Annoying Christmas

You know what intensly annoys me?

There is one REINDEEER
There are loads of REINDEER!!

There are NO ReindeerS!

I wish people would get it right, they are so ignorant.

Bad Drivers

With this horrid weather and short days why do idiot drivers have to go in Stealth Mode?

They go out in a black car with NO LIGHTS! Do they not want to be seen? This was what I saw today at 8am, nearly dark. With your windows steaming up and heay rain, you just can't see them coming. 

Do they want to crash? Mad. New cars have these driving lights - I agree. Technology has improved but all cars have lights.

"See and be Seen!" this used to be the motto.

Don't they realise of they can't see other cars then they can't be seen.

I despair.

Downloads get expensive

Well I thought it would catch on but then folk would feel the pain. All this downloading and expecting ever faster Broadband had to come to an end - well at least you have to PAY for it.

The ISPs know they're onto a winner. All that iPLayer, 4ondemand, Lovefilm, iTUNES etc

IT EATS UP YOUR DOWNLOAD ALLOWANCE

On top of that now we have the dysfunctional family, they never talk etc it used to be the TV. Every one in their rooms watching different programs now its everyone with their Tablet, ipod, iPhone, iPAD, Playstation, computer etc.all smurfing the internet and watching stuff online. No Interaction there then.

Yes WiFi is great but don't forget all this adds up on your monthly download limit, then your IPSP slaps a surcharge on.

BE WARNED.

Oh and by the way this is my last but one BLOG.

WHAT?

No more after Thursday, tomorrow, I hope you're prepared?

What do I mean, well Friday is the 

END OF THE WORLD

The ancient Mayans predicted Friday to be the End of the World so I hope you're ready. Waste of time buying presents, or prearing for Christmas, just go out tomorrow and blow it all on the widest Xmas party ever.

BYE

Immigrants forced to learn English?

So Mr Ed Miliband says that we must force immigrants to learn english, bar them from jobs where their English is deemed too poor and take responsibility for teaching their children English.

Well fine, 

Under the proposals, parents will be required to take responsibility for their foreign-born children learning English at home, and being able to speak English will be made mandatory in a greater number of public sector jobs.

However I do hope that the jobs in question are barred to ALL who cannot meet the standards,  indigenous English people also. Will he also "force" English people to take responsibility for thei r children being sufficientlyeducated to get these jobs?

Perhaps if he looked closely he might identify that there is a 20% underclass of British people who are all but illiterate. What does he propose to do about these before he lavishes more of our money on helping immigrants to get jobs in our country at the expense of us!

To me there can be nothing better than money invested in educating our children, that is the way to bring this country back on its feet, to put the GREAT back in Great Britain.

Is GAY marriage wrong?

Look, if the Government wants to legalise Gay marriage I'm all for it.

With less than half people in a marriage promoting marriage can be nothing but good.

Whether it's 2 men/women/man & woman surely a stable, loving relationship  between 2 people is to be applauded?

If they support Gay Marriage then maybe they'll at last give "normal" marriage some kind of support?

Since recently Marriage has been a dirty word, but  does it matter about the sex of the people? 

Marriage should confer a celebration nd some sort of legal status, over and above "just living together".
 Folk want "common law wives" to have status - well why not get married?

There is such a thing as a Will. There are such things as legal contracts  Marrying is a legal status. So Gay Marriage should be the same. There is a Civil Partnership, is this not Marriage but without the title. I despair.

Marriage between a man and a woman has been proven to be the best relationship for bringing up a family. Best for children. Lets outright promote it. Even if the partners are GAY it must be good?
"Till death do us part". Lets honour our vows.

Lets support MARRIAGE!

Fantastic Meteor shower display

Went out with Oscar at 6am this morning. Perfect clear sky, and saw 10 meteors in 15mins. FANTASTIC. (hope the triffids aren't on the way?).

Should be even better tonight if it stays clear.

News on the stars in lincolnshire.

Are electric cars cheaper? (to run)

Yes - I'd like an electric car and save hundreds on diesel. What is the Government going to do when they have no revenue from Oil? Yes - you've guessed it - charge per mile for using the roads! Mark my words.

If you only commute a few miles, (less then 20 each way) would be nice if your employer provided charging points. Sounds like a good (environmentally friendly) way to go. By the way, is an electric car environmentally friendly, I mean if it was made of wood perhaps. What about all the nasties in the plastic, and batteries?

Where does the electricity come from, if you've got solar panels - fine - oh, but you're at work all day, its dark at night when you're home, DOH!

Sorry  - this doesn't add up.

RIP - Sir Patrick Moore

Sorry to hear Sir Patrick Moore has really gone to the Heavens. I'm sure he'll be up there forever now looking down on us. He's someone who has always been there. RIP

Autumn Budget

Great that Osborne is to raise personal allowances but.

What about married couples?

£9244 allowance great but what about couples? My wife doesn't work but why can't I have her unused allowance? Nearly £20k before we pay tax great. Yes she could work but if she doesn't gives a job to someone else. Why can't we benefit? Surely one worker per household is better than none. The saving is in benefits.

It does seem bad that Tax allowances are lost lie this. It can't cost much in the big scheme of things but also what about families, the person staying at home to look after children. Much better than farming them out.

50 years of the Audio Cassette

Yes it is 50 years since the first audio cassette appeared.

Do you remember them? What did you do with yours?

Buying music on cassettes - never was as good as records then CD's killed them both.

Recording from the radio/copying your mates Cassettes/LP's - yes that was great.

You didn't really mind the wow, hiss and flutter. After all the players were that tinny anyway.

I got a Chrome/Metal tape deck for my Hi-Fi, just meant I could hear the wow, hiss and flutter better.

Then do you remember un-jamming the cassette recorder.
Using a pencil or biro to rewind the tape? Hopefully it still played. I even resorted to cutting out the ruined bit and slicing them up with a razor blade and sellotape - it worked after a fashion.

C90's were best - C120's seemed to be the worst offenders at jamming - I suppose they were thinner.

Then there were the games - loading you Jet Set Willy game on the Spectrum  20mins of screeching and the  "load error"!! Arrrrggh! Start again. 

Ah those were the days (I don't think so).

Higher Energy bills but we save?

So now the Government are trying to convince us that by puttin £100 a year on our bills will save us money?

Are they MAD, who are they fooling?

Energy bills will not go down whatever.

What they should do is whatever they can to help people use LESS, power and energy.

It can be done, we have much more efficient appliances. If we switched to LED bulbs we'd save a lot. Some people don't actually know that if they shut the windows and doors it saves energy. If they are cold they turn the heating up. YES they are crazy, ignorant but crazy.

If we all had solar panels on our houses at least during the day consumption would plummet, then why not a win turbine on every house?

Companies should be made to cut energy by tax incentives.

It can all be done.

We really don't want the lights to start going out in a couple of year, or do we?

Frosty tonight

Will we see some snow tonight?

First of the winter.

Have got the Christmas decorations up - looks very festive.

More Fuel poverty - TAX Benefits

Surprise - more people in Fuel Poverty.

Lets face it. most people have to heat n light their homes? Even if you economise the bills are horrendous.

Don't forget this Government GIVES millions back to the richest -

cutting tax from 50p to 45p for those on over £100000. Just think, for someone on £200000 that's saved them £5000 a year.

Now I could pay my fuel bills for nearly 5 years on that. Is this FAIR?

Don't forget also we all pay 5% VAT on GAS/Electric (and wood etc.) not to mention the GREEN levy on top of that.

For those on fixed lowest incomes I ask IS THIS FAIR? If you#'re in arrears or on a Pay-as-you-go meter you can't swap and the Tarriff is the highest.

I say the fairest thing is to put 1p on income tax.

As for those on benefits - fairest thing there is to TAX them! So if you get £30k in benefits you pay tax. INCOME is INCOME even if they are Benefits?

More energy Woe

So more folk are struggling with their energy bills? Surprise!

So any way this Government gives back 5p in the pound tax to those on £100k plus and now wants £3 a week from everyone to fund the ghastly Wind Turbines? (as I've said before - what do we do when the wind doesn't blow?). If you're on say £200k he's given you back £5000. That would pay my GAS and Electric for 5 years (at todays prices). Yet in that $1000 is £50 tax. Surely he can get his £3 a week from the rich not the poorest? As I always say in this economic fiasco the fairest way to raise money would be 1p on income tax across the board.

Mr C (Cameron) thinks the EU is in a parallel universe but what about him?

If you're on a fixed income (pensioner) and trying to heat your home doesn't he realise that there is 5% VAT on energy, not to mention the GREEN levy. So when the Energy companies hike their prices the Government gets an even bigger share. Surely this TAX on the poorest is unfair? If you're in arrears you can's switch, and if you're on a pre payment meter (usually the poorest folk), you pay the highest prices.

You don't need money to be Happy?

Actually Money can't buy you happiness.

It seems the older folk are happiest and don't want money. I can see that but I guess they've got what they need and have enough money to live comfortably. That's a bit different to saying you don't "need" money.

I guess living away from the hustle and bustle also is a help as its not so frantic but you also lose out on all the  things that most folk want. Shops, transport etc. everything comes at a price - literally. thank god for on-line shopping.

My philosophy is that too many people "want" things at any price - they should learn to get their priorities right.

Free Money - discounts

Don't be a fool. Sign up to a cashback web site like QUIDCO

Do your on-line shopping and save. Search around and when you think you have the deal login to Quidco to make the purchase. They give you CASHBACK on top.

EASY!

PCC Elections

The Police Crime Commissioner Elections on Thursday.  

Most complaints were about not knowing who the candidates were or anything about them. Here most people had had only one candidate leaflet through the door, that is the three others sent nothing out. There has been little in the media about the election and what it is for. Just think about general elections where we have Party Political broadcasts etc.

Overall it is a shame people don't vote when we have striven so hard over the last 100 years to maintain and develop our democracy. It would be a different story if people couldn't vote?

Osborne to scrap fuel duty rise?

Here we go again - Fuel Duty to rise? - lets face it we all know the oil is running out. We're killing the planet burning it but like any addict we can't stop.

Is the Government wrong  We say "it won't make any difference, I'll keep my car going and my bit won't matter." Well I suppose it does.

Now another thing - suppose we all switch to electric cars, what will the Government do then? All that duty lost. We're not buying any petrol or diesel.

WRONG - they'll make it up. Road tax on electric cars is going to rise, then they'll charge us by the mile to use the roads. Its a WIN WIN for the Government.

Just Grit your teeth and pay, or don't travel, live near your work. It used to be like that, I'm just old enough to remember.

Rubbish its a nightmare.

Rubbish! yes its not just thinking about recycling but we can't help what stuff is packaged in. So many different types - its confusing. There should be more standardisation and regulation so we'd easily know what is and isn't recyclable.

Every Council should have the same system, ours doesn't collect Glass, my son's does. If you put stuff in the wrong bin, or the wrong stuff in the BIN they fine you or refuse to collect. How are we supposed to know what bit of plastic IS recyclable which is NOT? There should be one system. The recycle logo printed on if it is, if its not on NO. Simple. All councils should collect waste in the same way then we know and there are no excuses.

Energy Prices UP - Interest rates for Savers DOWN

So what are we to do? they're all as bad. Energy companies all put their prices up - all Banks put their interest rates down.

Remember on Energy prices (Gas and Electricity, and home fuels) out Government takes 5% VAT and about 7% in the GREEN levy. Green - what they mean is give it to energy companies - as if they don't have enough of our money anyway - to build Wind Turbines which are Useless. If the Wind doesn't blow what do we do? shut off out TV and computers and go to bed?

Did you know 1 small gas fired power station is equivalent to 5000 Wind Turbines - YES 5000. So how many turbines would it take to power the country? I think we'd need one per person and then we have to have Gale Force winds to get the power (oh I forgot they don't generate in Gales either).

I wrote to my MP about the VAT on home fuel, he sent it on to the Minister who replied (after 2 months) with baloney about Duty on Petrol and Diesel. So it proves they haven't a clue what they're talking about.

I've said before - VAT on home fuel is the most unfair Tax hitting the poorest hardest. You can't avoid paying it, even if you try to economise usually you're on the most expensive tariff because they discount it the more you use, so the rich folk get fuel cheaper. Isn't this always the way? Millionaires don't pay 45% tax, they get accountants to come up with ways to avoid paying. 

Rehouse folk on Benefits to the "North"?

Local authorities say sky-high rental costs in the capital, combined with the incoming benefits cap has forced them to send people miles away from home.

So send folk Up North where housing is available and cheap?

What is wrong with this? There are different ways to look at it.

If you've no job, no chance of getting a job what is wrong with living anywhere, there is nothing tying you down. If you're homeless then a house in Newcastle surely is preferable to the street in London - it isn't really paved with gold! 

If the housing is available and no local folk are waiting then I see nothing wrong in this. In fact why not build more houses "up north", it'll boost the economy. Building houses then people on beneits have to ive. They buy food, clothes, kids go to school, use the buses, pubs, etc. etc. 

Now I'd much rather live in a cottage in the country to any city. Give me the Yorkshire Dales, Cotswolds, Norfolk, if some one gave me a house and paid me to live there - I'd be mad not to take it up. So what's wrong?

Look, for example there are 7000+ people on the housing list for East Lindsey and most of those live elsewhere now, Sheffield, Nottingham etc. They don't work either but they want to live in East Lindsey so they like the idea. Its just tere aren't enough houses and who is going to build them? Also there are plenty of local folk waiting for houses but do they get first choice? not always it depends on the rules. Now I don't think that's fair.

Those London Centric folk don't care what goes on North of the M25. So they'l send all their dross away up North to stop them spoiling their neighbourhood. This can't be right but then they had the Olympics in London. Not Manchester or Leeds, but LONDON! SO billions get spent in London - does this help Newcastle? You get my drift.

I LIVE IN THE NORTH! so what is wrong with moving these folk up North? IF, and it is IF they want to move, and IF the homes are available (that is no one local waiting).

More people up North means more investment necessary.

Scrap Child Benefit?

All this fuss over Child Benefit? Why should folk on over £50k get ANY benefits? Come to that surely only the poorest should get any benefits.  We  seem to have unlimited benefits in this country, why? Surely we shouldn't just keep paying out for unlimited children?
child Benefit
My answer? Limit child Benefit to the first 3 children. We do need children for society to develop. After all as we get older and retire who do you think works and generates the wealth to keep us in our old age?

Conversely why should people get used to living on handouts? If the Government is paying you to live then just like those who work to live - ALL INCOME SHOULD BE TAXED!

So if you're on a low income you pay less or no tax. The more you get the more you pay in TAX. Seems fair?
What makes me cross is where has the commitment to help married couples? If only one works then he/she should share their Tax allowances since its a JOINT income. One person not working allows someone else to have a job opportunity instead of everyone working putting kids in care.Better to have mum or dad looking after them?

Cataclysm on East Coast

I'm fed up with all this doom and gloom about floods on the East Coast, Lincolnshire.

East Lindsey council now want Caravan sites to be only occupied over the summer 6 months because of the risk of flooding in Winter.

They've just had an exhibition "celebrating"the 60th anniversary of the flood disaster in 

1953, (actually it is next year in January) they want to highlight (FRIGHTEN us about) the 
increased risk of flooding due to Global warming.
ELDC have also refused planning permission to Southview leisure to open their park for 
holiday makers for the full year and are limiting them to 10 months. New applications will 
only be 6 months as I said because of the winter risk.
Excuse me but what about the residents? Do they somehow remain immune from flooding over 
winter? Or will future planning rules restrict residents to 6months of the year. Where do 
we have to go in winter (into Caravans!!). Will new builds (if there ever are any more) be 
restricted to Summer only? This is all ridiculous

Actually look at the facts. The Sea defences are vastly improved since 1953.
The Environment agency spend £6m a year on them.
Since 1953 the population (houses) must have increased 10 fold since then - why impose these 
restrictions now - surely its already too late. They must PROTECT us.
What do they do in Holland etc. What about London - a surge will affect millions as well but 
we're only country bumpkins - not worth the bother here, there's nothing worth protecting? 
Actually what about the Theddlethorpe Gas terminal. If that goes under then the country has 
a BIG problem - no gas to heat your homes etc 

Why don't they go the Whole Hog and buy all us residents out so we can move to higher land. Of course those on benefits won't have to buy another house they can rent one FREE on their benefits - just move them. At £6m a year over 10 years they can buy up 400 of the average house at £150k. Of course many homes are worth less here as prices are lower so more can be bought. The Environment Agency have a 50 year plan anyway so that equals 2000 homes and they could put more money in and get it over with. Then don't bother defending the shoreline. Let the Caravanners come for summer and take a risk.

China - Learn Mandarin II

I said on Monday 15th Oct be afraid of China.

Here is more evidence I am not alone.

I do not hate the Chinese. Good luck to them I say. Its US that's stupid. The West.

They do not seem to want to conquer the West not like we tried to conquer the world in times gone by.

We governed from afar, exported our ways of doing things, imposed our languages, our education, our religion and much else besides.

Zheng He's statue looks across to the city of Nanjing

The Chinese, in contrast, preferred to stay at home. They believed the Middle Kingdom, the old name for China, literally meaning the centre of the world, was the highest form of civilisation. So why step outside into ever darkening shades of barbarianism?

We are surrendering all that we strove for to the Chinese as the easy way - we have become lazy. We will regret it.

pensions 4 everyone 2

I said it on 2nd Oct:-


Lets just hope G Osborne  and D Cameron  sort out the mess over charges and how you "take your pension" with you. 

At the  end of the day unless its a very good company scheme only the Bankers win - AGAIN

Didn't I say it and now the Daily Mail agrees with me.

The Government MUST regulate these pension schemes and stop the Bankers from getting rich quick on poor people. They are gambling with peoples only hope for the future. They take their whole lives to save any sort of pension, these bankers make that much bonus in 1 year! There must be certainty in pensions and a guarantee that you can take it with you without loss if you move jobs.

Now in a letter to the Daily Telegraph these organisations agree with ME, the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF), the TUC, charity Age UK and the consumers' association Which?.

So you heard it first from Monty.

China? Better Learn Mandarin

Have you noticed where things are made these days? yes 9 out of ten seem to come from China.

You know this worries me to hell.

See, riots in Greece due to their economic woes and they blame Germany for bleeding them dry (actually it was more like a parent spoiling a child). Anyway I'm more worried about China.

The day will come when lest say the ships and planes stop coming from China to supply us with all these nice cheap goodies (iPADS and iPhones, TVs and gadgets). Then what do we do? We've no manufacturing here.Also what do we do when China decide because they've a monopoly (We've no manufacturing here.), they decide now that they don't need our western money, 'cos they've got it all (where do you thing the US and us get our money from at the moment? - loans from China), they either put the prices up and then we're all like Greece or they just stop bothering, and we're all like Namibia (who cares about them?).

SO OK just sit there playing with your Chinese gadgets, on your Chinese made TV on Chinese made furniture etc. etc.

Be really really worried about China.

Jimmy Savile

Now there really is vile in Jimmy's name. The things that allegedly went on are VILE.

I am not condoning anything allegedly done to Children however we must remember the climate was different 50 years ago. What young man, pop star, DJ would not resist a girl flaunting herself at them. We know what went on and did they ask if they wee under 16? No.
But the rest? No way, it is sick!

There is a responsibility on all society to protect children. However I notice over the years a softening to attitudes to sex with Children. Under 16s are children and must be protected from themselves as much as the predators. Look at the 30 year old teacher going to France with his 15yr old pupil,  yes the law will deal with it but was the girl co-earced? Yes she's under 16 so must e protected by law. It is WRONG.

Again however, how much under age sex goes unpunished? HOw many over 16's are prosecued for sex with under 16s? very few I think. The law sees it as pointless. But where do we draw the line? If Jimmy Savile is a criminal then so are the rest. ZERO  tolerance I say.

Children by definition do not understand what they are doing and the over 16's must be told (by prosecution) that it is against the LAW. That is why thelaw exists.

Parents must exercise their responsibilities and accept that under age sex is against the law. It is there because it ruins lives.Children are sexualised at a far too young age and we mus stop it.. Letting unfettered access to the internet is responsible as well - parents again must be made responsible and society has to accept the constraints.

IF we cease to protect our vulnerable children where does that leave us?

Wind Farms - we pay them £1bn to exist

Think - why do we pay £1billion pounds to companies to build Wind Farms?

Energy prices are set to rise at over twice inflation so people will be forced to cut back to save money.

Wind Power is not the answer. After all where do we get our electricity when there's no Wind!

There are 25million homes in britain. If they gave a subsidy to folks to install Solar panels on their roofs, let s say each generates 2kw, that's 50million kw of power or 50GW.

Equivalent to 50 1gw power stations  In the dash for Gas they cost about £10m each and will last 15-25years at most (if the Gas lasts).

I realise Solar doesn't generate at night but when did the Sun Not rise?

Where are the Tidal power stations? Tidal is there all day every day - in/out twice a day.
We're surrounded by sea. Where is the Severn, the Humber and Morecambe bay barriers - free power. No greenhouse emissions.
I don't think they want solar panels on our roofs because its FREE power and the electric companies wouldn't need their subsidies

Hamza out! his brood live on state still

Yes at long last we've got rid of Abu Hamza! but I wondered how long it would be before it was realised that we're still supporting his brood at the States expense.

Justice has at last prevailed and the man who claims to detest this country protested fo 8 years that it was unfair to make him leave. All the while his family lived at our expense in a "luxury" home.

I support the Government in its effort to end the "something for nothing culture" - but where these folk are British through and through it does seem crassly unfair that we bend over backwards to support blatant foreign criminals who have come here for shelter and handouts and abuse our hospitality. 

If refugees are convicted of a criminal offence in this country boot them out immediately, and make their families follow them.

I would still rather fund jobless young people born and bred here than criminals. WE need to give them jobs. What about making benefits conditional on doing some community/voluntary work?

It seems crazy that if you're unemployed and "seeking work" you are NOT allowed to help out in you "free" time doing charity work for NOTHING, because you're not "available for work"! Of course you'd stop immediately and attend an interview and get a job.

Tax on Children? - outrageous - is this China?

So now our wonderful Government is to put a Tax on children?

Well if you earn over £50k they want the Child Benefit back. Well relatively speaking if you earn over £50k the benefit is not important in your thinking if you want children or not. However looking at the other end. The hoy polloy, riff raff, plebs breed unfettered. Why should they care kids=money. The more you have more you benefits, get a house the state pays - whoopee.

WHat does this get us - a dystopian future where society is dominated by an underclass of no-hopers, breeding like rabbits supported by the elite who are diminishing rapidly because they refrain from procreating as it cramps their style and costs them loads of money. Yet  these are the ruling classes who set the rules. They seem to have a death wish?.

Really they should be setting the rules opposite. Stopping the plebs from breeding, thus saving billions in benefits and reducing the under class of inbreds thus strengthening the ruling elite. They can have their 2.4 children send them to good schools and thus keep the status quo surviving. Really we want more of them or what future do we have?

I know its true "inbreds" because I've seen it. Jane has a child by Jim, (Chloe) (teenagers not married), Jane and Jim get a house (council/association). Jane and Jim fall out. Jim has a new girlfriend. Jane now on her own with kid. Jane gets a boyfriend, John, gets pregnant. John moves in. Now Jane has another baby, Britney.

Jim shacks up with Sarah, Sarah has a baby, Wayne, Sarah and Jim fall out. Jim goes off with Chantelle.
Sarah meets Craig, has a baby Vicky.

Are you following - no, not surprised.

12 years or so later after several scenarios above. Wayne meets Britney and makes her pregnant. They are half brother sister!

Craig meets Chloe (now she's 16) makes her pregnant, oh forgot to say Jane was also seeing Craig whilst married to Jim. She wasn't sure who's Chloe's father but thinks it was Craig (she was stoned at the time and had sex with another man that night). On the birth certificate Jim is the father

So it goes on. If Jim was Chloe's father its incest!

It is more complicated in real life this is the simple version.

Find April Jones!

If the Police have the Main Suspect why won't he tell them where she is?

They could 

1. offer to set him free, tell everyone when and where (lynch mob gathers)
2. give him truth serum and get him to tell them. He's going to jail for a long time anyway.

Why not - bugger his human rights finding April is more important. Mark Bridger can rot in hell. How could he do it to a little girl.Why won't he tell them?

I really don't understand. In this case a judge should ORDER him to tell or have truth serum.

After all her life is at stake if its not too late.

Pensions for Every one

Now everyone is to be IN

Don't fight it - its the safest bet for everyone. Those paying in create pots for investment in the economy and those retiring are safe there's enough money for them.

Lets just hope GO and DC sort out the mess over charges and how you "take your pension" with you. 

At the  end of the day unless its a very good company scheme only the Bankers win - AGAIN

Didn't I say it and now the Daily Mail agrees with me.

The Government MUST regulate these pension schemes and stop the Bankers from getting rich quick on poor people. They are gambling with peoples only hope for the future. They take their whole lives to save any sort of pension, these bankers make that much bonus in 1 year! There must be certainty in pensions and a guarantee that you can take it with you without loss if you move jobs.

Teacher runs away with Pupil

All this fuss over Jeremy Forrest and Megan Stammers running away to France?

Yes it was wrong and technically illegal "Child Abduction" - Megan is only 15, but she was willing.

He's now going to be a criminal and lose his job and career. Did they have Sex? If so he's also a child abuser.

However we read stories about under age sex daily, kids of 13/14 having babies and is the Father ever convicted? - no. Look at the Rochdale Sex Grooming issue - did Social Services and the police protect the girls? - no.

It seems to me that on this age we seem to accept that under age sex is really nothing to be bothered about, no harm done. Actually it is CHILD ABUSE! Unless the law protects these children where are we going to end up.

Under age sex ruins lives, 14 yr olds don't want kids - (well actually they do because then they get a "Benefits Meal ticket to a home and income).

Its all wrong isn't it?

Christians Bigots

The couple refusing to allow a gay couple to stay in their B&B to me have the right to refuse anyone to stay in their home.

Wouldn't you want the right to refuse anyone into your home?

Susan and Mike Wilkinson refused to allow two gay men share a bedroom in their B&B. Whilst I would not refuse this if I ran a B&B I would want the undisputed right to refuse anyone into my home with no reason necessary.

Cannot Pubs bar anyone?

Remember Morecambe and Wise famously shared a bed. Were they Gay? I don't think so. In previous times it was natural to share a bed if there was only one. Nowadays they'd be disallowed as it would be perceived as unsavoury TV.

How absurd.

Tesco Evolving

As a shopper and Tesco shareholder I'm pleased to see Tesco evolving. The days of the superstore are numbered
With the rise in fuel prices and when your Tesco is 20miles away it makes sense to shop online. It would cost £6 in diesel for the trip - much less than that for a delivery and no hassle/time shopping in the store.

As we all have smart phones/iPads/Computers you can shop anywhere anytime.

Why wander around a store looking.

Good old Tesco - keep it up - keep prices down..

PS - why are some things in store and not on-line?

Everybody IN Pensions

So at last everybody is to be IN a Pension. You will have to Opt out if you don't want to be in.

Good idea. The pensions crisis has largely been forgotten in the Economic Crisis but its not gone away and in fact could be both the cause and the solution to both.

What is good - the theory is every one is in a Pension and contributing while they work is actually paying the pension of those retiring. Unfortunately recently its worked the other way - too many retiring and not enough paying in.

Largely the Government's fault. Remember Gordon Brown's raid on Pensions? If the money was in the Funds then they could invest it in business and thus create the jobs and growth we need. But no GB wanted to spend it - now its gone.

To put it right the Government need to address the issues that pension funds are ripping us off (after all they're the same financial folk who run the Banks). They are purely in it to make money, loads of money. The Government needs to ensure money in a pension is fairly invested - minimal and fair charges. If you change jobs you should be able to take your pension with you and not lose out.

Planning rules to be relaxed

So HMG think that by relaxing planning laws they'll stimulate building - I think not.

What is wrong is that folk either have no money or daren't buy a house and then it goes DOWN in value.

When I bought my first house in the '80s it was £7500 and cost roughly 3 times my salary. Now even though my salary has risen ten times since then I can't afford today's average hose on 3 times my income and that's where its crazy.

People borrowed well over what they could afford and the Banks/Building Societies were daft enough to lend them because they both thought prices would keep rising. Roughly they have, if you look over the long term - and I mean 10-20 years. It was the fast buck syndrome that did it - buy and sell to make money. WRONG you should buy a house as a long term investment after 25 years its yours!

Will relaxed planning laws help people start buying again - no. In Sutton on Sea there is an estate of new houses being built, well I say being, actually they stopped building 4 years ago. They HAVE planning permission for 200 but no buyers so have stopped. There are 20 houses built and NOT sold. EMPTY 4 years. What a crying shame. 

What DC/GO need to do is either make House realistically priced so folk can afford them again or stimulate the economy so our wages go up to match the prices. Let people borrow again to buy starter homes then you get the chain moving, make the Banks/Building Societies lend money. Or make Councils spend their rainy-day money on houses to rent for the Homeless etc. There's an idea "Council Houses". Now who got rid of all those?

QE bad for Pensioners

Again it shows that this government does not care about pensioners now and to be. We are the SAVERS not the spenders we built this country up and GB/TB bankrupted it.

Cleggy wants a special get-out-of-jail tax, but they'just took 5p off the top rate giving millions to the better off whilst pensioners get by on their savings having to dip in to make ends meet not to mention the paltry interest rates o n top of which they pay 20% tax!

Remember GB when he took away the 10% rate and gave £300 to all better off taxpayers? What they should do is put 1p on income tax - fair on all.

Raise the allowance to £10000 as promised, that way the better off pay their fair share to get the economy back on its feet.

Oh, and while he's at it take tax off interest for all pensioners up to £10000 a year. What has he to lose, they pay 20% on 2% that 40p tax in every £2 of interest, NOW so any gain on 2% interest is nothing lost.

A Level results

When will they understand that if Universities skew their entrance criteria to "favour" candidates from "poorer" areas it doesn't help.

If they get on a course with poorer results it just means that they are less able. It should be a level playing field for all. Entrance purely on merit what ever your background.

By all means give grants/bursaries to the less well off but no more.

Letting the less able onto a course just means that they'll not be able to achieve as much even flunk out so what good was that?

Government - the Grammar schools do it not the Comprehensives we need the BEST education so get to it  - bring back FREE grammar Schools.

Independence for Yorkshire

Yorkshire-based athletes are counted then the historic county's seven golds and total haul of a dozen medals would put it 12th on the global table were it an independent nation - a feat quickly trumpeted in adverts for tea brand Yorkshire Gold.

Up the Tykes!!

Teaching kids programming

Kids today love their gadgets, computers and smartphones but do they understand how they work?

I agree it would be ideal to get children to understand how computers etc. work but it just is not going to happen. I also agree that we've got to embrace the information age and "social media" not fight it but children need to learn the discipline of frittering time away on Facebook and twitter. They do need to learn.

How? I know my 2 year old grand daughter can use an iPAD better than me to play games and watch Postman Pat but is she learning? Yes. Later on using the technology will be intuitive to her so then she can move on to learning. Its technological evolution. The teachers just haven't caught up.

Think, how would you explain Televison or the internet to Isambard Kingdom Brunel? Our most brilliant engineer of all time. He was building things with unheard of technology in his time. Even he couldn't explain how it worked he just DID IT! 

That's what kids will do with new technolgy of the 21st century. Don't fight it, EMBRACE it.

BBC Olympics

Must congratulate all our Team GB athletes,

Special mention must go to the BBC for excellent coverage, Just one point, would have liked access to a replay on the medal winning performances.

Why can’t you make a phone call (or send an SMS) from an iPad?

So why can't you do the above, Why can’t you make a phone call (or send an SMS) from an iPad?

More to the point why couldn’t this all be amalgamated into one phone bill (with bolt on users) just like adding mailboxes, and WHY do we actually need phone numbers? Do your friends call you 01533 654675? No, we all have email addresses, or Facebook names.

Anyone (as old as me) remember when phones had “ABC” “DEF” etc. on the numbers on the dial so you could do you STD dialling via the “Name” of the exchange? So why can’t we go to something similar? You type in “google” and it takes you to www.google.co.uk or “BBC news”, so we know that the internet is clever enough to use “names” when we all know it uses IP Addresses. So why not “Map” your email address (or dare I suggest Facebook name” ) to your Mobile phone via your BT/TalkTalk account.

So then when you want to call someone you just type in their “Name”.

Wow. This could be a true innovation. What do I know though – lets check in 10years time.

I am old enough to remember in the 80's when we still had 405 lines TV there was a very expensive thing called Prestel which gave your TV (very expensive) access to a "teletext" like service via a special phone connection (ISDN then), that was Interactive! Whoooo! At the time I predicted "everybody will one day be able to communicate to the world via their TV and receive TV on demand from the phone line" - was I right?

Peugeot 208 - Jeremy Clarkson

I don't normally like Jeremy Clarkson, despite him coming from near my home town Doncaster.

I know he's opinionated (so am I) and he does it for publicity (I don't like that), but his article in yesterdays Sunday Times rang true to me. He talked about building his HiFi, I did so too.

When I was at Uni in the late '70's I banked my Grant Cheque and thought "what could I buy now I have money?". No thought of how I could live for the next 3 months. £200 seemed like I'd won the lottery. Any way sense prevailed and I managed. I listened to my "mono" Pye, radio cassette recorder and even rigged up an external speaker, which I built myself from an old quality radio speaker and built its case myself from thick plywood, to supplement the sound quality via the "ext" socket. Remember those days you had a choice of Mono or Stereo LPs. Stereo was the Blu-Ray of the day.
Any way as time passed I realised that decent sound was an essential for student life holed up in my hall of residence "cell". So I formed a plan. First some speakers - a Wharfedale kit! I got them and over the summer hols built the cabinets myself from "chipboard" . I connected them to the home "stereo" and vastly improved the sound quality of the "bush" radio-gram.

In the 3rd year I planned to buy an amp and a deck, for my flat  So there it began. My hi-fi system. Pioneer PL514 belt drive deck, Sure M75ED cartridge, Trio amp, (30 watts RMS per channel). I took back my Wharfedale speakers and left the Bush back with the original speakers.

Now I could sit back and listen to my Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Roxy Music and Simon and Garfunkel LPs in glorious stereo HiFi. With little rumble or hiss, or Wow and Flutter. This was all essential in the 70's.

Next I added a tape deck, Sharp. Metal capable of course.
This system has followed us around (through my marraige and various homes) like our "first child". It was years before I added the always wanted, Tuner (Denon). Then in the 90's CD's were dominant and so a CD player had to be added, Technics.  Funny there are only so many "phono" plug sockets built into the Trio amp, but it does the job - enough is OK. 

Then at our 25th wedding anniversary. Disaster. After  great night something was wrong - the sound was gone. Luckily not the amp but the old faithful Wharfedales had blown. So they were replaced with some 100watt Missions. My, how technology has changed. A new life in the old system. Maybe we'll get another 25years?

Oh, and by the way I like the Peugeot 206 best Jeremy.

Helen Skelton

Why do people have to say vile and nasty things about anyone who doesn't deserve it?

Helen Skelton is a loveley girl and what harm has she done to anyone? She has worked tirelessly for charity and doesn't deserve this. Why should she have to say
"Turns out I don't have very thick skin after all so I am closing my twitter account. Enjoy the games. Signing off, skelts x"


These low lifes that have nothing better to do need some suffering themselves and maybe they might appreciate the good things in life that we are thankful for.


There are some truly evil people in this world who deserve what they (should)  get.

Bicycle Helmets

I wholeheartedly and absolutely support Bradley Wiggins in his campaign for compulsory bicycle helmets.


My son had an accident on his bike with a car when he was 14. If he had not been wearing a helmet he would not be here now!

Olympics Visitor

War Horse visits the Olympics - very brilliant puppetry.

Olympic overkill

Look, I know the Olympics is great (see my last post), but with almost 24hr coverage on 24channels on the TV can I ask why does BBC News have to show it too?
I turn over to BBC News to see NEWS - not the Olympics. I can get my Olympics fix on 24 other channels not least BBC1, even there when the News comes on its 29minutes of 30minute news about , yes, the Olympics.


Please BBC - make the BBC News channel and Olympic Free Zone unless we actually win a GOLD!

Olympic Extravaganza, London 2012

Well Danny Boyle produced a magnificent extravaganza, very surreal. Not sure what the rest of the world will think but visually stunning.


I like the Queens' cameo, her little cheesy grin made it all worthwhile and I have never seen her moved before at the National Anthem. She IS human after all.


God save the Queen!


All that was missing was the giant inflatable pig flying over the stadium, took me back. Danny Boyle must be a Pink Floyd fan.




Well done. He's a northerner you know, just a shame he's from "over t'ill".

Olympic 2012

So here it begins the Olympics 2012.
once in a lifetime for the British. Good luck team GB

British Gas Obscene Profits

So Mr Gauke what do you say to a company like BG that can make obscene multi million pound profits at the expense of ordinary citizens many who have so low incomes they pay NO Tax?


On top of this what ever British Gas charges the Government takes 5% VAT plus the Green Tax?
How is this morally justified taxing the poorest. With average bills topping £1500 per year that makes the Governments cut over £105 from people who can least afford it! no wonder if you can get a discount for Tax or not paying some tax you can understand why.

Windmill Folly

Why all these windmills? I do believe the day will come when we all have solar panels on our roofs and perhaps a small wind turbine or two but these wind farms are stupid.


To meet the needs of the nation we'd need to cover the country and more.


They only make economic sense because of the government subsidy - STUPID!


If we'd spent half the money that's been spend on nuclear power since the 2nd World War, on research into alternative energy sources we'd be sorted - no problems with energy. BUT as it happens they need the nuclear for the Nuclear Weapons programme not Energy! So here we are.


What we need to do is get the Government NOT to  subsidise wind Power, give ordinary folks FREE insulation for their homes thus cutting use/bills. Get energy efficient appliances down in price and freely available (including alternatives to oil in cars).


There's no choice its not if the Oil runs out just When!

Asking for a discount immoral?

How dare Mr Gauke criticise us ordinary folk for asking for a discount? Unlike MPs who can claim fat allowances, my family lives entirely on my hard earned wages AFTER Tax an NI are taken off!

Let me ask Mr Gauke, do MPs pay all their costs out of their salaries after they’ve paid  Tax  and NI? NO of course not they claim their  Tax free EXPENSES to pay the tradesmen (who put in their expensive fitted kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, houses etc, in their second homes in London) and they claim their Rent/mortgage.

So let me ask Mr Gauke, will he now be moral and pay  Tax on all his expenses he claims? I don’t think I’ll hold my breath for the answer.

Now here’s an idea for him IDS has put a cap on benefits at £26 (more than I earn ) so BENEFITS are income why do claimants not pay Income  Tax like the rest of us?

My family lives entirely on my hard earned wages AFTER  Tax an NI are taken off! So IDS why not  Tax benefits? If they don’t get enough they don’t pay  Tax .

Entirely fair I think.

BBQ blues!

At last the BBQ summer is here.


Now I have one plea. You may say I'm OCD but this bugs me and I like things to be simple if I can see a simple way of doing something , if i can't do it it really infuriates me.


So you know those bags of charcoal, they are nicely eco friendly in paper bags done up with a nice "stitched" string across the top,


Now I know if you are lucky and get the right string to pull it just comes away like a dream. Get the wrong one and no chance you can pick and pull and snip away but it will never come off you have to RIP the damn bag and that makes me ANGRY, (and dirty).


Solution - there are three strings stitched together - why don't they make the right one to pull RED as opposed to the other two white. Then you know straight away which one to pull.


Please - BBQ charcoal bag makers can you do it for me. No more fighting and ripping bags getting dirty charcoal dust all over me and every where.


Thank you.

Pensioners cough up to save economy

So Mr Boles thinks Pensioners should not be immune from the cuts and sacrifice their "benefits" to save the economy?


What planet is he on? Again we have these misguided millionaire MPs with no clue about the real world. You try living on £140 a week for 2 people Mr Boles and see what sacrifices you can make to save GB?


Basically if you've worked all your life, . Saved a bit paid into a pension then retired you at least expect to be able to "enjoy" life what it is. What is there else to look forward to if then HMG looks at your income and decides to slice some more off - remember I said "paid your Tax and NI". Since when do you have to pay twice? Surely its the millionaires who should be on double tax!! Just now you're lucky to get 3% interest on your money so to keep going they have to did into their savings - where will it end. Cameron etc wants us to work longer, pay more and then get less! Don't forget the MPs haven't sacrificed their gold plated pensions just yet.


Conversely those who don't work or save nowt, no pension, retire, what do they get taken off them - NOTHING. They get ALL the Benefits - that is just not FAIR.


Pensioners did NOT cause this crisis. Look at the Billionaire Bankers with their Billion pound bonuses. TAX them at 80% to get things sorted.

the Price of milk

So some Milk distributors are to cut the price they pay to farmers of their milk. The farmers say it is below cost.
2 things.

1. if its below cost then they'll just stopped producing it. Grow wheat instead.
2. personally I'd pay more happily!

On 2, what I mean is our supermarket does 2litres of milk for £1 - great. Rather than the farmers "starve" I'd happily pay £1.10 for 2 litres providing that the extra 5p a litre went to the farmers. If we all did this it would solve the problem?

Finally, just tell me why our corner local shop charges £1.60 for a 2litre milk? (where does the extra 60p go?).

Women Bishops

So, should the CofE allow women bishops?

Let me ask, in the 21st Century why should women NOT be bishops? What exactly is the reason why a woman cannot be a Bishop?

We think that forcing a woman to wear a Burka is morally wrong, so what is or reason for denying a woman's rights to be a bishop.


Why?

How to live longer?

So we must eat less to live longer - no surprise.


I was brought up in the 50's /60s and remember food being precious. No junk food then. I also remember always playing out until dark, no tele or computer games. A "drink" was what you had at a celebration. My Grandma lived to 85 and died in 1977. 


Only down side was smoking - then they didn't know the risks but also since many had died in the War there was a live for now attitude. No fat people around either.


What we need is fresh food (not processed) enough and exercise. So no wonder we're eating our selves to death. Your body knows how to process it and makes best use of it.

Banks are the Terrorists

Now we have an interest rate rigging scandal.with the Banks.


How bad does it have to get? Since the crash and the Banks' bailout it seems clear that they are the terrorists holding the World to ramsome. They wreak mayhem and destruction and even Governments cower to them.


WHY?


Banks do nothing but look after money. They make nothing, invent nothing, help no one, what do they do except line their own pockets. How do they get away with it.


If their was a small cartel of companies controlling say the world supply of wheat - there would be Wars about it but Banks have the power to bring down Governments hence the Bank Bailout.


I can't see why when the Government (Us really) own the big 3 banks we are in such a mess. People have no money, prices rise and pensioners get poorer with measly interest rates on their savings whilst Banks get richer.


What a crazy world.

Benefits Vs Work

So Cameron is at it again. Bashing those claiming benfits. 


Lets start by saying this is no worse that Jimmy Carr's LEGAL tax Avoidance. Claiming Benefits IS Legal. Lying about your circumstances is NOT.


Secondly - I think it should not be possible to be Better Off NOT working than Working!


How long is he to go on about this before they do something?


What I want to see is the Insurance brought back into National Insurance.


If you've been working and paying your taxes for say 6 months minimum and you lose your job then you should be able to claim on your National Insurance - and get Unemployment Benefit linked to your previous wages and time worked, at least for a period then it should drop gradually as you remain unemployed until you reach a collar level.


Those who have NEVER worked (not including disabled and children) should only get a bare minimum to enable them to exist, not enough to allow them to live in  Council Houses and take kids out for meals etc.


Its just wrong when millions on low wages are struggling.

Tax Avoidance - I wish!

I say good luck to Jimmy Carr, if he's not broken any laws?


He's just one and has done well in life. Even at 20% what woudl he owe the treasury?


What about us lower paid folks we toil year afte year and give over 30% of our income to beloved HMRC (yes add Tax and NI -basically another tax). Is this example fair - I ask you.


My friend has worked for over 30years and never earned enough to pay Higher rate tax and indeed is below the national average wage. His wife doesn't work - their choice agreed - but deem they can manage on his income. So his mother dies and he inherits her estate. Not enough for Inheritance tax (he wishes) but a nice little bungalow - a bit tired. So after sorting out wills,  affairs etc puts said Bungalow on the Market. Lets say £200k. it take 3 years to sell and in fact he gets only 150k but this is in fact £30k more than the value when she died, a gain of £30k. So HMRC want him to pay CAPITAL GAINS TAX. So he fills in his tax return and that year they add it to his income - say £20k making a fantastic £50k in that year taking him into Higher rate tax. Whoopee - now he has to write a cheque to the taxman to cover all this off. Total tax bill £13k!


IS THIS FAIR? If he'd had the full £150k as an inheritance it would be Tax free. Just because there was a time lapse between inheritance and selling the bungalow and it went up by £30k (could have easily been down by 50k if it had happened 2/3 years later).


ITS JUST NOT FAIR. A once-in-a-lifetime event you only get parents dying once and the measly bungalow sells for a small profit and the Taxman grabs £13k because he's been so lucky to "make a profit". He has never and probably never will become a true Higher rate tax payer but that's the rules. 


If it was a business or someone like Jimmy Carr it wouldn't even be a pin prick in his income. But HMRC are bullies and the rules applly with an iron fist to the little people.