Lorries block the roads in the snow.

All these "jack knifed" lorries. I'm sure I saw on "Tomorrows World" years ago a device to stop lorries "Jack knifing" apparently they don't use it? What about making it the LAW they use these devices. Wouldn't that save all the frustration and lost time on the roads.

What about fining the firms owning these lorries that block the roads? The chaos they cause. They'd soon do something about it then. Perhaps the rest of us could get on with our lives - think of the millions saved.
Think about it David (Cameron) another source of income for your beleaguered Government.

May be you could give the money to the Councils to spend on more snow ploughs and gritters.

Superfast Broadband

http://www.racetoinfinity.bt.com/

Sutton on Sea is in the top 10

Come on my neighbours get voting

We want faster than 256kbps

Yes that's the speed some of us in SOS can expect from BT on their Total Broadband, criminal isn't it.

Advertised at "upto 20mbs" yet all you get is 256kbps

The Gas Man cometh

What a day, remember Flanders and Swann? I do.

Gas went off 10ish - freezing temperatures, just what you need. Anyway 'cos we have a woodburner (gone out) we had to evacuate to a neighbours. THey all have no gas too.
About 2pm back on - no guarantees though.
This is a first - never hadd the Gas off before. Water, Electricity but never Gas.

Freezing Weather - Monty's Tip

Monty's Tip of the day - in this freezing weather - if you have a Condensing Boiler make sure the condesate pipe is insulated outside. Don't let it freeze.

Breeding layabouts?

Tory maverick Howard Flight was right and wrong.

We are in danger of creating a 2 tier society, a nightmare scenario where the ruling classes become impotent and sterile. The "breeding classes" will outnumber us soon!
We encourage it.

Howard is wrong when he says the middle classes cannot afford children, I don't think anyone on over £25k thinks of the cost when they have a child its of little consequence in the big scheme of things. I think Howard does not understand quite how much benefits pay the scrounging classes for each child relatively speaking. He should try and live on average benefits.
For the middle and above classes its a lifestyle choice like moving home, a new car, foreign holidays etc. another child?
But he is right to say the system is wrong.
We should not reward non-earning people to have endless children. I say 3 is enough.

Save the Tigers

Remember I posted about the dreadful fate of these mognificent creatures.

The biggest threat is the far east (mainly Chinese) who still use them for Medicine - BAH!!

Anyway have you noticed how much stuff we buy from China. Maybe if we stopped they would listen. Maybe too we'd encourage our own manufacturing industry as well and get us out of this mess?

Anyway a good summit was had.

http://www.tigersummit.ru/eng/index

Check out this Website.

Enjoy the snow.

Monty

PS Don't Vote Ann Widecombe its a sacrilidge!

All non Digital Radios obsolete in 2015!!

Did you know that come 2015 all traditional radios will not work anymore. Just static and maybe some foreign stations is all you will hear.
Crazy isn't it.

The Government is switching off the old signals. No AM, no Long Wave no FM - just digital - if you've got one.

In your car - NO RADIO!! I don't know any new cars yet that have DAB radios - do you? SO when its 4 years old (still new - we've a 8 yr old car) the radio is useless. I don't know about you but I always listen to the radio in the car, rarely play CDs etc.

Its a scandal. Yes changing TV to Digital is OK as the picture etc. can be improved and more services. HD about time. But NO RADIO - I think it shouldn't be allowed.

Write to your MP.

http://www.writetothem.com/

Irish Woes - we can help

SO Ireland is deep debt.
I understand they have over 30000 empty homes going to ruin.
WE can help - we have thousands on the housing waiting list - most on benefits - so lets send them over there to claim their Free House.
No problem our Government will pay their benefits and housing benefit for the rents.
No extra cost to us.
Gets the waiting lists down.
Gives the Irish more money, they spend their benefits locally.
Saves good houses going to waste.

QED

What do you think Dave?

Christmas is coming

Have you noticed all the shops filling up with Xmas stuff and the Ads on TV? Of course you have.
Ordering on-line?

Check out these websites for savings

www.vouchercodes.co.uk

www.moneymagpie.com

Good shopping!

Tax Man

Got my Tax return done for 2009/10.
Done online - great!
Unfortunately I owe him another £12.50 - wow!!
Does seem petty but hey ho - I suppose that's what its all about isn't it.
Facing possible redundancy at the moment. So then if it happens I'll join the great legions of the "scroungers" won't I. Won't be paying Income Tax any more unless I get another job. At my age and living here in East Lincolnshire - what are the chances?

I'd like to ask the Chancellor this question.

National Insurance, they take another 11% of my wages in NI, even on my Mileage claims for using my car to get around for work purposes. (the pittance that pays doesn't really cover the cost of running a motor car) but so, I ask "Insurance" most times the idea is to pay out when you make a claim. Agree? in the Case of NI I expect it to pay out when I need it like when I've lost my job so maybe it should be related to previous income? But now they see it as scrounging and don't want to pay anything. Excuse me Chancellor but I've paid my taxes and NI for the last 25years, so if I lose my job, don't I deserve to get something back?

Damn Technology

Tried to get my DVD player to work with the new HD TV using Component Video.

No luck. Got a Scart adapter so I could get 2 into one. Worked.

Yesterday tried a Blue Ray player - connected with HDMI cable using Surround Sound DVD player for sound - as I was connecting the cable I noticed a little switch on the back that said :-
S Video / Component.
It was switched to S Video - so you've guessed it. Switched it to Component - and lo and behold the TV works on Component now from the DVD player.

Nothing in the manual about the switch!

Damn - technology.

Dog owners beware

Worrying the number of Dogs getting sick after walking in the Woods/countryside. Is it Blue/green algae?
Watch out in Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Norfolk.

Also watch out for Lungworm

http://www.lungworm.co.uk/



Check this out.

Monty's advice

Government Cuts

Come on Dave - I support you but I've said before - "be Fair". It was the last Government got us into this mess but don't make the poorest pay for it. They gave the billions to the banks but where are they now? WE own the banks make them cough up to get us out of the mess. Where did the money come from? US - £5000 per person I believe. I want my £5k back now - not more taken off. Surely you can MAKE the banks lend again - why should they have £1m bonuses? STOP IT - NOW.
Last resrt - put 1p on Income Tax - now THAT's FAIR.

Child Benefit withdrawn

Come on Dave, think about it. If you take the CB of the Higher rate Taxpayers basically its a Tax on Kids - for the middle classes. Now is that an incentive to create kids?
Sure the proles will breed like rabbits and get paid (by us) for doing it.

Your nice middle class kids (cos they can't afford the private fess now) will end up in the Comprehensive school class with 30 other little dimwits from the "Council Estate" - so what sort of an education will they get?

No - if the country is in doodoo! raise some money with a penny on income Tax - that's the fair way - the higher paid pay a bigger share but still get their CB.
We need to stop the waste at the bottom, paying folks to have kids and not take responsibility - this is WRONG.

3d TV is a con!

Don't buy a 3d TV at least not yet.
Its a con because beyond about 10ft or more way from you in the real world you can't really see in 3d - think about it,.

Get a good HD TV for now.

Soon the 3d TVs that you don't need glasses for will be cheap then buy on.

AUTOSTEREOSCOPIC

is whay you want

Phillips make one.

Bye for now Monty.

Decorating

Damn the decorating! Why do people "cover things" up?
I've taken the paper off the Living room ceiling - at last - it was awful. I knew I had to mend the hole caused by the leak from the central heating last year but now the holes are visible where they moved the lights. Also the paint doesn't cover. A brown stain has come through. How many coats will it take to cover. 3 so far and still going.
Hey ho.

Benefit Cuts

Hi David

I'm old enough to remember that National Insurance was just that. You paid your "stamp" and it was an Insurance policy. That money went into a pot where if you needed help the money was there for you because you'd paid your premium's.
Anyone else remember this.
Funny, its still called National Insurance but actually its just TAX!

Should I be made redundant, get ill so I can't work and eventually I'll be old and retire - then I'll be able to get my "Benefits" - that I've PAID for.
Understand David?
No I don't think everyone should get them automatically but folk like us who have worked hard most of their lives, paid tax and NI and generally cost the State nothing, just paid IN.
Just wanted to clear this up David oh, and nick.

Gardening TIp - get rid of bugs the Bio way

When you're overrun with Caterpillars on your Brassicas don't buy insecticide be greener. Take any old spray gun (ex Mr Muscle type will do when empty), fill with tap water and put a squirt of Fairy Liquid in.
Now go and spray the Cabbages with this - be generous. The Caterpillars don't like it and will soon curl up and drop off.

Hey Presto - no chemicals - well except "Clean broccoli".

Monty's tip

Government Cuts

I know the Government needs to cut expenditure, and that it was not this Government's fault but the previous one who spent Billions propping up the (Private) Banks.
So I ask this
1. if the Banks were bust, where did the Government get the money from to prop them up?
2. having "bought" these Banks, i.e. now you and me own them, why doesn't the Government MAKE them give the money back to US by whatever savings they can make?
How on earth do they let Bankers have million + pound bonuses when poor sick disabled folk are told they will have their Benefits cut. How can these people sleep at night. After all its OUR money that is paying their bonuses. Let them try to live on £100 a a week for a year and see how they like it?It is obscene and while the Government owns these Banks, let them milk them for all they're worth until the economy is straight. Sell them, merge them what ever.

Come on David and Nick - who's in charge?

Education needs a kick

So we must have more Academy Schools - maybe.

When I was at school (over 40 years ago) it seemed most children learned to read, write and do sums. At least to a level to function in society when they left school. Now I understand, when it seems everyone goes to University, a third leave school unable to read or write!

So tell me - how do you get into University if you can't read or write? is it luck?

Anyway seems the squeeze is on University. In my day only the elite (excellently capable top 20%) got into University. So maybe we're going back to that situation. At last a Degree will mean something again.

So with the money saved lets educate our children so the majority can read, write and do sums. It will do wonders for society. It can be done in Primary school given the resources. Not playing Special Needs Catch-up in Secondary Schools (that's if the Kids don't play truant or get expelled to become "NEETS"!).

Are you listening Mr Gove?

Tony Blair is Human - well almost

So Tony Likes a glass of Wine (or 2) well welcome to the real world.

So tell me why when we are so "harmonised" with the EU, we follow all their laws, slavishly, Human Rights for Asylum Seekers - even if they are murderers etc. can't criticise disabled people who go on the XFactor! eh? I could go on you know what I mean, well anyway tell me why is Wine so cheap in France?

David can we Harmonise the Tax on Wine please with France? I think Tony will agree.

Computer Catastrophe

Well, I had a Councillor have an accident, the rain came in his roof onto his Laptop, so to the rescue. I imaged another one and replaced it last week. So today he comes in and says - sorry last night the rain came in again and this one doesn't work now! Doh!

Justice? PCSO jailed for accident.

So a PCSO is jailed for 2 years because a girl in his car drowned when he misjudged a river crossing. 2 Landrovers got across safely. I know we play the game of Consequences, how many times have we escaped tragedy on the road by a whisker?
I can't help think how sad this case is. Where was the man's crime. We let asylum seekers break the rules of the road, no licence no insurance, they shouldn't even be here yet they go on driving until someone is killed - then what do they get 10years in Jail? - no we won't even deport them because its "against their Human Rights" - didn't they waive that right when they flagrantly drove against all our laws.
This man misjudged and now he will pay for it for the rest of his life. Have a heart Judge.

Why do Caravanners think they need an Aerofoil?

Hi - don't you think Caravanners that fit these Aerofoils to their cars look even more stupid?
Why do they bother - they are no use. Here's why.
Let me start by explaining – we caravanners have all pushed our Vans, yes they are very heavy, and you have to push hard to get them to move much, sometimes its impossible hence the blossoming “Motor Mover” market. So the answer to fuel saving is – go easy on the RIGHT FOOT! Its all simple physics.
I remember from my school days F=Ma. Force=Mass x Acceleration, so the faster you accelerate your outfit the more Force you need hence more Fuel you use – simple! Vans are big and heavy so to get them up to the speed you want take it slow and easy and you’ll save fuel.
Now – cruising. This is where we need the Aerofoil? Wrong. Again F=Ma. On a flat motorway at the legal speed of 60mph why do you need an Aerofoil? Because the Force of the wind resistance is slowing you down all the time – well possibly. In a vacuum without any friction (space) there is no resistance and Newton said “an object will continue to move in a straight line unless some force acts upon it”. So in the real world we have some friction and some force from the air resistance. Basically a Caravan is Brick shaped, no aerodynamics but it is also 8 feet high and 7’6” wide, at 60mph you have to shift that amount of air out of the way as you travel so no aerofoil is going to make any difference to that!
It helps you say, by deflecting the air, yes a bit, but again F=Ma. It’s the force of shifting the air up and over the van and then the “drag” at the back as the air comes back around, why do you think the Porsche is that “teardrop” shape and their little “wing” only comes out at 50mph plus. This is because below 50mph it has no relative benefit.
So, to sum up, my advice, don’t bother with an Aerofoil. Drive smoothly and steadily with a light right foot. If you must accelerate to the speed limit where it is safe to do so do it as slow as practical. Below 50mph weight is the biggest factor to fuel consumption. Or buy a folding Caravan.

Demise of M&S Skegness

Sorry to see M&S is going from Skegness. It wasn't great but was neat and did the job for us. What is there in Skeggy now? Not much, to attract shoppers.
Holiday makers like some big name shopping but there's not much chance of that now.
What they need is an "Arndale Centre" - if they could get a shopping mall with some big stores and parking, access from the rear to keep traffic off the front - this would open up the high Street to be pedestrianised! They could redevelop the Hildreds and the car Park behind.
Oh well I can dream.

Broadband Woes

Todays event.
Went to a councillor having trouble connecting over his broadband.

PC had been in the Office - nothing wrong. SO arranged a visit. After diagnosing his Broadband line was indeed functioning correctly but was not verifying his username/password I called the ISP. After a 20minute hold they confirmed the line etc was fine. However the line was "blocked" due to dispute over a payment. So back to our accounts dept to sort that one out.

Hey ho.

Pensions Again

What a lot of twaddle being spoken about pensions. Its all basically the Governments efforts to cut spending and get us out of this mess.
What they are telling us is plausible, not a lie but its not true!!
It is this 1) pensions are in a state because Gordon Brown raided them when he was chancellor. That was your savings pot!!
2) Are any pension funds bankrupt - NO!!
What they are is not doing their sums properly. Its all to do with how the Actuaries tell them to FORECAST the future. No one knows what will happen do they.
Simple - people pay into a fund, they invest it, pensioners get a pension.
So as long as money coming in plus whats invested is more than they are paying out OK! but the rules need changing 'cos they have to forcast what they're going to pay out. If they change this to be more realistic then we'll all be better

NHS - credit where credit Due

Hi - today experienced NHS at it finest!

Saw the doctor yesterday about my dodgy knee, thinking something may be wrong, painful and swelling.
He arranged I should have an X-ray. So gave me a note to take to our local Hospital, Louth, for an X-ray. Walk in 9-16.30 any day M-F. So went today at 15.45, waited 5mins, had 2 X-rays, back in car in 15mins. Parking cost £1.
Now you can't ARGUE with that can you.
People complain but I think this is fantastic. Keep it up NHS.

Ps I hope my knee gets sorted - I'll let you know.

PPS don't forget - look at the Tar Sands - a WORSE disaster then the Gulf/BP. Make yourself heard - pass it on.

Forget BP and the Gulf - what is worse?

Forget BP and the Gulf, though as bad as it is and Obama is ranting. Why does no one seem to care about a worse disaster to the North? Perhaps because it doesn't affect Obama - yet!
I mean the Canadian TAR SANDS.

THey are raping the planet and polluting to a degree that could be worse then the Exxon Valdeaz or the BP Gulf. At least the result is already visible from space and the Sands will produce more CO2 than we've currently produced to date - if they carry on. This will affect all the WORLD. Please look and voice your protest.
The COOP are against this.

Day in the Garden

Well, good day in the garden. Weather forcast was wrong. Few spots of rain and was very warm down to my shorts only!! Bedding plants almost all in.
Can hear thunder maybe I needn't have watered them after all.

I'm a Grandad

Hi

Best news this week is that I'm a Granddad.
Whoopee! and Mrs Pines is a Grandma, (don't call her Granny).

Any way - my son and daughter in law had a baby girl on Sunday morning at 8.30am. Now they are having the sleepless nights. All are well though.

I promise to do more regular Blogs. I'll tell you about the "view" from here from the Lincolnshire Coast, useful Windows tips, Gardening, comments on the World in general. OK?

Today, brrrrrr, perishing for mid June, grey and misty and blowing a cold NE gale off the sea.

Bye for now.

Dr Who - Turn Down the Music

Hi.
Please join me in asking the BBC to get the producers of Dr Who to turn down the music so we can hear what the actors say. Is it only me? I find as excellent as they are the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra drown out the Actors at the most crucial moments ruining the programme, Please join my Facebook campaign to get the programme cleaned up. Such an excellent programme deserves better. Have they actually tried watching it? I think there is something wrong with my TV but why does it only effect Dr Who? I turn the sound up to hear but just get blasted by music! If I wanted Symphony music I'd put BBC Radio 3 on.
BBC please help. Don't spoil Dr Who.

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=114017308627934

The Budget March 2010

Well as expected the Budget of a Government in its Death throes. WHo said "You can fool some of the people all of the time, or All of the people some of the time, but never All of the People All of the time?" - Well Labour have almost Managed it "all of the people All of the time!!". I bet despite their appalling record and bankrupting Britain in their 13 years they may well Win! You see they are fooling us just long enough to win the election.
Unfortunately its worse than people dare imagine so they are pretending its Ok till the election is over. Then the pain will start. Some People remember the 70's. This is going to be worse.
Remember Brown raided the Pension funds, that's why their in such a bad state now. He squandered the Oil bonanza instead of putting it away for a rainy day. Then he gave away tax to "the rich" YES the Rich by removing the 10p rate at the poorest's expense so those on 30k plus could have a £300 bonus and a 2p reduction in Tax. This IS a LABOUR Government - unbelievable. Anyway I just hope enough Folk can drag themselves away from Reality TV to Vote TORY!
Best of luck.

Drug dealers are Terrorists

Did you know that 235 people died last year from Drug related incidents.
Imagine if 235 people had died in a bomb blast in London - and the Bombers came from Mongolia - we'd have troops in there quicker than Brown could say "I'm not going!".
You see Drugs cause untold deaths, and misery both to the users, their families and other folks who suffer the crime. Where do they get the money to buy drugs? Yes from you and me by thieving.
SO why don't we wage real war on the countries that produce the drugs? They are the real breeders of terrorists. Look at the problem in Mexico. Its almost at war with the US but why aren't we helping.
We must stamp out the trade in illegal drugs to make our society better.
Please Mr Brown, Mr Cameron do it for us. In the end we'll have a better society.

Edlington Atrocity - rid us of the wasters.

Now, I can solve the problems of our Society! Yes - don't belive me? Well David Cameron was accused of "Social Engineering" but what do we want? Society is being engineered all the time. We call ourselves civilised when we reward the feckless, do nothing layabout, drug addicts of our society then complain when their spawn commit horrendous atrocities. Why do they do it? Try asking them - they don't know. It was "a lark", a bit of fun, to them they don't know better.
Yes we have a Broken Society and because its a minority the Law Makers, Politicians ignore it, dismiss it as "an isolated incident" but where is it leading?
We are creating an "underclass" that is going to make society rotten from the core.
Nice people will retreat and put fences around their nice houses, with gates to keep the undesirables out.
What should, could we do? I have the answer EDUCATION.
Damn the cost, (after all what is the cost of these folks in Benefits just so they can breed, thieve, take drugs and generally spoil it for the rest) we should take them aside and educate them. These folk have no hope, nothing to look forward to. We need to take them out of their environment and show them another way. Don't get me wrong, this is NOT a quick fix, it will take more like 10 years minimum. These kids need to be changed and then they'll start bringing up families that will change society.
Is this Pie in the Sky - no, I have evidence and experience of working with special needs and disruptive pupils to back this up. There is always a way of getting through to these kids and then you can set them off with a purpose.
The reason these kids are no hopers is because they have nothing to lose, they have NOTHING, nothing to look forward to. That is what is wrong.
Any one like to give me a chance?

Dancing on Ice - a Fix

It must be a Fix! 2 most underrated skaters Mikey and Sharon. What about Emily? the judges must have been got at! No way was she better than Dr Hilary - just 'cos she's prettier? No mention of the COMPULSERY! ARE THEY BLIND? They criticased Mikey for some difficult stuff. Emily just about got around without falling.
I say FIX! I just hope the PUBLIC see through it.

Mablethorpe beyond Hope - can it be saved?

Sorry - I don't think you can. It would be cheaper to relocate all the families under 50years old to somewhere else.
Just look where Mablethorpe is? Only Sellafield is worse, cos it hasn't got a decent beach! But they do have the Nuclear plant which employs 10000 and brings in loads of money. That is what could save Mablethorpe, if you could put something FANTASTIC there (on top of it!). Disney type world, or a 2 mile wide Eco Dome, that floats on stilts so when sea level rises it will be there. No point in spending on Sea Defences. Something BIG very BIG to bring Visitors in. Then the surroundings would get an upgrade with Houses, shops, roads, railways etc. etc. Otherwise its just not going to happen. Its stuck in 1960. For 20+miles around there is nothing. SO that's why no one wants to come.
Sorry Mablethorpe.

Marriage IS the British Way

Monty says Hear Hear to David's (Cameron's) proposal to Help Married Couples. Why not? Gordon and Co can't support this because it doesn't support the "disadvantaged" it supports one particular group! Why not favour Married Couples. We've got it in our Heritage. We still have Laws to protect the Honest against the dishonest don't we (well almost). Anyway it is proven by various studies that people who are Married are happier, live longer and raise Happy Healthier more successful children etc. Isn't this just what Society wants? Yes its Social Engineering but what sort of Society do we want? If you look at all the miserable disadvantaged dishonest drug-abuser people and a substantial number are NOT Married in stable relationships. What does it cost to support these folks' "Freedom of Choice" - free to ruin theirs and others lives etc.?
Lets say NO.
Free to do what they want, within reason YES, but lets not bend over backwards to support them?
Finally - I could go on and on, Legally Married People have more rights than co-habiting Couples, again YES. After all Marriage IS a contract - if you want the Rights of Marriage - GET MARRIED, and stick with it.
Goodnight.

Saving energy

Hi - someone has suggested turning streetlights off at Midnight to save energy. I agree to a point. Why should we waste all that precious energy and burn up the planet generating electricity for no one. We're nearly all in bed! SO turn them off? Well we could start by turning every other one off at Midnight - back on at 6am? Except at strategic points - busy road junctions etc. High Street? We could put sensors on them - we have them on our security lamps. Then when someone walks down the street it switches them on?
Ther's lots of ideas. If they're off in remote areas and you need light you can register with your Council and send a coded text to turn them on if you want to go out and walk the dog at 2am?
We NEED to save energy - we waste loads - ALL of us.
Ideas please.
Ps Less energy used saves money, we pay the bill through our council Tax.