Sweltering!

I was forced to walk, at noon, in the 82% heat today on my way to St P's.  That's 27% to you foreign folks out there and it is not something we are used to.  It was remarked when I arrived, tired and weary, that only 'Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.'  "You," they said in unison, "Are not English!" Much hilarity ensued!  
Three days running this heat has hit us and in the south we will get a bit more tomorrow.  Up north it is wet of course, but that is what they are there for, to catch the weather falling over the Atlantic!  
I confess I prefer this heat to the usual rain though an ideal temp of somewhere in the 70's would be more workable.  Even typing is hard when great drops of sweat keep landing on the keyboard. 
I'm sure I saw a Duck Billed Platypus walking past as I made my way home.

 
Last night the folks who endured the fire in the tower saw the beginning of the end of the 24 hour news coverage of their story.  This was because a right wing nutjob took it upon himself to copy the Islamist type attacks and late last night drive his white van into a crowd of Muslims leaving a mosque where they had been attending Ramadan prayers.  He crashed into a group who were busy aiding an aged chap who had collapsed.  The driver hit them and killed one and seriously injured several others. While trying to escape he was caught by the crowd and rescued from them by the Imam from the mosque and handed over to the police.  
Today Theresa May desperately trying to look human rushed to the mosque muttering about ending 'right wing extremism.'  I am left wondering if she would include the 'Daily Express' in her 'right wing extremist' list, or the 'Daily Mail' and naturally Rupert Murdoch's 'Sun?'  All these as well as the 'Telegraph' another extreme right wing paper that has gone downhill to make money have blamed Muslims and immigrants in general for every wrong and for many years, this is now the result.
Genuine questions regarding immigrants exist, genuine questions regarding some mosques and their imams need investigating, the media, and these papers in general have not done this!  Instead they play in the fears of the 'white working class' in general and the population altogether with half truths and deliberate distortions, that is how they make their money.  By such usage Rupert Murdoch and others have a control over the country they ought not to have in a democracy.  I am unaware of any cash Murdoch might invest in the Tory Party but his influence is clear, Michael Gove, removed by Theresa the minute she got the job has been returned as 'Environment Secretary,' a job he is singularly unfit for with his opinions totally at variance with environemntal reality. 
The media can be useful, the newspapers can inform, educate, build up, however what sells is sensation so news is replaced by sex stories and 'shock horror' tales, individuals are attacked or sentimentalised with no concern for the reality, they are used and abused with no control over the media possible, this is because the Conservative Party need the papers to get votes!
There are more right wing nutjobs out there, almost as many as there are Islamist nutjobs, extreme propaganda from either side must be opposed by truth, we do not have the media able or willing to do this.

 

The End Must Be Nigh Now

A glance at the press today reflect the mess that this world is in.  The main story concerns the youthful happenings of the present Prime Minister one David Cameron.  The tales, if true, are what many of us would expect from such an individual but leave me either laughing at his history or frowning at the sadness of it all.  
The revelations come from a book about to be published and now serialised in the staunch Conservative supporting 'Daily Mail.'  If these stories are not true the papers lawyers will soon be looking for another job.  If however they are true maybe it is time Dave moved on in disgrace.    

Michael Ashcroft sat in the House of Lords for many years even after it was revealed he did not live in the UK.  To be a member of the Lords an individual must be UK based most of the time, Ashcroft has spent most of his working life based in Belize, for tax purposes!  He is reputed to be a Billionaire and possibly richer than Belize itself.  He made his money in business and supported and worked for the Conservative Party giving three million pounds to them after Tony Blair came to power and has since given up to £8 million to their coffers.  He claims to have been offered a 'top job' by David Cameron who failed to supply once he had come to power alongside the Lib-Dems at the previous election.  Ashcroft was probably snubbed because of his power and ability but is not a man to be crossed.  Therefore he has produced this book, aided by an ex 'Times' political writer, pointing our Cameron's many shortcomings in a deliberate attempt to remove him.  It might work.

What has appealed most, so far, to the media is the strange activities of those many student groups in Oxford University circles.  It is well known Cameron as well as George Osborne and Boris Johnson belonged to the 'Burlington Club,' a groups of very rich spoilt brats who got drunk, wrecked restaurants and the like and behaved like 'Hooray Henry's' but never got jailed because they were rich.  Some say Cameron was a 'quiet' member of this group.  There was also another 'club,' one that apparently did not include a 'membership list' instead people just joined.  It is said an initiation ceremony for the 'Piers Gaveston Society included our Dave placing his 'Boaby' inside a dead pigs mouth, hence 'Twitter' etc, have been er, hamming it up all day.  A third and not unusual accusation regards the smoking of cannabis, a not unusual event among students.  Cameron at one time, e.g. before he was famous, was in favour of relaxing the law on drugs possibly because he saw a family member or friend suffer badly from Heroin effects, this touched him deeply as it would.  

David Cameron has said he 'will not dignify claims made in the book,' which to some is admitting the claims are true!  His friends have been quick to tarnish the story by claiming the book is just 'revenge' which it is, lies, unfounded allegations with no evidence, or some claiming that 'That's what students do!'  In my short experience of the 'Open University' I was made aware of some instances of interest but never on any occasion did a pig get a mention, dead or otherwise.  

However the real parliamentary danger lies elsewhere.  David Cameron claimed he had not realised 'until a month ago' that Ashcroft was a 'non-dom' and should not be in the House of Lords.  The book makes clear he knew for about a year before this time.  That could include therefore 'lying to the House of Commons' a serious event.

Did any of these things happen?  We cannot tell, but no lawyers yet involved.  Do the people behind him think Cameron has no beliefs bar be in power and is considered a 'Tosser' by the majority?  Well yes I suggest that is true, after all George Osborne really runs the Conservatives and government.

But this is not the only thing bugging me today.  

In St Andrews at the weekend a 'hate preacher' was stopped by a man playing the bagpipes.  It appears this chap was preaching something to the market place using an amplifier.  What he was saying I did not discover but he was, it has been said, asked to turn down the sound but refused.  

The glee that this man has been stopped does worry me.  Why?  Because he was, they say, preaching anti-Muslim and anti-gay but nothing of what he says has been recorded.  

Putting this incident aside we now live in a world where being 'gay' is greeted with cheers and being 'Christian' is open to ridicule.  How can this be?  How come in thirty years the West now considers such behaviour normal and if you indicate this is not true you become enemy number one?  Is it a sense of 'equality?'  That cannot be the case for if 'equality' was important so would Christian belief be free.  

The government are now desperate to introduce a new extremism law. The intention of this would stop Muslim extremists encouraging young folks to join ISIS or the like but instead it hinders almost everyone from stating their beliefs as this would offend someone, and who is to decide what is 'hate?'  A Gay judge perhaps?  We have already seen that in action and it was biased towards gays.  A politician?  Who?  The Home Secretary Theresa May perhaps?  She is determined to make a shot at being PM so her approach will be tainted with her future.  We are moving into a society where freedom of expression, already limited, will be removed further.  This happened during the war when a severe danger faced the country and as such was seen as part of the defence.  It was removed at the end of the war but this law will extend further into the future and who knows what government will exist then?

Freedom is already reduced at all levels of society.  Calling a woman 'Dear' or 'Love' gets a rebuke from wee girls, who in my case do not like the reply, and can lead to trouble for some individuals at work.  Touchy wee girls should not be allowed to harm relations at work I say.  Too many minor incidents cause needless fuss, just imagine if I complained about what offends me!  

The world political situation never changes, just the people and places involved.  However so many things indicate Jesus return soon, and before then the world will only get worse. Moreover has there ever been a government with such a situation to avoid talking about?  Cameron can be glad he has three weeks away from the House as party conferences take place, however the further revelations from this book will interest many of us. 

Open Minded Comments

The day started early and lingered on a long time.  I became immersed in the papers.  One of the great leaps forward provided by the internet has been the free availability of the half truths and downright lies offered by the UK media. On top of the slanted items on view comes the readership, both those who succumb to the propaganda and those who oppose.  To give an impression that a great many of those who add their comment at the foot of these stories, and stories must be the word, are small minded, blind, self seeking cretins might be a wee bit wide of the mark, or maybe might not!  Which is worse I wonder, the distorted news item or the distorted reader, it's a difficult one.
The brazen manner in which the media offers tales based simply on what the reader wishes to read, yes 'Daily Mail,' I mean you, is simply staggering.  The desire of folks to read and accept what is published staggers also adding more than a hint of worry about just who is sitting next to you on the bus!  A direct opposite news priority wise is of course the 'Guardian.'  While the 'Daily Mail,' appeals to those of the lower middle class and those working class Tory voters aspiring to be 'middle class,' the Guardian's appeal is to the liberal middle class. That is those educated, or indoctrinated might be a better word, by their class fellows and proudly boast of their ability to think, yet manage to come out with the same opinions!  These opinions are on the whole totally opposed to those underlying the 'Daily Mail.'  
Each paper on offer aims only at its readership an attitude leading to a desperate lowering of standards such as they were in the hope of keeping the paper afloat.  UK papers have lost half their sales in the past ten years and some now ask for money from those of us reading their online versions.  'The Times,' one of Murdoch's papers, now offers his opinions at a cost, his already dumbed down 'Sun,' now also asks for a contribution.  Neither get any shekels from me.
The advantage of online versions is the ability to increase advertising that reaches the soul of the reader, so far none has reached this soul as far as I can see.  The disadvantage is employees are required to moderate the online comments offered by those seeking fame, attention, a soapbox and being able to anonymously project these to the world via a keyboard.  
What are you looking at me for?
Cost cutting has hit 'journalism' hard.  Proper journalists as well as tabloid ones have lost their jobs and we find their meaningless drivel now presented by 'Workies.'  That is those offered a full time 'interns' job with no pay.  These are willingly accepted by young trainees desperate to break into the business, a year later heard offering the famous cry, "Do you want fries with that?"  One job workies do is moderating comments.  No doubt some are good at this, no doubt someone with appropriate training is able to weed out the libelous stuff before it goes out to the world.  One thing is clear, any comment that criticises the paper itself is almost always removed!  Don't ask how I know, just believe me.  The Guardian allows all sorts of perversions to be aired yet will not allow a degree of sarcasm or disagreement, either removing the offending post, moderating the offenders next posts, or banning them altogether for a while. Don't ask how I know this either.  Many of my some peoples 'Daily Mail' posts do not appear, even when they claim not to be moderating.  I think I have upset one of the workies.  It would not be too difficult to work out which one I suspect if I ever saw them alive.  The 'Glasgow Herald,' that famous Rangers supporting paper, is all for a free press but reluctant to allow questions about one time Rangers boss David Murray.  My posts rarely go up there either. 
Those who comment fit certain boxes.  In the 'Daily Telegraph,' now dumbed down into an upper middle class 'daily Mail, these chaps, and it is mostly 'chaps,' are concerned only with the Conservative Party's main concern, money!  Almost everything comes down to the economy.  So unlike the 'Daily Mail' where almost everything come down to, er the pound in your pocket. Both have many commentators happy to follow the agreed line, even if it is absurd, thus revealing a great deal about the attitudes of the average Englishman, and they are mostly English.  The anti-Europe UKIP Party will gain many votes from this crowd, especially in the 'Daily Mail,' while the 'Guardian' sees that party as racist and against all immigrants, gays and blacks.  Neither see what is actually written by the other, neither wish to, the papers and the comments are merely to support personal opinion not offer facts to enlighten.
On several occasions I have quietly posted obvious facts on papers, the abuse received is worse than that offered by women I have worked with!  I am talking about clear obvious facts, not the 'wind ups' I sometimes accidentally offer for consideration.  On occasion I am amazed at the closed mind seen on the comments sections, I am so pleased my mind is always open to others ideas, as long as they are not ones I disagree with.......
I expect all comments to be open minded, thoughtful and generous, other wise they get banned!            


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Happy People

CNN

Here we see a happy group of people, some may be acting quite a bit of course. I wonder whether the smiles for the young leader concern the new of the UN report which has outlined the atrocious conditions in this unhappy land.  I have taken some interest in NK for a while, such places hold a fascination based on the limited news that comes from there.  The secret and very dangerous state does make me want to look over the border and see what is going on.  For a very long time we have known of the cruel regimes behaviour, the supposed nuclear weapons, the labour camps and the starvation that occasionally hurts the land, now however the world may be forced to pay attention.

Cruelty is not unusual in that part of the world.  The Japanese declared Korea a 'protectorate' well over a hundred years ago, and peace has not returned to this unhappy land, at least the northern half, since. Korean women were forced to serve Japanese soldiers during WW2 and many guards on the 'Burma Railway' were in fact Korean.  Survivors often stated these men were much crueler than the Japs! During the Korean war of 1950-53 James Cameron and Bert Hardy brought reports and pictures of the terrible treatment given by the South Koreans to prisoners from the north and questioned why we defended them. This did not make them popular!  

While South Korea appears intent on following the west into chasing vast wealth the people in the north endure their situation usually devoid of much information from the outside world. They are not all ignorant of the goings on elsewhere but they are wise enough not to mention it.

The masses of rockets aimed at the millions living in the South Korean capitol Seoul tends to put most folks of military action.  Especially when even a decisive campaign might lead to vast numbers of dead. So what can be done to enable change here?  I suppose nobody knows, but at least this report may well offer positive impetus to change in North Korea, and any improvement however small is to be welcomed. 

Good old George.  Once again he has risen silently and put his foot in it.  He has decided, supported by the Lib-Dem and Labour leaders, that Scotland cannot use the 'Pound' if they desire independence.  A brilliant piece of support for the 'Yes!' vote!  It appears to have worked superbly.  We all know that whatever they say today will mean nothing tomorrow, when Scotland is free the 'Pound' will most likely still be the currency used.  Ramblings from unknown EU leaders may also support the 'No' vote but in the end mean little, the EU will support Scotland in the end, in spite of Madrid!

I like it!

  

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Tabloid Lies and Distortion

Is there anything more vile than a tabloid paper?  Is there anything more amoral, self seeking, and careless of the harm caused by their sensational exposures and claims than a tabloid paper?   Daily we are faced with several willing to sell their grannies if it made money.  Harassment of the rich and the poor, slanting any story to appeal to a reader whether the story is true or not, voyeurism, lies and half truths and pressuring any who oppose them.  Rupert Murdoch's 'Sun,' outsells them all, yet in my view the worst, because it is most seditious can only be the 'Daily Mail!  

The 'Mail,' in print and online, purports to speak for 'Middle England,' slanting the stories to suit their taste.  The main concerns of such are money, taxes, immigrants and money!  Appealing to women it fills reams with tales of suffering women, almost always based on slanted surveys, and tales of men gaining while women are pushed aside, also almost all false.  Facts do not sit well with the 'Mail' reader.  Half truths sell.

Today the 'Online Mail' outdid itself.  The story concerned a mosque in Spitalfields and two nearby Anglican churches.  While only handful attended the churches the mosque, being small, had hundreds of Muslims bowing in prayer outside.  Half truths in the article spoke of dwindling church attendance while the numbers of Muslims continued to grow.  4.8% of the people are Muslim screamed the article, less than 59.3 claim to be 'Christian!  Muslims, the story is telling us, are taking over!  Hold on I ask, if the population is around 66 million or so how many are 59.3%?  Also while many Anglican churches are indeed failing dozens of others are doing well.  Non Anglican churches are bursting at the seems in some places and dwarf the number of Muslims in their towns and cities. 

Once again a slanted story aimed at those afraid of immigration and a Muslim take over.  The 'Mail' is well aware that many readers vote for UKIP, and a large number belong to the BNP.  That is reflected in the comments on the daily 'Hitler' stories much loved by this rag.  The far right are as dangerous as any other extremist.  The only word missing here was 'evil,' a word usually inserted into every story whether suitable or not.  

Of course Muslims attend the mosque, they have to!  Christians, and most in the established churches are NOT Christians, attend willingly, usually in churches in which they feel they belong.  No compulsion is required.  

The fanciful idea of the 'Mail' discussing Christian faith makes me laugh.  This immoral rag here attempted to feed the fear of Islam and stir race hatred against the immigrant, especially a black Muslim one!  What a disgraceful attitude.

The good thing is that it did not succeed.

With every comment in the online paper a choice can be made between red and green arrows to express the readers opinion.  Red for against, green representing support and agreement.  At the present moment in time the 'most popular' comment ask why the 'Mail' is trying to stir up race hatred, he has 9613 green arrows!  I have never seen so many!  The second in line questions the whole set up of the story, he has 7968 in agreement! 

Even the 'Daily Mail' reader has not fallen for this racially motivated lie!

The author claims to be concerned to ensure 'Historical accuracy' and like so many 'Mail' employees he is fascinated by the Nazi's.

Now let me make it clear that I see Islam as a 'pushy' religion.  Wherever it is to be found it will push and push until it gets its own way.  Experience shows this in all nations, the only answer is to draw a line and hold it there.  The majority of Muslims will always be of benefit to this nation.  It is certainly true that young men find a question in their minds as to whether they are 'British' or 'Muslim.'  Such are open to extremist preachers, and it appears around 2000 may well be under their influence today.  The obvious approach is to remove such men, even though the internet makes it hard to end their influence.  That must come from other Muslims.

Christians need not worry about the rise of Islam, at this

The 'Daily Mail' should be closed down, let moment in time the 'Liberal' nature of society is much worse.  This permeates the churches to such an extent that the ludicrous decisions of the Anglican Church, as well as the Kirk, have found themselves falling into.  By forgetting their Lord they have followed the fashion of the day, and that brings disaster.    

 Lord Leveson investigate this publication today.

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Busy Indoors

Having been given my instructions by Deadly Deke at the museum I found great encouragement to research as the rain laden mist sits upon the town throughout the day.  Foolishly I ventured out in search of information during a dry spell, returning home as it ended, upon me!  

The present idea was to collect info regarding the towns buildings, many dating back to the 1400's, the old railway line, and other details of interest.  I have begun to sort out what little I have discovered and now have plenty to keep me from wearying, if I can work out what to do that is!

An interesting item appeared this morning in the 'Daily Mail.'  After Hague's warning yesterday re chemical weapons a story appears in the Conservatives favourite paper telling of children burned by chemical weapons!  The commentators to a man cried 'WMD!'  The nation is cynical to say the least re this governments words on Syria.  This item has now been replaced by one showing  drawings from children in Syria.  Not surprisingly these are dominated by the war.
This war is a complicated one, our part is not as clear as we are being told.

  
This delicate ironwork stands above a shop in the High Street.  Not sure if it would stop an individual falling out of the window but I suspect it has been there for many years.  I am not sure what the letters are, 'H,' certainly and 'W,' but not to clear if that is an '&,' or an 'S,' also.  My eyes are wearying with looking at such as this today.  When the rain goes off, about Thursday I may go out.  Hold on!  I am at the museum tomorrow!  Oh dear, where's the wellies?  

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Cats

Daily Mail

Cats are good!  People who do not like cats are saddo's I say.  The cat is a highly intelligent, self possessed, self confident creation that brings fun, humour and affection to millions.  The cat is practical also.  If you have mice scratching at the skirting boards a cat sniffing around will keep them from bothering your cheese.   Spiders and flying beasties will not only keep the cat entertained and fighting fit the beasties will not bother you for long and they will help keep the cat fed.  Admittedly they have a problem with budgies and other flying creatures, often leaving them at your feet as a present, but we all have awkward hobbies.  My brother brought home a small black and white kitten when I was about two years old, 'Patchy' survived for 13 years.  When a kitten she managed to get out the window and clamber up to the fourth floor of the building where she got stuck.  The young lad in the flat there stretched out and brought her back in, never again did she go out the front door.  If we were talking to someone on the stair landing she might have a peek over the edge but approaching footsteps chased her back inside.  Surprisingly she was an excellent watchdog.  Sitting on the couch in that half asleep mode her ears indicated every noise that came near the stair door.  The neighbours coming and going was indicated by the ears going up but the eyes remaining closed.  However strange footsteps opened the eyes and the ears were fully active, no stranger could approach secretly.  My brother left to join the RAF and at one point had been away for about two years or more, however the minute his foot entered the stair door downstairs the cat shot off to await his arrival.  She was first to greet him as he opened the door.  Her most enjoyed hobby was at night, when all was dark and quiet, she would chase a marble we had left lying around up and down the long lobby.  This was before the days of carpets and we could hear the 'bull' rolling and a screeching of claws on the lino and a bump as the cat raced into the door at the end.  This would go on until Dad got annoyed and threw something, like Mum, at the cat.


Our next cat was half factory and half Persian.   My brother in law was given this at work when the factory cat had kittens, somehow it ended up with us, possibly because the kids were too young at the time.  This one lasted about 14 years also.  When we noticed the cat constantly drinking my young nieces tea we had to dedicate that cup for the cat, and he then demanded his cup of tea whenever we had one.  If we did not make that half cup of milky tea the brute would glare until he got his way!  He always did irrespective of whoever the guests might be.  One regret I have had is the impossibility of keeping a cat in the places I have stayed.  There again I would be suffering malnutrition if one lived here, the brute would eat everything and leave me nothing! 

  

Now who can fail to be impressed by this wonderful steam engine?  What an impressive sight!  The short clip is found at the end of the 'Daily Mail' item.  The writing is pretty inept, but sadly that is all too common these days in the media.  Rushed stories to fill space, lack of understanding of the subject, and too much space to fill.  The engine however does look good.  How I would love to hang around one of those preserved lines.  Excellent pictures on the article.  How could any human being not enjoy this?   

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Misty View to World View

The sun rose as early as usual this morning but had to struggle past the mist that formed late last night and attempted to hinder the suns approach come the dawn.  Funny how enlarging the picture and looking directly at the sun made my eyes water as if I was looking at the real thing!  Anyway the mist cleared by lunchtime and when the sun reached its zenith I naturally fell asleep.  Something wrong somewhere I think.  


The 'Daily Mail,' that organ of truth and righteousness, apart from the half truths, lies and sheer blatant deception, does have a scientific journalist.  I use the term 'journalist' sparingly.  However the Science section knows how to bring science to the people, lot's of pictures and few words, and those repeated often to aid learning.  This is a good idea as we do learn by rote and understand later, in spite of what educationalists may say.  I think it fair to point out my spelling was incorrect there.....


Anyway Eddie Wrenn, if indeed he exists, has written an interesting piece with few words and lots of pictures.  This, like much found in the media today, he discovered while surfing the web for something interesting to earn his wage.  He found a site full of pictures and worth publishing and I must say I agree. The site is called  http://www.stratocom.com/s/1011  and, to the delight of the readership, is dead simple (insert own joke here).  The site contains picture taken from Google, showing interesting pictures from around our blue planet from high above.  There is a button at the bottom that enables the viewer to vote for or against each picture and so in this manner we can discover the most popular.  I recommend a look at this site, some of the pictures are excellent, and you are able, so they say, to move the map around and take your own favourite shot and upload this.  Worth a look.

Daily Mail

David Cameron's favourite Prime Minister, himself, is indulging in his favourite activity this week, Publicity Stunts!  He has outdone himself however by popping over to the United States (which include the Southern States) to visit a proper politician, President Obama.  The photographs showing him 'one of the boys' at a basketball game (whether he knew what  was going on is unclear), and with wife at a banquet, look good adorning his fawning press.  The 'special relationship,' between the 'English speaking peoples' still being strong, in some English papers at least, and mentioned dutifully even if he doesn't believe it either.  In between stuffing his face, posing for cameras, and wondering why they all speak so funny, it is to be hoped the two men can work out a strategy to leave the Afghanistan mess they inherited, sort out the extradition treaty that Blair slanted in the American favour, and do something, however slight, to ease the Syria situation.  There again while there Dave could possibly look into standing as a Republican candidate, he is empty of policy enough to satisfy quite a few I suspect.  


The 'Special relationship' was of course something Winston Churchill dreampt up during the war. His mother was from the US, and not a very good mother it seems to me, and Winston really did like the place.  However Winne suffered from a romantic view of history, his views on the great 'British Empire' were very romantic, and he did see a 'special relationship' between the 'English speakers.' (What about Australia or New zealand, or even Canada I hear you ask?)  The presidents of the US naturally never quite saw it his way however.  There is indeed rightly a good relationship between the nations.  A shared outlook on defence, and many, but far from all, foreign policies have similar outlook.  The UK is always ready to fight Americas wars for them, even though they are late in arriving for ours, and in recent years has foolishly followed George Bush's  military mistakes, at great cost.  There is no 'special relationship' if we are honest, just a similar outlook in many things, and the UK as always is the one that loses out all too often. The many successes British troops have accomplished can easily be lost by one American breaking down under the strain.


I note that the New York Times has a mention of Cameron's visit, hidden away under politics, and mentioning only the banquet, nothing else.  No success of the PR front there Dave.


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Lynch Mob

International Business Times

Sir Fred Goodwin became powerful at the Royal Bank of Scotland during the good times. The money flowed and nobody knew nor cared who he was.  However the crash came and the world banking system went into meltdown and the exploits of Fred and his kind came to public attention as front page news.  Fred retired on a healthy pension of £760,000 a year, causing public outcry as people were beginning to feel the pain of recession by then, especially the 20,000 who had lost their jobs under his control!  His house was attacked forcing him to move into a more secure accommodation costing a mere two or three million, depending on whom you choose to believe. After some debate his pension was lowered to a mere £360,000 annually and he went of looking for work as a taxi driver at the weekends. Recently the bankers habit of awarding themselves multi million pound bonus's, even while the bank shares are losing value and thousands are being dumped on the streets, individuals and small to medium businesses are failing to secure much needed loans.  An outcry has arisen with bankers now considered among the low in society, alongside estate agents, MP's and tabloid journalists.  

To this end a lynch mob has attacked leading bankers receiving the odd million or two bonus and a campaign in the media has seen a chairman or two refuse to accept his bonus and others forced to turn theirs down, although we all know this will be made good to them all in the end. For Sir Fred Goodwin this meant that an uproar has demanded he be stripped of his Knighthood and return to being mere 'Mr' Goodwin. The cynic in me finds this somewhat unsettling in a couple of ways.  Apart from the fact that he keeps the money, position attained amongst his peers and while disgruntled will not otherwise be bothered,it smacks of jealousy and spite rather than justice.  While Goodwin appears to possess the face and character that makes normal folk wish to slap him hard  the lynch mob approach does not bring back the billions wasted worldwide.  In the end it shows merely that once again the PR PM Cameron is responding to a public outcry in the 'Daily Mail,' while doing nothing to end the bonus payment culture that lines the pockets of those who pay vast sums into his Conservative party.  Oh, could these be linked perhaps, surely no!    

When the editor of the 'Daily Mail,' one Paul Dacre I believe, who is paid £1.65 Million a year complains about a banker £1.2 million wage plus a million pound bonus I begin to wonder what kind of bonus Dacre receives let alone the other benefits he gains from mixing in the same company as the bankers. It has been said that Dacre has earwigged Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and now David Cameron in an attempt to be made a member of the house of Lords, if so could this be for the sake of the nation, to benefit the world by his opinions or just for the sake of pretentious emptiness, I wonder?  Goodwin and his kind participated in the great downfall (that began in the US) was encouraged by governments short sightedness and mostly by the public's greed, the one cause rarely mentioned.  The demand for loans far outstripping what we could repay (I can talk!), mortgaged to the hilt and the loss of jobs has brought our world crashing down. Vengeance, not justice, makes us attack those responsible, but only the ones we know about, while we excuse our own mistakes and join other greedy, selfish men who give even less than bankers and take even more from us, as in the case of the media they take our soul itself, and we hang out Sir Fred by removing his Knighthood and feel a strange satisfaction by this.

Goodwin was guilty, other bankers and financial men are also. However the behaviour of many well paid bonus takers attacking another is not a way out of the troubles we are in.  A failed PM satisfying a lust for vengeance does not reveal either leadership nor an understanding of a solution to the economic downturn.  The media liars appealing to the lowest common denominator, and the 'Daily Mail' certainly is this, does no one any good either.  Where do we stop here?  A Knight in England in the past was knighted because of his service to the King, while in Scotland all Nobles could and did give Knighthoods to those they chose.  Today this honour comes to those who have reached the highest levels of the Civil Service, or an MP who has voted the way he was told to vote for twenty years.  Singers and anyone who keeps in the public eye can today become a Knight, even an actress or two can receive the female version by being created a Dame simply by lasting at the top, and earning vast sums on the way, no matter how mediocre (Judy Dench!?).  The nation does require to commend those who deserve such awards but what about those who have, like Goodwin, turned out to be 'Bad 'uns?'  Do they also have the reward taken from them?  Where do we start?  How many would lose theirs?  Goodwin and his kind may have been wrong but a lynch mob does not return us to a state of normality!  

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Saturday Saddo

Daily Mail

I know I should not laugh but I am afraid I cannot help it.  This 'Daily Mail story makes me laugh even though it was fatal.  This man became convinced he could survive living off the land for a year in the Scottish Highlands.  He was impressed by the tales of 'Bear Grylls,' whoever he is, and after attending survival courses and taking the proper equipment he set out.  Now he has been found dead after only a month, possibly from Hypothermia!  Now there could be another explanation but there is something funny about the irony within this tragedy.  Just because you see a professional doing it on telly does not mean it can be done in the highlands in January!  Just because you think you can do it does not mean your body can take the strain.  Living off rip off Tesco's is one thing, living off the land takes a bit off getting used to, especially under piles of snow!  This is a sad tale indeed but sadly I did snigger at this.




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