Sir Jimmy Savile dies at age 84

A diamond geezer - Sir Jimmy Savile

Sir Jimmy Savile has bowed out of this world at the age of 84. Gone to join the Duchess, as he fondly called his mother. Jimmy Savile was one of my favourite DJs. He was his own man when it came to broadcasting. He was not public school ex-pirate radio, or BBC spawned, or from any other school of radio. He came before all that as he liked to tell his audience. He started in the dance halls before they became discos.

I liked him for his Jim'll Fix It show where he literally made dreams come true, not only for children but adults too. His appearances on Top of the Pops were prolific, being there at the start and at the end. But I will remember him for his Speakeasy show on Radio1 and his chart show featuring one chart from, say 1961, and then one from 1975. There was a rarity in hearing those songs, not often played. Now they can be obtained from iTunes! He was not digital. He was hands on discs.

Mainly an enigma, thoroughly Yorkshire in being down to earth and a genuine one-off. Owz about that, then!

Postscript - I see he was 2 days short of his 85th birthday.

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Qantas quits the skies in strike action

Qantas boss says boo to union boss

The Australian airline Qantas is in a bit of a quandary. Not only has it a strike on its hands but it is yet another company that sees Australia as too expensive for its own good. Just as the Queen is leaving the country, Qantas is dealing with unhappy employees who see their jobs being "restructured" somewhere in Asia. One of the reasons given by Australian republicans for an end to the monarchy is that Australia is now an "Asian country". Seems the chief executive of Qantas, Alan Joyce, has taken this literally and decided that "Asiafication" is just what he needs right now. The unions disagree and are up in arms.

The trouble is that Qantas is seen as Aussie as Bondi Beach, Fosters (not any more!), Vegemite (now American owned) and possibly Rolf Harris. Even people outside Australia know Qantas is Australian. But in the global trading world that Mr Joyce seeks to inhabit, being a simple cork-dangling floppy-hatted patriot is of no consequence. He's seen the average Asian worker and seen that the worker works longer for less. Stuff patriotism! So if Qantas quits Australia and sets up on the shores of Shanghai, so be it.

So what does Mr. Joyce do in pursuit of Asiafication? Shut the whole airline down and tell worried passengers, via Facebook of all places, that they can forget flying for a while. Industrial action has begun Aussie style. I doubt whether this will be the last of its kind. The Queen was alluding to change in the country, through speeches written by the simpering Julia Gillard, but not even the curtsy/bowing/fawning prime minister could tell it as it really is.

Australia is selling its businesses and its jobs and its country to the highest bidder from Asia. Maybe nothing wrong in that, but surely Australians have a right to know. In a clumsy sort of way. Mr Joyce is doing that quite nicely.

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Birmingham Airport plane sit-in by passengers

Stranded at Birmingham Airport - a plane like this one!

Around 100 irate and hungry passengers are refusing to leave a plane that is stuck at Birmingham Airport. The flight was originally scheduled to leave from Manchester for Athens at 13:00 BST, but passengers were then taken by bus to Birmingham. The airline is Viking Hellas, recently rebranded as FlyHellas. It could be Flying Hell for these 100 stranded passengers except they are on the ground.

They had been allowed to board the plane which was due to leave at 17:00, but were then told they would not be taking off and their luggage was removed. A woman passenger, speaking from the aircraft, said police were on board. The woman, who used the name Dorota, said the flight had been chartered and they were originally due to fly on Friday, 21 October.

She said, "People are hungry. They have not eaten since this morning. The air conditioning has been switched off and it is getting hot. The airline will not give us food, only water."

Apparently many of the passengers are due to fly on to Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan.

What I find odd is that when the BBC tried to contact both Birmingham Airport and FlyHellas nobody was available for comment. This is the same old story. Corporate ostrich stuff. I would hope that the airport at least would have given an explanation, if only to say they were on the case. Silence is not golden in these cases!

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Kings and queens to be equal in succession change

We had a sort of equality but then she wasn't a Catholic!

David Cameron has obviously been working on this regal pecking order for some time otherwise he would not have got an instant YES from the Commonwealth nations for whom the monarch is head of state. Equality rears its head to meet other issues. As usual, the devil will be in the detail. It all sounds so easy. One of the essences of British ways is the concept of fact and degree. The British like change to be gradual rather than come about like a slap in the face with a wet cod. What changes are proposed? Apparently that the first born should inherit, whether a boy or a girl and that if the first born was a boy but died without issue that the second born should inherit whether a boy or a girl. This change affects all 16 countries. The next set of changes regards religion and that only really affects England. The monarch should be a communicant member of the Church of England as should the spouse and the monarch is specifically banned from being a Roman Catholic or married to one. This latter bit David Cameron would like to overturn. The chances of a future heir to the throne wanting to marry a Roman Catholic are relatively high. In fact, I'd put it at the top of the list for non C of E intendeds. But we know that, for those in so-called mixed marriages, it is required that the Catholic partner does their very best to raise their children in the Catholic Faith. Does the change suggest that a spouse may now be a Catholic but only discreetly in private. Is a "we don't do religion" clause going to be inserted in the proposed legislation?

Interestingly, Alex Salmond, chief populist of Scotland, has come out saying that "it was "deeply disappointing" that Roman Catholics were still unable to ascend to the throne". Yet he has been deeply disappointing to Christians of all denominations by cheekily bating them over same-sex unions in their churches! He really does not have a clue!

David Cameron says, "Let me be clear, the monarch must be in communion with the Church of England because he or she is the head of that Church". Actually, Supreme Governor, which is something different. The Archbishop of Canterbury is head. That aside, this is tinkering with the stones of the temple. It is not going to achieve either "equality" or an antedote to perceived discrimination.

It will be curate's egg legislation. And as such the deliberations in parliament may take some time. One wonders if the prime minister has asked the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to put the creation of a family on hold. This has not be thought through. When legislation does eventually come, will a three line whip be implemented? Unseemly haste all round!

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Vincent Tabak guilty of murdering Jo Yeates

Tabak found guilty

It was not unexpected as murder trials go. The fact that Tabak said he was "willing to accept his punishment whatever was coming to him" implied that even he may have had doubts about his plea. Having said that, there will probably be an appeal. There usually is one in such cases.

It had occurred to me that whilst in prison he will be asked to confront his guilt. As a convicted murderer he may be denying his murder conviction but accepting his manslaughter position. Kind of puts the prison authorities in a quandary. They like prisoners to accept the verdicts of the courts. There is more to come it seems.

Postscript - I was wondering what the family of Tabak must be thinking now. Having professed complete and utter belief in his innocence back in January they are now confronted with the knowledge that he was addicted to perversion of the worst kind and that he was "calculating, dishonest and manipulative". Makes one wonder if we really do know each other in this world.

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King Cameron or Clown Cameron?

Cameron says it's no laughing matter

David Cameron has some choices to make and he needs to make them soon. He also needs to be seen as a politician who believes in something rather than offering nebulous solutions. The British tend to prefer their politicians to be either hot or cold. By that I mean, they want to know what their elected representatives believe. One way or the other. What hacks them off is not knowing. So with the "European issue" David Cameron walks like a eurosceptic and talks like a europhile with conditions. Not very satisfactory.

The British public feels that it has been fooled on Europe. Politicians may think they've been honest and above board. I think it's a bit of both. A lot of people I speak to on Europe say they "voted for a common market" but not "a united states of Europe". They complain then about how things have turned out, yet do nothing about attempting to remove from office the MPs they disagree with. The MPs on the other hand keep saying that each treaty is the last treaty. Eurosceptics think it is all a case of jam tomorrow and europhiles are cautious about how far they should go. So it all ends in some very undemocratic actions.

What is David Cameron in favour of? Does he want the euro to succeed at any cost or can Greece go back to the drachma? Is fiscal union good or bad? Should the EU be a looser federation? There could be a 100 or more questions but on each one David Cameron appears to be either ambiguous, uncertain or downright deceitful. Clarity went out of the window to join Prudence, that other jilted political damsel in distress.

I don't see what his beef is with those MPs in the Conservative Party who are voting for a referendum. Online petitions was his great idea. Did it not cross his mind that 100,000 or more might actually sign up for one on a referendum on Europe? If not, then he's not quite as with it as he likes to portray. And once getting these signatures, what were the MPs supposed to do with the petition? Toss it about the chamber like a volleyball or just sit back and think of something else? So his only gripe is that the timing is not right. A bit like Napoleon and Josephine, I suppose.

One wonders when it ever will be right. What does it take for governments to get it. Only once in my lifetime have I seen political fear in the Establishment and that was when the SNP won eleven seats in the 1974 February election. As if from nowhere, they showed what could be done. Grocer Heath panicked for once! David Cameron's tune may only be changed if UKIP gets MPs to join or wins seats at the next election. I've got issues with UKIP, but electoral success for them at Westminster would give David Cameron something to think about.

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Greeks rendering to Caesar

Think! Taxes! Paid any recently?

This contribution on the BBC website deserves a wide coverage, so I'm doing my bit. I can think for myself  says this -

Here's a really novel idea. How about we ask the Greek people to start paying tax? They could start with simple taxes like income tax and VAT and then devise a few others! Anyone who has ever visited Greece knows what goes on. Most of the time you will not get a receipt in a restaurant or a bar. Why is that? A shortage of paper?! How were they allowed to get away with it for so long?

How indeed! Perhaps the very large gentleman portraying himself as the finance minister of Greece can tell us all.

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St.Paul's Cathedral closes under PC pressure

Hard day's night outside St.Paul's

St.Paul must be ruing the day his name was associated with Christopher Wren's masterpiece in the City of London. Not because of the majesty of the building but because of the travesty that is the nonsense of "health and safety". We are all concerned about our wellbeing, the safety of our persons and the health of our citizens. But dreaming up spurious reasons for possible death and disaster befalling us is complete and utter nonsense.

The chapter of St.Paul's has put out an open letter, addressed mainly to the huddled masses outside protesting about greed and filthy lucre laundering, asking for the tented tribe to "windraw peacefully" so as to let the cathedral carry on as usual. A lot of waffle was included about evacuation and fire hazards. Health and safety regulations reared their heads. One has to wonder what the dean was thinking. Is it the case that, in the event of a terrible catastrophe in the inner sanctums of the cathedral, visitors, worshippers and clergy alike all swarm out and are expected to rush down the flights of steps to supposed safety? It beggars belief, and a belief not promoted by the Apostle himself.

These protestors are camped in a fairly decent Millets style way. They might make the boy scouts proud. Most seem to be quite posh. One alluded to the fact that he worked down the street somewhere, so could not take up permanent residence. If I wanted to worship in St.Paul's (and I'd be thinking about it for doctrinal reasons rather than fear of a clerical stampede) I would simply walk past the group. How many people is the dean reckoning on evacuating? Surely we're not talking thousands. In the unlikely event of his vestments catching fire, all that is required is to form an orderly queue.

Now if the legal eagles of the church have concluded that "the legal requirements placed upon us by fire, health and safety issues" mean the cathedral closes for a while, so be it. Frankly, I'm surprised that the dean, a former bishop of Sodor & Man, thinks that a lofty approach is going to improve the image of the Church of England in public perception. Surely he must realise that people from across the political spectrum are grievously concerned by the financial situation of this country. He implies that the protestors have made their point and should leave. But that is a naive opinion. Savers and pensioners see their nest eggs plundered and the financial institutions continue to ease quantitatively and squeeze with little or no impunity. Does the dean think Fred the Shred did us proud? Are the one hundred and ninety-eight FTSE 100 companies that evade tax by washing cash through tax havens any better for Britain than the tented ones outside St.Paul's? Perhaps the dean could speak to the nation with an even bigger open letter?

This is not a left/right issue anymore. It is simply a matter of saying that we don't want the present casino cash banking business to carry on ruining lives. Lives of conservative people, liberal people, all sorts. Christians, Muslims, atheists and whoever.

If the Church of England is to regain some credibility in this the clergy should engage with the people instead of shutting the doors in the name of some politically correct notions about health and safety.

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Gaddafi is dead - God will repay

Gaddafi minutes before the bloody end

News got out of Libya fairly quickly that Colonel Gaddafi was dead. Then the questions (mainly from news organisations) came. How did he die? Where was he found? Apparently he was cowering in a drain. One wonders if this sort of refuge is the favoured hidey-hole of such people. Will Bashar Assad, Syrian dictator par excellence, be found eventually to have taken up residence in the drains of Damascus?

Questions kept coming. Then the questions faded into questionable statements. Such as suggesting it was likely Libyans would turn their backs on democracy and start an internecine squabble based on vengeance and a resurgence of old hatreds. I get the impression that most Libyans don't want further aggression. Why would they? However, such thoughts don't escape white western thinkers who seem to think Gaddafi will boil in Hell and hope he does.

Vengeance is an emotive thing. In some it gets them quite worked up. And often not about anything that is personal to them. Gaddafi's tyrannical rule has them foaming at the mouth. His bloodied and and brutalisied body is not enough. He needs the full wrath of Allah on him. Plus a heavy duty sentence in the nether regions of Beelzebub's B & B!

Of course, vengeance is alien thinking in the Christian gospel. Many times Jesus tells His followers that vengeance belongs to God and not to humans. For the very simple reason that continual fighting does not bring peace. Look at at Israel! Neither slumbering nor sleeping as peace alludes them on a daily basis. Hard going being a dove in Judeah today.

So let us hope and pray that true peace breaks out in Libya. Gaddafi is no longer. The future is what matters and the future should and can be peaceful.

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Mad Dog Muammar Gaddafi gunned down in Sirte

Two faces of a two-faced tyrant

So they finally got him. Dead but not buried. The Muslim method of burial is pretty quick, so he will be six feet under by sundown tomorrow. That's the end of Colonel Gaddafi. He's not the last brutal dictator. There never seems to be an end to characters with an idea in their heads that they can rule their people with an iron fist and then try to curry favour with them. The vast majority of Libyans were sick and tired of him and his family. Any idea where they've salted away the cash? That's the next big question. Not only were they brutal they also had a penchant for robbing the state coffers. Criminals one and all.

The next on the list, and they are not in any particular order, are the scruffy little git running Iran, the demented generals of Burma, the evil gang in North Korea and the smarmy Syrian quietly murdering his people. It would also be nice to see the back of Mugabe, the wretch in charge of Belarus and that appalling man in the Yemen.

Gaddafi may be about to grovel in front of his Maker, but there is still work to be done on sorting out a few more tyrants. Of course, if we didn't have western leaders sucking up to these nasties, it would be lot easier to get rid of them. Money is at the heart of it all. I bet Tony Blair discussed a few deals in that tent in the desert. Fancy glad-handing it with Gaddafi!

Libyans can now look forward to a decent future. I'm looking forward to the tourist industry getting going. Loads to see in Libya. It'll be the new holiday destination.

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Vincent Tabak trial - confession to a chaplain?

Chaplain leaves Bristol Crown Court after
professing confessing never took place

Much is being made at the moment about Vincent Tabak, the Dutchman on trial for the murder of Joanna Yeates, and his so-called confession to a prison visitor. The press likes to mix religion with other things. It's like a kind of cocktail. In a pub one can sometimes get cocktails but most publicans suggest that mixing religion with, say, politics, is not a good idea. With the press the opposite is the case. They love mixing religion with anything going. Murder or alleged murder is a good option for them. So when a member of the Salvation Army, who is also a lay prison chaplain, ventured into the prison cell of accused Vincent Tabak, a discussion took place.

Yesterday the court heard that Tabak told Mr. Peter Brotherton, the lay chaplain in question, that "I have got something to tell you that is going to shock you". What was said was spiced up by the press as a "confession". Shock horror! The seal of the confession was broken! No such thing of course. Mr. Brotherton is, as a Salvationist, under no priestly obligation to honour what is said as if during the sacrament of penance. And as Mr.Brotherton pointed out, Tabak had not indicated any religious affiliation or belief. This was just a chat in a cell.

So the press could have said it was just a friendly chat. It is possible that Tabak was led to believe that such a conversation would be confidential, but that shows naivety on his part. Proper confessions are one thing, cosy chats quite another. The media has implied that a confession was made. It might have been some kind of "spilling the beans" to a friendly face, but it was not religious in context.

In order to prevent misunderstandings on all sides, perhaps there needs to be a clearer understanding of the sacrament of penance. That would help abate misleading headlines in future.

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Where's Adam Werritty?

Where's Adam Werritty? (With acknowledgement to Where's Wally?)

BBC Report on Liam Fox and Sir Gus O'Donnell's report.

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UKIP and the Eurosceptic Tory MPs

This is what 200 former Tory MPs might look like with me!

Edward Stourton of the BBC has been digging around in the minds of Tory MPs. He has found out that two-thirds of them want to renegotiate the UK's relationship with Europe but are too scared to reveal their true Eurosceptic sentiment. This is what "Conservative Party insiders" have claimed. He says the latest intake of Tory MPs is far and away the most Eurosceptic in the Conservative Party's history. If that is the case then they are currently like a lot of Humpty Dumptys all sitting on a very long wall. And I suppose the British public takes on the role of Alice!

Two-thirds is a lot of MPs. Currently that would represent about 200 Conservative MPs. To a greater or lesser degree these MPs what out of the EU or some kind of wholesale renegotiation of politically and economically crippling treaties. But they're not going to get either or anything vaguely eurosceptic from David Cameron and Nick Clegg. The EU gravy train carries on rather like a demented Hornby train racing round a circular track. So these MPs mutter and gossip and entertain Edward Stourton with their gripes and grouses. Are they going to do anything about them?

One thing they could do is jump ship and join UKIP en masse. Overnight UKIP would be the second largest party in the House of Commons. It may not be electorally democratic but it is perfectly constitutionally democratic. With 200 UKIP MPs the political dynamic changes in a flash. The Coalition unravels. Cameron sits and blinks and wonders if he wants to be in Nick Clegg's shoes as second fiddle in a rehashed coalition. Maybe he doesn't get the chance. Perhaps Nigel Farage, orchestrating events from College Green, does a deal with eurosceptic Labour MPs? Or there's a general election and a scramble for votes.

If large numbers of Tory MPs became UKIP candidates, the voters in those constituencies would have to consider whether to re-elect then under their new colours or to reject them. But with a simple majority voting system any candidate in first place securing a third or more of the votes would be elected. It would be a very interesting election.

However, I believe I will find fairies at the bottom of my garden before I hear that Nigel Farage is warmly greeting 200 former Tory MPs into his UKIP fold. They will continue to grumble and make erudite noises as and when because they believe their constituents want to hear such noises. That's where they are putting themselves between a rock and a hard place. The electorate will soon realise that their mutterings amount to the sirens of political eunuchs. Why not go for the real thing with UKIP, the voters will think. The Coalition government is not shifting on Europe. At Euro elections UKIP goes from strength to strength. Could it be so at Westminster too?

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Air India passengers kept 8 hours on plane on runway

Welcome aboard your flight from Gatwick to Heathrow

Air India has given some of its passengers a journey to remember. They were stranded on a plane on the runway at Gatwick Airport for more than eight hours after fog caused their flight to be diverted. Now that's not unusual if fog descends. Safety comes first, obviously. The Air India flight was on its way from Bombay to Heathrow. However, the airline had to wait for a crew to shift the plane from Gatwick to Heathrow and that was when the long wait started.

It's a good thing it all happened on a relatively cool day in October. Had it been on the 1st day of this month, they might have felt it was like the Black Hole of Calcutta all over again. What I don't get is that Air India felt incapable when an explanation was requested. Simply saying "No Comment" doesn't quite cut it. These passengers paid good money for their flights. A bit of civility at a time of stress would have been welcome I do not doubt!

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The difference between British and Italian politics

Wrong fingered gesture by Italian prime minister!

In Britain when a minister of crown gets into political difficulties from which there is no return to effective office, he or she resigns. In Italy when a minister of the republic gets into political difficulties from which there is no return to effective office, he or she sticks it out with the help of cronies.

For Italian prime ministers such as Berlusconi, the full frontage of all Sainsbury's stores put side by side would pale into insignificance. Silvio Berlusconi has more front that any politician anywhere ever. And the Italian parliament has confidence in him!

Maybe when the Italian economy collapses in a heap these sycophantic believers in his political leadership maybe, just maybe, string him up!

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Philip Hammond on the move and Justine Greening on the up

Trains and boats and planes for me!

Quick moves in the Downing Street chess game. The word was true when it went out that Philip Hammond was moving over to Defence but nobody seem to mention Justine Greening. She's shooting up the political pole rather like flags at the Defence Ministry itself. She'll need all her wits about her to tackle the transport brief.

As they say, this story has legs!

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Liam Fox resigns!

Outfoxed by a global fox trotter's antics!

A BBC reporter said his position was looking precarious. Now Dr. Fox has done the decent thing and resigned. He's not a bad man by a long chalk. Just misguided, but we've all been there at one time or another. What I do not understand is why his political antennae got so muddled up. It's as if he never went digital. Did anyone pipe up and ask what his chum Adam Werritty was doing fox trotting all over the globe? It was all too dodgy for words.

Anyway, I sincerely hope he will be the last minister who does not readily grasp the ministerial code. Liam Fox needs to have his political DNA tested. He's not going to be much good if he appears blithely unaware of such controversial goings-on. He said he had "mistakenly allowed the distinction between my personal interest and my government activities to become blurred". Blurred for over a year! He needs a large pair of political specs, preferably not rose tinted.

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Trial of Vincent Tabak in Jo Yeates murder case

Trial continues in Bristol Crown Court

I'm not sure what the form is for discussing murder trials that are current and progressing. The newspapers don't allow comments "for legal reasons" by which I take it they don't want to be done for sub judice matters. But the trial of Vincent Tabak is being reported. I've previously remarked that the press takes an opinion even if it is not actually expressed in words. A picture tells a thousand words so the press makes good use of pictures. Am I alone in thinking that the pictures of Jo Yeates show her at her sociable best, smiling and looking attractive and the pictures of Vincent Tabak show him to be aloof or pudgy and sweaty (as the one of him after a cross country run)? It would be interesting to see what would be made if the content of the pictures was reversed.

That aside, I cannot begin to fathom what William Clegg,QC will say in Tabak's defence. The prosecution has given graphic details of what they deem to be an open and shut case of murder. The evidence, as reported, is quite compelling. Mr.Clegg is no slouch in the legal world. Whilst it should not be forgotten that a young woman needlessly died, I would not be very honest if I did not say I was extremely curious about the line of defence in this case.

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Oliver Letwin dumps documents during daily morning walk

Documentary evidence about dumped documents

Oliver Letwin is a character, he surely is. His political career has been a bit like a ride on an ageing merry-go-round. Riders are in for an enjoyable yet bumpy ride. Nothing he does or says is really earth shattering, yet he manages to contribute to the political mix. Apparently he's looked up to as being a deep thinker with a contribution to make in government. But isn't it always the way with cerebral types that they do the odd silly thing from time to time?

So it happens now that the Daily Mirror, red top reading for those who think they champion the have-nots, has followed the hapless Letwin as he strolls around on his morning walk reading documents that, once read, he has no further use for. He has been photographed popping them into bins as he perambulates. Shock horror, thinks the Mirror. These documents, including an electronic missive from equally cerebral Sir Malcolm Rifkind, are insignificant in the pantheon of Coalition policy making, according to Letwin. The Mirror disagrees and, having diligently read them, thinks "sensitive" material was available to third parties. Gypsies, tramps and thieves, no doubt.

What I find is the problem here is that politicians still don't think before they act. So much has been revealed of stupid actions by countless figures in public life that you'd think there was some sort of mental mechanism to stop such actions. "Don't do that, Oliver! Think of the consequences". Any such thoughts pass his brain? Obviously not. When Eric Pickles went for his Brentwood & Ongar seat he was asked about the positives and negatives in his life. "Well, let's start with the negatives, shall we? I'm too fat and I like westerns!".

It's a pity that we don't get more of this. Oliver Letwin has a lot going for him. But I detect a slight air of arrogance creeping in. Either that or stupidity. Has he never heard of shredders?

SHREDDERS, OLIVER!

I know the government is saving money, but shredders are a necessity. So it's Oliver the Shred from now on, is it?

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Capital Shopping Centres stung into active response

I'm the pied piper for you!

I see that the owners of the Braehead shopping centre have decided that 21,000 and rising Facebookers cannot be underestimated. Chris White, the photographing father, set up a Facebook page called "Boycott Braehead" which, by this morning, had been "liked" by more than 21,000 people. In a message posted on the Facebook page, Mr White said he would continue to press for other shopping centres to change their policies. He wrote, "Hopefully we can now move forward with a common sense approach into a situation that allows families to enjoy precious moments with their children, but at the same time ensure that such public places are areas where we can feel safe and protected. I have been overwhelmed by the public response on this issue and thank everyone for their support." Sounds like an eminently sensible man.

Capital Shopping Centres have now decided to review their policy on people taking photographs within their malls. Quite right to. But would they have done this without a real heave-ho push coming to shove? I think not.

British corporate business is so up its own orifices with political correctness and a morbid fear of being sued, that their business rationale is skewed big time. Any viewer of BBC Watchdog will know that corporates need a good dose of public shaming and humiliation before they see sense. That's a great shame. Perhaps now Capital Shopping Centres plc can blaze a trail by jettisoning all the nonsense that holds British business back. A kind of pied piper of Braehead!

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Shopping centre photos row shows why men won't be teachers

Innocence at an ice cream counter

If ever there was a period in British history when the innocence of men has been undermined by the state it is this modern time. The state currently has a curious prurient attitude to the perceived sexual proclivities of others. The state also likes to play mind games by suggesting that what was perceived some years ago as totally innocent activity is now deemed to be salacious and evil.

Last week there was much talk about why men don't want to be primary school teachers. A lot of waffling and weasel words came up but some were honest enough to say that the attitudes of people scared many men off the thought of being a teacher. Potential paedophiles might get through - fill out forms - be vetted. This palava puts a lot off. Who would want to put up with the nodders and winkers? Not many.

Am I being paranoid? I don't think so. In Braehead shopping centre, near Glasgow, a man took a photo of his daughter eating an ice cream. Then all hell let loose. A kind of sanctimonious, self-righteous hell where the accusers make you feel like something the cat brought in. A spokesman for Braehead said, "Staff at an ice cream stall became suspicious after they saw a male shopper taking photographs at their counter. The staff thought the man had also been taking photographs of them and they alerted one of the centre's security staff." And the police were called and one officer claimed that under the Prevention of Terrorism Act he was within in his rights to confiscate the mobile phone on which the photos were taken.

Total over reaction. But then these people have small minds filled with vile thoughts. To cap it all the Braehead spokesman said, "It is not our intention to - and we do not - stop innocent family members taking pictures." Maybe not, but they make judgements based on swivelled-eye theories.

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Is Moody's a trojan horse rather than a rating agency?

Well spotted!

There was a time when rating agencies were shadowy organisations basking in relative obscurity. Not anymore. Each of these soothsaying outfits pops up on a regular basis to pontificate about countries and companies. The more they say things the more things get worse.

The Daily Telegraph reports Paul Richardson, of Surrey-based Concept Financial Planning, saying, "Consumer confidence is already weak but what Moody's has done could make things even worse. The Chancellor has done his best to reassure savers, saying he is confident that British banks are well capitalised. But many savers will immediately feel more exposed on the back of this news. That Moody's insists that these downgrades do not reflect a deterioration in the strength of the banking system is irrelevant. This is all about perception and the perception will only be bad. Moody's will have its reasons, of course, but many will see this mass-downgrade as an overreaction - and one that could do the banks and the country serious damage if it causes panic."

So now the British government has to waste its time calming the people who are already minded to keep a tight rein on their spending. Fear about job losses is probably far more irrational than rational, but it permeates most of us. Moody's has just given us more to chew over. Are they trying to break the British economy? They surely aren't helping it.

It's like a trojan horse coming into the yard, except that this horse has all its weapons on the outside. Do we need to be bothered by them? If David Buick of BGC Partners is anyone to go by the answer is - "NO!"

And I've found this on the net which I think makes for interesting reading. 

MOODY'S ANALYST BREAKS SILENCE: Says Ratings Agency Rotten To Core With Conflicts

How rotten we can only guess, but the smell of roses may not be filling the air!

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Downgrading Moody's

It's all a game really!

The general opinion in Britain is that the rating agency Moody's should get a good dose of downgrading itself. This is the oufit that seemed to think selling toxic loans was a good thing for the financial world. Dirt poor people on welfare being given sub-prime loans! They used to say you couldn't make it up. Now it's all made up and sold to us as kosher policy. Ratings agencies indeed! They couldn't rate a kettle for performance.

So Moody's has downgraded the credit rating of 12 UK financial firms including Lloyds TSB, RBS, Nationwide and Santander UK. The agency said it now believed the UK government was less likely to support some firms if they got into trouble. However, the firm emphasised that the downgrades did not "reflect a deterioration in the financial strength of the banking system".

The system is strong but the government is weak, is that it? If the banking system is so strong how come these banks might get into trouble? All that Moody's is telling the world is that they reckon taxpayers might get the hump if another bailout is required. And you need Moody's to tell you that?

Shysters - one and all!

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Myopic Mervyn makes making money sound too easy

I'm quantitatively easing myself back into reality!

Sir Mervyn King sounded so very affable as he told the BBC how his money printing exercise was going to help the UK economy. But therein lies the trouble. He could make an alchemist sound like a real scientist. Make fake flowers look real. It's all fantasy stuff and not many in the British public have fallen for his guff. Those popping up on TV news channels from the banks are spinning their lines, but the Clapham omnibus is overloaded with people of contrary opinion.

This money is going into the banks so they can do whatever with it. Let's see if they know any better than they did last week. However, I like the comment from Kevin W on the BBC website (Kevin's got 160 positive votes so far!) -

I don't understand why we continue to feed money into a banking system which then uses the money to shore up its own bank balance, pay itself lavish bonuses & refuses to issue loans. 

Surely we should just give the money to taxpayers who would either use the windfall to purchase goods or repay debts, in turn the money would filter through to where it’s needed, businesses & HMRC.

He speaks for many it seems. Over 1,000 comments on the subject and all seem to be of a similar vein. The British people aren't buying this. As he says, Mervyn King and his cronies would be far better off giving the cash to the people. That would stimulate the economy far better than the schemes and plots hatched by the banks. And has King got a guarantee that none of this money will end up in bonuses for the likes of Bob Diamond at Barclays? We need to know in the best interests of transparency.

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Money printers get ready to roll their presses!

New money comes spewing out!

We may be in for more printing of money today. Well, not actually printing the stuff, more a case of easing it quantitatively through government computers (mindful that the Taxpayers' Alliance might be watching!) and telling the country that -

NEW MONEY!

is available to help the economy out of the doldrums. Do they take us for fools? They surely do!

UPDATE at 12.30pm

It's going to be £75 billion. I'm just wondering who will actually benefit. Perhaps we could have an audit trail published to tell us where each pound is going?

The news has been met with feint enthusiasm from the CBI. Ian McCafferty, the CBI's chief economic adviser says, "This measure will help support confidence, but we need to recognise that its impact on near term growth prospects is likely to be relatively modest. Only once the turmoil in the eurozone is resolved will confidence be fully restored."

How long is a piece of string?

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Sarah Palin says she will not run for president in 2012

Sarah is waving goodbye - to running not wheeler-dealing

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has declared she will not run for the White House next year.

Mrs Palin said in a statement that the decision came after much thought, and that she and her husband, Todd, "devote ourselves to God, family and country".

So reports the BBC. I'm glad she's not in the mix to cause the GOP problems with gaffes and guffaws. But the report adds, "The mother-of-five has signed a number of lucrative television deals, published two best-selling books and set up a successful fundraising machine." Being president would put a stop to that. Oh dear!

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Fractional Reserve Banking is Fraudulent - Ron Paul on CNBC

Here's Ron Paul on the Fed's foolish ways -

and here's a comic take on fractional reserve banking -

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Conservatives and gay marriage

Clarity and transparency? Yes and no

David Cameron says he is a Conservative. If he says so I believe he thinks he is. But what sort of conservative is he? He talks tough about the riots but does not seem to have a reasoned idea about why such things happen. He talks tough about the European Union, yet he demures when push comes to shove with the unelected bureaucrats. He says things are not right with the country but yet his government continues to borrow vast sums. It all seems like sticking plasters over gaping wounds.

The leader of the Conservative Party is supposed to be wedded to conservative values, traditional thinking and an ability to see the benefit of change when change enhances and strengthens tradition. Over the last few decades we have seen leaders struggling with the forces of opportunism as they encroach on conservative values. There are rumblings now because David Cameron appears not to be wedded to these values in their entirety. He has a kind of civil partnership with the Tory Party.

I wouldn't mind so much if we knew what he actually believed. Today he linked the need for gay marriage with being a Conservative. Big or small "c", I can't find where that fits in to conservative values. It is perfectly proper that civil partnerships were allowed as that is a matter of fairness. These are unions in law. But marriage is something else. Most people know that. It has been defined as such for several thousand years. What I don't understand is why he feels it necessary to push this onto the Conservative Party right now. What of those who do not or will not accept such an understanding of marriage? He mentioned dogs and they tend to bark and bite back. David Cameron said, "Remember, it's not the size of the dog in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the dog." Yes, that's very true. And the Conservative Party is made up of all breeds and none. Pushed too far and too quickly those who dislike a party without traditional conservative values might just get up and flex their muscles to see how much fight they've actually got in them.

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Amanda Knox freed on appeal from Italian jail

Amanda Knox weeps as she leaves court

Amanda Knox has spent four years in jail for something she didn't do. That is, murder another young woman called Meredith Kercher. I'm very glad that somebody who didn't commit a crime is freed. To be in jail for something you did not do, something as heinous as murder, must be a terrible thing. You know the truth, but everyone around you keeps saying, "yeah, yeah, they all say that!". How does one cope?

It also occurs to me that had this crime been committed in Texas or a bunch of other states, Miss Knox would be on Death Row. Or maybe not. Anyway, those who have been clamouring for her release are quite likely to be the same as those hollering for more intravenous deaths. Time to reflect.

This case is unsatisfactory, though. Whilst Miss Knox goes free the parents and family of Meredith Kercher have to wonder what happens next. Their daughter did not commit suicide, she was murdered. But by whom? The DNA evidence is to all intents and purposes  tainted and corrupted. The circumstantial evidence, of which there was plenty, is just that. The Italian prosecuting authorities have no more to go on. No solid evidence. A killer is out there. Can the Italians cope with finding the perpetrator? I got the impression that they didn't want this to continue. But an appeal should be granted on facts rather than a desire to see the case over. Low on facts high on drama. Not a good basis for justice.

Now its said that Amanda Knox is set to make millions. The unscrupulous media that is American Television is falling over itself to make blockbuster after miniseries after tv movie par excellence. You can be sure the scripts won't be that accurate. "Names and places have been changed to protect the innocent" - that sort stuff. Much as I welcome Amanda Knox's acquittal I do hope that those seeking wealth and fortune take time out to reflect on true justice and the real truth itself.

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Greek currency conundrum

Just a quick question? Are the Greeks bearing gifts or a pack of lies? Maybe somebody could help me. I find this roller coaster nonsense about the Greeks and the Euro hard to fathom. Are they putting their house in order or smashing as many plates as they can get their hands on?

As usual, more questions than answers!

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Sunny Side Up in Solihull - and other places too!

Londoners bare all (or nearly all!) on Primrose Hill as October heats up

I've had a busy week, so it was nice to have a summer's day in early autumn. The barbecue was brought out from early retirement. This year seems to be a weather record beating year on several fronts. Hottest days, coldest days, windiest days. The list is endless or at least it appears that way to me. Yesterday was the 1st of October and that was recorded as the hottest day in October ever. Or since records began. As I understand my geography and history there must have been some hellishly hot days and some extremely cold days in the past. The ice age and the tropical forests come to mind as extremes. However, bookmakers didn't exist in those days and betting on hot days was yet to come.

Yesterday the warmest place in Britain was Gravesend in Kent (that town often appears in the records!), where the temperature rose to 29.9C. When I heard that it was just a fraction off the 30C mark I thought that would make the bookmakers happy. But what a day to be sweating over the odds.

A lot of Britons took to the beaches. Many in places like Solihull just stripped to the waist and wandered about. That's mainly the young lads about town. As for the young women, many paraded in skimpy shorts and loose-fitting attire. Warm weather has an effect on the British. It's going to cool down for the working week which should satisfy the CBI. They've had too much on their plate recently. Hot Mondays they can do without.

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