...<br /><br />Item 1 - Doreen accidentally cracked our bath a while back, so we've decided to take the plunge and re-do the entire bathroom. Last Saturday we got and accepted the quote, so with luck by Christmas we'll have a new bathroom fitted and in use.<br /><br />Item 2 - we've also decided to end our self-imposed technology exile, and ordered a new television. A modest little number, only 32 inches, but HD ready, and freeview built in. We also ordered a new multi-region DVD player - now I can order from Amazon with total confidence, especially those hard-to-find Venture Brothers and Harvey Birdman season sets....<br /><br />Item 3 - about two weeks ago our computed died on us - no power, zip, bupkiss, nothing. Turned out the motherboard had shorted out, so £100 and three days later I collected it with a new mother board fitted, Vista re-installed and new accounts set up. I then spent most of Sunday afternoon re-installing MS Office, my internet driver, Ad-Aware, the printer, other stuff - and enjoying the fast new speed. The guy who did the work installed AVG at no charge - I never realized just how much Norton slowed things down...<br /><br />On other news - Doreen started her new job today, as a teaching assistant in the local RC primary school. Apparently, the assembly today was around All Souls Day, so the talk was of Purgatory - one of my favourite debating points with the See of Rome. She enjoyed it - the job that is.<br /><br />We also bought some new DVDs, and watched the second Veggie Tales movie, The Pirates Who Do Nothing. Good clean fun - really, it was funny, especially the version they do of a B-52's classic at the end. We also went to see Stomp int he West End, and enjoyed it immensely.<br /><br />Now, back to work!Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-56702647597043055072009-10-27T04:08:00.001-07:002009-10-27T04:08:41.310-07:00HeavenWhat is the greatest rock/pop concert movie of all time?<br /><br />It is a question that is worthy of debate. To some, it is Gimme Shelter, where the Rolling Stones strut their stuff. To others, the performance at the end of A Hard Day’s Night takes the biscuit. Another possible contender has to be Tommy, so long as you can forget the image of Ann-Margaret rolling around in soap bubbles, baked beans and chocolate milk.<br /><br />At least, I hope it was chocolate milk.<br /><br />The strongest contender of recent years has to be This Is Spinal Tap, especially the Stonehenge number.<br /><br />For me, however, the finest of all time starts with a man, a guitar and a tape player.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-pCZ5E5tn4I&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-pCZ5E5tn4I&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Add in a drummer and another guitarist or two…<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MhQU3fgCMXA&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MhQU3fgCMXA&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Throw in the rest of the band<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fzvIo-RU9v8&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fzvIo-RU9v8&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />And you have the recipe for, in my opinion, the greatest concert film of all time. I saw this for the first time in a crowded pub opposite the Tyne Tees studio in Newcastle back in the early days of MTV, and now twenty years later I finally bought a copy of the special edition DVD.<br /><br />Good times, they are a coming…Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-11586013904385889562009-10-26T04:12:00.000-07:002009-10-26T04:16:33.280-07:00For those who may not have realisedFor some years now I've been one of the moderating team on the Captain Comics site, originally under the <em>nom de plume</em> of The Culture Vulture, but since we moved the site to a new server under my given name.<br /><br />Yes, I read comic books, I discuss comic books and I have some historical knowledge of comics. It's not a childish thing - unless you consider, for example, sholarly discussion of the prints of Hogarth a childish thing. They started as comics as well...<br /><br />Anyway, for those who have never seen this side of me, <a href="http://captaincomics.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?q=Clearing+the+Cupboards">here</a> are a few blog posst I've made on the sort of things I have read.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-33566597363803224652009-10-26T02:31:00.000-07:002009-10-26T02:41:07.592-07:00Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima CulpaIf anyone does care, I apologise for my absence these last few weeks - a combination of work issues, re-discovering the joys of Monopoly and the radio in the mornings, and if I am being honest sheer laziness on one or two occasions.<br /><br />So, what has been happening while I’ve been away - some random thoughts...<br /><br /><br /><br />Last week I was speaking at a conference in nice. I've only visited that area once before - for a meeting in Cannes in the middle of December - but it's the South of France, so nice, dry and warm, and don't pack a brolly, right?<br /><br />Naturally, it rained on the lat day, so I got soaked walking from the conference centre to the hotel both ways. Ah, the joy of warm rain....<br /><br /><br /><br />While I was doing this, my work was moving my stuff across the city to a new location, and a slightly different work set-up - 100% total hot desking. Still getting used to it, and being in with a larger group as well.<br /><br /><br />Also last week, Alastair my oldest son was awarded a Maths prize from his old school, so up we troop to support him. It's a strange feeling, watching the lad you remember as a babe in arms standing taller than you on a stage - I suddenly realise how my own father must have felt when we won prizes.<br /><br /><br /><br />If you have not seen it yet, see Up! It is easily the equal of The Incredibles in the Pixar collection, and Ed Asner is fantastic as the lead voice.<br /><br /><br /><br />Stuart, my younger son, now plays for an under-11 football team, and his team have won all their league games so far. He definitely gets those genes from Doreen's side of the family - I am easily the world's worst footballer - but I am as proud of him as I am of Alastair.<br /><br /><br />A thought on the appearance on Nick Griffin last week on Question Time - if you really truly want to show someone for what they are, just let them talk.<br /><br /><br />Talking of television (I heard the repeat on Radio 5 of Question Time) this week marks the likely end of the Television exile, as we purchase a new HD-ready set and DVD player. I already know which DVD player we'll get - one that can be reset to all zones very easily - but the set? Jury is still out....<br /><br />We now return you to your regularly scheduled nonsense - with luck, I'll get back into the habit of this now...Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-31326279091287337722009-09-28T02:11:00.000-07:002009-09-28T02:13:48.919-07:00Welcome to my old worldWe,a s a family, are starting a little experiment today, born out of frustration, a fair modicum of anger and argument, but essentially an attempt to regain control of a few things.<br /><br />We threw out our television and DVD player.<br /><br />Both were getting old and clunky, and to be fair I'd been thinking of replacing them for a while, but for the next month we will do without any television programs, or the games consoles, and instead try reading, talking, listening to the radio and other family entertainments.<br /><br />This could get.... interesting.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-49892531951655799182009-09-03T05:15:00.001-07:002009-09-03T05:16:31.113-07:00It was seventy years ago today<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/ww2outbreak/7917.shtml?all=2&id=7917">From the BBC History website</a><br /><br />Take a moment to remember the last time the world was fully engulfed in conflict - and pray ti never happens again, no matter how close we have come to it in recent years.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-12868853705665684572009-08-27T06:12:00.000-07:002009-08-27T06:17:47.816-07:00Shouting out the praises!!My oldest son, Alastair, got his exam results today. Please allow me to share them with you.....<br /><br />IT - unknown. He is down as unclassified, but we need to see if that is because some stuff still needs to be marked.<br /><br />History - D. Technically a fail, but he can still pursue this at A-level if he wishes to do so. Having seen past papers, this is a nasty little piece of work in the exam hall.<br /><br />French, Art - C. Art he wishes to pursue, and he can with that grade. He took French on our reccomendation as both Doreen and I feel it is important.<br /><br />English, English Literature, Citizenship, Physics, Chemistry and Biology - B. Excellent stuff, given the science teaching was not the best, but the surprise is Eng Lit - not his favourite subject.<br /><br />Mathematics - A*. Top marks :)<br /><br />He did his best, and I'm proud of him, as combined with last year that makes two A's, seven B's and two C's. His place in post-16 educatuio nis also secured - plus he found out today he gets an extra week's holiday.<br /><br />Just enough time to complete the pre-course work then.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-88644557052804150742009-08-26T01:59:00.001-07:002009-08-26T01:59:19.897-07:00Justice tempered with MercyOh, this could get me into so much trouble, and I’m a week or so late writing this down, but what’s life or the blogosphere if you cannot say how you feel on the issues of the day.<br /><br />So let’s have a brief history lesson. On Wednesday 21st December 1988 flight Pan Am 103 took off after a delay from London Heathrow on route to New York with 243 passengers and 16 crew on board. A short while after take off, a bomb exploded in the cargo hold of the plane, blowing the plane apart and killing all on board. Had the flight taken off on time, it would have been over the Atlantic. Instead the debris fell on the border town of Lockerbie, killing 11 people on the ground as it impacted.<br /><br />Two hundred and seventy deaths – I still remember watching the news that night in my girlfriend’s house in Newcastle and almost being physically sick. It was the worst ever air disaster in British airspace, the biggest ever criminal investigation in Scottish legal history and led by the smallest police force in Scotland. After three years of joint investigation with the FBI, it was determined that Libyan agents were responsible and indictments issued against two people – Lamin Khalifah Fhimah and Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi. After years of sanctions and negotiations, both men were handed over on neutral ground, to face trial under Scottish law. In 2001, al-Megrahi was convicted of murder and sentenced to life to be served in a Scottish prison and Fhimah was acquitted. The convicted man has protested his innocence to this day, lodging several appeals, but last week was released on compassionate grounds after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He was immediately returned to Libya, to what appeared to be a hero’s welcome.<br /><br />Those are the facts – but the decision to release him has caused worldwide revulsion and a call for Americans to boycott all things Scottish.<br /><br />Let me deal with that one first – Freedom Liquor instead of Whisky? Besides, as another person posted last week, you do that and you boycott penicillin, rubber tyres, and television – all Scottish inventions.<br /><br />However, let’s be serious for a moment and consider the position of Ken McConnell, the Scottish Justice Minister. Firstly, bear in mind Scottish law is different from the law in England and Wales, and the power to make these decisions was devolved to the Scottish Assembly – hence the reason people like Jack Straw and Gordon Brown (both Scots) can leave Mr McConnell to take the full flak.<br /><br />Also, bear in mind that I have no real love for the Scottish National Party, of which Mr McConnell is a member. I grew up in Scotland, and actually went to school with Alex Salmond’s sister – my own older sister went to school with him. I do not agree with many of his politics or positions, but they are the people who made the decision.<br /><br />Have you ever looked at the statue of Justice on the Old Bailey? She is blindfolded, because justice has to be seen to be impartial. She carries a sword to wield punishment, but also a set of scales, to signify that justice had to be balanced – and mercy has to play a part in that.<br /><br />That’s the rub – Justice has to be tempered with mercy, because if it is not it’s no longer a sharp instrument but a blunt club that wounds all. Did you hear Mr McConnell’s statement when the release of al-Megrahi was announced? He was very clear that this was a decision based on Scottish law and procedures, despite the fact this was the man forever labelled as the “Lockerbie Bomber.” You have to put labels aside in these situations, and consider this fact – whatever his crime, this man was dying, and justice sometimes means that you allow him to die with dignity despite your own personal feelings about the crime he was convicted of.<br /><br />Did he do the crime? We may never know – this last appeal was withdrawn (for reasons that seem dubiously linked to his release) – and there is plenty of evidence to suggest Libya were not responsible. Can he ever be forgiven? Not my call – and the reactions of the survivors of those who died show the polarity of that question. Was there political interference? Looks that way, but again we will not know for thirty years.<br /><br />I also think it was wrong he was welcomed back the way he was, but that’s consistent with the way Libyans and in particular Colonel Gaddafi has worked in the past.<br /><br />You may also have heard that the Great Train Robber, Ronnie Biggs, has been released to die after a long campaign. That was on the sign-off of the Justice Minister – one Jack Straw, who argued for years that could not happen. Hypocrisy? I’ll let you decide that.<br /><br />As for Mr al-Megrahi? He will answer to a higher court soon for whatever he did. There is where true justice and retribution is paid, not here on Earth.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-78552798094876101472009-08-24T05:38:00.000-07:002009-08-24T05:43:59.168-07:00Ye gods!The beginning of July was my last update? Sorry folks - a few family matters got in the way, and then a holiday.<br /><br />I'll catch up with some thoughts over the next few days, but here's a starter - when are exams not getting easier?<br /><br />For those puzzled by that remark, last week 17 and 18 year olds in England and Wales got their exam results, and it was proudly announced that on average 25% of those who entered for A-levels got a A grade, the top available.<br /><br />Now, do not think for one second that I bemoan the work down by these students, or downplay their achievement, but an A is meant to be given for outstanding work. It used to be the case that meant a mark of 90% or greater. So what is the mark for an A now - or despite all the claims, are the exams easier?<br /><br />It's probably a combination of both, but the downside is that there is little way now to identify outstanding candidates. There are reports of students with 6 A passes being turned down by every university they apply to, because there are "better candidates" out there.<br /><br />The answer? No simple one, but one needs to be found before these exam passes become about as useful as a Bazooka Joe comic.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-74471951387551621902009-07-02T06:58:00.000-07:002009-07-02T07:04:46.073-07:00Day 3The heat continues, the lack of sleep continues, and the temper is getting slightly irritable. Right now I'd do anything to eb sitting in my garden at home with a pticher full of ice water and cold bottles of Black Sheep Ale.<br /><br />Not to be however, so let's have a suitable song which was number one on ym birthday in 1966.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1h1oRP7FfBw&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1h1oRP7FfBw&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Another nice number one from the week of July 16th would be the one for my fifth birthday in 1968<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_IGn0C-fk6Y&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_IGn0C-fk6Y&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />From a year later is another classic<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/d0l1FsEZv-k&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/d0l1FsEZv-k&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />More tomorrow - if the heat doesn't get to me first. No air conditionign in ym office and sealed windows "For your safety...."Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-21156650406124687442009-07-01T07:23:00.001-07:002009-07-01T07:35:47.433-07:00We're having a heatwavea tropical heatwave.....<br /><br />It's hot in London - the BBC website is showing the temperature now as 31 degrees Celsius (that's about 86 Farenheit for the reat of you)and it's not dropping much below 20 Celsius at nighttime. The end result - not a lot of sleep, tired and grumpy kids, and an hour's commuting hell each day on the wonder that is the London Underground.<br /><br />Still, could be worse - I could work in the city....<br /><br />For those who may be owndering, Doreen has been given the all clear from her last operation, and she now has one more day procedure to undergo later in the year. Fingers crossed from now on...<br /><br />Alastair is nwo in that wonderful limbo state of having officially left school and not started yet at his post-16 centre. They had a leaving do last week for hsi eyar - and he was given a certificate naming him "Biggest Encylopaedia brain". Seems he has learnt something from me after all - now we wait for his results in August.<br /><br />As for Stuart, he learnt who his year 6 teacher is goign to be - the same man who taught Alastair in year 4 some eigth years ago. I have a meetign with him tonight, where I will offer my sympathies....<br /><br />As it's my birthday in a few weeks, let's finish off with some number one songs from my birthday down the years through the wonder of Youtube. I've a feeling I did this somewhere last year - may have been here, but I can't remember, and I like music. I'm going to try and get this blog back on a daily schedule, but let's see how it goes.<br /><br />The earliest I can find is, believe it or not, the number one when I was born - I Like It!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DOYOJAczH0k&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DOYOJAczH0k&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Actually, if I'm being pedantic, I was born in the former West Germany, so the actual number one when and where I was born was this.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wgfT_UwqqBQ&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wgfT_UwqqBQ&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />More tomorrow, hoepfully....Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226852769936527489.post-34695479101385752432009-06-17T03:04:00.000-07:002009-06-17T03:26:38.459-07:00Laugh? I nearly had a hit!!There was a fascinating documentary on BBC 4 last night about the history of the comedy song in the charts - which prompted me to think of comedy songs I really, really liked. Proper songs with lyrics, tunes and melodies - excpet perhaps for this first one, by the men who inspired the Monty Python team...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nebe1zuEtbc&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nebe1zuEtbc&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />We also have to acknowledge before going further the master of the satirical song in the fifties and sixties, Professor Tom Lehrer of Harvard fame. This is one of his later songs...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3f72CTDe4-0&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3f72CTDe4-0&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />So, setting aside the Monty Python genre, what else can we look at? Well, in the seventies, there were two masters of the comedy song in the UK who regularly charted. The first were The Barron Knights, who did satiricial versions of popular songs of the time - like this one.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UpeA0nUigsk&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UpeA0nUigsk&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />THE master of the comedy hit in the 70's however, came from the most unexpected of places - mister Bill Oddie, who with the Goodies has had more top twenty hits then many current bands. Here's a few of their better known numbers.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VCPrsTfKJBk&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VCPrsTfKJBk&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_47y_744QJg&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_47y_744QJg&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/j9IdmeG1XZs&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j9IdmeG1XZs&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hsRc-mgTFCg&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hsRc-mgTFCg&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nUHrhTAL67s&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nUHrhTAL67s&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5zN2wWGbGyM&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5zN2wWGbGyM&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />You can't go wrong with a bit of Goodie Goodie Yum Yum.<br /><br />In the eighties we had Spitting Image - and while everyone loves The Chicken Song, this to me was their best adn funniest song, if a little dated these days... WARNING - This Song Was Designed To Offend Some People....<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oSLMKUXZ3hk&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oSLMKUXZ3hk&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Talkign of Rowan Atkinson, the Not The Nine O'Clock New Team also had some fun comedy songs - here's a couple<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/O7eCUEfb7U0&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/O7eCUEfb7U0&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/aGBfYoldZQ4&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/aGBfYoldZQ4&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ECyoaWMvU9c&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ECyoaWMvU9c&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Finally, let us acknowledge the master od the US parody song - Wierd Al Yankovic. For fun, let's see a couple of videos done with Lego...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nh9mVsBKwYs&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nh9mVsBKwYs&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WYWsMmE0BSY&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WYWsMmE0BSY&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147268516228285260noreply@blogger.com1