Yes, I support Rooney.
No, not the boy wonder Wayne - he of the broken metatarsals who has just played a full 93 minutes of football against Ecuador. However much he was considered to be the saviour of England (the football team that is, not the country) I have little regard for this overpaid hulk who looks like he should be a bouncer in a seedy nightclub.
I write of no less a personage than Josephine Rooney, aged 69, of Derby. She has made a stand. She wants her rights. In her street the litter is appalling. Used hypodermics are found. Prostitutes and drug addicts abound in the area. The council seems unable, or unwilling, to clean the streets properly. The local police seem ineffective against the junkies and prostitutes. Josephine decided that if the council wasn't doing its job then she would not pay for it and withheld her £800 Council Tax. It isn't because she can't afford to pay. She has the money to pay sitting in her bank account but she does not feel she has had the service for which she is paying. There is a law in this country that means you must pay your Council Tax. So the local authority took her to court and she was sentenced to three months in prison. Josephine is a retired person and looks like any ordinary senior citizen. She is likely to serve at least six weeks of the sentence unless she pays up. It is a sad reflection on society that a body that does not provide the services it is paid to provide can be "in the right" to the extent that it makes a criminal of a person who decides not to pay for a service not provided. Imagine going into a shop, asking for a product and being told: "You can't have it but we'll charge you for it anyway".
We pay taxes so that we can have a certain standard of living. Where is the Office of Fair Trading when it comes to councils not providing the services paid for?
Nuff said again!
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
We are Making a Mess of It!
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is getting vociferous. Two stories featured on the BBC website news emanating from the RSPB. Apparently wind farms in Norway are causing great problems for sea eagles in Norway. Although they have amazing eyesight which can spot a fish underwater and home in on a rabbit from high altitude these birds are falling foul (sorry for the pun) of the blades of a wind farm in their territory. Many have been killed and it is seriously affecting the local sea eagle population. Since sea eagles live quite long lives they do not reproduce at a great rate and so the birth rate in this area is now much lower than the death rate and the local population is in danger of not surviving.
The second story coming from RSPB is closer to home. Water companies, especially in South-East England, are extracting water from bore-holes and rivers to such an extent that they are endangering the habitat of local waterfowl. Populations will decrease and may even become locally extinct. Ofwat, the agency which licenses the extraction of water, has the power to stop or limit this usage but would be obliged to pay compensation to the water companies in question. Compensation which would come from us, the taxpayers. This makes them very reluctant to make any curtailment orders. But if they don't take action many species will be seriously affected and may become extinct in some areas.
It's surely up to us - the water and energy consumers. Do we just keep consuming without regard to the effects on the environment or do we try to use our natural resources more responsibly? Renewable energy like wind power is ecologically preferable and making sure that local wildlife is not adversely affected just takes a little research at the planning stage. Educating the public to use less water is more difficult. In this consumer society we are encouraged to consume much more than we really need. When I was a kid a bath once a week was considered quite adequate. My own kids nowadays don't feel clean unless they bath at least once a day. I have talked to them but they consider me to be dirty because I shower once or twice a week and the rest of the time a sinkful of water each day can keep me clean. My kids think nothing of leaving lights on and leaving all their computer peripherals switched on while they are not using them except for downloads - however much I nag them about my electricity bills. It's nothing to them. It's the norm.
I am sure that this is the state in most households. We must wake up and do something to stop it! Otherwise my kids - and their kids - will inherit a wasteland in which no one can live, no one can consume and anarchy and war will be end of civilisation and possibly humankind.
Very deep, Mac.
Nuff said.
The second story coming from RSPB is closer to home. Water companies, especially in South-East England, are extracting water from bore-holes and rivers to such an extent that they are endangering the habitat of local waterfowl. Populations will decrease and may even become locally extinct. Ofwat, the agency which licenses the extraction of water, has the power to stop or limit this usage but would be obliged to pay compensation to the water companies in question. Compensation which would come from us, the taxpayers. This makes them very reluctant to make any curtailment orders. But if they don't take action many species will be seriously affected and may become extinct in some areas.
It's surely up to us - the water and energy consumers. Do we just keep consuming without regard to the effects on the environment or do we try to use our natural resources more responsibly? Renewable energy like wind power is ecologically preferable and making sure that local wildlife is not adversely affected just takes a little research at the planning stage. Educating the public to use less water is more difficult. In this consumer society we are encouraged to consume much more than we really need. When I was a kid a bath once a week was considered quite adequate. My own kids nowadays don't feel clean unless they bath at least once a day. I have talked to them but they consider me to be dirty because I shower once or twice a week and the rest of the time a sinkful of water each day can keep me clean. My kids think nothing of leaving lights on and leaving all their computer peripherals switched on while they are not using them except for downloads - however much I nag them about my electricity bills. It's nothing to them. It's the norm.
I am sure that this is the state in most households. We must wake up and do something to stop it! Otherwise my kids - and their kids - will inherit a wasteland in which no one can live, no one can consume and anarchy and war will be end of civilisation and possibly humankind.
Very deep, Mac.
Nuff said.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
End of an Era
Home Truths is no more.
The radio programme, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 each Saturday at 9 am made its final appearance today. It was a programme which followed exactly its title - little personal stories of ordinary insignificant folk. The programme was started and ran for years hosted by the late John Peel who gave it a personality of its own. His easy going style made you think of him as an old friend, a sympathetic ear who listened with compassion. And we were privileged to be able to share human stories of everyday people - some personal, some funny, some downright nonsensical. But all was very listenable and the programme had an almost addictive charm.
Come the unfortunate death of Mr Peel the programme was continued by David Stafford. Like many old fans, I thought at the time that no one could ever replace John Peel. I was right. But David brought his own personality to the show while keeping the themes and aims intact. He was a worthy successor.
The BBC, in its infinite wisdom, has finally decided to axe the programme, much to my dismay.
I will miss the signature tune.
I will miss the chatty style.
I will miss the stories from ordinary folk like myself who turn out to be extraordinary in their own way.
Other programmes come and go on the radio or TV but there are very few which would move me to write a blog mourning their passing.
Goodbye Home Truths . . . I will miss you.
The radio programme, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 each Saturday at 9 am made its final appearance today. It was a programme which followed exactly its title - little personal stories of ordinary insignificant folk. The programme was started and ran for years hosted by the late John Peel who gave it a personality of its own. His easy going style made you think of him as an old friend, a sympathetic ear who listened with compassion. And we were privileged to be able to share human stories of everyday people - some personal, some funny, some downright nonsensical. But all was very listenable and the programme had an almost addictive charm.
Come the unfortunate death of Mr Peel the programme was continued by David Stafford. Like many old fans, I thought at the time that no one could ever replace John Peel. I was right. But David brought his own personality to the show while keeping the themes and aims intact. He was a worthy successor.
The BBC, in its infinite wisdom, has finally decided to axe the programme, much to my dismay.
I will miss the signature tune.
I will miss the chatty style.
I will miss the stories from ordinary folk like myself who turn out to be extraordinary in their own way.
Other programmes come and go on the radio or TV but there are very few which would move me to write a blog mourning their passing.
Goodbye Home Truths . . . I will miss you.
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Chicken Chocolate?
Cadbury's - a large company manufacturing chocolate, among other confections - has recalled a million chocolate bars from the shops because of a salmonella scare. Now I always thought that salmonella was a bug you caught from under-cooked chicken or eggs. But it seems that a leaking pipe in the factory caused an amount of the bacterium - the rare Montevideo strain - to contaminate some chocolate bars during manufacture. The company dutifully informed the Food Standards Agency and withdrew all bars from the shops which might be a risk.
So a mistake was detected and dealt with - good for Cadbury's.
Except for one thing.
The original problem happened in January. The company reported the problem on June 21, nearly six months later. Cadbury's spokesman said that the risk had been deemed as infinitesimal and as such it was not worth scaring the public because there was no risk of catching salmonella. It was, however, noticed that cases of the relatively rare Montevideo strain of the disease had gone up four-fold of late. Investigation led to Cadbury's coming clean and finally doing the right thing. Their share price on the Stock Exchange immediately went down by a notable amount.
Some of the confections involved were the sort that children would buy with their pocket money. How can Cadbury's let profit and share prices come before the health and well-being of their consumers?
Money talks louder than common sense or public duty.
The FSA should take steps to prosecute the company for supplying foods unfit for human consumption. That would certainly affect profits, share prices and the company's reputation. It would also send a strong signal to others that risking the health of the population for the sake of profit does not pay.
So a mistake was detected and dealt with - good for Cadbury's.
Except for one thing.
The original problem happened in January. The company reported the problem on June 21, nearly six months later. Cadbury's spokesman said that the risk had been deemed as infinitesimal and as such it was not worth scaring the public because there was no risk of catching salmonella. It was, however, noticed that cases of the relatively rare Montevideo strain of the disease had gone up four-fold of late. Investigation led to Cadbury's coming clean and finally doing the right thing. Their share price on the Stock Exchange immediately went down by a notable amount.
Some of the confections involved were the sort that children would buy with their pocket money. How can Cadbury's let profit and share prices come before the health and well-being of their consumers?
Money talks louder than common sense or public duty.
The FSA should take steps to prosecute the company for supplying foods unfit for human consumption. That would certainly affect profits, share prices and the company's reputation. It would also send a strong signal to others that risking the health of the population for the sake of profit does not pay.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
I.C. (Initialising Castigation)
The lady of the house rules!
She has even just dictated the title of this bloody blog entry.
She tells me she is pissed off with me using initials instead of saying the words - especially when it takes just as much time and effort to say the initials as the words.
Little does she know that I do this for a purpose.
If she didn't have to work out what the initials stood for her brain would go into a permanent state of comatose suspension through under-usage.
I only do it for her mental well-being ...
She has even just dictated the title of this bloody blog entry.
She tells me she is pissed off with me using initials instead of saying the words - especially when it takes just as much time and effort to say the initials as the words.
Little does she know that I do this for a purpose.
If she didn't have to work out what the initials stood for her brain would go into a permanent state of comatose suspension through under-usage.
I only do it for her mental well-being ...
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Government by Tabloid?
So the "Sarah's Law" debate rumbles on. This is the British version of the American "Megan's Law" whereby paedophiles are named and their whereabouts are made known to local parents. The idea is that they are too well identified to risk re-offending. But the truth - even in the "land of the free" - is that it leaves the offenders open to vigilante groups who hound them out at best and at worst maim these people.
I am not defending paedophilia - the very thought disgusts me. But self-righteous people, or even people who are just plain scared, can react very inhumanely at times. Fear is a great motivator. It can rouse normally mundane urbanites into a rioting mob. Examples of this fear have been shown in the past with crowds surrounding the homes of known convicted offenders.
Police Chief Terry Grange has castigated such actions, saying that - far from doing any good - it could lead to such offenders going underground where they could not be traced. Mr Grange stated that a particular newspaper's vendetta against paedophiles was counter-productive for the reason that while the police are able to keep a close watch on such people they are less likely to re-offend. He likened the campaign to "blackmail" of government policy. He also said that this year alone in the states in the US where Megan's Law is enacted six people have been traced through the offenders register and murdered. Vigilante rule - in the "land of the free".
The "newspaper" in question is the News of the World, a Sunday rag that normally fills its pages with plenty of tits, bums and celebrity scandals to attract readers. It is owned by a company called News International, headed by that well-known Australian tycoon Rupert Murdoch.
Australians are just like us, normal law-abiding people. They are a young nation with origins which can be seen in my blog of June 6. So does Mr Murdoch have a dubious ancestry? Nuff said? This rag, and its sister daily The Sun, usually rely on the aforesaid tits and bums to sell copies. But, when the owner smells blood, they can change their political allegiance and castigate a government which they previously congratulated themselves on helping to win power. It's called always being on the winning side - otherwise known as being two-faced for the sake of sales.
Self-righteousness from media sources is not going to clean up the world.
Neither will this self-righteous blog.
As a child I, and some of my friends, were the minor victims of several paedophiles. But in those days we just shut up and accepted it. I am glad that that is not the case today. Adults now listen to children who tell of such assaults and so the true extent of these acts is nearer to being understood and tackled.
Paedophilia is wrong. It is sick. But to hound the perpetrators - even murder them - is not the way to solve the problem. I don't know all the answers - I always end up with a phrase like that - but scaring the public for the sake of newspaper sales is definitely not the way to do it.
Nuff said.
I am not defending paedophilia - the very thought disgusts me. But self-righteous people, or even people who are just plain scared, can react very inhumanely at times. Fear is a great motivator. It can rouse normally mundane urbanites into a rioting mob. Examples of this fear have been shown in the past with crowds surrounding the homes of known convicted offenders.
Police Chief Terry Grange has castigated such actions, saying that - far from doing any good - it could lead to such offenders going underground where they could not be traced. Mr Grange stated that a particular newspaper's vendetta against paedophiles was counter-productive for the reason that while the police are able to keep a close watch on such people they are less likely to re-offend. He likened the campaign to "blackmail" of government policy. He also said that this year alone in the states in the US where Megan's Law is enacted six people have been traced through the offenders register and murdered. Vigilante rule - in the "land of the free".
The "newspaper" in question is the News of the World, a Sunday rag that normally fills its pages with plenty of tits, bums and celebrity scandals to attract readers. It is owned by a company called News International, headed by that well-known Australian tycoon Rupert Murdoch.
Australians are just like us, normal law-abiding people. They are a young nation with origins which can be seen in my blog of June 6. So does Mr Murdoch have a dubious ancestry? Nuff said? This rag, and its sister daily The Sun, usually rely on the aforesaid tits and bums to sell copies. But, when the owner smells blood, they can change their political allegiance and castigate a government which they previously congratulated themselves on helping to win power. It's called always being on the winning side - otherwise known as being two-faced for the sake of sales.
Self-righteousness from media sources is not going to clean up the world.
Neither will this self-righteous blog.
As a child I, and some of my friends, were the minor victims of several paedophiles. But in those days we just shut up and accepted it. I am glad that that is not the case today. Adults now listen to children who tell of such assaults and so the true extent of these acts is nearer to being understood and tackled.
Paedophilia is wrong. It is sick. But to hound the perpetrators - even murder them - is not the way to solve the problem. I don't know all the answers - I always end up with a phrase like that - but scaring the public for the sake of newspaper sales is definitely not the way to do it.
Nuff said.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Home is where the jobs are . . .
Powergen, a large energy-producing and distributing company in the UK, has announced that it is closing its call centres in India.
Thank God for that!
I am not being racist when I express my delight. I just want to understand what the guy (or girl) on the other end of the line is saying when I call a company with a query. So often I call my bank, my insurance company - even my local retailer - and I get a person with such a strong accent that I cannot understand what is being said. I almost feel guilty in these days of political correctness when I ask them to repeat what they said or to explain what they mean. And I often wonder if they really understand what I am saying.
The scenario comes to mind of a call-centre operator in Mumbai talking to a customer with a thick Glaswegian accent. Would either of them understand what the other was saying?
My own company stopped employing call centres altogether when they realised that their computers did not necessarily give totally accurate information about stock levels in individual stores. Thus, when a person in our Belfast call centre told a customer that a certain item was in stock and on the shelf in Exeter, the expectant customer trolls along only to find that the computer was wrong and Exeter is still waiting for stock.
Nothing is better than talking to the person who has actual sight of the stock on the shelves. He (or she) can then tell the customer it is physically there and can take steps to keep it there until the customer comes to get it.
It brings back the personal touch to shopping. It also brings back the confidence of the customer. If the person talking is 6,000 miles away how can he be sure he is not misleading the customer?
This is not xenophobia - it's just common sense.
Thank God for that!
I am not being racist when I express my delight. I just want to understand what the guy (or girl) on the other end of the line is saying when I call a company with a query. So often I call my bank, my insurance company - even my local retailer - and I get a person with such a strong accent that I cannot understand what is being said. I almost feel guilty in these days of political correctness when I ask them to repeat what they said or to explain what they mean. And I often wonder if they really understand what I am saying.
The scenario comes to mind of a call-centre operator in Mumbai talking to a customer with a thick Glaswegian accent. Would either of them understand what the other was saying?
My own company stopped employing call centres altogether when they realised that their computers did not necessarily give totally accurate information about stock levels in individual stores. Thus, when a person in our Belfast call centre told a customer that a certain item was in stock and on the shelf in Exeter, the expectant customer trolls along only to find that the computer was wrong and Exeter is still waiting for stock.
Nothing is better than talking to the person who has actual sight of the stock on the shelves. He (or she) can then tell the customer it is physically there and can take steps to keep it there until the customer comes to get it.
It brings back the personal touch to shopping. It also brings back the confidence of the customer. If the person talking is 6,000 miles away how can he be sure he is not misleading the customer?
This is not xenophobia - it's just common sense.
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Suicidal Act of War?
Three men have successfully committed suicide in Guantanamo. They all hanged themselves in separate cells using bedsheets. They were found by prison guards who were unable to revive them. Now this is obviously a pre-planned joint suicide. Three people don't just independently decide to commit suicide on the same night. Especially using the same method of death. Too much of a coincidence there. It is obvious that the three, as yet un-named, prisoners were in collusion and plotted to commit this final act. The ultimate sacrifice - as they probably thought.
The initial American reaction came from the camp commandant, who stated that this was an "act of asymmetrical war" - whatever he meant by that. Later today a US government official stated in a BBC World Service interview that it was a "good PR exercise". Perhaps it was both - or neither of these. The suicides all left notes in Arabic. I wonder if the Americans will have the guts to publish them in full - I doubt it. If we hear anything at all it will be severely edited.
George W recently stated that he wanted to see an end to Guantanamo and wanted to have the inmates brought under the auspices of the US courts. That would have been a good idea four years ago before the inception of Guantanamo. But now? Where in the United States would you be able to find "twelve good men and true" to act as jury. People who had not been influenced by the anti-Muslim propaganda that serves as American foreign policy?
Fair trial - I think not.
Nuff said ...
The initial American reaction came from the camp commandant, who stated that this was an "act of asymmetrical war" - whatever he meant by that. Later today a US government official stated in a BBC World Service interview that it was a "good PR exercise". Perhaps it was both - or neither of these. The suicides all left notes in Arabic. I wonder if the Americans will have the guts to publish them in full - I doubt it. If we hear anything at all it will be severely edited.
George W recently stated that he wanted to see an end to Guantanamo and wanted to have the inmates brought under the auspices of the US courts. That would have been a good idea four years ago before the inception of Guantanamo. But now? Where in the United States would you be able to find "twelve good men and true" to act as jury. People who had not been influenced by the anti-Muslim propaganda that serves as American foreign policy?
Fair trial - I think not.
Nuff said ...
Saturday, June 10, 2006
A man dies - let's celebrate!
So Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been killed in an American attack. They sent jet bombers to a house where he was known to be and blasted it with 500lb laser-guided bombs. He died - although according to some recent reports not immediately. He died on a stretcher after some American soldiers saw him move.
Hmmmmm!???
Photographs - some bloody, some almost serene - adorned the newspapers that I was able to see. They were also very present on TV and other media news that I was able to gain access to.
Comments from leaders around the world all said it was an immense victory. Who am I to argue? Doubtless the man was big in Al-Qaeda. There is video footage of him beheading a Western hostage. He stood for evil.
That is according to the media I am able to see and interpret.
When the likes of Bush and Blair state that this is a moment of triumph then I get worried.
Yes, I worry that the people of Iraq should be free. Yes I agree that all people should have freedom of thought, belief and the ability to express these.
But I get uncomfortable when I see Bush and Blair dictating what those beliefs should be. Why is the Western way of democracy the only true way? Why is might always right?
Al-Zaqarwi is dead. I hope his god will forgive him for the sins he has committed on this earth - for it is documented that they are many.
Bush, Blair and their ilk are still alive. They are crowing about the death of one person as if it was the salvation of all the troubles in Iraq.
Do they really think we are all as shallow-thinking as that?
We've killed al-Zaqarwi so let's pull out all the troops from Iraq!
Bollocks it's not that easy. We went in to create democracy but we have created a further monster that is probably as bad as the one that preceded it.
I still get the feeling that had Saddam Hussein been ruling a country which did not have lots of oil no one would have raised and eyebrow at his regime, let alone invaded his country in the name of "freedom and democracy".
But America and the "free" world need energy.
At any price, it seems.
Nuff said.
Hmmmmm!???
Photographs - some bloody, some almost serene - adorned the newspapers that I was able to see. They were also very present on TV and other media news that I was able to gain access to.
Comments from leaders around the world all said it was an immense victory. Who am I to argue? Doubtless the man was big in Al-Qaeda. There is video footage of him beheading a Western hostage. He stood for evil.
That is according to the media I am able to see and interpret.
When the likes of Bush and Blair state that this is a moment of triumph then I get worried.
Yes, I worry that the people of Iraq should be free. Yes I agree that all people should have freedom of thought, belief and the ability to express these.
But I get uncomfortable when I see Bush and Blair dictating what those beliefs should be. Why is the Western way of democracy the only true way? Why is might always right?
Al-Zaqarwi is dead. I hope his god will forgive him for the sins he has committed on this earth - for it is documented that they are many.
Bush, Blair and their ilk are still alive. They are crowing about the death of one person as if it was the salvation of all the troubles in Iraq.
Do they really think we are all as shallow-thinking as that?
We've killed al-Zaqarwi so let's pull out all the troops from Iraq!
Bollocks it's not that easy. We went in to create democracy but we have created a further monster that is probably as bad as the one that preceded it.
I still get the feeling that had Saddam Hussein been ruling a country which did not have lots of oil no one would have raised and eyebrow at his regime, let alone invaded his country in the name of "freedom and democracy".
But America and the "free" world need energy.
At any price, it seems.
Nuff said.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Wayne Who?
The British newspapers en-masse were full of it today. Each one carried the identical photo on its front page.
Some earth-shattering news?
The end of the world?
The discovery of life on another planet?
Peace, agreement and harmony on earth?
An end to poverty and starvation in the world?
No.
Wayne Rooney kicked a ball. Yes, the kid kicked a ball.
One rag's front page headline read, with no respect to real religious feelings: "There is a God".
Mr Rooney, in case you didn't know, plays Association Football. He is hoping to be in the team representing England in the World Cup. I should here explain to you Yanks that in this case the word "world" really means that. Any country can take part. Elimination rounds take place and the top 32 countries get to the finals in the host country. The host country is, of course, the winner of the previous final of the four-yearly event. This is unlike the American World Series - which only includes teams from the USA. But then most Yanks seem to think that there is no world outside of their own insular boundaries.
Politics aside, Mr Rooney is a young footballer of note. He recently broke a metatarsal - that's a bone in the foot to you and me.
Pictures were shown in newspapers of the scan of the offending broken bone. It was the end of the world for English football fans because if the foot was damaged its owner could not play, and therefore score, for the English team in the competition. Notably the previous winners, and thus host nation this time round, were Germany - the team which England beat in the final of 1966. This was the one and only time England have won the World Cup.
But today - miracle of miracles - Mr Rooney is pictured doing a flying scissors kick. This is good news for Mr Rooney. But it will take more than one kick to prove that he is able to take part in a full match with all the stresses and strains that can be put on such a famous metatarsal.
I wish Wayne well. I know his desire to play in such a prestigious competition must be absolute. But he is young enough to try again in four years time. One of the troubles is that pressure from the press for the "saviour" to win the tournament for the team might lead him to play before he is ready and then possibly even wreck the rest of his career by permanently damaging his foot.
I'm Irish - but I wish the England team well and hope they can realise their ambitions.
I just hope the fans will be able to take it if Wayne cannot play.
I hope they will be able to take it if Wayne does play and proves not to be the miracle man they have set him up to be.
Some earth-shattering news?
The end of the world?
The discovery of life on another planet?
Peace, agreement and harmony on earth?
An end to poverty and starvation in the world?
No.
Wayne Rooney kicked a ball. Yes, the kid kicked a ball.
One rag's front page headline read, with no respect to real religious feelings: "There is a God".
Mr Rooney, in case you didn't know, plays Association Football. He is hoping to be in the team representing England in the World Cup. I should here explain to you Yanks that in this case the word "world" really means that. Any country can take part. Elimination rounds take place and the top 32 countries get to the finals in the host country. The host country is, of course, the winner of the previous final of the four-yearly event. This is unlike the American World Series - which only includes teams from the USA. But then most Yanks seem to think that there is no world outside of their own insular boundaries.
Politics aside, Mr Rooney is a young footballer of note. He recently broke a metatarsal - that's a bone in the foot to you and me.
Pictures were shown in newspapers of the scan of the offending broken bone. It was the end of the world for English football fans because if the foot was damaged its owner could not play, and therefore score, for the English team in the competition. Notably the previous winners, and thus host nation this time round, were Germany - the team which England beat in the final of 1966. This was the one and only time England have won the World Cup.
But today - miracle of miracles - Mr Rooney is pictured doing a flying scissors kick. This is good news for Mr Rooney. But it will take more than one kick to prove that he is able to take part in a full match with all the stresses and strains that can be put on such a famous metatarsal.
I wish Wayne well. I know his desire to play in such a prestigious competition must be absolute. But he is young enough to try again in four years time. One of the troubles is that pressure from the press for the "saviour" to win the tournament for the team might lead him to play before he is ready and then possibly even wreck the rest of his career by permanently damaging his foot.
I'm Irish - but I wish the England team well and hope they can realise their ambitions.
I just hope the fans will be able to take it if Wayne cannot play.
I hope they will be able to take it if Wayne does play and proves not to be the miracle man they have set him up to be.
Honouring the Birth of a Nation
Browsing through ABC News (Australia) I found a delightful story. Apparently in Fremantle, Western Australia, they recently held a ceremony to honour the founders of the Australian Nation by presenting awards to their direct descendents. The ceremony was held in the historic building of Fremantle Prison. Yes, Prison. The reason? Most of the founders of the great and adventurous nation that turned into Australians were convicts transported from Britain. Some for quite serious crimes such as murder or manslaughter, others for sheep- stealing or even lesser crimes. Once there, even when their sentences were served, they were often forced by circumstances - or even chose - to stay. They settled, saw a possible life ahead of them (or accepted the inevitable and got on with it) and created a nation. Before the convicts were sent there was a population of a measly 5,000 - not counting the Aborigines, who just didn't count in their eyes. Now they are a proud nation with loyalties to their own country. They are even sometimes trying to make amends to what remains of the Aboriginal race which got there first - probably by at least 1,000 years.
But they are first and foremost Australians.
Good luck to them all. They have their great people - sportsmen, statesmen, artists. They also have their share of crap - sugary-sweet TV series, nicer-than-nice pop stars and all the rest of the flotsam and jetsam. All nations have the same problems.
They also export lager as if it was they who invented it.
If any of the Brits don't like it then they should take time to reflect on the past.
After all we were the ones who started the whole thing off!
Oh well ...
But they are first and foremost Australians.
Good luck to them all. They have their great people - sportsmen, statesmen, artists. They also have their share of crap - sugary-sweet TV series, nicer-than-nice pop stars and all the rest of the flotsam and jetsam. All nations have the same problems.
They also export lager as if it was they who invented it.
If any of the Brits don't like it then they should take time to reflect on the past.
After all we were the ones who started the whole thing off!
Oh well ...
Monday, June 05, 2006
Goodbye Old Friend
So - the time has come to say goodbye. An old, but not very trusted, friend has bitten the dust. I write of none other than my much-hated Sym Husky motorcycle. It was a lovely bike - a little 125cc cruiser with lots of chrome (for chrome read rust!) and a pretty shape but not much in the way of power. In fact you could sum it up in the phrase "All show, no go". Well finally I've had enough. It has served me for 5 years, most of which have been good, but lately it has been getting more and more trouble to keep it on the road. So when, on top of the blowing head gasket and the rust, the front brake caliper seized up I decided that paying lots of dosh for a new caliper was not worth the effort. In fact it was throwing good money after bad. So Fido (what else could you call a Husky?) is to be put up for sale on eBay as useful for spares or repair.
But I have also succumbed to the easy life. In need of a bike to get to work I went out and bought a "twist-and-go" scooter. It's an Aprilia Leonardo and although it looks tatty it went like a dream on my test ride. I suppose that being a Leonardo I will have to christen it "Da Vinci" or "Mona Lisa" or something else daft like that. Every vehicle I have owned has had a name which I call it when I'm not swearing at it for some reason or other. Well, we all have our quirks - and I have more than most!
But I have also succumbed to the easy life. In need of a bike to get to work I went out and bought a "twist-and-go" scooter. It's an Aprilia Leonardo and although it looks tatty it went like a dream on my test ride. I suppose that being a Leonardo I will have to christen it "Da Vinci" or "Mona Lisa" or something else daft like that. Every vehicle I have owned has had a name which I call it when I'm not swearing at it for some reason or other. Well, we all have our quirks - and I have more than most!
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Working Class?
When "New Labour" was elected to govern the country in 1997 I always thought that John Prescott was put in as Deputy Prime Minister as a sop to the "Old Labour" stalwarts to keep them on board. Here was a straight-talking, rough-sounding man who called a spade a f***ing shovel. An ex-docker who believed in the working class so much that he became a trade union official and then stood for Parliament under the banner of Labour - the workers' party. All for the worker and there to keep the toffee-nosed Blair and his privately-educated buddies on the straight and narrow of looking after the "working class".
His way of cocking-up interviews - "Can we take that again?" in a live interview. His way of making his point by punching a protester on the nose. Those things endeared us to him - or otherwise. He was put in charge of all sorts of things with wide ranging powers - at least in the eyes of those who were not in the know behind the scenes.
It seems that he was just a puppet after all. And only human after all. Far from being the champion of the worker he defected to "the other side" tout-de-suite!
Two gas-guzzling Jaguars complete with chauffeurs, grace-and-favour homes of stately proportions and a salary that would make most working-class people think they'd gone to heaven. All this, of course, paid for by the hard-working taxpayer.
I admit that I would probably have succumbed in the same way - the temptation is too great. But I don't claim such high moral values - I just want to survive, that's all I can aspire to.
Many people think he's a traitor to the cause. I just think that he's been used and now, it seems, he's outlived his purpose. So now the guns are out against him.
I wonder how much of the present media antagonism is engineered from the higher echelons of the "New Labour" party? It helps to divert attention away from the more important questions besetting the Government.
Like: When will Blair step down and who will succeed him?
Or: How has the Home Office got in such a mess (and how much of this is really the Tories' fault but hasn't yet been sorted out by the present regime)?
Or the many other grievances that come to mind which the Government needs to sort out pronto.
Not least: "Why the bloody hell did we agree to be George W's puppets and put soldiers into Iraq?"
Nuff said.
His way of cocking-up interviews - "Can we take that again?" in a live interview. His way of making his point by punching a protester on the nose. Those things endeared us to him - or otherwise. He was put in charge of all sorts of things with wide ranging powers - at least in the eyes of those who were not in the know behind the scenes.
It seems that he was just a puppet after all. And only human after all. Far from being the champion of the worker he defected to "the other side" tout-de-suite!
Two gas-guzzling Jaguars complete with chauffeurs, grace-and-favour homes of stately proportions and a salary that would make most working-class people think they'd gone to heaven. All this, of course, paid for by the hard-working taxpayer.
I admit that I would probably have succumbed in the same way - the temptation is too great. But I don't claim such high moral values - I just want to survive, that's all I can aspire to.
Many people think he's a traitor to the cause. I just think that he's been used and now, it seems, he's outlived his purpose. So now the guns are out against him.
I wonder how much of the present media antagonism is engineered from the higher echelons of the "New Labour" party? It helps to divert attention away from the more important questions besetting the Government.
Like: When will Blair step down and who will succeed him?
Or: How has the Home Office got in such a mess (and how much of this is really the Tories' fault but hasn't yet been sorted out by the present regime)?
Or the many other grievances that come to mind which the Government needs to sort out pronto.
Not least: "Why the bloody hell did we agree to be George W's puppets and put soldiers into Iraq?"
Nuff said.
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