THERE’S OWT AS QUEER AS FOLK!

So considerable numbers of people can be persuaded to react violently to people who have risked life and limb and probably a fair wack of cash to get here; but are strangely quiet about the £100’s of millions embezzelled by companies during Covid. The fast track was developed for conservative supporters and at ties only supplied sub-standard equipment. So how can anyone with an ounce of humanity complain about the asylum seekers being put up in, often crowded conditions in hotels (which charge the government over the top rates, and being provided with a pittance and being barred from working. Whilst some people elevated tomthe HoLords and claiming £300 expenses per day are allowed to get away with massive fraud?

The same arguments are used against the unemployed. Indeed I have heard complaints about a single mum receiving more than a shop manager. The biggest subsidy on welfare is the exorbitant rents. The welfare budget could be slahed with a sensible realignment of the housing market. Second homes should have at least 75% occupancy or be financially penalised. WTF – and yes increase the tax on salaries/bonus’s to at least 75% – do these people really work harder or have more stress than doctors, nurses and teachers who earn less than 10% the average wages of city slickers. (Most of whom make money by glorified gambling on the stock market, currency markets and commodities. i.e. they actually do nothing productive to aid society (my first job was in a foreign exchange dealing room and nothing beneficial came out of it – well apart from me, of course!).

The police have said they will arrest any and all at any Palestine Action demonstration. Is this democracy under threat? PA have undertaken some dubious activities including vandalising Jewish offices and RAF planes (with paint!). These acts are illegal and the perpetrators arrested and brought before the courts. But Yvette Cooper has decided to ban people from even stating that they support a Palestinian state and she is wrong. The police have better things to do, and she will have increased the number of peple demonstrating anyway. Israel is bleating about the UK decision to recognise Palestine in the future – so it must be worthwhile. Hamas says it will not disarm until the Palestinian state is recognised. This reminds me of a sketch in a Monty Python film! That there is any Hamas organisation still existing is a phenomenon.

More waste of police time is ‘Tommy Robinson’ being arrested again – can we just lock him up and throw away the key – or deport him to join fellow wankers in Romania.

The Star leads with an article regarding Lucy Letby – there is much about her case that needs examination – rather than sensationalist bollocks. Storm Floris would have been a more usual headline!

And at present just 10% of our electricity is being produced by gas! Summer, sunny and windy. But wtf not. It will conserve gas stocks – so what has loopy face got against it? Oh and Rayner and Corbyn have a spat apparently. I like Angela, but she is wrong if she allows building on allotments. Whilst producing loads of food they also act as wildlife hotels/motels. We need to keep the wildlife corridors in our cities open.

CHINA

Why now? The BBC website has 2 major articles about China – both vaguely hostile. The first was about Chinese plans for a new embassy. I am sure that all the embassies of major countries are riddled with spying equipment – even the so called friendly ones – all will have their spy networks. So the article seemed rather hostile. China is far from a beacon of democracy but more later. The second article was about Chinese students at Uni in the UK being asked to spy on fellow students. The article went further to state that university lecturers were being ‘encouraged’ to avoid certain topics.

Both these articles have elements of truth – China is bit of a mystery to most of us. When young in 1950’s my dad sowed the seeds of nightmares by saying that there were so many Chinese that if we went to war with them ‘they would just over run us’. As a geographer I know a bit about China, and a little of its history. But basically I am ignorant about it and try to avoid imposing my own beliefs when hearing about China. I am aware that China has been more than nasty regarding  alleged ethnic cleansing in China’s Xinjiang region. Hong Kong has also raised questions regarding western style democracy. Tibet is another issue, although huge investments in infrastructure have been made. The big issue is Taiwan. Here Trump needs to be very careful in withdrawing the US from its world power.

China is also used as an excuse for not pursuing green energy projects. Yet China has an indisputable lead in installation of renewable energy – and yes it has a lot of coal power stations. China  Over the past 40 years, the number of people in China with incomes below $1.90 per day – the International Poverty Line as defined by the World Bank to track global extreme poverty– has fallen by close to 800 million. That is fucking amazing! Maybe we should be pushing Chairman Xi for a Nobel Peace Prize?

In the realms of fairness as I have mentioned a lot of negatives about China. The USA is attempting to defund universities that have criticised Trump. ICE is arresting and deporting citizens born in the USA (with glee). In the UK an 80 year old woman was arrested and her house searched for – holding a Palestinian flag and a banner stating that Israel should stop killing Palestinians.

Can I make a philosophical comment here? And I have thought it through so it may be open to much criticism. “A nation should not be judged on its successes, but how it handles its failures”. I was thinking about the Windrush generations, Hillsborough, Grenville Tower, miners riots under Thatcher, bean field debacle, PollTax riots. Our recent history of dealing with civil disobedience and dissention is not great.

NATIONAL GRID LATEST

Latest figures are as follows; other includes 15% nuclear and the rest is imports – mainly from France! Generation by type

Fossil fuels3.514.4
Renewables9.740.4
Other sources5.322.2

In the past year renewables have been 37.5% and gas 29.8%. With gas prices volatile it makes sense to continue investing in renewables. And with 2 nuclear reactors under construction gas may be finally losing its dominance. I do not understand the pricing of electricity as I think it is based on world gas prices? 2 new offshore wind farms have been pulled recently due to cost rises; presumably onshore wind farms require less metal? I still maintain that small is beautiful and every possible building should have solar panales and where appropriate wind turbines. Trump has called for a halt to wind turbines in Europe? Why? But then he is a jerk so whatever. We still wait to see the Epstein files G.Maxwell has been moved to a low security prison – which makes sense as she does not appear to be a violent danger to society – unlike the orange one!

Is Farage losing his mojo? His policies against the Online Safety Act and stating that he would revoke renewable energy licences are neither popular or sensible. His beer swilling and fag smoking persona also are wearing thin. Does he actually reside in the UK and pay taxes? His no.2 has a blonde bimbo who has moved to Dubai – does he or she pay UK tax? Councils who have swung to Reform do not appear to be making any announcements on improvements! the press may get excited by seeing Reform in the lead, but it is still a long time to the election, and I am sure steady Eddie (a.k.a. Starmer) will have found a way to appeal to the middle right wing that provides swaithes of the UK voters. Badenoch is a write off/ car crash but there is no one of ability to take her place. Still one should never write off the Nasty Party.

So my prediction is Farage disappearing noisily and screaming. Tories will make a comeback, Labour will maintain a grip on middle England. Corbyn/Sultana may well get a lots of votes but very few seats? Hopefully they can drag Labour back towards the left. But I believe that Starmer was wrong to expel Jez, as he was with Abbot and a prediction – Rayner! That leaves the LibDems and Greens. Both have worthy manifesto’s. LibDems will find it difficult to get over there co-alition period. They do have some excellent M.P.s though. Will the greens break through? Doubtful but an interesting leadership contest could propel them into the headlines?

What we really need is PR and that is unlikely with a party with a huge majority in power – especially as the power bases of the big 2 diminishing.

Just made ciabatta – but a few hours to go, so I might have to give Holly some dough and tell her to do the baking herself! 350g tomatoes picked – I reckon I am getting 2kg a week – and about 4 weeks more? Outside ones are also producing. I must remember to tell Martin and Holly to pick mulberries – maybe make some jam?

TIMES HEADLINE

1 in 8 in prison is foreign born. FACT CHECK 1 in 3 doctors were born overseas. 1 in 2 builders were born overseas. 1 in 6 nurses were born overseas. 1 in 4 transport workers were born overseas. 1 in 7 UK business founders were born overseas. 1 in 5 university academics were born overseas.

ECONOMICS

Basically we have had low taxes for the rich for a long time and the economy has stagnated. TBH it is common sense – If you have a few million you buy everything you think you need and then … holidays abroad. Austerity shut down youth clubs and libraries amongst many other things. So raise the tax threshold and increase tax on wealth. My house has doubled in value in the last 20 years and has put homeownership beyond the hopes of many of the young. I suppose it is supply and demand? Cut immigration and house prices may fall? But that would require educational spending and a rise in tax! Doctors and nurses are in short supply – I am already losing the tread here!

So start again. Raising tax on the rich and wealth is sensible economics – austerity showed that the reverse did not work. Food is tax free – even VAT; whilst shelter (housing) is horrifically expensive. Cut housing costs and the welfare budget plummets.

Other news – Trump desires headlines again. He has raised tariffs on Canada again. The guy is a fuckwit. Maybe Epstein files are rising again? I am not a great fan of globalisation and capitalism – BUT – it needs to be stated that several billion people have been taken out of absolute poverty in the last 40 years. I would wish for a kinder economic model, one where people were put first along with the environment. So on the face of it Trumps desire to promote USA industry is great. However the wealth of Americans is likely to be starving people in the economically poorer parts of the world.

POOR JOURNALISM

The shit mail manages to get a quote from a former Hamas hostage stating that Starmer is appeasing Hamas. I wonder if they paid them as well? Of course a former hostage would be biased – I would. But there have been deaths of 60.000 Palestinians – I wonder how many Palestinians could given an alternative view? Bu the Daily Hate just wants its readers to hate Starmer, Palestinians and thousands of others (especially Angela Rayner!). 14 more countries have said they will recognise Palestine – and Britains largest Jewish Group has spoken out about the need for immediate aid to be delivered to Gaza.

Meanwhile an extra 5 million age checks have been done daily by porn sites – How Mr Fuckwit Farage is that a bad thing? A judge has also allowed the founder of Palestinian Action to query Yvette Coopers decision to make it a banned organisation (which also resulted in more than 200 people being arrested; often for just displaying a Palestinian flag. hopefully we can keep proscribed terror groups to those who warrant it! I think that the only vandalism this group initiated was to spray paint on some RAF planes. Rather than repeal the shit laws passed by the nasty party over the past 5 years, it seems that Labour is using them to create even less freedom of speech.

WHY?

Why do the trash press love Israel. I know they want to trash Starmerat every opportunity. His statement is hardly supproting Hamas – and anyway Israeli actions are doing more to support Hamas than anyone! Even Trump did not object to the statement made by Starmer – I would object though – why wait – just take a lead and recognise the Palestinian state; like 140 other members of the UN.

Peter Kyle – do not apologise to Farage. Reform said it would repeal the Online Safety Act as ‘measures intended to push social media companies to limit false nd potentially harmful content would make the UK a borderline dystopian state. Yesterdays post regarding domestic abuse should mean that pornography should only be available with a credit card – Nigel should pay to have a wank! maybe Kyle should paraphrase Manny Skinner – not all Reform MP’s are complete wankers – all of the time – just most. I am not sure the Act goes far enough – but it is a start. Australia and its government that is not renowned for its Liberal tendencies has added YouTube accounts, along with Facebook, Instagram, TikTok , Snapchat and X are all restricted for under 16 year olds ; with fines upto 49.5 million if they fail to take proper precautions to prevent access by children. These, and porn sites make millioons in profit, exploit women (and men) and whilst measures should have been taken long ago, better late than never. it is also more urgent with the ability of AI to replicate porn with childrens images (as has already happened). The perpetrators and the companies must be held responsible. the harm to society as revealed yesterday is beyond comprehension.

I am not calling for censorship of images – however I thought the country had moved on from Page 3 in the Sun and Star. However male desires defy logic. No sensible male would want his daughter to become a prostitute of pornographers model – Incel aside. Perhaps we should go further and make te tech companies responsible for repeated lies – I am thinking about false information – AI should be able to identify repeated false info like during the Brexit campaign?

I will also admit to buying Playboy (with wifes consent/encouragement) and appreciating Page 3 models -but anything that dehumanises women should be banned! As with all censorship the difficulty is where to draw the line! – mid-century censorship was OTT. But I am sure something better than a free for all, and Nigel wanking over schoolgirls, is preferable to nothing!

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE – Fucking angry!

data obtained by the Guardian shows that 41% of the 899 people arrested for taking part in last summers violent disorder had already been referred to the police for domestic abuse. Basically knuckle dragging thugs. Do as I say or I will thump you, I may even thump you because, just because! The 41% figure is similar to other research carried out by the counter terrorism police and Home Office.

What to do about it is the question that needs answering. Should there be a domestic abuse register, like that regarding child abuse? Should courts/police have the power to recommend/enforce attendance on anger management courses (like the speeding ones) at the accused cost. This is an issue much greater than immigration – the stats are horrific and I copy and paste below.

Domestic abuse is a widespread issue with significant impact. Data indicates that roughly one in five adults experience domestic abuse during their lifetime, with women being disproportionately affected. Police-recorded incidents are on the rise, and a substantial number of these incidents go unreported. 

1.35 million. The police recorded 1,350,428 domestic abuse-related crimes and incidents in England and Wales in the year ending March 2024. https://www.ncdv.org.uk/domestic-abuse-statistics-uk/

A domestic abuse related call is made to the police every 30 seconds. 89% of people referred to our service seeking civil protection orders last year were women. Women are more likely to experience repeat victimisation, be physically injured or killed and experience sexual violence.

In England and Wales, domestic violence results in a significant number of deaths each year. For the year ending March 2024, there were 108 domestic homicides, with 83 female victims and 25 male victims. A concerning statistic is that 66 of these victims were killed by their partner or ex-partner.Additionally, 262 domestic abuse-related deaths were recorded, including 98 suspected suicides following domestic abuse. Women are disproportionately affected, with 78% of female victims of domestic homicide being killed by a partner or ex-partner, and 92% of female homicide victims being killed by a man. The risk of serious assault and death is particularly high for women after leaving an abusive relationship, with 38% of women killed by an ex-partner being killed within the first month of separation, and 89% within the first year, according to the Femicide Census. 

Key Statistics:

  • Total Domestic Homicides (Year ending March 2024): 108 
  • Female Victims: 83 
  • Male Victims: 25 
  • Killed by Partner/Ex-Partner: 66 
  • Domestic Abuse-Related Deaths (Year ending March 2024): 262, including 98 suspected suicides 
  • Women killed by partner/ex-partner: 78% of female domestic homicide victims, according to the government 
  • Women killed by men: 92% of female homicide victims, according to the government 
  • Women killed by ex-partner within one month of separation: 38%, according to the Femicide Census 
  • Women killed by ex-partner within one year of separation: 89%, according to the Femicide Census 

I am humbled and feeling guilty for being a man!

The likes of Farage think it is ok to support the likes of these people who abuse their families whilst condemning those who are escaping persecution and prejudice, want to become part of our tax paying and civil society.

FUCK ISRAEL

So they are having a limited pause to allow aid to be brought in – Is that before they start shooting children again? Starmer is recaalling the Cabinet – I hope it is not just to whip them into line – Palestine needs to be recognised NOW! he is also having a meeting with the war criminal Trump, let us hope he gets off his knees and stands up to the bully.

Police brutality? So a man walking home from his allotment is reported as having a knife, and the police quite correctly apprehend him – maybe with a little too much force. However rather than examine his story, and the fact that the Niwaki blade was sheathed, they took him to the police station, denied him a solicitor (they claimed one was nat available). He was only released after admiting possession of an offensive weapon and was released with a caution. What happened to common sense? Do people in Manchester regularly walk the streets with a tool belt with gardening items looking for a fight? FM! he even had a trug of produce with him!

Whilst on the subject of police brutality Dale Vince has called for a public inquiry into the “Battle of the Beanfield”. I am not sure a public inquiry is necessary we all know that the police went over the top – police paid out £24000 in damages and it was definitely a political act. 530 new age travellers were heading for Stonehenge and were attacked by the police. having said this I also believe the police have an unenviable job dealing, for the most part, with the dregs of society and the mentally disturbed. It has long been my assertion that the police should be allowed a free meal at any school at lunch time. They should avoid McDonalds and Burger King etc. Sitting down with students for a civilised chat would do wonders for community relations, be good’ish for their health and pockets (dinner would be free). They could be seen, and see, normal people in a relaxed situation. is this what the ‘bobby on the beat’ used to do in the past before they got tooled up in their cars with go faster stripes and lights? Cost nothing: Benefits potentially huge. And if they smell canabis they should ignore it – the strip searching of teenage girls should be treated for what it is -paedophilia !

Climate disasters continue anabated across southern Europe this summer. Huge wildfires are devastating Greece, mainland and islands; and Turkiye. The deputy mayor of Kythhera made an interesting statement which was not noted in the UK Press – he said ‘Everything, from houses, beehives (too) olive trees had been burnt”. In the UK we would mention possessions and tec devices, not wildlife and the ecosystem.

And for those with a surplus of runner beans a recipe.

WONT GET FOOLED AGAIN

and again and again! Immigration is to of the voters concerns. These are not reasoned arguments but the knuckle draggers opinions formed by Farage and his publicity seeking cohort. send them home is the rallying call; especially as they all live at tax payers expence in 5 star hotels with room service and have free handouts of cash to bet with. And the press promotes this garbage as catching headlines. There are not newspapers and advertising to be sold by undermining the populist shite issued. When was the last time an asylum seekers full story was told? How many are from Afghanistan, Iraq or Libya – for which the British governments of the past are culpable of creating a destabilised situation. We are guilty in other areas too – Somalia and other African countries have been undermined by government ignoring bribery and corruption.

What is it about the ignorant, often tattooed, individuals who think that their physique (large and white), gives them the right to act as judge, juror and even executioner of a human being who was not fortunate enough to be born in Western Europe in the 21st century.

Can I ask how many of the protestors in Epping and recently in ballymena and Belfast, have a degree, or any educational qualification? Yes I know this is arrogance on my part, but is a truth, nonetheless. Intelligent people do not generally riot on the streets and attack police and emergency vehicles; intelligent people do not attack hotels and private property with the motif being hatred or jealousy. The pen will always, ultimately be greater than the sword!

And all the while Israel is getting on with genocide and the physical destruction of Gaza. I hope the thick bastards …. oh… I just fucking give up! What is the point in arguing with a turd? I will still smell and alook awful?

Also interesting – the two guys who cut down the tree on/bye Hadrians Wall were pursued by the police who accessed their phone data and internet communications. And I consider myself an environmentalist – but it was only a fucking tree! And yet racist hate mail against public figures, most recently Jess Carter of the Lioness’s seems to have gone quiet? Why? I am sure clever criminals can cover their tracks, but the racist moron? It is unlikely! So take away his phone, computer, login details, and make public their bile.