Say It As It Is

Let's Say It How It Is.

ISIS, IS, or whatever else you want to call it can only be described as a bloody, evil Islamic bunch determined to achieve what the voices in their heads tell them is a Jihad where their particular brand of psychopathic lunacy is based on the utter destruction of western ways and western civilisation to be replaced by their brand of authority called sharia.

That paragraph encapsulates the basic situation.  There's no room for interpretation, intuition or a feeling in your water.  That is the aim of this godless regime.  What kind of God would prosecute or promote such ideals that encourage the decapitation and dismembering of fellow human beings in a manner so bereft of compassion that it shakes civilisation to its very core?

I was not witness to World War 2 but the horrific scenes from that time are burned into my mind for all time.  I have observed every war since and am yet to come to terms with "man's inhumanity to man", an expression so oft used than it is now no more than a cliché.  Like others I have been stunned by acts of terrorism from the single homicide bomber to the mass murder of innocents on September 11th.  It was a strange coincidence that I was up late because I had to make an international phone call and when I hung up, I turned to see a burning World Trade Centre and like many others I expected to see Bruce Willis or Schwarzenegger engaging in battle.

Instead, I watched in disbelief as the second plane hit the second tower and continued to watch as the first, then the second tower collapsed.  We were all numbed by those scenes and the aftermath and took it for granted that retaliation was imminent.

My own view was that revenge would be swift, overwhelming and devastating.  It wasn't and that was, in my opinion, a huge error on behalf of the United States and its Allies.  Their response was weak, compromised and negotiated and they were fooled by the distractions place in their path.

Today, the world and its Nations are looking on and wondering what to do to resolve this crISIS without offending.  That's right.  How can we get out of this without causing offense to others is what is being considered.  Well, to hell with that!

The extent of Diplomatic Relations should be this.  "Are you going to cease and desist with this barbarism"?  I think we already know their answer.  Orders should be given to all co-operative nations to make preparations for, and at an agreed time commence the massed carpet bombing of the areas known to be occupied by the barbarians until not a shred of a chance of survival is possible.  Those sympathetic to the cause of the barbarians ought to be advised that they are not immune to the same outcome - nuclear or otherwise when it comes to those possessing such weapons.  The strikes ought to be pre-emptive, swift, devastating and without precedent.

If there are stragglers who would continue the barbarism, hit them just as hard and as swiftly.  Home-grown sympathisers ought to be interned, Citizenship revoked and deported to a country supporting their mental illness that is islam.

There is no 'nice' solution to this and if, for a nanosecond you think that these nutters wouldn't do the same to us if appropriately equipped, then you are either mistaken or just plain deluded.

My two-bob's worth.

Journalists - My Arse.

JOURNALISTS - My Arse.

 

Tonight I listened to the radio equivalent of Looney Tunes cartoon pair Spike and Chester, a.k.a. Bolt and Price and as usual was left with a smouldering fuse.

 

Where do these two and the other lazy arsed media get off?  Their sanctimonious piffle insisting that the Prime Minister ought to make himself available to outline his daily activities and answer questions from various parts of the 'meeja'.

 

Bolt recognised that the Prime Minister rises at 4:30am and retires to bed at 11:00pm (or thereabouts), acknowledging that it was a long day and a crushing schedule.

Of course there was no consideration that wasting valuable time with talking heads answering inane questions that benefit no-one may well contribute to that load.

The place for answering questions is in the Parliament, hell, they even have time allocated for it and golly-gosh, they even have a name for it.  QUESTION TIME.  Well who woulda thunk it?

What we have here is something that has developed over many years. LAZY 'journalism' and 'cheap production values', i.e. the cost of making content for television, radio and newsprint.

Since when did we elect members of Actors Equity to show up and perform their party-piece?  Frankly, I only want to hear from our politicians when they have something IMPORTANT to announce.  The day-to-day proceedings of parliament are widely available to those who are interested and as for the others, let them have their 'tea' on their laps in front of soaps, game or reality shows!  Gawd spare me.

I don't give a fig for the 'opinions' of the ABC or SKY or any other unqualified talking hairpiece.  Nor am I interested in the opinions of opposition retards gobbing off meaningless mumbo-jumbo for the sake of a cheap show.

Our elected representatives have a huge task in front of them and I would prefer to let them go about their meaningful business rather than having interruptions caused by a bunch of no-hopers!

There are still some excellent journalists out there who actually REPORT on stories, e.g. Kate McClymont who spent endless hours at the hearings into Macdonald, Obeid, et al.  She noted, dissected and analysed the information, assembled the relevant facts, constructed the article and presented it for our consumption if we chose to read it.

These other crowds are simply lazy slobs who rely upon the sound-grab and their 15 seconds of fame on the doors in the morning.  Ask yourself, in the last 15 years, what devastating piece of information has been dropped by any politician at the doors in the morning?  Let me help you - NONE is the answer and yet day after day they roll up like Joh's chooks to be teased like a bunch of kids waiting for the Mr Whippy Van.

As I said - Journalists, My Arse.

Who you callin duBM

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE (BBC2)

Jeremy Paxman:
 What is another name for 'cherrypickers' and 'cheesemongers'?

Contestant:
 Homosexuals.

Jeremy Paxman:
 No. They're regiments in the British Army who will be very upset with you




BEG, BORROW OR STEAL (BBC2)

Jamie Theakston:
 Where do you think Cambridge University is?

Contestant:
 Geography isn't my strong point.

Jamie Theakston:
 There's a clue in the title.

Contestant:
 Leicester




BBC NORFOLK

Stewart White:
 Who had a worldwide hit with What A Wonderful World?

Contestant:
 I don't know.

Stewart White:
 I'll give you some clues: what do you call the part between your hand and your elbow?

Contestant:
 Arm

Stewart White:
 Correct And if you're not weak, you're...?

Contestant:
 Strong.

Stewart White:
 Correct - and what was Lord Mountbatten's first name?

Contestant:
 Louis

Stewart White:
 Well, there we are then. So who had a worldwide hit with the song What A Wonderful World?

Contestant:
 Frank Sinatra?



LATE SHOW (BBC MIDLANDS )

Alex Trelinski:
 What is the capital of Italy ?

Contestant:
 France

Trelinski:
 France is another country. Try again.

Contestant:
 Oh, um, Benidorm.

Trelinski:
 Wrong, sorry, let's try another question. In which country is the Parthenon?

Contestant:
 Sorry, I don't know.

Trelinski:
 Just guess a country then.

Contestant:
 Paris



                                     THE WEAKEST LINK (BBC2)

Anne Robinson:
 Oscar Wilde, Adolf Hitler and Jeffrey Archer have all written books about their experiences in what: - Prison, or the Conservative Party?

Contestant:
 The Conservative Party.




BEACON RADIO ( WOLVERHAMPTON )

DJ Mark:
 For 10, what is the nationality of the Pope?

Ruth from Rowley Regis:
 I think I know that one. Is it Jewish?



UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE

Bamber Gascoyne:
 What was Gandhi's first name?

Contestant:
 Goosey?



GWR FM ( Bristol )

Presenter:
 What happened in Dallas on November 22, 1963 ?

Contestant:
 I don't know, I wasn't watching it then.



PHIL WOOD SHOW (BBC RADIO -   MANCHESTER )

Phil:
 What's 11 squared?

Contestant:
 I don't know.

Phil:
 I'll give you a clue. It's two ones with a two in the middle.

Contestant:
 Is it five?



RICHARD AND JUDY

Richard:
 Which American actor is married to Nicole Kidman?

Contestant:
 Forrest Gump.



RICHARD AND JUDY

Richard:
 On which street did Sherlock Holmes live?

Contestant:
 Er. .. ...

Richard:
 He makes bread . . ..

Contestant:
 Er . .....

Richard:
 He makes cakes . . ..

Contestant:
 Kipling Street ?



LINCS FM PHONE-IN

Presenter:
 Which is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world?

Contestant:
 Barcelona

Presenter:
 I was really after the name of a country.

Contestant:
 I'm sorry, I don't know the names of any countries in Spain



NATIONAL LOTTERY (BBC1)

Question:
 What is the world's largest continent?

Contestant:
 The Pacific.



ROCK FM ( PRESTON )

Presenter:
 Name a film starring Bob Hoskins that is also the name of a famous painting by Leonardo DA Vinci.

Contestant:
 Who Framed Roger Rabbit?



THE BIGGEST GAME IN TOWN (ITV)

Steve Le Fevre:
 What was signed, to bring World War I to an end in 1918?

Contestant:
 Magna Carta?



JAMES O'BRIEN SHOW (LBC)

James O'Brien:
 How many kings of England have been called Henry?

Contestant:
 Er, well, I know there was a Henry the Eighth ... ER. ER ... Three?




CHRIS SEARLE SHOW (BBC RADIO BRISTOL )

Chris Searle:
 In which European country is Mount Etna?

Caller:
 Japan

Chris Searle:
 I did say which European country, so in case you didn't hear that, I can let you try again.

Caller:
 Er ..... Mexico ?



PAUL WAPPAT (BBC RADIO NEWCASTLE )

Paul Wappat:
 How long did the Six-Day War between Egypt and Israel last?

Contestant (long pause):
 Fourteen days.



DARYL DENHAM'S DRIVETIME (VIRGIN RADIO)

Daryl Denham:
 In which country would you spend shekels?

Contestant:
 Holland ?

Daryl Denham:
 Try the next letter of the alphabet.

Contestant:
 Iceland ? Ireland ?

Daryl Denham: (helpfully)
 It's a bad line. Did you say Israel ?

Contestant:
 No.



PHIL WOOD SHOW (BBC GMR)

Phil Wood:
 What 'K' could be described as the Islamic Bible?

Contestant:
 Er. ... ...

Phil Wood:
 It's got two syllables . . .. Kor . .

Contestant:
 Blimey?

Phil Wood:
 Ha ha ha ha, no. The past participle of run . . ....

Contestant:
 (Silence)

Phil Wood:
 OK, try it another way. Today I run, yesterday I . . ..

Contestant:
 Walked?



THE VAULT

Melanie Sykes:
 What is the name given to the condition where the sufferer can fall asleep at any time?

Contestant:
 Nostalgia.



LUNCHTIME SHOW (BRMB)

Presenter:
 What religion was Guy Fawkes?

Contestant:
 Jewish.

Presenter:
 That's close enough.



STEVE WRIGHT IN THE AFTERNOON (BBC RADIO 2)

Wright:
 Johnny Weissmuller died on this day. Which jungle-swinging character clad only in a loin cloth did he play?

Contestant:
 Jesus.

Lessons Ignored

As some readers will know, I am a thoroughly true blue Australian.  I am a migrant from Scotland and every single day of my life I count my blessings for the opportunities that this Great Country has given me.  It should therefore come as no surprise when I say that I am sickened but moreso saddened when I see what is going on around the Country.

You see, dear reader, I have seen it all before.  Industry, manufacturing, engineering, stevedoring, transport, mining, construction all depleted and finally wiped out.  Wiped out by union greed and government incompetence on both sides of politics I might add.

Let me give you some insight into the future that awaits by visiting the past and telling you what I know to be true.

I grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, a City with a fierce reputation for hard working, hard drinking and hard fighting men.  A reputation well earned and well deserved but in many ways it overshadowed the great achievements that were achieved by Scots in general.

Initially a massive port City the envy of any in the world and based on the River Clyde.  The city was built by the tobacco lords, the spice lords and shipping magnates.  It became one of the richest cities in the world and great development followed.

It became the world hub for shipbuilding with shipyards crammed onto the Clydeside like sardines in a can with massive ships being built for a worldwide market. They built huge cargo ships, massive warships and luxury liners.  As a boy, I watched the QE2 funnel rising into the air as she reached completion.  With the wind coming from the right direction I could hear the constant hammering of rivet and caulking guns working through the night.

What was at the time the largest standing crane in the world, the Finnieston crane, was used to load massive steam locomotives onto ships destined for the USA, India and all parts of the world including Australia. Locally produced in Glasgow, these mighty machines continue to run to this very day.

Albion trucks were manufactured alongside the shipyards and were also exported worldwide. They also supplied the local market with trucks and buses.  There was a large car manufacturing industry in the Rootes Group.

Huge underground coalmines provided the black gold that kept industries powered and homes heated.  Large cotton mills produced fine fibres and then there was Britains largest export earner immediately before the discovery of North Sea oil, liquid gold called whisky.  Fine Scotch whisky exported to every corner of the globe providing rivers of income to the government in Whitehall.

Rolls Royce had a large engineering factory manufacturing engines for a variety of uses from shipping to aircraft.

All of these industries provided employment for thousands indeed hundreds of thousands of highly skilled tradesmen, apprentices and manual labourers.

What ensued was more than a tragedy, it was criminally negligent.

So what happened?  Unions happened.  There was an uprising by union leaders and organisers. Compulsory unionism.  No ticket, no start. Demarkation disputes. Wage claims, go-slow, overtime bans, strikes, walkouts. The whole box and dice.

Picture this.  You all know the unintelligible Scot, Doug Cameron, former union thug, bully and bovva boy and now an Australian Senator. You see how he behaves but imagine hundreds like him. Raving left-wing ratbags.

They infiltrated every industry in the country and made so many demands upon decent employers, that they simply surrendered and closed causing massive unemployment and social disaster.  Governments of the day interfered but could not stop the massive decline.  They tried to nationalise shipbuilding, mining and transport, but to no avail.

Closure after closure after closure thanks to the union mugs.  Scotland is now an industrial wasteland.  It’s a call centre.  A basket case with no hope of a return to its former glory.  So very very sad.

My desription is compressed into a few paragraphs but is an accurate precis of history as I saw it.  Any of it look familiar to you, dear reader?  Look around.  Look at closures and industries in trouble. Why?  Unions have priced indusries out of the market.

Of course there are other factors at work causing the decline in Australia.  The attitude that “I want it and I want it now” is killing us. Worse the attitude of some that “I deserve to have what they have” even though not qualified to earn the same.

As an aside.  The debate about Scotland’s independence. Now that the oil is drying up, there is no industry, there are no jobs and no prospects, Whitehall is now happy to divest itself of a dead weight.  Anytime Whitehall makes anyone an offer, it only benefits Whitehall.

Welcome to your future, Dear reader.

I NEED YOUR ADVICE!

Well.  I had a call from Miss 17 today about a car and I was left stunned!

When I buy a new car, I don't trade or sell the old one. Yes I  have to pay 5 registrations but the cars are mine. Not work utes or the like, personal vehicles paid for out of my own pocket. One of those cars is a BMW 318i that I bought new and has all the bells and whistles, full service history and has only done around 120,000 klms.

I thought it would be a nice pressie for Miss 17 when she obtained her drivers license.  It is a beautiful motor car, always garaged and in top nick.

Miss 17 calls me today and says she wants to buy a car and wait for it, could she trade-in my BMW?

Now she is still at school, has no funds to buy a car and is unlikely to be able to afford one for some time.  I asked WHY she didn't want the Beemer to which she replied, it was too big and she wanted something smaller.

• a) I will not pay for another car for her.
• b) I will NOT be a guarantor for ANY loan
• c) I am stunned that ANYONE would turn down such a gift!

I'm just gobsmacked to the extent that I am prepared to bring the car here and sell it to the highest bidder.

I don't think she's ungrateful - but to be honest, I think she bloody well is!

My answer to her was "UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN SHE TRADE MY CAR"

Help please by leaving a reply, anonymous or otherwise.  When I was a kid a fifty quid bomb was as good as it gets!

Wailing on Whaling

Let me make it clear from the outset.  In an old-fashioned and myopic way, I have NO time for the Japanese as a nation or as a people.  They could slip into the ocean and I would care not one jot.  Yes, Like many, I lost members of my family in WW2 and of those who returned, their lives were ruined by the trauma of cruelty and starvation at the hands of their captors.  Unreasonable and some may say hysterical.  I cannot disagree, but I am what I am. And so to the point.

Whaling is not a nice business, nor is the slaughter of any animal.  As I recall, my last blog concerned the inhumane slaughter of cattle in Indonesia.

We here in Australia enjoy the bounties of the land and our oceans in accordance with out national traditions and diet.  We slaughter cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens in the millions.  In India, the cow is sacred but I don't hear them demanding that we cease the slaughter and cosumption of beef.  Likewise, other countries don't eat pigmeat as it is considered unclean, but I don't hear then telling us to cease the slaughter and consumption of pigs.

Millions of other species are eaten all around the world.  Dogs, cruelly beaten to death in Korea, cooked and eaten.  Some asian dishes require fish to be plunged into boiling oil while still alive.  Other creatures of the sea are cooked alive.  Lobster, Crayfish, Crabs and even our own humble yabby.

But Japan aren't the only ones whaling.  Norway and Iceland are enthusiastic whalers and openly admit they do so for food, unlike Japan who hide behind the skirts of scientific research.  We all know that's bullshit anyway.

A terrific article can be read thanks to National Geographic here:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/080627-japan-whaling.html

The closing paragraph quotes Claire Bass, of the WSPA, who conceded that cultural differences do colour the debate.

Economics in the Euro Zone.

Thought you might appreciate a quick overview of economics in the Euro Zone.

Some years ago a small rural town in Spain twinned with a similar town in Greece. The Mayor of the Greek town visited the Spanish town. When he saw the palatial mansion belonging to the Spanish mayor he wondered how he could afford such a house. The Spaniard said; "You see that bridge over there? The EU gave us a grant to build a two-lane bridge, but by building a single lane bridge with traffic lights at either end this house could be built".

The following year the Spaniard visited the Greek town. He was simply amazed at the Greek Mayor's house, gold taps, marble floors, it was marvellous. When he asked how this could be afforded the Greek said; "You see that bridge over there?" The Spaniard replied; "No."