Tuesday Grumble

This touched a nerve this morning.  Especially after I had returned from Sainsburys where I obtained the things forgotten yesterday at Tesco.  I like to think I am a careful shopper, and I glanced ruefully ate the woman in front of me and her vast trolley full of goodies.  It turns out these are for two weeks, which makes sense, and indeed she appears to have bought wisely, or as wisely as you can with supermarkets gaining 45% extra profit!  So often I notice baskets full of overpriced crap, easily replaced by 'Own Shop' substitutes, and I am aware how fussy kids can be, but so much is bad shopping, or am I just a snob?  

When profits rise they rarely come back down again.  While both gas and electric have claimed they are reducing my charges, but not by how much they have increased, the supermarkets are unlikely to lower prices now they have us trapped.  So we can expect to continue being ripped off for years to come, especially as they are donating to whichever government is in power at the time.  

The Prime Minister, in his £3500 suit, may not feel the problem, which is why he has told the nation to 'Hold its nerve,' while failing to eat properly, but worry not, his wife has still not been asked to pay tax, so he is OK.

Sunak attended a garden party the other day along with many Tories, a smattering of Labour and others, and that nice Mr Starmer also came around.  Quite what Labour people are doing at a Rupert Murdoch garden party I cannot say, but this does not look good to me.  Keir hoping the 'Dirty Digger' is on his side.  'The Dirty Digger,' is himself hoping he wills till be alive to see Keir as PM.  He cares not who is in charge, Rupert knows he is the one that matters.

Another secret deal is under way.  Apparently, the government is trying to acquire houses, the old council houses.  Now, I am not sure if they mean those still available, or those now occupied by local tenants, but the government wishes to house a million or so highly educated, highly skilled immigrants from Hong Kong in them!  

While the public are told to 'Look at the 55,000 on the wee boats,' the government is allowing a million rich Chinese into the country quietly, because they are rich and will vote Tory.  No suggestion of money to build houses for council tenants, under whatever name, no cash, just 'hand them over.'

                                                    Glamour

Willie has been given, is demanding, is seeking, but not from his pockets, £3 million to end homelessness.  Some say, 'Well done William,' I say, 'Publicity Stunt.'  Another excuse to pretend the royals have a purpose, another excuse for pictures of Will with the peasants, and probably her also touching poor people.  

I ask, 'How much money will he put into this?'

Not a penny.

'Will he build houses in his Cornwell estates for the lower orders?'   

Not a chance.

'Will he be given a free ride in the right wing press?'

Certainly.

'Will government policy be changed?'

No.

'Will suitable homes be built?'

No.

'Will the PR stunt continue?'

Only if people fall for it.

Karsh

Another Hoo-Ha in the 'Daily Mail' this week.  St Pauls Cathedral has a magazine, and one item online intimated that Winston Churchill was a 'White Supremacist,' among other things.  Naturally the patriots, few of whom can actually remember Churchill, are aghast!  Fulminating as only those with no historical information bar that gathered from the press they cry out against such blasphemy!  Twice I have indicated to the 'Daily Mail' that Winston was indeed a man of his time, a 'White Supremacist,' an ungodly believer in 'providence' and 'destiny,' a dreamer, an Empire builder, and a racist.

They did not print that, not any other that spoke the truth either.

The Lying Press

 

How depressing are the British press? 

With Boris destroying the nation, the press look the other way and continue to lie to the people and suppoty the bumbling dictator.  Here the 'Express' ignore Boris raising money from the poorest by increasing National Insurance and returns to the usual migrants lie. Now owned by the 'Daily Mirror' we could have expected this rag to be amended and become a newspaper once again.  However, the editor has persisted with the angle that sells, even though few who work there agree with the result. 

The other media also did their best to flannel their way through the day and it is clear a disaster lies ahead for this nation and the majority have their heads in the clouds while judgement is poured out. 

The false morality of the PC mob, the murder of millions of unborn children, same-sex marriage seen as normal, Trans also regarded as normal, a government with no morals whatsoever and no policies bar looking after No 1, with absolutely no opposition bar that from the SNP in Westminster, all leading to a disaster unknown before in this nation.  

The poorest suffering in such a manner which soon will read like the Victorian age has returned, the NHS about to be sold off with the people voting for the party that kills it the worst sufferers from the insurance debacle that will follow, social services dying or dead, press controlled by the dictator, and opposition, even from the legal services, soon to be curbed.

It is not migrants we need worry about, it is fascism and the Good Lord is allowing this to happen as judgement.  The end may or may not be nigh but total collapse of the UK is near.  

Wednesday Wittering

 

 

Just on Nine I slogged my weary way to Sainsburys this morning in 67%F of heat (that's about 19C to foreigners).  Three days in a row the sun has shone, this, as you will realise, is a clear indication of a storm to follow.

At the supermarket I took a basket as always and perused the shop for the few items I needed.  The picture above claims to be representative of the most popular trolley in supermarkets.  I always take a basket, partly because these days I can only carry so much but also because it makes progress around the store much easier and quicker.  To pass aged men with no idea what they are doing, bar obeying orders of 'she who must be obeyed,' and women with trolleys packed with expensive shopping most of which they could easily avoid, you require a basket.  For many years this has speeded up the shopping trip.  Certainly it can get heavy, but a well organised basket can carry a fair amount, at least that is what the cost at the checkout indicates to me!  £20:18 for that lot?  There again this is cheaper today because of the diet, without the cakes, beer and other fattening items omitted once again I am saving money.

Once again I noted the indifference to the checkout operators from those pedalling vaccines.  There ought to have been an urgent requirement for such as these to be vaccinated first.  These people meet the public daily, as indeed do postmen, bus drivers (several of whom died from the virus) and dustbin collectors alongside other council workers.  We realise NHS workers and care staff ought to have been offered the 'jab' first, but how many received it?  In Scotland they did do the care homes first, one good thing from Nicola, but how many missed out?  It is 'unfortunate' that these other front line workers, who face us daily, are considered so unimportant.

 

We can ask here how many missed out taking the 'Jab' because they believed the anti-vax nonsense spouted by many who fell for conspiracy movements?  Why do people think a virus would contain a bug that transmits your details to Bill Gates?  He already has all your details through Microsoft, as indeed has Google, Facebook, and all sorts of other organisations, let alone those 'official' government departments that can look you up if required.  Why believe the Bill Gates lie?  Do you really think he needs to know about your boring life?  

This I suppose belongs to the politicians need to polarise the world to advance their personal position.  One of the oldest political motives, 'divide and rule,' this has been around since the dawn of time.   How many have died by avoiding the 'jab' because of such polarisation? 

 

One of the most obvious examples of 'Divide & Rule' is found here, with Rupert Murdoch.  He, in all his grubby papers, along with the 'Daily Mail' and 'Daily Express,' have encouraged their readers to believe the country was flooded with immigrants, all the fault of the Labour Party, and that such immigrants were given priority over housing, benefits, and opportunites, all of which were being denied to the indigenous white 'working class' population.  

This has worked.  

In similar fashion lies re the EU has led to many Labour people voting to 'Leave' because they felt hard done by.  However, the benefits regarding tax dodging for the owners of such papers was not made clear, or ign ored altogether.  Now, a collapse of the UK economy which will hit the white, and indeed immigrant, population very hard indeed has arrived, will the Brexiteer white understand why he is laid off?  Or will he blame the pandemic?

We see how successful 'Divide & Rule' has been.  The areas of northern England, once industrial heartlands, now desert like places, has seen the Labour voting population not just die off but change their voting habits and support the new incoming Conservative member, why?  Do they agree with Tory policies?  Do they know what those policies are?  This is highly unlikely, however, they have heard that the Tories will 'Control immigration,' and protect the local natives from a Muslim takeover.  

That is all that was required.  

Lies about Muslims, frequent in the 'Yellow Press,' re immigrants, mostly black, and the EU citizens flooding in also, (no comment ever made re the 3 million UK citizens in the EU by the way) all added up to a fear campaign that benfits the Tory party but not the voter. 

The result of this lie, added to the inept situation in both the Conservative and Labour Parties has led to a feeble government since 2010.  With no opposition bar the SNP who cannot have sufficient influence in the Hosue, and the dead Labour Party, there is nothing to stop the Tories doing whatever they wish.  Add also the instability withing the party producing Boris Johnson as Prime Minister and we are left with a chaotic situation unsurpassed in UK history.  It times of strife in the past serious politicians came to the fore, today none can be found.    

I have just discovered what the amendments to the constituencies will mean if allowed to go through, a vast number of increased Tory seats, and Boris and his mob ruling for ever!

Glory?

 

 

A Paper Dies...

Twitter is a great place to gain news of what is going on in the world.  The news is often wrong, deliberately fake, and often just as slanted one way or the other by the publisher.  That said one thing that has become obvious is the decline of some newspapers, the Guardian in particular.
Once a famous Liberal paper, noted for the left of centre stance, good journalism, and objective writing now it has dissolved into a middle class women's mag in which news is less important than the daily whine of a wee girl about her hard life, even though she has never done a days work in her life.  The online version is over filled with the virus, understandably to some extent, but still too much.  The pandemic means less income for struggling papers and now the female editor, who had gained some cash from readers, watches her sales drop and lowers the quality in a desperate down market lunge.  Twitter is filled with Guardian stories often good ones, surrounded by items like the one above.  "Birx's ever-changing scarves captivate the internet."  I have not added the comments found below this item, mostly from men, but the general idea is that 'this is not news.'  Sometimes it appears the 'Guardian' wishes to be the 'Daily Mail!'  This follows the general trend of the media in which journalism is replaced by a down market approach, see the dramatic failure at the 'Daily Telegraph' which now sells less than the 'Times.'  Murdoch's press is actually improving with changes at the 'Times' and 'Sunday Times,' and a willingness to use journalism, even though as yet they do not upset Rupert.  The 'Times' sales are steady it appears.

Maudling Monday Again

Like our pal on the roof I enjoyed watching the rain from a viewpoint today.  Scurrying up to Sainsburys and back was sufficient air for this lump of fat.  Naturally I scrolled through the papers and discovered that nice Rupert Murdoch's paper 'The Sun' has been losing some £86 million this year.  Apparently paying for all the lawyers that lost the case to the famous people hacked by his editor that did not know it was going on cost around £26 million alone.  He could have bought a reasonably good centre half for that price if he looked around.  He could certainly have obtained a journalist or two for a great deal less.  Still I suppose journalism is not Rupert's way is it.
He did claim that 36 million or more click on his 'Sun' website, not mentioning the 'Mail Online' claims 80 million hit theirs, neither mention that most are the same small number of people going round different items.  The number of 'bots' sent by Conservative Central Office and that nice Mr Putin, a friend of Rupert, also account for a large number of 'clicks' on comments columns.  Still as long as the advertising comes in to pay for it all, what's that?  Oh dear, advertising falling also?  
It could be worse, he could own the 'Daily telegraph' as that has lots a million readers under the present boss.  The Barclay Bros will let you buy it for around £500 million.  Any takers?

I have thought of a new party game.  It's called connect new phone to facebook or BBC.  This entails making the victim install these 'apps' and then log in.  The one who does so quickest, or the one who avoids throwing the phone pout the window is the winner.  Why do these things act like spoilt children?  Why do they not do what I want?  I am getting there but I have to keep lying down in a dark room every so often.   I will however show my great niece I am not a 'technophobe,' unless I fail to get through to her on the text bit...

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.

 

Warm Rain Saturday

I joined with this bird this morning to examine the rain and wondered if I ought to stay in rather than go out.  He was somewhat bemused as the sun burnt those of us lucky enough to be out in it while this morning the land was under a rain cloud.  bravely I went to the Museum where we were bored by the lack of custom.  Those that came, eventually, were very interesting but so few in number.  Something has to be done I say!

The press have indulged themselves once again over Rolfe Harris.  Pages are given over to the details of his 'shocking' activities and as many 'hurt' women as possible will appear in these pages, on TV and on radio, telling us of their despair.  Those who were there, and I know one who was, are somewhat skeptical.  It was clear then what was going on, so why the fuss?  Indeed why did the media not bring this into the open forty years ago?  Why was Saville allowed to continue, and why have MPs involved in abusing boys been a secret all this time when everybody knew?  Ah the hypocrisy astounds.
I note the same media make a fuss over the 'short' sentence given to Harris but fail to fuss over the even shorter sentence given to Coulson, the man who hacked phones and has become the fall guy for Murdoch's empire.  When it's one off their own they are less keen to talk, probably because they all (do) did it!

Not that I wish to complain but watching the World Cup I find the commentators talk rubbish, yes Jonathan Pearce I mean you, the pundits not much better, the constant search for pics of the crowd, senseless slow motions that are too slow, who needs to see celebrations in slow motion I ask you?  But worse are the fans.  Supposedly football fans whenever the camera picks on them they jump up and wave to the screen.  On many occasions these 'fans' were watching their team being humped yet they could ignore this to wave to the camera?  If you are losing and you support your team you do not react like this.  This I suspect is because most watched are female, accompanying the male but less interested in the game than the event and the holiday.  Dump them I say!

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Will Justice be Seen?

The long awaited announcement concerning those to be prosecuted for 'phone hacking' came today.  Former editors of the Murdoch press, Rebekah Brookes, a friend of Prime Minister Cameron, Andy Coulson, an ex 'Director of Communications' for the Prime Minister, and several others, including one private detective who has already done time for phone hacking, are now up for prosecution.  The world rejoices!

The scandal came to light when a murdered young girl had her phone hacked by someone believed to be working for a media source, allegedly.  This fooled the parents of the missing girl into believing she was still alive, when she was in fact long dead.  Public outcry forced the Prime Minister to begin the Leaveson inquiry, which I suspect he hoped would be a whitewash of his friends.  Instead the cat is out of the bag in many ways.  The closeness of the present and former Prime Ministers to the press was no surprise, politicians wished the press on their side believing this brought votes.  However the depth of corruption between the police, and the Metropolitan Police in particular shocked people, (The 'Met' is the London Police Force). None were surprised at some connection but the extent was a revelation, a surprising closeness between those at the top of the police and News International, the largest news agency in the UK, and more may arise yet. None would be shocked at the depth of phone hacking and dirty tricks used by the media, and the extent was allegedly huge. The media will do anything to expose peoples private lives and many of those hacked were celebrities, all 'research concerned their private lives alone most likely. Now this will be brought before the courts and the public await with baited breath the results of this investigation. Almost all defendants have already claimed they were innocent of any crime, and will defend themselves 'vigorously!

It has to be said that most of the hacking appears to be directed towards celebrities private lives.  We are not talking here about 'journalism' exposing crime, wrong doing, or things, as the say, that were 'in the public interest,' as those would indeed be justifiable.  The desperate search for individuals sex secrets is what matters to tabloid editors.  'Journalism,' the investigation into important stories, does not sell tabloid papers.  

Andy Coulson, a trusted confidant of the PM, left his job editing the 'News of the World,' to join Cameron after one of his men had been jailed for phone hacking, a criminal offence.  Cameron believed Coulson when he said he knew nothing about it.  Good Human Resources work there Dave!  Possibly the 'Eton Boy' liked the fact that Coulson lost an industrial tribunal case after bullying a sports reporter.  That cost the company £800,000.  I suppose Dave thought that a laugh!  Oh and while he has been charged in this instance, he has also been charged with 'perjury' by Strathclyde Police.  I wonder when that will come to court?  Oh yes and while working for Cameron News International were still paying him!  Not that this would affect his judgement in any way of course.  

Rebekah Brookes, who has a house near Cameron's private home in the Cotswald's, cannot be said to be a fragile lassie.  She has managed to worm her way up the ladder of News International, she has edited her friend Rupert's biggest selling papers, 'The Sun,' and the 'News of the World.'  She has been horse riding with the PM near home, cultivating friendships maybe and has launched many a campaign in her papers, hopefully successful and cash productive for her titles.  One such campaign was 'Violence against women!'  This her paper claimed was 'nasty,' 'repugnant,' behaviour, and men ought to 'stop hitting their wives.'  This was of course somewhat one sided as such campaigns always are.  She ignored the many men who suffer violence from their spouses, at least she did until the campaign suddenly ceased.  It ceased when she herself was charged with assaulting her then husband, TV hard man Ross kemp!  They divorced!  Her campaign against sex offenders led to many innocent men being attacked and near riots in some areas, including one where a Pediatrician had her house, which featured a nameplate giving her name and job description on a brass plate at the door, attacked by a mob thinking she abused children!  'The Sun' reader, at their best!   

The readership of the papers reflect the people who write them. Immoral, uncaring, lacking a moral standard.  Journalists investigating news which is relevant and 'in the public interest,' can only be a good thing and a 'must' for a free press. What matters here was something else, the need to give the public what the public wants. The public does not wish for journalism, the public wants scandal and sex stories. Nothing beats a female teacher having it away with a fifteen year old, unless it is a film/pop/football star who has been playing away with a slapper. A politician on the make sells some papers, but in the end sex sells best! That is what keeps the media alive, whether true or not, and that will continue unless proper controls come in. The present 'press Complaints Commission,' (PCC) has long been seen as friends of the press. Public complaints, if ever upheld, make not the slightest difference. The media just gets away with almost anything. Those that dare to go to court face much opposition and even victory does not stop the bile being thrown at them. the much maligned (and that is his own fault) John terry reflects this. A new independent PCC is required (and I would love to run that!) Leavason might well suggest this, but much opposition, and embarrassing headlines await any government that attempts to force one on the media. It is to be questioned whether any government has the guts to stand up to the press, although with some sections of the public on their sides now is indeed the time!

We await the trials, we await the judgement,  we await the rebuke for breaking the law by talking about it probably.  We await the facts being revealed for all to see, and we await the new press laws and Press Complaints commission that will end the 'licence' that allows the media to run riot now. 

Press freedom comes with press responsibility! 

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Market Day.

Businessweek

Market Day failed miserably as the thunder and lightning, rain, hailstones and wind tended to put the buyers off.  In between storms I braved the elements and set out, just to avoid listening to Rupert Murdoch lying to the Leveson enquiry.  If he was not going to lie he was going to put someone else into the mire.  He is not called the 'Dirty Digger' for nothing.  When I was a lad there was an attitude that appeared to say 'respect your leaders, betters, adults and other people.'  Today it is impossible to find this attitude and the behaviour of those very souls has made it thus.  Of course teaching kids to listen and respect is a good thing, but respect also needs to be earned, our leaders, in politics, media and even sport, do not deserve respect.


I broke off to listen to various news report and enjoy my repast of 'Flanders Mince.'  Murdoch was it seems intent on his fantasy world.  'The Sun,' being the only 'independent' newspaper he claimed. He is kind of right of course, all others have their own slant, Murdoch goes where he thinks the money is to be found, so I suppose that is a kind of independence.  His integrity was surpassed by Jeremy Hunt, a cabinet minister, as he defended e-mails sent from his department to Murdoch company during Hunts investigation of Murdochs BSkB takeover.  It appears Jeremy knew nothing and his assistant has fallen on his sword.  How convenient!  I remain convinced myself that the minister has absolutely nothing to hide!  Integrity is this governments watchword. The honest 'Daily Mail' loves to fill its pages with Murdoch's troubles.  it remains less keen to state that the editor may well be given the boot for his performance at the enquiry that now attempts to hang Rupert. You will be pleased to know that our leader David Cameron stands by his cabinet member.  He might as well, soon he will be standing beside him in the dole queue! Oh by the way, that nice mentally unbalanced friend of Dave's, George Osborne, the one ion charge of the money, he has admitted we are back in recession.  I suppose he will once again lower the taxes of the rich because of this next week. 

Football of course is run by honest men, integrity is their watchword!  Unfortunately Rangers owner Sir David Murray forgot to pay the income tax as required, some £49 million worth of forgetfulness!  It appears there was dubious dealings with payment to players also and now the tax man is investigating.  To avoid trouble clear up the situation Murray dumped the club on a fall guy sold the club to a multi millionaire businessman who paid £1 for the club and promised to sort things out.  It appears he was in fact a fantasist and has since been banned for not paying taxes (£19 million?), selling four seasons of season tickets to 'Ticketus,'  has been playing fast and loose with the money, which he doesn't have, and is now the man the media attack for hurting their club.  Murray however they never mention, hmmmm?  Sanctions resulting mean the club may die.  All Scotland is in a ferment!  Rangers fans demand action, Scottish football fans demand the club dies.  We await the result of several inquiries, police investigations, court cases, and hopefully the Rangers dumped into Division 3!  


Has there ever been 'integrity' in football, or indeed politics, media or anything else?  I doubt it.  Hammurabi made his famous laws several thousand years ago, the bible is full of crime condemned, and as Thudydides says,"Human nature doesn't change."  The only honest person can ever be our self, everyone else cannot be trusted.....

Oh and it rained a lot today....

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Murdoch

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Daily Mail

Well the Murdoch's faced the committee and discussion will continue for a while as to whether they passed the test or not. I did not catch it all, it does get boring, but I was interested to see Rupert clearly upset that he was not in control. He did not like the idea of giving account for his papers, and he did not accept responsibility at any time, no shock there!  I could not help seeing both as guilty men, good job I am not on a jury trying them, to me they appeared as second hand car salesmen. Rupert can see his empire collapsing. That is the trouble of building something so that you can control the world, it unravels eventually, especially when you are built on lies and half truths and dirt digging. I did laugh when he claimed the majority of his employees worldwide were 'ethical!' Ethical when sticking your nose into peoples private life? Ethical when holding members of parliament under your control by threatening to reveal their dirty deeds? Ethical in a paper built on sex and scandal?  The gloating of the other papers is worth noting, especially when they are just as bad. 


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Knackered

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I have done little cycling for a while and went hurtling up the old railway early this morning.  That was fine, although the bridge crossing the dual carriageway has grown considerably since the other week! Foolishly I decided to go looking for interesting pictures. This however meant heading up a new road for me, and UP is the operative word. This is supposed to be a flat county so how come everytime I find a new road it goes upwards? Not just upwards but upwards right to the top!  It was better coming down I must say.  How do the boys in the 'Tour de France' go up hills at thirty miles an hour? Who said "Drugs?"  Paracetamol doesn't help I can tell you! And the only thing worth photographing was this rickety old house. I say rickety but it probably costs around £700,000!  

 

This keffuffle deepens. Nick Clegg (He is actually the 'Deputy Prime Minister!) has said Murdoch should think again about buying into BSKYB.  This is like asking a drunk not to drink!  Murdoch must by this company as the paper media is losing cash hand over fist.  TV advertising is the way ahead and everyone knows it.  The fact that his people have been buying Gordon Brown's children's health information, buying info from the Queens protection officers, indeed buying the top men at the Metropolitan Police, and thousands of as yet undiscovered dirty deeds will not stop Dave Cameron giving in to Murdoch. It may be delayed, it may go undercover, but folk like Rupert tend to get what they want, and I wonder if 'Dave' is big enough to stop him?

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Oh Joy!

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I was delighted to read that the local jobless numbers had decreased somewhat in the past few weeks. It may well be an opening for a useless plonker (unskilled is the proper term) may yet appear I thought.  A few objections have of course been raised to any encouragement by the revelation that these figures may well have been somewhat distorted. Gosh! Who would have thought that?  Those gaining 'work placements' I understand are removed from the numbers. Invalidity claimants (or whatever name it has now) are also omitted even while many do seek work. Other 'positive accounting' takes place in an effort to smooth the politicians (and the HEO's) progress. It still remains that five people apply for every job. Or to put it another way Five hundred apply for the appropriate (easy, unskilled, overpaid, sedentary, numpty) jobs I look for.  I stare into the future with my head held.........well in my hands actually......

Good old 'Dave!' Twice today he has shown us where his heart is. First he has announced he wants to encourage marriage to strengthen a 'stable society.' By that he probably means he will make folks live among the horses I suspect. He considers marriage to be the basis of a stable society and I agree with him. Will he therefore decide that benefits appropriate to this would arise? Tax benefits etc?  Would he therefore encourage job creation and 'positive discrimination for married persons perhaps? Hmmm. PR is all very well but policy is no use without money Mr C.

He has suddenly come off the fence regarding papers publishing 'Kiss & Tell' stories. Suddenly he is claiming that it is unfair that Social media can publish names while papers cannot. Well I wonder why he speaks out now? Has Mr Murdoch been on the phone perhaps? You know Murdoch, that nice man who owns the 'Sun.' That is the paper yon tart was attempting to sell a 'Kiss & Tell' story to regarding a Premiership footballer.  He had the courts stop revelation of his name, yet someone (surely not an employee of the 'Sun') placed his name on 'Twitter,' thereby breaking the injunction.  You would not ask me to believe that such a man as Murdoch would now be influencing the Prime Minister of England just because he wishes to make a fast buck would you? Just because he sneaked up the back stairs into No 10 the minute Cameron forced his way in does not mean Murdoch has an unholy hold over this PM does it? Well, does it....? I am sure 'Dave' is thinking for himself, not for Murdoch, nor indeed for personal advantage. I trust this PM as much as I trusted Tony Blair, and you cannot say fairer than that!  

cf with this excellent piece. Auld Reekie Rants





p.s.  I am thinking of taking a job as a contortionist, just to make ends meet.


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