Hi,

Anybody want to let me know whether the stats are working or not. Had really slow service today and the stats seem to have stopped altogether. Was hoping to get 2000 reads for the month but dont seem to have had an increase since mid-afternoon.
Maybe nobody is reading - I know I know.

Okay so what is going on? Nobody really knows at the moment. Just rumour upon rumour. The only thing that we really know for sure is that arrests have been made.

This has caused outrage in some quarters. Many statements have been made that the police shouldn't be arresting people. I ask why?

Surely it is the job of the police to arrest those people who are suspected of serious crime, whatever crime that is and whoever those people are.

What would happen if they didn't?

Should they be reacting to intelligence that they are being given? Of course they should.

Where is that intelligence coming from? Well, I would suggest, that in the type of incidents taking place in Birmingham, not from the police informers etc. I would suggest this is coming from the secret services whose job it is to keep tabs on people. They then pass this information onto the police and they make the arrests.

Could they do otherwise? No. I don't think so.

Really they are damned if they do and damned if they don't, especially where public safety is the main concern. Can you imagine what would happen if they had information that the public was in danger from an individual or group of individuals and they did nothing about it? Then the very thing that they knew about happened and people were killed.

I would suggest that we need to support the police in their work. If the intelligence is found to be wrong time and time again then that is where the system needs tightening up. But then again are the people receiving the intelligence not correct for erring on the side of caution and reacting to it. If they didn't they would be accused of dereliction of duty in exactly the same way if the worst came to the worst.

It is awful to see arrests being made like this and streets being cordoned off. I hate to see it but for the good of the community as a whole is it not justified?

This sort of thing has been going on for years, well certainly ever since the IRA became active. Many Irish people were arrested, some correctly and some not. But I maintain that there was not a lot of choice.

Being arrested doesn't make you guilty.

Until we live in a world where the type of threat that is perceived at the moment does not exist then society has a need to try and protect itself.

It is easy to sit in judgement and point the finger.

The Trail of the Lonesome Pine

On a mountain in Virginia, stands a lonesome pine.
Just below is the cabin home of a little girl of mine.
Her name is June and very, very soon, she'll belong to me.
For I know she's waiting there for me, 'Neath that lone pine tree.

In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia,
On the Trail of the Lonesome Pine.
In the pale moonshine, our hearts entwine,
Where she carved her name and I carved mine,
Oh June, like the mountains I'm blue.
Like the pine, I am lonesome for you.
In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia,
On the Trail of the Lonesome Pine.

You be Stan Funks and I'll be Olly. Taken from Way Out West a L&H classic.

Trying to get back to normal now. Although I have been given 4 weeks on the sick it is not a viable proposition for two reasons.

1. My job still needs to be done as my role contains both strategic and operational decision making, the latter can't be left for 4 weeks for certain.

2. I will go bananas sitting around doing nothing. I really struggled with this when I was off for some months because my right achilles exploded.

So I am going in for a few hours today. I am pretty mobile, which helps, and as long as I keep popping the pills the pain is managable.

Should get my stitches out next week which will hopefully speed up the whole process. However, discovered I have an infection in the wound so that may be delayed. I know that from bitter experience. Will need to keep popping the pills for that as well. I shall soon rattle when I walk.

Thought I would just give you a bit of an update.

Irish

Yes. They have given us a casino.

Looks like Skegness is bang in line for a small casino within the town.

Great news. Just the thing to bring in more tourists, money and jobs.

Aware of all the moral arguments etc. but I don't really see that this is much difference to the bookies or the lottery etc.

I'm for it.

Saw a very interesting piece on the tele at lunchtime. Appears that a group of people including actors, politicians and trade unionists of both Israeli and Palestinian persuasion have formed a group called ENOUGH! They are going to attempt to get the Israelis and Palestinians to talk about there problems and find a solution.
I wish them luck but don't hold out a lot of hope. For two main reasons:

1. The bad blood is now so entrenched and both sides seem to be so unforgiving that it is difficult to see a way forward.

2. The Palestinians seem to be too busy killing one another at the moment to do anything else.

In addition the timing couldn't be worse with the horrendous suicide bombing in Israel yesterday.

Interesting question is who amongst the Palestinians are ENOUGH! going to get a dialogue going with? Who is actually in charge and has enough clout to get something done?

As I said I wish them well but unless the Israelis and Palestinians themselves can find a way to compromise all efforts are doomed from the start.

Irish

So you can get something for nothing after all!!!!

I have just been visited by the local Fire Brigade who have fitted two smoke alarms in my home for NOTHING - GRATIS - FREE.

Yes here in Lincolnshire the brigade are providing this service. As the fireman said "They don't stop fires, but they do save lives".

Why don't you contact your local brigade and see if they are doing this, if you are not lucky enough to live in God's county of course.

If not, think about fitting them anyway if you haven't got them. I had them but they were getting on a bit and needed replacing.

Thank you Lincolnshire Fire Brigade.

Irish

If you are thinking of visiting B&Q today please be warned.

I walked into my local store and was confronted by this old bloke dressed in orange who said to me

"Do you want decking?"

Luckily I got the first punch in and he hit the floor first.

I don't know if this is just a B & Q thing or whether all DIY stores are going to behave in this way.

What a way to treat your customers though eh?

What a fantastic bit of television this show is. The latest two part episode was the best so far. Trevor Eve and Sue Johnson were absolutely tremendous as was the guy who played James Jensen. The plot was excellent and the scenes where the young and old James appeared and conversed together were rivetting.
If all of the BBC output was up to this standard there would be no problem at all with the licence fee as far as I am concerned.

Roll on Sunday for the next episode.

Contemporay art,
I'll pickle a calf,
I'll pile up some bricks,
That should be a larf

I wont make my bed,
And I'll leave socks on the floor,
I'll have some lights in a room,
That won't have a door.

I'll make an old shed,
That once was a boat,
I'll take a picture of a lamb,
While cutting it's throat.

I'll not bother though,
Cos I will surmise,
It would be a waste,
Cos they'd not win a prize.

What do you mean they have, yeah right pull the other one its got bells on.
DDDDDD

Interesting report on the tele this morning. Some idiot has decided that if people don't meet the clinical criteria for certain surgical procedures then they shouldn't get them on the NHS. That has been the case for ages.

Instead, said the doctor, they can get the procedures if they pay for them. Again this has been the case for ages.

IT'S CALLED GOING PRIVATE.

That's what we need - original thought.

Irish

Haven't been on the old computer much today because the old leg is giving me some gip. Ran out of the co-codamol today, thought that Neurofen would do it but no chance. Won't touch it. Off to see one of me docs tomorrow to get some more of the co-co. Anyway that's not what I wanted to crack on about.

Cold calling phone calls. Really get up my nose. Especially on a Sunday. Had someone ring about half a dozen times to day but when I get to the phone (not and easy job with me old peg) there is nobody there. Finally rang just as I was finishing me tea. Hello said this obviously foreign voice and from the sound of it from a foreign country. Wanted to sell me a mobile. Said his name was Michael. Why do they do that? His name was no more Michael than mine is Iqbal. So why do they use an Anglo name? Do they think that I won't talk to someone called Sadiq or Farooq or some such? Bloody annoying. Anyway I asked him what his real name was but he wouldn't say. So I told him that I wouldn't even consider buying anything from somebody who wouldn't tell me what his name was and not to call again. Especially on a Sunday.

On the same line. I read that Norwich Union are moving lots of their call handling back to the UK because the call-takers in India can't really understand what the problems are relating to the insurance claim calls. For example. Apparently they don't have immersion heaters in India so the person who rang up to say that their house was flooded because the immersion heater had blown up didn't get anywhere.

My brother once told me that he had rung a help line that was obviously in Asia somewhere. He told them that he had lost something and wanted to claim on his insurance. They asked him where he had lost the item and he told them "In Woolies in Skegness". That completely foxed the operator who had no idea what Woolies was, and, horror upon horror, had never heard of Skegness.
Brother explained that it was short for Woolworths. The lady then asked him to spell it!!!!!

Apparently the call centres were all moved over to foreign climes because they cost less to run. This is definitely a case of getting what you pay for as my old mum would say.

Anyway. Going to knock this on the head now as the old leg is throbbing away.

See you soon.

Irish

Wonderful. One of the best ones I have heard this is.
A report this morning that the NHS organisation in the Maidstone and Tonbridge Wells area have asked their clinical staff to work a day for nothing so that they can save money and balance their budgets!!!!

If this wasn't so bad it would be comical.

So to allow them to balance their budgets they wish their staff to put their own budgets under strain. Never mind the food, mortgage and utilities!!!

I cannot find recorded the answer from the staff.

Where is it all going to end????

The sun beats down, creates a glare,
People milling everywhere,
August is here in all it's glory,
This is the real Skegness story.

East Midlands, that is where we are,
Accessible by train,bus,coach or car,
Just bring your cash and your appetite,
Just day-trip or stay overnight.

You see it really should be said,
That tourism is our daily bread,
Without it we would not survive,
Skegness would not stay alive.

Agriculture it does surround,
This garish, victorian, seaside town,
The land is flat,except the wolds,
Where hills and glorious sights unfold.

But for us folk upon the coast,
To the tourist we raise a toast,
So keep putting your money away,
For your two week holiday.

Resist the sun of France and Spain,
Florida it has more rain,
West Indies can't be reached by train,
So come to Skegness,use your brain.

Now as most of you will know I am temporarily incapacitated due to a leg operation. I can tell you that it is a real pain in the nethers. Everything takes so much longer and some things have become completely impossible. A 5 minute shower takes 20 minutes (despite my condom - see an earlier post). I can mak a cuppa but can't carry it anywhere. Lots of the little things we take for granted are now so difficult to do.

This has made me think about what it would be like to be like this permanently and to think about those of us who already are and worse.

All I can say is that I completely admire those people for keeping going, building their lives etc. They are amazing!

And as for those who take part in sports, basketball, weight-lifting, wheel-chair marathons etc. they take my breath away. Complete respect to you all.

Irish

Labour, will they ever come clean. Will they ever speak with anything other than a forked tongue?
On our local news tonight it was reported that the council in Hull has decided that they could not continue to provide free school meals to all pupils because of the cost. Comes to mind, why should they? but I digress. The local Labour MPs, luninaries John Prescott and the dopey Alan Johnson are now up in arms about this. They state that the council, now Liberal Democratic dominated, should continue to provide the free meals as it such a good thing for the children of Hull. Leader of the council stated that he would love to do that as long as the government, who feel this is such a great thing to do, would provide funding for it and while they were at it, provide funding to roll this service out nationwide, obviously because it was such a good thing. Another Labout MP, female don't know her name, was interviewed and said that it was a great thing, but the service had been put into place (by the previous Labour led council in Hull on a temporary basis to see how it went) because Hull was a special case. The council should fund it, there would be no extra funding for the council to do so and that there was no plan for this to be rolled out nationwide. So what makes Hull such a special place? Don't school children eat in the rest of the country? It is pure Labour garbag.
What really annoys me is that these donkey MPs appear to believe that the local populace cannot see through such a blatant attempt to retain votes. It's as if they are saying Labour Good - All Others Bad and they are going to be believed.
What utter dimwits.

Why does this stupid system have this autosave crappy thing on it. It really is frustrating. It has really cocked up my last two posts. Completely overwrote my post Bring Them Home Now and doesnt show my post Ive Got A Leg Condom in the recent post lists. AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH

It's true. I have photographic evidence. For those of you who are not regular visitors to my blog (shame on you) I have been into hospital for an operation on my leg. I have now been given a leg condom. Honest. It allows me to indulge in one of lifes real pleasures. Safe showering.

Here is the part that must be protected.

As you can see it is a part not to be sniffed at, I can tell you. Long and very strong.

Here is the condom.

And here is the item ready for action.

Remember. The Department of Health suggests that you should never shower without protection!!!

The instructions state that the diaphragm should be pushed down towards the dressing before showering begins. Ooh Er Missus. Not only a condom but a diaphragm as well. Safety in numbers.

Seriously this is a new device available on prescription that allow you to shower whilst keeping your dressing dry, therefore reducing the chances of infection. Person who designed this deserves a medal. Works a treat and improves your life no end if you are stuck with a dressing. I am only in this for a matter of a few weeks (a couple I hope), but if you are unlucky enough to need a dressing for a long period, get down to your GP and ask for one now.

Anybody who is effected by the sight of my leg can get help at www.legmademesick.com or visit your local consellor.

Irish

No not the brave servicemen fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. I'm talking about the England cricket team in Australia. They are now a complete embarrassment and a disgrace.

This government of ours!!! I ask you!!!!

We are now subjected to the highest tax regime ever in this country. We are paying more tax now than ever before made up of both direct and indirect taxation. So, I ask the question, where has all the money gone?

We have reports of council workers losing jobs because councils cannot keep them on as the funding they have from the government is not enough.

The NHS, despite the moronic ministers of this government trotting out the mantra that there is more funding now than ever before, is severely short of funds and is having to save money hand over fist.

The PCSO's that were trumpeted as the new bright shining star of community policing are now being cut back because the funding for them has been cut.

The jails are completely full to capacity. Judges are being told not to send criminals to jail because there are no places to put them in. This despite the fact that this problem has been known about for 10 years and nothing has been done about it other than to allow the private sector to build prisons. There is a shortage of prison staff, again due to lack of funding.

I could go on but it is becoming soul-destroying to do so.

I ask again. What has happened to the money? Is this just total mis-management of the public purse? Is this shortage as a result of this governments obsession with targets and statistics. Why have we, the British public, employed tens of thousands of extra civil servants since this government came to power and then the government has completely failed to manage the country.

And then to top it all. A kick in the goolies for all of the working population of this country. This government has raided pension funds to the tune of over £60,000,000, ( sixty billion pounds). They did this by cutting tax perks for the funds that were in existence to pay private pensions. What did this mean. Obviously there is less money now to pay out and the funds are smaller. What does this mean to the average person. Well, it means that they have to pay extra in to the pension just to maintain the benefits at the expected level. Pay more to get the same or even less!!!!!

Labour has always been the party of high tax and high spend. Over the term of government that we are presently suffering they have excelled themselves.

Please don't let's be foolish enough to vote them in again. 

Now here is something that I have always struggled with.

Why are there different levels of tax depending on what you earn?

I ask this question out of fairness. This is why.
Lets say the rate of tax is 20% which everybody pays. This would mean that if you earned £1000 you would pay £200 tax. If you earned £100,000 you would pay £20,000 tax. So if you earn more, you naturally pay more.
This seems admirably fair to me.

So why should people have to pay a rate of twice as much when they get to earn a specific amount? How can it be fair that somebody has to pay a larger proportion of what they earn simply because they earn a lot?

This does not seem fair to me at all.

Now before anybody starts pointing the finger, I am not in the higher tax bracket and so therefore have no axe to grind.

This cannot have anything to do with social responsibility because as can be seen above the more that is earned the more is paid.
 
I am not naive enough to believe that all rich people pay all of the tax that they should (clever accountants etc.) Neither am I naive enough to believe that those on the lower scales pay all that they should either (bit of cash in hand here and there etc.). So that really doesn't enter into the fairness or lack of fairness in the system.

The argument, they can afford to pay more doesn't wash. As can be seen above they already are.

Seems to me this is a system that penalises the successful, for no other reason than they are successful.

So what do we put it down to? Here's my thought:

Outdated socialist envy and dogma.

Irish

Well. Firstly thanks to all those who have passed on their good wishes to me. I am very grateful for them.

Went in to hospital on Monday and had my operation. An achilles tendon decompression and exploration. Loosely described as the removal of the sheath from the tendon and then a tidy up and look-see at what is causing the problem. Looks like it is nothing but wear and tear as a result of my overly active lifestyle as a youngster. Hopefully the procedure will strengthen the tendon and removing the sheath will prevent any further inflammation. The general anaesthetic had it's normal effect on me and I was completely gaga and dopey for the best part of 18 hours. (How did they tell I hear you ask?)

Where does that leave me now?

Came out of hospital on Tuesday afternoon, on crutches, but I have to get the bad leg weight bearing as from now. Have to say it is bloody painful and the old co-codamol are taking a bit of a hammering. Should have the stitches out in a fortnight. No sport for six weeks they say and signed me off for four weeks. No chance of that, far too busy at work at this time of year. Will probably be back next Monday for a few hours and then see how it goes on a part time basis first of all.

Still look on the bright side. It will give me plenty of time to blog this week as I haven't  the opportunity to do much else. You lucky people!!!