ID Cards

Liberty tends to be very selective in its calls for freedom and liberty, but it does have some good stuff on its website, such as this on ID cards.

Workplace Bullies!

Here is the report of a sixteen year old girl being sacked for saying on Facebook that her job was "boring". She didn't use the company name.

The boss of the company, Steve Ivell, said:

"Ivell Marketing is a small, close-knit family company and it is very important that all the staff work together in harmony.

"Had Miss Swann put up a poster on the staff notice board making the same comments and invited other staff to read it there would have been the same result."

Actually Steve, it is nothing like that you hyper-sensitive prat, not to mention bully. I only wish Ivell's outfit were clients of mine. I would take great pleasure in sacking them off pronto!

Friday Funday

Man on the Moon by R.E.M.



Followed by a classic comedy moment from 'Only Fools and Horses'.



Finally, last night I went to a sportsman's dinner at Lancashire County Cricket Club and Kevin Connelly was on after dinner. He was fantastic and you can't miss him if you enjoy sport and impressionists.

The Gold Standard

Some time back I blogged about the price of gold. I didn't claim then, nor do I now, to be a genius when it comes to high finance and economics, far from it, but often a gut feeling backed by a little knowledge, can put you in the right direction. So I was pleased to find the following press release when I was perusing the Libertarian Alliance website, which I like to do when I can.


NEWS RELEASE FROM THE LIBERTARIAN ALLIANCE
In Association with the Libertarian International

Release Date: Friday 4th April 2008
Release Time: Immediate


Statement by the Libertarian Alliance on the Financial Crisis: Time to Return to Gold

The Libertarian Alliance, the radical free market and civil liberties policy institute, today issues the following statement on the present run of crises in the financial markets. This statement is prompted by the various calls made for closer regulation of the financial sector.

Libertarian Alliance Director, Dr Sean Gabb, says:

"The world may or may not be on the edge of financial collapse. But the present run of banking crises is only the latest consequence of the ending of the gold standard. Since 1914, and more particularly since 1971, the ability of governments to create unlimited amounts of fiat money has led to bubble after bubble, each one larger than before. Financial markets have become little more than casinos. Immense resources have been diverted into the promotion and management of speculation. All other economic activity has been subordinated to and therefore distorted by such speculation.

"The latest set of problems, brought on by fooling lending on property in America, is not a failure of the free market system. It is ultimately the effect of government monetary policies. The answer does not lie in some new set of regulations, which may prevent the next speculative frenzy. The true answer lies in the return to a more sensible and more honest set of monetary arrangements.

"We mean by this the return to a fully convertible gold standard.

"The Libertarian Alliance calls on the British Government to do the following:

* To order the conversion of all foreign currency reserves held by in the Bank of England into gold;
* To sell every reasonably marketable asset of the British State, to convert the proceeds into gold, and to lodge these at the Bank of England;
* To revalue the Pound, so that all claims on the Bank of England were equal to the gold reserve of the Bank of England:
* To impose on the Bank of England a legal obligation to pay all claims on it in gold, on demand and without limit:
* To impose on the Bank of England an obligation to do all within its ability, and nothing other than this, to maintain the new parity between the Pound and gold:
* To impose on all deposit receivers operating in the United Kingdom (unless explicitly exempted by contract) to pay all claims on them in gold, on demand and without limit;
* To make the directors or, if they are without the jurisdiction, the most senior management of all deposit receivers in the United Kingdom personally responsible for any failure to make such payments:
* To impress on any foreign government or central bank that might choose to fix a parity against the Pound that no assistance whatever would be given to maintain such a parity.

"We note that these measures would bring about first a severe devaluation of the Pound, and then a credit squeeze that deflated the value of real and financial assets. But this is what we seem already to be facing. A return to the gold standard would provide us with a stable financial system, and would tend to protect us against future bubbles, and would abolish the need for intrusive financial regulation.

"We also note that a fully convertible gold standard would make all money laundering laws unenforceable, and would severely limit the ability of the British State to finance its activities by the unlimited sale of bonds to the banking system. We would unreservedly welcome both these effects.

"We look forward to a Britain, and preferably a world, in which fiat money has become as unusual as state ownership of telephone networks, and in which paper and electronic money is a rare substitute for gold and silver and copper coins."

END OF COPY

It still seems to make sense to me.

Libertarian Party UK

I've finally done it. After nearly two years of doubt, and nearly doing it, I have joined the Libertarian Party and it feels very refreshing.

If you are curious I suggest you click on the title of this post, or one of the links to the left, to find out more.

Want A Giggle?

If the answer is yes then you must visit John Prescott's Blog.

It's hilarious but I'm not sure it is supposed to be.

Congestion Lies

A report in Manchester Online proves how the government and the 'Yes' campaigners in Manchester lied about the level of congestion. While they lied about possible gridlock traffic levels were actually going down.

Sean Corker of Manchester Against Road Tolls, said: "Tens of millions of pounds were spent on the congestion charge plans over a two-year campaign, and now we are told congestion is going down.

"Someone has not been telling the truth and it is time somebody resigned."

Thankfully the overwhelming majority of Mancunians had the good sense to vote against the proposed congestion charge in December. All we need to do now is scrap bus lanes, chicanes, speed humps and traffic lights. Hey presto, congestion will virtually disappear.

It's Kicking Off-Part II

I blogged about riots over the weekend, as the only way that the political establishment may be forced to actually listen. It seems that senior police officers are now getting twitchy about the summer. Read it here.

Let's hope we have a real hot, very long heatwave.

Straw Man Speaks

Jack Straw says the Met is no longer 'institutionally racist' thanks to the Macpherson report.

Actually Jack, it never was!

James

As UKIP fade, and I move to the Libertarian Party, here is one from James, from a concert we went to just before Christmas:

It's Kicking Off!

Let's just kick off, the sooner the better.
Bring it on! Riots in the streets and bloodshed. Let's follow the Irish example but take it further. Let's shaft the political class, properly!

Friday Funday

Here's punk band Half Man Half Biscuit with a pleasant little ditty about growing up playing subbuteo. It also inspired me to get my Dukla Prague away shirt from Toffs.



Followed by a tribute to The Smiths by the late, great Bernard Manning.



But that must be balanced with a performance from the genius himself live at Old Trafford, Manchester:

Harman Begins Leadership Bid

It's straight from the horse's mouth and below are the words she used to begin her challenge to Gordon Brown:

She told BBC's Newsnight there was "not an iota of truth" she had positioned herself to take over the top job.

Here's the full story.

Public Transport

There's a bit of a fuss at the moment about public transport. Here is an interesting article from the Times comparing British train fares with those in European countries.

What I can't fathom is why it costs me £2.90 single to travel 10 miles to Lancaster by train but only 10p more (£3.00) for a return. Using a mile by mile fare, which may be slightly unfair but illustrates the point, my journey to London (about 300 miles) should cost about £900, which it doesn't. Just a thought.

One World-One State?

Gordon Brown and New Labour have bankrupted the UK so he is now desperately trying to grab cash from wherever he can. According to this report in the Grauniad world leaders are drawing up plans to shaft tax havens which 'cost' the top economies £100bn each year in tax avoidance.

I'm not sure how Switzerland, the Cayman Islands and others will respond to this but I guess they won't just declare "oh go on then" and roll over. Who knows, perhaps like spreading democracy they will get the crap bombed out of them in the interests of fiscal equality.

I prefer to see independent nation states setting their own rules and levels of taxation. Perhaps if so many countries, such as the UK, didn't have such high taxes, and squander so much of its tax revenue, then people would be happy to pay a little more rather than looking for perfectly legal loopholes.

Bloody Animal Rights Wallahs!

I hadn't realised that snake charming had been illegal in India since 1991, thanks largely to animal rights activists. But now the Indian snake charmers are fighting back.

Good luck lads!

Michael Moore-Prat!

It's a long time since I gratuitously abused Fatty Moore, so here goes. This John Cooper Clarke classic is dedicated to him. As you will see it is entitled Tw@t, so if that word offends you don't listen.

Fair Trade?

Nice work, if you can get it! Wonder how many bananas a poor Latin American farmer has to produce to finance this particular gravy train!

Deputy Executive Director
The Fairtrade Foundation
London

Salary: £57,000 - £65,000



The Deputy Executive Director role exists to strengthen the capacity of the Senior Management Team, and is the linchpin role between the Executive Director (ED) and Departmental Directors. The Foundation is driving forward ambitious plans for delivery of our core mission by increasing the impact of The Fairtrade Foundation in line with the vision contained in the strategic plan to 2012 and needs a talented Deputy Executive Director to be accountable for turning the plans into reality.

With previous experience of operating at a senior management level within an organisation of either comparable scale or complexity, we are looking for someone to undertake the strategic management of the core teams of the Fairtrade Foundation on behalf of the Executive Director, ensuring appropriate internal systems are put in place across the organisation and supporting the Heads of Departments to enable them to deliver on their individual programmes and having accountability for ensuring delivery against organisational KPIs.

A lateral-thinking problem solver, you will seize opportunities for improvement and drive initiatives through to operational excellence. You will have substantial experience at a senior level gained in either the not-for-profit or commercial sector; including leading change management and business improvement initiatives. You will use your proven leadership skills and collaborative style to inspire the cohesion of multi-disciplined teams to take the Fairtrade Foundation on to the next level.


This is a really exciting time to become part of one of the fastest growing social enterprises in the UK enabling increasing numbers of producers to build sustainable businesses in the developing world. If you’re used to working creatively and want to be part of our exciting rapidly expanding world then this could be the job for you.

Police State

Backwards Into The Future

I'm scared, and so should you be. It seems the Fabian Society has a booming membership.

Fabian national membership now stands at a 35 year high: it is over 20% higher than when Labour came to office in May 1997. It is now double what it was when Clement Attlee left office in 1951.

People seem to have learned nothing from the disasters of the seventies, and earlier, and are looking backwards for the same disastrous attempted solutions that Labour/socialists have tried in the past. If you want nightmares tonight peruse their website, which includes Mandy's views on tax hikes:

Pushing up tax rates for high earners is not a “litmus test of social justice”, Business Secretary Peter Mandelson told the Fabian New Year Conference. Instead, tax policy should be guided by the economic circumstances and national needs in play at different times, he argued – with the new 45p top rate necessary for everyone to pay their “fair share of the burden”

Stock up on the basics. Strikes, power cuts and food shortages on the way.

Even The Spooks Think It's A Police State

Three cheers for Dame Stella.

It really is frightening what people have allowed to happen under New Labour.

Police State

If you still have any doubts about the police state in which we are ever more watched and controlled by the government and its agents, then please read the superb article below by Philip Johnston from the Daily Telegraph.

I sometimes go days without buying a newspaper, using the internet instead, but today I decided to buy the Telegraph when I popped out for cat food for our starving and loudly wailing moggies, andI'm glad I did, it's a belter.

Philip Johnston

In that brief time not long after he became Prime Minister, when Gordon Brown was regarded as a serious political figure and one refreshingly less artful than his predecessor, he delivered a speech at the University of Westminster on liberty. It was an erudite and thoughtful exposition of this country's difficult, and sometimes bloody, attempts to come to terms with the countervailing demands of individual liberty and state power.

I recall being impressed that a prime minister was making such a weighty and thought-provoking speech. I even kept a copy, though it can be found on the Number 10 website; and after last week's decision to ban a Dutch MP from visiting Britain because of his views on Islam, I thought it apposite to read it again.

"Too often in recent years the public dialogue in our country has undervalued the importance of liberty," Mr Brown said. "Now is the time to reaffirm our distinctive British story of liberty – to show it is as rich, powerful and relevant to the life of the nation today as ever; to apply its lessons to the new tests of our time."

Yet, not for the first time, what the Government does bears no resemblance to its rhetoric. From today, new counter-terrorism laws come into effect that will entrench a growing tendency by the police to prevent anyone taking photographs in public, especially if they (the police) are the subject. There has been a worrying increase recently in police arresting or seeking to prevent what is a lawful activity.

Andrew Carter, a plumber from Bedminster, near Bristol, took a photograph of an officer who had ignored a no-entry road sign while driving a police van. This might have appeared a somewhat petulant thing to do, but taking a photograph in a public place is not a crime. Yet the policeman smashed the camera from Mr Carter's hand, handcuffed him, put him in the back of the van and took him to the police station, where he was kept for five hours. When he returned to answer bail the following week, he was kept at the station for another five hours. He was released without charge, despite an attempt by the police to claim some spurious offence of "assault with a camera".

Whereas in the past the police have not had the power to prevent photographs being taken of them, from today they have. Under the new Counter-Terrorism Act it is an offence to take pictures of officers "likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism". This is such a catch-all measure that it can be used – and, in view of recent trends, will be used – to prevent photographs to which the police object merely by invoking counter-terrorist requirements. While it is important for officers involved in such operations to maintain anonymity, many photographers fear these powers will be abused.

In an article in the British Journal of Photography, Justin Tallis, a freelance photographer, recounted how he was threatened while covering a protest against the BBC's decision not to broadcast a fundraising film for Gaza. He was approached by an officer who had just been photographed. According to Tallis, the officer tried to take his camera away, but gave up as other photographers captured the incident.

A few weeks ago, an amateur photographer was stopped in Cleveland by officers when taking pictures of ships. The photographer was asked if he had any terrorism connections and told that his details would be kept on file. According to the Government, while there are no legal restrictions on photography in public places, "there may be situations in which the taking of photographs may cause or lead to public order situations or raise security considerations".

The problem is that there are so many instances of counter-terror laws being invoked to stop perfectly innocent activities, such as trainspotting or bird watching, that many photographers do not believe such assurances.

There is a wider issue of creeping censorship which a new organisation, the Convention on Modern Liberty, is seeking to highlight with the publication today of a list of examples of this insidious development. They include a demand by Suffolk police that Facebook shut down a page dedicated to an over-zealous traffic warden because it contained "hurtful criticisms"; proposed curbs on financial reporting during the banking crisis; a ban on students filming an interview in Parliament Square; the threatened arrest of two evangelical preachers for committing a "hate crime" by handing out Gospel leaflets in a predominantly Muslim area of Birmingham; the occasions when the police have reprimanded people for wearing T-shirts carrying political slogans; and, of course, the ban last week on Geert Wilders from showing a film on Islam to a group of parliamentarians.

In his speech on liberty, Mr Brown said: "The character of our country will be defined by how we write the next chapter of British liberty – by whether we do so in a way that respects and builds on our traditions, and progressively adds to and enlarges rather then reduces the sphere of freedom." At least it sounded good at the time.

Ice Hockey Tonight

Missed the football yesterday, for a very pleasant soiree with some good friends, so it's off to the Ice Hockey tonight. Manchester Phoenix in the semi-final of the cup. Wonder if anything like this will happen. It's a game for men!

More Equality Crap

Tessa Jowell wants equality beween men and women in Olympic sports.

I'm happy with that Tessa, so long as women are happy to get in the boxing ring with men! Now that's what I call equality.

Energy Saving Light Bulbs?

I'm not a great believer in the doom laden green/environmentalist nutters but, as an energy company recently sent us a free box of energy saving light bulbs, we decided to try them.

In our living room we have three lamps which provide enough light to create a nice cosy atmosphere, especially when we have a log fire going, but enough light to read by. Then, as bulbs blew, we replaced them with energy saving bulbs. This week the third went and all three lamps had energy savers. It has been like living with Victorian gaslight. Totally unable to read and can barely cross the room without bumping into things.

So we have just got back from a shopping trip. Did we buy more lamps or replace the offending energy saving bulbs? We have replaced the bulbs. It seems logical to me that if the energy savers are so crap you need to increase the number of lights, then they save bugger all energy anyway.

After finding out about the dangers if the bulbs break, I'm wondering whether to pop up the road to Sellafield and see if I can throw them in with some nuclear waste they may be burying.

Friday Fun

Weekends are great, so I'm starting early and will make every Friday a fun day in future. This first 'Friday Fun' feature is a classic from the Cocteau Twins, followed by some bull running footage from Pamplona.

Fascist State-The Bitch Is Back

Here is the story about the Dutch MP being banned from the UK, taken from the BBC website:

A Dutch MP who called the Koran a "fascist book" has boarded a flight to the UK despite being banned on public security grounds.

Freedom Party MP Geert Wilders was invited to show his controversial film - which links the Islamic holy book to terrorism - in the UK's House of Lords.

But Mr Wilders, who faces trial in his own country for inciting hatred, has been denied entry by the Home Office.

UKIP peer Lord Pearson invited him to show the film.

This man has been found guilty of nothing. He is critical of Islam. If European Union laws forbid us from stopping plumbers coming here from Poland from where does the Home Secretary get the power to ban a democratically elected MP from entering the country?

Conversely the ban seems to justify Wilders attacks on Islam. If a critic of a religion is banned for fear of the reaction from its adherents, then doesn't that prove that particular religion to be exactly what the critic says?

Perhaps our fascist Home Secretary is really trying to take attention away from her expenses fiddle.

Evil Prince Harry At It Again!

Prince Harry is in the news again. Apparently he told Stephen K. Amos 'he didn't sound like a black chap'. Wow, big deal. It's not as if he said 'you were funny for a nignog', which I think would have been deeply offensive.

We have friends who are from Jamaica and when they are together in a group, their Jamaican accents come through quite strongly. I suppose a member of the politically correct brigade hearing them would find it deeply offensive, without realising that white people from Jamaica do have Jamaican accents, it's not a race thing.

Here's the full story, if you can be arsed.

Personally I don't believe Harry is racist, just thick.

Date Of Next General Election

I have said for some time that I believe the next UK general election will be in June 2009, to coincide with the Euro elections. Now I'm not much of a gambler but I have had a look at the odds and June '09 is 5/1 and May '10 evens. So, according to them I think that makes June '09 second favourite.

Go here for the full odds.

I might just have a flutter.

Because I Like It-Here It Is.

Political Correctness Gone Mad!

Last week I drove to a college in East Lancashire for a short three hour course. It was a fully recognised course under the control of Lancashire County Council. The participants in the course were all professional people, either professional trainers or professionals who spend a reasonable proportion of their lives training. The kind of people who know how to behave in company in other words.

My sister is a teacher and I have known many teachers over the years, the biggest complaint from all is the level of bureaucracy that now swamps the profession.Secondly, the level of political correctness, although fewer have a problem with that than with bureaucracy in my experience. Until last week I had no idea quite how bad it was.

The session started at 9-30 with the usual announcements about lavvies and fire escapes. We then had a lecture about health and safety and how seriousy they took our safety within this building, and so on. We then moved onto the diversity policy. Then the equality stuff. Then the anti-bullying stuff and then more specific stuff before moving onto the general 'we must respect each other' stuff. All this done by a tutor who had the most patronising gentle tones I have heard since Watch With Mother was on telly when I was about 5. By this time it was 10-15 and steam was issuing from my nostrils.

As if that wasn't bad enough she then cooed that we were about to participate in drawing up our own 'ground rules' so that as a group we could all agree on how we should behave on this course. Up went the flipchart and out came her marker pens. That was it, I could take no more. Up went my hand followed by an 'excuse me' as I gathered my things and started to stand.'Ms' asked if I was unwell and I replied, surprisingly calmly and politely, that I was fine but felt that 1/3 of our time spent on these matters was excessive and, in my view, highly patronising. I then departed to do more useful things.

The experience was extremely disturbing. OK I wasn't beaten about the head or verbally assaulted, but it was extremely patronising and proved to me how corrupted the state has made the education system. It is not about learning or discovering a given subject any more, it is about social and political brainwashing first and foremost. It is about controlling our actions by controlling our thoughts.

I think I'm an extremely tolerant person, I genuinely do not care what colour peoples' skin is, what religion they are or where they were born. There are aspects of all cultures that I dislike, including the English culture, and I will never respect what I dislike, but I will tolerate it if it doesn't actually harm me, my family or friends. I would prefer us to argue with a real fascist and beat him than merely ban him. That to me is the sign of a true democracy.

This overwheening politically correct obsession with race, equality and diversity I neither respect nor am prepared to tolerate any longer, hence my one-man walkout. I have said it before, and probably will again, that it is political correctness that drives a wedge between people from diferent cultures and races. It constantly highlights differences between people thereby creating unhealthy obsessions about perceived differences, from different perspectives, for both the far-right and far-left, traps into which many decent people fall on both sides. If we are just left to get on with things I am sure the vast majority of people would just get along with each other.

The one thing I did forget when I decided I had had enough and walked out was the woman sat at the back of the class taking notes. I would love to see how the OFSTED observer wrote that one up!

Golden Shred

My dad used to pay football for Golden Shred, in the days when Gollywogs were quite cool. I'm serious, we lived up the road from Robertson's jam factory and the firm's football team was called Golden Shred.

We used to save tokens and send off for Gollywog badges we would proudly wear on our school blazers. Nowt wrong with that! They're a damn sight more attractive, and less offensive, than Jo Brand.

This recollection, I know it's last week's news, was prompted by Derek Bennett's Blog and his post about Carol Thatcher. Having been away this weekend in Cymru, and working yesterday in Manchester until 2-00am, I am playing catch up a little.

Daily Mirror-Breaking News

I can't believe that the Daily Mirror has only just realised that Tony Blair is an abject failure. But this is in the breaking news section of their website:

Tony Blair’s failed attempts to secure peace in the Middle East have cost British taxpayers at least half a million pounds.

Foreign Office figures reveal £400,000 was put towards office costs and expenses for the former Prime Minister.

Four civil servants and a political analyst have also been sent to work with Mr Blair, costing at least £100,000.

The hefty bill emerged as discontent grows over his job representing the UN, America, the EU and Russia in the war-torn area.

That's nothing compared to what he did to Britain.

The North Is The Best-Official

When it comes to fish and chip shops the best in the country are in the North, and for my money the North West! If you don't believe me read this.

For me the big problem is that chippies 'darn sarf' don't sell the following:

Steak puddings
Mushy peas
Gravy
Cheese and onion pies

That should disqualify them from using the name 'chippy'. How can you have pie/pudding and chips without the piping hot comforting moisture of rich dark gravy? What's fish and chips without the luminous green blob of a portion of mushy peas? I've never seen scratchings in chippies 'darn sarf' either.

The picture shows my favourite compromise chippy meal. Can't decide between pudding and fish? Have both, with mushy peas and gravy. Oops, don't forget the four slices of Warburton's thick sliced bread dripping in real butter for chip butties, and a glass of Vimto!

And our local chippy is in that Irish gastronome's guide, you know, Egon Rooney.

Idiotic Electorate

Every now and then, when we get all proud and emotional about our glorious democracy, or decide to bomb the crap out of another country to make them 'democratic', but it's a good idea to stand back and observe. The following are letters to Teletext from British voters:

Not politically correct, but stupid

"Political Correctness" was a term of abuse used by acolytes of the first Bush administration, to denigrate those concerned about its policies on minorities and the disadvantaged.

Nowadays those with too much time on their hands who go round banning and renaming everything, in case it causes imaginary offence to some undefined minority or person, are not being politically correct, just plain stupid.
D U, Manchester

Privatisation is not the way

David Cameron has said his party intends to get more private companies involved in state education with charities and entrepreneurs to run things. In other words, privatisation.

Gas, water, electric, public transport and the NHS all suffered when put into the hands of private companies by Thatcher and Major. And we all know how efficient they are?
G R, Kelvedon, Essex

So, Mrs T still being blamed for all the ills of the world 19 years after being ousted, it seems that she also privatised the NHS!

But at least now she is being joined by President Bush. No not that one, his dad!

You see the problem with democracy is the damn stupid electorate.

Obama's Lingo

It seems there's a bit of a fuss across the pond about the audio version of Obama's autobiography. He uses naughty words like 'sh*t' with an 'i' and 'mother f*cker' with a 'u'. Aparently words that a president should not use. Well I think it is blindingly obvious that presidents have sworn, and probably will again, they are supposed to be human after all.

So,if you want to hear the offending words, being read by an actor I presume, then visit April Winchell's website and her entry for February 5th.

There's also an excellent shot of a delightful French lady baring her breasts to Mickey Rourke. It's just a shame they weren't explosive, she could have also rid the world of the Fenian bastard!

The Prat On 'Question Time'.

I often wonder why BBC's 'Question Time' has to have an utter prat on every week. It is, after all, supposed to be a serious political debating show. I suppose the word 'show' says it all really, and the prat might just make some of the politicians appear bright by contrast.

But last night, and I could only manage to watch half an hour, Will Young was on. Yes, that Will Young, the one who won a karaoke competition on telly a coule of years ago. He was shallow, as expected, and not the most articulate young chap I've ever come across. He must be the biggest prat yet to appear on that fast fading 'show', unless the Aristotle in him came to the fore in the second half and I missed it.

I say get rid of Dimbleby, he's the one constant prat on the show, and a bloody annoying one at that.

Valentine's Day

I wasted this morning on a wild goose chase across to East Lancashire, but that's another story. While wasting the morning sat in traffic I was thinking of an article I read in yesterday's Daily Star, I was having breakfast at a butty wagon and didn't buy it! I was wondering what the reaction from my other half would be if I forgot Valentine's Day. Then, if I did forget it, what would be a good excuse? The answer is:

"I've converted to Islam!"

Sometimes I Just Can't Be Bothered!

I've had a really busy day in Manchester, where the snow was much heavier than here in North Lancashire. I had to leave home earlier than is natural and intended blogging this evening but after a tough but exciting day, I just can't be bothered.

So when Mrs B gets home it's jerk chicken with a bit of salad, a glass of water as we are trying to be a little healthier these days, and a night of TV (Whitechapel) and a catch up on my current Joe Nesbo novel, The Devil's Star.

Just one thing I thought of today. I wonder if all these workers who are on strike because of foreign labour support football teams that only have English players?