Interesting NOT

I read this a little while ago...

David Cameron has unveiled plans to ensure that any petition of 100,000 people would be eligible for debate in Parliament. Any petition with 1 million signatures would result in a bill being tabled in Parliament.

Those more sensible amongst us will know this won't get off the ground. What if "bring back hanging" or "leave the EU" were put forward for referendums and attracted a million votes? Here are two particular issues our "bleeding heart" politicians wouldn't want debated, Labour or Tory! Once "Call me Dave" thinks this one through it will bite the dust!

No! I have a better idea.

If a politician is caught with his "fingers in the till", and by this I mean fiddling expenses, accepting deals from lobbyists, entertaining groups with public funds for private benefit - in fact the whole gamit of fiddles that politicians indulge in - and the public get together to ask for signatures to penalise that MP, the following should be the penalty.

If 100,000 signatures have been collected and presented, then that MP faces a cut in salary for as long as he remains an MP. This includes further elections he may win, and any golden handshake he receives on leaving parliament. And, in addition, any pension he may receive from the government after leaving parliament.

If 200,000 or more signatures are obtained, then he will receive a further cut of 10% cut for each 100,000 signatures, of all the items listed above.

This is not unreasonable as any politician knows that if he remains honest it would not apply to him. However the real villains will not be able to help themselves and would get weeded out of parliament. And it would make the more dishonest amongst would be parliamentarians think twice before standing for any constituency. Imagine how much the country would be saving with the expense scandals!

Bear in mind that here, the thieves will be punished and the victims will save their tax payers hard earned money.

Ampers

Member for Monmouth

The following has been lifted unashamedly from David Davis's blog and I would like my readers ro dwell on the penultimate paragraph...

FIRST BLACK HIGH SHERIFF APPOINTED TO MONMOUTHSHIRE, SAYS MP

MONMOUTH MP David Davies has reacted with surprise to news that a community worker from Bristol has become Britain’s first black High Sheriff.

Peaches Golding will take the ceremonial office of Bristol’s High Sheriff in March 2010. It has been widely reported that Mrs Golding is the first person of African descent to take up the post, which was created 1,000 years ago. However, Mr Davies was quick to point out that this honour belongs to a former Sheriff of Monmouthshire.

“Anyone who has any interest in these matters will know that Nathaniel Wells became Britain’s first black sheriff when he was appointed Sheriff of Monmouthshire and Deputy Lieutenant of the county in 1818,” said Mr Davies.

“Mr Wells also served as a magistrate and moved easily in high society around the county, suggesting that in spite of the current obsession with ‘diversity’, Britain has always extended a welcome to talented people with something to contribute.

“I will be writing to Mrs Golding to congratulate her on her new role, but will politely point out that Monmouthshire was actually 190 years ahead of Bristol in appointing a black High Sheriff. “One would hope that historical accuracy is not going to be scarified on the alter of political correctness in order to allow someone to gain a headline”.

Don't the authorities realise the English psyche? The more they allow immigrants in willy-nilly, the more violent racism will rise? And it is not anger that is directed at minority groups, it is frustration. Not frustration with those groups but frustration of what the government are doing to our country.

I have no anger for the immigrants, even those who beg or steal. They have come here because it has been easy for them to get in. How can you blame them for trying and succeeding. The fault lies not in the hapless person who has paid gangsters thousands of pounds to get them in, but with the government who has intentionally made it possible for them to flock over here.

The Government doesn't care that there are no jobs for them, they don't want them to have jobs. They want them dependent of the State so they will vote for them, election after election for fear that an alternative Government will force them to work for a living.

Don't blame the immigrants, wait for May 6th and then blame the Government.

To lie, or not to lie, that is the question

Who is telling porkies then? Gordon Brown? Eric Pickles? (I keep wanting to call him Wilfred.) I make no further comment, dear reader, I will leave it to you to make up your own mind.

The Prime Minister
10, Downing Street
London, SW1A 2AA
3 February 2010

Dear Mr Brown,

At Prime Minister’s Questions today, you told the House of Commons that you knew nothing about the secret fund, worth a reported £50,000, which was held by the Labour Party for your benefit. When asked why you did not declare this on the Register of Members’ Financial Interests (RMFI), you said specifically: ‘I know nothing about what he [the questioner] is talking about.’

This simply cannot be true.

It is clear from Peter Watt, the Labour Party’s former General Secretary, that you were the beneficiary of a secret fund held by the Labour Party. He has said explicitly:

‘Before becoming Prime Minister, Gordon went to some lengths to insulate himself and the Treasury from our financial troubles, setting up his own personal pot of cash at party HQ. This was money we could not dip into, since it was set aside for the Chancellor’s own pet projects. Murray Elder helped secure donations from the Chancellor’s supporters’ (Inside Out, January 2010, page 105).

He went on to claim that it may have been used to finance your ‘long-term campaign to become party leader’ (Inside Out, Peter Watt, 2010, page 105).

Mr Watt’s assertions were widely reported. Indeed, across several pages in the Mail on Sunday, Mr Watt claimed that you used ‘up to £50,000-a-year of Labour money to pay for private polling’ (Mail on Sunday, 17 January 2010).

The allegations were explicitly confirmed as truthful by a Labour official who said in the same article: ‘It [the fund] was funded through donations to the Party.’

In the light of these allegations, my colleague, Greg Hands MP, wrote to you more than two weeks ago, on 17 January, to query why you had failed to declare the fund properly the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. This letter was publicised in several newspapers on 18 January.

As you did not respond, Greg Hands submitted a complaint to John Lyon, the Parliamentary Commissioner this week. I attach a copy of this complaint for your reference. Again, this complaint was reported.

Yesterday in a speech titled ‘Transforming Politics’, you said that you would ‘do all that is necessary to restore trust’ in politics and the conduct of MPs. If you wish to restore trust in politics, you should stop treating people like fools by claiming that you were unaware of this fund when all the evidence points to the contrary. I therefore urge you to admit to this fund’s existence, apologise for misleading the House and co-operate with any inquiries that John Lyon may wish to make.

Yours sincerely,

Eric Pickles
Chairman, The Conservative Party
Member of Parliament for Brentwood and Ongar

Who reads this blog?

First of all, an apology, I normally do this on the 1st of the year but because of major computer problems - I have lost seven years of accumulated data - it has well and truly slipped my mind

According to "Google Analytics", people from the following countries read my blog.

United Kingdom, United States, Australia, South Africa, Canada, Ireland, Russia, India, Germany, Spain, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Philippines, Taiwan, Norway, Mexico, China, Switzerland, Denmark, New Zealand, Portugal, Malaysia, Italy, Hungary, Turkey, Pakistan, Brazil, Singapore, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Japan, Egypt, Israel, Greece, Romania, Argentina, Czech Republic, (not set), Slovenia, Estonia, Indonesia, Austria, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Jamaica, Latvia, Serbia, South Korea, Peru, Thailand, Jordan, Costa Rica, Kenya, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Ghana, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bulgaria, Kuwait, Chile, Senegal, Mongolia, Côte d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Guatemala, Gibraltar, Slovakia, Bolivia, Croatia, Uganda, Colombia, Cambodia, Montenegro, Burundi, Dominican Republic, Morocco, Lithuania, Algeria, Bahamas, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Ukraine, Venezuela, Uzbekistan, Cayman Islands, Lebanon, Armenia, Guadeloupe, Palestinian Territories, Moldova, Georgia, Albania and the Northern Mariana Islands.

A very big thank you to one and all.

Ampers

Traitors

In 1973, a group of traitors to the English people sat in a smoked filled cabinet room in 10 Downing Street and agreed to take Britain into the “Common Market”. They despatched Edward Heath off to the EU to persuade the EU mandarins to let Britain join. MacMillan told Heath not to come back until we were in, and he could give anything away as we had to join at any cost. In the end, the deal was to give away our agriculture and our fish. Many years later, on a TV program, an interviewer asked Heath if they knew it was going to turn into a political union. I was amazed at both his reply, and his language in making the reply. His exact words were “Of course we bloody did!”

You may think this is a funny hook into an article about why the “left” hate Margaret Thatcher so much, but it is there to show that I hated Thatcher as much as the rest of them for being responsible for giving our children's heritage away to foreigners so that they may rule our country. You all know, dear readers, how much I detest the EU politicians!

So, now we are here; why do the “left” hate this woman so much? It cannot be because she took us into Europe, most of the left, apart from Militant who seem now to be dead and buried, love us being ruled from Brussels. So what is the reason?

I think it is because she was successful in turning Britain around from being the sick man of Europe, to being a country ordinary Englishmen could be proud of. She gave us back our dignity and pride. And put right of centre politics back on the map. She also made life a little bit more difficult for malingerers who suddenly found they had to pay their way in society.

Even the poll tax was fair if compared with the “Council Tax”. At present, people who had wealth, and who have tried to better themselves pay a high local tax so that squanderers and layabouts don't have to. The only difference between Poll Tax and Council Tax is that, instead of people who have bettered themselves, paying for the local council, everyone would pay, but much less, each, for the same objective.

And Thatcher's war was to reclaim our dependency back from an invading army. How much more noble in the eyes of the English citizen would you say that was, in relation to Blair's dishonest Iraqi war? I am sure he never forgave her for that!

Thatcher's problem in the end, boils down to everyone's problem who is successful in this country. They are, at first built up, then they are put on a pedestal, then they are knocked off it. It happens all the time. It is both an English tradition and an English malady.

But to return to my main theme, there are groups of people within the left – let's call them Marxists for the want of a better name, who are never satisfied until they are pulling the English Anglo-Saxon down and stamping all over them. They hate us with a fierceness that is so hard to understand. For a time, Thatcher reversed this, and put their movement and ideals back many years. It is no wonder they hate her with so much vitriol.

Margaret Thatcher was not only the last decent Conservative we had, but the last decent and strong politician we had.

David Cameron is not a Thatcher, he is weak and twists and turns saying anything which he hopes will appeal to the voter. What's the point in voting for him? He will not help England.

No, the wisest amongst us will see there will not be any chance of putting matters right after the next election and the country will be much better off if we voted for the minority parties and hope for a hung government where the leaders will have to do deals to get any minority or independent MPs to side with them.

But the great unwashed will vote Labour, and the middle classes will vote for "Call me Dave" Cameron. And Britain will, once again, get the government they deserve.

I sometimes think Robert Magabe could do better!

The Daffodil Principle

This is a longish story but there is a very real moral at the end of it. I commend it to the blog!

Ampers

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. "I will come next Tuesday, " I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said, "Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see bad enough to drive another inch!" My daughter smiled calmly and said, " We drive in this all the time, Mother." "Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her.

"I was hoping you'd take me over to the garage to pick up my car. "How far will we have to drive?" "Just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this." After several minutes, I had to ask, "Where are we going? This isn't the way to the garage!" "We're going to my garage the long way," Carolyn smiled, "by way of the daffodils."

"Carolyn," I said sternly, "please turn around." "It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience." After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand-lettered sign that read, "Daffodil Garden". We got out of the car and each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path.

Then, we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight. It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peak and slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns - great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.

"But who has done this?" I asked Carolyn. "It's just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.

On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking" was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "one at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and very little brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958."

There it was....... The Daffodil Principle.

For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than thirty-five years before, had begun - one bulb at a time - to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountain top.

Just planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. She had created something of ineffable magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.

The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration. That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time - often just one baby-step at a time - and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things.

We can change the world.

"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years. Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.

The power of money

Various parties try to forecast what the voters will be more concerned about before any election. Is it health, policing, education, Europe or what?

I have a little story to tell. It is meant to be a joke, but it will illustrate the point I want to make about what the real issue is when a voter turns out to make his cross.

THE JUDGE’S DILEMMA

In a small town, a person decided to open up a brothel, which was right opposite to a church. The church & its congregation started a campaign to block the brothel from opening with petitions, and prayed daily against his business.

Work progressed. However, when it was almost complete and was about to open a few days later, strong lightning struck the brothel and it was burnt to the ground.

The church folks were rather smug in their outlook after that, till the brothel owner sued the church authorities on the grounds that the church, through its congregation & prayers, was ultimately responsible for the destruction of his brothel, either through direct or indirect actions or means.

In its reply to the court, the church vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection that their prayers were reasons for the act of God. As the case made its way into court, the judge looked over the paperwork at the hearing and commented:

'I don't know how I'm going to decide this case, but it appears from the paperwork we have a brothel owner who firmly believes in the power of prayer and an entire church that doesn't.'

I have to say that, in the end, it always depends on how much money we will have left in our pay packets.The Liberal Democrats still haven't understood that. Remember that disastrous time when they offered to put a penny on income tax to boost education? They really did badly that time.

And Labour? They have expanded the number of people who get state benefits like billy-o! All these people will be too fearful of losing their benefits if they vote Conservative.

And the Conservatives? Once they were the natural party for Queen and Country. Now they are fearful of telling the truth about the EU. Imagine their votes if they decided on leaving the EU and toold the people what they would do with the money saved

The Taxpayers Alliance state:

EU membership costs every citizen €2,400 (£2,122) per year, compared with the €235 (£207) quoted by the commission.

The UK-based lobby group says that, annually, the total cost of membership to the 27 states is €1219bn (£1078bn) – close to ten times the official figures.

The Taxpayers' Alliance bases its figures on what it considers the "real, underestimated and hidden" cost of EU membership.

You can read more about this on this page of their website.

This is 1.078 trillion pounds. How quickly could we get back on our feet if we hadn't to carry these expenses each year? This works out at £89bn every month, or £20.7bn a week or £3bn a day. Or to put it in perspective, £683,663 for the time it took me to type this sentence.

The question isn't "Do we want to leave the EU or not?" The real question should be "Could we be better off if we spent this £1.2 trillion on our own citizens?" Ask this question and most people would vote for coming out.

And UKIP aren't much better. They go on about us coming out of the EU. As I have said above, it is the wrong question - people couldn't care either way, but if you start talking about how you are going to spend that money, on UK citizens, no other party could match your largesse.

Ampers

Who said this?

... and when?

...It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonoured by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.

“Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter'd your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?

“Ye sordid prostitutes, have you not defil'd this sacred place, and turn'd the Lord's temple into a den of thieves by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress'd; your country therefore calls upon me to cleanse the Augean Stable, by putting a final period to your iniquitous proceedings, and which by God's help and the strength He has given me, I now come to do.

“I command ye, therefore, upon the peril of your lives, to depart immediately out of this place! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors. You have sat here too long for the good you do. In the name of God, go!

So, my good friends, what's changed?

Ampers.

Let's all cheer up...

... or not as the case may be!

STAY ALERT! These people walk among us, and the scary part is that they have the right to vote and to reproduce!


IDIOT SIGHTING #1
My daughter and I went through the McDonald's take-out window and I gave the girl a £5 note. Our total was £4.20, so I also handed her a Twenty pence piece. She said, 'you gave me too much money.' I said,'Yes I know, but that way you can just give me a pound back.' She was puzzled and went to get the manager who asked me to repeat my request. I did so, and he handed me back the 20 pence and said 'We're sorry but they could not do that kind of thing.' The girl then proceeded to give me back 80 pence in change!

Do not confuse the staff at MacD's.


IDIOT SIGHTING #2
We had to have the garage door repaired. The GARADOR repairman told us that one of our problems was that we did not have a 'large' enough motor on the opener.I thought for a minute, and said that we had the largest one GARADOR made at that time, a 1/2 horsepower. He shook his head and said, 'Madam, you need a 1/4 horsepower.' I responded that 1/2 was larger than 1/4 and he said,'NOOO, it's not. Four is larger than two…' We haven't used Garador repair since.

Happened in Moor Park, Nr Watford UK


IDIOT SIGHTING #3
I live in a semi rural area. We recently had a new neighbour call the local town council office to request the removal of the "DEER CROSSING" sign on our road. She said the reason was : 'Too many deer are being hit by cars out here! I don't think this is a good place for them to be crossing anymore.'

Story from Potters Bar, Herts. , UK


IDIOT SIGHTING #4
I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an Irish airport employee asked, 'Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge? To which I replied, 'If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?" He smiled knowingly and nodded, 'That's why we ask.'

Happened at Luton Airport ... UK


IDIOT SIGHTING #5
The stoplight on the corner buzzes when it's safe to cross the street. I was crossing with an intellectually challenged co-worker of mine. She asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it signals blind people when the light is red. Appalled, she responded, 'What on earth are blind people doing driving?!'

She is a Local Council employee in Harrow, Middlesex (UK)


IDIOT SIGHTING #5
When my husband and I arrived at Our Local Ford dealer to pick up our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the drivers side door. As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked. 'Hey,' I announced to the Fitter/Mechanic, 'its open!' His reply, 'I know. I have already done that side.'

This was at Ford dealership in St Albans,Hertfordshire UK.


IDIOT SIGHTING #6
I left a note at a copy shop asking for a drawing to be enlarged to 160% of its size. When I returned the young lady said she had not been able to do it. When I asked why not, she replied "What's percent?" (The copier controls were marked 1.5 times, 1.6 times, 1.7 times etc)

It really DID happen, in Alton Hants.

Ampers

Let Me See If I Understand This Correctly. . .

• If you cross the North Korean border illegally, you get 12 years hard labour.
• If you cross the Iranian border illegally, you are detained indefinitely.
• If you cross the Afghan border illegally, you get shot.
• If you cross the Saudi Arabian border illegally, you will be jailed.
• If you cross the Chinese border illegally, you may never be heard from again.
• If you cross the Venezuelan border illegally, you will be branded a spy and your fate will be sealed.
• If you cross the Cuban border illegally, you will be thrown into political prison to rot.

However, if you cross the British border illegally, you get

• a job
• a driver's licence
• a social security card
• welfare benefits
• subsidized rent
• help to buy a new house
• free education
• free health care
• a lobbyist in LONDON
• a legal right to criticise and berate our Christianity
• a legal right to criticise and berate our Western ideals and principals
• and, in many instances, you can VOTE

Could someone please tell me why?

Ampers

Christmas under fire, 1941

A merry Christmas to all my readers, For the older ones who remember, I would like to play a video made by one of the best American friends Britain every had in the second world war, a certain Mr Quentin Reynolds. For my younger readers, I want you to watch it and know that those who write us off may be making the biggest mistake of their lives.

Christmas under fire, 1941:



Wikipedia says of him:

Quentin James Reynolds (April 11, 1902, New York City – March 17, 1965, San Francisco, California) was a journalist and World War II war correspondent.

As associate editor at Collier's Weekly from 1933 to 1945, Reynolds averaged twenty articles a year. He also published twenty-five books, including The Wounded Don’t Cry, London Diary, Dress Rehearsal, and Courtroom,

His video despatches back to America may not have been responsible for American answering our bugle call but when they did, I am sure the memory of his despatches persuaded the common people that we were "worth saving".

We may be cowered by ideology, by Political Correctness, Health and Safety, and all the other weapons our ruling class operate to cower us and subject us, but they will never kill our spirit and when a leader finally surfaces, we will follow them and do what needs to be done.

You can learn more about the British spirit at the National Archives.

And finally, if you liked the last video, here is another from the same stable.



Ampers

The most successful Prime Ministers in the last 100 years.

This may come as a surprise to most people, but I think the pair, Brown and Blair, have been the most successful team this country has had for over a hundred years.

Before I tell you why I think this, I would like to talk a little about the Marxists in our midst.

One of the problems that the Marxists face is the ability the Anglo-Saxon has for independent thought. Because these Marxists knew they were rather thin on the ground they concentrated on infiltrating our education system and television media.

However, as must as the teachers have tried to indoctrinate our children, and television have tried to indictrinate the rest of us, it just hasn't worked. So these people put on their thinking caps and created “Political Correctness” with the objective of creating an environment where the Anglo-Saxon would become to frightened to voice their thoughts on important issues such as immigration, racism etc.

After this new way forward had time to create the aura of fear that it was intended to, these Marxists then looked for more ambitious ways of making their mark. They “invented” NuLabour and had their man, Tony Blair, put in to persuade the public of all classes that this was a man to do business with.

Over the years, Tony Blair has systematically destroyed, with the help of Gordon Brown, first as Chancellor, and then as replacement Prime Minister, Great Britain. And they have exceeded beyond their wildest dreams.

This is the reason why I say they have been the most successful leaders of modern times. They set out to destroy the Anglo-Saxon, and they have succeeded.

I append below a paper written by two Cuban journalists in the United States in case you are interested in reading more about Political Correctness.

Ampers.

Political Correctness: The Scourge of Our Times

Agustin Blazquez with the collaboration of Jaums Sutton

Monday, April 8, 2002

Does anyone know the origins of Political Correctness? Who originally developed it and what was its purpose? I looked it up. It was developed at the Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt, Germany, which was founded in 1923 and came to be known as the "Frankfurt School." It was a group of thinkers who pulled together to find a solution to the biggest problem facing the implementers of communism in Russia.

The problem?

Why wasn't communism spreading? Their answer? Because Western Civilization was in its way. What was the problem with Western Civilization? Its belief in the individual, that an individual could develop valid ideas. At the root of communism was the theory that all valid ideas come from the effect of the social group of the masses. The individual is nothing. And they believed that the only way for communism to advance was to help (or force, if necessary) Western Civilization to destroy itself. How to do that? Undermine its foundations by chipping away at the rights of those annoying individuals.

One way to do that?

Change their speech and thought patterns by spreading the idea that vocalizing your beliefs is disrespectful to others and must be avoided to make up for past inequities and injustices. And call it something that sounds positive: "Political Correctness." Inspired by the brand new communist technique, Mao, in the 1930s, wrote an article on the "correct" handling of contradictions among the people. "Sensitive training" – sound familiar? – and speech codes were born.

In 1935, after Hitler came to power, the Frankfurt School moved to New York City, where they continued their work by translating Marxism from economic to cultural terms using Sigmund Freud's psychological conditioning mechanisms to get Americans to buy into Political Correctness. In 1941, they moved to California to spread their wings. But Political Correctness remains just what it was intended to be: a sophisticated and dangerous form of censorship and oppression, imposed upon the citizenry with the ultimate goal of manipulating, brainwashing and destroying our society.

PC Cuba

My first conscious exposure to Political Correctness was in 1959 – the first year of Castro's revolution in Cuba – while attending an indoctrination session at a neighborhood elementary school in Havana. There I learned for the first time of the claimed superiority of life in the Soviet Union vs. the U.S. There I also learned that the word "compañero" (filtered version of the communist "comrade" – Fidel was denying his communist preferences) was the correct way to refer to the other members of the new Cuban society-in-the-making.

Mr., Mrs. and Miss were no longer acceptable, and their further use could reveal that you were not a Fidelista. Since repression and violations of human rights came roaring in right behind Castro's sweep down from the mountains in 1959, objection or rejection of Fidel Castro's revolution would (and still will) land you in a lot of trouble. You could easily lose your life in those summary executions at La Cabaña prison under the direction of Che Guevara. But don't worry about Che. Che was later transformed and cleansed by the masters of Political Correctness. His likeness became a revered icon of the far left, with T-shirts and posters still adorning the campuses of America.

The same techniques were used to cleanse one of today's "heroes," Mumia Abu-Jamal (even if he was convicted, by overwhelming evidence, of killing a cop). And under the pervasive guidance of Political Correctness that took hold from elementary school to university, from the media to the arts, from the country fields to factories and offices, Cubans learned to say what it was safe to say. Always in line with the overpowering state. Always following the dictums of the only political party left: the Communist Party. The self-censorship resulting from Political Correctness easily trampled freedom of speech.

Political Correctness has succeeded in Cuba by creating a uniform political discourse that has lasted for 43 years. Political Correctness has given the state (Castro) complete control of speech. That is the main reason why the U.S. media cannot extract the truth of what Cubans really feel when they nterview regular citizens and deceptively present their comments as valid to the American public.

The same was true in the former Soviet Union and the former satellite countries. The same continues in the remaining communist world. It's nothing new. The U.S. media must know that, so why don't they openly report that fact instead of misleading the public? Perhaps that is the reason why the American people are so

uneducated about the Cuban tragedy and acted regrettably during the Elian Gonzalez affair. The PC U.S.

With profound dismay, I have seen how the scourge of Political Correctness has taken hold in the U.S. It is very well entrenched in our educational system, at scientific, religious and community levels, the media, the workplace and even our government. It is changing the American society from within, and the citizens of this nation are increasingly censoring themselves and losing their freedom of speech out of fear of Political Correctness repression. It is the nature of Western Civilization to be civilized – respectful of others and concerned with correcting injustices. We don't need Political Correctness to make us think we are not civilized on our own and must have our thoughts and words restricted.

In December 2001, in Kensington, Md., an annual firefighters Santa Claus festivity to light the Christmas tree was objected to by two families. The city council, in the name of Political Correctness, voted to ban Santa from the parade. Fortunately, due to citizen outcry, the decision was reversed in the end and many people protested by dressing up as Santa.

Logically and respectfully, how can one person's benign icon be objectionable to the point of banishment? Offer to add other people's icons. Make it a broader celebration. That's the Perfectly Correct American way. The rulers of Political Correctness reach absurd levels when they refer to the betrayal of America by the spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg – executed in 1953 – as "non-traditional patriotism"! We see shameful situations created in our schools and universities in America that have fallen prey to Political Correctness. Some professors, students and publications are being attacked for expressing a point of view that differs from that imposed by a fanatical far left, under the guise of Political Correctness.

In schools and workplaces we see that "diversity" has degenerated into reverse discrimination, where often the less qualified are admitted and the incompetent cannot be fired. We have seen characters like Rev. Jesse Jackson shamelessly blackmailing and threatening to boycott entire corporations if they don't hire those selected by him or simply make "donations" to his organizations.

The Double Standard Emerges

Our Constitution requires the separation of church and state, which has always discouraged our public education system from teaching religion. However, in December 2001, while Christmas cards, symbols and decorations were being objected to for the first time in American public schools in Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Oregon, in an elementary school in Texas, a girl was allowed to give to her classmates an overview and show a video about her Muslim religion.

And in January 2002, a public middle school in San Luis Obispo, Calif., had its students pretend to be warriors fighting for Islam. Another school near Oakland, Calif., also encouraged 125 seventh-grade students to dress up in Muslim robes for a three-week course on Islam.

This arbitrary double standard was applied in the name of Political Correctness following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. According to Ellen Sorokin's "No Founding Fathers?" published by the Washington Times on its front page on Jan. 28, 2002, even our Founding Fathers have fallen victim to the travesty. The article says of the New Jersey Department of Education's history standards, "The latest revisions to the state standards have disappointed educators across the country, who said the board's exclusion of the Founding Fathers' names is 'Political Correctness to the nth degree.' " Sorokin points out that "the standards specifically note that students should identify slavery, the Holocaust and modern Iraq as examples in which 'people have behaved in cruel and inhumane ways.'

Conveniently, communism is absent from that short list.

In another article by Sorokin, published by the Washington Times on March 10, "Report Blames Anti-Americanism on College Teachers," she presents two examples of upcoming courses for next spring and fall. They are " 'The Sexuality of Terrorism' at University of California at Hayward; and 'Terrorism and the Politics of Knowledge' at UCLA, a class that, according to its course description, examines 'America's record of imperialistic adventurism.' "

Recently, a historic photograph of the New York firefighters raising the American flag over the ruins of the World Trade Center was going to be made into a sculpture as a memorial. But history's revisionists used Political Correctness to dictate that other minority faces replace some of the faces in the historical photograph! Fortunately, in the end that didn't fly either, due to the outcry of firefighters and the public.

The Goal of the PC Dictators

For people with the background and firsthand experience of living inside a totalitarian communist society, the tilt and goal of the dictators of Political Correctness in America are obvious. The beneficiaries in the end will be the fanatic believers in the totalitarian state, who, in spite of the dismal failure of communism and the 100 million people exterminated pursuing that criminal system, have not given up.

Political and religious fanatics, as demonstrated by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the subsequent war in Afghanistan, are extremely dangerous in today's world. All citizens who cherish liberty must reject the scourge of Political Correctness. Freedom of speech must be preserved in America if we are to continue to be free.

Let's say it: Castro is not a 'president,' as the U.S. media's Political Correctness calls him. Castro has not been democratically elected to anything in Cuba. The correct word to define him is 'tyrant.' He is not just a 'leader,' as the U.S. media also calls him. He is more of a criminal Mafioso- type character.

Why criminal? Because he has caused the deaths of more than 100,000 Cubans. Thousands have died through his support of guerrillas in Central and South America. Thousands of blacks were killed by Castro's soldiers in Africa. Castro in the 1980s introduced the use of bacteriological weapons to kill blacks in Angola.

How many thousands have died in America as a result of his drug trafficking into the U.S.? How many thousands have died all over the world due to terrorists trained in Castro's Cuba? Former Soviet colonel Ken Alibek, who defected to America, was once in charge of the Soviet Union' Political Correctness: The Scourge of Our Times

Let's preserve our freedom and say NO to the scourge of Political Correctness.

© 2002 ABIP

Charter of Liberties of Henry I, 1100

This charter, granted by Henry when he ascended the throne, is important in two ways. First, Henry formally bound himself to the laws, setting the stage for the rule of law that parliaments and parliamentarians of later ages would cry for. Second, it reads almost exactly like the Magna Carta, and served as the model for the Great Charter in 1215.

Henry, king of the English, to Bishop Samson and Urso de Abetot and all hisbarons and faithful, both French and English, of Worcestershire, [copies weresent to all the shires] greeting.

1. Know that by the mercy of God and the common counsel of the barons of thewhole kingdom of England I have been crowned king of said kingdom; and becausethe kingdom had been oppressed by unjust exactions, I, through fear of god andthe love which I have toward you all, in the first place make the holy churchof God free, so that I will neither sell nor put ot farm, nor on the death ofarchbishop or bishop or abbot will I take anything from the church's demesne orfrom its men until the successor shall enter it. And I take away all the badcustoms by which the kingdom of England was unjustly oppressed; which badcustoms I here set down in part:

2. If any of my barons, earls, or others who hold of me shall have died, hisheir shall not buy back his land as he used to do in the time of my brother,but he shall relieve it by a just and lawful relief. Likewise also the men ofmy barons shall relieve their lands from their lords by a just and lawfulrelief.

3. And if any of my barons or other men should wish to give his daughter,sister, niece, or kinswoman in marriage, let him speak with me about it; but Iwill neither take anything from him for this permission nor prevent his givingher unless he should be minded to join her to my enemy. And if, upon the deathof a baron or other of my men, a daughter is left as heir, I will give her withher land by the advice of my barons. And if, on the death of her husband, thewife is left and without children, she shall have her dowry and right ofmarriage, and I will not give her to a husband unless according to her will.

4. But if a wife be left with children, she shall indeed have her dowry andright of marriage so long as she shall keep her body lawfully, and I will notgive her unless according to her will. And the guardian of the land andchildren shall be either the wife or another of the relatives who more justlyought to be. And I command that my barons restrain themselves similarly indealing with the sons and daughters or wives of their men.

5. The common seigniorage, which has been taken through the cities andcounties, but which was not taken in the time of King Edward I absolutelyforbid henceforth. If any one, whether a moneyer or other, be taken with falsemoney, let due justice be done for it.

6. I remit all pleas and all debts which were owing to my brother, except mylawful fixed revenues and except those amounts which had been agreed upon forthe inheritances of others or for things which more justly concerned others. And if any one had pledged anything for his own inheritance, I remit it; alsoall reliefs which had been agreed upon for just inheritances.

7. And if any of my barons or men shall grow feeble, as he shall give orarrange to give his money, I grant that it be so given. But if, prevented byarms or sickness, he shall not have given or arranged to give his money, hiswife, children, relatives, or lawful men shall distribute it for the good ofhis sould as shall seem best to them.

8. If any of my barons or men commit a crime, he shall not bind himself to apayment at the king's mercy as he has been doing in the time of my father or mybrother; but he shall make amends according to the extent of the crime as hewould have done before the time of my father in the time of my otherpredecessors. But if he be convicted of treachery or heinous crime, he shallmake amends as is just.

9. I forgive all murders committed before the day I was crowned king; andthose which shall be committed in the future shall be justly compensatedaccording to the law of King Edward.

10. By the common consent of my barons I have kept in my hands forests as myfather had them.

11. To those knights who render military service for their lands I grant of myown gift that the lands of their demesne ploughs be free from all payments andall labor, so that, having been released from so great a burden, they may equipthemselves well with horses and arms and be fully prepared for my service andthe defense of my kingdom.

12. I impose a strict peace upon my whole kingdom and command that it bemaintained henceforth.

13. I restore to you the law of King Edward with those amendments introducedinto it by my father with the advice of his barons.

14. If any one, since the death of King William my brother, has taken anythingbelonging to me or to any one else, the whole is to be quickly restored withoutfine; but if any one keep anything of it, he upon whom it shall be found shallpay me a heavy fine.

Witnesses Maurice bishop of London, and William bishop elect of Winchester, andGerard bishop of Hereford, and earl Henry, and earl Simon, and Walter Giffard,and Robert de Montfort, and Roger Bigot, and Eudo the steward, and Robert sonof Hamo, and Robert Malet. At London when I was crowned. Farewell.

Old Holborn Blog

Warning: The following Old Holborn blog contains bad language. However, it is difficult not to use bad language when discussing a subject like this, that I have decided to leave the language expressed in.

Ampers

A return to sanity

from Old Holborn by Old Holborn

Look at the above graph. Look long and hard at the above graph.

You do know who is going to pay for this, don't you? Your children. You know, the ones you are busy preparing for life. The ones you are currently sacrificing everything for to make sure they can stand on their own two feet and be independent in life.

Their dreams, their ambitions and their futures have been pissed up the fucking wall by a mere 646 people. An entire generation has been commited to little more than slavery to the State because of the excesses of yet another Labour Government. Whilst you toiled, they've been spending it faster than any of us could earn it. So fast, that your children, perhaps yet unborn, are going to have to pay for the rest of YOUR life, if not theirs.

I've attacked the chavs, the bottom feeders, the welfare junkies before. This time I'm aiming at a different section of society.

I want the heads of the middle classes on a fucking plate.

What the fuck is wrong with our society that we can allow a Government the free reign to impoverish an entire generation? Yes, I'm talking to you in your three bed semi in Walsall, with a Mondeo on the drive, Radio 4 Womens Hour blaring out in the background and organic avacados in the fridge. Yes, you cunts.

Why did you do it? I know you voted Labour because that grinning cocktrumpet Cherie Blair and her snake oil salesman of a husband looked like "nice people" at the time. They are now multimillionaires and couldn't give a flying fuck about you, your subsciption to the gym or little Chlamidyas extra maths lessons. They don't care that the BMW needs a service and because the market for asset managers is a bit low at the moment, Keith, your boring husband is out of work.

Do you think Jo Brand or Melvyn Bragg gives a shit? Do you think Marcus Bridgestock or Adam Boulton would even wipe you off their shoe? Do you think Harman or Blears feel the pain you do? DO THEY FUCK. They are on fully indexed pensions, fat on the excesses of Government/Media. Whilst you bite your nails to the quick dreading what the postman will bring in the morning. Chlamidya and Euphrates are not going to be lawyers. They are going to be highly taxed peasants, spending decades paying off what the 646 spent in a rush to the head, equality for all social FUCK UP of frankly monumental proportions.

You've been had. More than that, you gambled your childrens future on 8 magic beans laid out in front of you by Tony Blair.

Whilst you slept, ZanuLabour set about making sure that any rebellion by your children can be quickly quashed. So we now have political officers in schools looking out for dissent in four year olds. We have parents being forced to attend "councilling" by civil courts if the behaviour of their child is not compatable with "Government targets"

Every civil Liberty taken from us in the last 12 years is now set to trample your children into the ideal fodder for yet more abuse from the 646. They are children born into slavery. Bonded labour if you wish.

And you did it. The rush for Pavlova instead of pudding, the necessity for nail salons and the (unread) Observer on the coffee table to impress the guests has seen Britain sell not just its soul, but its children to the highest bidder.

Look around the room. Find ONE THING the State does not regulate, control, tax or monitor. This has happened in a mere 100 years and we allowed it to happen. 646 Monsters took everything, absolutely everything from us, including our childrens futures. Their birth certificates are just Gilts to be sold to the highest bidders.

We are the New Soviets. We must be truly insane. Now we are going to need a bloody revolution and our children are quite rightly going to ask how the hell it came to this.

Jobs for the boys!

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (I feel a song coming on) is the same size as Doncaster (South Yorkshire).

In Doncaster it takes 63 councillors to run Doncaster. If you asked any of these councillors they will tell you the council is extremely hard working and every councillor is dedicated to make life better for the inhabitants of Doncaster.

The nine councillors in Pittsburgh are also hard working and equally dedicated to the citizens of their city.

I wonder what their secret is?

Ampers

The fastest Illusionist ever

Be prepared to be spellbound in this five minute video.



Ampers

Polititions who went to private school

Considering the fact that politicians have fucked up (excuse my French) the educational system in this country, I thought I would give you a list of some of the people who have a private education.

As the Government is Labour, I only show Labour politicians.

Public schools:
# Ed Balls (Morley and Outwood)
# Hugh Bayley (City of York)
# Hilary Benn (Leeds Central)
# Bob Blizzard (Waveney)
# Chris Bryant (Rhondda)
# Stephen Byers (North Tyneside)
# Charles Clarke (Norwich South)
# Ann Clwyd (Cynon Valley)
# Jim Cousins (Newcastle-upon-Tyne Central)
# Alistair Darling (Edinburgh South West)
# Quentin Davies (Grantham and Stamford)
# Louise Ellman (Liverpool Riverside)
# Natascha Engel (North East Derbyshire)
# Mark Fisher (Stoke-on-Trent Central)
# Barry Gardiner (Brent North)
# Linda Gilroy (Plymouth Sutton)
# Paul Goggins (Wythenshawe and Sale East)
# Peter Hain (Neath)
# Patrick Hall (Bedford and Kempston)
# Fabian Hamilton (Leeds North East)
# Harriet Harman (Camberwell and Peckham)
# John Healey (Wentworth)
# Margaret Hodge (Barking)
# Geoff Hoon (Ashfield)
# Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley)
# Tessa Jowell (Dulwich and West Norwood)
# Sally Keeble (Northampton North)
# Ruth Kelly (Bolton West)
# Jim Knight (South Dorset)
# Ivan Lewis (South Bury)
# Martin Linton (Battersea)
# Ian Lucas (Wrexham)
# Denis MacShane (Rotherham)
# Fiona Mactaggart (Slough)
# Judy Mallaber (Amber Valley)
# John Mann (Bassetlaw)
# Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West)
# Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South)
# Bob Marshall-Andrews (Medway)
# Michael Meacher (Oldham West and Royton)
# Chris Mole (Ipswich)
# Julie Morgan (Cardiff North)
# Doug Naysmith (Bristol North West)
# Nick Palmer (Broxtowe)
# Gordon Prentice (Pendle)
# James Purnell (Stalybridge and Hyde)
# Nick Raynsford (Greenwich and Woolwich)
# Geoffrey Robinson (Coventry North West)
# Andrew Slaughter (Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush)
# John Spellar (Warley)
# Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes South West)
# Howard Stoate (Dartford)
# Gavin Strang (Edinburgh East)
# Mark Todd (South Derbyshire)
# Kitty Ussher (Burnley)
# Keith Vaz (Leicester East)
# Malcolm Wicks (Croydon North)
# Michael Wills (Swindon North)
# Rosie Winterton (Doncaster Central)
# Shaun Woodward (St Helens South)

Grammar Schools
* Diane Abbott (Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
* Nick Ainger (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)
* Graham Allen (Nottingham North)
* David Anderson (Blaydon)
* Janet Anderson (Rossendale and Darwen)
* Hilary Armstrong (North West Durham)
* Charlotte Atkins (Staffordshire Moorlands)
* John Austin (Erith and Thamesmead)
* Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West)
* Vera Baird (Redcar)
* Margaret Beckett (Derby South)
* Stuart Bell (Middlesbrough)
* Roger Berry (Kingswood)
* Liz Blackman (Erewash)
* Hazel Blears (Salford)
* David Borrow (South Ribble)
* Karen Buck (Regent's Park and Kensington North)
* Richard Burden (Birmingham Northfield)
* Colin Burgon (Elmet)
* Alan Campbell (Tynemouth)
* Martin Caton (Gower)
* Colin Challen (Morley and Rothwell)
* Ben Chapman (Wirral South)
* David Chaytor (Bury North)
* Paul Clark (Gillingham)
* Vernon Coaker (Gedling)
* Ann Coffey (Stockport)
* Rosie Cooper (West Lancashire)
* Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North)
* David Crausby (Bolton North East)
* Tony Cunningham (Workington)
* Janet Dean (Burton)
* Andrew Dismore (Hendon)
* Frank Dobson (Holborn and St. Pancras)
* Jeffrey Ennis (Barnsley East and Mexborough)
* Bill Etherington (Sunderland North)
* Paul Farrelly (Newcastle-under-Lyme)
* Frank Field (Birkenhead)
* Michael Foster (Hastings and Rye)
* Hywel Francis (Aberavon)
* Bruce George (Walsall South)
* Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow)
* Mark Hendrick (Preston)
* John Heppell (Nottingham East)
* Stephen Hesford (Wirral West)
* Patricia Hewitt (Leicester West)
* Keith Hill (Streatham)
* Kate Hoey (Vauxhall)
* Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North)
* Kim Howells (Pontypridd)
* Beverley Hughes (Stretford and Urmston)
* John Hutton (Barrow and Furness)
* Eric Illsley (Barnsley Central)
* Glenda Jackson (Hampstead and Highgate)
* Alan Johnson (Hull West and Hessle)
* Diana Johnson (Hull North)
* Martyn Jones (Clwyd South)
* Gerald Kaufman (Manchester Gorton)
* Barbara Keeley (Worsley)
* Alan Keen (Feltham and Heston)
* Stephen Ladyman (South Thanet)
* Tony Lloyd (Manchester Central)
* Andrew MacKinlay (Thurrock)
* Christine McCafferty (Calder Valley)
* Sarah McCarthy-Fry (Portsmouth North)
* John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington)
* Tony McNulty (Harrow East)
* Alun Michael (Cardiff South and Penarth)
* Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby)
* Madeleine Moon (Bridgend)
* Kali Mountford (Colne Valley)
* Denis Murphy (Wansbeck)
* Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South)
* James Plaskitt (Warwick and Leamington)
* Greg Pope (Hyndburn)
* Stephen Pound (Ealing North)
* Joan Ruddock (Lewisham Deptford)
* Christine Russell (City of Chester)
* Martin Salter (Reading West)
* Alison Seabeck (Plymouth Devonport)
* Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield)
* Siôn Simon (Birmingham Erdington)
* Alan Simpson (Nottingham South)
* Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)
* Andrew Smith (Oxford East)
* John Smith (Vale of Glamorgan)
* Peter Soulsby (Leicester South)
* Helen Southworth (Warrington South)
* Jack Straw (Blackburn)
* Gerry Sutcliffe (Bradford South)
* David Taylor (North West Leicestershire)
* Stephen Timms (East Ham)
* Paddy Tipping (Sherwood)
* Jon Trickett (Hemsworth)
* Des Turner (Brighton Kemptown)
* Neil Turner (Wigan)
* Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North)
* Alan Whitehead (Southampton Test)
* Alan Williams (Swansea West)
* Mike Wood (Batley and Spen)
* Phil Woolas (Oldham East and Saddleworth)
* Tony Wright (Cannock Chase)
* Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne and Sheppey)

Thanks to the "Working Class Tory" who provided the answers

Ampers

The end of Britain as we know it, Jim!

This actually falls under pre-crime, because the theft will not take place until 00:01 hours, Tuesday 1st December 2009.

It is a notable theft and bears reporting. Many others have tried, and failed, to obtain police action. Politicians have been asked, and in turn, they have ignored our questions, and our documented demands that they cease and desist. Not surprising, when you learn that it is the politicians themselves that will aid and abet in the theft.

What will be taken?

A few small items. Items that we have had in our possession for around a thousand years. Antiques, then? Well, sort of. These particular ancient items are truly priceless. Countless numbers of people have died, have been imprisoned, and had their lives ruined in the obtaining and in the retaining of these precious items. We thought that they were safe, we thought we would keep them forever, but a group of mindless, thoughtless, greedy and inept people, charged with their safekeeping, fell asleep at the switch, and went to great lengths to ensure that the theft will take place.

To read more, go to:

http://bastardoldholborn.blogspot.com/2009/11/theft-report.html

Ampers.

Golf balls

I found this at http://www.funkymunky.co.za/letter175.html a South African newsletter I get every month.


When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, When 24 hours in a day is not enough; remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and start to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded With an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else -- The small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued,'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, You will never have room for the things that are important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.

'Take care of the golf balls first -- The things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked'.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

Ampers

This one is worth spreading

http://bastardoldholborn.blogspot.com/2009/11/let-leash-dogs-of-chaos.html -

Thanks for this, Old Holborn,

Any solicitors reading this... has he got a good point here?

Ampers

ClimateGate

There is an interesting blog on Old Holborn's site:

http://bastardoldholborn.blogspot.com/2009/11/climategate.html

If you click on the link "Get stuck in, people" on his page, or this page, it will take you straight to the information.

Ampers

From Guido Fawke's blog

Thomas Jefferson said in his 1801 inaugural speech

“With all [our] blessings, what more is necessary to make us a happy and a prosperous people? Still one thing more, fellow citizens – a wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government, and this is necessary to close the circle of our felicities.”

GORDON! CAN YOU HEAR?

Ampers

Lessons in life #162

Never argue with a mother!

Ampers

Benny Hill is the funniest...

... man in Comedy. His humour was excellent and I have little time for anyone who thinks otherwise.

One of the shows characters, Bettine le Beau, is interviewed here about him: and I liked the part where she says she loved all his shows and admitted she was also a bit of a prude.

A bit of a prude and loved his shows? What the hell does that make the nasty sad little people who condemned him to a lonely old age where he dies watching television alone?

Bettine is coming to lunch so I will ask her more about this and add a comment later.

Ampers

Bodycare UK 'bans Remembrance Day poppies'

Bodycare UK have banned all their store and shop staff from wearing Remembrance Day poppies.

I would like to suggest to any female readers of my blog who consider buy products made or sold by Bodycare UK, after the company have banned staff from wearing poppies, to refrain from reading my blog any more.

I don't want to associate with you in anyway.

If I seem a little over the top - it is because I am livid with fury.

Ampers

Iraq war hero Chris Finney says…

Taken from Guido Fawkes blog

Quote of the day:

“I have found the return to civilian life humbling. My George Cross counted for little when I tried to find a job in the middle of a recession. The usual grumbling by soldiers at the politicians who determine their fate has for me hardened into real anger. When I left the Army, I qualified for a resettlement allowance of just £500. In contrast, MPs who leave the Commons receive between 50% and 100% of their annual salary to help them ‘adjust’ to live outside Parliament. Where is the fairness in that?

What makes me even more furious is the lack of respect shown by the Government to those who have paid the highest price and made the ultimate sacrifice: the war dead. Why is there no Minister in attendance when our fallen heroes from Afghanistan are brought home to repatriation ceremonies at Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire? I couldn’t believe it when I read that Gordon Brown had phoned Simon Cowell to ask how Britain’s Got Talent contestant Susan Boyle was when she had a breakdown. He doesn’t phone any of the bereaved families. I thought that was absolutely disgusting, a real slap in the face for the parents of the hundreds of soldiers killed.”

As an ex-soldier myself, I really feel for Chris and all his colleagues, and one of the reasons I hate this government is their cavalier attitude for the safety of the young men it sends to die of the causes of the politicians.

Ampers.

A misplaced joke

The following was sent to me as a joke, but I almost cried when I think what "Political Correctness", mollycoddling and "Health and Safety" have done to the present generation. Read and contemplate!

Ampers


Congratulations to all my friends who were born in the 1930's 40's, 50's, and 60's!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and drank while they carried us and lived in houses made of asbestos.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, raw egg products, loads of bacon and processed meat, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes or cervical cancer.

Then after that trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets or shoes, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle..

Take away food was limited to fish and chips, no pizza shops, McDonalds , KFC, Subway or Nandos.

Even though all the shops closed at 6.00pm and didn't open on the weekends, somehow we didn't starve to death!

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this.

We could collect old drink bottles and cash them in at the corner store and buy Toffees, Gobstoppers, Bubble Gum and some bangers to blow up frogs with.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because... we were always outside playing!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the street lights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were OK.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of old prams and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. We built tree houses and dens and played in river beds with matchbox cars.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo Wii , X-boxes, no video games at all, no 999 channels on SKY, no video/dvd films, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms...

We had friends and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

Only girls had pierced ears!

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

You could only buy Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns at Easter time...

We were given air guns and catapults for our 10th birthdays,

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!

Mum didn't have to go to work to help dad make ends meet!

Rugby and cricket had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! Getting into the team was based on merit.

Our teachers used to hit us with canes and gym shoes and bully's always ruled the playground at school.

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

Our parents didn't invent stupid names for their kids like 'Kiora' and 'Blade' and 'Ridge' and 'Vanilla'

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all!

Do you use Linux?

A lot of people do. I have the new Amazon Kindle, and that runs on Linux, I also have an HTC Hero phone - and that runs Linux as well,

Look down the list below my sign-off and see if you do.

My point here is, Linux may not be in the main stream with home users, but manufacturers are quickly beginning to see how well-behaved the product can be.

A quick rule of thumb for changing over to Linux from Windows on your PC is as follows.

If you only use your PC for writing letters, email, and Googling, and you don't need to interact with "state of the art" gadgets, then changing over to Linux is a doddle. Your operating system and software is not only free, but there around 18,000 free programs out there which you might like to play with in the future.

Heavy gadget users where you need to interact with your computer, heavy games players and those who use complex programsm such as Adobe's Creative Suite should not move over until they can find out whether there is Linux software which will do the trick.

Linux can also bring to life older computers which have trouble running on Windows.

Linux is getting better every year and if it is not for you today, it could be in the future.

The simplest and easiest Linux to use is Ubuntu.

Ampers.

Linux machines:

Nettops

Aleutia · Eee Box · fit-PC · Lemote · Linutop · ThinCan · WE Appliance · Zonbu

Netbooks

Aspire One · Averatec Buddy · Classmate PC · CloudBook · ECS G10IL · Eee PC · Elonex ONE/ONEt · Gigabyte M912 · HP Mini 1000/2133 · Inspiron Mini · MSI Wind · Nanobook · Noahpad · OLPC · One A110 · OpenBook · Skytone Alpha-400 · Tianhua GX-1C

Networking

Actiontec MI424WR · Asus Routers · BT Home Hub · Buffalo AirStation · Junxion Box · Linksys WRT54G series · Netgear FVS336G · Picotux · Killer NIC

Storage

Buffalo LinkStation / TeraStation · Linksys NSLU2 · Synology · WD My Book

Other

Chumby · CrunchPad · Gumstix · Palm Foleo · Beagle Board · SheevaPlug
XO Motherboard.png

Accessories

Multimedia

DBox2 · Dreambox · Hauppauge MediaMVP · Neuros OSD · TiVo · Wizpy

Handhelds

Amazon Kindle · Archos PMA400 · ILiad · Nokia 770 / N800 / N810 · N900 · Pepper Pad · Zaurus · Sony Reader · Zipit

Phones

HTC Dream · HTC Magic · HTC Hero · HTC Tattoo · Motorola ROKR Z6 / RAZR2 V8 · Neo 1973 / FreeRunner · Nokia N900 · Palm Pre · Samsung I7500

Consoles

GP2X (Wiz) · mylo · Pandora · Dingoo

What does "unlimited" mean?

unlimited

• adjective not limited or restricted; infinite.

Broadband and mobile phone companies should take note. It does not mean unlimited up to a certain amount.If you use the word "unlimited" to mean a limited offer you are guilty of deceiving your customers.

I made this point to Virgin who said "Everyone's doing it". A good excuse I told them. Does this mean that if half the people in your street go shoplifting in Harrods, it means it's OK for you to go in and steal an iPod or something?

"Everyone's doing it" is no excuse for dishonesty and crookedness.

Ampers.

Why people like Helen Rimmer are idiots

Tesco have come up with a way of helping people save on perishable goods. It is not a be all and end all of green but it is just one contribution. What it is is not really part of this blog.

However, Helen Rimmer, food campaigner with Friends of the Earth, said it was "staggeringly hypocritical" for companies like Tesco to claim the high ground on environmental issues. She said that if Tesco really wanted to help the planet it will take more than replacing 'bogofs' with 'bogofls'.

I know what she is getting at, but I think it is an unproductive way of going about achieving her aims.

The difference between Helen and myself? If I had her job, I would say, "That is a good idea, and is a start, what else have Tesco got in mind to really make a difference?"

It is all a matter of terminology and approach. Helen's approach will never really achieve anything, other than annoy the very people who might be able to make a difference. Helen is surely related to a character in Red Dwarf!

Anpers.

Liberty. Where art thou?

Senaca, the mid first century Roman philosopher once said "He, who is brave, is free!"

Here is a video that is well worth a few minutes viewing time.

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For my friends from Africa

WARNING - if you have left the country to make a life elsewhere, play this video with caution.

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Hague gives Brown a list....

Taken from Dizzy Thinks website

William Hague certainly trumped Gordon Brown's conference speech list of Labour "achievements" last week with the following list of Labour's legacy.

- £22,500 of debt for every child born in Britain
- 111 tax rises from a government that promised no tax rises at all
- The longest national tax code in the world
- 100,000 million pounds drained from British pension funds
- Gun crime up by 57%
- Violent crime up 70%
- The highest proportion of children living in workless households anywhere in Europe
- The number of pensioners living in poverty up by 100,000
- The lowest level of social mobility in the developed world
- The only G7 country with no growth this year
- One in six young people neither earning nor learning
- 5 million people on out-of –work benefits
- Missing the target of halving child poverty
- Ending up with child poverty rising in each of the last three years instead
- Cancer survival rates among the worst in Europe
- Hospital-acquired infections killing nearly three times as many people as are killed on the roads
- Falling from 4th to 13th in the world competitiveness league
- Falling from 8th to 24th in the world education rankings in maths
- Falling from 7th to 17th in the rankings in literacy
- The police spending more time on paperwork than on the beat
- Fatal stabbings at an all-time high
- Prisoners released without serving their sentences
- Foreign prisoners released and never deported
- 7 million people without an NHS dentist
- Small business taxes going up
- Business taxes raised from among the lowest to among the highest in Europe
- Tax rises for working people set for after the election
- The 10p tax rate abolished
- And the ludicrous promise to have ended boom and bust
- Our gold reserves sold for a quarter of their worth
- Our armed forces overstretched and under-supplied
- Profitable post offices closed against their will
- One of the highest rates of family breakdown in Europe
- The ‘Golden Rule’ on borrowing abandoned when it didn’t fit
- Police inspectors in 10,Downing Street
- Dossiers that were dodgy
- Mandelson resigning the first time
- Mandelson resigning the second time
- Mandelson coming back for a third time
- Bad news buried
- Personal details lost
- An election bottled
- A referendum denied

More updates

Having just blowing my own trumpet with the previous post showing all the people in different countries around the world who read my blog, I thought I would look into other interests which are developing..

As many of my readers will know, I have just started a local newspaper in Finchley (London N3). The initial group consisted of pensioners aged between 65 and 78. We shortly recruited a couple of youngsters (between 50 and 65). However, as the weeks have progressed we have recruited even younger people!

Since our first copy came out last Wednesday we have received interest from a previous editor of Personal Computer World and from a gentleman who writes applications software for Demon Internet. The video at the end of this message shows his other talents, apart from singing and playing the piano, he wrote the words.

If you would like to have a look at our first attempt, you can download it from www.FinchleyArrow.co.uk. That website will tell you a little bit more about our organisation as well. I guess I just got tired with retirement and by the time I was 70 I was itching to get my hands on something!

Our first issue doesn't look too much like a newspaper and is very short -- only six A4 pages. Because of my belief that people like to see improvement and success, this was deliberate. The next issue will have seven pages and we will increase at one page per month until we have 12 pages, when we will pause and take stock. The second issue will have the same amount of words, but it will start to look more like a newspaper, and I will introduce more white-space into the publication.

Our objective is to turn the dormitory town we live in (most people travel from Finchley into the centre of London both for work and for pleasure) into a more friendly and caring community. Even our classified advertising is geared to enable people to meet people without having the stigma of seeming to be an introduction service!

Well, that's enough for now, as I'm sure you are dying to listen to Gary! It is a geek song, played by a geek, to an audience full of geeks! The amazing thing is that it has had over half a million hits to date! But, I have to admit - I like it!

Ampers

Where do our readers come from?

Last time I carried out this exercise on Google Analytics, I found my readers came from 65 different countries. I am please to say that I have had an improvement of around 25%

Here are the 85 countries my readers came from, up to this morning: Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Brazil, Burundi, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malaysia, Martinique, Mexico, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam.

Makes it all worth while!

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Prison Awaits

I read, in this morning's newspaper:

"A single mother drowned her 11yearold son in a bath then tried to kill herself after being driven to despair by debts of £290,000."

I think someone should go to prison for this, for a very long time.

And I am not necessarily referring to the mother!

Ampers.

There's nothing more to say really, is there?

Read Old Holborn's take!

I am me!

This was emailed to me this morning by Ron of West Finchley.

Ampers

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family, for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 &70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love .... I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength, understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face.

So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore.

I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day(if I feel like it).

The head versus heart

Gordon Brown, in his speech to the Labour faithful, talked about the choice between Labour offering prosperity and hope, and Conservatives who have "no hearts".

There are families all over Britain who fall into two categories. There are some who live within their means and if they cannot afford something, they will wait rather than fall into debt. There are other families, and sadly these fall in the majority, who overspend on their credit cards and get deeper into debt to give their families, and themselves, everything they ask for.

Once you work out which families are the sensible families and which families are the foolish families you will be able to choose which party to vote for.

Ampers

Tough on crime

Being tough on crime creates a problem. Our prisons are already overcrowded and single cells are now housing two people, cells for two people are housing three people and cells for three people are housing up to five.

It doesn't take an Einstein to realise that we have to attack the cause. Attacking the crime puts a further penalty on taxpayers whereas attacking the cause of crime may be a little bit more expensive in the first place but will save millions in the longer term. This is apart from criminalising thousands of young people unnecessarily. Naturally, whilst attacking the cause of crime, we also have to punish the present generation for committing their crimes. In other words, I'm not a bleeding heart! But I am a realist and know we cannot afford to carry on this way.

Governments never seem to get this right. They do not seem to know the difference between being proactive and reactive.

Ampers.

Mining for gold

The other day I heard about a juror who used the Google search engine to find out if the defendant in the case they were judging had a record of similar offences. He did, and this juror then told the other jurors of this.

The judge was furious and gave him a heavy fine and also told him that he (the judge) had considered a custodial sentence!

Although this may not happen again -- I am referring to a juror passing the information on -- surely the cat is now out of the bag. Jurors all over Britain will be searching into the history of defendants on all cases which take over a day; in other words, when the juror goes home for the night.

I'm sure the establishment will try and halt this practice, but short of putting them up for the night in hotel rooms with a guard on the door, I'm not quite sure what they can do.

Ampers

Formula One Is Not about Driving around in Circles!

I was talking to a friend the other day and he seemed surprised that I was a keen follower of F1 racing. "How can you sit there just watching cars whizzing around the track?" He asked.

This got me thinking. How many people out there are under the same misapprehension? Formula One is far more complex than just the drivers racing around the track.

The driving is a small part of it. Decisions have to be made, by the entire team, depending on the size of the track and the number of circuits that have to be raced. Should one elect for a one-stop strategy, a two-stop strategy, or with the longer races, a three-stop strategy? This simple decision could make a huge impact on your position at the end of the race. Then, if the safety car came out, should you take the opportunity -- depending on your present position -- of whether to go straight into the pits or continuing your position?

Then, prior to the race, which is always held on a Sunday, what should you do on the practice days (Friday and Saturday)? On the final day, the last practice set will depend on what position on the starting grid of the main race you are allotted. However, you have to have the same amount of petrol in your petrol tank at the beginning of the main race as you had in this final practice session. A bad decision could mean losing ground in the first few laps of the race which could hinder your performance throughout the rest of the race!

During the main race the entire team have to make decisions such as how hard do you push your car? The engine in your car has to be used for two races so, if you push your car too much in the first race, it will not perform quite so well in the next race! A bad decision could lose you overall points.

You also have to decide which tyres to use. Hard tyres? Soft tyres? And, if it begins to rain during the middle of the race you have to ask yourself: "Is this a shower?"; "Is this going to develop into heavy rain?" Or "How long will this last?". Depending on your decision, will decide on which wet tyres you decide to put on. A bad decision could lose you the race!

In addition to all this, you need to have a strategy for the entire season as it is the driver with the highest points during the season who becomes world champion. However, this strategy has to be reassessed at the start of each race depending on the type of circuit you are racing on, the number of good overtaking points on the circuit, and whether you have your lucky rabbit's foot with you! Of course, the last point is a little frivolous but I put it there to admit that, although all these decisions require great skill, there is always that element of luck needed.

I have covered some of the points on which to base F1 decisions upon, but hopefully only enough for you to realise it isn't just about a lot of men whizzing around the circuit.

Ampers.

The brave NuLabour MPs

Gordon Brown is ruining UK PLC and nobody within the Labour ranks are trying to get rid of him.

I am not sure exactly what this indicates but, on the surface, I can see it is because of one of two reasons.

Reason 1: They all agree with what he is doing to our beloved country.

Reason 2: They are too frightened of him to try and get rid of him.

Conclusion: If Labour win the next election, the new PM will be someone who either agrees with everything that Gordon Brown has done, or will be a coward who did not have the gumption to get rid of him!

And regular readers know there is no way I would vote for a Conservative MP until everyone, in 1973, who voted us into the EC was dead and buried - there are still seven alive!

As people in this country are either blinkered Labour voters, blinkered Tory voters, blinkered LibDem voters or floating Labour/Conservative/LibDem voters, they will continue to get the Government they deserve. And, at 70, without children to worry about, I just laugh at all this madness from the sidelines. I shan't be paying back trillions over the next hundred years or so.

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A new idea for government

I am pretty certain that everyone who is reading this realises that the present way we are governed leaves a lot to be desired.

I have come up with a few different ideas recently, such as voting for the other party at every election to ensure that MPs don't get their feet under the table for too long. I have also advocated the idea of voting for small parties to enable them to grow larger and give the major parties a better fight.

However, I have now come up with what I think is a better idea. It costs a certain amount of money to prepare for an election. Having many elections, localised, should not cost very much more, if at all, to what is being spent now.

My idea, seeing that the EU is now making 80% of our laws, would be to reduce the number of seats in parliament to 300. The next idea is to set the period that an MP serves to a fixed four years.

We should then divide the 300 new constituencies by eight, making about 38 constituencies per period. My idea is then to hold a revolving election every six months for just those 38 constituencies.

During the period of four years, every constituent in the entire parliament would have gone through one election.

This would mean that if we had a government like the present government, and with the leader like the present leader, every time a crass policy was put forward, the leader would know that people would judge him at the next sectional election. Depending on how crass the policy would depend on how many MPs he would shortly lose. And I mean shortly. Naturally, there would be those dyed in the wool supporters who would vote positively no matter what was done in their name. But those sorts of supporters are dying out and there are far more floating voters than there ever were before. In addition, government supporters might be tempted to vote against them knowing that they would not lose power, only that their life might be more "difficult".

There would also be continuity as, at each election, there would be at least 262 sitting MPs and out of the 38 standing for election, quite a few of those would be returning again.

However, I'm sure you will realise that there isn't a leader of any party who would countenance such a radical idea, especially if it meant they would be kept on the straight and narrow.

Ampers

Hannan on Powell

This seems to be a bit of a fuss brewing up over some remarks that Daniel Hannan made with reference to Enoch Powell. The left are ranting and raving and demanding that David Cameron withdraws the whip from Daniel Hannan.

Before I make any remarks on this let us listen, and watch, exactly what Daniel Hannan said in America.



Right, let's put this into perspective.

On 9 February, 1998, the paragon of the left, Tony Blair, paid the following tribute to Enoch Powell after his death:

"He was one of the great figures of 20th-century British politics, gifted with a brilliant mind."

So, if the leader of the Labour government could say this about Enoch Powell, how are they able to create such a fuss about Daniel Hannan?

I'll tell you why: it is because Daniel Hannan has true leadership qualities and is a brilliant orator, and they are terrified at the thought of Daniel Hannan rising up through the ranks of the Conservative party.

David Cameron is espousing the thought of presidential style in elections for the leadership. He should be careful here because if Daniel Hannan chose to stand against him, there is no question in my mind who would get the most votes. And, although I could never vote for the Conservative party (or either of the other two major parties) I would have no qualms about voting for Dan Hannan.

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What Daniel Hannan said in America

This is quite interesting -- from the point of view that I have read what he said in several newspapers and not one of them told the truth. Now you can hear it for yourself.



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Snouts and troughs

The following excellent blog was written by Paul Stains who writes under the name of Guido Fawkes. The next link is to his original article which I have reporduced word for wod below.

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High Pay Attracts Wrong Type of MP

from Guy Fawkes' blog of parliamentary plots, rumours and conspiracy by Guido Fawkes

Alan Duncan has, we are told, been given a final “third strike and you are out” warning by Dave. Guido can’t see how the public can trust the Tories to be really sincere on reforming MPs’ expenses if Alan Duncan is negotiating for the Tories. His sense of self-entitlement clearly shows he is not well disposed to anything that is going to reduce his ability to pick the pockets of the taxpayers.

Tory backbenchers are lining up behind Duncan’s claim that parliament will not be able to attract candidates of the “right calibre”. Complete bullshit – this is a self-serving and fallacious argument. The army pays poorly and yet still attracts the best calibre people, well motivated and made of the right stuff. The finest priests are poor and honest.

Politics is a field that has always attracted the worst character types; the power hungry and the vain, egotistical blowhards with an an over-developed sense of self worth go into politics the world-over claiming they want to “make the world a better place”. Paying them high salaries and padding it all out with financial perks compounds the problem. It attracts people who have all the usual character flaws of politicians and thse who are also plain greedy.

Politics should be about public service, it should be an honour, not a grubby profession pursued for personal enrichment straight out of Oxbridge.

Don’t go into politics to make money. Choose a different business career if you want to be rich. Better still make some money first and go into politics after you have gained a couple of decades of real world experience. John Prescott becoming a multi-millionaire at the taxpayers’ expense when he was supposed to be a servant of the people sends out the wrong signals.

Politicians who claim that the “right calibre” people are motivated only by high financial rewards really mean they want those rewards. Guido wants politicians who are motivated not by the prospect of personal enrichment, but by the honour of being elected as public servants.

Gmail flaw shows value of strong passwords

I read this very useful article in the free "Windows Secrets newsletter and share it here as it will help protect your data - whether you use GMail or not.

Gmail flaw shows value of strong passwords


Shared via AddThis

MP resigns in fury

I notice, in the Saturday newspapers, that Labour MP Andrew MacKinlay has resigned in fury over ministers allowing the extradition of Gary McKinnon to the United States to stand trial for hacking into their military computers.

Whether Gary really has a serious disability or not, and whether he intended only to find details of UFOs or had a more sinister intent has nothing to do with my blog today.

I was disgusted with the noise that MacKinlay is making. Resigning as an MP at the next election will not really be a problem for NuLabour as they will be having a huge weed out anyway. I would have been more impressed if MacKinlay resigned immediately causing a new by-election. After all, its only a loss of a few months pay, and he is 60! Only by leaving immediately would he have made any impact on the present leadership.

No Mister MacKinlay --- I am not the least bit impressed at your rantings and ravings. They will have absolutely no effect on anybody. Did you really expect the public not to see through your half-hearted stance!

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Education in the UK

I read with interest that the government has decided, in its wisdom, that the reason middle class and working class children are losing out in the top jobs is because of elitism!

There is one thing we can be sure of, and that is elitism has no place in this election of our members of Parliament. They cannot see that it is their disastrous attempts in education that has caused youngsters in government schools to fail through life. Parents of the very well off, and this includes many Labour MPs, send their children to private schools to ensure they get a good education.

One does not have to be very intelligent to know if schools fail in one sector then those pupils will do worse in life. Whereas, the schools that excel with their teaching ensure their pupils have the best start in life.

MPs must look closer to home for the reason why this "elitism" exists.

My solution is simple, improve standards and disciplines in government schools and you will see middle-class and working-class children getting their equal share of the top jobs.

Ampers.

PS I have dictated this using Dragon NaturallySpeaking software and have to admit it is now making my life a lot easier! Especially since I'm about to launch a community newspaper.

Antwerpen

I have just come back from a weekend in Antwerpen. It is a lovely city and for places to see and visit, you will find a lot to read at their Antwerp site on Wikipedia and its sister site Wikitravel.

One of the best restaurants is Het Pomphuis. We ate there on my birthday. A lovely leisurely meal, with absolutely no pressures. The food was delightful and the service impeccable. Attentive without being intrusive. The waiter took charge of our bottle, and was there to top up our glasses whenever they needed topping up. And he made our bottle last with about six or seven top ups throughout the meal. This was the type of restaurant one reads about in establishments a hundred or so years ago.

We had a three course meal with a bottle of wine, then a glass each of dessert wine with our sweet, and coffee afterwards. The bill came to 150 Euros but you could easily go to 300 Euros. Not cheap by any means but if you look at the "value for money" this comes up very high on my list. To get there from the centre? Taxi 15 Euros, three buses go by from the centre, or you can walk it in about 45 minutes.

Public transport is by means of bus, tram or larger tram they call their Metro. Tickets are E1.60 each if you pay the driver, if you buy at the bus stop it is E1.25 or you can purchase a ticket for ten journeys which work out at 0.80 cents a journey. Once you activate the ticket you can make as many changes as you wish during the hour from the first ticket activation. I give you an example. From our hotel, there was a lovely cafe five stops away in the old town. We could go there, have a coffee, and return to the hotel with the return journey not being charged for.

Our hotel was a four star hotel called the Plaza Hotel in Charlottalei (the name of the street, and also Metro station). The hotel people had a sense of humour. They gave me room 69 as I was 69 when we arrived. I had visions of them moving me to room 70 on my birthday, but thank goodness it didn't happen! Room 69 turned out to be a junior suite but we weren't charged extra which I thought was very nice, as was the box of Belgian chocolates they placed in my room on the day.

As a little footnote, we saw the package advertised in one of the package trips to Europe deals, but as we are over 60 I checked prices separately. And we saved £140 between us by booking Eurostar and the hotel ourselves. The Hotel was the same but as we were older, we got a better deal on Eurostar.

All in all, a very enjoyable weekend and one I would recommend. You don't have to go "four star" but if you want to be pampered...

Ampers

I'm a sniper

eBay doesn't really like snipers as it eats into their profits. But my expenditure is more important than their profits.

Let me explain.

Now that I have retired and no longer get all the "men's toys" from various PR companies who used to court me when I was a journalist, I have withdrawal symptons.

However, Pam (my long suffering wife) and I have come to an understanding. I can still play with my toys if I sell some of them on eBay and use that money for buying new ones.

Bless her little heart!

Anyway, this is what I do. And I have developed a style which is very successful. As a journalist I can compose my Auction details page to make the product sound exceedingly exciting. But when I buy, I look for bids which are written by people not as competent with descriptive adjectives. Naturally I check how many transactions they have made to date and what percentage of their feedback is positive.

It works and I invariably sell my toys for more money than I pay for them.

But what do I mean by sniping?

There are companies outside of eBay where you add the Auction reference number and the maximum amount you want to pay for the item. The sniper software keeps an eye on the bid and a few seconds before then end of the auction, slides in your bid at the minimum next level. This is the first time that anyone on eBay knows of your interest, so you don't bump up the auction price.

I use EZsniper and have been using them successfully for a year or two now, saving myself considerable money. EZsniper is an American company who went commercial, after being in development for a year, on September 13, 2001, two days after 9/11.

Starting with a core of dedicated beta testers, they have now grown to over 500,000 users in their EZsniper database.

Since their beginning they have delivered millions of bids saving users millions of pounds. They have since expanded their service to include about forty auction sites in addition to all of eBay's sites (around the world) about two years ago. This expansion has been well received by international users who can read the site in 17 languages.

I have spoken to the people at EZsniper and they have informed me that they have a major innovation coming very shortly. I just can't wait to see what it is.

eBay also own a bank called PayPal which is quite complex to use, but very useful if you take the time to work your way through all the services and additions they add to make your transactions as painless as possible.

Finally, not everything that eBay touches turns to gold. They evidently didn't use EZsniper when they purchased Skype (the company) as they paid well over the odds and now they want to sell it. It will make a loss of hundreds and hundreds of millions!

Ampers.

Public Services

Can you afford private medicine and private education for you and yours? If not then, to put it bluntly, your fucked! (Excuse my French!)

Take schools, for example. You may be sending your children to one of the few excellent comprehensive schools but, unless you are in a predominantly non-immigrant area, you are fortunate.

However, if your school is in one of the many hundreds, if not thousands, of areas where there are massive immigrant populations - some London borough schools have pupils of over thirty different "first languages" then education there has to slow down to enable these pupils to catch up with their English.

This means that, by the time your children leave school they could be at the least, a year behind Public school pupils, and at the most, two years behind! Not a very comforting thought.

And what about the National Health Service. A fellow blogger - probably one of the most successful bloggers in the industry - Paul Staines (aka Guido Fawkes) - has this to say about his experiences with "swine flu" a day or so ago...

"The government says the UK has moved from the ‘containment’ to the ‘treatment’ phase of Swine flu as the number of people catching swine flu continues to rise. The Fawkes family are in London for another fortnight, before we head for France. 4 year-old Miss Fawkes is in day two of displaying possible Swine flu symptoms: high temperatures, tummy ache, headaches and a dry cough.

"Last night a worried mother took Miss Fawkes (who had a temperature of 39.1 C / 102.3 F) to the paediatric A & E unit of a London hospital where she was given a mask and told to go instead to a walk-in unit. The walk-in unit told her there was a four hour wait and that she might as well go home and see her GP. This morning the GP’s receptionist said that they could not have a suspected case of Swine flu in the waiting room and she was to go home.

"So in the last 48 hours we have been unable either to get our daughter tested, which is causing anxiety, or obtain a prescription for anti-viral drugs. Bear in mind we have a two year-old daughter as well. We are now trying to get a private prescription…

Pasted from: http://order-order.com/2009/07/03/swine-flu-update/#comment-182039

Isn't this absolutely disgusting? A young family with a four year old suspected of having the "swine flu" with another two year old child in tow, and they get treated like this.

MPs aren't worried of course, they can afford private medicine, and can afford private schooling. Those who, being Labour, have to send their children to comprehensive schools no doubt pay for private tuition for them!

And don't we all know they'll find a way of getting us, the tax payer, to fund this "expense"?

Ampers

This is a test to speed up my blogging

Mainly I want to see how the formatting comes out as I am using a program to speed up the blog in Office 97. Yes, I have had to dual boot with Linux as I need too many Windows programs for my newspaper.

Ampers

£25,000,000,000

Twenty-five billion pounds!

"Treasury figures show that welfare payments will exceed income tax receipts by almost £25 billion. Normally, income tax receipts comfortably cover the benefits bill."

In 2008/09, gross income tax receipts were £152.5 billion. In the same year, social security benefits cost the Exchequer £150.1 billion.

In 2009/10, the Treasury is expecting to take in £140.5 billion in gross income tax receipts. Social security benefits are projected to be £164.7 billion.

The disparity between tax revenue and welfare costs was identified by Andrew Brough, a fund manager at Schroder Investment Management, who suggested that the amount of money spent on social protection could soon exceed that raised from both income tax and national insurance.

Something, somewhere, has to give. Or, in this case, stop!

Now read the rest of the article

Ampers

Slow down of service

Greetings to my blogees,

As the days approach to my seventieth birthday (19th July) many readers will have noticed a slow-down of my blogs. No, this is nothing to do with nature's way of telling me to slow down as I will tell you below.

I live in London N3 in an area known as Finchley. Fifteen years ago I lived in the next town called East Finchley where I started up a newspaper called The Archer and, although I left the area I follow its progress, and it is still a force as a community newspaper which pleases me immensely.

I am now starting a newspaper in Finchley, N3. We are calling it The Finchley Arrow with a strap line of "…straight to the point!"

If you click on the above link you will see where we have got to-date. At present our web address points to a Google Group but we have found a web builder who has offered to build our website for us. However, we still need a designer to design the actual pages.

Royal Mail have given me the number of letterboxes in the area, and showing a breakdown between the three sub-areas (N3 1xx, N3 2xx and N3 3xx) of both resident's and businesses' letterboxes. Although this will be an electronic newspaper, we still have to leaflet the area every three months. Our initial leaflet calls for helpers and will be delivered here next Friday. When I started The Archer I only sent out 1,000 leaflets and within six months had a team of fifty volunteers. Times are tougher nowadays but I am expecting at least fifty helpers within a few weeks of the delivery of our 10,000 leaflets.

Our first issue comes out at the end of the last week of September, so after that I hope to have more time for my blog. This doesn't mean I won't do at least one or two each week between now and then.

Also, after we have got the second or third issue out, I will refer to my notes and write an article of exactly how we all went about this. The idea being that others could follow suit and start community newspapers in their locations. It would be nice if they could keep the word Arrow in their name so we get some sort of brand recognition. The Barnet Arrow, The Streatham Arrow, The Richmond Arrow and so on. Each independently run, no royalties, just enough to carry some strength of brand advertising.

Ampers

I haven't washed my hair for longer than two years!

The following is from a London Evening Standard article and shows that Prince Harry is nearly as wise as I am"

Hair gets down and dirty
Alice Hart-Davis
10.05.09

Prince Harry hasn't washed his hair for two years? Eeuw! Or is he just cleverer than the rest of us, with the perfect, credit-crunch, no-care hair-care solution?

It sounds revolting, and he's not the only famous name who's doing it, judging by recent pictures of Alice Dellal, Alexa Chung and the Geldof girls, who all look like they could do with a good wash and blow-dry. But skipping the shampoo isn't necessarily such a bad thing.

"Sebum, the oil we secrete to lubricate our hair, is anti-viral and cleansing," says Kensington hair maestro Valentino, who has had phases of not washing his hair for years on end (at the moment, he washes it around once every six weeks).

"When you wash your hair, you upset the natural pH [acid/alkaline balance] of the scalp and that has a knock-on effect on the whole body."

You can read the whole article on this page.

Ampers.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/health/article-23685574-details/Hair%2Bgets%2Bdown%2Band%2Bdirty/article.do

We should rethink our immigration strategy

We should treat immigrants like we treat our own university students–make them pay for our largess!

I have been trying to come up with a serious idea which our trendy lefties would find difficult to argue with. They will scream abuse, yes, but could they come up with a good argument against my plan that ordinary people would accept?

The plan must preserve life i.e. nobody should starve in our country whether they are prepared to work or not. And we should charge charities with looking after the claims, not our own government who can't even boil an egg!

So, for the first five years, all immigrants will not be entitled to free hand-outs unless they are prepared to either work for it, or accept it as a financial loan.

This was my original idea but the flaw in it would be that the immigrant's might never work and we could never get the money back, and they would continue to ride on the backs of others.

So I amended it and instead of five years, lowered it to three years and any work qualifying for this period would have to be work in a commercial company, not a false government made job.

So, until they have worked for three years in a commercial firm they would have to borrow the money.

However, once they had "borrowed" a certain amount, say two thousand pounds, they would have to work on a government sponsored plan cleaning streets, cleaning graffiti, or mending roads. 

As this is a government sponsored job, this work would not only not count for their three years, but would only pay the statutory minimum wage. When they have paid the two thousand back they could start again, looking for a proper job, but once they were in hock up to two thousand they would have to work on the government sponsored scheme again.

Nobody would starve, the shirkers would forever be in hock and forever working it off, so would probably go back home, the genuine asylum seekers would probably find work and become a part of the fabric of our society.

Another idea I had was to charge non-English speaking people 50p out of any allowance they were entitled to for (up to) each A4 page (one or two sides) of any official information if not in English. 

This would (a) give the immigrant added incentive to learn English and (b) make it economically worthwhile for us to print it in 60 languages.

Ampers

Beans to cup coffee machines

My coffee machine gave up the ghost and, after I have told you of my problems, I will treat you to a wonderful story of an efficient British company who know what the Internet is all about and what people expect of a company selling on the Internet.

Three years ago I purchased a Gaggia 'beans to cup' coffee machine (£725) from Fenwicks of Brent Cross. I managed to negotiate them down to £575.

However, after a few weeks it went wrong and I had to package up this huge, and heavy, machine and return it to Gaggia's UK depot. They flatly refused to exchange it, repaired it and sent it back. During the first year of guarantee it went wrong a further three times and each time Gaggia refused to replace it. Finally it worked OK but now, after three years, it has gone wrong again and I am so fed up with the company that I dumped it and looked for a replacement.

First of all I Googled for reviews of 'beans to cup' coffee machines and found a website called simply Coffee Machines . They advise but don't actually sell the machines, although I suspect they may have some sort of deal with Amazon.

I looked through the manufacturers and decided on a De'Longhi. After going through the model numbers, I decided that the lowest priced machine which did everything I wanted was the ESAM5400 (£560).

Open letter to the Gaggia CEO:

Dear Sir,

I have just purchased a De'Longhi beans to cup machine. The reason your product wasn't chosen was a logical one. i.e., I had bought one earlier and I have had a taste of the service your UK people offer. It may be good enough for your Italian customers but was found deplorable from an English point of view. I shall never purchase, or advise anyone to purchase, a Gaggia again.

Yours, not very sincerely,

Andrew Taylor.

I checked with John Lewis as I thought it would be convenient to take it back if it went wrong, but they only had two, one a cheaper model (£360) and another much more expensive at £860. Alas, they wouldn't buy in the one I wanted as a one off.

I then checked Amazon and had a really pleasant surprise. They were selling this for £460, a hundred pounds cheaper. Great I thought, but I don't like making a quick decision, so I searched the Internet and found a company in Devon called Paysan Limited who were selling this machine for £360. Wow I thought, this looks good, but being a wise seventy year old owl, I thought I would check them out by asking a question via email. Which I did. They actually rang up and put my mind at rest.

OK, I thought, they passed that hurdle so I'll take a chance. After all £200 off seemed rather a lot from a £560 price, and also it was a hundred lower than Amazon. Maybe they charge a lot for delivery? No, delivery was free. Better and better I thought. Then I learned that they offer a two year warranty which pleased me no end, I can telly you!

So at 1:23 yesterday I placed the order (the PayPal invoice stated the time was 13:23:23) and was informed delivery would take up to five days. Reasonable, I thought, after all the delivery wasn't an extra.

This morning I was rudely awakened by the DHL delivery van with my coffee machine. I certainly didn't mind and anyway, the delivery guy was a fellow African and we share the same African sense of humour – and he is used to me taking deliveries in my dressing gown! But I was still amazed at such a quick service from Paysan!

Beans to cup machines are a little more complex to operate than ordinary household machines so it is worth reading the manual before even starting. There are things to do before making your first cup so don't try any short cuts. It took us the best part of an hour to get acquainted with the machine, but after that the coffee came pouring out and was delicious. The next step is to acquaint ourselves with the cleaning as a lot of the insides need to be taken out and cleaned. A chore once a week or once a month depending on the make, but well worth it to keep the fantastic taste alive.

This machine can use coffee beans or ground coffee. You fill the water container, put the beans in the hopper one end and you are set to go. Once you have set it for your favourite settings, they are set until you change them so, to make a cup of coffee any-time, we just walk into the kitchen, put a cup underneath, press one button and by the time we get the milk out of the fridge, it is ready.

With ground coffee, just put a spoonful in the hopper and then follow the above.

We use both beans and ground coffee. Beans are used if we have a dinner party, but normally we use a very good strong ground coffee which we buy from I.K.E.A. (the furniture people) as they have a small supermarket by their checkout.

A 250 gram packet is £1.15. The nearest to that strength and quality in Tesco used to be £2.80 but it is probably more now.

When we want beans we usually go to the Algerian. They are, and have been in Old Compton Street since 1875. When I buy my coffee I describe the taste I am aiming at, they make up a blend which usually matches my request accurately.

If any reader would like to know more, my email address is somewhere in the right hand column.

Ampers

Don't be vague, ask for Hague

Yes, alas, I am old enough to remember the old Haig whisky adverts!

But this speech, by Hague, in parliament had me in stitches. Stand aside Jack Dee, stand aside Jasper Carrot, if William Hague turned his talents to being a stand-up comedian, you'd lose your position over night.

Make sure you are not holding a coffee, or anything with hot liquid in, and enjoy...



Ampers

EU Elections, UK results

Eastern - Con 3, Ukip 2, Lib Dem 1, Lab 1
East Midlands - Con 2, Lab 1, Ukip 1, Lib Dem 1
London - Con 3, Lab 2, Lib Dems 1, Green 1, Ukip 1
North East - Lab 1, Con 1, Lib Dem 1
North West - Con 3, Lab 2, Ukip 1, Lib Dems 1, BNP 1
Northern Ireland - awaiting results
Scotland - SNP 2, Lab 2, Con 1, Lib Dems 1
South East - Con 4, Ukip 2, Lib Dem 2, Greens 1, Lab 1
South West - Con 3, Ukip 2, Lib Dems 1
West Midlands - Con 2, Ukip 2, Lab 1, Lib Dem 1
Yorkshire and the Humber - Con 2, Lab 1, Ukip 1, Lib Dem 1, BNP 1
Wales - Con 1, Lab 1, Plaid 1, Ukip 1

UKIP have managed to get 13 seats, without the “Kilroy-Silk" effect, which will be a great help to them in the forthcoming UK Election. There will be a chance of them getting an MP elected rather than the present one who “crossed the floor”.

BNP. Well what can I say! The anti-BNP rabble outside Manchester Town Hall actually put these bastards in a favourable light! And, alas, the rabble are just playing into Nick Griffin's hand. I hate to say it, but I wouldn't be totally surprised if I learned that this rabble was secretly organised by Nick Griffin himself. After all, who else could organise such a disreputable rabble?

And Labour? I worry that after such a bloody nose, people will be satisfied, and come the General Election, forgive and forget. However, if we remember twhat happened to the Liberal Party under Lloyd George – when he was caught with his fingers in the till, it destroyed the Liberals completely. But people's morals are not what they used to me, and the present British people may well forgive Labour for their thievery.

Ampers.

Sunday results

Today sees the results of the Euro Elections. I foresee the Conservatives coming top, followed by the Liberal Democrats, and then the UK Independence Party, with Labour coming a poor fourth.

This is bad news, really bad news, if you want to see Gordon Brown out of the picture.

Be of no doubt that he will hang on. The Labour MPs who would like to see the back of him know, in their hearts, that this would mean a General Election and, if that happens now, they would lose their seats. Do not expect anything to happen from that corner.

The real reason why I consider such results as I mentioned above bad news is, in a years time, people's anger will have subsided and the ordinary voter will consider they have given Labour a “bloody nose” and that will be that. It will be back to normal and the same dysfunctional group of morally thieving MPs will be back.

You mark my words!

Ampers

Hi willað eow to gafole garas syllan, ættrynne ord, ond ealde swurd

(copied from Old Holborn's blog)

(translation) They will to you [a] tribute of spears give, deadly points, and time-tested swords,

Thought shall be the harder, the heart the keener, courage the greater, as our strength lessens.
Here lies our leader all cut down, the valiant man in the dust;
always may he mourn who now thinks to turn away from this warplay.
I am old, I will not go away, but I plan to lie down by the side of my lord, by the man so dearly loved.

Earl Byrhtnoð —(Battle of Maldon)

Today is the 6th June 2009, the sixty fifth anniversary of D-Day, a Nation that loses its history loses its soul and existence.

The rewriting of History for the convenience of the ruling classes has gone on for centuries. The corruption of this Government was amply demonstrated to me on Election day, when I went to Sutton Hoo for the second time since it opened eight years ago. The site is administered by the National Trust, an organisation that I am a member of. I am sad to say that the National Trust is fast becoming a bland bureaucratic corporate machine so amply demonstrated by the recent programme about Sissinghurst.

As with most organisations it has succumbed to the world view of our temporary political masters. The twelve minute film on entry is an epic of discreet 'messages' from the 21st Century perspective. The film is ably translated in sign language by a member of an ethnic minority for the deaf, which gives an adequate summary of the story of the finds on the eve of war in 1939. However the end of this short film, it states baldly, that the Anglo-Saxons have 'disappeared, absorbed into the British Nation'

I sat there open mouthed, have the Welsh disappeared, the Scots disappeared, Ulstermen 'disappeared into the British Nation'. Do their historical sites say the same ?

As far as I am aware the English, have not disappeared, their language is now the Lingua Franca of most of the commercial world. English cultural life, its values and strengths and weaknesses are as relevant today as they were one thousand five years ago.

Sarkozy may give life to the myth that D-Day was a 'Franco-Americain Affaire' as does Hollywood in Saving Private Ryan. The truth as this generation, which is starting to pass, will tell you is different. More Poles landed on D-Day than Frenchmen, More British and Canadian troops landed on D-Day than Americans. The United Kingdom went to war to protect Poland- no other reason, five years later Poland was 'given' to the Soviet Union by the United States and the United Kingdom, only breaking free forty four years later.

I walked round the burial mounds above the Deben, wondering how we have come to the pass we have, that our own Government denies our own culture and is bent on teaching our children a gross perversion of the truth. I have seen children's educational fims with a black father and son sitting down with a white working class father and son toasting the new Queen in 1953 in front of a TV. Culturally this could not have happened, yet it was presented as a cultural truth.

Coming back up the sady lanes through the woods that Raedwald's people dragged his funeral boat up , I heard a low growl in the sky. The sound of a Merlin engine is instantly recognisable. Above me in the sunlight was a lone spitfire doing barrells and rolls, I assume in preparation for today's memorial.

The spirit of the Old King Raedwald was still soaring over his land, and despite the politically correct elite attempting to rewrite History, the values and Liberty that was ingrained in the thousands of warriors that stormed ashore sixty five years ago is as valid today as it was when Earl Byrhtnoð defied the invader a thousand years ago.

We have not disappeared, the pygmies who unjustly rule this country however will soon disappear and be forgotten.

The EU Elections

I have borrowed, in full, this blog from Old Holborn, but have made comments underneath as I differ, ever so slightly, from his conclusive action.

27 Unelected Commissioners. Tomorrow changes nothing

With a view to tomorrows EU sham elections, let me just remind our readers that the EU is headed by the EU Commission.

The EU Commission consists of 27 people, none of whom are elected by anyone. They are appointed and have the power to make and change laws that everyone in Europe must abide by.

Your vote tomorrow will not change this. You will still live under laws made by 27 unelected people in Brussels. If you do not obey them, you will still go to prison.

These 27 people control everything in Europe. What you eat, what you earn, where you live. Your taxes, your transport, your savings, your property, your career, your pension. Your very liberty is in the hands of 27 unelected commissioners.

They are a mixture of appointed communists, convicted criminals, nepotists, perverts, fraudsters, cronies, bankers, aristocracy, lawyers, censors, authoritarians and Fabians

If you choose to vote Labour, Conservative or LibDem tomorrow, you are voting for the Status Quo. Nothing will change. There will still be a huge layer of control over your life that you cannot change. I challenge any reader to show me where a single MEP has changed anything.

If you choose to vote at all (and many will not), then you can vote to keep things the same or you can vote to keep things the same.

Which is why I will not be part of this sham. I will not play their games when they pay no attention to the result. Not one of the unelected commissioners will lose their job because not one of them was ever elected. It will make no difference at all.

For that, we will need a revolution. And it will start with the Lisbon Treaty. Until the voices of 300 million people are listened to by a mere 27 unelected cronies, I refuse to partake in their Ba’athist elections.

The main part, where I differ, is that as many people as possible should attend the elections, if only to write on the ballet paper “Where are the names of the Commissioners?”

But I shan't be doing that. I shall be voting for “The Jury Team” - I don't care whether the independents on their team are for or against the EU. My objective of giving my vote to them is so they can gain strength of publicity for the General Election, when it comes, as the more independents in parliament, the lest control the main parties have over rigging any vote through the “party whip system”.

Ampers

Margaret Thatcher

People either loved her, or hated her. I had met her on several occasions and she never came across as strident, the way the media portrayed her.

I had my own reasons for my dislike of her. She was in Heath's cabinet when that traitor took us into what he since admitted he knew of as a political EU thus not only becoming our highest ranking traitor, but included all his cabinet who formed close ranks behind him. Then a little later, I believe it was Maastricht, she signed another treaty taking us even further in.

However, I did approve of her defeating the Unions. I am a journalist and know something that most of my readers aren't aware of. The unions in Fleet Street had so much power that they forced the management to pay fictitious employees which the union divided up amongst their members. They were so brazen that they produced names for these fictitious workers such as M. Mouse, and D. Duck.

The other thing I approved of, was the closing down of our heavy industry. The way the Tiger economies of the Far East were growing it was apparent to those who took an interest in these matters that we could not compete on price with these countries, a fact that is very apparent now.

We have since diversified into high tech and our software programmers are the best in the world. After the Second World War, we tried to compete with the factories the Americans were so good at managing. We were not as competent but during this time the children of all our artisans and craftsmen flocked to the factories to earn “real” money so our expertise in these areas began to die out.

However, these people have been “born again” as programmers and other workers in high tech industries. America are better than us at manufacturing and selling boxed software, but when it comes to writing ”real time” software to be used in the fastest fighter jets, our programmers are excellent and some say “the best”. I have heard a rumour although cannot track it down, that the US Pentagon changed the law so they could be allowed to hire British programmers.

According to a new report from HSBC and The Future Laboratory what the UK has been known for since the industrial revolution is set to change, and fast.

Clair West writes (Fresh Thinking Business Editor) that, according to the research there will be a new-look UK with hot business hubs focusing on:

• Robotics (Edinburgh, Birmingham, Essex, London, Manchester, Plymouth)

• Biotech (York and Dundee)

• Nanotech (Oxford, Cambridge, Newcastle, Durham, Bristol, London)

• Stem cell research (Edinburgh, London, Cambridge, Liverpool, Manchester)

• Nutraceuticals (Dundee/Southampton)

• Renewable energies (London, Wales, Cornwall, Glasgow)

• Cybernetics (Reading)

• Gaming (Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow

The Labour government has one thing right; we need more university graduates for these disciplines. Where they are going wrong is, they should be scientific graduates, and not ones taking media studies or how to wear a condom!

We should stop dumbing down educational qualifications as, unless our children are taught properly in our governmental schools, all the top jobs will continue to go to those educated by private schools.

Ampers

An amusing definition of politics and politicians

Politics. An interesting word. I decided to look up the meaning of this word.The meaning, from the website dictionary.com is as follows

pol·i·tics (pŏl'ĭ-tĭks)
n.
(used with a sing. Verb) The art or science of government or governing, especially the governing of a political entity, such as a nation, and the administration and control of its internal and external affairs.
(used with a sing. or pl. verb) Intrigue or maneuvering within a political unit or group in order to gain control or power: Partisan politics is often an obstruction to good government. Office politics are often debilitating and counterproductive.

I then looked up poli and then tics and came across an interesting breakdown of this word. Poli isn't actually listed with that spelling, but Poly, is listed as:

poly-
a combining form with the meanings “much, many” and, in chemistry, “polymeric,” used in the formation of compound words: polyandrous; polyculture; polyethylene.
Origin:
<>

So far, so good. Now to get the true meaning of tics. OK we all have an idea, but the real meaning, from the Internet's “free dictionary” is:

tick
n.
1. Any of numerous small bloodsucking parasitic arachnids of the family Ixodidae, many of which transmit febrile diseases, such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease.
2.Any of various usually wingless, louselike insects of the family Hippobosciddae that are parasitic on sheep, goats, and other animals.

So there you have it. Politics can have its more apt meaning which can be basically boiled down to “many parasitical blood-sucking creatures”. This may not be the best meaning for "politics" but it can certainly be applied to “politicians”"

Is there anyone out there who can disagree with this in the light of the present news stories?

Ampers

Warning to voters

Susan Boyle, the most popular talent star in the history of the Internet, was pipped at the post by a team of street dancers who were, admittedly, good. However, the real reason she lost is a salutary lesson to everyone – especially since the EU elections imminent (June 4^th).

Susan lost because so many of her fans didn't bother to vote. They were certain it would be a push-over for her to win.

Same with politics. Millions are thinking right now that the opinion polls are suggesting Labour and the Tories are going to get a good hiding, so they will not bother to vote. Forget the opinion polls, because people read them and think it's a “done deal”, the voters will stay at home, and both Conservative and Labour will do well. Less action will then be taken by the politicians to put their house in order, and changes like “recall” and “more transparency” will not happen.

If you want to see changes in the structure of Government, you have to go and vote, and preferably vote for any party other than the three main parties. Make no mistake, The Liberal Democrats may not have dipped in as much as the other two, but they are too close to the seat of government not to have known what was going on. They should have warned the public rather than 'cosying' up to Labour.

People died so you would have the right to vote. Don't betray their memories in such a sullied fashion.

Ampers

Google search tips (r)

Here are a few tips to make searching in Google more accurate and therefore, more enjoyable!

1. Capitals are ignored Capitals, capitals, CaPiTaLs are all treated the same way. There is only one exception here, see point 7 below.

2. Put in enough information. Putting London in to get information about City Airport will bring you in umpteen thousand items about London, If you put in London East airport you will get mainly information about City Airport. Naturally there are better ways to do this as you will see in point 3 below.

3. If you want information for a holiday and enter cape town you will get information about Cape Town, Cape Canaveral, Cape PLC, Cape Model Agency and lots of other subjects, but if you put those words in quotes "cape town" you will only get information about Cape Town! Use quotes wisely though. So, in point 2 above, “city airport” london would go straight there.

4. Google ignores single words and digits, if they are essential, add a + before the digit. i.e. Star Wars Episode +1 Google also ignores words like 'where' and 'how'.

5. Google now uses stemming. It will search not only for your search terms, but also for words that are similar to some or all of those terms. If you search for pet lemur dietary needs, Google will also search for pet lemur diet needs, and other related variations of your terms.

6. If your search term has more than one meaning, for example, search for information about the fish bass, but don't want music, search for bass -music in other words put a minus sign before the subject you don't want included. Conversely, a + will make sure a word is included.

7. Google doesn't need the AND operator as this is automatic. However, if you want to use the OR operator, make sure you put it in CAPITALS. For example, searching for Cheetahs OR pumas will produce pages of Cheetahs and Pumas.

8. ~ looks for synonyms. For example, beauty ~tips will also find beauty guide, Beauty help etc. * means every word, for example, looking for a recipe for apples and * are you? .. is when searching for a range of numbers. “2..20 apples” will find pages containing “I eat 3 apples a day” and “I’ll never eat more than 15 apples in a month”

9. Links, lists webpages that link to the given webpage. link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple will list webpages with links pointing to Wikipedia’s voice for Apple

10. Telephone numbers, If you have a telephone number but no other information, type it in the Google search box, you will be delighted at what is thrown up.

There are many more tips for searching in Google but these are a good start and if you didn't know them, they may well help you to get a lot more out of the Internet.

Ampers

What is the Ruling Class?

An interesting paper given by Libertarian, Sean Gabb, on Sunday the 24th May 2009 to the Fourth Annual Conference of the Property and Freedom Society in the Hotel Karia Princess in Bodrum, Turkey. He is a wordy "wordsmith" but underneath all his words he always has something interesting to say.

Ampers


In giving this paper, I make no pretence to originality of thought. Everything I am saying today has been said already – usually better, and always in greater detail – by Hans-Hermann Hoppe, by Roderick Long, by Kevin Carson, by Christian Michel, and by many others. If I can contribute anything to the libertarian analysis of class, it is brevity alone.

Libertarians often define a ruling class as that group of politicians, bureaucrats, lawyers, businessmen, therapists, educators and media people who derive income and position from the State. By definition, so far as such people operate as members of a ruling class, they are parasitic on the efforts of ordinary people. Their position comes from forcing others to act as they would not freely choose, or by excluding them from activities they might freely choose. Their income is based on forced transfers of wealth.

The size and activities of a ruling class will be determined by the physical resources it can extract from the people, by the amount of force it can use against them, and by the nature and acceptance of the ideology that legitimises its existence. None of these determinants by itself will be decisive, but each is a necessary factor. Change any one, and the working of the other two will be limited or wholly checked.

Of these determinants, the ideological are the most open to control and change. In the short term, resources are fixed in quantity. At any time, the amount of force available will be limited. What will always interest ruling classes, therefore, is the nature and acceptance of its legitimising ideology. This will vary according to circumstances that are not fully within the control of any ruling class. It may involve averting the Divine Wrath, or promoting acceptance of the True Faith, or protecting the nation from external or external enemies, or raising the condition of the poor, or making us healthier, or saving the planet from us. The claims of the ideology may, in other times and places, seem unfounded or insane. What they generally have in common is the need for an active state directed by the right sort of people.

Since the function of these ideologies is to justify theft or murder or both, they need to be promoted by endless repetition – which is a valid form of argument if truth is less important than winning – and by at least the discouragement of dissent. Efficient promotion will produce a discourse – this being the acceptance of a language and of habits of thought in which dissent cannot be expressed without also conceding its immorality. Efficient promotion will also produce a state of almost universal false consciousness – in which ordinary people are brought to accept ideological claims as true that are opposed to their own interests as these might be reasonably considered.

Now, to speak of ruling classes, and in these terms, will often produce a strongly hostile reaction from libertarians and from conservatives. In the first place, it sounds like Marxism. Indeed, in summarising my own beliefs about a ruling class, I have deliberately borrowed terms from the Marxist theory of class – “discourse”, “false consciousness”, “class consciousness”. This is sure to disturb many – and perhaps many in this room. For at least three generations, our movement was at ideological war with Marxism. We did all we could to refute its claims and to spread the truth about its consequences wherever it was tried. To use its language to express broadly similar concepts will appear to be making concessions
that amount to intellectual surrender.

In the second place, many libertarians deny that the concept of a ruling class has any meaning in our own world. In 1605, for example, Guy Fawks and his fellow conspirators tried to blow up Parliament while it was being opened by the King. If they had succeeded, they would have killed the King and the whole of the senior aristocracy and the leaders of the Established Church and – give or take a few nominees – the leading men of every shire and town in England. At one stroke, they would have killed around seven hundred men, and this would have snuffed out the whole of the English ruling class.

And this was a ruling class. Its members were largely there by virtue of birth. They were often related to each other. They shared a common education. They dressed differently and spoke differently from those over whom they ruled. Generally, they were cleaner. They were committed to the Protestant faith and to the land settlement of Henry VIII. Their class
consciousness was expressed in countless ways, and was reflected in their language. They spoke of “persons of quality” or “persons of gentle birth” or of “gentlemen”.

If you want to read the rest of Sean's paper, it is all on his website here.

Do you know how much...

Most gas (therms) and electricity (kilowatts) utility companies refuse to show you how many therms/kilowatts you use, and won't show this on their invoices. This makes it difficult to change suppliers.

Why not put a reminder in your calendar to take a reading once a month of both gas and electricity. Although this needn't stop you making a change of supplier before the first year, after the first year you will have the correct facts to be more accurate when you ask for quotes.

In addition, make a reading of your electricity and time when you go to bed, and then when you get up. Divide the usage by the hours you were asleep. Then multiply by 365 and you will see how much electricity your household uses when you are asleep.Is all this necessary?

If you are interested in saving money why not do the same the following night but before you take the figures, turn off everything except your fridge freezer. Deduct that figure from the previous figure and this is the amount of kilowatts your household wastes every year by not turning off everything (other than your fridge/freezer) before you go to bed. You may decide it is worth considering timed switches or the Intelliplug. The Intelliplug saves a lot of turning off switches and is worth its weight in gold! We paid £77 for three of these and now save £132 every year. We estimate the life of the plugs to be ten to fifteen years. Work it out.

Ampers

Don't mess with seniors!

I was having a drink with George, a 76 year old friend who was complaining about the receptionist in his local surgery. He told me: "They always ask at the Doctor's office why you are there, and you have to answer in front of others what's wrong and sometimes it is embarrassing. There's nothing worse than a Doctor's Receptionist who insists you tell her what is wrong with you in a room full of other patients. I know most of us have experienced this, and I decided to teach the woman a lesson."

He walked in and approached the Receptionist. The Receptionist said, "Yes sir, what are you seeing the Doctor for today?"

"There's something wrong with my dick", he replied.

The Receptionist became irritated and said, "You shouldn't come into a crowded waiting room and say things like that."

"Why not? You asked me what was wrong and I told you," he said.

The Receptionist replied; "Now you've caused some embarrassment in this room full of people. You should have said there is something wrong with your ear or something and discussed the problem further with the Doctor in private."

The man replied, "You shouldn't ask people questions in a room full of strangers, if the answer could embarrass anyone."

Anyway my friend walked out, waited several minutes and then re-entered.

The Receptionist smiled smugly and asked, "Yes?"

"There's something wrong with my ear," he stated.

The Receptionist nodded approvingly and smiled, knowing he had taken her advice. "And what is wrong with your ear, Sir?"

"I can't piss out of it," he replied.

The waiting room erupted in laughter so I guess by then, everyone was listening intently.

Ampers

Vote X and let Labour in again!

I just had a conversation with a local in my area and I mentioned I would be voting for the Jury Team. WHAT??? He almost yelled! If you do that you will let Labour in. I used to be a member of UKIP and said: “So what? I hate the Conservatives as much as I hate Labour. The Conservatives took us into Europe and Labour kept us in. The Conservatives promised us a referendum recently and broke their promise - and they are guilty of some of the worse "expenses" robberies to boot! “

I am voting for The Jury Team. This is a party building up a ground force to support independent candidates. The objective is to destroy the corrupt and wicked Party Whip system. A system that corrupts young MPs right from the beginning of their political career.

Forget Labour, forget the Conservatives, and forget the Liberal Democrats. If you never vote for the smaller parties you will never destroy the strangle-hold the Two Party System holds over the British public.

I am right of centre but, in a way, I hope Labour get back in. People now are stirred up, and once they give their parties “bloody noses” on June 4^th, they will have forgotten everything by next year when there must be a General Election. You can be sure Gordon Brown will hang on as long as possible.

If Labour get back in they will be back with their noses in the trough as soon as you can say "Michael Martin" and you can be sure it will get out into the public arena. Then after a repeat performance, Labour will be destroyed totally. This time round, if the Conservatives get in, there'll be less troughing but things will steadily get worse, as they did the last time they were in.

Government under all three larger parties are Statist. This means that not only do they want to totally control the economy, but they want to control our lives as well. More regulations spew from its machinery, more rules, more laws, even the police are snowed under and cannot cope – as with nearly all other organisations that have control of our lives.

In fact, Douglas Carswell says in his book “The Plan”, “We are trapped in a cycle. Every time something goes wrong – a scandal in a care home, the revelation that school meals lack nutritional value – ministers feel the need to 'do something'. That something usually involves a new task force or quango, which then has a vested interest in enlarging its remit and prolonging its existence. Accordingly it spools out new guidelines and regulations and recommendations and surveys, snarling up the system in more paperwork and almost invariably worsening the situation, which of course leads for calls for yet more intervention and standardisation.”

Until we all learn to have minds of our own, and vote for our own interests and the interests of our country, rather than a particular party because either our parents and grand parents voted for them or, we have such blind hatred for the “other party” that we will vote for an equally bad party because we don't hate them so much, this country will continue along the same lines as it has since the war. This is steadily downhill, speeding up particularly in the last decade.

Many people will read this, nod their head sagely, agreeing with me, and then at the general election will vote Tory or Labour as they have always done.

The British people always get the government they deserve, including this one!

Panasonic Vierra Cast

This is every man's delight - and every woman's nightmare! I want one, my wife doesn't. And I am pretty sure this is one clash of wills that I will lose... totally!.

The video was taken at the CES show and is live so it leaves a little to be desired technically - but all the same well worth watching - if you are male! Enjoy!

Ampers

Keep plodding on

I read, today, of a comment by Sir Randolph Fiennes, the explorer who has travelled to the North and South Poles and now, at 65 years old, has climbed to the top of Mount Everest. He says: “Forget about thinking you are going to succeed, you've just got to keep plodding on.”

This reminds me of the saying: “How do you eat an elephant?” The answer being one bite at a time! In other words, if you concentrate on the big picture you may easily become overwhelmed. If you have a gigantic task ahead of you, plan your moves, one step at a time.

Changing your job? The first step to concentrate on could be to bring your CV up to date. The second step is to decide where you want to be when you retire, and what type of job would fit in with raising your expectancy for that “want”.

The next step would be how you were going to market yourself. If you are confident and competent during interviews, you would change your CV to hint at areas the interviewer would be interested in so he “wheels you in” to learn more. If you handle yourself badly at interviews, you may want to put everything into your CV.

Then you will need to discover where the sort of company you want to work for advertises for jobs. Take the bull by the horns and phone up their human resources and ask them where they advertise. They may be impressed enough to ask you to come and see them.

If you hate travel, investigate firms near your home, and write to them all. How different this approach is to thinking only that “I have to get a job” Such a mainline thought is totally disempowering.

How am I going to survive in this downturn? Don't even think about it. Think along the lines of “What steps should I take to conserve resources?” Have a family meeting with the kids included. Ask each one what they could sacrifice if you lose your job. Ask what the family could do to conserve money so we could all save for that eventuality. Mention that the government expect another million or two may lose their jobs within a year. Implement the ideas the family suggest, but guide them towards toughing them up a little.

Suggest all working members bring their CVs up to date, and keep them up to date, just in case. Wonder out loud as to the possibilities of whether the household could run a little business from home whilst working.

In South Africa, the Afrikaners have a well-known saying, “'n Boer moet 'n plan hê!" - A farmer must have a plan! The more successful people in life know that you should plan for every eventuality. Planning is all! Most top wage earners have written goals. And what is a goal other than a plan?

So are you going to start planning tomorrow? Yes? Well you are too late. You should have started yesterday! But better late than never!

Ampers

The Ghurkas are here - Aayo Gurkhali

Ever since I watched the "New Avengers" I have been madly and secretly in love with Joanna Lumley.

And, she has not disappointed me. First she has proved herself a good actress, then as a successful business woman, then for standing up for one of the three races of this world, all warriors, which I greatly admire, the Gurkhas. Not to mention dispatching Gordon Brown with his tail between his legs! I remember when we had some Gurkhas with us in training, we were forbidden to sell our guard duty for money as the Ghurkas were willing to pay ten shillings to impoverished National Servicemen for the chance of cutting an interloper.

The original word Gorkha came from the prakrit words "go rakkha" which originally loosely translated to "protector of cows"; it came from the name of Guru Gorakhnath, to describe his followers. Their war cry is "Jai Mahakali, Aayo Gurkhali" However, the first part is left out for Western ears and the meaning is "The Ghurkas are here!"

If Joanna stood for Parliament in my constituency there is no way I could refuse to vote for her! She has, I believe, been approached by the "Jury Team" but was adamant that she has no interest in politics. A shame as we need people who have the resolve to see an impossible task through to victory.

I once told a meeting of Labour politicians in Parliament that they should let all the Ghurkas in, and base fifty of them in every town centre in the UK. That would be the best answer to crime and hooliganism in our troubled country. They laughed and our conversation moved on. Do you know, I think they were under the impression I was joking!?

Ampers.

Further reading; Wikipedia and Himilayan Imports.

Jacob Zuma and Gordon Brown

Hi,

My regular readers know I hail from Sunny Seth Efrica. Everyone in South Africa was asking the question before the Presidential Elections whether Jacob Zuma was guilty or not guilty of corruption. Of course he was, he is African, and kick-backs are a way of life over there. We should accept this and ask a better question which is, will he be a good or bad president.

He won't be a weak president like Mbeke but whether he will be good or bad for the country - only time will tell. I personally have a feeling he will be a good one.

However, We are in Britain, and expect a lot better from fellow Britains. A colleague from the Old Holborn blog has put the following together, and I think it is worthy of repeating.

Ampers.

Gerry Adams and four other Sinn Fein MPs claimed more than £500,000 over five years even though they refuse to attend Parliament
Adam Afriyle has not made any claims on his second home allowance
Douglas Alexander spent more than £30,000 doing up his constituency home – which then suffered damage in a house fire.
Michael Ancram put the cost of having his swimming pool boiler serviced on his parliamentary allowances. He has agreed to repay the money
James Arbuthnot claimed from the public finances for cleaning his swimming pool at a country residence. He has agreed to repay the money
Hilary Armstrong was told that allowing the Labour Party to pay for and run a computer at her taxpayer-funded home could make her “politically vulnerable”
Ian Austin split a claim for stamp duty on buying his second home in London into two payments and tried to claim it back over two financial years.
John Austin claimed more than £10,000 for redecorating his London flat, which was 11 miles from his main home, before selling it for a profit.
Vera Baird claimed the cost of Christmas tree decorations
Ed Balls and wife Yvette Cooper “flipped” the designation of their second home to three different properties within two years
Norman Baker asked if he could claim for a bicycle and a computer so he could listen to music and email family and friends
Greg Barker made a £320,000 profit selling a flat the taxpayer had helped pay for. He has agreed to repay £10,000.
Margaret Beckett made a £600 claim for hanging baskets and pot plants
Hilary Benn claimed only £42,113 on his second homes allowance in four years
Richard Benyon did not claim on his second homes allowance in 2007/08
Liz Blackman went on last-minute shopping sprees before the end of each financial year, in an apparent attempt to make sure she claimed as close to maximum expenses as possible
Tony Blair re-mortgaged his constituency home and claimed almost a third of the interest around the time he was buying another property in London
Hazel Blears did not pay capital gains tax on a property she sold despite having told the Commons authorities it was her second home. She has since agreed to paid the tax but denied any wrongdoing.
Crispin Blunt told to stop claiming Commons allowance on his home because his children live there
Tim Boswell claimed only £22,230 on his second homes allowance between 2004 and 2008
Ben Bradshaw used his allowance to pay the mortgage interest on a flat he owned jointly with his boyfriend
Tom Brake did not claim on his second home allowance between 2004-8
Kevin Brennan had a £450 television delivered to his family home in Cardiff even though he reclaimed the money back on his London second home allowance
James Brokenshire claimed just £368 on his second homes allowance in 2007/8 and nothing in the preceding three years
Gordon Brown's house swap let the PM claim thousands
Nick Brown claimed £18,800, without receipts, in expenses for food over four years amid total expenses of £87,000
Chris Bryant changed second home twice in two years to claim £20,000
Andy Burnham had an eight-month battle with the fees office after making a single expenses claim for more than £16,500
Paul Burstow doesn't claim for a second home although he his entitled to
Alistair Burt claimed £1,000 too much in expenses for his rent, but was allowed to keep the money.
Dawn Butler, the Labour whip, over-claimed £2,600 in rent on her constituency home.
Stephen Byers claimed more than £125,000 for repairs and maintenance at a London flat owned outright by his partner, where he lives rent-free
Vince Cable forgoes the second home allowance, but asked whether he could claim backdated payments of the London supplement instead
David Cameron limited his claims to mortgage interest payments and utility bills. He will repay the only maintenance bill he claimed - £600 for the removal of wisteria
Menzies Campbell hired a top interior designer to refurbish his small flat in central London at taxpayers’ expense. He will repay the £1,490.66 cost of an interior designer
Ronnie Campbell claimed a total of £87,729 for furniture for his London flat
Ben Chapman deliberately over-claimed for interest on the mortgage of his London house by about £15,000 with the approval of the fees office, documents seen by the Telegraph suggest. He is facing possible suspension from the PLP
David Chaytor admits claiming almost £13,000 in interest payments for a mortgage that he had already repaid. He has been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party
James Clappison owns 24 houses but billed more than £100,000, including thousands for gardening and redecoration
Kenneth Clarke managed to avoid paying the full rate of council tax on either of his two homes by effectively claiming that neither is his main residence. He has agreed to pay the full rate in future but defended his past behaviour.
Nick Clegg claimed the maximum allowed under his parliamentary second home allowance
David Clelland claimed for the cost of “buying out” his partner’s £45,000 stake in his London flat
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown “flipped” his second home designation from London to his Gloucestershire home, before buying a £2,750,000 house.
Harry Cohen claimed thousands of pounds for redecorating his second home before selling it and charging taxpayers £12,000 in stamp duty and fees on a new property
Michael Connarty sold some of the contents of his London home to Jim Devine, a close colleague, before charging the taxpayer thousands of pounds for goods delivered to addresses in Scotland.
Yvette Cooper and husband Ed Balls “flipped” the designation of their second home to three different properties within two years
Stephen Crabb claimed his “main home” was a room in another MP’s flat, after buying a new house for his family at taxpayers’ expense
Tam Dalyell attempted to claim £18,000 for bookcases two months before he retired as an MP
Alistair Darling's stamp duty was paid by the public
Ed Davey did not claim on his second home allowance between 2004-8
Ian Davidson paid £5,500 to a family friend to renovate his flat and then took him shooting with members of the House of Lords
David Davis spent more than £10,000 of taxpayers’ money on home improvements in four years, including a new £5,700 portico at his home in Yorkshire.
Jim Devine bought Michael Connarty's furniture on expenses
Pat Doherty and four other Sinn Fein MPs claimed more than £500,000 over five years even though the Sinn Fein MPs refuse to attend Parliament
Alan Duncan spent thousands from his allowance on gardening, including repairs to his lawnmower. He has agreed to repay £5,000
Philip Dunne has not made any claims on his second home allowance since 2005/06
Angela Eagle claimed just £155 a month mortgage interest on her second home for a period and even underclaimed for council tax
Maria Eagle claimed thousands of pounds on refurbishing a bathroom at one of her flats just months before switching her designated second home to a property with a higher mortgage
Natascha Engel went on a shopping spree within months of being elected, spending thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ cash
Lynne Featherstone did not claim on her second homes allowance in between 2004 and 2008
Frank Field claimed just £44,338 on his second home allowance between 2004-8
Caroline Flint claimed £14,000 for fees for new flat
Barbara Follett used £25,000 of taxpayers' money to pay for private security patrols at her home
Andrew George used parliamentary expenses for a London flat used by his student daughter. He also claimed hundreds of pounds for hotel stays with his wife. He has said he will repay £20 for a hotel breakfast
Michelle Gildernew and four other Sinn Fein MPs claimed more than £500,000 over five years even though the Sinn Fein MPs refuse to attend Parliament
Cheryl Gillan bought dog food using her allowance but agreed to pay it back after being contacted by the Telegraph
Julia Goldsworthy spent thousands of pounds on expensive furniture just days before the deadline for using up parliamentary allowances. She has promised to pay back £1,005 for a leather rocking chair
Helen Goodman claimed for a week's stay in a cottage in her constituency over a bank holiday
Michael Gove spent thousands on his London home before "flipping" his Commons allowance to another address. He has agreed to repay £7,000
Chris Grayling claimed for a London flat even though his constituency home is only 17 miles from the House of Commons. He has agreed to stop doing so
James Gray successfully claimed £2,000 for the future redecoration of his “second home” on the day that he moved out.
John Gummer's gardening, including the removal of moles from his lawn, cost the taxpayer £9,000
Mike Hall claimed thousands of pounds in expenses for the cost of cleaners, cleaning products and laundry bills for his London home
Fabian Hamilton declared his mother’s London house as his main residence while over-charging the taxpayer by thousands of pounds for a mortgage on his family home in Leeds
Nick Harvey had to be reminded twice by parliamentary officials to submit receipts with his expenses claims
Alan Haselhurst charged the taxpayer almost £12,000 for gardening bills at his farmhouse in Essex, his expenses claims show.
David Heathcoat-Amory’s gardener used hundreds of sacks of horse manure and the MP submitted the receipts to Parliament
Nick Herbert charged taxpayers more than £10,000 for stamp duty and fees when he and his partner bought a home together in his constituency
Douglas Hogg included with his expenses claims the cost of having the moat cleared, piano tuned and stable lights fixed at his country manor house. He has agreed to repay £2,200 for the moat clearing
Geoff Hoon established a property empire worth £1.7 million after claiming taxpayer-funded expenses for at least two properties
Phil Hope spent more than £10,000 in one year refurbishing a small London flat. He has promised to pay back £41,000 to the taxpayer
Kelvin Hopkins claims just a fraction of the available second-home allowance by taking the train to Westminster from his home town
David Howarth has not made any claims on his second home allowance since 2004/05
Chris Huhne regularly submits receipts for bus tickets and groceries including pints of milk, fluffy dusters, lavatory rolls and chocolate HobNobs. He has promised to pay back £119 for a trouser press
Glenda Jackson did not claim on her second homes allowance between 2004 and 2008
Stewart Jackson claimed more than £66,000 for his family home, including hundreds of pounds on refurbishing his swimming pool. He has agreed to repay the costs associated with his pool
Brian Jenkins claims little or no mortgage interest for his property in London
Alan Johnson claimed just £43,596 for his second home in 2004-8
Diana Johnson claimed nearly £1,000 to cover the cost of hiring an architect for a decorating project at her second home
Helen Jones claimed £87,647 in second home allowances for her London flat between 2004 and 2008
Gerald Kaufman charged the taxpayer £1,851 for a rug he imported from a New York antiques centre and tried to claim £8,865 for a television
Alan and Ann Keen claimed almost £40,000 a year on a central London flat although their family home was less than 10 miles away
Ruth Kelly has claimed more than £31,000 to redecorate and furnish her designated second home in the past five years. She claimed thousands of pounds in expenses to pay for damage caused to her home by flooding, although at the time she had a building insurance policy.
Fraser Kemp made repeat purchases of household items over the space of several weeks.
Julie Kirkbride's husband Andrew Mackay resigned as David Cameron's aide after it emerged that the two MPs were making claims that meant they effectively had no main home but two second homes, both funded with public money.
Greg Knight, an MP with a collection of classic cars, claimed £2,600 in expenses for repair work on the driveway at his designated second home
Susan Kramer did not claim on her second home allowance between 2004-8
Andrew Lansley spent more than £4,000 of taxpayers’ money renovating his country home months before he sold it. He will repay £2,600 of decorating fees
Oliver Letwin repaired a pipe beneath his tennis court using taxpayers' money. He has agreed to repay the money
Julian Lewis attempted to claim £6,000 in expenses for a wooden floor at his second home
Ian Lucas made £45,000 profit when he sold a London flat on which he had claimed second home expenses
Lord Mandelson faces questions over the timing of his house claim which came after he had announced he would step down
Andrew Mackay resigned as David Cameron's aide after it emerged that he and his wife Julie Kirkbride were making claims that meant they effectively had no main home but two second homes, both funded with public money.
David Maclean spent thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money renovating a farmhouse before selling it for £750,000.
Angus MacNeil, the MP whose police complaint triggered the cash-for-peerages inquiry, tried to charge the taxpayer for his drinks bills, a chocolate bar and hundreds of pounds of "petty cash".
Fiona MacTaggart claimed just £3,392 on her second homes allowance in 2007/08
Shahid Malik claimed £66,000 on his second property while paying less than £100 a week for his main house. He has resigned as justice minister pending an investigation
Judy Mallaber rarely claims for food
John Maples declared a private members’ club as his main home to the parliamentary authorities. He claimed the maximum second home allowance on his family house while apparently not having a “main” property to maintain
Bob Marshall-Andrews claimed £118,000 for expenses at his second home, including stereo equipment, extensive redecoration and a pair of Kenyan carpets.
Rob Marris claimed just £11,973 on his second homes allowance in 2007/08
Gordon Marsdon claimed just £9,739 on his second homes allowance in 2007/08
Michael Martin used taxpayers' money to pay for chauffeur-driven cars to his local job centre and Celtic's football ground
Francis Maude claimed almost £35,000 in two years for mortgage interest payments on a London flat when he owned a house just a few hundred yards away. He has agreed to stop claiming for a second home
Theresa May claimed just £4,288 on her second home allowance in 2007/08
Tommy McAvoy claimed £86,565 in second home allowances between 2004 and 2008 for his flat in Westminster
Steve McCabe over-claimed on his mortgage by £4,059 during the course of two years
Ian McCartney spent £16,000 furnishing and decorating his designated second home but paid the money back two years later
Martin McGuinness and four other Sinn Fein MPs claimed more than £500,000 over five years even though the Sinn Fein MPs refuse to attend Parliament
Patrick McLoughlin, the senior MP asked by David Cameron to scrutinise Tory expenses, claimed £3,000 for new windows at his second home.
Michael Meacher claimed just £32,825 on his second homes allowance between 2004-8
David Miliband's spending was queried by his gardener
Ed Miliband claimed just £7,670 on his second home allowance in 2007/08
Ann Milton did not make any claims on her second home allowance in 2007/08
Austin Mitchell claimed for security shutters, ginger crinkle biscuits and the cost of reupholstering his sofa. He has offered to donate his old sofa coverings to make amends
Madeleine Moon spent thousands in furniture shops near her Welsh constituency house and claimed the money back on her London designated second home allowance
Margaret Moran switched the address of her second home, allowing her to claim £22,500 to fix a dry rot problem. She has agreed to repay the money while insisting she acted within the rules. She could face an investigation for allegedly using Commons stationery to keep neighbours away from her fourth property in Spain. She also billed the taxpayer for nearly £4,000 in legal fees in settling a dispute with one of her staff and faces a challenge at the next general election from Esther Rantzen .
Elliot Morley claimed parliamentary expenses of more than £16,000 for a mortgage which had already been paid off
George Mudie claimed £62,000 in expenses for his London flat in four years, while having a mortgage of just £26,000.
Chris Mullin, a former minister, watches a 30-year-old black and white television at his second home and claims the £45 cost of the licence on his expenses
Conor Murphy and four other Sinn Fein MPs claimed more than £500,000 over five years even though the Sinn Fein MPs refuse to attend Parliament
Paul Murphy had a new plumbing system installed at taxpayers’ expense because the water in the old one was “too hot”
Lembit Opik had to pay £2,499 for a 42-inch plasma television after purchasing it while Parliament was dissolved
George Osborne was rebuked by the Commons authorities for using public money to fund his "political" website. He also claimed money for a chauffeur-driven car which he has agreed to repay
John Prescott claimed for two lavatory seats in two years
John Redwood has admitted being paid twice after submitting an identical £3,000 decorating bill on his second home allowance
Alan Reid claimed more than £1,500 on his parliamentary expenses for staying in hotels and bed-and-breakfasts near his home
John Reid used his allowance to pay for slotted spoons, an ironing board and a glittery loo seat
Angus Robertson successfully appealed to the fees office when they turned down his claim for a £400 home cinema system
Geoffrey Robinson has not made any claims on his second home allowance since 2004/05
Peter and Iris Robinson both claimed expenses based on the same £1,223 bill when they submitted their parliamentary claims in 2007
David Ruffley claimed for new furniture and fittings after “flipping” his second home from London to a new flat in his constituency
Joan Ryan spent thousands of pounds on repairs and decorations at her constituency home before switching her designated second home to a London property
Alex Salmond claimed £400 per month for food when the Commons was not even sitting
Martin Salter has not made any claims on his second home allowance since 2004/05
Grant Shapps claimed just £7,269 on his second homes allowance in 2007/08
Jim Sheridan used his allowances to reclaim the cost of a 42-inch plasma TV, leather bed and hundreds of pounds worth of furniture.
Clare Short claimed thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money to which she was not entitled within months of standing down as a Cabinet minister
Michael Spicer claimed for work on his helipad and received thousands of pounds for gardening bills.
Anthony Steen claimed £87,000 on country mansion with 500 trees. He has announced he will step down at the next election
Jack Straw only paid half the amount of council tax that he claimed on his parliamentary allowances over four years but later rectified the over-claim
Jo Swinson included receipts for eyeliner, a “tooth flosser” and 29p dusters with her parliamentary expenses claims
Robert Syms claimed more than £2,000 worth of furniture on expenses for his designated second home in London, but had it all delivered to his parents’ address in Wiltshire
Sarah Teather did not claim on her second homes allowance between 2004 and 2008
Don Touhig spent thousands of pounds redecorating his constituency home before “flipping” his allowance to a flat in London
Kitty Ussher asked the Commons authorities to fund extensive refurbishment of her Victorian family home
Ed Vaizey had £2,000 worth of furniture delivered to his London home when he was claiming his Commons allowance on a second home in Oxfordshire.
Keith Vaz claimed £75,500 for a second flat near Parliament even though he already lived just 12 miles from Westminster
Sir Peter Viggers included with his expense claims the £1,645 cost of a floating duck house in the garden pond at his Hampshire home. He has announced he will step down at the next election
Theresa Villiers claimed almost £16,000 in stamp duty and professional fees on expenses when she bought a London flat, even though she already had a house in the capital. She has agreed to stop claiming the second home allowance
Claire Ward, the MP responsible for keeping the Queen informed about Parliament, submitted monthly expense claims for hundreds of pounds of "petty cash" while claiming maximum allowances
Tom Watson and Iain Wright spent £100,000 of taxpayers' money on the London flat they once shared
Steve Webb sold his London flat and bought another nearby, while the taxpayer picked up an £8,400 bill for stamp duty
Shaun Woodward received £100,000 to help pay mortgage
Bill Wiggin claimed interest payments for a property which had no mortgage
David Willetts, the Conservatives' choice for skills minister, needed help changing light bulbs. He has agreed to repay the bill
Alan Williams claimed just £5,221 on his second homes allowance in 2007/08
Phil Willis spent thousands of pounds of public funds on mortgage interest payments, redecoration and furnishings for a flat where his daughter now lives.
David Winnick claimed just £36,354 on his second homes allowance between 2004-8
Sir Nicholas Winterton and his wife Ann claimed more than £80,000 for a London flat owned by a trust controlled by their children
Ann Widdecombe claimed just £858 on her second home allowance in 2007/08
Rob Wilson did not claim on his second homes allowance between 2004 and 2008
Phil Woolas submitted receipts including comics, nappies and women's clothing as part of his claims for food
Iain Wright and Tom Watson spent £100,000 of taxpayers' money on the London flat they once shared
Derek Wyatt billed 75p for scotch eggs
Richard Younger-Ross spent £1,235 on four mirrors and bought 'Don Juan’ bookcase

Jury Team EU launch

Sky News getting ready to photograph the candidates

Sir Paul Judge took the meeting and in his opening speech told us that politicians are totally disconnected from the people and that, at present, less than 1% of the British people actually belong to a political party. In fact, Parliament has become an employment bureau for career politicians.

The Jury Team would like to see their representatives restricted to three terms of office. They would like to see a referendum called if requested by 5% of the people. At 60M people in Britain that would mean three million would need to request one. Not totally impossible through the Internet, but large enough to ensure that frivolous referendi would not be called.

Martin Bell told of the huge gap between the political class and the rest of the British citizenry and that the gap has to be closed if Parliament really wants to restore trust.

Philip Openheim spoke of the people's anger, apparent everywhere he went, and that being a member of Parliament should be a vocation and not a career. Government and Opposition advisors had trebled since 1997 and did not help as our leaders lacked any depth of vision. He also said that having an unelected house of Lords just led to more and more corruption.

Eshter Ransom spoke next. She said she was not standing for the EU Parliament but was interested in standing for Luton South. She was horrified when she learned that Margaret Moran the sitting Labour MP took £23,000 of tax payers' money to fix dry rot in her holiday home nowhere near Westminster or her constituency in Luton. In fact, it was on the coast near Southampton, and also when she learned that the Labour Party in Luton South are refusing to deselect her.

Esther is considering her position and will make an announcement next Tuesday. She says people deserve some home truths from their politicians but she had always been a floating voter and had never read a manifesto that she could totally agree with.

Another candidate, Rizi, was an ex Labour man but told us of his total disillusionment with the present system which he surmised was probably no different to the majority of the British public!

The last candidate, Nick, said that we needed more common sense and a breath of fresh air to cleanse the corridors of power. He believed, and so do I, that many MPs had never done a day's “proper” work in their lives.

Richard Taylor MP, Independent Member of Parliament for Wye Forest, came out of a meeting a little later to talk to us and, when asked whether any of the talking in Parliament ever actually changed people's minds, said that in the two terms he had served he only ever had one MP come up to him and say his argument on passive smoking did change his mind. Dr Taylor became an MP to save a hospital in his constituency from closure.

All in all, an interesting morning and I shall vote for any independent standing under the Jury Team's umbrella, no matter whether left or right of centre.

Ampers.

Are the public gullible

The politicians think that if they apologise, and perhaps, and only perhaps, pay some, and only some, of the excess expense claims back, the public will get over it.

They are accepting the fact that they will do badly at the Euro elections, but these aren't important anyway as none of the larger parties have any intention of pulling Britain out of the EU. They are pretty certain that, come the UK elections for Parliament, Joe Public will be pleased they gave the government and opposition a bloody nose in the European parliament, and things will be back to normal.

They could be right but personally, I am hoping that our great British public aren't as gullible as politicians imagine they are.

I am hoping that once we get all MPs expenses listed in full with names, and each expense claims shown separately under each name, we can use this as a start to get councils to do the same, once councils are doing this we have to start on the BBC. When all their expenses are listed we should be looking at everybody, public or private, who receive the tax-payers money to do the same.

And we mustn't stop there. We must force the government to insist that every organisation who claims funding from the National Lottery does the same. In this case, lists every penny of lottery funding should be accounted for.

By then, we will have got the bit between the teeth and can look into all other public areas where recipients of our hard earned money toe the line. For example, The Inland Revenue executives should not only list all their expenses, but issue quarterly accounts showing how much they have extorted from the public and exactly where it has gone.

Only then will the public be on the first rung of the ladder of taking control away from faceless bureaucrats.

Ampers

Too old for the Internet.

I often come across people of my age group (65-75) who say they are too old to get involved with computers or the Internet. I find it very difficult to either understand them, or sympathise with them. Just because something is different doesn't mean you have to give up on it. A recently deceased friend of mine bought his first computer at 79 and although a quiet and decent chap often got “computer rage” which would put the average angry motorist to shame!

I have read, today, of a dear old lady in a nursing home up in Bradford, called Ivy Bean. Her typical day starts with getting up for breakfast, chatting to the other “inmates” for a while, checking up on all who managed to survive the night, and then taking out her shiny laptop and starts surfing the Internet. She used to be heavily involved with Facebook and has 4,800 friends there. But she has got bored with this social networking site and now spends most of her time on Twitter where she has a huge following. Then it is lunch-time and after lunch she goes up to her room for a nap. However, the staff in the care home know only too well to wake her up to watch Noel Edmond's Deal or No Deal which she watches without fail.

Before you write her off as a boring old fart, you should know she is one of those things, she is old at a hundred and four. But an old fart? Not in my book.

Ampers.

A wolf in sheep's clothing

I have just watched a video introducing me to a new search engine. Not an ordinary search engine as it doesn't give you links. It gives you the information your are looking for directly. The name is Wolfram Alpla.

This is one of the most exciting Internet projects I have come across.

You can ask it any technical information, it has answers for most disciplines; or ask it how much fish is sold in France; or what was the weather link in Timbuktoo on 11/6/1987 – If you ask the question in Europe, it will take the date as June, or if in America, November. Type in Andrew and you will see how many Andrews are in the world. Type in Andrew England and you will see the answer for England. It will also show you how many babies were named Andrew each year for the last ten years. And a host of other useful information is available.

It comes live at 7pm USA Central time tonight so, if you are in Europe, it will be live when you wake up tomorrow morning. But you can link in now and watch the introductory video. In fact you should watch that even when it is live to get the best out of the search engine.

Not a replacement for Google but very, very exciting.

Ampers

Enough of this sleaze... enjoy!

I watched a video on TV the other night with Jennifer Lopex, called "Angel Eyes". Not a bad film at all, but there was one scene with one of the most beautiful blues tunes, played with a trumpet, I have ever heard.

It was "Nature Boy" by Jon Hassell. As for how good it is, let me put it this way. This is no longer sold but you can buy it second hand on Amazon.com.

Only one CD in the set and prices range up to just below eighty pounds! Needles to say, I couldn't waste that much money on a single second hand CD.

Enjoy... it is less than three minutes.

Ampers

Thought for the day

I do get rather tired of people bad-mouthing the political parties opposite to theirs: Socialists who sneer at successful Conservatives, and Conservatives who call Socialists scum.

As long as we continue to do this, people in politics will continue to look upon the voters as their enemy. But, please don't take this as me making any excuses for the current thievery in Parliament

I am as guilty as the rest and I also have to stop. I think Conservatives who soak their customers for every penny they get their hands on are beneath contempt. I also think Socialists who earn huge salaries, have many houses, and refuse to give a large amount each year back to (according to soicalist principles) help others more unfortunate are worse than scum.

Let's take Polly Toynbee, the very successful Guardian journalist. She also writes books and earns a fortune each year, she has many homes including a beautiful one in Tuscany. As far as I am concerned, good luck to her. She is entitled to every penny she makes. She would only become scum in my eyes if she refused to make large socialist contributions to charity to help her fellow man.

Ampers

The Labour Mantra... "sleaze"!

What was it that Labour kept repeating like a Mantra during the last Tory Government? Wasn't it "sleaze, sleaze, sleaze"? At the time I couldn't help recall the old saying, "what goes around comes around". Only now the Tories can't take advantage of it as they are up to their necks in the shyte as well.

Now we are all beginning to see MPs for what they really are. It's taken most of us rather a long time so I thought you might like to read the views of our more illustrious ancestors - they knew! ... Read on:

"Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress... But then I repeat myself." - Mark Twain

"I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle." - Winston Churchill

"A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul." - George Bernard Shaw

"Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner." - James Bovard

"Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries." - Douglas Casey

"Giving money and power to government is like giving whisky and car keys to teenage boys." - PJ O'Rourke

"Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavours to live at the expense of everybody else." - Frederic Bastiat

"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And i it stops moving, subsidise it." -Ronald Reagan

"In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other." – Voltaire

"Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you!" - Pericles (430 BC)

"No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislate' is in session." - Mark Twain

"The government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other." - Ronald Reagan

"The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery". - Winston Churchill

"The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin." - Mark Twain

"What this country needs is more unemployed politicians." - Edward Langley Hear! Hear! (Ampers)

"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have." - Thomas Jefferson

Ampers.

Conspiracy to commit fraud

The following information is second-hand. I did not watch the programme but have no reason to doubt the claim:

"Portillo stated on 'This Week' that all new MPs were taken to one side and told to claim the maximum 'allowed' so as 'not to let the side down'."

Surely, if this is true, it boils down to the extremely serious charge of "Conspiracy to commit fraud"?

Ampers

Luxury on the Taxpayer

The following article, part published here with a link to the full article, has been taken from today's Electronic Telegraph. There is a link at the bottom to take you to the full article.


Keith Vaz: £75,000 for a flat 12 miles from home
Keith Vaz, the senior Labour backbencher, claimed more than £75,500 in expenses for a flat in Westminster despite his family home being a £1.15 million house just 12 miles from parliament.

By Jon Swaine
Last Updated: 3:39AM BST 09 May 2009

His living arrangements will leave him open to the same questions asked of Tony McNulty, the Home Office Minister, who claimed for a house about the same distance away lived in by his parents.

Mr Vaz, the chairman of the home affairs select committee, also switched his designated second home from the £545,000 flat to a house in his Leicester East constituency and back again in the space of a year. Mr Vaz's main home is a house in Stanmore, north-west London, that he bought with his wife Maria for £1.15 million in November 2005. They live there with their two children. Before then they lived in another house in Stanmore.

Read the rest at The Electronic Telegraph...

Ampers

Who was responsible?

The following article has been taken from “The Lew Rockwell Column”, a Libertarian Forum in the USA which I subscribe to through RSS feeds.

Agreed, it is all about the USA but it equally applies to the UK, and probably many other countries in the Western World. I have highlighted the most important bit in red bold.

No, the Free Market Did Not Cause the Financial Crisis
by Thomas E. Woods, Jr.

In March 2007 then-Treasury secretary Henry Paulson told Americans that the global economy was “as strong as I’ve seen it in my business career.” “Our financial institutions are strong,” he added in March 2008. “Our investment banks are strong. Our banks are strong. They’re going to be strong for many, many years.”

Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said in May 2007, “We do not expect significant spillovers from the subprime market to the rest of the economy or to the financial system.” In August 2008, Paulson and Bernanke assured the country that other than perhaps $25 billion in bailout money for Fannie and Freddie, the fundamentals of the economy were sound.

Then, all of a sudden, things were so bad that without a $700 billion congressional appropriation, the whole thing would collapse.

In the wake of this change of heart on the part of our leaders, Americans found themselves bombarded with a predictable and relentless refrain: the free market economy has failed. The alleged remedies were equally predictable: more regulation, more government intervention, more spending, more money creation, and more debt.

To add insult to injury, the very people who had been responsible for the policies that created the mess were posing as the wise public servants who would show us the way out. And following a now-familiar pattern, government failure would not only be blamed on anyone and everyone but the government itself, but it would also be used to justify additional grants of government power.

The truth of the matter is that intervention in the market, rather than the market economy itself, was the driving factor behind the bust.

F.A. Hayek won the Nobel Prize for his work showing how the central bank’s intervention into the economy gives rise to the boom-bust cycle, making us feel prosperous until we suffer the inevitable crash.

Most Americans know nothing about Hayek’s theory (known as the Austrian theory of the business cycle), and are therefore easy prey for the quacks who blame the market for problems caused by the manipulation of money and credit.

The artificial booms the Fed provokes, wrote economist Henry Hazlitt decades ago, must end “in a crisis and a slump, and…worse than the slump itself may be the public delusion that the slump has been caused, not by the previous inflation, but by the inherent defects of ‘capitalism.’”

The full article may be read here.

May 8, 2009
Thomas E. Woods, Jr. is senior fellow in American history at the Ludwig von Mises Institute. He is the author of nine books, including two New York Times bestsellers: The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History and the just-released Meltdown: A Free-Market Look at Why the Stock Market Collapsed, the Economy Tanked, and Government Bailouts Will Make Things Worse. Visit his new website.

Ampers

The Credit Crunch - French style

It is August. In a small town on the South Coast of France, the holiday season is in full swing, but it is raining so there is not too much business happening.

Everyone is heavily in debt.

Luckily, a rich Russian tourist arrives in the foyer of the small local hotel. He asks for a room and puts a Euro100 note on the reception counter, takes a key and goes to inspect the room located up the stairs on the third floor.

The hotel owner takes the banknote in hurry and rushes to his meat supplier to whom he owes E100.The butcher takes the money and races to his supplier to pay his debt. The wholesaler rushes to the farmer to pay E100 for pigs he purchased some time ago. The farmer triumphantly gives the E100 note to a local prostitute who gave him her services on credit.

The prostitute goes quickly to the hotel, as she owed the hotel for her hourly room use to entertain clients.

At that moment, the rich Russian is coming down to reception and informs the hotel owner that the proposed room is unsatisfactory and takes his E100 back and
departs.

There was no profit or income, but everyone no longer has any debt and the small townspeople look optimistically towards their future.

Could this be the answer to the Global Financial Crisis?

Why I didn't leave Facebook

At the moment I am drastically cutting back my involvement in several groups on the Internet. Facebook, is one of them, as I am getting involved with a major newspaper project.

I have removed all my contacts from my account, removed all my my groups so that it is just an empty shell. I then removed all my personal information except my email address and changed the security from closed (entry by invitation only) to open (anyone can come in and see my email address).

There is a simple reason for this. When I was active on Facebook half a dozen people I had lost contact with over the decades found me on Facebook. I thought by keeping it open I might still make contact with others from the past, this is the only reason why the account is kept open; so they can find my email address.

This got me thinking, (and it didn't hurt – well, not too much). There are a lot of people out there who are worried about social networks being time consuming, or worry about the security. By opening an account, and just having an email address there, you are not giving much away, but you could make contact with friends from long ago.

So why not open an account, make sure you never join anything or add any friends to it, make it open, and just put an email address there. You never know, a long lost friend may turn up. Six of mine did.

I used to be on MySpace, and when I moved to Facebook I kept a shell account there as well. For the same reason!

Ampers

Britains “Thought Police”

The following article appeared in “The Australian” and I offer it below without comment.

1 document matched your query .
Thought police muscle up in Britain
The Australian, 21-04-2009, Ed: 1 - All-round Country, Pg: 012, 1146 words , FEATURES

Almost daily there are cases of political correctness gone mad, laments Hal G. P. Colebatch BRITAIN appears to be evolving into the first modern soft totalitarian state. As a sometime teacher of political science and international law, I do not use t...

As it will cost $1.75 Australian to download the archive, I reproduce the article from Old Holborn's blog where it appeared in full.

Hal G. P. Colebatch April 21, 2009
Article from: The Australian

BRITAIN appears to be evolving into the first modern soft totalitarian state. As a sometime teacher of political science and international law, I do not use the term totalitarian loosely.

There are no concentration camps or gulags but there are thought police with unprecedented powers to dictate ways of thinking and sniff out heresy, and there can be harsh punishments for dissent.

Nikolai Bukharin claimed one of the Bolshevik Revolution's principal tasks was "to alter people's actual psychology". Britain is not Bolshevik, but a campaign to alter people's psychology and create a new Homo britannicus is under way without even a fig leaf of disguise.

The Government is pushing ahead with legislation that will criminalise politically incorrect jokes, with a maximum punishment of up to seven years' prison. The House of Lords tried to insert a free-speech amendment, but Justice Secretary Jack Straw knocked it out.

It was Straw who previously called for a redefinition of Englishness and suggested the "global baggage of empire" was linked to soccer violence by "racist and xenophobic white males". He claimed the English "propensity for violence" was used to subjugate Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and that the English as a race were "potentially very aggressive".

In the past 10 years I have collected reports of many instances of draconian punishments, including the arrest and criminal prosecution of children, for thought-crimes and offences against political correctness.

Countryside Restoration Trust chairman and columnist Robin Page said at a rally against the Government's anti-hunting laws in Gloucestershire in 2002: "If you are a black vegetarian Muslim asylum-seeking one-legged lesbian lorry driver, I want the same rights as you."

Page was arrested, and after four months he received a letter saying no charges would be pressed, but that: "If further evidence comes to our attention whereby your involvement is implicated, we will seek to initiate proceedings." It took him five years to clear his name.

Page was at least an adult. In September 2006, a 14-year-old schoolgirl, Codie Stott, asked a teacher if she could sit with another group to do a science project as all the girls with her spoke only Urdu.

The teacher's first response, according to Stott, was to scream at her: "It's racist, you're going to get done by the police!" Upset and terrified, the schoolgirl went outside to calm down. The teacher called the police and a few days later, presumably after officialdom had thought the matter over, she was arrested and taken to a police station, where she was fingerprinted and photographed.

According to her mother, she was placed in a bare cell for 3 1/2 hours. She was questioned on suspicion of committing a racial public order offence and then released without charge. The school was said to be investigating what further action to take, not against the teacher, but against Stott.

Headmaster Anthony Edkins reportedly said: "An allegation of a serious nature was made concerning a racially motivated remark. We aim to ensure a caring and tolerant attitude towards pupils of all ethnic backgrounds and will not stand for racism in any form."

A 10-year-old child was arrested and brought before a judge, for having allegedly called an 11-year-old boya "Paki" and "bin Laden" during a playground argument at a primary school (the other boy had called him a skunk and a Teletubby).

When it reached the court the case had cost taxpayers pound stg. 25,000. The accused was so distressed that he had stopped attending school. The judge, Jonathan Finestein, said: "Have we really got to the stage where we are prosecuting 10-year-old boys because of political correctness? There are major crimes out there and the police don't bother to prosecute. This is nonsense."

Finestein was fiercely attacked by teaching union leaders, as in those witch-hunt trials where any who spoke in defence of an accused or pointed to defects in the prosecution were immediately targeted as witches and candidates for burning.

Hate-crime police investigated Basil Brush, a puppet fox on children's television, who had made a joke about Gypsies. The BBC confessed that Brush had behaved inappropriately and assured police that the episode would be banned.

A bishop was warned by the police for not having done enough to "celebrate diversity", the enforcing of which is now apparently a police function. A Christian home for retired clergy and religious workers lost a grant because it would not reveal to official snoopers how many of the residents were homosexual. That they had never been asked was taken as evidence of homophobia.

Muslim parents who objected to young children being given books advocating same-sex marriage and adoption at one school last year had their wishes respected and the offending material withdrawn. This year, Muslim and Christian parents at another school objecting to the same material have not only had their objections ignored but have been threatened with prosecution if they withdraw their children.

There have been innumerable cases in recent months of people in schools, hospitals and other institutions losing their jobs because of various religious scruples, often, as in the East Germany of yore, not shouted fanatically from the rooftops but betrayed in private conversations and reported to authorities.

The crime of one nurse was to offer to pray for a patient, who did not complain but merely mentioned the matter to another nurse. A primary school receptionist, Jennie Cain, whose five-year-old daughter was told off for talking about Jesus in class, faces the sack for seeking support from her church.

A private email from her to other members of the church asking for prayers fell into the hands of school authorities.

Permissiveness as well as draconianism can be deployed to destroy socially accepted norms and values. The Royal Navy, for instance, has installed a satanist chapel in a warship to accommodate the proclivities of a satanist crew member. "What would Nelson have said?" is a British newspaper cliche about navy scandals, but in this case seems a legitimate question. Satanist paraphernalia is also supplied to prison inmates who need it.

This campaign seems to come from unelected or quasi-governmental bodies controlling various institutions, which are more or less unanswerable to electors, more than it does directly from the Government, although the Government helps drive it and condones it in a fudged and deniable manner.

Any one of these incidents might be dismissed as an aberration, but taken together - and I have only mentioned a tiny sample; more are reported almost every day - they add up to a pretty clear picture.

Hal G. P. Colebatch's Blair's Britain was chosen as a book of the year by The Spectator in 1999.

Ampers

Washing one's hair.

This article in the Electronic Telegraph states that Prince Harry has not washed his hair for two years. Not entirely right as he has, no doubt, washed it daily in the shower.

However, what he is saying is, he hasn't used shampoo for two years and that the hair is self-cleansing.

I know about this as I haven't washed my hair for about the same period. Nobody has noticed this so the claim about self-cleansing must be true! I take issue on the statement that it takes a week to happen. My hair is short but it was two or three weeks before the breakthrough occurred. It was very greasy until then. Those with long hair can expect the initial period to take even longer.

But what this article shows is that you can save money by not buying expensive shampoo.

And take body deodorants as another example. How many of you put this on every day? When I was a teenager I thought this was a con and never used it. Because I never started using it in the first place, I never “ponged”. However, as I reached my forties I did find, in the hot summers, I would need it, but only very occasionally. Now and again I use a very small 50ml dry “smear-on” and one of these lasts me around five years. My wife would be the first to complain if I “pong” and she never needs to!

What I am trying to convey here is that there is a huge market of personal hygiene products which have been foistered on the public, items that really just waste our hard to come by money.

Mind you, having been brought up in South Africa probably does mean I am less likely to perspire in the English Climate than most.

Please note, however, that I am not suggesting you wash less!

Ampers

Swine Fever

Here is Ron Paul's view - And he is a physician!



Ampers

Swine Flu

The following article has been written by an Afrikaans friend of mine, Marie-Louise Oosthuysen de Gutierrez, who lives with her family on the outskirts of Mexico City.

She has researched her material well, and reading the entire article will possibly save your life. Over to you, Marilou...

Influenza Outbreak with Pandemic Implications, subtitled: How to Stay Healthy during an Influenza Outbreak. A summary of the 2009 influenza outbreak in Mexico City and notes on which vitamins, mineral, herbs, and spices are best and worst when faced with an influenza virus to which we have no resistance.

Mexico is frightened, and angry … Mexico City with its 20 million inhabitants, appears to be ground zero for potentially the next influenza pandemic! This new influenza (also called swine flu) is a genetic mix of pig, bird, and human viruses, and this hybrid has epidemiologists deeply concerned (I’d say!!). The anger is based in the fact that the government viewed the growing flu caseload as normal, at a time of year when flu outbreaks should be decreasing, not increasing. President Felipe Calderon said that the Ministry of Health only discovered the nature of the virus late Thursday (23 April 2009). The World Health Organization (WHO) are set to meet today (Saturday, 25 April 2009) to consider whether an international public health emergency should be declared, which would include travel advisories, trade restrictions, and border closures. A decision has not yet been made.

According to Mexico’s Secretary of Health, Jose Angel Cordova, 68 people (20 confirmed and 48 in the process of being confirmed) have died and 1004 (1034 in total) more cases have been indentified nationwide, of which 24 new suspected cases were reported on Saturday (25 April) alone. The deaths have occurred in at least four different regions throughout Mexico (in 6-14 of the 32 states), with victims who were NOT vulnerable infants and the elderly, but healthy adults between 20-40, and that is particularly worrisome! At least 20 people have been identified with the same strain of influenza in California and Texas (bordering states to Mexico), and now also Kansas, Ohio, and New York in the USA, but thankfully so far no deaths have been reported. No direct contact has been found between the San Diego and San Antonio cases, which suggest that the virus was spread through undiagnosed individuals. Airports around the world are screening passengers from Mexico for symptoms and are ready to quarantine passengers if necessary. {continues on Knol - link below}

Here is the link to the rest of her article, including which foods and medicines to take and to avoid.

Ampers

Careful when you ask a black a question...

...you will not get a straightforward reply.

Well in South Africa that is. Before you lambaste me for racialism you should address any ire to Mphuthumi Ntabeni who is a Cape Town based freelance writer. His details are at the bottom.

Here it is in full. And here is the link to the newspaper article. My comments are in [square brackets].

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2009/04/25

THE more I read the survey results, the more I lose trust in their predictions. They daily looked more and more like the ancient practice of reading the bird entrails to predict the future.

Their limitations lie in their inability to comprehend the culture of those they interview. Let me make a short narrative to assist my point.

This week, my friend and I went to his home in Gugulethu, Cape Town. Around the corner from his mother’s place we met up with a friend he had not met in a long time.

“I hear this place is now Cope-ing? Is that right,” asked my friend, slightly in jest, but definitely serious.

“No; what do you mean?” The guy sized up my friend to see which side he was on.

The area, notoriously known as Kakyard Street, [translated: shityard street] was originally a Black Consciousness stronghold, but had, like most black townships, been voting ANC in the past elections.

“I’m Cope-ing chap,” said my friend. “And so was impressed when I read this place was Cope-ing big-time last weekend with Terror.”

Then, and only then, did his friend came out more and go on: “Our problem here is zizikoli (an untranslatable word the meaning of which runs from ‘ unemployed’ to ‘ rogue’).”

I was slightly put off by what he said, but was soon able to understand what he meant.

My friend’s mother stays with relatives: her sister, who has two grown-up daughters aged 28 and 23. At [in] the back flats stays my friend’s unemployed brother, who is 38.

Naturally, the talk gravitated to the elections and my friend’s mother made it clear that, though she’s seeing a lot of things she does not like in the ANC, the party is still her only hope.

She told us how all her life she’d been treated as a domestic servant, and how the ANC gave her dignity back. All of us were touched by her loyalty and respected her decision.

This is how she explained herself: “I’ll vote for what I know, not untested promises. Yenzani nina umhlawumbi nakuhamba nisibonise indlela entsha nathi (Do your thing as you’re doing, perhaps later on you’ll convince us of the new way). I can see Vathiswa and her varsity friends, who are good kids, are following this Cope thing, and I think there must be something to it; unlike Madoda and his friends, who spend most of their time in the back flat smoking dagga, [cannabis] only to come out more convinced that they are ANC members, as if that’s all there is to it.”

I almost said that it was what it amounted to: the black townships have been severed into two, along the lines of progressive versus conservative, traditional, and, sadly, regressive.

[Very important paragraph follows] Coming back to my issue: The crucial error of our opinion surveys is that they do not consider carefully the variants present on the ground. Culturally, for instance, black people will never give you insight to their true thoughts unless they trust you completely (remember my friend’s friend). You’ll not get a straight answer until you first declare your cards. The best you’ll get is the answer they think you are looking for, not what they are actually thinking. All answers are laden with searching undertones and psychological assessment.

These elections in our country cut too close to the bone, dividing sibling from sibling; true allegiances are thus far too sensitive to discuss, even among family members. A stranger [such as a BBC reporter] stands basically no chance of getting to the real truth. Politics in our culture is personal and is associated with many things close to personal identity.

The ANC will still remain a legend even after these elections – albeit a wounded one. But it will never again command unchallengeable support. Many people see its wasting maladies, eating through its moral fibre, even if others do not yet have energy or the desire to go against it. Most people are taking a wait-and-see approach.

There’s something in the formation of Cope that has stirred the South African political mind to deeper reflection. Despite the arguments of those in the ANC in political power now, the cause of the organisation’s maladies do [did] not just lie with one man, Thabo Mbeki. Hence, his removal from the leadership solved nothing. Instead, it brought into focus the real cause, which is the decaying structure of the ANC as a liberation movement.

Everyone knows what’s gone rotten in the South African State, even those who allow wrong and vested habits to get in the way of their reason. Sometimes we see and acknowledge the truth, but our passions drive us to follow the worst course. Unfortunately for us all, we now seem to be under the power of the men of passion and there is very little reason.

The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.

Mphuthumi Ntabeni is a Cape Town- based freelance writer. He is editor of Cope’s website for the Cape Town Metro – www.copetown.org. He writes in his personal capacity.

Labour and the upper classes.

I would consistently vote Labour if I were a multi-millionaire and a member of the upper classes, even though they are increasing taxes for such people.

You may well wonder at this, so I shall tell you how I would think in that position.

First of all, let's take a quick look at education. If I had children at Eton or Harrow, or even one of the minor “public schools” I would rejoice at the ruination of the governmental school system.

They are turning out hordes of uneducated children. The sort I would need to populate my factories. The criminals would only serve to keep the working classes and most of the middle classes in check by causing them to fear for their lives. My mansion would be in an area well away from these people, and my staff would keep any riff-raff away.

But my children, as they leave school, and then Oxford, would be assured of entering the lower rungs of the ladder that stretches to the boardroom. The higher up the ladder they travel, the less “ordinary people” they will have to rub shoulders with

The people who really succeed in life are the ones who are more healthy. I wouldn't mind or regret my private health payments because I know my wealth would ensure my family would be well looked after in this area. The government are wasting billions because of their fear of reforming the health service where the manager is king!

The least wealthy are more frightened of hospitals because of the lack of ability of running their business whilst sick or the fear of contacting MRSA and other deadly diseases.

My private BUPA hospital will allow me full phone and fax access, a small desk for my computer, and my secretary would be able to visit at any time. And, I would be in and out much more quickly.

Yes, Labour is kind to the rich and famous. They would have my vote.

Ampers

PS Excuse any errors, my proof reader is asleep in bed and I dare not wake her!

Give Gordon Brown a bloody nose

I am utterly disgusted with the Government's treatment of the Ghurkas. Like my beloved Zulus, the Ghurkas are, on the one hand, gentle, loveable people, and on the other hand, the fiercest warriors of their region.

They want so much to “serve” that when I was in the Army, they would offer to pay to do our guard duty commitment, just on the off-chance they could apprehend a villain. Woe betide any officer who failed to “advance and be recognised”. In fact the Commanding Officer told us we can swap guard duties with them but we would be in “hot water” if we took money off them for doing so!

If you are a rapist or cold blooded killer, or an expert at swindling the benefits service you are welcomed with open arms. But if you have served our country gallantly and might possibly vote Conservative, you are not welcome.

Let's give the Government a bloody nose at the next elections. They are the EU elections and it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things who gets in. It is the Commissioners who make their laws, the MEPs just rubber-stamp them.

However, the EU is important to Labour. Winning a majority does matter to these traitors to every semblance of common decency – I refer to their present MPs, not the actual party.

Go and vote, but give your vote to any party other than Labour. If you are, yourself, a died-in-the-wool Labour supporter, still vote for someone else. You can always vote for your party in the “real” elections next year. After all that is the election that matters.

Although I can't vote Conservative, I swore I would never vote for them again until everyone who voted us into Europe in the mid-seventies are dead and buried, I have an acquaintance who is on the Conservative list who is an out-and-out Libertarian so, in a way, I hope he gets voted in. He is young and we need more Libertarians in Government as they believe in far less interference from the authorities in our lives. I shall vote for the “Jury Team” if there is a candidate in my area as this is the only party who do not believe in the dishonourable “party whip system”. Failing that, any other independent, failing that I shall decide on the day.

And, if you think we can't have lots of Independents running amok, look at the following council which is extremely successful. Mansfield has thirteen Labour, four LibDems and one Conservative councillors, but 28 Independents!

I think it is important to realise which elections are really important to the way we live our lives. At the bottom of the list are the EU elections as, for reasons already given, it is not the MPs who make the decisions.

Middle of the list are our National Elections. We are in a two party system and, since WW2 we can see that whichever side gets in, very little difference is found. The governing of our lives has slowly ground on to be more and more authoritarian every four years.

The really important decisions, quite frankly, are the local council elections. Getting the right team in will make a difference in our lives. More important than “how they spend our money” is, of course, “how they waste our money”. If we pay £120 a month for our Council Tax and we get value for money in the form of £100 of actual services we are less likely to be as upset as if we paid £120 a month and received services valued at £50. My own Barnet Council, has really shaken themselves up since the last election and I am less likely to complain as much about my tax. Of course I still complain – don't be daft!

So my message here is quite simple, let's give Gordon Brown a bloody nose for the EU elections. It will give him the fright of his life and might actually change his ideas. But then "pigs may fly".

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How to survive the Credit Crunch

Although I understand the heartbreak of people losing their jobs and houses, I can only address this sensitive subject from my own circumstances.

I am approaching seventy years of age and my wife is only a couple of years behind me. We have been a lot more prudent than Gordon Brown, but it isn't really helping us as the interest from our savings, which augmented our income, has dropped drastically.

We go out for meals a lot less, but to compensate have, on the last Saturday of each month, set up a home meal with the best cuts of meat, the best courses at home, with tablecloths, candels, flowers on the table, subdued lighting and a four course meal. This saves approximately £50 a month. I have bought in special switching which, when I turn off the computers, turns off all the peripherals and bits and pieces. I also have one of these for the home entertainment centre. This saves £132 a year. And ensures that everything is really off each night. The next thing I looked at was software. When I learned that Linux was free, and that there were approximately 20,000 free programs available in OpenSource, I decided to take the plunge. Now I would never go back to Windows even if it were free.

However, before I could push this onto all my friends, I realised that, having been in the computer industry for thirty years, I was extremely computer literate and moving operating systems were not for the light-hearted. But there is now a way, carry on reading...

When investigating Linux I found that there were dozens of “Linux Flavours” so which one to choose was a little off-putting. I then typed in the top names into “Google Trends” as follows: SuSE, Red Hat, Slackware, Ubuntu, and three or four others and looked at the graphs that Google Trends produced. Interest in all but one of the “flavours” seemed to be waning sharply, but the Ubuntu graph was going the other way, up and up. Ubuntu, I thought, would be the one.

And I haven't looked back. I have to admit that I do not use all the 20,000 programs available, but I have downloaded a couple of dozen of them and, with the couple of dozen “staples” that come with the Ubuntu disk, I now can do everything I want in Ubuntu.

But, something which I consider momentous has occurred. The company behind Ubuntu are now going to start an on-line course for end-users of Ubuntu.

This is going to start in May. The price is reasonable at £31.58 plus VAT. The price indicates they have tightened the price as much as they can so it won't discourage people from the third world to take part. I will be enrolling on this first course and will write an article on the overall performance of it. Watch this space!

Here is a link for further information of this end users course.

Although, from my previous experience, I have come to realise that Canonical Limited, the company behind Ubuntu, seem to get everything they do pretty right, I need to see the course first hand before I can really recommend my friends to take up this operating system. It is, however, important for the reader to understand exactly why I am being hesitant.

If you took two people who had never seem a computer before, taught one how to use computers with Windows, and the other how to use computers with Ubuntu; at the end of the first month the Ubuntu user would be streets ahead as it is so much easier to understand.

However, if you took a Windows user who had been using Windows for years, and then taught them Ubuntu, it would be a completely different story. And remember, I am old so you can safely assume that my friends are probably from an identical age group! If you bear that in mind, you will understand my hesitancy.

If you are young and still stay with Windows, that's no problem, You are evidently a lover of all the staff of Microsoft and want to continue to help pay for their high salaries and bonuses. For me, family comes first and I have to plan ahead to get the best for them.

Ampers