This story really is the most absurd of the week.
A Scouse chav calls a Paddy a 'Leprechaun' and the glorious CPS decide to prosecute for racial hatred, or similar nonsense, costing the taxpayers thousands of quid. Thankfully the case has now been dropped.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Assisted Suicide
Debbie Purdy has failed in her attempt to have the law on assisted suicide changed, she fears that if her husband helps her to visit the Swiss clinic, run by Dignitas, he may face prosecution when he returns after her suicide. She has a particularly aggressive form of Multiple Sclerosis. The judge stated that it was a question for parliament not the courts.
An average of two Britons each year travel to Switzerland to die in the way they choose, and until now nobody has faced prsecution upon return to the UK. However it seems that the family of the young rugby player who went there to die after being paralysed are being investigated by the CPS.
Part of the problem is deciding what constitutes assisting a suicide. Buying a plane ticket to Switzerland for your loved one? Holding his or her hand while they die? It doesn't have to actually be as stark as giving them the lethal dose of drugs.
The question of assisted suicide crops up on a regular basis and, while I believe it to be wrong, I have every sympathy for those who feel it to be their only option. What I do not want is for the law to be changed so that we, society, are consenting to people commiting suicide. I am extremely sympathetic to the authorities turning a blind eye in cases where it is obvious that the person who went to Switzerland was was fully aware of what they were doing and made the decision themselves. To hold the hand of a loved one as they die, be it suicide or not, should not be a prosecutable offence.
For several years I worked for the Motor Neurone Disease Association and a few years ago a Liverpool man with MND went to Switzerland to die. This caused a huge media furore similar to that this week around Debbie Purdy. I saw the other side of the impact this had on people living with MND. At that time nobody with MND that I spoke to wanted to take that route themselves. Most of them had the view that their lives were being cut short becaue of MND and they didn't want to shorten it any further. Many people with MND and their families found the whole thing terribly distressing. That side of the argument is rarely covered by the press.
As with any of these things there are reactions and repercusions for years to come that affect those left behind after a suicide. Could I have done more? Could I have encouraged him/her to stay a few more weeks or months? What about the immense feeling of guilt that may be faced by the loved one left behind? I've no doubt people like Debbie Purdy will be discussing all these things with her husband. But we need to be very careful that we look deeper than the media coverage that makes it all sound so clean and compartmentalised.
One of the more worrying aspects of this recent publicity is the position of Ludwig Minelli, the founder of Dignitas. It seems he wants the option of suicide extending beyond the terminally ill to people such as manic depressives. As ever one of the worrying things about legalising assisted suicide is how it would then extend into areas for which the original law was never intended.
And finally, we no longer tolerate the state taking the life of murderers so it seems to me even less acceptable for the state to condone the taking of innocent life whether by your own hand or not.
An average of two Britons each year travel to Switzerland to die in the way they choose, and until now nobody has faced prsecution upon return to the UK. However it seems that the family of the young rugby player who went there to die after being paralysed are being investigated by the CPS.
Part of the problem is deciding what constitutes assisting a suicide. Buying a plane ticket to Switzerland for your loved one? Holding his or her hand while they die? It doesn't have to actually be as stark as giving them the lethal dose of drugs.
The question of assisted suicide crops up on a regular basis and, while I believe it to be wrong, I have every sympathy for those who feel it to be their only option. What I do not want is for the law to be changed so that we, society, are consenting to people commiting suicide. I am extremely sympathetic to the authorities turning a blind eye in cases where it is obvious that the person who went to Switzerland was was fully aware of what they were doing and made the decision themselves. To hold the hand of a loved one as they die, be it suicide or not, should not be a prosecutable offence.
For several years I worked for the Motor Neurone Disease Association and a few years ago a Liverpool man with MND went to Switzerland to die. This caused a huge media furore similar to that this week around Debbie Purdy. I saw the other side of the impact this had on people living with MND. At that time nobody with MND that I spoke to wanted to take that route themselves. Most of them had the view that their lives were being cut short becaue of MND and they didn't want to shorten it any further. Many people with MND and their families found the whole thing terribly distressing. That side of the argument is rarely covered by the press.
As with any of these things there are reactions and repercusions for years to come that affect those left behind after a suicide. Could I have done more? Could I have encouraged him/her to stay a few more weeks or months? What about the immense feeling of guilt that may be faced by the loved one left behind? I've no doubt people like Debbie Purdy will be discussing all these things with her husband. But we need to be very careful that we look deeper than the media coverage that makes it all sound so clean and compartmentalised.
One of the more worrying aspects of this recent publicity is the position of Ludwig Minelli, the founder of Dignitas. It seems he wants the option of suicide extending beyond the terminally ill to people such as manic depressives. As ever one of the worrying things about legalising assisted suicide is how it would then extend into areas for which the original law was never intended.
And finally, we no longer tolerate the state taking the life of murderers so it seems to me even less acceptable for the state to condone the taking of innocent life whether by your own hand or not.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Brand and Ross
The two nitwits, Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand, have eventually been suspended by the BBC. It's a shame in one respect because I've always quite liked Jonathan Ross, especially his radio stuff. Russell Brand however is a different thing altogether. He is just a talentless muppet who deserves suspending, preferably from a lamppost.
What it does show is the utter contempt the BBC have for the taxpayers who fund it. The show wasn't even live, the 'prank' phone calls actually being given the all clear for broadcast by a BBC production team. Without continuing public and media anger the BBC probably would never have taken the belated action they did today.
The whole thing just convinces me all the more that the BBC should be privatised.Commercial considerations, alien to BBC staff, would have been an excellent moderating influence in this case.
What it does show is the utter contempt the BBC have for the taxpayers who fund it. The show wasn't even live, the 'prank' phone calls actually being given the all clear for broadcast by a BBC production team. Without continuing public and media anger the BBC probably would never have taken the belated action they did today.
The whole thing just convinces me all the more that the BBC should be privatised.Commercial considerations, alien to BBC staff, would have been an excellent moderating influence in this case.
Mrs Thatcher
Here is a report of Mrs Thatcher attending a Bruges Group dinner given in her honour.
Great to see Nikki Sinclaire getting a good mention. Nikki is number 2 on UKIP's list in the West Midlands for next year's Euro elections.
Great to see Nikki Sinclaire getting a good mention. Nikki is number 2 on UKIP's list in the West Midlands for next year's Euro elections.
Death Of The British Pub
Now I'm not prone to sanctimoniousness when it comes to booze, I enjoy a tipple as much as the next man, I am a Mancunian after all. In fact last night we had parents and sister and other 'arf round and we probably need a skip to take away the empty wine bottles. Anyway, the point is that TalkSport's Jon Gaunt is thankfully away and the much more cerebral Ian Collins is standing in. So I listened a bit this morning.The debate has been on why Britons are now drinking themselves into oblivion. Yes, there has always been a healthy drinking culture and long may it last, but there is now something a bit worrying about the nature of it. By that I mean the level and nature of the drunkenness and the type of alcohol consumed. As ever the blame can be put fairly and squarely at the door of the politicians.
Some years back the Tory government messed up the laws on pub ownership drastically reducing the number of pubs that breweries were allowed to own, all in the name of competition. Enter 'pub chains' such as Wetherspoons and others. The nature of the pub changed, many becoming 'bars'. The trendies also wanted a continental style 'cafe culture', let's make the problem even worse in other words.
Successive governments then proceeded to tax booze so heavily that 'continental cafe culture' became the 'booze cruise'. Not just from Dover, for people down south, but a cheapie overnight from Hull for northerners too. And for those who couldn't afford the booze cruise, or the pub, cheap and nasty cider and spirits were the answer. And if you've stocked up properly then why stop drinking it until you have to?
But the level of public drunkenness is down to the death of the pub. In my youth, all those decades ago, we used to meet up in the pub and spend the night socialising over pints of bitter. After the pubs shut we would go on to a nightclub and carry on drinking bitter. Trying to appear sober, despite drowning as many pints as you could physically manage was a badge of honour.
Nowadays too many pubs, especially in city centres, resemble nightclubs and the noise makes old fashioned socialising virtually impossible. Furthermore drinking beer seems to be for old biddies, unless it is some super strength foreign lager. So kids are now getting pissed on spirits, which are much stronger than beer and have much more radical results.
Oh for the return of the good old fashioned pub, stinking of stale tobacco, just like the Hare and Hounds (above) in Gorton.
Fabian Crap
Every now and then it's nice to visit the Fabian Society website just to remind yourself how very flaky socialists really are.
They now patronise Muslims by claiming Sadiq Khan to be a 'leading Labour MP', just because he is London's first Muslim MP. Khan then goes on to claim that Muslim isolation can be ended by them becoming more isolated according to this article.
For Christ's sake get on with life and stop whining, equality will then follow. In fact it already exists, but muppets like Khan and the PC brigade have a vested interest in perceiving racism where it doesn't exist.
They now patronise Muslims by claiming Sadiq Khan to be a 'leading Labour MP', just because he is London's first Muslim MP. Khan then goes on to claim that Muslim isolation can be ended by them becoming more isolated according to this article.
For Christ's sake get on with life and stop whining, equality will then follow. In fact it already exists, but muppets like Khan and the PC brigade have a vested interest in perceiving racism where it doesn't exist.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Grey Squirrel For Lunch
This story is as far as conservation should go. Vegetarianism is really just another eating disorder so eating meat should always be encouraged. However, help save our native red squirrels by eating grey ones instead. Yummy, yummy.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Leopard Man of Skye
One of the great things about Britain is the number of eccentrics we are lucky to have, the Leopard Man of Skye being just one.
I very often see somebody and think they must be barking mad, but then, on reflection, feel quite envious. This chap, living in a ruined bothy like a hermit for years, I quite admire. Although I intensely dislike tattoos.
And for all of us softies who think a lifesyle like that must age you prematurely, then the photo with this BBC coverage, of 73 year old Mr Leppard, suggests otherwise. Doesn't seem to have done him much harm does it?
I very often see somebody and think they must be barking mad, but then, on reflection, feel quite envious. This chap, living in a ruined bothy like a hermit for years, I quite admire. Although I intensely dislike tattoos.
And for all of us softies who think a lifesyle like that must age you prematurely, then the photo with this BBC coverage, of 73 year old Mr Leppard, suggests otherwise. Doesn't seem to have done him much harm does it?
Financial Mess
I remember back in the late 70s early 80s wondering what monetarism was. Although being politically active since school, where I also studied politics, government and economics, I would never profess to be an expert on government finance. I was surprised back then to discover that monetarism turned out to be exactly what I thought it was, don't live beyond your means.
It seems to me now that the main reason for this current fnancial fiasco is people, and business, living beyond their means, including government. So the message seems to be, to me at any rate, that many individuals, businesses and government need to tighten their belts, pretty damn quickly and pretty damn severley. Like most things in politics and life I favour the simple and commonsense approach, it is usually pretty effective.
So I am confused at the moment, especially having read this article. A rash of public borrowing and spending may mask the problem, and give the government some very short term political benefit, but in the longer run we are even more knackered thanks to this irresponsible government response.
It seems to me now that the main reason for this current fnancial fiasco is people, and business, living beyond their means, including government. So the message seems to be, to me at any rate, that many individuals, businesses and government need to tighten their belts, pretty damn quickly and pretty damn severley. Like most things in politics and life I favour the simple and commonsense approach, it is usually pretty effective.
So I am confused at the moment, especially having read this article. A rash of public borrowing and spending may mask the problem, and give the government some very short term political benefit, but in the longer run we are even more knackered thanks to this irresponsible government response.
Police State Tightening Its Grip
Police will soon be checking the identities of people in the street using hand-held mobile fingerprint scanners.
It is understood that the BlackBerry-sized devices are being issued to every UK police force under a scheme called Mobile Identification At Scene (MIDAS). They always have to have a smart acronym don't they?
They will enable officers to scan suspects' fingerprints and compare them against national records. So that will be more justification, in the eyes of the government, for a national database carrying all our fingerprints. After all, if you have not been fingerprinted and therefore don't show up on MIDAS what will they do? Probably drag you down the nick in case you are here illegaly. Then suggest it would save such misunderstandings in future if you 'volunteered' your fingerprints.
It is understood that the BlackBerry-sized devices are being issued to every UK police force under a scheme called Mobile Identification At Scene (MIDAS). They always have to have a smart acronym don't they?
They will enable officers to scan suspects' fingerprints and compare them against national records. So that will be more justification, in the eyes of the government, for a national database carrying all our fingerprints. After all, if you have not been fingerprinted and therefore don't show up on MIDAS what will they do? Probably drag you down the nick in case you are here illegaly. Then suggest it would save such misunderstandings in future if you 'volunteered' your fingerprints.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Old Fashioned Saturdays.
Today has a real old fashioned Saturday feel about it. For the first time in ages in the dull, wet, windy season I am not off to a football game on Saturday afternoon. Instead I was dragged off to Satan's own retail outlet, Ikea. But more of that anon.
The big thing I hate about driving at weekend is all the Sunday/weekend drivers. You know the sort, they sit in their spotless little runarounds and daren't ever leave the middle lane (lane 2) of the motorway. It's as if they fear actually moving from lane to lane so just sit there causing a huge tailback and effectively reducing the motorways to two lanes.
Then, on days like this, when there is a bit of rain and spray on the road, on go the fog lights. Why?! What kind of brain fault do these people have that makes them think 'fog light' when they see rain? All it does is refract the light across the windscreens of following vehicles thus causing an immediate danger, they look like brake lights and cause the vehicles behind to suddenly brake.
Then when you do try to pass them they have another brain fault that makes them speed up as you draw level so you end up passing them at 85mph. But as soon as you have passed they retreat back down to 60mph. And, as you pass, you glance left and they are invariably gripping the wheel as if their very life depended on it, their faces are about a foot from the windscreen and contorted with concentration, and they often have driving gloves on. Get the bus you idiots!
So why am I venturing along the M6 on a Saturday with no football to watch? As I said at the start I had to join Mrs B at Ikea. The place truly is evil and I have been given more red cards there by my beloved than in any other shop. The Warrington one is worst of all. I was once yellow carded in the car park there for getting angry when I couldn't find a parking space. Five minutes later we parked and I was so pissed off that I only got into the huge barn of a foyer and Mrs B brandished the red card and sent me back to the car for serious stropping. A blessing really.
But today I behaved and got round without even being tutted at. We got our storage boxes but, as happens in Ikea, the lids for the ones we got were not very good and barely fitted. So we got lids for another type of box that actually fit ours better. Not so clever you Swedish geeks! How can one country produce a monster like Ikea then at the opposite end of the spectrum a writer like Hening Mankell? God only knows.
So here I am now, having left home with Mrs B at the crack of dawn, sat waiting in Manchester for a costume fitting while Mrs B visits parents. Yes a costume fitting. Next week I am working as an extra on my first ever film, Sherlock Holmes, directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Jude Law. It's really exciting because over the last twelve months I have been an extra on a few TV programmes but never a film. And a Hollywood film at that, even if it is being filmed in Manchester.
So that's why I'm not at the football.
The big thing I hate about driving at weekend is all the Sunday/weekend drivers. You know the sort, they sit in their spotless little runarounds and daren't ever leave the middle lane (lane 2) of the motorway. It's as if they fear actually moving from lane to lane so just sit there causing a huge tailback and effectively reducing the motorways to two lanes.
Then, on days like this, when there is a bit of rain and spray on the road, on go the fog lights. Why?! What kind of brain fault do these people have that makes them think 'fog light' when they see rain? All it does is refract the light across the windscreens of following vehicles thus causing an immediate danger, they look like brake lights and cause the vehicles behind to suddenly brake.
Then when you do try to pass them they have another brain fault that makes them speed up as you draw level so you end up passing them at 85mph. But as soon as you have passed they retreat back down to 60mph. And, as you pass, you glance left and they are invariably gripping the wheel as if their very life depended on it, their faces are about a foot from the windscreen and contorted with concentration, and they often have driving gloves on. Get the bus you idiots!
So why am I venturing along the M6 on a Saturday with no football to watch? As I said at the start I had to join Mrs B at Ikea. The place truly is evil and I have been given more red cards there by my beloved than in any other shop. The Warrington one is worst of all. I was once yellow carded in the car park there for getting angry when I couldn't find a parking space. Five minutes later we parked and I was so pissed off that I only got into the huge barn of a foyer and Mrs B brandished the red card and sent me back to the car for serious stropping. A blessing really.
But today I behaved and got round without even being tutted at. We got our storage boxes but, as happens in Ikea, the lids for the ones we got were not very good and barely fitted. So we got lids for another type of box that actually fit ours better. Not so clever you Swedish geeks! How can one country produce a monster like Ikea then at the opposite end of the spectrum a writer like Hening Mankell? God only knows.
So here I am now, having left home with Mrs B at the crack of dawn, sat waiting in Manchester for a costume fitting while Mrs B visits parents. Yes a costume fitting. Next week I am working as an extra on my first ever film, Sherlock Holmes, directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Jude Law. It's really exciting because over the last twelve months I have been an extra on a few TV programmes but never a film. And a Hollywood film at that, even if it is being filmed in Manchester.
So that's why I'm not at the football.
Friday, October 24, 2008
President Obama?
It seems that the pinko liberal media in Europe are already drunk on celebrating Obama's victory in the US election next month. Certainly the media here are putting everything into making us believe that victory for Obama is a certainty.
Channel 4, and its associated channels, have been showing 30 second cameos of 'celebrities' endorsing Obama and attacking McCain/Palin for weeks now, with increasing venom. Today even the Daily Torygraph had a front page carrying predictions of riots if McCain wins, because it would obviously have been rigged.
So I was pleased today to discover Accuracy in Media. This website debunks some of the biased and downright lying media coverage attacking McCain/Palin and also the irrational, often plain untrue, media backing for the vacuous Obama.
I look forward to reading much more on this website.
Channel 4, and its associated channels, have been showing 30 second cameos of 'celebrities' endorsing Obama and attacking McCain/Palin for weeks now, with increasing venom. Today even the Daily Torygraph had a front page carrying predictions of riots if McCain wins, because it would obviously have been rigged.
So I was pleased today to discover Accuracy in Media. This website debunks some of the biased and downright lying media coverage attacking McCain/Palin and also the irrational, often plain untrue, media backing for the vacuous Obama.
I look forward to reading much more on this website.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Nitwit Pulled From Question Time
Serious government nitwit Phil Woolas has been pulled from Question Time by the government. It seems that with the country in recession a Home Office minister is being replaced by a finance minister.
That and the fact that the man is a complete clown who, in true Prescott style, drops a clanger every time he opens his huge gob. Only this week he was predicting the disestablishment of the Church of England as we now live in a 'multi-faith society'. Crap! But it is so urgent that he predicts it would take 50 years. More crap!
At the last census over 70% of the population declared themselves at least nominally Christian. We live in a Christian country that is extremely tolerant of other religions, and so it should remain. Not being an Anglican I have no problem with the C of E being in such a position and have no problem with current restrictions on us Catholics becoming king or anything else.
Perhaps Woolas should bugger off and join Prince Charles on his farm. Let's face it when the time comes for Chas to become 'Defender of the Faiths' rather than 'Defender of the Faith' it's time to sack the Saxe-Coburg-Gothas as well as Woolas. Long live the Republic!
That and the fact that the man is a complete clown who, in true Prescott style, drops a clanger every time he opens his huge gob. Only this week he was predicting the disestablishment of the Church of England as we now live in a 'multi-faith society'. Crap! But it is so urgent that he predicts it would take 50 years. More crap!
At the last census over 70% of the population declared themselves at least nominally Christian. We live in a Christian country that is extremely tolerant of other religions, and so it should remain. Not being an Anglican I have no problem with the C of E being in such a position and have no problem with current restrictions on us Catholics becoming king or anything else.
Perhaps Woolas should bugger off and join Prince Charles on his farm. Let's face it when the time comes for Chas to become 'Defender of the Faiths' rather than 'Defender of the Faith' it's time to sack the Saxe-Coburg-Gothas as well as Woolas. Long live the Republic!
Let's All Move To Swindon
At last, a bit of commonsense with Swindon Borough Council getting rid of those ridiculous speed cameras. Let's hope the next move is to get rid of traffic lights, then all the other paraphernalia that makes motoring such a bind.
Martin Cassini, and others, must be pleased at this move in the right direction. But a little cynical part of me can't stop thinking that the only reason the Tories did it was because they pay £320,000 each year to maintain them, then the government keeps all the revenue from 'fines'.
Martin Cassini, and others, must be pleased at this move in the right direction. But a little cynical part of me can't stop thinking that the only reason the Tories did it was because they pay £320,000 each year to maintain them, then the government keeps all the revenue from 'fines'.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Free Speech
Some time ago I posted about freedom of speech. I have just read this article on the UKIP website by Gerard Batten, MEP for London which goes into more detail about the dangers of the European Arrest Warrant.
Scary Old Gits
Those humourless prats at Age Concern are at it again, taking offence at the drop of a hat on behalf of old folk. This time they are ranting at Woolworth's for flogging halloween masks in a range they call 'scary old people'. It seems that Age Concern, forever patronising old biddies, think the masks are grossly disrespectful and old biddies will be mortally offended. So let's scrap pantomimes that depict ugly sisters in case they offend the siblings of the world, and ban Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice for being anti-semitic.
I was unlucky enough to catch a few minutes of GMTV this morning and the slimy cow Fiona Philips was sat there being all offended by the masks. The next thing they went to an Age Concern social centre in Hull to see how terribly offended the old biddies were. I was just thinking how ugly and scary the masks were when I realised the old folk in Hull weren't wearing masks. Scary!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Mayor of London
Interesting to read the very politically correct reasoning of Ken Livingstone here, outlining why he wants Barack Obama to win the US election.
Oops, sorry, it's Boris Johnson. I got a bit mixed up there.
Oops, sorry, it's Boris Johnson. I got a bit mixed up there.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Elections 2009-A Prediction
On June 4 next year we have the European elections and the local elections, including county council elections. It is interesting that the governmnent has been so keen to move the local elections back from May but there is good reason. The EU elections have traditionally created abysmal turnouts, so by holding the locals at the same time, they are hoping to bump up the turnout in the EU election.
The EU elections are on proportional representation rather than first past the post, which massively assists smaller parties such as UKIP and the Greens. Smaller parties, with extremely motivated members and supporters, will turn out to vote in what are seen by the general populace as worthless elections thus giving them success that it is very difficult to replicate in first past the post elections. Low turnout through apathy is great for smaller parties. Have other elections at the same time and hope that supporters of the big three will then vote in the EU elections too while they're at it, thus damaging the smaller parties.
On that basis what better to bump up voter turnout than having the general election on 4 June too? I wouldn't bet against it. In fact I may just have a flutter on it being held on June 4th. After all, New Labour do enjoy playing around with our democratic process.
The EU elections are on proportional representation rather than first past the post, which massively assists smaller parties such as UKIP and the Greens. Smaller parties, with extremely motivated members and supporters, will turn out to vote in what are seen by the general populace as worthless elections thus giving them success that it is very difficult to replicate in first past the post elections. Low turnout through apathy is great for smaller parties. Have other elections at the same time and hope that supporters of the big three will then vote in the EU elections too while they're at it, thus damaging the smaller parties.
On that basis what better to bump up voter turnout than having the general election on 4 June too? I wouldn't bet against it. In fact I may just have a flutter on it being held on June 4th. After all, New Labour do enjoy playing around with our democratic process.
It's A Mad World
Most of us get an ever increasing feeling that business exists not so much to provide a decent service but, just like government, to squeeze us dry. In recent months we have had two particularly stress inducing episodes.
First there is our very own British Gas saga. I say 'our very own' because everybody seems to have a British Gas horror story. Back in April we got a bill for £780, that despite them taking monthly direct debits. I phoned and gave them the current meter reading. They promised me that the bill would be corrected, we do after all live in a terraced house rather than a country mansion. A few weeks later the red bill arrived. I phoned them again and, after a lenthy conversation discovered that they were unaware that two years previously we had had a new meter fitted. So I gave them all the details and was promised that the bill would be sorted and a new bill sent. I was told that the old meter was imperial, the new one metric so the bill would be nearer £30 than £800. All was well then. Or was it?
A few more weeks passed and I received a letter threatening court action if we didn't pay up. So I rang again and was told that they had all the details but another department was dealing with it and they would be informed that they had the wrong information. I was told not to worry they would sort it out. That was a relief. Or was it?
A few weeks later I got a letter telling me that they were starting legal action and would be cutting off our gas supply. So I phoned again and spoke to an extremely pleasant fellow who was actually as piss useless as all the other titheads I had spoken to. So, after about eight calls to him, promising each time that he was diferent and would sort it, I went hrough the ombudsman. Lo and behold within a day it was sorted. Or was it?
I was told that they had the new meter detals but had mistakenly taken the first reading from zero. It had been put in two years before we went back to British Gas. The actual bill, we found out in September, was £25, by then we had stopped the direct debits. So we paid the bill and changed supplier. So that was that. Or was it?
Two weeks ago we got a cheque for £470. It was for what British Gas owed us!
Last week I changed my car. Yesterday I rang the breakdown people to inform them of the new details. I was told that we had no cover. Luckily Mrs B had kept the receipts, we had stupidly bought Tesco's breakdown cover. I then made a second call to be told the same and that I should go back to the store for a refund. So I did.
At the store I was told that we did have cover but I had rung the wrong number. So I asked which number I should have rung. She gave me the correct number and it was the one I had rung. I then told her that was the one I had rung and she told me that I hadn't, so I said I had, and so the call went. That saga is still ongoing but Mrs B is dealing with it as I reached for my baseball bat eventually to take out my frustration on a nearby inanimate object.
And each saga was exacerbated by phoning and getting endless stupid messages and options to press before I got to speak to a human being, or somebody nearly human!
We really are all doomed.
First there is our very own British Gas saga. I say 'our very own' because everybody seems to have a British Gas horror story. Back in April we got a bill for £780, that despite them taking monthly direct debits. I phoned and gave them the current meter reading. They promised me that the bill would be corrected, we do after all live in a terraced house rather than a country mansion. A few weeks later the red bill arrived. I phoned them again and, after a lenthy conversation discovered that they were unaware that two years previously we had had a new meter fitted. So I gave them all the details and was promised that the bill would be sorted and a new bill sent. I was told that the old meter was imperial, the new one metric so the bill would be nearer £30 than £800. All was well then. Or was it?
A few more weeks passed and I received a letter threatening court action if we didn't pay up. So I rang again and was told that they had all the details but another department was dealing with it and they would be informed that they had the wrong information. I was told not to worry they would sort it out. That was a relief. Or was it?
A few weeks later I got a letter telling me that they were starting legal action and would be cutting off our gas supply. So I phoned again and spoke to an extremely pleasant fellow who was actually as piss useless as all the other titheads I had spoken to. So, after about eight calls to him, promising each time that he was diferent and would sort it, I went hrough the ombudsman. Lo and behold within a day it was sorted. Or was it?
I was told that they had the new meter detals but had mistakenly taken the first reading from zero. It had been put in two years before we went back to British Gas. The actual bill, we found out in September, was £25, by then we had stopped the direct debits. So we paid the bill and changed supplier. So that was that. Or was it?
Two weeks ago we got a cheque for £470. It was for what British Gas owed us!
Last week I changed my car. Yesterday I rang the breakdown people to inform them of the new details. I was told that we had no cover. Luckily Mrs B had kept the receipts, we had stupidly bought Tesco's breakdown cover. I then made a second call to be told the same and that I should go back to the store for a refund. So I did.
At the store I was told that we did have cover but I had rung the wrong number. So I asked which number I should have rung. She gave me the correct number and it was the one I had rung. I then told her that was the one I had rung and she told me that I hadn't, so I said I had, and so the call went. That saga is still ongoing but Mrs B is dealing with it as I reached for my baseball bat eventually to take out my frustration on a nearby inanimate object.
And each saga was exacerbated by phoning and getting endless stupid messages and options to press before I got to speak to a human being, or somebody nearly human!
We really are all doomed.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Bishop of Lancaster And Gay Adoption
There has been an ongoing 'dialogue' between the Bishop of Lancaster, Bishop Patrick O'Donoghue, and the Catholic Caring Services in the diocese. For those who don't know the Catholic Caring Services provide adoption, among other services, to Roman Catholics. The problem is that government legislation means that from January 2009 adoption agencies will be forced to offer their services to gay and lesbian couples. This goes completely against the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church.
This morning at Mass we were informed that the situation has worsened. The trustees have voted to accept the new legislation and offer their services to same sex couples. As a consequence the Bishop has informed them that if they do go against the teaching of the Church, then he will have no option but to remove their designation as a Catholic service and sever their links to the diocese. Thank God for a Catholic Bishop who upholds the faith.
I am not clear about the complete ins and outs of the situation but suspect that the trustees are running more scared of the government and its enforcement agencies than they are of the Church or the Bishop of Lancaster. Those trustees who voted to abdicate their responsibilities won't be joining the honourable list of Lancashire martyrs, those who faced death not just malicious prosecution, defending their faith.
This morning at Mass we were informed that the situation has worsened. The trustees have voted to accept the new legislation and offer their services to same sex couples. As a consequence the Bishop has informed them that if they do go against the teaching of the Church, then he will have no option but to remove their designation as a Catholic service and sever their links to the diocese. Thank God for a Catholic Bishop who upholds the faith.
I am not clear about the complete ins and outs of the situation but suspect that the trustees are running more scared of the government and its enforcement agencies than they are of the Church or the Bishop of Lancaster. Those trustees who voted to abdicate their responsibilities won't be joining the honourable list of Lancashire martyrs, those who faced death not just malicious prosecution, defending their faith.
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