Labour leafleting

Today I'll mostly be tired due to delivering roughly half of this lot round south Liverpool. Knackered but it has to be done, every day the news gets worse and worse.

Read this at the weekend and it absolutely terrified me :

What do you call a government that embarks on the biggest upheaval of the NHS in its 63 year history, at breakneck speed, while simultaneously trying to make unprecedented financial savings? The politically correct answer has got to be: mad.

The scale of ambition should ring alarm bells. Sir David Nicholson, the NHS chief executive, has described the proposals as the biggest change management programme in the world—the only one so large “that you can actually see it from space.” (More ominously, he added that one of the lessons of change management is that “most big change management systems fail.”) Of the annual 4% efficiency savings expected of the NHS over the next four years, the Commons health select committee said, “The scale of this is without precedent in NHS history; and there is no known example of such a feat being achieved by any other healthcare system in the world.” To pull off either of these challenges would therefore be breathtaking; to believe that you could manage both of them at once is deluded

New Zealand government scientist Stephen Wilce "complete fantasist"

I am sure our friends in New Zealand are always trying to move away from the affectionate stereotypes portrayed in Flight of the Conchords but this has just set back those efforts years

New Zealand intelligence failed on fantasist scientist

British-born Stephen Wilce was hired as chief of New Zealand's Defence Technology Agency in 2005, having got top level security clearance.

Last year it emerged that he had made a series of false claims about his past.

Mr Key then ordered an inquiry by the State Services Commission (SSC).

As head of the DTA for five years, Stephen Wilce oversaw 80 staff and had access to highly classified intelligence.

He resigned in September 2010 after a TV programme revealed he had falsely claimed to be a former Royal Marine and to have raced in an Olympic bobsleigh event against the Jamaican team depicted later in the movie Cool Runnings.

A separate military inquiry concluded last year that Mr Wilce had embellished claims about his former military work, academic qualifications and life experience.

Investigators uncovered other fabrications: for example, the scientist reportedly told colleagues that he had served as a helicopter pilot with Prince Andrew, and that he had been a spy with British intelligence.

He also apparently claimed he had designed the Polaris missile guidance system, been a member of the Welsh rugby union team and had a career as a guitarist on the British folk music circuit.

Mr Wilce told the investigators he had been telling tall stories about himself since childhood.

What's that coming over the hill? Is it Serwotka

Couple of interesting links about Today's TUC meetings about co-ordinating Union action in response to government cuts.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE70R22U20110128

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jan/28/coordinated-strike-action-cuts-tuc

This very week here in Liverpool we have the announcement that 1,500 council jobs will go. This are just numbers to the privileged elite running our country. They don't care, they simply aren't capable of caring.

The thing is it would be less heart-breaking if there was any point to the deprivations the coalition are heaping upon the ordinary people. We have seen the economy stop growing and go into decline because of their austerity measures.



It is now impossible for the Tories to argue this isn't an ideological dismantling of the countries public services.

Why are Unions always accused of being strike happy?

Time and time again the Unions are painted by the media as being loony-left strike happy agitators.

Consider this relating to British Airways taking legal action against Unite and stopping it's members from striking (because they failed to mention the number of spoiled ballots

In January 2010, Unite gave BA notice of its intention to conduct a ballot. The ballot closed on 22 February 2010: 7,482 voted yes, 1,781 voted no and 11 ballots were spoiled. Notification was given to BA on 12 March; strike action was held between 20 and 22 March and between 27 and 30 March.

On 10 May 2010, Unite notified BA of further industrial action, relying on the same ballot. This time BA contended Unite had not complied with s 231.

Unite stated that at 3.59pm on 22 February it had received the scrutineer’s report. By approximately 4.45pm the report was given to union representatives, who posted copies on notice boards in crew report centres within 30 minutes.

It was also made available in the union’s offices, placed on display stands outside its offices and handed out to members in all report areas. A press release was put on its websites. Text messages and e-mails were also sent to subscribing members though these did not contain the full results.

BA argued that putting the information on union websites and in the crew rooms was insufficient.

l First, it was not an active communication to members.
l Second, that method, even when combined with leaving leaflets in news stands and crew rooms would not ensure that the information came to the attention of all relevant members because many of them would be abroad, or off duty, or would not know to go online.

Unite contended that its methods were the most efficacious, given the dispersed membership and BA’s requirement that cabin crew use computers for work purposes. Unite’s experience had shown websites were the most effective means to keep in touch with cabin crew.

On BA’s application for an injunction, however, McCombe J agreed with BA, holding that whether Unite had complied with s 231 was “properly arguable” and that the union’s chances of success were “not overwhelming”. Unite appealed.

That is pretty petty from management...essentially it means that it is almost impossible for workers to withdraw their labour. When even the Daily Mail is reporting the injunction negatively I think you know there is a problem with the country's Labour laws

British Airways passengers face a summer of strikes after the Unite union vowed to continue its cabin crew dispute with the airline.

The union is waiting to hear if judges will allow it to go ahead with a strike due for this week but called off at the last minute on Monday by the High Court.

Three judges in the Court of Appeal in London - including the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge - were urged yesterday to overturn a ruling by Mr Justice McCombe in the High Court that workers could not strike because Unite had failed to tell its members about 11 spoiled ballot papers

The injunction halted a planned series of walk-outs by up to 12,000 cabin crew in a bitter row over jobs, pay and staffing levels.

The union claimed it was an attack on its 'human right to strike'.

"Gigantic US Spending is the road to Socialism" warn right-wing scaremongers

click for a larger version

Saw this newspaper headline form way back in 1949. Amazed me that the same vague, ill-informed right wing fear mongering getting used today by the likes of Glenn Beck and all the Tea Party #tcot #gop types on Twitter is just the same crap that was being wheeled out by right wing scaremongers over 60 years ago by Herbert Hoover.

David Cameron pictured with Norman Lamont on Black Wednesday

Just in case anyone starts banging on about Ed Balls and Ed Miliband being sons of Brown here is David Cameron with Norman Lamont on Black Wednesday



interesting that I found it on ConservativeHome...also interesting that by the time David Cameron was masterminding Howard's disastrous "Are you think what we're thinking" campaign he seems to have learned to blend into the background a bit more.

Andy Gray sacked by Sky

Have to say Andy Gray HAD to go really. The subsequent video was just to back up Sky's position...at the end of the day if I'd have accidentally sent out an offensive email to 1000s of clients then I'd have been sacked, this isn't any different really. I know ultimately the mistake (in broadcasting the comments) wasn't his...but the views were.

Lenin in the Labour Party logo

I did like this on QI... Apparently you can see an image of Lenin hidden in the Labour Party bdage/logo

Looks good I grant you...but then again consider the Ducks are all wearing dog masks funny doing the rounds



and even this (a bit of artistic license and the Americas can be made to look like a duck!

Sunrise on the winter solstice

After today summer is on the way

Minus 11 in Liverpool...let's be careful out there

UK is in the grip of a ridulous freeze at the moment. Never seen it quite thid cold before

-2, freezing fog, black ice. Lets be careful out there

Liverpool has survived the huge amounts of snow dumped on most of the UK but is now suffering a real sting in the tail. What little snow we had has turned to black ice and freezing fog is sitting atop us. The roads and pavements are like a skating rink.

The Swan, Led Zeppelin playing, real ale flowing, populated almost entirely by drunk santas

One of the real ale pubs in Liverpool with the best rock/metal jukebox. Love, love, love this pib to bits

Goodbye old friend

Taking my little 52 plate Ford Fiesta LX to the dealers today...quite sad if I'm honest. Ace car that. Over 100,000 miles we did together.

Red sky at morning

Red sky at morning shepherd's warning. -2 in Liverpool

Freedom is merely privilege extended Unless enjoyed by one and all

Do love this : The Billy Bragg version of The Internationale

Stand up, all victims of oppression
For the tyrants fear your might
Don't cling so hard to your possessions
For you have nothing, if you have no rights
Let racist ignorance be ended
For respect makes the empires fall
Freedom is merely privilege extended
Unless enjoyed by one and all

Chorus:
So come brothers and sisters
For the struggle carries on
The Internationale
Unites the world in song
So comrades come rally
For this is the time and place
The international ideal
Unites the human race

Let no one build walls to divide us
Walls of hatred nor walls of stone
Come greet the dawn and stand beside us
We'll live together or we'll die alone
In our world poisoned by exploitation
Those who have taken, now they must give
And end the vanity of nations
We've but one Earth on which to live

And so begins the final drama
In the streets and in the fields
We stand unbowed before their armour
We defy their guns and shields
When we fight, provoked by their aggression
Let us be inspired by like and love
For though they offer us concessions
Change will not come from above

Get in!!!!!!!!!! Everton 2 - 0 liverpool

There are few things better than a derbt victory but genuinely any other result would have been a travesty. It's fair to say there is a lot of problems at that club and while the new ownership will mean they'll rise quickly I doubt I'll ever see a poorer liverpool side.

Everton were great...they weren't going to slip up again (remember last season playing them off the park yet getting beat 2-0). Jags & Distin were superb, Coleman and Osman were both superb Cahill, Arteta and Neville really imposed himself but The Yak was immense...it was a team win but for a player who is under pressure and lacking in his goal touch he just chased everything and battered the liverpool defense into submission.

Superb win but ultimately you've got to say Everton should be beating teams like that.

Mattie Burrows scores a wondergoal for Glentoran

Wow, in the 92nd minute to win the game Mattie Burrows does this

to win the game for Glentoran of Belfast

xkcd map of internet

Rock Bottom

Really not enjoying Everton being bottom of the league. Not good at all....so many games we've had opportunities to establish a comfortable lead and let the chances slip. I don't think we are playing badly, it's just we simply can't score goals.

Yakubu can't seem to buy a goal, Beckford doesn't seem to be getting a chance Gueye has disappointed in the Carling Cup games and Anichebe and Saha are injured.

So annoying when you look at the quality of the squad we have overall.

A Catholic replies

As a Catholic I know full well that the church is a long way from being perfect...the abuse scandals and they way they weren't dealt with immediately are as heart-breaking as they are unforgivable. This piece isn't an apologist rant saying they've all got it in for us...it isn't evangelising and holding Catholicism up above all others it is just a plea for people to call a spade a spade and instead of taking immense glee in screaming about paedos and smugly, superciliously writing off believers as deluded just take things on their merits.

The Holy Father visits the UK for only the second time in 400 years, Catholics in this country have been patiently paying taxes for years but from the reaction of some you'd think Kim Jong Il was being invited to take over the country and bankrupt the treasury with his oppulent demands whilst doing it.

It is a state visit by the spritual leader of a large percentage of the British population. Would people expect Nicola Sarkozy to pay for his own visit? No, that's not how it's done. Would their be outrage if the Dalai Lama was assigned some police resources for his security detail? Hardly. Why are the Catholics any different.

It just seems that instead of taking issue with the wrongs perpetrated by the church and bringing them to fore thus engaging with the problem (I admire the dignity and intelligence of peopl like Colm O'Gorman, a man who suffered terrible abuse but is strong enough to campaign against the wrongs in a measured, dignified, intelligent and effective way) people just want to tear the whole thing to shreds tarring everyone with that same brush...where does that leave ordinary rank and file Catholics. There is nowhere for us to go, it is just not as simple as "pick a side"....also where does that leave the thousands who have dedicated their entire lives to charitable works through the Catholic church? Priests and nuns who serve God and his people without ever straying from their devotion and duties yet are treated as somehow complicit or guilty by association.

The debate has to be subtler, less black and white than this surely. Given that those most opposed to the Church and this state visit are the supposed intelligentsia surely this isn't too much to ask. Do these people abuse every squaddie they see because of Abu Graib? Of course not.

It is almost compulsory to "forget" about the millions of millions of man hours of charitable work the Church does....or the millions of pounds it raises for various aid programs it pumps into needy places via things like CAFOD.

Nowhere is this better exemplified by the villification of Pope's comments about condoms in Africa. He simply said that condoms alone are not the answer to stopping the spread of AIDS.

The reaction from people was simply ludicrous. People pretending to be outraged purely as an excuse to insult The Pope. Bear in mind that Catholics make up a small percentage of the African population, also bear in mind that as well as "don't use condoms" the Church also preaches abstinance and fidelity as central to it's design for life. Why then is it just assumed that the condoms message is taken to heart by the entire population of Africa whilst the rest of the message is just ignored.

And why is it assumed that a continent with so many problems in feeding it's people has limitless reserves of condoms readily available in every village?

Given that we know that this isn't the case surely education, what the Pope advocated, is much more important.

I am not saying that condoms are evil...but that's not what the Pope said either....certain people just chose to hear that for an excuse to hurl some mud and say some rude words.

As I said earlier, am not saying everything under the Vatican flag is perfect and whiter than white...but give us a fair crack of the whip, engage rather than hurling abuse scattergun fashion...then againwe'll probably just turn the other cheek