26 February 2010

Does He Have It In Him?

Afternoon,

As I relax in this exquisite bar here in Canterbury - there are suggestions across the web that Chairman Brown might be considering to go to Her Majesty as soon as this afternoon, to dissolve parliament and to get this Election going.

The polls are somewhat encouraging for Mr Brown with one poll for the Telegraph showing that the Tory lead has been shrunk to as little as five points. Opinion polls are only that, opinion. As Brown was saying as late as the autumn when the Tory lead seemed somewhat insurmountable - the only poll which is important is the one where people have to tick a box.

I do not expect him to go to the Palace this afternoon - I don't think he is that bold and brave to make such a big call.


- Posted Straight From The iPhone...

23 February 2010

Still Causing Pain...

Evening,

The residence had a unlikely letter in amongst the mail at the weekend.  A letter for my old man.  Hmmm, we thought he hasn’t be living up here for some 10 years or so, I wonder what on earth this could be about.

It seems that he has been continuing where he left off here, before departing here for the delights of a younger model (hic).  Considering the cunt is approaching 60 this year, you would have thought that he would stop running and start showing some responsibilities.  Not likely anytime soon, I fear...

The letter concerned was from a debt agency (ooh, I’ve seen those before!) and gave us details of his previous address in Suffolk.  An address that we had not been given at all in any of our conversations that we had had with him in the past few years.  Must’ve been running from this particular debt for sometime, as we knew that he had moved back down to Dorset about two years ago.  I think we know why now...

What did puzzle us was this though.  Why use us as a forwarding address for all documents regarding to a property in Suffolk, of which we did not know the full address of.  Very odd, very fucking odd indeed.

And then, like that – it hits home.  He thinks we, or more pertinently my mother will not report such information to the relevant authorities about his dodgy dealings.  She won’t, having been scarred by him, literally - ditto with my sister.  On the other hand, I don’t have such shocking memories.  Well, not at the hand of my old man...

So I contacted the agency, explained the situation, said that he hadn’t lived here for years, and then threw in the curveball of where we think he is right now, giving them details of his previous address down in Bournemouth, as that is where he moved to when he originally left Kent back in 2000.  That’ll screw him over...

He left my mum destitute, thousands of council tax to be paid, and he expects us to tolerate this.  Shit comes to those who wait...

22 February 2010

State Of Mind

Evening,

Writing this whilst emptying my bowels. Apologies if you're eating whilst reading this.

Am at the moment in a sense of depression seeing another friend find love relatively quickly, whereas I've been single since the day I left school and although I'm more comfortable being single than I was some time back, there cannot be any doubt that my life would be that bit less daunting and scary if I had someone to share my life with.

I have to start questioning now whether or not I am certain to, in the words of a good colleague die alone in a flat with no one around to care.

And although I am on the right side of 30, that thought truly terrifies me.

- Posted Straight From The iPhone...

Bullying In The Workplace

With Chairman Brown in the news trying to deflect attention away from his own workplace deficiencies towards those of his critics – I have to wonder whether such a attacking move by the Number 10 spin machine is such a wise idea, in light that Labour are only now six points behind the Tories in the last poll done at the weekend. 

Attacking such organisations for confirming such incidences of bullying had been reported to those same organisations does seem a case of shooting the messenger.  If you cannot get them to back down the first time, then get your allies in the state media to do your dirty work for you.

It sounds all so familiar.  Bully the victim yourself at first, then when that doesn’t work, get your friends in the workplace to do bully the same person. 

It’s quite pathetic really.

19 February 2010

Is Brown Going To Name The Date?

Well, The big, bold headline in today's Daily Mail suggests the prime minister is poised to "indicate his intention to hold an early election by spelling out Labour's main election pledges" tomorrow. 

The thinking behind that idea is that since one of Brown's pledges will be about ensuring economic recovery, he has a motive to want to call an early election because of fears of a double-dip recession amid a "wave of dire economic news". 

On 23 April, the Office for National Statistics will release growth figures for the first quarter of 2010 that few expect will look rosy.  Surely he wouldn’t go the day before...but it is Gordon we are talking about!

18 February 2010

Having A Conscious...

Evening,

There must be times in our lives where we are allowed to question the laws of the land - where laws and regulations which are on the statute books are wrong in some circumstances.

No doubt, everyone has been moved in one way or another by the story regarding Ray Gosling, the veteran journalist, who admitted on a regional news programme shown on Monday evening, that he had smothered his terminally ill lover some 20 years ago. The analagy being that the law of the heart should take higher precendence than that of the land of jurisdiction.

Surprise, surprise the knashing from the tabloids has been inevitable - with one particular rag dragging up the facts that Ray is indeed living under sheltered accomadation, and saying that he was made bankrupt some time ago.

And that's important because? What should be important is what is the story of interest now, not what the situation of the poor man previously.

What this also does now, is that it is going to open up once and for all the whole subject of euthanasia completely - which is no bad thing as the current situation where relatives can potentially be charged with accessory to murder if they assist in helping to end their family member life.

This has been going on for as long as I can remember, we all need clarification and guidance. Are we going to go down the route of other countries such as the Netherlands and Switzerland where such acts are legal, or are we going to keep it as it is and force people to go abroad to carry out their wishes.

- Posted Straight From The iPhone...

17 February 2010

Judging The Jury

Morning,

I see that there a survey out this morning in regards to juries and the way that they help or dare I say hinder the criminal justice process.

The main and concerning aspect of the survey is that some 2 out of 3 individuals say that do not understand the legal jargon that is used during trials.

That may be the case, however can you think of a better and fairer criminal process than trial by jury?

Didn't think so.


- Posted Straight From The iPhone...

16 February 2010

Playtime!

Evening,

Have this evening started my holiday which runs for just under two weeks, though I'm working on Sunday as it's double time and it's a nice break in the hegemony of the holiday - doing fuck all as normal!

Watching Newswipe with the irrascible Charlie Brooker at the moment, have heard a lot about this through Brooker's own Twitter feed so we thought we'd have a peruse at this, must watch this more often!


- Posted Straight From The iPhone...

9 February 2010

Alternative Universe

I have thought ever since Chairman Brown came up with the idea of a debate regarding electoral reform that it was a ruse for him to try to save his and Labour’s arses at any potential General Election. 

Electoral Reform is one of the Liberal Democrats main projects, for what seems to have been an eternity – the thinking that if Brown was to get some sort of reform up and running before any election, that in the likelihood of a hung parliament that he could squeeze in with the Lib Dems in some form of so-called Liberal Coalition.

Because let’s be blunt here.  If Labour was on course for another hundred-plus majority would the party be any more interested in electoral reform than it was when Roy Jenkins' Royal Commission reported back in 1998? Of course not.

 

 

7 February 2010

Flood Of Guilt...

I see that both Chairman Brown and former Propaganda minister Campbell are in the news for breaking down in front of the cameras...

It is inevitable that when discussions meander towards the death of anyone’s daughter – that the parent is going to be emotional about it.  However, from what I have seen of the Campbell interview on Auntie this morning, it did not seem that the interview was being that bruising.

I cannot help but feel a sense of media manipulation on the side of Campbell in this case...