<< Jul 2009 Are we evil? Monday, June 29th, 2009 - 10:59 am
Is the British government evil? Yes, according to Khamenei. No, venal actually, especially some of our MPs, but not evil.
The Iranian government's bullying and name-calling is the resort of those who feel their power is slipping away.
I very much hope the British government is not going to go any further down that road, for instance with police not wearing their ID numbers, surely not the idea of the individual officers concerned.
The Iranian government arresting embassy workers is an attempt to control the situation through bullying tactics.
Thank goodness our nation is a long way behind the Iranian government when it comes to evil. I hope Khamenei's bullying tactics will not prevail against the will of the people of Iran for very much longer. Midsummer Birdsong Sunday, June 28th, 2009 - 7:25 pm
Being in the North of Aberdeenshire I'm being woken up even earlier than usual by twitter: half past three in the morning. Do birds ever cease tweeting within the Arctic Circle in Summer? How do they cope with all that effort? Tiring just hearing them and I don't have to fly about feeding babies with caterpillars all the time. Different Perspective on Life Saturday, June 27th, 2009 - 9:25 am
Staying with someone who has serious health and disability problems is helping me to see life more from that perspective. Different issues become more important: there are many campaigns to be fought on that front. Hospital Staff should Listen to the Patients Friday, June 26th, 2009 - 11:48 am
When a patient with chronic (long lasting) pain goes into hospital, doctors and nurses should listen to the patient. I have found that a patient with an extremely painful condition was not allowed, yes, not allowed, to have her medication at the times her consultant had specified. On mentioning this to her consultant she was told, "Yes, even we have difficulty getting through to them!"
In my opinion this behaviour by hospital staff is totally unprofessional.
If any hospital professional reads this and is offended, please contact me to tell me why this kind of thing happens. Was this Iran or England? Thursday, June 25th, 2009 - 8:18 am
Monday's Guardian had an article* about campaigners for openness in policing, Fit Watch (they watch police Forward Intelligence Teams), being arrested for asking police for identification during a demonstration last August. Police officers are supposed to diplay their ID numbers at all times whilst on public duties. The officer throttling Ms Apple was not displaying his number, thus breaking the law. It was four days before Emily Apple and Val Swain were released.
Ian Tomlinson died whilst trying to go home from work after being manhandled by police officers without ID numbers during the G20 demonstrations. The Guardian publishes a page that includes video coverage of the event.*
I'm ashamed that police officers do not always display their ID numbers.
I'm ashamed that police officers behave in ways that mean they want to conceal their ID numbers.
I'm ashamed of police managements that permit such behaviour - and their officers to do public duty without displaying ID numbers.
I'm ashamed of the UK Government allowing the legislation they passed (supposedly aimed at terrorists) to be misused in this way.
Actually, I'm ashamed that the government of my country passed legislation that is capable of such misuse!
Of course, this isn't just about the Labour Party's misuse of police power; do you remember the miner's strike, when the Tories, under Margaret Thatcher introduced these kind of police tactics to 'Modern' Britain? Ambulance crew stars and the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary Wednesday, June 24th, 2009 - 2:23 pm
Yesterday I accompanied my sister on a visit to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where she saw the neurology consultant and two other doctors. I thought they were excellent, they listened and were really trying their best to help her find solutions for her pain.
We went by ambulance and although the trip was a long one each way the crew were great, not only looking after everyone very well, but providing an interactive comedy experience too. Although it was very tiring for my sister she got some help and had a thoroughly entertaining ambulance trip.
I wish everyone in the Health Service could be as good as the people we saw yesterday. Broken handrail in Park Wood Sunday, June 21st, 2009 - 9:00 am
Judith is asking the Woodland Department at Bradford Council to mend this broken handrail. The anniversary of my sister's death Saturday, June 20th, 2009 - 5:55 pm
It's the twentieth anniversary of my sister Fleur's death from cancer. Every time I smell philadelphus blossom the scent takes me back to that time.
This week I took two young friends on a walk we used to go on together alongside the beck at Cowling. It was a beautiful evening and we all enjoyed it very much; the brook, the birdsong, the wild flowers. Woodland Manager is looking into Damage to Park Wood Saturday, June 20th, 2009 - 8:21 am
Bradford's Woodland manager is looking into the damage to the entrance to Park Wood where a post has been removed and a quad bike appears to have been driven into the wood.
They've also had a big clean up of rubbish lately, possibly as a result of my having asked for it at a Long Lee Neighbourhood Forum meeting.
I know of people who always collect rubbish when they visit the wood and take at least a carrier bag full home with them. Wish everyone were like that. Park Wood with Bluebells Friday, June 19th, 2009 - 9:39 am
Damage to Park Wood Friday, June 19th, 2009 - 9:05 am
I've been told that someone has removed a post designed to prevent vehicles being driven into Park Wood - and has driven a quad bike or a three wheeler into the wood. I have reported it to the Arboriculture Department of Bradford Council's Parks Service. If anyone sees vandalism of this kind I think it would be a good idea to phone the police. Racism in Northern Ireland Thursday, June 18th, 2009 - 5:46 pm
How closely linked are racism and sectarianism? I think they are both excuses for unjustifiable dislike or even hatred of people who happen to be different from ourselves. It's an easy trap to fall into, and we all need to be on our guard against it. When we pray, "Deliver us from evil," it must mean at least as much, "Deliver us from doing evil," as "Protect us from having evil done to us."
I'm glad to hear that many people in Northern Ireland are going out of their way to assist the Roumanians who have been subjected to racial abuse. Descriptions of Ilkley rape suspects Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 - 8:08 am
After a 14 year old girl was raped in Ilkley on Sunday police want to interview two men. The following is from the Ilkley Gazette:
"The suspects were seen between 5pm and 6pm in the area of the New Brook Street bridge and the skate park. They were making comments to girls walking past them.
Both are between 5ft 4in and 5ft 6in tall, about 19-years-old and spoke with Yorkshire accents.
One was white, and had a distinctive non-spikey, mousy coloured Mohican style hair cut - short at the side and long on top and the back.
He was wearing grey, jogging style bottoms which were rolled up to the knees, a grey vest top and black trainers.
The other suspect is black, not as stocky as the other, and had a shaved head. He was dressed all in black, with Nike trainers and had car keys with him.
Detective Chief Inspector Mick Oddy, of the Homicide and Major Inquiry Team is leading the inquiry. He said police were keen to speak to anyone who saw the men. Anyone with information should contact the Incident Room on 01274 376 104 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."
"Our members are tired of feeding the hand that bites them," says Unison General Secretary Dave Prentis. The union has suspended the £2 million per year that it pays to Labour.
Good. That should make things a little fairer for the Liberal Democrat Party. We don't get any such donation. Our party members and supporters don't have the option of having their unions make a juicy fat donation to our party. I wouldn't want our party to have been bought by any outside interest such as a union or big business, frankly.
I'm not against unions or business. Both have worthwhile contributions to make to our country. But political parties should not be funded by them because, "He that pays the piper calls the tune."
Our President, Roger Beaumont is old enough to remember the past, when The Labour Party actually was the political wing of the Labour movement. In that situation it was perfectly valid for the Labour movement to fund its own. That situation changed for ever, a long time ago. Party yesterday, not the political kind for a change. Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 - 8:00 am
Surprise party for a friend yesterday. Arranged by his wife Lesley Horton, who writes detective books. Hope she didn't leave any clues. (Her books are terrific: Snares of Guilt; On Dangerous Ground; Devils in the Mirror; The Hollow Core.) Protests Escalate in Iran Monday, June 15th, 2009 - 7:09 pm
From the BBC News:
"Mr Mousavi, who was making his first public appearance since Friday's vote, believes results were rigged in favour of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The demonstrators gathered in Tehran's Revolution Square, chanting pro-Mousavi slogans as riot police stood by." So glad "Clue" is back! Monday, June 15th, 2009 - 6:52 pm
It's great. Sad without Humph, but good to have it back. Not quite midnight sun Monday, June 15th, 2009 - 6:46 pm
At midnight the sky was fairly cloud free. In a Westerly direction the sky was that midsummer night, not completely dark, midnight blue. To the East it had the greenish-blue light of very early dawn. So yesterday's day nearly met up with today's day. "The likes of us" Monday, June 15th, 2009 - 8:41 pm
Last Friday evening we went with a group from St Barnabas to see 'The likes of Us' performed by Great Horton Theatre Company.
It was the first musical by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. It was never performed until 2005. This production was the first in Yorkshire. It tells the story of the founding of Bernardo's, and how the young Dr Bernardo discovered that many young orphans had no-one to care for them and were homeless.
The narration was great, as was the singing, but even more, all profits were donated to Bernados.
Congratulations to Great Horton Theatre Company! More elections Saturday, June 13th, 2009 - 8:24 pm
"President" Ahmadinejad claims he has been re-elected as president of Iran.
Professor Moulavi of Newcastle University says that there has to be a three day period for objections before an election result is declared according to Iranian law. He also says the result has to be verified by election officials. He is wondering why neither of these has happened.
People on the streets of Iran are protesting about the conduct of the election. The protesters believe that the true winner was Mir Hossein Moussavi. If older people aren't getting swine flu ... Thursday, June 11th, 2009 - 3:33 pm
Could it mean they have some sort of immunity from a previous encounter with a similar virus 55 to 60 years ago?
Could it mean that some kind of immunisation could be developed from older people who are resistant to swine flu, which could help younger people?
Is swine flu no more dangerous than the usual types of flu anyway, since most common-or-garden nameless kinds of flu kill a small percentage of the people who catch them? (An aunt of mine died of flu.)
Is it because it has been given a name that it seems worse or does it genuinely pose an unknown quantity of threat? "Grooming" and Child Abuse Wednesday, June 10th, 2009 - 11:56 am
Another case of child abuse in the Keighley area was reported in the Bradford Telegraph and Argus last week.* Six men were in court for offences against a young teenaged girl between 2005 and 2007. The newspaper used the term "grooming". Whilst I realise that cases involving so-called grooming have a particularly odious edge to them, being the deliberate eroding of a child's self respect and a cynical attempt to make her share the guilt, I do think that perpetrators of this type of offence are child abusers and rapists and should be labelled as such. Well, did more people vote BNP in Yorkshire? Tuesday, June 9th, 2009 - 12:17 pm
No, actually, they didn't. But fewer people voted Labour. The thing about any kind of proportional representation is that each vote makes more difference, so it's even more important to actually vote for what you want, or against what you don't want for that matter.
In Yorkshire and the Humber, the BNP actually polled 6399 fewer votes than in 2004. In the North West, 2865 fewer people voted for the BNP this time than last. However, the BNP still won a seat in each of those regions.
The BNP has not gained many more recruits at all in 5 years, just solidified the ones it had already. Instead, what we saw was a huge drop in turnout and a large drop in support for Labour. These two factors together enabled the BNP to squeak in to win the final seat available in each region.
It was very close though.
"In Yorkshire and the Humber, Labour needed its vote to hold up by 10,270 more votes to keep out the BNP. The Greens needed only 15,683 more votes to have come above BNP and get that final seat instead.
In the North West, it was really tight. If UKIP had received another 1200 votes, than they would have taken another seat instead of Nick Griffin. The Greens' tactic of saying they were the ones who could beat the BNP in the NW almost worked: they were within 5000 votes of overtaking them and thus winning that final seat.
Therefore, even within very large regions, the result can be very close and a few votes here and there really can make a difference. Unfortunately, people do not seem to have got that message: they stayed away rather than vote. They, and the parties who failed to mobilise them, should hopefully get the message from now on that voting in proportional elections is not just important, it can easily effect the whole result, no matter where in the region you live." A pub crawl with a difference Sunday, June 7th, 2009 - 5:00 pm
Volunteered as a bouncer for the Keighley Krawl on behalf of the Town Council today. Er, no bouncing; just checking arm bands, thank goodness.
Vintage buses went around the pub music venues so people could sample different beverages and music without having to drive. Good stuff. It's the Keighley Krawl tomorrow Saturday, June 6th, 2009 - 6:24 pm
Keighley Krawl: Music at various pubs and a free vintage bus service between the venues from 2 pm onwards. Criticise Hazel Blears for what she's done wrong but not for who she is. Saturday, June 6th, 2009 - 5:26 pm
As a 5 foot nothing former redhead (now faded) Northerner myself I cringe when people who would not get at someone for being black think it's fun to have a go at Hazel Blears for being small, reheaded, a Northerner or for smiling a lot. It's just not acceptable. I agree she has a quite a lot to answer for, but not for being small and redheaded, or even the smiling. Who's Laughing Now??
Liberal Democrats: 28% Labour: 23% Conservative: 38% Others: 11% Friday, June 5th, 2009 - 2:49 pm
From real votes cast yesterday and counted by 2:45 p.m. on Friday 5 June 2009 the projected national share of the vote, according to the BBC, puts Liberal Democrats ahead of Labour and all other parties, second to the Conservatives.
Yesterday in paliament Gordon Brown laughed at Nick Clegg's claim that the fight was between Lib Dems and Conservatives with Labour having marginalised itself. Who's laughing now? Anniversary Commemoration Thursday, June 4th, 2009 - 3:19 pm
Twenty years ago today, hundreds of young Chinese students were gunned down in Tiananmen Square because they wanted democracy: they wanted to be able to vote for their government.
In the UK we can.
Do! Don't forget to vote Liberal Democrat tomorrow Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 - 10:47 am
Everyone in the UK who is registered to vote has a chance to vote Liberal Democrat tomorrow. I'll be voting for Yorkshire's Liberal Democrat team of candidates for the European Parliament. Diana Wallis MEP has worked really hard for great causes and been a leader in many campaigns at the European Parliament.
I hope she keeps her seat to continue her good work on the environment, child safety, human rights, flood protection and many other issues; and that we win more seats for Liberal Democrats in Yorkshire.
If you have a county council you can also vote Lib Dem in the County Council Elections.
Most European countries vote on Sundays so the Euro election results won't be out till then.
My email from Nick Clegg Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 - 7:00 am
Nick Clegg has sent me an email saying:
You may have seen what The Observer said on Sunday:
"So the status of flagship pro-European party falls to the Liberal Democrats...
"That is currently a lonely position, but the Lib Dems have a decent record of taking minority stands that are later vindicated. On the environment, on civil liberties and on the mounting debt bubble, the Lib Dems were quietly but consistently ahead of the Westminster curve...
"This Thursday's vote is being held in a uniquely febrile climate. It should be about Europe; it will be about the expenses scandal. On both counts, it is a moment to reward the principled consistency of the Liberal Democrats." I'm voting Liberal Democrat in the Euro Elections Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009 - 12:25 pm
UK Votes for Diversity! Monday, June 1st, 2009 - 9:50 am
On Saturday night the UK voted for Diversity - not just the dance troupe, brilliant though they are, but the idea. This group of talented dancers are of mixed race. The people of Britain voted them into top place in "Britain's got Talent".
Diversity is based in Dagenham, Essex, the heartland of the BNP. The Brits know talent when they see it. All the contestants in the BGT final were talented, especially the top three. The people have spoken, and our votes went to an ethnically mixed group, an ethnically mixed soloist and a lovely lady with learning difficulties (but no difficulties in the field of music).
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