Window dressing

Caroline Flint resigned from the Cabinet in a hissy fit. Her resignation letter included the complaint

Several of the women attending Cabinet – myself included – have been treated by you as little more than female window dressing.

So, must we take it that she was forced into this sort of image by the Prime Minister?
You reap what you sow was a phrase of my dear old granny Witch.

Measles

This is lifted from another web blog. I find it very very persuasive and wonder why 'someone' in officialdom has not used it to further the cause. We had a small blizzard of publicity over the school exclusion unless immunised proposal. That just raised animosity with me and I am sure it hit others in a negative way that Dahl's effort completely avoids.

Here's Roald Dahl's impassioned plea to get your kids immunized. I live in East London, where we have live measles afflicting otherwise healthy kids who could have been vaccinated against them, but whose parents have been duped by a falsified claim that vaccinations are linked to autism (here's a non-falsified claim: measles leads to permanent disability and even death).

I remember when my daughter got sick and broke out with measle-like spots when she was too young to have had her vaccination against the disease. As I contemplated the possibility that my daughter might be permanently disabled or even killed because gullible people were choosing not to vaccinate their kids, I wanted to start wringing necks.

Dahl had a child die from measles, and he was determined that no other child should die needlessly from fear and ignorance.

Here in Britain, because so many parents refuse, either out of obstinacy or ignorance or fear, to allow their children to be immunised, we still have a hundred thousand cases of measles every year. Out of those, more than 10,000 will suffer side effects of one kind or another. At least 10,000 will develop ear or chest infections. About 20 will die. LET THAT SINK IN. Every year around 20 children will die in Britain from measles. So what about the risks that your children will run from being immunised? They are almost non-existent. Listen to this. In a district of around 300,000 people, there will be only one child every 250 years who will develop serious side effects from measles immunisation! That is about a million to one chance. I should think there would be more chance of your child choking to death on a chocolate bar than of becoming seriously ill from a measles immunisation. So what on earth are you worrying about? It really is almost a crime to allow your child to go unimmunised. The ideal time to have it done is at 13 months, but it is never too late. All school-children who have not yet had a measles immunisation should beg their parents to arrange for them to have one as soon as possible. Incidentally, I dedicated two of my books to Olivia, the fi rst was James and the Giant Peach'. That was when she was still alive. The second was 'The BFG', dedicated to her memory after she had died from measles. You will see her name at the beginning of each of these books. And I know how happy she would be if only she could know that her death had helped to save a good deal of illness and death among other children.

How far and how fast?

Would you run?

For a couple of months, you have been dealing with the nice-sounding female at one of your firm's suppliers. Formal talk came to social and down to chat. After a while of this, you suggest you meet up for a blind date dinner. It may just be your imagination but you have the idea it might lead to home-brewed coffee?

Meet-up point is a rather chic restaurant you reserve for this sort of engagement. You are known and will get service that might be deemed impressive. The bill - with a small amount of discretionary understanding from your boss - might be a business expense.

You get to the venue just about right for time. A quizzical maître de greets you and says that your companion is already there. He nods towards the woman on the right here.

So, I say again - how far and how fast?

Grieving husband takes first steps back to a normal life

The husband of saddo Jade Goody is back in circulation.
Let us hope he is unable to get his paws on the money she demeaned herself to get for her children.

What have I been saying?

Funny little programme I downloaded a long while back but never used until now. Scans chunks of text and randomises the words therein. Reckon I should lay off the B*y*e woman and increase 'pride'

BNP

The video is included in a blog which shows the dangers of sloppy thinking tomorrow.

The "Two Different Worlds" department

Kylie Minogue has sent a message to Susan Boyle. To cheer her up.

Can you imagine any aspect of Susan's life that falls within the comprehension of the little Aussie chirper? The Boyle photograph is after she was glammed and sexed up.

No - neither can I.

And the pig got up and slowly walked away..............

'Twas an evening in October, I'll confess I wasn't sober,
I was carting home a load with manly pride,
When my feet began to stutter and I fell into the gutter,
And a pig came up and lay down by my side.
Then I lay there in the gutter and my heart was all a-flutter,
Till a lady, passing by, did chance to say:
"You can tell a man that boozes by the company he chooses,"
Then the pig got up and slowly walked away.

I am unsure who I condemn most for their sad choice of alcohol-influenced bezzer friends - Brown or Piers Morgan. It is almost good enough for a caption competition, "What about that Boyle bint then? I bet she's a goer. Nudge Nudge Wink Wink"

Hard man in Afghanistan

This is the original. Ross Kemp. He was in a series where he played a sergeant in the SAS and he attracted a considerable degree of micket-taking. However, his reports from the sandy place have been very well received.


This one is a copy cat. Very convincing I reckon.

Doing my bit

Just a little something that I would provide at my own cost to any MP wishing to upgrade his 5th time flipped second home.

Susan Boyled over

A picture tells a thousand words!

Shame it all ended up this way. A nice enough woman was taken out of her natural environment and put into a world of stress. She was described as having learning difficulties; we did not get the full SP on the nature of these problems. It cannot have helped when she went mega-star after her semi-final led to zillions of YouTube hits and The Big Time in America.
The bits that have leaked out about her being admitted to The Priory suggest that it was a move directed by her actual conduct and not exhaustion so it may well be that she will suffer some more lasting impairment.
The only consolation about her not winning is that she did not go on and explode big time. I do not subscribe to limiting choices and opportunities for those with mental problems. They may need special handling but should still be allowed to have a go. It might well have been justifiable for the Talent organisers to 'adjust' her marks so that she did not go into the super-heated competition and the other pressures that come with instant stardom.
Nice to see that I am not alone in my theory

Looking in from the outside

It struck me that we were being somewhat parochial in this expenses/allowance scandal. Whilst we knew all about a 50P chocolate bar we had no information as to how foreign onservers viewed the odd half million evasion on a property transaction.
I went looking and found this from Germany. It was written by a Brit - from the Grauniad no less - but the supposition it was drafted for German consumption could make it somehow 'foreign'