Showing posts with label Gord's gang. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gord's gang. Show all posts

Monday 7 December 2009

Gord help us; Ed’s priority; Odd ASBO; Rat diners; Old Cheese; and Towed away.

Dark, damp and dozy this morn, still not sure about the New Site not many “widgets” available and there seems to be a problem with band width, it takes a long time to save sometimes.

But the worst thing is that there is no way to have my Blog list of all the blogs I follow, and I know what a pain it is for readers to change their follow lists to the new address.







And talking of pains I see that Gord has managed to find a way to cut public spending by £12 Billion over the next four years.

After what seems like a lifetime of labour, although it has only been 12 years or so, why is it that ‘prudent’ Gord suddenly finds all this money in savings?

There has been no trimming down of the bloated Government admin creep for over a decade and suddenly it has all become clear to him, it couldn’t be that his first election is coming up can it?










And of course Ed Miliband, one half of the cloned twins has decided that “action on global warming should be a priority”, despite the fact that he isn’t helping much and again after a decade or so of the suspicion that climate change is happening it is suddenly “a priority”, election creep again?








From North of Hadrian’s wall: Stuart Hunt, 46, was charged for allegedly laughing at the teenage daughter of the couple he has had a dispute with for six years.

He claims that the 15-year-old was dancing in the street as he drove past after dropping his two children at school.

Mr Hunt insists that all he did was smile, shake his head and laugh, but that may be enough to land him in court, accused of breaching one of the most unusual Asbos imposed in Scotland.

The interim court order, granted in 2007, imposed a series of restrictions on Mr Hunt, whose dispute with his neighbours Stuart and Shirley Latham dates from a row over speed bumps he placed on the access road they share.

The order prevents him from laughing at people, staring at anyone or slowly clapping his hands at the actions of others.

He is also banned from waving objects at people and adopting a menacing stance.

Mr Hunt, from Drumnadrochit on the banks of Loch Ness, said he was being “systematically criminalised”, adding: “There must be terrorist suspects who have more human rights than I've got here.

“Two police officers turned up at my house and charged me with breaching the Asbo by laughing at the neighbours' daughter. They charged me with laughing specifically, and only with laughing. I couldn't believe it. It's absolutely absurd.

He’s bleedin lucky he can find something to laugh about.









Two stars of the reality TV show "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here" have been charged with animal cruelty after allegedly killing and cooking a rat to eat during filming.

Chef Gino D'Acampo who won the viewer-feedback contest series and actor Stuart Manning were charged after animal welfare activists lodged a complaint about a segment for the British TV program, which was filmed in Australia, the activists and British media reported Sunday.

In a statement to The Associated Press, New South Wales state police said Sunday that two men, aged 33 and 30, were charged with animal cruelty for acts in connection to the program but did not give names or other details.

They have been asked to appear in court to face the charge Feb. 3. The maximum penalty is three years in prison.

D'Acampo is 33 years old and Manning 30.

The show's producer, ITV, confirmed in a statement that "the New South Wales RSPCA is currently looking into an incident in which a rat was killed in the camp."

"The killing of a rat for a performance is not acceptable. The concern is this was done purely for the cameras," David O'Shannessy of the New South Wales RSPCA told the British Broadcasting Corp.

He said producers were normally required to have animal welfare officers on set when animals were used during filming, but in this case it did not take place.

"I'm a Celebrity" strands C-list celebrities in the Australian jungle, subjects them to a series of icky trials involving spiders and snakes, and allows the public to vote them off the show one by one.
Can we have a programme for MPs, maybe it could be called ‘I’m an MP leave me here for ever.’









From over the briny: A 15-year-old cheddar made in Wisconsin, possibly the most mature cheese for sale in the country, is selling well despite the $50-per-pound price tag, its producer said Saturday.


Hook's 15-year Sharp Cheddar, produced in 1994, went up for sale in a handful of outlets on Friday and has proven popular, said cheese maker Tony Hook.

"It started moving a lot faster than we expected," said Hook, 57, who - along with his wife and brother - runs Hook's Cheese Co in Mineral Point, Wisconsin. "People have been so excited about it."

The cheddar began as part of a gigantic batch that weighed 5,200 pounds. The Hooks let much of the batch age, and sold large chunks at the 10- and 12-year marks. But they felt it was aging so flavourfully that they saved 1,200 pounds to let it mature a few years longer, Hook said.

It's rare for cheddar to last that long, said John Umhoefer, the executive director of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association.

"Fifteen years is a good stretch of time to hold cheddar - perhaps as long as cheddar can hold for most people's palates," Umhoefer told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
"Making cheddar that ripe, without it turning bitter or acidic, is a rare skill."

Umhoefer said he thought Hook's cheddar could be the oldest available on the market. There may be older cheddars, he said, but those would be in private collections.

The average cheddar fan is probably used to fresher samples. Shredded samples available in grocery stores are probably one to two months old, Hook said.

But anyone who has cleaned mouldy cheese from their refrigerator knows that even well-sealed samples don't keep for long, much less 15 years.

The secret is starting with precisely the right sample, Hook said, a sample that has no "off flavours" and progresses smoothly.

15 years, I’ve got tins of soup older than that.

And finally:









From over the big wet thing again: Tallmadge Township, Mich. Authorities said a man trying to burglarize a southwestern Michigan towing and auto-repair shop got a surprise when he found tow truck drivers inside still on the job.


The Grand Rapids Press reported the Marz Collision Services drivers were drinking coffee around 8 p.m. Friday in Ottawa County's Tallmadge Township when they heard noises in another room.

Owner Bob Marz said a man had just broken a window and was attempting to enter the building. The man took off on foot, and driver Todd Hodges pursued in his wrecker - calling police with his cell phone.

Authorities arrested a 45-year-old Grand Rapids man. He's expected to face burglary charges.

The drivers, who had spent the day pulling cars from snow banks,
Stayed on the job after the arrest.

First rule of burglary-make sure the place is empty.


Angus

AnglishLit

Angus Dei-NHS-THE OTHER SIDE

Angus Dei politico




Tuesday 29 September 2009

Gord’s up for it; Bees go bananas; Big Brit Burger; BMW Numpty and Ask a stupid question


This part of the blog seems to be becoming a fixture; today’s item is regarding the death of Fiona Pilkington, 38, and her daughter Francecca Hardwick, 18, who burned to death in a car after complaining of years of harassment by youths in their Leicestershire home.

It seems that Gord has decided to declare war on families from hell, by promising tough action on problem families who terrorise their neighbours as he delivers his final conference speech before the general election.

In his keynote speech to a Brighton conference under the banner "Operation Fightback", the Prime Minister will announce £36 million of additional funding to roll out "tough love" Family Intervention Projects (FIPs) to all 50,000 of the country's most difficult families over the coming five years.

Mr Brown will say he wants to see a "step change" so that all of those needing it - estimated to be 50,000 families with 100,000 children across the country - will go through a project by the end of the next Parliament.


So that won’t happen then.



First up:




And talking about Gord (don’t we all).


It is rumoured that he will accept the challenge to a televised debate with David Cameron and Nick Clegg in the upcoming general election campaign.

Reports suggest the Prime Minister is actively considering agreeing to an unprecedented TV debate and may announce his decision in his keynotes speech to conference.

Official sources were silent on the issue of a debate. But, it is understood that no final decision has yet been taken by Mr Brown.

A televised debate between the leaders of the three major parties has never previously taken place during a UK general election, often because the front runner in any contest fears losing ground through a poor on-screen performance.

Reminds me of the three stooges; wonder who will be Larry, Curly or Mo?




ANKARA, Turkey - A van carrying beehives crashed into a truck on Monday, and huge swarms of bees broke free and stung the injured and rescue workers at the scene.

In the end, about 20 people were taken to hospitals, six of them injured in the crash and the rest rescue workers who were stung by the bees, said the state-run Anatolia news agency.

One of the crash victims later died, but it was not immediately known if he had been killed by the impact of the accident or the insect attacks, said local Gov. Ahmet Altiparmak.

The rescue workers - including local beekeepers summoned to the scene - used hoses, blankets and rags to try to ward off the bees. But it took about an hour for them to remove the crash victims from the chaotic scene, Anatolia said.

The van hit the stationary truck on a road near the Mediterranean resort of Marmaris in southwestern Turkey, injuring four people in the van and two in the truck, Anatolia said. The impact burst open the bee hives in the van.

The bees swarmed over the injured and police, medics and fire-fighters who responded to the accident, forcing authorities to seek the help of about 50 beekeepers in the area.

As the crash victims waited for help, bees swarmed over them, Anatolia said.

In a similar accident in 2006, bees repeatedly stung the two drivers of a truck that carried beehives and overturned on a road in central Turkey. Police, fire-fighters and journalists who rushed to the scene also were attacked.


No shortage of Bees in Turkey then.



Britain's most fattening burger, the Super Scooby, has gone on sale, containing more than a day's recommended total calories.

The Super Scooby is loaded with four 1/4lb beef burgers, eight rashers of bacon, eight slices of cheese, 12 onion rings, heaps of salad and three sauces. At 2,645 calories, it exceeds the daily recommended limit for men by 145 calories.

The burger stands at six inches tall, has a circumference of 13 inches, and weighs in at 1.5kg – the same as a family-sized roast chicken. It also comes with an extra side portion of chips.

The Jolly Fryer takeaway in Filton, Bristol, are offering customers the meal for £10 – and provide a free can of diet coke for anyone who can finish it in one sitting.

Not surprisingly, the challenge of "beating the beast" has so far been unsuccessful.

Among its fans is Luigi Armato, 22, who has eaten a Super Scooby once a week since its creation earlier this year.


Whatever, but it is a bit pathetic compared to this.






Bank robber James Snell has been caught by police because of the personalised number plate on his BMW car that he used to stake out his target in Cardiff.

Snell drove his car with the registration "J4MES" to set up the £100,000 raid on a Halifax branch.

His gang of four robbers was caught when a witness remembered admiring the distinctive plate on the blue BMW - and gave details to police.

Snell, 26, and his brother Wayne, 34, were traced to their hideaway and found red-handed with more than £30,000 of the cash in bank-notes.

The number plate blunder was revealed when Wayne was jailed for eight years for robbery. James will be sentenced later.

The gang decided to use heavy metal drain covers to smash their way into a Halifax branch in Roath, Cardiff.

They set off in James Snell's BMW to plan the bank heist - including watching the branch and planning their getaway.

But Cardiff Crown Court heard they were spotted by a passer-by who remembered the J4MES number plate because it stood out.

"A witness saw a passenger lean out, lift a drain cover from the road and the car drove off," Prosecutor Tim Evans said.

"Lee Norville, who works for the council's highways department, later identified one of the two covers used to smash the windows at a branch of Halifax as coming from that drain. It is clear their arrogance contributed to their undoing."

Numpty.


And finally:


Ask a Stupid Question Day comes to Britain’s schools, encouraging pupils to ask teachers the daftest things they can think of.

The tradition dates back to the 1980s in America, and took place on 28 September or the last day of the school year. Pupils are encouraged to ask their teachers ridiculous questions.

Now British children are to get the same opportunity.

Here’s a stupid question: why do we have to keep taking on American “traditions”, such as Halloween and the like?





Friday 28 August 2009

Sexy Sweets, Spanish Tomato Tornado, Teenage Turnoff, Cuban paper Crisis and Gord’s gaffe

Overslept this morning and I feel as if I have been run over by a truck, the brain cell keeps switching off and the RFBC (Rat Faced Bat Cat) has been screaming since 7.00am, but the weather is nice.

And just to make life easier, you can see the weather for my bit of 'Ampshire in the lefthand sidebar at the top.


First up:






A sweet firm has come under fire for having characters on their wrapper who look like they are having sex.

Maoam sweets use illustrations of lemons, limes and cherries looking like they are getting fruity.
Now, parent Simon Simpkins of Pontefract, West Yorkshire has complained to the firm after he bought the sweets for his children.

He told The Sun: "The lemon and lime are locked in what appears to be a carnal encounter. The lime, who I assume to be the gentleman in this coupling, has a particularly lurid expression on his face.

"I demanded to see the shop manager and, during a heated exchange, my wife became quite distressed and had to sit down in the car park."

Haribo who make the sweets said the "fun" packaging was introduced in Germany in 2002.

They added: "The jovial Maoam man is very popular with fans, both young and old."

Simple answer Simon DONT BUY THE F*****G THINGS!








40,000 “people” turned up in Bunol, 25 miles north of Valencia for the annual Tomato fight to pelt each other with 100 tons of the red fruit in the yearly food fight known as the "Tomatina," now in its 64th year.

Leaving the town filled with well, tomato puree.


I have no problem with people having fun, but have you seen the price of tomatoes in Tesco.









Youth club organisers have found a new weapon to drive out teenagers who overstay their welcome – songs from The Sound of Music.

Staff at the Hilton Community Centre in Inverness took to playing numbers from the musical after some youngsters became reluctant to leave at the end of the weekly youth club.

They have found that by playing songs from the 1960s Julie Andrews hit, such as My Favourite Things and Do-Re-Mi, the youths have been far more willing to leave at the 10pm closing time.

Classical music has also been deployed, including The Ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner, and nursery rhymes are being kept in storage for use if necessary.

John Finnie, SNP councillor for Inverness, said the fact teenagers were unwilling to leave was a tribute to the success of the club, which regularly caters for around 80 people.

He said: "It is certainly a credit to the good folk who run the club that they had to introduce this."It is all very light-hearted, but it's also having the desired effect – the young people are not hanging about for any encores."

The musicals seem to be enough for most of them, although there are nursery rhymes waiting to be deployed just in case


Is this a new way of getting the lazy little shits out of bed, or away from the front of your house?

Or will some do-gooder will say it is a breach of their human rights.






A while ago I posted about the shortage of toilet paper in Cuba, I would put in a link but I can’t be bothered.

Anyway it seems that the problem is being addressed by “retirees” who buy up the surplus newspapers and re selling them as an alternative.

The Havana retiree said he and other seniors line up before dawn to buy surplus newspapers from distribution points for factories and offices that have closed for economic reasons and shortages of electricity and raw materials, The Miami Herald reported Thursday.

The man, who requested anonymity to prevent trouble with authorities, said the seniors buy the newspapers, including the Communist party's Granma, for 20 Cuban cents -- about .007 U.S.
cents.

They then resell them to neighbours for up to 20 Cuban pesos, about 71 U.S. cents, for use as toilet paper.

Cuban officials were quoted by the official Radio Rebelde as saying the government plans to import a lot of toilet paper by the end of the year to ease the shortage


Couple of comments.

Best use I can see for newspapers, and shouldn’t that be “ease the blockage”



And finally:






Gordon Brown is facing a backbench rebellion over proposals to cut the benefits of some of the poorest families, it is reported.

Treasury plans to pare back the housing allowance by up to £15 a week will mean some claimants could lose a fifth of their income, The Times reported.

Currently, half of those receiving the housing allowance - about 300,000 people - are helped by a policy that allows them to keep up to £780 a year if they find accommodation that costs less than the maximum benefit.

But from April 1 they will no longer be able to pocket the leftover cash, in a move aimed at saving an estimated £160 million, the newspaper said.

The plan has sparked anger among Labour backbenchers, including Frank Field, the MP who led the revolt against the abolition of the 10p income tax rate.

The backbenchers are concerned that scrapping the policy would destroy competition among landlords, enabling them to raise rents to the allowance maximum.

Mr Field, who is tabling an amendment to oppose the change, told The Times: "At one stroke, they get rid of a reform aimed at getting flexibility into a fairly inflexible market by giving people incentives to shop around.

"The timing for this could have been decided in Conservative headquarters."

Homelessness charity Crisis said people on £65-a-week jobseeker's allowance could lose 20% of their income under the proposals.

The charity's chief executive Leslie Morphy said: "This proposal is ill considered and potentially counterproductive. It beggars belief that the Government intends to introduce this when, by its own admission, it has no idea what the impact on claimants will be. We urge the Government to reconsider."

I should be surprised by yet another 180 by Gord’s Gang but I’m not, is that cynicism or apathy?



I’m off to go and sit by the river.


Angus

AnglishLit

Angus Dei-NHS-THE OTHER SIDE

Angus Dei politico