Venting Observations and Rants

Full Sesh

2010-01-26T10:30:00.001Z

Apparently, Gordon Brown and Brian Cowen were up until 3.30 this morning. Does anyone really believe a Scotsman and an Irishman spent that whole time merely talking?

The Revolution Will be Covered by Comment is Free

2010-01-18T19:08:00.003Z

Billy Bragg is withholding his income tax until bonuses for RBS are stopped as he explains here. Which is O.K, if you have the ability to pay your own tax (as he points out) and enjoy prison food.

But two points I took from it are firstly the amount of people who scream 'anarchy!ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!' and cower in a bush until order is restored. As if anarchism is a nasty doctrine? I find it to be a wonderfully humane doctrine, but how we get there is another problem entirely.

And secondly, the Weathermen have their very own section on CiF. Revolutionary pamphlets are now issued bit by bit via the comments section on the Guardian. What would Trotsky think? (Before he goes off to shoot some anarchists like hares)

Armchair counsellors

2010-01-13T20:07:00.003Z

I feel for Tanya Byron, I really do. Here is an intelligent, thoughtful woman who for whatever misdeamenour she has committed in her life, has her compassionate collumn published on the Times website with the comments enabled! Which braindead fuckwit thought that would possibly be a good idea? Now inbetween xenophobic, homophobic, incredulous rants on news articles, every crackpot who comments on news sites can have a crack at counselling.

Take for example today's article in which Tanya offers advice to a young man who has a father who unfortunately has a rather archaic view on women. Cue advice from a load of men with crackpot views on women. Nova Prosper, take a bow.

Nova Prosper wrote:
Your father's hatred for women comes from a society which pampers women at the expense of the men. An relentless attack on men was launched by feminazis over 40 years ago and continues today. This explains an incredibly high volume of men's hatred for women and it's quite frankly justified.

Actually that deluded rant merely explains Nova's hatred of women.

Bn Harper is a moron

2010-01-05T17:12:00.002Z

Bn Harper is an idiot, and like many idiots, he has tried to hide his bigotry behind a mask of a fairness. He is very angry that homosexuals appear to be getting preferential treatment to heterosexuals. In his own words;

"How about equality before the law and society regardless of sexual preference, rather than privilige for some?"

Stirring stuff. Those damn homomsexuals with all those privileges such as

"Civil partnerships not available to straights"

I wonder if Bn is married?

Toga Party Time

2009-10-03T17:06:00.003+01:00

Ireland has voted yes to Lisbon, and at the Times website this is a moment for rejoicing. Apparently, it is all apart of God's great big plan, and he is thus sending Jesus back here, presumably to be the new President, totally fucking with Tony Blair's hopes. Shouldn't have gone Catholic, clearly God is a Protestant.

David Hopkins wrote:
This was inevitable folks. Biblical prophesy talks about a re-emergence and dominance of the old Roman Empire in the end times but in a more corrupted form (Feet of Iron mixed with Clay from Nebuchadnezzar's dream in the book of Daniel over 2500 years ago).

Buy your Euros now, as it's likely the Euro will now become a very strong currency, and the United States of Europe will continue along a rising path in world politics.

Bob is also very excited about this plan.

Bob Stone wrote:
David Hopkins,

Yes, you are correct for those among us who believe that the bible is the word of God. We are truly seeing biblical prophecy unfolding before our eyes my brother.

Christ is coming!

TOGA! TOGA! TOGA!

Aching from fucking too much

2009-10-01T19:34:00.001+01:00

First update for a while, but I've been working on shamelessvanity's first major scoop.

Andrew Marr has an adiction to prescription drugs. This maybe to cure the emotional and physical pain that comes with all that sex he has with John Humphreys, or it may just be made up. However I'm sure that won't stop it appearing on his Sunday morning show, and I think David Cameron should present his views on the subject, though he most probably won't.

Backwards Italy

2009-09-14T19:14:00.003+01:00

I like Italy, it was the first foreign country I travelled to when I was 14, which has given me an enduring love of the food. But whilst the British media has been focused on Berlusconi banging call-girls, his government has been carrying out some hideous measures.

According to the Sunday Times magazine, a 'security package' has been introduced bit by bit in the last 12 months, with illegal immigration now a crime punishable by a 10,000 euro fine, although how they are going to pay that is beyond me. Children of illegal immigrants are also banned from attending school, or receving health care, and those who knowingly harbour illegal immigrants face up to three years in prison. All sounds sadly familiar to those with a knowledge of modern European history. A measure has also been introduced ordering the compulsory fingerprinting of the entire 150,000 Roma gypsy community, some whom the Times points out, have lived in Italy since the middle ages. However, due to pressure, the government has 'humanely' excluded children from this measure.

Berlusconi swept to power in 2008 on the wave of anti-immigration hysteria, which his media helped to stoke, reportedly suggesting that "all Romanians harbour criminal intent". His successful dehumanisation of gypsies has already had an effect, with two bodies of two young Roma sisters who had drowned being left on a beach for hours whilst bathers carried on their ordinary routine.

This so-called man makes a mockery of modern European history, and thus makes a mockery of the European Union as a whole with disgusting laws such as this. The Vatican to its credit has called the laws 'a reason for sadness' and a 'great concern'. The rest of Europe should show its great concern more forcefully. Much blood was shed to free Italy from fascism, Berlusconi should never be allowed to forget that.

This World is a Molotov Cocktail

2009-09-08T20:28:00.002+01:00

Exhibit A :

Neo-Nazi jailed over terror plot

Exhibit B :

Three guilty of airline bomb plot

What the hell is going on here? Can't we all just learn to get along, especially with me, I'm mint.

Griffin the wanker

2009-08-24T18:55:00.000+01:00

Someone at the BBC managed to get a photograph here of Nick Griffin having a wank.

New World Stupidity

2009-08-20T17:25:00.003+01:00

Just when you think some people cannot get more stupid, an American comes along and raises the bar to a whole new level. This is a comment from the CBS News website on the Scottish Government's (rightful) release of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi.

by Asromeburns August 20, 2009 7:39 AM EDT
To hell with England, let the jews keep it.

Firstly Asromeburns, we will buy you a map, and a geography ABC book for idiots. Then you can look at the difference between ENGLAND and SCOTLAND. Next, we will teach you to spell the word C O M P A S S I O N. A foreign concept in America it seems. And finally, we will put you on a plane to Israel. Enjoy.

Britain's Nuremburg

2009-08-13T22:26:00.004+01:00

The mayor of Doncaster is a racist, a bigot, a disgrace. Here is a transcript of an interview conducted by Toby Foster for on BBC Radio Sheffield on 8th June. Toby Foster should be given a knighthood for this destruction of an odious virus.

(from BBC Radio Sheffield, 8th June 2009)

Toby Foster (BBC Radio Sheffield): Thanks very much for joining us. I said that we didn’t see it coming – did you see it coming? Did you expect to win?

Peter Davies: Well, well not really. A great friend of mine told me the night before I was going to get a great shock, and that I would win. I was thinking of saving the deposit at the time.

TF: I can imagine. What was it you think that made people vote for you?

PD: Well we were the only party who gave a distinctive agenda to the electorate. All the others talked waffle. I looked at all the leaflets, I couldn’t make anything of them all, they were all the same.

TF: You did give a distinctive agenda, you’re absolutely right, you made some real points on that. Let’s just have a look – let’s have a look at them shall we? The first one of course I think’s an easy one – you’re going to cut the mayor’s salary.

PD: That’s the first thing this morning

TF: Down to £30,000 a year. Now, some people could look at that Peter and say, well, you get more than that for running a supermarket these days. Surely a council deserves… a bit more respect?

PD: No, the council deserves somebody who’s going to run it properly, and it deserves somebody who’s prepared to give their services partly free, in a sense – at one time all local government councillors did all the free, er, it’s become a gravy train and I’m not prepared to be part of that.

TF: So what about the people who work for you? The deputy mayor, other people in the departments – are you cutting their wages as well?

PD: Er, well, I’ve discussed that with-, well not- not the people in the departments, I can’t- I’ve no control over what they’ve been given, but the deputy mayor and the rest of the cabinet will discuss that at, at the earliest opportunity.

TF: Well, you say you’ve no control over people in the departments, one of the big things on your campaign was that you’re going to cut ‘PC jobs’.

PD: Oh yeah, that’s a different thing altogether, er-

TF: Which jobs are those?

PD: Well, er, I’m going to look into that. Things like Diversity Officers, er, the things that are usually advertised in the Manchester-, well, it’s not the Manchester Guardian now – in the Guardian…

TF: Right, so have-, so, so hang on, so so there are politically…

PD: I mean, I can’t give you a full list at the moment, but I will…

TF: But that’s what you put on your manifesto – you must have had an idea on your manifesto what you were talking about?

PD: Yeah, yeah, all these people who are, sort of, controlling thought processes and this sort of thing, and er, erm… every department is riddled with this sort of nonsense these days.

TF: So currently then, this morning, Doncaster Council is riddled with people who are, who are doing this kind of nonsense, ah… and they’re on notice, are they? People are going to lose their jobs?

PD: Er, very likely.

TF: But we don’t know who they are, yeah? But certainly Diversity Officers…

PD: Obviously I… I’m… well, that sort of thing, yes.

TF: So, the Diversity Officer who’s getting ready for work this morning at Doncaster might as well not bother?

PD: Well, he’s… he’s in employment at the moment…

TF: But he won’t be for long?

PD: …I think, I think we ought to be talking about what we’re going to do sort of, er, now and, er, what I’ve discovered – that might be a more fruitful discussion.

TF: Well, I mean… these are the reasons people voted for you. Very bold points, as you said. Er, you’re going to cut translation services for non-English speakers – that’s a very bold point. It’s more than likely illegal, isn’t it?

PD: I dunno… again, I’ve got to find this out. It’s-

TF: Well it is – let me tell you it is, under the European Court of Human Rights it’s illegal.

PD: -Well, well, well let… we’ll look into this – we’re getting council’s opinion on what I can do and what I can’t do, and that’s…

TF: No, no, you said in your manifesto you would definitely do it.

PD: Yeah, well, I… well, I, er, if, if somebody comes in the way and stops me doing these things, then that is an insult to democracy.

TF: So what was the point of your manifesto? You might as well have said you were going to fly to the moon if you’re just going to say now that you can’t do it.

PD: No, look… I’m going to do my best to do it. If I can’t, I shall tell the electorate why I’ve not been able to do it, and who’s stood in the way of it. The-

TF: Well, the law’s standing in the way of it.

PD: -Just a minute, just a minute. The electorate clearly want me to do that. The law needs changing, then, doesn’t it?

TF: Well, you say the law needs changing-

PD: If we get a new government, then we might get rid of some of this ludicrous legislation, and be able to run our own country again.

TF: Okay, now you’re going to cut the number of councillors from 60 to 20.

PD: That is another difficulty, and the first-

TF: Can’t do it, can you?

PD: Er, well, we can appeal to their moral consciences-

TF: So you can’t do it, can you?

PD: Look, you keep telling me what I can’t do. I’ll find out what I can’t do, and if I can’t do-

TF: You are finding out now, I’m telling you, Peter, you can’t do it. You’d have thought you’d have thought of this before you started.

PD: This is quite a pointless discussion. Completely pointless.

TF: Why?

PD: Well – I’m sitting here telling you what I want to do, you’re telling me I can’t do it. I’ll find out – not from you, from other people – if I can do it or not.

TF: Why didn’t you look at to see-

PD: That’s where we go. And then we tell the electorate what’s going on.

TF: Why didn’t you look to see if you could do it before you asked people to vote on it?

PD: Because people want this to happen. And it’s time we-

TF: We all want free speech, Peter, but why didn’t you look into it to see if it could happen before you asked 14,000 people to vote on it? You know what’s going to happen – they got upset with the political processes in Doncaster before, they disliked Martin Winter. You’ve come along, you’ve waved this flag, knowing you can’t back any of it up and they’ve voted for you. How are they going to feel when they realise they’ve been hoodwinked?

PD: They’ve not been hoodwinked, I’m a man of my word, and I shall do everything that I can to put this into practice. And that is something that Doncaster’s not had before.

TF: You’re going to cut the Gay Pride funding.

PD: Yep.

TF: Erm, how much did Doncaster Council fund Gay Pride?

PD: Haven’t got a clue, I haven’t looked into… I haven’t got the details, I… I haven’t even started-

TF: Well that’s bright, isn’t it? So how much did… how much was it worth to Doncaster?

PD: How…er, what?

TF: The Gay Pride march. 8,000 people in town for a day.

PD: I don’t know. They can still come. There’s nobody stopping them coming.

TF: So you don’t know what it costs, you don’t know what it earns, but you’re banning it?

PD: I’m saying that… hard-pressed taxpayers money should not be spent on promoting any type of sexuality whether it’s straight or gay.

TF: But for all you-, but for all you know it could be making a fortune for the town – you don’t know, you’ve not even looked at it.

PD: Well, it, er… it may, it may or it may not, I’m telling you what I’m not doing, and again it was on the manifesto, it was quite clear people appeared to like what I was saying.

TF: Yeah, but the stuff on the manifesto we’ve already realised – you can’t do anything about it.

PD: I think it’s time we finished this interview, it’s quite pointless. I’ve… I… It’s really wasted… I wanted to say a few things this morning that might have been-

TF: Tell me what you want to say.

PD: …that people might have wanted to listen to.

TF: Tell me what you want to say.

PD: Well, I wanted to point out that this morning I was going to, er, see that two social workers were returned to the childrens hospital, er, which were taken away some time ago for some unaccountable reason. I was going to say we’re getting rid of Doncaster News at the earliest opportunity, and I also wanted to point out that this very weekend I’ve discovered that Doncaster is twinned with nine separate towns, er, that the Mayor… the ex-Mayor had a car, for what reason I don’t know. It’s quite reasonable that the Civic Mayor has a car, but why the elected Mayor has one, God only knows, er, and it looks to me like a Daily Telegraph moment, where I shall be discovering things every day that, er, can be got rid of.

TF: Okay… none of that really means anything, does it? Let’s have a look at Doncaster News. You’re getting rid of Doncaster News, that’s a, er, flyer… er, paper that goes to every home in the borough isn’t it, to tell them what you’re doing?

PD: Well, it was to distort… er, what Mayor Winter was doing, yes.

TF: So now you’re stopping communication with the people of Doncaster?

PD: No – communication will be through the Doncaster Free Press, though Radio Sheffield if we can get some sensible interviews-

TF: Heh.

PD: -and, er, the free newspapers.

TF: So the people who work on Doncaster News, then, are they out of work as well?

PD: I don’t know, I don’t… I, I, don’t know what their full… I’ve… I… I’ve not even got… been in the office yet, I’ve… I’ve not even-

TF: This is the problem, isn’t it-

PD: -had the briefing from the Chief Executive-

TF: You actually don’t understand the laws, you don’t understand-

PD: Okay, I’m stopping this interview, it’s a complete waste of time, er, you’re not asking any sensible questions, and er, I really don’t want to continue.

TF: Peter, all I’m asking is how you’re going to deliver on your election manifesto?

>Silence<

TF: Well, I can assure you, that’s going to be one of the easiest he gets.

Well today it turns out that the mayor has allowed the council to fund this year's Gay Pride event as the previous mayor had already agreed to it. Not because he has suddenly become any less of a bigot.

The jackbooted mayor was also on the Jeremy Vine show today, speaking out against Black History month, arguing that there should not be a black history month, and that schools should try holding an English History day. Only a complete and utter racist moron would argue a point like that. If he had actually paid even the remotest piece of attention to what he was studying out school, he would have discovered that English history is pretty much covered every day in schools across England, it is called a history lesson. Has the mayor ever been into Waterstones?(can the Mayor read?) The British history part of the history section in Waterstones is hardly difficult to find. The mayor should admit it, he is simply racist, and hence his attack on black history month.

Phantom Toon Army

2009-08-12T13:22:00.001+01:00

From the BBC's football gossip collumn.

"Sunderland midfielder Grant Leadbitter appeared at Gateshead magistrates court on Monday pleading special reasons why he should not be banned for a speeding offence. After being clocked at 112mph, the 23-year-old said he thought he was being followed by a car full of angry Newcastle fans before discovering that it was actually the police."

Easily done that.

Progressively staying where we are

2009-08-11T20:23:00.001+01:00

Osborne: Tories carry torch of progressive politics

How do you progressively conserve something? Answers on a postcard please.

Dangerous Politics

2009-08-11T19:59:00.004+01:00

I was reading in today's Times that Harriet Harman's stint as acting P.M. last week has caused controversary, for she did a very stupid thing, she made a policy suggestion.

Silly girl didn't she realise that the next election will be fought over the issue of who looks best on the GMTV sofa?

Slapstick Sepp Blatter fall

2009-07-17T13:24:00.001+01:00

Brilliant.

Facebook users see here.

Tristram on tour in Sheffield

2009-07-16T19:17:00.003+01:00

This comment from Tristram Hunt's article on Lib Dem controlled councils.

"Lib Dems are a lot better than labour - as a council employee who used to vote labour, i should know

What the f##k does someone called tristram know about Sheffield? Lazy journalism deserves lazy name-stereotypes.... "

There are probaby one or two in certain parts of Mr. Clegg's constituency (like Dore).

Racing the Panzers at the German Grand Prix

2009-07-06T21:28:00.004+01:00

Hitler lover in chief Bernie Ecclestone, has revealed what a disgusting little fascist he is over the past few days. Firstly, he decided to argue that Hitler was a man who 'got things done', and that democracy has not worked for Britain. Now, he has suddenly remembered the Holocaust, and liking his money and position (if not his fellow man), has decided to try and extricate himself from the Waffen SS fan club. Apparently it is all a misunderstanding, Hitler ruined himself by committing those horrible crimes. Before then though, he was doing a very good efficient job.

Before when Bernie you thick little nob? Before he opened Auschwitz? Auschwitz was the tipping point; that was just greedy. He should have just stuck to stripping Jews of their citizenship, forbidding them from mixing with good Aryans like Bernie. Locking up Socialists, Communists, Liberals, conservative Democrats was just common sense. Should try it in Britain.

Perhaps it would be for the best if one of the F1 drivers could accidentally run over Bernie in the pit lane at the weekend. It would be no great loss really.

The Day the World Went a Little Mad

2009-06-26T11:43:00.003+01:00

This from the BBC.

"According to initial data from Trendrr, a Web service that tracks activity on social media sites, the number of Twitter posts Thursday afternoon containing "Michael Jackson" totaled more than 100,000 per hour.

That put news of Jackson's death at least on par with the Iran protests, as Twitter posts about Iran topped 100,000 per hour on June 16 and eventually climbed to 220,000 per hour."

That is both a tribute to Michael Jackson's influence, and a sad reflection on the principles of a consumer-mental society.

Flowers by Irene

2009-06-22T20:51:00.006+01:00

None other than the FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III has been in touch with yours truly, informing me that I am owed $10.5 million. This sum will kindly be put onto some magical ATM card which I can use in any ATM machine in the world (even the toy ones in John Lewis) and will be sent to me once I have sent $570 to Kelvin Williams in the Ivory Coast. Why the FBI is working out of the Ivory Coast hasn't been fully explained, something I'm sure President Obama would like to know the answer to as well.

However, my favourite part of the email is at the end.

"Please if you know you cannot be able to afford the $570 for the delivery of your ATM card via FedEx then do not bother to contact Mr. Kelvin Williams as we are at the End of the year and he should be busy with some other things."

Kelvin has Al-Qaeda suspects to torture you know!

Clarkson Decapitated

2009-06-19T19:20:00.002+01:00

Thank God.

By the way, if you are reading this through facebook, youtube doesn't embed properly, and hence this must look a little odd. So go here and get the joke.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5qtoecVIo0&NR=1

Meanwhile in Iran

2009-06-18T15:32:00.002+01:00

Apparently in Iran, protesters are keeping in touch with each other using Twitter, as well as posting pictures and film taken on mobile phones onto websites such as youtube in order to show the world what the authorities are doing. In the United Kingdom, people are using the comments sections on blogs such as the Labour List website to have stirring political debate.

"You seem a bit tetchy Lewis. Bugged that the Oxford Union voted 154 votes to 152 that Thatcher saved Britain ?
Phil Mill @ 7:52 pm, Mon 15th Jun 2009
reply to this comment · report as offensive
Goodness, as if anyone outside Oxford or indeed the majority of students at Oxford care what the Union has to say.
King Kong @ 7:56 pm, Mon 15th Jun 2009
reply to this comment ·
Saying you don't care when your side loses is a cop out.
Phil Mill @ 8:16 pm, Mon 15th Jun 2009
reply to this comment · report as offensive
Isn't that a bit of a close vote? Thought there would be more Thatcher backers than that in an Oxford Union debate.
Simon Leonard @ 8:22 pm, Mon 15th Jun 2009"

A fascinating group of Tom Paines there I'm sure you'll agree.

Ignoranse is blis

2009-06-07T19:14:00.002+01:00

Found on the comment section of the Times article on Obama in Europe.

"Obama what an ignorant American who unfortunately thinks he's better than everyone else, when he has hardley no political experience.

Posted by: Gunther Humther"

Yeah well, at least he probably can spell.

Congratulations to Barnsley

2009-05-26T19:28:00.005+01:00

Found this on the comments section of the The Times following an article about the future of Newcastle United.

"Michael, Sydney - they won't even enjoy the sight of Barnsley next season. Barnsley will be venturing to the NE but to play the Mackems and Hull instead.

Andy, London, "

So there we have it, congratulations to Barnsley for successfully getting promoted to the Premier League without anybody noticing. Except that is Andy in London, who we should also congratulate for superbly living up to the ignorant Londoner stereotype, and not been able to tell the difference between Barnsley and Burnley (or possibly Birmingham, all those Bs must be very confusing).

Bitching about people you have never met

2009-05-14T19:34:00.005+01:00

Online journals are the most fascinating, banal, truly terrible things to browse for a while. I may start a bitching blog theme here doing this. But there are some great examples of the hilariously mundane out there. Reading other people's melodramas can be quite fun.

'K@TT' is 24 believe it or not, from California and really needs to grow out of the emo phase. I'm not sure if she is supposed to be a parody of herself, but reproducing Fall Out Boy lyrics while pining for men who quite understandably probably want to get the hell away from you is a good way to start.

Anyway I also have discovered an intense, Nirvana fan here. That always ends well. Plus, if being depressed and listening to Kurt be depressed isn't your thing, listen to God's will be expressed through the medium of the Lion King musical.

People should learn to love life more, it's so stupidly absurd at times.

Bird adverts

2009-05-14T18:52:00.001+01:00

I like this

Not very scary at all.

2009-05-02T11:32:00.004+01:00

So Mexico has cut the number of deaths from swine flu down to 101 as reported here. Which it turns out, is what you would expect from seasonal flu.

Great. It was merely ordinary flu with a healthy dose of pig, hysteria and hypochondria. Oh well, the press will now have to find something else to be hysterical about.

Swine cold

2009-04-27T13:23:00.004+01:00

The BBC are trying there best to get everyone panicing over swine flu. Including this eyewitness report from some expat who had the disease.

"I think swine flu is very different from a normal flu because I just couldn't get out of bed. "

No no no you silly moo, you have never had ordinary flu. As that leaves you bed ridden. Everytime you have claimed to have the flu in the past, you have merely had a bad cold. Because, well, simply and frankly, you are a wimp.

Plus look on the bright side, this first dose of actual flu, be it swine or normal, has left you alive. Congratulations.

Firebomb the press

2009-04-26T15:38:00.003+01:00

I notice that the media seemed absolutely obsessed with this new 50% tax rate on earnings over £150,000. I was wondering why suddenly, it appeared that a majority of the population were earning that. Then I realised that the media moguls are so concerned with the new tax rate, because it is they, and not the majority of the population who will have to pay this tax.

I have a new solution, in order to make it that the media acts for the people, all journalists and reporters should be put on the minimum wage. As at the moment, they just contribute to a cultural hegemony which serves the interest of the rich few over the toiling many.

BBC Stumbles Upon Something Again

2009-04-23T09:22:00.003+01:00

The BBC has done an expert piece of reporting here, managing to discover a 'leaked' leaflet that had appeared on the internet two months ago. In fact, I tore it apart in March here.

So there we have it, if you can tell your arse from your elbow, you too can work for the BBC News. Still it is good that the really stupid views of the BNP are being publicised, even if it does make me wonder about the quality of journalism.

No Borders, No Country, No Gods No Idols, Nothing

2009-04-22T22:59:00.003+01:00

I have decided to demand the money I have spent on passports to be returned as I consider it theft. Borders are a system imposed from above, sometimes centuries ago and in which I have not been consulted. Therefore, I consider it my right as a member of a Lockean social contract, to terminate my recognition of borders.

I want to roam where I want, when I want. And no one should have the power to stop. As I am not hurting anybody and that is the only moral force I will recognise.

"Be realistic, demand the impossible!"

Hillsborough

2009-04-15T22:39:00.003+01:00

When I was in year 10 Biology, my teacher told me how on the day of the Hillsborough disaster, he was listening to events unfold on the radio, when an announcement was made by the emergency services, pleading for anyone with a slight knowledge of the human body to go to one of the main hospitals as they were inundated with casualties.

He went to the Northern General, and was confronted with the terrible sight of injured people just lying everywhere, totally overwhelming the hospital staff. I don't know why, but that is the one story that always comes back to me on the days like today when the disaster is all over the news again.

Kill the poor

2009-04-08T20:01:00.006+01:00

Found this a week ago on the Times website (I had a very busy week and never got round to blogging).

First problem I have is with this part.

"But nobody serious can really believe any more that there is some brilliant alternative we haven't thought of. Can they?"

If the alternative has not been thought of, then it cannot be tested can it? So there may well be an alternative that works, then again, there maybe an alternative that won't work. Unfortunately this current crisis won't change the world too much, as no one seems to be providing the new idea. But to dismiss an idea before it exists, is premature. But then again, Finkelstein is one of those Conservatives who thinks that capitalism is just human nature.

"They hit on the idea that the solidarity of the working class would allow them to plan and then discovered that the unions wanted to protect their own members, even at the expense of other unions or the unemployed. Human nature - the way we protect ourselves, our family and our friends against the claims of strangers - proved a constant disappointment."

Human nature is an absolutely shite way to defend an argument. There is no such thing as human nature above and beyond the basic necessities that all organisms need to do to live (i.e. eat, shit, procreate, respire etc.) The rest is cultural indoctrination dressed up as 'nature'. A few hundred years ago, the feudal system was considered natural. Now it is dead. As will capitalism eventually be. But possibly not for some time yet.

I also see this sad piece of news has just emerged on the Times site. Once again the Metropolitan Police have excelled themselves, killing an innocent man and then lying about it afterwards. They did that to de Menezes, and now they have done it to this guy as well. They act like legalised, hired thugs, a law unto themselves. Sadly, it now appears that only a riot on the streets of London, and Scotland Yard burning to the ground will make the police, the authorities, the whole establishment in this country realise that something has to change completely in the way our police force conducts itself. At the moment, I cannot tell who is meant to keep you safe in this country anymore.

Noel Edmonds is not news

2009-03-26T19:43:00.003Z

This popped up on the BBC latest news ticker thing that goes across the top of the browser.

How in the name of blue holy Valhalla, is that important breaking news that the country must hear about urgently? I mean, it's not like there hasn't been anything important happening lately except that whole worldwide recession thing.

Barack Obama is......

2009-03-25T20:00:00.003Z

Barack Obama contributed an article to The Times today, the online version of which can be veiwed here. I particularly like the fact that at the end of the article, the paper kindly points out to readers that 'Barack Obama is President of the U.S'. I'm just wondering how many people who read The Times do not have any idea who Barack Obama is? Someone who reads The Times and does not know who he is, would quite possibly be the most unique imbecile in the country. Or smashed off their tits on acid.

Google Street

2009-03-22T10:03:00.003Z

Apparently Google Street has had to remove a lot of images following complaints from people photographed. One includes a picture of what appears to be a man either vomiting or about to give another man head. I cannot decide.

Fortunately, the BBC reproduced it for posterity here, seemingly oblivious to the irony of the whole situation.

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-18T21:05:00.003Z

Went out last night for St. Patrick's Day. Noticed two things.

1) What is romantic about spending the night getting off with a bloke in a bar? It's hardly very poetic. Especially when the guy instantly squeezes the girls arse like his making orange juice as soon as she succumbs to the rohipnol. Plus wetlook tights look absolutely horrendous, and clearly attract morons.

2) It's St. Patrick's Day, you must dress up. So hey, why not go for the Republic of Ireland football shirt? "It's St. Patrick's Day, so I've come as an Irish person". - Well thank fuck you pointed that out with the shirt, I thought you'd come as a German.

Baader Meinhof/Generation Kill

2009-03-15T19:12:00.003Z

By chance I saw two motion picture events this week that I feel the sudden urge to pointlessly type away into this thing about.

Number one is The Baader Meinhof Complex. I saw this Wednesday night and found it an extremely interesting film. The way the film bought out the character of Ulrike Meinhof and thus the whole question of why someone would resort to terrorism was I felt both the best, and most frustrating part of the film. The best because it made me simply think about the mindset and just generally the sort of person who gets involved in a terrorist organization, but also the most frustrating because it was not fully developed and thus I was left feeling that I didn't totally understand the fundamental question of why? But then again, the movie only had a limited time to show the major events of the RAF in the 1970s, which it did very well, but ultimately was not able to bring the main protaganists characters out fully.

The second feature of my week was the last in the series of Generation Kill. For anyone who hasn't seen this, and that is probably the vast majority of people as it was shamelessly shown only on Fx, yet the series showed how truly amateur British television is by comparison. Over the course of 7 episodes, the series followed the men of Bravo Company, in the U.S Marines 1st Recon Battalion as they invaded Iraq in 2003. This was from start to finish, a simply brilliant series. And had one of the most fascinatingly powerful endings which has to be seen in the context of the whole series to be fully understood. It was not an exceptional ending, but the way it was done, I just found it an immensely powerful and thought-provoking reflection on a group of young men taking part in the most controversial and complex military conflicts of recent times.

On the Shoulders of Giants

2009-03-09T16:58:00.008Z

I have such exciting days. At work today I discovered a giant paper clip. It was so big, I put it next to a fine liner marker pen for comparison.

Then I indulged in some more junk mail. Finding this little fact on how the female body works.

"Give her love, give her fuel with your extra mega tool."

I never knew that women apparently use sperm for energy.

I have also noticed that they seem to have hired a poet to write these email subjects, as more and more are showing literary flair. Especially this one.

"Become bigger and cooler and start loving a ruler"

Brilliant. I think we could have a new W.B. Yeats on our hands here.

Afghanistan

2009-03-08T14:26:00.006Z

Found this on the BBC news today - Obama hints at talks with Taleban

I went to a lecture on Friday evening in which a very esteemed and frighteningly clever Professor from Harvard gave a talk on Barack Obama and the American Democratic Tradition. Afterwards most of the questions focused on the prospects of changing the American political landscape, especially after hopes were raised to epically high proportions during his election campaign. My own view on that is that he will find it incredibly hard, a Democrat president will always struggle immensely, even with a majority, as they have to fight both the Republicans and their own right, let alone a cultural hegemony dominated still by Reaganism - or in this country, Thatcherism. Although, a crisis does provide opportunity, I personally don't sense that the institutions which create our political culture in the UK are ready for the end of the 1980s consensus, and I suspect the same is true of the USA. (see Gramsci on culture and hegemony, I think the guy's work on culture is fantastic)

Anyway, this story at the top is linked, because a friend afterwards mentioned that he wanted to ask about Afghanistan, as it seemed that change wouldn't be a short time coming there, in fact if anything, the fresh injection of more US troops suggested more of the same in that troubled land. I had wondered several times before about how exactly the war against the Taleban was supposed to be won? I have been studying Vietnam recently, and although casualties are a lot lower (on the US side anyway), it seems that the war in Afghanistan against the Taleban could be just as unwinnable, if the US is looking for a conventional victory. Unfortunately, unlike Vietnam, the war was sparked by a direct attack on the USA itself, which means that these sorts of questions could be resisted even more than they were in Vietnam. But I cannot see how this insurgency can be fully defeated and the Taleban banished forever, short of devastating the whole of Afghanistan. Thus, they will have to negotiate at some point. So hopefully, talks with the Taleban could be a very small step on the road to change in Afghanistan.

Bowl of Rice and a Gun in Your Back

2009-03-05T11:23:00.004Z

Found this gem earlier on theregister.co.uk about the latest BNP anti-immigration poster using a picture of a Spitfire flown by a Polish Squadron during the war. The attempt by Simon Derby to defend the poster was a piece of pure unadulterated bollocks. I quote from the article;

"It's not like the BNP are against Polish people as a nation. We are against Polish people coming over here and undercutting British workers. I mean how would the Polish people feel if their government started letting in millions of Vietnamese and letting them work for three bowls of rice a day. That's exactly what it's like over here at the moment - our government has let far too many people in."

Yes that is exactly what it is like. The government imports Polish workers and pays them on three bowls of rice a day. Millions of them are here, sat around building sites all over the country, eating their rice. Three bowls of rice is officially the minimum wage now.

I think Mr. Derby was listening to the radio the other day, and what he believed to be a statement from Gordon Brown was actually 'Holiday in Cambodia'.

I'd Rather be a Lefty Than These Morons

2009-03-03T17:30:00.003Z

Stumbled upon the 'BNP Language & Concepts Discipline Manual' earlier, I recommend everyone read it, it is available on their website and is a hoot. Frighteningly, people believe this crap.

For example

"Rule #1: The BNP is not a ‘racist’ or ‘racial’ or ‘racialist’ or ‘race-conscious’ or ‘white’ or ‘white-people’s’ party. It should never be referred to as such by BNP activists, and anyone else who does so must be politely but firmly corrected. The precisely correct description of what we are, in the standard terminology of international comparative politics, is an ‘ethno-nationalist’ party. That is, we espouse, like many political parties all over the world, the interests of the particular ethnic groups to which we belong. There is nothing fascistic or unusual about this, and we don’t have to apologise for it. If we must describe our attitude towards race, it is ‘racial realism,’ as no-one can admit being against realism."

Precisely, if people cannot be convinced by divisive and hateful ideologies, then term it as something people cannot dispute. Like 'realism' or 'accept this or I'll smash your fucking face in'.

"Rule #4: ....it is absolutely necessary for us to draw a clear distinction between the ‘bad old days’ of the party (before 2000) and ‘what we represent today.’ Today, we stand for ‘21st century nationalism,’ as opposed to the outdated ‘20th century nationalism’ which had so many problems. Without this distinction, bad deeds from ‘our naughty past’ can be used to mis-characterise our present political identity. Since these bad deeds did occur, denying them merely creates an impression of dishonesty, while admitting them is disarmingly honest and prevents our enemies from blocking our message by dwelling on our past."

Yeah 20th century nationalism had so many downsides such as Franco, Mussolini, Hitler, the Holocaust etc etc. But they have changed. Remember no racism.

"Rule #15. BNP activists and writers should never refer to ‘black Britons’ or ‘Asian Britons’ etc, for the simple reason that such persons do not exist. These people are ‘black residents’ of the UK etc, and are no more British than an Englishman living in Hong Kong is Chinese. Collectively, foreign residents of other races should be referred to as ‘racial foreigners’, a non-pejorative term that makes clear the distinction needing to be drawn. The key in such matters is above all to maintain necessary distinctions while avoiding provocation and insult."

Yes you cannot be racist when other races don't exist. Genius. Immigration doesn't exist either.

"Rule #17. Britain does not have ‘immigrants,’ a term proper for use in settler societies like Canada, Argentina, and the USA. It has ‘guest workers,’ ‘foreign workers,’ or ‘descendants of foreign workers.’ They are, depending on who they are, ‘racial foreigners,’ ‘religious foreigners’ or ‘persons of foreign religion,’ or ‘ethnic foreigners.’"

Britain has always been settled apparently, and thus those who came over with the Saxons are merely 'descendants of foreign workers'. Of course, those descended from Jewish migration are O.K as well.

Rule #11: The BNP is not an antisemitic party: we do not believe that Jews per se are bad, though we do, of course, reserve the right to condemn individual Jews that are doing something bad. Because of the inflammatory nature of this issue, as well as the party’s past, it is best to simply never speak or write of Jews at all. It is especially important not to use them as a clumsy code word for other things: if you really mean ‘American imperial ambitions in the Middle East’ or ‘the treasonous propensities of international financiers,’ then simple truthfulness requires that you say so. Same goes for ‘Zionism,’ which means the belief that Palestine belongs to the Jews and is not a general synonym for ‘Jews behaving badly.’"

What is brilliant about this statement is that they claim they will condemn Jews who do bad things but will not write or speak of Jews at all. That is an interesting idea. Also, I love the 'We're not anti Semitic but....' overtones of that paragraph.

So there we have it, the BNP successfully dispel the myth that they are racist and xenophobic by being racist and xenophobic.

Assorted Thingymebobs

2009-02-27T13:05:00.004Z

More junk mail greeted me in work on Friday. Highlights included....

"You feel like a pig because your tool is not big?"

No you feel like a pig because you ate four chocolate eclairs last night, you dirty boy.

"Once you gain a big hanger, it will never go away from you."

Unless the USAF bombs it.

"A beast in your pants - success in your hands."

Success here means World Wankathon Champion.

Anyway, in other news, whoever stole Philip Pullman's polling card, would they please give it back. He seems very upset about it, writing in the Times yesterday.

"The nation dreams it is a democratic state where the laws were made by freely elected representatives who were answerable to the people. It used to be such a nation once, it dreams, so it must be that nation still. It is a sweet dream."

When were elections abolished and why did only Philip Pullman hear about this?

The wonderful world of junk mail

2009-02-23T13:13:00.009Z

Having a job which basically involves filing all day and nothing else means you learn to enjoy the simple things in life, such as the subjects of junk mail that gets blocked by my email scanner. These provide a tantalising glimpse of what the email is about, and some of them are quite imaginative and poetical. People should check their junk mail regularly, for they could open up a whole new world to them.

For example, you could really find yourself.

"Your masculinity will find its infinity."

Thus meaning that....

"Now you can win the marathon among the well-endowed men."

Winning appears to be a recurring theme, as the authors try to entice the sort of man who punches a brick wall to show how masculine he is.

"Win the manhood fight every single night."

And of course, if you are not naturally aggressive, overbearing, or just don't have that arresting, dominating presence, then there is always the mysterious 'blue pill'.

"The blue pill will give you the feeling of wearing the crown."

"With the blue pill you can feel confident to attract any women."

The benefits of this will immediately become obvious. For....

"Women will bake you pies because of your mega size."

Who could possibly resist that? But if you're still not tempted by even the fantastic proposition of all the pie you could eat, then reflect on this little observation on life.

"Big is good, larger is better."

At the end of the day, you will become a new man.

"Become a confident user of your member."

Junk email, more important for your lifestyle than you think.

Smiling at Strangers on Trains

2009-02-18T22:45:00.004Z

I love this song right now. I don't have favourite songs, just some that get in my head for a while.

Socialising

2009-02-18T20:59:00.003Z

I had my weekly social with fellow MA history students today, which is very therapeutic, as an MA in history can be the loneliest thing in the world, even lonelier than the number one. Unfortunately I realised that as I spend more time studying, I merely become more opinionated and argumentative in person. Oh dear, books can be dangerous things.

But one thing I did find bizarre today was one of the Give it a Go events the Union is putting on. Why would any girl who clearly has brains (otherwise she wouldn't have been offered a spot at a Russell Group uni) want to spend their time naming erotic lingerie? I'm no prude, and whatever people want to do with their hard earned money is their prerogative, but I just don't understand why you would go to a good university for events like erotic lingerie shopping, it seems a bit pointless. Surely you good do that anyway in spare time? Use your fleeting undergraduate years (and they go far too fast...hence my MA) to do something stimulating, which may help you develop and understand yourself more.

Hysteria

2009-02-17T14:56:00.003Z

I found this little delight on one of those Islamophobic websites that UKIP members get their views off.

I guess I failed to notice all those headless corpses lying around before the war on terror started.

Random Sunday musings

2009-02-15T17:03:00.007Z

I was playing with the trend search tool on www.blogpulse.com today, and I decided to see how the market for the 'random' term was doing. It would appear that the market crashed on Friday, but has recovered somewhat over the weekend.

However, why did this crash occur on Friday 13th February? It would appear that all those fellow bloggers out there could not attribute the fact that they fell off a ladder, got hit by a car, or simply walked in dog poo that day to mere random chance, but have to blame it on petty superstition. Either that, or it was merely a random coincidence that this crash occurred on a day loaded with meaning for those who keep a rabbit's foot, a four-leaf clover, or a black cat attached to a bungee rope, which in turn is tied to a wooden post across the road.

Maintaining the dog poo theme for a moment, I read Giles Coren's article on dogs yesterday at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/giles_coren/article5728143.ece .
I have to admit, my new still formulating personal philosophy is starting to move away from all form of government in theory, whilst accepting that unless in the event of a catastrophic event, we are stuck with stupid human creations such as the nation state, government, religion, Friday 13th etc. However, I have maintained my utter detestation for dogs. They have to be the most stupidest, foulest, pointless pet in the world. Get a cat, and leave it to hunt. For pity's sake, don't get a dog which cannot shit unless guided to some pavement by its owner. Thus, instead of banning, I would support Mr. Coren to the hilt, should he take a club, and cave in the skulls of every dog he should come across.

In praise of women

2009-02-12T20:26:00.005Z

Apologies if this sounds grossly patronising but I was rummaging around many clothes and fashion stores today looking for a new bag and it struck me how the men's sections are shoved into a tiny corner of the shop. I suddenly realised how well and truly screwed our economy would be without women, and or the partners who buy them clothes either too big or too small forcing them to take them back and get an exchange or refund.

Plus women's fashion is better than men's, why do all men now have to buy outlandish cardigans and terrible plastic Gola bags? Horrendous.

Libertarian Party

2009-02-08T21:37:00.007Z

The Libertarian Party of the UK exists apparently, and celebrated its first anniversary with a message from its leader. I particularly enjoyed this line:

"During this year we have purposely kept our size and numbers close to our chest as the party has steadily grown in strength and members throughout the year, not least because we did not wish to alarm those in the established mainstream parties as to the groundswell of public opinion that has quietly risen and is eagerly awaiting news of a general election."

Ah yes, that will be it.

But then I realised why there was all this secrecy about numbers:

"Amongst the 80 million who now live in the UK"

It would appear they have grown so fast, that the population of the United Kingdom has grown by roughly twenty million people over the past year.

www.netmag.co.uk

2009-02-08T21:18:00.002Z

I love the comments posted on the articles on www.netmag.co.uk. People sign them with mini biographies such as "Tim is director of Elemental Communications" or "Gary Reid is director of search performance at The Search Works".

I have decided that I may now start signing comments I leave on peoples' facebook walls in the same manner.

More snow

2009-02-06T13:15:00.002Z

People were actually texting and emailing the BBC Breakfast News this morning informing everyone where the latest influx of snow had got to. Apparently the white horde had got as far north as Staffordshire. Terrifying stuff indeed.

Snow

2009-02-05T18:03:00.000Z

It looks like we have a real continental winter on our hands now. Not one of those crappy, wet ones you usually get on a little pokey island.

Unfortunately, this doesn't help when it appears that the inhabitants are terrified of snow.