Very few householders in the UK can be unaware of the State campaign to levy extra charges for rubbish collection. The Government wants to get local councils to impose new "incentive" charges on homes throwing out the most rubbish. There was talk of having chips fitted to rubbish bins to monitor how much rubbish was thrown out.
It is highly contentious and has met with much public resistance, including popular petitions.
Basically more stealth Taxation - brought to you by the Original Taxmeister himself the PM Gordon Broon, disguised as Green measures.
Imagine the surprise the other day when DEFRA released the results of a poll it had carried out purporting to show that 52% of the population were avid for the new tax to be introduced. How did the phrase those questions?
A DEFRA spokesman stated the ‘findings’ of the survey would be taken into consideration by ministers in waste disposal developing policy. You just bet they will. One wonders if they will give similar weight to petitions against the proposal, or surveys that might show less public enthusiasm…
Curious that a government department produces a survey that supports the Government line on such a contentious issue…
Wednesday, 15 August 2007
Monday, 13 August 2007
The police really do seem younger every day.
It used to be said you can tell you are getting older when the police start looking younger.
A teenager could be forgiven for worrying about advancing old age, based on the fact that a Police Force in the UK (Thames Valley) have decided to recruit two 16 year olds.
Granted they are community support officers, not actual police officers. Never-the-less the uniform is very similar - and no doubt intended to be, the less observant members of the general public are likely to take these youths of police officers.
One sees this sort of thing in fiction and now Thames Valley are apparently intent on creating their own version of the ‘Bow Street Irregulars’.
The Police ‘Union’, the Police Federation, pointed out that "These children are going to be put in a uniform the public believe to be of a police officer and be expected to take on responsibilities on the streets,"
A teenager could be forgiven for worrying about advancing old age, based on the fact that a Police Force in the UK (Thames Valley) have decided to recruit two 16 year olds.
Granted they are community support officers, not actual police officers. Never-the-less the uniform is very similar - and no doubt intended to be, the less observant members of the general public are likely to take these youths of police officers.
One sees this sort of thing in fiction and now Thames Valley are apparently intent on creating their own version of the ‘Bow Street Irregulars’.
The Police ‘Union’, the Police Federation, pointed out that "These children are going to be put in a uniform the public believe to be of a police officer and be expected to take on responsibilities on the streets,"
Man does not live by caffeine alone.
A teenage girl in County Durham, in the UK made the mistake of knocking back seven double espressos - Wow!
She had to be rushed to hospital when she developed a fever and started hyperventilating.
It seems she was under the impression the coffees were single measures and overdosed on caffeine.
She said: ” I was having palpitations, my heart was beating so fast and I thought I was going into shock”
"My nerves were all over the place.”
She had to be rushed to hospital when she developed a fever and started hyperventilating.
It seems she was under the impression the coffees were single measures and overdosed on caffeine.
She said: ” I was having palpitations, my heart was beating so fast and I thought I was going into shock”
"My nerves were all over the place.”
Sunday, 12 August 2007
HIPs Inspectors complain they have been hard done by
It seems that there is much perturbation on the Home Inspector Forum website. Inspectors are attacking the Government for failing to fully implement the scheme. They are bleating that they may face financial ruin if the delay in implementing HIPs (Home Information Packs) continues.
An inspector from Eastbourne, East Sussex, complained that if they could earn their training fees back they would count themselves lucky and get out of the business. Another felt they had wasted £4,000.
All true - and normally most of us would probably have considerable sympathy for anyone who had suffered as a result of State incompetence.
In this case though – sympathy somewhat lacking.
We are all acutely aware that when this EU inspired stupidity was first mooted it looked like it would be a licence to print money for the so-called inspectors and a convienient means for the State to spy on households, for tax raising purposes.
The people who ‘trained’ up to be inspectors clearly did so in that belief - and they must have known they would be milking people selling their homes, thanks to yet more pointless state forced unnatural regulation in the honest lawful exchange of property between individuals.
So to hear these inspectors complain that their parasitic careers may now be still born and that their ‘investment’ in training may have been wasted is not exactly guaranteed to elicit sympathy.
From the point of view of a homeowner it looks more like natural justice.
Let’s hope it puts off any likeminded individuals who might hope to profit from honest citizens by participating in some future state oppression of the populace.
An inspector from Eastbourne, East Sussex, complained that if they could earn their training fees back they would count themselves lucky and get out of the business. Another felt they had wasted £4,000.
All true - and normally most of us would probably have considerable sympathy for anyone who had suffered as a result of State incompetence.
In this case though – sympathy somewhat lacking.
We are all acutely aware that when this EU inspired stupidity was first mooted it looked like it would be a licence to print money for the so-called inspectors and a convienient means for the State to spy on households, for tax raising purposes.
The people who ‘trained’ up to be inspectors clearly did so in that belief - and they must have known they would be milking people selling their homes, thanks to yet more pointless state forced unnatural regulation in the honest lawful exchange of property between individuals.
So to hear these inspectors complain that their parasitic careers may now be still born and that their ‘investment’ in training may have been wasted is not exactly guaranteed to elicit sympathy.
From the point of view of a homeowner it looks more like natural justice.
Let’s hope it puts off any likeminded individuals who might hope to profit from honest citizens by participating in some future state oppression of the populace.
Finally a ‘main stream’ UK party making vaguely libertarian noises
Finally the Tories are making some vaguely libertarian noises about reducing red tape and subjecting bloated Whitehall empires to annual rounds of ‘deregulation’.
It remains to be seen if such a thing could ever actually really happen.
Needless to say the Socialists in the form of Nu-Lab’s John Hutton are trying to talk it up as a lurch to the right and a fatal mistake. Well they would wouldn’t they, it is one of their areas of weakness.
Now whist it is clear Nu-Lab love regulation for regulation’s sake and would really prefer that citizens had to ask their permission (and preferably have to pay to do so) to do anything - why is reducing regulation suddenly ‘right wing’? Given that Broon has been making noises claiming to be about to do exactly that for ages.
Presumably the response would be an Orwellian it means what we say it means.
Could it be that this is the first sign of sense from Dave the Chameleon’s ‘the party formerly known as the Conservatives’ and it is actually worrying the Broon party machine?
After all with all this talk of the 'Broon bounce' and a big Nu-Lab lead in the polls, Broon must be cursing that he may find it difficult to take advantage of the chance of a snap election, with the “don’t mention the EU Constitutional referendum” albatross hanging round his neck.
Despite the lack of political comment in this direction - A snap election could turn into a referendum and maybe a judgement on previous Nu-Lab manifesto lies. Uncomfortable for Broon
It remains to be seen if such a thing could ever actually really happen.
Needless to say the Socialists in the form of Nu-Lab’s John Hutton are trying to talk it up as a lurch to the right and a fatal mistake. Well they would wouldn’t they, it is one of their areas of weakness.
Now whist it is clear Nu-Lab love regulation for regulation’s sake and would really prefer that citizens had to ask their permission (and preferably have to pay to do so) to do anything - why is reducing regulation suddenly ‘right wing’? Given that Broon has been making noises claiming to be about to do exactly that for ages.
Presumably the response would be an Orwellian it means what we say it means.
Could it be that this is the first sign of sense from Dave the Chameleon’s ‘the party formerly known as the Conservatives’ and it is actually worrying the Broon party machine?
After all with all this talk of the 'Broon bounce' and a big Nu-Lab lead in the polls, Broon must be cursing that he may find it difficult to take advantage of the chance of a snap election, with the “don’t mention the EU Constitutional referendum” albatross hanging round his neck.
Despite the lack of political comment in this direction - A snap election could turn into a referendum and maybe a judgement on previous Nu-Lab manifesto lies. Uncomfortable for Broon
Thursday, 9 August 2007
Homeowner arrested after burglar falls to his death
A 56 year old homeowner in Manchester woke up to find a 43 year old intruder in his 4th floor flat, after some sort of confrontation the intruder fell 40 feet from a window. He suffered severe head injuries and later died in hospital. An occupational hazard you might be forgiven for thinking.
Needless to say the police arrested the householder and have now released him on bail, no doubt after fingerprinting him and taking a DNA sample. He could now face questioning on suspicion of murder.
The CPS (Criminal Protection Service Crown Prosecution Service) and ACPO (the Association of Chief Police Officers) have said that any householder can use reasonable force to protect themselves or others, or to carry out an arrest or to prevent crime.
Why was it necessary to arrest the householder? The police could hardly claim they didn’t know where he lived and one would have thought the aggrieved householder would have been willing enough to make a statement, or they would have within most people’s memory…
It used to be that the police had some care about arresting apparently law abiding citizens attempting to thwart a crime.
It used to be that the police made some attempt to catch burglars and prevent burglaries themselves. Sadly, since they have had to jump through hoops to meet ridiculous ill conceived state targets and political initiatives, it begins to seem as if they find it so much easier to find reasons to arrest the non criminal ‘community’ and improve Nu-Lab’s dubious crime statistics and inflate the DNA database.
A local voiced what many people will be wondering:
"If the guy who fell out of the window was breaking into the property then why was the homeowner arrested?"
Why indeed…
Needless to say the police arrested the householder and have now released him on bail, no doubt after fingerprinting him and taking a DNA sample. He could now face questioning on suspicion of murder.
The CPS (
Why was it necessary to arrest the householder? The police could hardly claim they didn’t know where he lived and one would have thought the aggrieved householder would have been willing enough to make a statement, or they would have within most people’s memory…
It used to be that the police had some care about arresting apparently law abiding citizens attempting to thwart a crime.
It used to be that the police made some attempt to catch burglars and prevent burglaries themselves. Sadly, since they have had to jump through hoops to meet ridiculous ill conceived state targets and political initiatives, it begins to seem as if they find it so much easier to find reasons to arrest the non criminal ‘community’ and improve Nu-Lab’s dubious crime statistics and inflate the DNA database.
A local voiced what many people will be wondering:
"If the guy who fell out of the window was breaking into the property then why was the homeowner arrested?"
Why indeed…
Wednesday, 8 August 2007
Gore alleges anti climate change conspiracy
Al Gore is alleging there is a global conspiracy against him and the so-called ‘scientific consensus’ on anthropocentric global warming.
He claimed, at a forum in Singapore, that the Exxon Mobil Corp, together with other unnamed ‘carbon polluters’, are waging a secret campaign to dispute the theory.
He went on to claim that "In actuality, there is very little disagreement." and alleges that "the deniers” (the infra green luddites just love that term) ”offered a bounty of $10,000 for each article disputing the consensus that people could crank out and get published somewhere,". "They're trying to manipulate opinion and they are taking us for fools,", he bleated.
Get real!
I suspect it’s Mr Gore who is doing his level best trying to manipulate public opinion, there is ultimately probably a lot more money and power at stake for his side and him personally than for anyone else - and that when all is said and done he and his cronies will turn out to have been taking people for fools.
Has he listened to himself? I know he is probably preaching to the converted and that the faithful will not like to question his assertions - but he sounds just a little like a conspiracy theorist, not too far from the Islamist claims that the CIA and MOSSAD blew up the twin towers, or that the CIA, or some other US government agency, have a captured flying saucer tucked away at a secret base.
To really hook the suckers in with this one he needs to work the CIA into it, at least, big business is good, but it still needs a little something extra to really get the conspiracy nuts going…
Now what are my chances of getting $10K for this?
Zero, Zip, Zilch, Nil, None, Nought, Nowt - if I had to guess...
He claimed, at a forum in Singapore, that the Exxon Mobil Corp, together with other unnamed ‘carbon polluters’, are waging a secret campaign to dispute the theory.
He went on to claim that "In actuality, there is very little disagreement." and alleges that "the deniers” (the infra green luddites just love that term) ”offered a bounty of $10,000 for each article disputing the consensus that people could crank out and get published somewhere,". "They're trying to manipulate opinion and they are taking us for fools,", he bleated.
Get real!
I suspect it’s Mr Gore who is doing his level best trying to manipulate public opinion, there is ultimately probably a lot more money and power at stake for his side and him personally than for anyone else - and that when all is said and done he and his cronies will turn out to have been taking people for fools.
Has he listened to himself? I know he is probably preaching to the converted and that the faithful will not like to question his assertions - but he sounds just a little like a conspiracy theorist, not too far from the Islamist claims that the CIA and MOSSAD blew up the twin towers, or that the CIA, or some other US government agency, have a captured flying saucer tucked away at a secret base.
To really hook the suckers in with this one he needs to work the CIA into it, at least, big business is good, but it still needs a little something extra to really get the conspiracy nuts going…
Now what are my chances of getting $10K for this?
Zero, Zip, Zilch, Nil, None, Nought, Nowt - if I had to guess...
Tuesday, 7 August 2007
Foreign Office Minister advocates UK gives up Permanent Seat on UN Security Council
Former UN Deputy Secretary General and now newly minted UK Foreign Office Minister, Lord Malloch-Brown (what is it with Nu-Lab PMs littering the ranks of the not necessarily derserving high and mighty with namesakes?) is advocating the UK gives up it’s seat on the UN Security Council to the EU.
Nice to know the Foreign Office Minister has Parliament and the UK’s very best interests at heart then ;-)
After all, we can be 100% sure the EU would vote just the way we would want, in every set of circumstances, knowing how similarly the French and Germans see things to us, in all circumstances. Surely the French should be falling over themselves to give up their seat.
Day, Cold, Hell, In?
This was obviously in his master plan last October, while he was still the UN's Deputy Secretary General, when he advised EU diplomats in Brussels that the EU would eventually have single seat within the UN. "I think it will go in stages. We are going to see a growing spread of it institution by institution," He went on that he hoped it would happen "as quickly as possible. I'm a huge fan of it."
When confronted with this evidence the Foreign office argued that had made those comments before he was made a Government minister.
Oh well that’s all right then - So are they suggesting he lying then, to suit his words to what his audience wanted to hear - and does not still hold those views? Possibly quite a plausible argument when considering a politician’s words, but would you want to bet on it?
Or did his words reflect his true intentions and loyalties? If so where exactly are his primary loyalties?
With the UN or the EU?
Why would a PM who was loyal to parliament appoint someone like that?
Nice to know the Foreign Office Minister has Parliament and the UK’s very best interests at heart then ;-)
After all, we can be 100% sure the EU would vote just the way we would want, in every set of circumstances, knowing how similarly the French and Germans see things to us, in all circumstances. Surely the French should be falling over themselves to give up their seat.
Day, Cold, Hell, In?
This was obviously in his master plan last October, while he was still the UN's Deputy Secretary General, when he advised EU diplomats in Brussels that the EU would eventually have single seat within the UN. "I think it will go in stages. We are going to see a growing spread of it institution by institution," He went on that he hoped it would happen "as quickly as possible. I'm a huge fan of it."
When confronted with this evidence the Foreign office argued that had made those comments before he was made a Government minister.
Oh well that’s all right then - So are they suggesting he lying then, to suit his words to what his audience wanted to hear - and does not still hold those views? Possibly quite a plausible argument when considering a politician’s words, but would you want to bet on it?
Or did his words reflect his true intentions and loyalties? If so where exactly are his primary loyalties?
With the UN or the EU?
Why would a PM who was loyal to parliament appoint someone like that?
Monday, 6 August 2007
Recommended Read
If you have not come across it I must recommend ‘FAT’ by Rob Grant, Published by Gollancz. ISBN 978-0-375-07820-8
Set in the UK, in a scarily (barely) immediate future, who’s probability wave appears to be in the process of collapsing, as Schrodinger might say, even as I write.
It is a good read - funny and also makes some seriously telling points.
In his preface he says:
” When somebody does something you don’t like and then tells you they did it for your own best interest: run. Run till you drop. And don’t look back” - Excellent advice…
Set in the UK, in a scarily (barely) immediate future, who’s probability wave appears to be in the process of collapsing, as Schrodinger might say, even as I write.
It is a good read - funny and also makes some seriously telling points.
In his preface he says:
” When somebody does something you don’t like and then tells you they did it for your own best interest: run. Run till you drop. And don’t look back” - Excellent advice…
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