Pathways to death

After reading this - even if it is American - I am going to get into my bed and pull the covers up over my head.

Good news week

At a time when much of the daily news is dire, drab or defeatist, is is good to come across a blog where "news" comes from the mind of the writer.

TODAY'S GUEST BLOG

Try here for a cheery read.

Terminally ill

This needs saying again

and again

and again

and yet more times

Police Service Northern Ireland

I am often charged with having little understanding or respect for the PSNI.

TODAY'S GUEST BLOG
Could it be this sort of thing that draws me in?

Testimonial

I bought some perfume for Mrs 22674586 over the Internet from a firm in Hong Kong. It all turned up OK other than the fact that HM Customs had got their grubby paws on it and charged me GB£10 on it.

My experiences whilst living in Hong Kong led me to have low opinions of how things went on. The buy was still a lot cheaper than I could have found in UK and I was prepared to write the tax off to a lack of experience from my prejudices.

I then noticed that there was a section on the firm's web page where they said that whilst guaranteeing nothing, they were prepared to think about paying any customs dues on their shipment. I sent them an email with my tale of woe. They came back with instructions as to how to get a refund from them.

Well done say I. I still hold my prejudice but am prepared to think that the Chinese way of doing things is better than things were when the gwai lo were in charge.

We can only hope

Time to call a halt?

It will soon be a year since the London transport bombings. There does not seem to be a lot of closure. We await the report on the dead Brazilian and this may well prove to be the final nail in Commissioner Ian Blair’s coffin. The inquiries into what we did or didn’t know didn’t tell us much worth knowing and have generated their own contentious spin off as to what the Americans may have told us. Things we would have expected the inquiry to reveal, such as a police-type tracking device on one of the bombers’ cars, have come to light. The victims’ action group are still pressing for a public inquiry and are upset at the levels of compensation received by those injured.

All in all an unsatisfactory position a year after the events.

Arising from the bombings we have seen a worsening of relations with the wider Islamic community. The attacks may well have strengthened the government case for national ID cards which promise a vast financial burden. Emergency legislation has been proposed against almost total ridicule and universal opposition and has challenged the very basis of our establishment. The Metropolitan police have been shaken and demoralised by criticism of its procedures and performance. We know little of events in our intelligence services but it would seem that they have lost some public confidence.

And, what exactly has caused all this? The fear of terrorism. In actual physical loss, the deaths were less than the weekly toll of road traffic accidents. The casualties were of the same significance.  There is a chance that a particularly well planned terrorist operation using chemical or biological munitions would cause a large loss of life. We are told that the police have frustrated a number of further attacks but are allowed no information as to what these might have involved or their seriousness. Given the magnitude of police effort in the case of a supposed suicide cyanide waistcoat, we might assume that the incidents that were halted without coming to public attention may not have been very significant. It would seem that the chances of being harmed by terrorism are about the same as winning a roll-over lottery draw.

So, why are we submitting ourselves to the supposed will and performance of a group of terrorists? They are achieving a large percentage of their aims without exposing themselves to any real danger of detection. They have disrupted our lives and we are extending that disruption by our own random thrashing about. Why are we concerned at what we may or may not have been told? Knowledge of this will not be of any benefit to events in the past. If it did happen, steps will have been taken to make sure there can be no recurrence. If it did not, measures will have been put in place against the risk that we are not so lucky in the future.

A public inquiry will tell us little that we do not know now. Even if it did, to what end? The harsh truth of the matter is that some 77 people are dead and a large number injured to a greater or lesser degree. Whilst the actual event was traumatic by its violence, blinded is blinded, amputation is amputation, and psychological damage is the same however these injuries were sustained. If the compensation is the same, what is unfair or wrong with that? Life is not a bed of roses.

The expense, time and resources currently devoted to terrorism are, I consider, disproportionate to the risk. We need to get clever. The mechanism of immigration control and vetting of asylum seekers has to be much more thorough. Ongoing supervision of our law enforcement forces has to be raised. Never again should they be placed in the position where manpower questions mean that they have to choose who should be targeted and who would be left alone. I do not advocate a country with STASI/Gestapo/KGB/Mossad type controls but we must be more suspicious of others who might not have a readily discoverable agenda. This inevitably will mean giving up some of what we regard as our freedoms but to carry on as we have been over the past year is doing the terrorists work for them.

Commercial ways and means

I'd been thinking to switch my ISP from BT to Talk Talk. No real problems with BT service although I have scars from dealing with them when I was a wage slave. Things got to the stage where I had to get a Migration Code from BT as the laststage before transfer.
The service clerk asked why I was leaving BT and I said it was purely financial. She asked if I would consider staying if they offered me a special deal. Long story short is I'm staying with them at half what it has been costing me and just slightly less than Talk Talk would have been.

I was still congratulating myself on this deal when pointy nose dog and I went for our midday walk up into the hills. Our usual parking spot was crowded out with two low-loader vehicles and a gaggle of vans. Mainly BT with heavy plant machinery digging a service trench. I then noticed that a low-loader had a Baden Baden address from Germany. So had the other. So had some five or six vans and 4x4 vehicles. The ditch-digging was being discused in German between the digger driver and a boss sort of person. I was intrigued by the foreign connection - surely they had not dug the trench some 1,000 miles from their home town?

I found a Scots-looking face and commented that service centres in Calcutta was one thing but Germany plant? He could not explain either.

If they can afford to take on a contractor who has to ship equipment and workers from Germany, pay for accommodation and other living expenses, who know what deal I might have got on my internet had I been a bit more hard-nosed?

Who loves you baby?

This is a must read!

The expression on POTUS face when he gets to bear hug is worth big money to see. However, I would not like to have been the duty bloke on his security detail.

Oh to be in Scotland!

I publish this without a link as I think what is here says it all. The claims of animosity inScotland towards English people was one thing that crossed my mind when considering our own move from Southern England to the Scottish Borders. I reasoned that I had only had vague suggestions of it whilst working up here. My 'native wit', knowledge of some of the history and a robust vocabulary had sufficed then and I had no concerns.
However, the proven facts - and this commentary - show that maybe I should not be quite so sanguine. Given that the attacks involved a young kid and a disabled man, perhaps old age would not save me.
On evidence of the past 4 years here, I'll risk it. Anyway, here is the item

Yeah, really fucking brave

By Devil's Kitchen

This has come to my attention.

Prime Minister Tony Blair has condemned attacks on a seven-year-old boy and 41-year-old man who were wearing England shirts in Scotland.
...

Primary schoolboy Hugo Clapshaw was punched in an Edinburgh park and disabled Ian Smith was attacked in his car in Aberdeen.

Oh, well done, Scots; how fucking brave can you get, eh? The boy was assaulted by a man supposed to be between 24 and 30; what a brave man he is. What an admirable person.

The disabled man was dragged from his car and duffed up by a man of about 40. Another fucking hero.

Well done, Scotland the oh-so-fucking Brave.

Another blogger wrote an absolutely spot on article about this, but has now taken it down: fortunately, I have it in my RSS reader and I am going to post the majority of it because he has some valid points. in preparation, what has been discussed is that where it says "the Scots" it should read only "Scots" as in "some Scots". [Emphasis mine—DK]

And no, it's not a trend: "trend" would imply some sort of increase or decrease over time, whereas in fact this has been going on constantly for years.

I'm English, and I lived in Scotland for most of my adult life.

When Braveheart was released, there were more violent attacks on students in St Andrews (where I was studying at the time) in the first six weeks of term than in the entire previous year. (And there were a lot in the previous year, because Scots travel over from Dundee especially to beat the shit out of anyone who looks like they might be English or who answers a question in the wrong accent.) Someone staggered into the Union with blood pouring down their face pretty much every night.

The Scots take every opportunity handed to them to slag off the English; they complain regularly about the "imperialist bastards" who "stole" their country despite the fact that the Act of Union was actually England bailing out a bankrupt Scotland and the Scots managed to negotiate a deal where they were overrepresented in Parliament; now, Scots MPs get to vote on legislation that affects England while English MPs can't vote on similar legislation that's been devolved to the Scottish toy Parliament; the Labour Party only have a majority in Westminster because of votes in Scotland, and now it looks like the English are going to get a Scots Prime Minister foisted on them (can anyone even imagine any party getting a majority in the Scots Parliament with an English leader?); it's becoming more and more obvious that the Scottish Parliament is spending English money on shite; there has yet to be a Scottish problem caused entirely by Scots that hasn't been widely blamed on the English; the Scots make a great point of celebrating any and every English defeat, to the point of having double-page spreads in their newspapers on Pakistan beating England at cricket, a sport in which no Scot is even interested; and many Scots happily, proudly, and routinely say things about the English that they would never dream of saying about, say, Jamaicans (I say "many" because, of course, the rest would be perfectly happy to say such things about Jamaicans, too). The English have been largely ignoring the constant stream of bile from north of the border for decades. All that's started happening lately is that they've finally got fed up with it, especially since the bile started to become government policy.

Frankly, I can't get my head around an Englishman who's been in Scotland for twelve years being crazy enough to wear an England shirt. It's suicide. The New Zealander had an excuse for not knowing any better, poor kid.

South Labour MP Anne Begg said ...

"I am horrified, this is not typical of Aberdeen which is a welcoming city. People from England live and work here."

Yeah, on the implicit understanding that they never express much pride in England, same as the English in every other Scottish town.

Just to be clear: yes, there are lots and lots of great non-racist Scots, some of whom are the best friends I've ever had and am ever likely to have. Which is why it's perfectly safe to wear an England shirt at a party with your friends. Wearing one in public is relying on the non-violence and non-racism of crowds of total strangers, in the most violent country in the developed world and one of the most racist places I've ever been; it's running one hell of a gauntlet. Wearing a Scotland shirt in England isn't.

In Northern Ireland, where a lot of people have more genuine reasons than the Scots to be resentful of England, loads of people support the England team, in football and any other sport that happens to be on. I used to know a Catholic who went out celebrating when England beat Germany, and no-one here thinks that's strange. In Scotland, he'd be a social reject, and celebrating in public would be very likely to get him beaten up.

But yeah, the real problem is this alarming increase in anti-Scottish feeling. Tell us, [deleted], what more could the Scots do to encourage anti-Scottish feeling amongst the English? Call us all "cunts" slightly more often?

This is now becoming an inescapable issue; I have been beaten up more than once simply for having a "posh" English accent (by groups of people). It is also typical of the mentality of many Scots: chippy, violent, blustering cowards. A schoolboy and a disabled man, guys; seriously, get it together.

Gary also posted about this: as David says in the comments, "Most Scots are great". Well, yes, this is true, to an extent. Equally, though, many Scots are brought up to hate the English; the sensible ones ignore it, or get over it. Or treat it as a joke. All of this still creates an low-level buzz of unjustified racism and violence. Many, one might say most, Scots are very nice and they equally condemn this sort of violence, but... but... there si still anti-English sentiment expressed, even if it is in jest...

Those who are intelligent enough not to bother with this shit move south (where, obviously, the streets are paved with gold), so what is left in Scotland—especially in places like Glasgow and Aberdeen—are the thick, pig-ignorant fucks—the dregs, if you like—who need to find someone to blame for the fact that their life is shitty. And guess who they choose.

I wrote about this yesterday:

Don't get me wrong, I love Scotland and, generally, I like the Scots. What I dislike is that I, who had always called myself British, have had the indentity "English" forced upon me by pusillanimous, parochial bigots who hear only an accent. So fuck them.

On the other blogger's site, one of the commenters said, "I'm glad that you feel reciprocal hatred and violence is justified." Well, yes, actually. When I came to Scotland, like many Englishmen, I hadn't appreciated the constant, simmering hatred and anger burning in the breasts of altogether too many Scots. When faced with hatred, day after grinding day, one gets weary of it and then that weariness turns to irritation, anger and, eventually, hatred, yes.

Although, I don't really feel hatred: I feel contempt.

Oh, and while we are parading our Celtic origins, my mother is half-Welsh and half-Scottish; my father is quarter Irish. It makes fuck-all difference: I sound English and when you are down on the ground trying to protect your head, you aren't worrying about attempting to communicate your Scots credentials.

So, come on, take up the chant, people: Independance for Scotland!

Shot at dawn

The campaign to pardon those executed during the First World War has been a long one. Until now, the situation has been that whilst there is almost universal understanding of the relatives' wishes, the men were tried in the manner of their times for what they knew were serious disciplinary offences. I have no real understanding of this revisionist stance. If I had a forebear who was unjustly dealt with, I would find little benefit from a here and now recognition of that fact. How I feel is a matter for me alone; what others think is of no concern to me.

There were many who faced the fears and horrors in exactly the same situation as those who were shot. They did their duty. The ultimate duty of any soldier is to die; that is what makes their contract unique. We will not know whether the failure of one of those executed led to deaths of others who stuck to their contract.

I find it upsetting that this long line of reasoning is to be upset by the appointment of a politician who finds himself in a unique position to instruct his minions to propose grounds on which he may gain a personal victory. I don't know what was in the New Labour Manifesto about this. There are many other things more worthy and deserving of the time of his Ministry. However, the cloak he will wrap around himself as the Saviour of the Shot will attract votes. In the cess-pit that is politics, this is important.

Would we go again?

So, what about the West Coast of Scotland as a holiday venue? At the right time, almost perfect. Beautiful scenery, great historical and archaeological interest, uncrowded – but very twisty – roads. Food for all tastes and budgets. Friendly people and lots of room in which to move about.
Note my qualifying remark about the right time. Between mid-June and late September, the midge rules.
As a haematophagous parasite, the midge has a significant effect on the animals it preys upon, and in the summer, for example, red deer are forced to move up to high ground to avoid being bitten. However, it is on humans that the midge has its greatest effect, and one which is seemingly out of all proportion to its tiny size.
It has been estimated that up to 20% of the summer working days in outdoor jobs such as forestry are lost due to midge attacks. Even a simple task such as tying bootlaces becomes impossible when midges are at their worst. For the summer months of the midge season, this miniscule insect, by dint of its biting habit and sheer numbers, is a dominant factor in life out of doors in the Highlands, causing significant changes to human behaviour. There is a positive side to this though, as the midges have undoubtedly contributed to keeping the north and west of Scotland sparsely populated, and therefore as wild as they still are today.
There is no real deterrent. The bites themselves are not a problem but each one becomes the site of intense irritation. I was thinking of filing my nails to points so as to better rend the living flesh. Anti-histamines help but make the user drowsy; ruling out being a driver.
We knew of these beasties but wanted to be there for the rhododendron and azalea season which is a magnificent display. We had hoped to sneak in and out before the midges arrived but got it wrong. On balance, it was a close run thing as to whether the joy of the blooms bettered the annoyance of the insects. I think our suffering was worth the irritation. Just.

Deep thoughts surface

I am conscious of the saying, “cometh the hour, cometh the man”.

There are numerous occasions when I feel that a song lyric has a special resonance. Whether it follows the adage of the timely man or not, I cannot say. However, my timely lyric popped into my head quite easily over these past few days. Make of that what you will.

I can hear the wind a blowing in my mind
Just the way it used to sound through the Georgia pines
You were there to answer when I called you and me
Lord knows we had it all.

Remember how I used to touch your hair
While reaching for the feeling that was always there
You were the best thing in my life that I recall
You and me we had it all
.
I know that we can never live those times again
So I let my dreams take me back to where we've been
Then I'll stay with you girl as long as I can
Oh it was so good oh so good hmm when I was your man.

Never stop believing in your smile
Even though you didn't stay it was all worth while
You were the best thing in my life that I recall
You and me we had it all.
mhm...

Artist/Band: Waylon Jennings
Lyrics for Song: We Had It All

Look out - we're back!

Farm fresh eggs and home-smoked bacon from the farm taste excellent in the open air. Notice two stoves - no waiting here!
This is the sort of weather. This is the sort of scenery. This is the sort of relaxation we enjoyed.

We're all going on a Summer Holiday

Yes. Last post for a bit. We are off to the West Coast of Scotland. Fresh fish and assorted seafood. Sunsets to die for. Scenery that is 'Colour by Technicolour' re-defined.

No mobile phone coverage for miles and miles. Cars so scarce in some areas you would think that Armageddon had come.

Back in - oh, I don't know. Ten days if all goes well. See you when I get back

NHS in a sick state

We have all been focussing on the deficit in the NHS. This, however, is not the greatest example of waste on a shocking scale. This shows the money lost by incompetence. The casual attitude to a very considerable sum of money "it's only 1%" is stunning. 1% it may be but it is a hell of a lot of money that could be better used elsewhere in the system or, even better, not abstracted from the likes of you and me.
The high point of my civilian career saw me in charge of a budget of just over £8 million. Much of that was fixed for items such as rent, commercial rates and staff costs where there was little or no managerial talent required. Other items, both Capital and Expense, had to be summarised, costed, proposed and fought for as much as 4 years ahead of committment. I had a good level at which I could authorise expenditure but anything not budgetted led to a long and bloody battle. The budget was on constant audit of actual against budget costs and I was called to explain items on a fortnightly basis. This is not (only)(just) self-aggrandisment but as background to my being unable to see just how things could go so wrong.
It would seem there is a lack of financial control. Trusts have very large budgets but these come from cost cenbtres which are easily controlled - if anyone chooses to do so.
The waste is immense. I've spoken to IT professionals involved in the NHS. There is a small circle of companies that do this work. Designers writing software yesterday for ward cleaning schedules are today getting to grips with sophisticated algorithms for brain surgery. None can have the spread of knowledge required and that have to rely on the user specifying what the programme should do. Excellent doctors have difficulty - it seems - in relating their dreams to reality and programmes as delivered either fail altogether or are little better than the pencil and paper systems they were meant to replace.

Over the top or below the belt?

I've made it clear that as and when - or if - the time and situation arises, I will arrange my own departure from this mortal coil/vale of tears. If I can find a doctor to 'help', so well and good. However, this proposal - which I am hereby naming the 'Shipman Solution' seems a tad too extreme for me. At a personal level, fine. There must be many who will be horrified and scared at the proposition. That is where it is a step too far. Some things we do not wish to know.

Sympathy

One of the blogs I read (no - I'm not going to link it; he's seen enough nutters already!) just happened to mention the two Canadian lesbians seeking judicial review about their partnership akin to marriage. Nothing extreme in his views. His comment box was overfilled with postings such as this.
That the posters held strong objections to something they see as undermining marriage is OK by me. What cracks my walnut, is the archaic language used. Clearly, they are denied the right of personal expression and are forced to rely upon doctrine.
That it comes from a group with 'Protestant' in it's title amuses me. Most of us think that the Roman faith is quite dogmatic. I'm tempted to start grafitti "Loyola was innocent. Jesuits OK"

Cartoon moment

View my airforce army troops men comic (make your own HERE)!

Take Five

I can understand what Wandering Brain is saying in his blog. I have almost identical thoughts and reservations.

TODAY'S GUEST BLOG

The Wandering Brain sets out his stall