Women's pay gap

Since when did women have a pay gap? How come we are worrying about women earning less than men, but not about men earning less than those women complaining about women earning less than men? Who are these females who produce statistics (how reliable?) that tell them what they want to hear? Women earn less in jobs that pay less. Why do they do it? Because it suits them, because it is all there is, because they want to, the reasons are many. But like most men, they take what is available! The average wage is about £21000! Not around here it isn't! If it is £12 -15000 I would be shocked.
The women who have babies and return to work have lost confidence! Lost confidence? These browbeating selfish bitches that fill offices, shops and factories throughout this land have lost confidence? And if so what then? You want equality? Then get up like a man and get on with it! How come men never lose confidence unless they are a footballer missing open goals eh?

Enough of this nonsense! False equality, and the pursuit of mythological lifestyle agenda that is the product of the emptiness of the left in the UK does not bring satisfaction of happiness to women or anyone else! This nation is more than ever living a lie! It stresses the individual, not society, any daft idea is considered worthwhile but the long term consequences are never considered. Women, like men, ought to be treated fairly, but this type of report does not bring fairness, it merely gives Westminster women chance to be smug. And poor old Gordon Brown has to go along with it if he hopes to be the next prime minister!

We are headed for a fall, and when it comes this world will not be able to understand it, or deal with it.

Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas & Iraq.

Now we all know Americans are daft! Nothing they say or do can convince us otherwise. The chances of them producing a nation of highly intelligent people is of course nil, and seeking such is a waste of time and energy. But there is a limit, even for them!
This small church from somewhere in Kansas (wherever that is in the States) has taken to protesting against the war in Iraq. The understanding is that God is punishing the US for allowing homosexuals to be regarded as normal. Homosexuality is of course regarded as a sin in Christian belief and this church is loud in condemning it.
However, the form of protest which they follow has nothing to do with any bible led conviction. These folks have taken to standing outside of funerals of US soldiers killed in Iraq, and protesting loudly that this is a result of the homosexual laws.

Two things must be said here. The first is that homosexuality is wrong! The bible makes that clear. It is one of the faults in our fallen nature that Jesus died on the cross to redeem! Think on it. God inhuman form dying for those doing wrong! That is love indeed!
The second point is seen in the first. God loves sinners like us, and wants them to change their ways. In Ezekiel God tells us how he 'Does not rejoice at the death of the wicked.' He hates to see people lost.
The conclusion must be that a God who loves, even those who ignore him, would not stand outside a grieving family and demonstrate about something the family probably do not comprehend.

People misread the book all to often, don't we all, but this church has forgotten that 'in wrath, remember mercy,' and that love would not protest so thoughtlessly!

A Day Off

Great! What can be better than having a day off? And what can be better than having a day off when the snow is falling and the wind is blowing! Great!
There again, when one has sorted the mess in the cupboard, hoovered up the mess, ironed the shirts, been round Sainsburys, completed a limited (very!) exercise routine, made a mess of fixing the laptop, and had an e-mail form someone not seen for twenty years, the idea of enjoying the time seems far fetched! For a start I have failed to sleep since five thirty this morning, I have done little reading of the dozen books I am attempting to complete, and when it came to time to relax I had to cook dinner!

On my next day off, I am doing NOTHING!

Hitler, Fascist or Inadequate?

Adolf Hitler, the man who led Germany to war with the world, the most renowned fascist in history, or was he? Most accept without question his political stance, but the more I read about him the less I am impressed with his fascism. Adolf Hitler cared little for the right wing in my view. His concern was always for his view! The rightist leanings in Germany fitted quite well into these views but not from an ideological point, instead it was merely personal hate!
Adolf decided the Slavs in Austria were bad, and Adolf decided a lot of things when bumming around Vienna in his teens, and once Adolf made a decision then in his mind it was the right one and all opposition was irrelevant. Opposition which had an intellectual basis was especially unwelcome, more so if he understood it was a correct basis, he then just shouted it down.

Hitler turned down the opportunity to lead the Nazi party, work was never his strongpoint, but in the course of time he accepted the views of his people that he was the leader, and once he accepted this, he ensured it was to stay that way, by fair means or foul. For our Adolf had no political dream except his pathological hatred of the Slavs, soon to be the Bolsheviks, and his intention to attack them, on the basis of freedom for the German people.
But it was all nothing more than his inadequacy as a man that lay behind all he did. His shyness, his inability to relate to women, his weakness, his laziness, all forced him deep into his 'self.' From there he viewed the world in weakness, and in defence of this showed himself strong.
An opportunist who was quick to grab the half chance, but with no real agenda, political or otherwise, but defend his empty weak 'self.'

It is the 'Self,' the core of our being in which we live. Hitler shows us the full extent of the 'self' when it is given over to it's own way. Christians in particular ought to read about this man and see just how awful selfishness can be! We excuse ourselves when we go wrong, but in doing so the depth of our own depravity is hidden.
Adolf Hitler shows us a glimpse of the sin within us, the damage done when 'self' rules. It relfects the size of the task facing God in Christ Jesus when he died on the cross. 'He took my sin' they cry. But have little understanding of how deep and hurtful this was for the Messiah.
Jesus dies for me, how then can I live indulging so many aspects of my 'self?'

Do I have something to be grateful for? Then I give thanks.
But I don't!
I don't want to 'give thanks.'
Why?
Because in doing so I admit that what I have does not belong to me, but comes from God.
This is hard to accept. I want to be in control of my life. I want to make the decisions because then I am safe! I will not allow anything to hurt me, or allow anything detrimental to enter my life to unsettle me. So I will not give thanks, because that means God is in control!

A brief reading of Jesus sermon on the mount indicates Gods care for his people.
Throughout the Old Testament (which means contract between God and his people) God shows his care, his love, to his rebellious Israel. Gods heart weeps at the behaviour of his own.
His judgments which must happen, come after long years of patience with them.
God suffers when he has to take action. His heart breaks when he judges his people.
Yet, in spite of knowing this, I find myself reluctant to trust him, reluctant to let him decide what is best for me, and unable or unwilling to give myself back to him.

I want to be god in my life!

It is not as though God wants to be a totalitarian overlord. I always make the decisions regarding my actions, but God the father wants me to love him, and be his friend.
Wow! That is something.
I have to make that decision. Take all he offers or live a miserable selfish life.
And I struggle with this.......
Hmmmm

British Troops Assault Young Iraqis

A video of British troops under fire from large groups of young Iraq teens has been shown today. After handing out aid to a suffering people, and beginning the reconstruction of a land torn apart by a Muslim leader, who killed thousands of his own people, these troops are attacked. Stones and even a home made grenade are thrown at them by a crowd of dozens. The troops react, they charge into the mob breaking it up and seizing one or two of the lads.
Taking them into their compound they then proceed to give the rock throwers a good hiding, which they deserve!
Cue crocodile tears and massive outrage!
TV stations and radio programmes are telling us how awful these terrible scenes are. Mock indignation is occasionally tempered with a grudging agreement that 'Maybe the troops were under fire and wanted a bit of revenge?' and how! Why should British soldiers endure such attacks without reply? How can anyone condemn them for their response? 'The News of the World' a paper notorious for its delight in sex scandals and digging the dirt on anybody and anyone, feigns mock horror and shouts 'shame' and pretends it is doing this, 'in the public interest.' Nothing to do with money making then?
Where did they get this video from? Was this whistle blower there at the time? Was he concerned about 'brutality' or just in it to make a few thousand pounds, and with that thirty pieces of silver put many troops lives at risk?

In spite of the mock outrage, maybe the police in this land would be advised to learn from this how to deal with yobs. If our constabulary were to spend a few hours taking the many yobs that destroy our housing estates, and keep folks trapped indoors in fear of their lives, then maybe this country would be improved. How, by taking aside the leading thugs and giving them the treatment meted out to these rock hurlers. Within a short time discipline would be restored, folks could walk free from fear, young folk would benefit with those who wish to cause trouble being taking out of the picture.

I can hear the mock outrage growing as I write.

Muslim Cartoons

We seem stuck in a Muslim wonderland these days. Lots of words and little thinking.
The cartoons which seem to upset so many Muslims were in my view of no real offence. By showing Mohammed with a bomb in his turban merely reflected the view given to the West by Muslims worldwide, that they are a violent people. If Islam dislikes the depiction of, what they call, the prophet, then that is up to them to change. It is not for them to riot worldwide and expect the West to accept their demand for an apology.
Having said that, it is strange how we accept the constant insulting of Christianity daily in the media, but worry about upsetting Islam. To me, the Messiah being ridiculed by those ignorant, or afraid, of his message is much more important than the imagined insult suffered by followers of Islam. It is important to remember that most of this outcry has been hijacked, indeed begun by extremists in the Islamic world who want confrontation, who desire a war with the West.
It is therefore important to stand up to these people, because reason and dialogue will never have an effect on them. Appeasement of Adolf Hitler was doomed from the beginning, it will not work here!
What to do?
It is best not to do that which will deliberately annoy another. So don't go out of your way to upset them. But satire of the other man is normal in this country, and in any free land. It must continue. This can be done while respecting his opinion, even if wrong.
The point here is that like it or not, Islam MUST accept the Wests view that freedom of expression, not license, is perfectly acceptable. In the end, if they do not like the cartoons they are free to say so, but this does not mean the cartoons should be banned, or that more ought not to be produced!
It is time for Islam and it's followers to change, not the West to comply with their wishes.

Superbowl

Yet another Superbowl has come and gone. Yet again I missed it, well, didn't actually.
Why the Yanks think this overlong, 'poor mans rugby,' is worth all the hype is anyone's guess.
Now I can understand the enjoyment of reaching a final in any sport, just as The Heart of Midlothian will be doing shortly with the Scottish Cup, but American football, in which the ball is rarely if ever near a foot, is nothing to shout about.
Large hulking brutes bashing into one another, one wee fella throwing the ball to another, who is usually crushed beneath mountains of defenders, that is not really satisfying is it?
If he is fortunate, the catcher can run past a few of the enemy, maybe even making it over the 'End Zone,' not that such an event should be hard as it runs from one side to the other. No need to score through the posts, or even to touch the ball down, just get there.
Just how simple and easy is this game eh? If a 'Touch Down' occurs, or even if the game halts for almost any reason, a dozen players leave the field and are replaced. Why? Are they tired already?

I know that in days of yore, the thugs who attended the major universities of the United States, took to playing rugby in a very violent fashion. I understand about nine dead in one season was it? No surprise that they changed the way the game is played. But what does it say about the folk who played in that manner? American, rich, white, bully boys! That's what! A reflection on the lack of concern for others that has a deep root within the US psyche. Their generals have never been concerned about their own casualties, in my opinion, and they are certainly not concerned about the casualties of anyone else.

The game reflects something about the depth of US culture. This sport is full of muscle, but has little intellect. It is hard, but quite simple, almost pointless. Yanks are full of such sports.
The hype that attends Basketball for instance. Here again there is little in this game to excite the brain. A ball is bounced from one end to the other, points are scored, and it occurs endlessly for ludicrous high score of 88-97, or some such. Basketball was invented by a Scotsman to help rehabilitate the sick, if I understand right. He did not encourage the hype surely. US motor racing is also high powered. Cars run at two hundred miles an hour, but in nothing more than an oval circuit. Little driving skill required, as in a contested Grand Prix for instance , and here again we see the 'thin depth' of American sport.

Is it wrong?
No!
Is it worth watching?
Sometimes.
Is it the greatest show on earth?
Don't be silly.

Islam

So they do not like insults to Mohammed?
Cynics would say that the violence that rampages through Muslim, and in particular Arab, society is far more offensive than a cartoon. Whether it portrays a graven image or not.
The anti religious attitude prevalent in the West may mean little to many Muslims, but they just have to accept it exists, like it or not!
Christians suffer much more from the attacks from, usually unfunny, cartoons and comments, yet manage to cope. They are unprotected from abuse. Little credence is given to their faith, and Jesus IS the Son of God, and the ONLY way to God.
Politics has an influence in these uprisings throughout the Islamic world, we need to know more of what is going on behind the scenes.
I wonder if we ever will?

Heart of Midlothian 4 Hibernian 1

Once again the mighty Heart of Midlothian have taken the wee team apart!
How delightful to know that even if we stumbled against Kilmarnock last week, when it matters the Hearts can turn it on.
Three goals in sixteen minutes, and the Hibbys were running for home.
Now, if the Celts will do us the favour of losing a couple more, and they can, it's a league where we all take points of each other, our chances will improve.
New players arriving, more on the way.

The futures bright!
The futures MAROON!

The Family, does it exist in the UK now?

The other day, the law courts decided that an underage girl could have an abortion behind her parents back. In short, the parents were of no account regarding their child. Yet, the same parents are told they must be responsible for the child when they do something wrong. And this country has a 'yob' culture others envy.
Homosexuality has been developed to such an extent that Muslims and Christians who call it a sin, are visited by the police looking for 'homophobia!' Same sex partners are granted the right to 'marry' and be regarded as such. Financial payments to married couples are not given to the couple, but to one or the other. Letters sent by schools regarding the child are addressed to 'The Guardian/Parent of...' Instead of to the individuals name!

So we have a government that has in nearly twenty years of work destroyed the family.

We are now individuals, not families. Is this wrong, yes!
Society is built on strong family ties. We worship individuality. This goes against the grain of life. We learn from this that others do not count, we alone are important. Our needs come first and selfishness triumphs.

We are left with many sad empty folk. We are made to be family. Parents are meant to build up their child, showing them the best way to live, this happens often even now, but what help does the government give? None.

Marriage guidance is underfunded. Benefits are not biased in favour of marriage and we, the nation, suffer because of this.

Early Morning

Habit brings awakening before four in the morning. Fumbling in the dark while getting dressed, at the same time struggling to dry the weeping eyes and curb the yawns. Through the curtains, drawn to keep what heat there is from escaping, shows winter remains frozen, bleak and waiting to welcome.
An occasional car drifts through the night, the noise in the silence harsh and unwelcome.
Silence.
The darkness seems to shroud noise,not even birds are awake yet. When they do waken the noise, before traffic arrives to drown them out, is deafening. Such small creatures yet so loud a voice. One that entertains sweetly. Blackbirds and robins join in the early morning chorus, bringing delight to human hearers, but most likely a warning to other feathered ones. Claiming their remit over this part of the earth.
Cats brave the cold to wander round their estate, like birds nestling above, guarding their homeland jealously against the interventions of prowling neighbours. Stopping occasionally to stare with large round attentive eyes into the blackness, at nothing at all. Nothing moves. No life whatsoever. Yet the cat sees it. Is it real, or just imaginary? Only a cat will ever know.
A police car slowly passes through the amber lit streets. Young men with dreams of legal glory desperately searching for crime in the quietest area of the land. How can promotion, and a purpose filled life, be achieved by helping old ladies over the road, and patrolling empty highways? A postman makes his way to work, idling through a red light on an ageing bike which, luckily for the law, has no lights of its own. The law guardians pull him over and discuss the highway code with a drowsy, recalcitrant figure. His opinions regarding the way they see their duty is best not input into any future 'circum vitae' they produce.
Slowly, oh so very slowly, the sky begins to turn a lighter gray. Gradually easing and chasing the darkness away to the west, altering the atmosphere, the feel, of the streets, as street lights switch off, the traffic increases, and early shift workers will walk somewhat unwillingly into another day, life, as we know it, begins anew.

The Old Railway Track

Converting old railways into country paths has been one of the better ideas in this nation. Of course we had lots of them, and few were of any other use, so make use of them I say.
Being Thursday morning few were around. It was gray and sort of drizzly at times, and the roads on the way there were a bit wet.
I have not been there for at least three years and in times past I went up this way almost daily. Not much has changed but improvements have been made. The track itself has been relaid, and at one or two notoriously muddy areas drainage and tarmac paths have been installed. This makes a huge difference from previous days. Not much fun attempting to ride the bike through several inches of mud. A new bridge has been installed avoiding the need to risk death crossing the bypass. That was fun, and with the new road installed this was a good use of cash!

I crossed the bridge but halted there. It was far enough for today.
Spent a while staring at the fields and wondering why God and I are so far apart. Well actually it is because of me, not him, so why do I ask? But it was good to talk.

It was good coming back, as there is an optical illusion on the way. It looks like you have a climb ahead of you, but instead the track gently slopes in the homeward direction. Great on the bike as you can pick up speed if late, and gently glide if not.

Enjoyable but brief time. Nothing like seeing grass and trees to relax the mind.
Funnily enough, when I came near the village I resented the intrusion of all those houses.
It just spoilt a good happening!

Heart of Midlothian

This club is busy bringing in more players, yet, as is the way of this great institution, nothing is as it seems. A player from Bosnia, playing in Belgium for Genk, is brought over, tried out, offered a deal, likes what he sees. Great stuff! Then the deal is off!
Is it because the 1.1million offered is Euros, but only £875000. But the Belgians expected £1.1 million! Or, could it be the agent in Edinburgh wants too big a cut, and Vlad says no! Or maybe we have found a cheaper option in McCann and the Bosnian has been dropped.

Nothing is clear here. The fans will never know, he may even come.

However, it makes no difference to me, if we win the league and get into the Champions League!
Glory!

Pickle

I am in a pickle!
I buy a large jar of 'Tesco' pickle instead of the normal size. This is my way to save pennies.
But I cannot get it opened!
I use all my strength, all my initiative, all the tricks, yet it will not move!
I am afraid the jar might break if I try harder.

So I get out the hand strengthening tools, work hard pumping to build up the finger power,
and now I cannot get the jar open.
Why?
The muscles in my hand hurt to much from all the extra exercise!

The jar is in the bin.

The Year So Far.

At the start of the year I said it was going to be a 'good year!'
It was to be better than 2005 and it would be onwards and upwards!

Wrong so far.
Today is the seventh of January and it is time to review all things.
What do we have?
Tiredness, overwork, frustration, annoyance, temper, anger, loosening of all control, the end of the line!

At least at work I find some who quite like me, even though they do not really know me. Thanks for that anyway. But this does not change the 'end of the line feeling!

The next 360 days are gonna be good, eh?

Children in blogs

Have you noticed how many people put up blogs just to tell us about their children?
So many blogs seem intent on thrusting their children on to us, the passerby as though this is some sort of important event in the world. Can I just say to such people that, no, it isn't! It is important to you, but not to me, or indeed anyone else. Please keep your kids to yourself like the majority of folks do!

The self indulgence shown by these blogs is amazing!
You and I are supposed to look and marvel that John and Suzy, or Dave and Alice have a child! Fantastic! Yippee! Superb! Now go away! People actually have children often. Lots of them appear all over the world, mostly in poverty ridden countries where mum and dad have to little time or money to indulge the world with pictures of little Johnny and his life. That is if they actually have a p.c, or indeed a home for the kids to live in happily.

Children are wonderful, I was one once, I have them in the family, far too many at Xmas I can say quite honestly. But we are not the type to run around saying I am middle class and well off, and I have a child! Look at me! Aint I wonderful?
Well, no, your not, so put it away, don't spoil it, or it will grow up like you.
And none of us want that to happen do we!

Aasmah Mir

Aasmah Mir sums up all that is wrong in women in the media, indeed women in general.
Here we find a lass who has made it into the BBC and finds herself constantly on radio, who has a column all to herself in the 'Sunday Herald' and is extremely well paid too boot!
Yet she writes only about her hang ups!
A glance at the Herald articles would indicate that whenever she steps outside the house all men for miles around want to have sex with her! They look upon her only as an object and she alone fills their minds. Other women don't seem to exist, just this girl. This is such a problem that she is unable to wear her 'favourite jeans' outside the house!

Terrible indeed that.

At work this poor lass suffers terrible discrimination! Not only does she get paid less than the men around her, however she does get vastly more than a postman, a Tesco shelf filler, a milkman or any man or woman, doing a job she considers beneath her, but on top of this she is Asian! And an Asian who is a Moslem, apparently! Goodness me, her colour means everyone is looking down on her, her religion indicates she is a terrorist, and in her eyes the entire nation looks on her with a mixture of fear and loathing.

Poor thing, how does she cope?

Well she copes by ignoring the fact that most men don't want her. They may notice she is attractive, if she indeed is, but have no intention of going near her, anyway her personality would take care of any ideas that lingered in their twisted selfish minds.
By spending less time shopping for more clothes than she needs she can forget the poverty her employment leads her to suffer. Poverty that is slighty better than the poverty 150 million Pakistanis suffer most days, but hey, they mostly hate women anyway so that's OK!
The religion she bears might help her cope, if she really believes in it. Most Moslems I meet are nominal if anything regarding their religion, unless you disagree with it of course. Then it is something to defend, or in extreme cases, a cause, in their eyes to, to cry ' racist!'

Come on Aasmah, come into the real world. Start thinking about others problems and ignore yours. Especially those that you know will find a willing readership. A willing readership who desperately want to believe what you write. Without this clear support from you they would have to face the real world all alone, and change themselves instead of whining about the hard luck stories that fill their minds.
It is always much better to 'tilt at windmills' than face the truth.

Stop hiding behind the myth of discrimination and do something about those that really suffer.
Several inches given over to the plight of people in real difficulty, for the hungry, or just a few words about a story outside of yourself would be welcome, and certainly a change! But that would lose you your 'Herald' audience would it not?
That would mean a loss of column, a loss of income, and gosh, a loss of face for you.
Shame that. But however it might lead you to becoming a journalist, but talking about something other than yourself, well, that is possibly to hard, isn't it?

This year...

is going to be different!
It has to be!
This year, 2006 will be a happy year. I have decided!
So, forgetting what is behind, moving on, and aiming for the best I go into (yet another) year with hope. Long time since that happened!

Watching the fireworks on telly last night, I was impressed by the display. But I found a great indifference to the event itself. A new year, so what? All we really have is a change of time calculation and an excuse for a party. The real reason for the party is of course that from now on we are heading towards shorter nights and warmer days, eventually.

Ah Spring! Can't wait for it to arrive. Warm days, bright sunshine, how I miss it!
The daylight brightens our lives while this darkness brings depression and low emotions.
Once Christmas and New Year are over we can get on with life, arguing, grasping, hating, selfishly making our way, hoping for good things and fearing bad, longing for love but failing to offer it, obtaining all we want, but never happy.

Crivvens, I'm depressed already!
Happy New Year!

Christmas Alone

Christmas day I spent alone. With the family being in the Edinburgh area, and having to work Christmas eve, it was not possible to get home. Not the first time this has been the case, but sad as I wanted to be there this time.
Thing is, whenever I mention this today at work people tell me how much they wish they had been with me! Not that suddenly I am popular in a fashion hid for so long, but more the memory of the crowded Christmas day they had endured.
It is great to be with the family young and old together, presents, laughter, crying, too much to eat and far too much noise, shredded wrapping paper and carboard boxes a plenty! But as age tells on the human frame, it is amazing how lovely the silence when they have gone!
So today, for a while, I was the object of jealousy among many!
Probably for the last time!