Owsblog

Oligodontus outrage II...

2012-01-30T20:54:00.003Z

RBS chief Stephen Hester's decision not to take a bonus had become inevitable but "This sorry RBS saga isn’t over yet" [City A.M.]. Order-order highlights the obvious immediate result (click on image) with £320m wiped off RBS's value: "With mob mentality over-ruling contracts, there are obvious jitters around the banks this morning." Guido reiterates what I hinted at yesterday, "[despite] the glaring hypocrisy of sitting in the cabinet that drew up Hester’s contract, this is a short-term political win for Miliband". More amusingly we have: PM "moves to avert resignations at RBS over bonus restrictions" ...[link] (hehehe).

Oligodontus outrage...

2012-01-29T11:19:00.002Z

Banker bashing season is in full swing with even normally business friendly media hitting out to some extent. And for good reason? Possibly, along with many who were once 100% behind high incentive packages for high performance. When one considers that with RBS (the one in the spotlight right now because it is essentially taxpayer owned), the balance sheet is about 1.4 trillion quid, i.e. the same amount as generated annually by UK plc; AND look also at the multi billion losses they make AND look at the multi million salaries that the bosses receive without even taking into account the long-term** share incentives (figures that are now headlines in every newspaper). Needless to say it was Crash Gordon (enthusiastically backed by Ed Miliband anyone?) who sorted these contracts BUT it is Cameron who must now sort it now and he knows it isn't going to go away (the next few months hold many more such news stories). However, the usual problems arise: if the state wants to pay bankers a "normal" salary then they would just go and get another job wouldn't they? To pay them less they would have to put in strict contracts and probably nationalise all the banks, wouldn't they? And then, or pretty soon, all the banking talent would leave for foreign owned banks. The Independent puts the one side - what is happening, people's frustration and anger, politicians dilemma etc. - all rather well but the toothless outrage doesn't explain how to get out of the mire: that is the pile of do-dos that Cameron has to deal with [edited midday].

** Bonuses in shares are not due to be paid until 2014 - surely best to wait?

Obama's obstipation...

2012-01-25T05:54:00.002Z

President Obama said there would be "no bailouts, no handouts, no cop-outs" [link]...a sound-bite if ever there was one; who writes this shit? No bail-outs except those already undertaken and ongoing, no handouts except those already undertaken and ongoing and no cop-outs except those he manages almost daily. A SoU address not worth a sou.

Oval Office obambulation...

2012-01-23T11:40:00.000Z

OK, I know it's Fox News so will be immediately written off (by some) but this is funny: Reince Priebus tells us that "Trying desperately to save his job, Barack Obama has given up on actually doing his job"...hehehe.

"On the economy, jobs, health care, energy, the deficit, the debt, housing, lobbyists, ethics, and energy policy -- all of these issues -- the president has broken his promises to the American people. It all makes for a very unflattering before-and-after."

Oriental opening...

2012-01-23T07:17:00.007Z

The Nine Dragons

Enter the Dragon [Link]. Had a busy weekend: one fortieth birthday party, also my ex's birthday party (yes, yes of course I was invited), my son passing out as a Royal Marine Commando and a Chinese New Year party yesterday afternoon; of course the previous Golden Dragon was in 2000; I suspect the 2012 one may prove more potent and auspicious (the word 'auspicious' is from the Latin auspex, which literally means "bird seer", let's hope they're not vultures...or real dragons!); one common aspect in the belief in dragons is that they are thought to control water and particularly moving water (waterfalls, rivers, seas...rainfall, hurricanes and floods). Click on the image to view the 13th century hand-scroll by Chen Rong in full.

Online outrage?...

2012-01-20T18:33:00.002Z

"Anonymous, which briefly knocked the FBI and Justice Department websites offline in retaliation for the US shutdown of file-sharing site Megaupload, is a shadowy group of international hackers with no central hierarchy...[link] The temporary disabling of the US government websites is the latest exploit by the loose-knit hacker activists, or "hacktivists," who have taken credit for scores of online attacks over the past few years." OK...but isn't this just the sort of thing to give the powers-that-be the excuse they are looking for to push through SOPA, or more (I know they have backed off for now)? And speaking of which, isn't a digital nine-eleven just around the next corner? [edited 210112, 7a.m.]

Oakeshottian Oborne...

2012-01-19T12:05:00.002Z

Peter Oborne in today's Telegraph has an interesting piece about artist David Hockney and what his 'return tells us about the new mood in Britain' [Link]. The point being made is that Hockney is a [small c] conservative painter whose landscapes will be on public display at the Royal Academy from 21.1.12.; obviously it is nothing to do with which party Hockney votes for - Oborne continues - the Oakeshottian theme reflected in Hockney's landscapes is that of the great philosopher Michael Oakeshott wrote that "to be conservative… is to prefer the familiar to the unknown, to prefer the tried to the untried, fact to mystery, the actual to the possible, the limited to the unbounded, the near to the distant, the sufficient to the superabundant, the convenient to the perfect, present laughter to utopian bliss"; some semblance of truth in what Oborne says because Hockney himself said "Anything simple always interests me." Click on image for more.

Image: David Hockney, Rubber Ring Floating in a Swimming Pool, 1971, acrylic on canvas, 37 x 49 in. [94 x 124.5 cm.] Private collection.

Occupy ousted...

2012-01-18T16:07:00.000Z

Or hopefully they will be. The general shambles of brainless and jobless otherwise known as Occupy London will soon - subject to any appeal - have to remove their tents and rubbish; this could be voluntarily..."The City of London Corporation has won its High Court bid to evict protesters from outside St Paul's Cathedral." The policy chairman of CoL, Stuart Fraser, said: "Lawful protests are a regular part of City life but tents, equipment and increasingly, quite a lot of mess and nuisance, is not what a highway is for and the public generally is losing out"...something lost on the smellies. Giles Fraser (presumably no relation to Stuart!), the canon of St. Paul's whom you may recall resigned and has been omnipresent on the BBC these last few months - was in the public gallery for the judgement; he has assumed new levels of twatishness by saying "You can't evict an idea", well no, we just want the idea-less idiots and their tents and their piles of poo evicted.

Outrage over Omar Othman...

2012-01-17T17:36:00.002Z

Or to give him his full name, Omar Mahmoud Mohammed Othman a.k.a. Abu Qatada. "I wonder if a single person outside of the legal profession agrees that this is fair" writes Ed West in the DT. He is referring to the landmark judgement by the European Court of Human Rights whereby the UK has been told that clear-as-daylight terrorist associate and financier and 'Osama bin Laden’s right hand man in Europe' Abu Qatada cannot be deported to Jordan because he would not receive a fair trial. FFS! They're not even saying he will be tortured but that evidence possibly gained by torture may be used against him! Send him back and let them put him on trial, that would be fair. From that first link:

"Qatada has no rights upon Britain anymore than I have rights upon Jordan, and by granting him such the judges are not just undermining justice but the very sovereignty on which justice and human rights are built."

Obsessing over Obama...

2012-01-17T17:05:00.000Z

There's no other word for it: obsessing over Obama. Over at the Daily Beast they have the Newsweek magazine article from Andrew Sullivan who waxes lyrical about Obama's 'Long Game' and how POTUS will outsmart all his critics. Sullivan describes himself as a conservative-minded independent and honest enough to admit being an unabashed supporter of Obama for the last 5 years; re Obama: "The right calls him a socialist, the left says he sucks up to Wall Street, and independents think he's a wimp". It's actually a very well written and well presented article and Sullivan goes through the critiques one at a time explaining how he thinks 'the president may just end up outsmarting them all' and how 'he practices a show-don’t-tell, long-game form of domestic politics. What matters to him is what he can get done, not what he can immediately take credit for.' This last bit is incredible - and I suspect Sullivan wishes this were true - especially as the article is laying the credit on thick for things where Obama was almost just a bystander. I truly believe the exact opposite is true: I think the appearance of indecisive dithering isn't a ploy as he plays the long game, but is in fact dithering indecisiveness.

Officer overboard...

2012-01-16T17:07:00.001Z

Women and children first...after me that is: Captain Francesco Schettino (pronounced "isgettingoff?) certainly won't have impressed the beautiful lady he was drinking with for much of Friday night. The Captain of the capsized Costa Concordia cruise ship [quickly becoming notorious] is now known to have abandoned the ship before most of the passengers and crew. What a complete c#nt. Click on image (copyright AP) to enlarge.

Ominous overtones IV**...

2012-01-14T14:53:00.000Z

EU and UK version (** I have previously posted on Venezuela, Iran and others using this blog title)

'Fascism should more properly be called corporatism, since it is the merger of state and corporate power' – Benito Mussolini

"Will Italy lead the way once more, as politicians in Europe and the US watch to see what oppressive policies they may get away with?" wrote IanPJ last week, writing about 'draconian' financial measures in Italy, "including making cash transactions of more than Euro 1,000 illegal (not subject to reporting – just plain illegal").

OK, that was bad enough but he has followed up with an astounding article today with info which - I am pretty sure - 99.99% of the population didn't know: "that Police already have the power in the UK to seize amounts in excess of £1000, using the slightest of suspicions as an excuse, for which you have to prove whose money it is, what it is for and where it came from." Ok, a thousand quid is a lot of cash you say, but under this legislation 'cash' refers to: all and any currency, Postal Orders, cheques of any kind, Bankers Drafts, Bearer Bonds etc, in other words, anything.

Overdoing osculation...

2012-01-14T12:40:00.000Z

You'll understand the blog title to refer to kissing too much, however, I mean the Kiss of Death: originally this meant betrayal but we now use it for any ruinous association. Today's kiss of death is from former Labour leader Lord Kinnock; yes, the very same Neil ginger-nut 'absolutely certain that Gordon is the best man to take use through the recession' Welsh windbag and nepotistic euro multi-millionaire himself (whom, IMHO deserves credit for only one thing - standing up to the loony left) . He has come out in violent defence of Ed Miliband; I say violent because he goes on about fratricide and says "In politics, division carries the death penalty and they must learn that because, in the end, it's their own chests they will stab as well as the back of the leader of the party". He also says that EM is highly intelligent and that he is courageous (and that 'his intellectual strength is one of his greatest accomplishments').

Well I for one am looking forward to Ed showing any of these characteristics.

Osborne option...

2012-01-14T11:11:00.000Z

He puts a brave face on it but essentially Balls has changed his tune: he may try to disguise what he is saying with comments about GO's plan failing and DC's vacuousness but it is still quite an admission: "My starting point is, I am afraid, we are going to have keep all these cuts."..."It is now inevitable that public sector pay restraint will have to continue through this parliament..."I know there will be some people in the trade union movement and the Labour party who will think, of course, Labour has got to oppose that pay restraint in 2014 and 2015. That's something we cannot do, should not do and will not do".

Ed Balls: "Labour cannot duck reality".

Order ordure...

2012-01-12T19:33:00.000Z

Order-order highlight ordure: where have they built the stocks/pillory/pranger/scaffold/lamp-post for this pile of brownstuff?

Oxo obdormition...

2012-01-10T13:17:00.002Z

Oh dear, Ed isn't the first party leader to have numerous relaunches but he must be getting very fed up with being mistaken for his brother (click on image, via James Dwyer of Politics Home: BBC get the wrong Miliband and Ed is nearly an hour late!). This time, from the Oxo Tower, he tells us [Labour was] "going to do it very different from the past""...no comment.

Other options offensively...

2012-01-10T12:59:00.002Z

Seventh touch, seventh heaven; a surreal, sensational "supporter's" goal: it may sound stupid but I had tears in my eyes after that goal and the reaction of TH12 once 14, AW and the crowd...including the Leeds fans, credit to them. "Thierry is a special player and what is good for the young players at the club is that a guy who has done it all comes and prepares 100 per cent, warms up, is focused and motivated, and comes on with an immense desire to do well... He was already a legend here and now he has added a bit more to the story. It was a very happy dressing room afterwards because the players were very happy when he decided to come back. He gives us other options offensively as well... As for Thierry's goal, it was a little bit like a dream. It's the kind of football story you tell to children because our game is not often like that. But sometimes it happens and it happened for Thierry." (From Arsenal's 'Manager's email' newsletter.)

Ousted official...

2012-01-08T17:33:00.002Z

It seems the Venezuelan consulate general in Miami has been declared persona non grata and asked to leave the USA. Not many details [Spanish, English] yet but one of the first to react was ex under-secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roger Noriega, who tweeted that Livia Acosta Noguera was a 'chavista terrorist spy', not mincing his words! It's reported that the expulsion is possibly connected to a report that was broadcast at the end of 2011 claiming that Venezuelan (inc Livia) and Iranian diplomats had expressed interest in getting a group of Mexican hackers to infiltrate the White House, FBI and Pentagon websites and U.S. nuclear plants...and guess who is arriving in Caracas as I write this. The Ecuadorian daily La Republica (Ecuador, another stop, along with Nicaragua and Cuba on Ahmadinejad's tour) make no bones about the connection - click on image - with the headline: U.S. expels Venezuelan consul for relations with Iran.

Maybe Obama withdrawing the U.S. troops from Iraq wasn't an election ploy after all!

Orpington obscurantism...

2012-01-08T08:45:00.001Z

"What is the point of journalists? Increasingly in this country we see reporters publishing stories they have not written, and to which they add virtually nothing." I agree, many are just becoming like the news gathering websites that simple supply a list of links and two or three lines of the original newswire. In this case, to me there is no surprise, the BBC misinform the public again. How long before blatant lies become the norm? Oh, they are. Autonomous Mind has a damning article on the MSM:

"This is yet another example of our media being lazy, derivative and unfit for purpose , therefore ill-serving the public audience."

Taken up with the addition of the BBC's unique twist on Biased BBC blog: "This isn't factual news reporting, it is opportunist speculation mixed with personal opinion, pushed on viewers without any supporting evidence whatsoever."

P.S. It is worth reading all the comments on that first link including Bruce in defence of the journalist's lot.

Orthodox or Oriental Orthodox...

2012-01-07T15:53:00.002Z

Merry Christmas (O.S.)! They still use the Julian calendar. Off on a bit of a tangent, any electrical engineers out there would enjoy the diagram of Christian denominations (HERE).

Orange overcoat...

2012-01-06T10:19:00.006Z

Imagine a nice orange peach...hmmmm...ahem, and - apologies in advance for lack of comment - in other more serious colour news: energy issue green is black [link], clear Euroland black and white [link], red is a grey Mili-vacuum [link], black ~~twat~~ ~~twit~~ tweet vs. white (also known as black whitewash) [link], poor Blacks in red [link], overly pink picture [link] and too soon rusty blue [link]...

Update 4pm: ROFL! "Blackbusters"...Labour perfectly coordinating gaffes these days. No disrespect to Bob Holness.

Olympian opposites...

2012-01-04T09:43:00.005Z

The pursuit of gold, Olympic style vs. the perils of money. Another unfortunate 'opposite' in the Euro-zone this week that jumps out of the page: unemployment levels in Spain increased even further to record levels and stands at a horrendous 22%; in Germany, unemployment is at its lowest level since reunification, 6.8% [Link]. Also, just for info, "USD7.6 trillion of debt issued by the world's largest economies will mature this year, putting a major strain on the financial markets." Some things in life are bad...

Optimistic overture...

2012-01-03T11:14:00.000Z

...or maybe not. Just to prove that I am not all mean and blinkered 'right-wing' ideologue I would like to say well done to ex Treasury Minister Liam Byrne who has made an honest assessment in decrying the UK's bloated welfare state; Byrne has been honest before you may recall ("There's No Money Left").

"For [Beveridge], 'idleness' was an evil every bit as insidious as disease or squalor."... "He would have wanted reform that was tough-minded, and asked everyone to work hard to find a job."..."He never foresaw unearned support as desirable."... "Unemployment benefit after a certain period should be conditional upon attendance at a work or training centre"... "something for something".

Referring to the Beveridge Report, 70 years on: the gist of the report was to counter five 'Giant Evils', these were Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness. Now, almost 15 years have passed since Frank Field, the former Labour welfare reform minister was asked by Tony Blair to "think the unthinkable"...he did and was then side-lined and discarded; Liam, is this a rerun?

I would like to remind people that the committee for the Beveridge report was a cross party effort from the then wartime Coalition government. Also, other things that seem to be forgotten 'in the mists of time': "While the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party quickly adopted Beveridge's proposals, the Labour Party was slow to follow. Labour leaders opposed Beveridge's idea of a National Health Service run through local health centres and regional hospital administrations, preferring a state-run body. [ref:Beveridge, Power and Influence.]

Oncoming Ows oblectation...

2012-01-02T09:51:00.000Z

Could the start of 2012 be the gift that keeps on giving? From The Independent: "Mr Brown's private communications, along with emails belonging to a former Labour adviser and lobbyist, Derek Draper, have been identified by Scotland Yard's Operation Tuleta team as potentially hacked material.". Apparently there is no suggestion that any of the info was gained illegally and it is mainly from 2005 to 2007 so to me it suggests a new twist in the Blair vs. Brown saga.

Observer opus...

2012-01-01T00:13:00.001Z

It must be April Fools' Day already, no, we're less than 10 minutes into the New Year yet nothing will beat this all year: the most stupid headline and political attack you could imagine: "Labour turns on BBC over 'pro-coalition coverage'" [Link] LMAO!

Optimistic opportunities...

2011-12-31T21:34:00.004Z

Best wishes to all those out there that visit and read and comment on Owsblog. As 2012 makes its way around the globe I wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year. And in just over 3 weeks the Year of the Dragon begins, it's the only animal of the Chinese zodiac that is not real; I am not sure why I think that is significant but despite everything I hope it bodes well: as the great Winston Churchill said - and it goes for me too; "For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else"

Obvious odorivectors...

2011-12-30T17:32:00.002Z

Something stinks. Is your council making cuts? Are they cutting libraries and other important services that do not need to be cut and cost less than councillors expenses? If they are ask them how much they have in the bank: many councils are hoarding cash despite spending cuts - maybe for a rainy day, after all they are advised to 'keep sufficient sums of money in reserve so that they have a financial cushion to meet sudden unexpected costs' - but they had that anyway, right? Two examples of cash reserves: Labour-led Wakefield Council's will have more than doubled from 21 million quid to over 50 million and Labour-run Bolton Council's more than tripled from 23 million quid to over 80 million [oops, pdf]; these are Labour examples from the Telegraph, not doubt there are others from Lib Dem and/or Conservative run councils...no doubt... Hat-tip: Not a sheep

And talking of asking questions, John Redwood suggests a few more: "I do wish the media and journalists would sharpen their questions for 2012."

Onshore, offshore, over-sure...

2011-12-30T14:42:00.000Z

...over priced and of course over-hyped. "And that, in the end, is where the lie really is. In the attempt to sell us renewables the assumption is made that energy usage will halve. But energy usage halving has nothing at all to do with renewables, it has to do with energy efficiency. And when we compare energy efficiency plus fossil fuels with energy efficiency plus renewables we find that the renewables are twice the price of the fossil fuels." "Lying With Numbers: Green Energy Edition" from Tim Worstall in Forbes.

The lie being a report in The Guardian of Professor David MacKay, chief scientific adviser to the Department of Energy and Climate Change** that purports to challenge the view that 'sustainable energy means higher costs': "But the cost of developing clean and sustainable electricity, heating and transport will be very similar to replacing today’s ageing and polluting power stations, the analysis finds."

** Yesterday the DECC announced a GBP2.5 billion 'boost' in investment, or, in other words, about 210 grand per job created [pdf].

Oncology outrage...

2011-12-29T11:17:00.001Z

Oh dear, "Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has questioned whether the US has developed a secret technology to give cancer to left-wing leaders in Latin America.". [edit p.m. he did not want to make "reckless" accusations, he said, making reckless accustaions]. That said, when you look at the probabilities it does seem a mammoth coincidence: the recent news that the President of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has thyroid cancer follows Krusty's own battle (no announcement as to where but my "guess" HERE, third paragraph); and add to the list ex Brazilian President Lula had throat cancer and the current leader Brazilian Dilma Rousseff had lymphoma cancer. Plus President Lugo of Paraguayan was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2010...

Ominous outlook IV...

2011-12-24T17:07:00.001Z

"I read the news today oh boy, About a lucky man who..." wasn't in any of these places: Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Hungary, Argentina, Pakistan, Iraq, North Korea, Nigeria, Russia etc...all man made. Nature joins in: Philippines, New Zealand.

"Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you... ...Do they know it's Christmas time at all?"

Merry Christmas from Owsblog. Hey, cheer up!

2011-12-22T15:50:00.001Z

'The greatest story ever told' (the biggest lie, right?) hat-tip Captain Ranty

Ocean oil offensive...

2011-12-21T07:41:00.000Z

The next round has commenced. Barely a week after more oil was confirmed off the Falklands than Mercosur agree to close it's ports to ships flying the Falkland's flag (a small fishing fleet), confirming Uruguay's decision to do so last week..."...the Malvinas constitute the only remaining European colonial enclave in Latin America". They 'Desire the Right' to own them (geddit?). A Foreign Office message read "Nor we or the Falklands will yield to those pretending to intimidate or blackmail the Islands". Well, after the Euro veto, 'Britain is a Christian country' speeches etc it now seems there's a new opportunity for Cameron to be a real Conservative. (I'm joking!...a bit)

Obeli overload - outing obscurantism...

2011-12-13T17:24:00.004Z

The story that sunk a newspaper. Now, Who will say sorry to Rupert? writes Kelvin MacKenzie in the Spectator. I agree; many won't sympathise with the billionaire media mogul (informal caveat: of course there are many phone-hacking victims and scandals that the NOTW was guilty of, along with [edit Wed 14th] other newspapers - by far the worst culprit is the Mirror [click on image for info obtained from the British Information Commissioner's 'Operation Motorman' investigation by Guido], along with the Daily Mail, The Guardian etc.) but it was the Milly Dowler "news" that became the straw that broke the camel's back and the final reason that the Leveson inquiry was set up! Rupert Murdoch was clearly shaken with events and deserves an apology - if not vast compensation - from The Guardian (and Nick Davies and Alan Rusbridger in particular).

"So what price has Nick Davies paid since he tried to slip his deliberately unintelligible apology into Page 10 of The Guardian on Saturday? None at all. Not suspended. Not sacked. What price has , the paper’s ho-hum £500,000-a-year Editor paid? None at all. Not suspended. Not sacked. Not a peep out of the management. You might think they’d call an emergency Board meeting, and sling him out for a mistake of this magnitude."

P.S. No the irony isn't lost on me! I know an ex Sun hack (oh, shouldn't use that word should I!) who worked under KM.

Outside observations...

2011-12-11T16:25:00.001Z

A day for everything; everything for a day. 11th December is International Mountain Day [UN link] and this year's theme is "Mountains and Forests." ..."Healthy mountain forests are crucial to the ecological health of the world. They protect watersheds that supply freshwater to more than half the world’s people. They are also home to untold wildlife, provide food and fodder for mountain people and are important sources of timber and non-wood products." In many parts of the world mountain forests are under threat; protection and development of mountain forests is of more importance than most people realise: as a large proportion of world population relies directly on 'freshwater stored in mountains for drinking, cooking and washing, irrigation, hydro-power, industry and transportation.' Click on image to enlarge.

Obstrobogulous overture...

2011-12-10T21:45:00.000Z

This is only the beginning. "As dramatic as Cameron's veto may seem now, I suspect it is merely one of many acts". Essential reading at Open Europe blog: following on from the very informative (and easy to understand!) report: "CONTINENTAL SHIFT: Safeguarding the UK’s financial trade in a changing Europe" [Link to pdf] earlier this week they now post "Ten myths about Cameron's EU veto". After a plethora of misquotes, misunderstandings and at times downright propaganda by others, Mats Persson sheds light and belies certain news outlets and Europhobe politicians of all hues. Well worth a read.

Obvious obnubilation...

2011-12-10T10:22:00.003Z

Why are we surprised: the overt obfuscation due to rampant pro EU zeal by the BBC is becoming nauseous. If I hadn't seen and heard a lot of it myself I would have thought those telling me were exaggerating the bias. "Cameron enjoys his best ever newspaper coverage but the BBC is spinning for Brussels" [ConHome], they also have a good image of the main newspaper headlines today."All that has been missing is black armbands and solemn music" [Biased BBC]."How Europhile BBC turned triumph over Britain's veto into disaster" [Daily Mail]. Admitted these sources have their own agenda but they don't claim otherwise...and nobody is forced to pay for it!

Obeisance over "out" option...

2011-12-09T10:40:00.004Z

Twats tweet: Ed Miliband: "Outcome at last night's EU summit was a sign of weakness from David Cameron - why did he fail to build alliances before the summit?". David Miliband: "UK jumped into rowing boat with Hungary next to 25 nation supertanker. That is weakness not strength". Douglas Alexander said Cameron's (you mean Britain's?) isolation in Europe was "a sign of weakness not of strength". [Mirror...red reflections]

Hmm, nothing like agreeing the message beforehand; it wouldn't be so sad and obvious if they weren't trying to say black is white! Glorious isolation: IMHO we will be Better Off Out, two speed Europe or not.

Oppressive outlook...

2011-12-08T21:18:00.002Z

Today I received (again) an email that was originally made ~~for~~ about Mexican immigrants to the US: adapted now for the UK Many of the punishments are not 100 percent accurate -some underestimate - but you can chop and change as you see fit and they are near enough...you get the idea!:

If you cross the North Korean border illegally you get 12 years hard labour
If you cross the Iranian border illegally you are detained indefinitely.
If you cross the afghan border illegally, you get shot.
If you cross the Saudi Arabian border illegally you will be jailed.
If you cross the Chinese border illegally you may never be heard from again.
If you cross the Venezuelan border illegally you will be branded a spy.
If you cross the Cuban border illegally you will be thrown into political prison to rot.
If you cross illegally into Britain you get...a job, a driver’s license, national insurance card, welfare and many benefits, subsidized rent or a loan to buy a house (sometimes where most can't afford to live) free education, free health care, public documents printed in your language, the right to carry your country's flag while you protest that you don't get enough respect from the British. And, in many instances credit cards and you can vote.

Also it seems you get to bend and break the laws at will. Paraphrasing Leo McKinstry: if the cowardice and self-loathing exacerbated by the supine, guilt-ridden mindset of our lily-livered ruling class liberal elite continue to "refuse to expect the same standards of civilised behaviour from certain minorities that they demand of the indigenous population", then, Ows opines, "Like the Roman, I see the River Tiber foaming with much blood".

Osawatomie Obama...

2011-12-07T07:32:00.001Z

Osawatomie, Kansas. Could the worm be turning? No. However David Preiser's 'Stop Press' over at Biased BBC writes how at last - at long last - the BBC has actually put up something that doesn't show Barack Obama in a good light. needless to say the arms to Mexico debacle (and subsequent misinformation) plus the eco billions wasted (most given to Democrat donors) and the overall 'corruption goes almost entirely unreported (or cleansed of any mention of you-know-who)...imagine if it were Bush.

Ostara optical offering...

2011-12-06T21:04:00.004Z

OK, I know it's not Easter but bear with me...in Anglo–Saxon myth Ostara was goddess of the moon, fertility, and spring; she was often depicted with a hare’s head or ears, and with a white hare standing in attendance. Elsewhere it has been suggested that her lights, as goddess of the dawn, were carried by hares. This blogpost is to help draw attention to Magick4Terri, a fundraiser to benefit Terri Windling (Click on image for Terri's "The Symbolism of Rabbits and Hares") and my mate Charlie is doing her bit:

"Magick 4 Terri is a heart warming and magical fundraising initiative organised by the friends and colleagues of editor, artist, and writer Terri Windling in her time of need."

Charlie's painting is of The Triple Hares, an eternal cycle; the circular motif has an optical illusion: each hare has two ears yet there seems only three ears in total; the "ancient symbol of three hares or rabbits running in a circle and joined by their ears which form a triangle at the centre of the design." [Link] The hare often appears in world mythology and "was believed to have mystical links to the female cycle and to the moon which governed it."

Otiose outrecuidance...

2011-12-02T16:28:00.002Z

What could they have been thinking by producing are THIS? On January 1st the EU will celebrate the first 10 years of the Euro euro banknotes and coins. Incredibly, the unbelievably inane and sanctimonious sounding soundtrack fails to mention the EU once; Europe is mentioned continuously.

Hat-tip: England Expects via EU Referendum.

Offensive? Obviously OTT? Or only one opinion...

2011-12-02T13:14:00.008Z

OTT, LOL, FFS! Not one for bandwagon jumping but...On Thursday night the BBC had received 5000 complaints...this morning it was over 21,000. This sounds like an orchestrated witch-hunt which means the Unions and their lefty minions have really got into a hissy fit and are trying to ratchet-up the faux outrage...and were looking increasingly stupid with their calls for sacking and even talk of legal action... luckily even dick-heads like Prentis saw the stupidity and accepted Clarkson's apology. John Prescott said that he knew "Jeremy Clarkson likes winding people up but it's worth pointing out he gets £1m a year from the licence fee/public sector." Nice one John, this made the BBC even more uncomfortable as they have more than a few grossly overpaid from the public purse.

Matt, brilliant, as usual

Jon Trickett, Labour's shadow minister for the Cabinet Office got even more political by not only calling for an apology but saying "And the prime minister should make clear he disassociates himself from the distasteful remarks uttered by one of his friends." Twat! And naturally Ed Miliband get's it so wrong AGAIN: Interestingly, in the Guardian (of all places!) an online poll with the question "Should Jeremy Clarkson apologise for his comment?" I was pleasantly surprised to see the following:

53.3%: No. Lighten up, it was just funny banter
46.7%: Yes. He crossed the (picket) line

No surprise at the DT, hehe. And, in the same DT (Ows update 3:30pm GMT) James Delingpole NAIL'S IT today: "How the BBC ganged up with the militant Left to attack Jeremy Clarkson".

Oxygen of openness, or opprobrium?...

2011-12-01T20:27:00.002Z

In 2002, a new think tank Migration Watch UK warned that the UK could expect a net inflow of at least two million non-EU citizens per decade...The Independent, August 6, 2002: "Migration Watch UK is a nasty little outfit, and its duplicitous research should be treated with the gravest suspicion." WRONG! The Guardian, 7 August 2002: "A swamp of muddled thinking". WRONG!

This week, Sir Andrew Green, Chairman of Migration Watch UK said: "...our figures and predictions have been consistently accurate since our formation, however much they have tried to pretend otherwise."..."It is now abundantly clear that the public do not share the enthusiasm for the mass immigration that has changed parts of the UK beyond recognition and has, in many cases, weakened community cohesion."

"It is shameful that the political system was intimidated for so long by false innuendo from the Left about racism. As a result, three million immigrants were admitted by the previous government between 1997 and 2010 while one million British citizens left the UK."

Ophidian office....

2011-11-30T14:20:00.001Z

Ssssivil sssservice ssstrike. Possible deadly strike news! Mr Hakkul is an Indian snake-charmer who is "usually called in whenever a snake is spotted in the area and he has saved many lives over the years, local journalist Mazhar Azad told the BBC." However he has got fed up with waiting after various years of petitioning various government offices with the aim of getting "a plot of land where he can 'conserve' his snakes."

Meanwhile, back in the UK, we can hope that striking public sector workers have now been told /learnt /realise the truth: that their pensions are better than most; if they really want fair then a bigger surprise awaits them...I mean they are inconveniencing the very people that CONTRIBUTE to their pensions.

Orinoco 'oro' observations II...

2011-11-27T16:34:00.001Z

Well it was announced back in August and has now begun...the gold has "come from European countries" but we know most of Venezuela's foreign gold reserves are/were in London. The repatriation "has historic value, it has symbolic value, and it has financial value" said the Venezuelan bank chief Nelson Merentes. Indeed...there may well be various other reasons for the move but with the state of the Eurozone who'd not think this was a good idea?

Oliver's outburst...

2011-11-25T13:18:00.003Z

There's a song and dance today from the unofficial opposition. TV Chef Jamie Oliver tells the Guardian - and is brought in (BBC News) to decry - the "erosion" of school meal food standards!! And the Local Authority Catering Association saying "Our members are telling us that they have been approached by academies to relax the rules"; shock horror...what is this huge erosion? Are some children being force-fed nuclear waste by evil Tories? No, some schools (one, ten, thousands?) are requesting the return of vending machines for confectionery and other snacks, especially for mid-morning, which suggests hungry children to me and it all sounds like the same old agenda: find a half story and use edit and omission to bash the coalition.

The government has hit back saying there's "no reason to believe that academies will not provide healthy, balanced meals that meet the current nutritional standards. In fact, the School Food Trust tells us that some of the best schools in terms of attitudes to food and meals are academies."

Outrageous Ows...

2011-11-23T02:27:00.001Z

I mean outrageous Span Ows (me) and not outrageous OWS (the aimless smellies run by corrupt spongers in New York). OK; I say outrageous me because I am going to decry the ridiculous news that "Basic home care help 'breaching human rights'" [BBC]. First the caveat: "The home care review said about half of people who had given evidence reported real satisfaction with care". Good. Next, the problem I have: the common complaints made by others:
1. Older people not being given enough support to eat and drink, with some staff arguing health and safety restrictions prevented them preparing hot meals.
2. Neglect because care workers stick rigidly to their tasks, such as a case when a woman was left stuck on the toilet because staff were too busy.
3. Financial abuse, including money being systematically stolen over a period of time.
4. Chronic disregard for privacy and dignity, such as leaving people unwashed and putting them to bed in the afternoon.
5. Patronising behaviour, with cases highlighted including staff talking on mobile phones while they tended to clients.
6. Physical abuse involving pushing and rough handling.

All these problems can be resolved by simply removing the carer...thereby 'curing' these breaches of human rights. Immediate results are a major cost saving and reduction of human rights abuses. Thank you.

P.S. (late update): just to be clear -I'm not a monster - what irritates me is the HR thing.

Ominous offer...

2011-11-21T22:25:00.000Z

Albert Einstein apparently said: "Insanity is doing the same things again and again expecting different results."

Oops...

Organising ordure options...

2011-11-19T22:18:00.002Z

All but forgot about this. I posted about it before: today is World Toilet Day, the purpose of which is to raise global awareness of those without access to proper, clean sanitation (billions of people); giving them a proper place to shit. Click on image for the website.

Below is the same Mahatma Ghandi quote I posted before:

"Sanitation is more important than independence."

'Obese' officialdom...

2011-11-19T21:56:00.003Z

Trimming the fat, or slashing the FATS (Framework Agreement for Technical Support) which is what is needed: in the midst of apparent cuts in numbers of soldiers an internal audit tells us that they're a bunch of wasteful shits that have no fucking idea how to get value for money nor give a shit because it's only taxpayers' money. Well, not in so many words but it does say that MOD has an army of consultants on which the spending has increased from six million quid in 2006 to 297 million in 2010 (2011 will be £267m) WTF? Like the Border Agency screw-ups, once again, we are told (by Defence Secretary, Philip Hammond) that the "legacy of mismanagement is deep and will take some time to turn around." A new FATs scheme due to begin in April next year should be more tightly controlled...don't hold your breath.

Oscar Ortega's Obama obsession...

2011-11-17T22:32:00.000Z

They're making this too easy. The man suspected of shooting at the White House this week has been arrested: Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez. Apparently he "believed he was Jesus and thought President Barack Obama was the anti-Christ" [Huffpo]. It has just been confirmed that he will be charged with trying to assassinate Obama even though POTUS was a few thousand miles away. This will be a great media left vs. right shite-fest though: a Latino from a state with a history of far right groups, who has "Israel" tattooed on his neck (probably his granddad's name or similar btw) and on a mission from God? Is he OWS or Tea Party? That's a joke! :-)

Odd Obama osculation...

2011-11-17T22:08:00.003Z

Click image to enlarge...if you dare. Not sure Benetton are making too many friends in their Unhate** campaign. The US aren't happy re POTUS kissing the Chinese President Hu Jintao and Hugo Chavez (not at the same time, that would be gross...). And expect some [religious] protests and attacks over THIS one.

** "With its new worldwide communication campaign United Colors of Benetton invites the leaders and citizens of the world to combat the “culture of hatred” and creates the UNHATE Foundation."

Ostentatious outrage?...

2011-11-17T14:37:00.000Z

Youth unemployment...they're all shrieking like harpies: the education Unions are all making lots of noise blaming the coalition government's "policies and paucity of thought" for the "shocking" and "appalling" figures; reading the quotes on that BBC article I'd say it was union officials playing politics (or proving they are not very well educated perhaps?). How can such a 'longstanding' and 'deep-rooted' problem be because the Coalition cut the EMA? How can the numbers have been 'shocking' when the trend has been upward for 10 years? The figures aren't good - but below he EU average - however, I tend to agree with Phil Taylor - Ealing Conservative Councillor; he says "Youth unemployment – the headlines mislead" [Link].

Octopodiformes Order...

2011-11-17T13:06:00.001Z

Oral view. (Wiki)

The Vampire Squid, Vampyroteuthis infernalis: the superorder is Octopodiformes and the order is Vampyromorphida but that's not the 'order' of this blog post title: the order of the title is the New World Order: "Goldman Sachs rules the world"..."the new president of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, Italy’s new prime minister, Mario Monti, and the new Greek prime minister Lucas Papademos all reportedly have the US investment bank as a common denominator."

Hat-tip: James Delingpole.

"we are being shafted by a political bankster corporatist elite which doesn't give a stuff about us... we are of no consequence to the New World Order they wish to impose on us... Beware the Vampire Squid: whether you are on the Left or the Right it will feast on your blood and suck you dry all the same."

Sources and more reading: A World to Win, Le Monde, Liberal Conspiracy.

2011-11-11T13:18:00.002Z

Outrageous opportunism III...

2011-11-09T14:26:00.000Z

...I am sure I am not the only one being open-mouthed in amazement at the brazen and shameless opportunism of Labour over the temporary relaxation of passport checks by (the buck stops with her? Not) Theresa May. Those slimy sacks of shit are those directly responsible for the overall immigration fiasco the UK find itself in: Jack Straw, David Blunckett, Alun Michael; throw in Yvette Cooper, Keith Vaz and others for good measure. Jeez, they quadrupled annual net immigration in addition to the hundreds of thousands of people entering the country illegally. As I have posted many times before, Migration Watch has been on the case; interestingly their petition 'no to 70 million' rocketed in record time to the required amount of signatures to trigger a parliamentary debate. The aim should be Balanced Migration.

Oppugnant Osborne on octroi...

2011-11-09T13:18:00.001Z

Good! The City will be pleased that GO has confirmed his opposition to a financial transaction tax.

"Ogynistism"...

2011-11-07T11:46:00.000Z

They've done it again! Venezuela has produced another title-winning beauty; this time the winner is an orphan raised by nuns: Ivian Lunasol Sarcos Colmenares. The blog title refers to the demonstrators outside where at least one placard read 'Miss-Ogynist'; these protesters think this sort of show is the soft end of porn by "reducing women down to the sum of their parts"; Kat Banyard, founder of the UK Feminista (apparently for men too - no, honestly) and author of 'The Equality Illusion', goes further: "...Miss World has absolutely no place in a world that treats women and men equally" because it indoctrinates people with its "very harmful" and "toxic" ideals**...right love...Ivian has already created her own foundation to help children (as well as wanting to work with children) comes from a very religious background (and country) and lives in a region devout to the Coromoto Virgin (Virgin Patron of Venezuela). Click on image for miss World site.

** Just a thought but do men protest at the male equivalent beauty contests?

Outraged of Oxford...

2011-11-04T07:20:00.000Z

Why should it be Cambridge? Ah, I see, the population of said city. Oxfordians will be outraged because in fact the number in question** is almost exactly half way between the populations of Oxford and Cambridge...but I digress: outraged anyway because it seems 98,000 asylum seekers who cannot be found (FFS!) and 26,000 immigration cases have been swept under the carpet. New Labour let them in but the Coalition seem to have decided they don't want to/can't do anything about them. Not good enough!

** A total of 124,000...a whole city's worth...think about that.

Other Occupier's options...

2011-11-04T06:54:00.002Z

Extreme religious fundamentalists...

By now, 406 years ago, a man would be preparing the final touches to The Jesuit Treason (The Gunpowder Plot); by midnight on the 4th November it had been foiled; it was an attempt at mass murder, destruction and the prime aim was regicide: it was a religious fundamentalist plot. The Fawkes mask that many are using in current protests (to hide their identity?...clearly no real commitment to their cause then...oh, "What cause?", you ask, good question) is based on the plotter that was caught guarding the explosives beneath the House of Lords, or, the V for Vendetta character, except that both these had very, very clear objectives. The OLSX crowd have no clear aim one achievement so far: the Rt Rev Michael Colclough - canon pastor of St Paul's Cathedral - has insisted that the cathedral and the C of E's reputation had not been damaged by recent events...hmmm...maybe OLSX is really another Catholic plot! Anyway, as long as they remain peaceful they'll probably maintain some goodwill - unlike elsewhere - but, to quote TheGeneral in the comments from BBBC, why will no interviewer ask "Just what exactly do you want done, who do you want to do it and to what time scale?".

P.S. If you have time to spare it wold be worth a read of David Prieser's account and opinion from last weekend on the US 'Occupiers'.

P.P.S. Paul, Gildy tells us you're fine and will be back (maybe revamped or with a different blogging platform?)

Oborne on ossified 'opposition'...

2011-10-28T17:19:00.000+01:00

"Coming to the BBC, an everyday story of bias and falling standards"...coming? Peter Oborne in the DT this week:

"Sadly, it is only very rarely that the BBC keeps its side of the bargain, and this negligence is starting to become a scandal. Rather than representing the nation as a whole, it has become a vital resource – and sometimes attack weapon – for a narrow, arrogant Left-Liberal elite."

"This problem is made much worse by the fact that bias is not the only problem. A further difficulty is lack of standards. It is not simply the opinions of BBC producers and reporters that are suspect. So are the facts they put in front of the public" (my emphasis); I would agree with Oborne, admittedly it is a minor part of total BBC output but the omission of facts - which, it must be said, is akin to lying - on various topics not part of the indoctrinated BBC view, is also a daily occurrence.

Hat-tip: Biased BBC.

Overpopulation oddity...

2011-10-28T16:48:00.000+01:00

World population is reaching 7 billion next month (I'd go for 11/11/11 just because it's a great date). What's your number? ask the BBC, but look at the graph - the same as most others - I've mentioned on more than one occasion about overpopulation and I've also asked why all the 'powers that be' show world population rise trend lessening: "- the number of years between billions has shrunk alarmingly: "two billion in 1927 (est), three billion in 1960, four billion in 1974, five billion in 1987, and six billion in 1999"...you see the very clear pattern." What is the reason they think 12 - 14 billion by 2050 (or higher really if the current trend continues) isn't more likely?

Oddity...

2011-10-28T16:32:00.006+01:00

Or odd ditty: you're overrated, you're overvalued, you're overstretched, you're over, you're out, you're o, euro. Or maybe not quite yet [edit] "Markets may believe this for a bit. The first reactions have been to rally on the news."

Off topic...sort of, late edit re the possibility of a debate and referendum : "The House having divided: Ayes 111, Noes 483." Did your MP offer their constituents and you a say on the EU? Less than 20% did: the list is under John Redwood's contribution HERE:

"We need to wake up. We need to do what the British people want us to do. We need to take responsibility for governing this country. We need to enact the laws. We need to debate and argue about it in here. Brussels has too much power. The British people need a say. Let us have a vote."

Occupy objicient...

2011-10-22T08:45:00.003+01:00

A few html issues now! "A satirical take on Occupy Wall Street in the style of talking blues...". Go to the site and listen to it and a few others by Jon HERE.

Ocracy oblectation...

2011-10-19T07:58:00.001+01:00

Great giggle to start the day: Thought of the Day (from today's International Man communique):

"Feeling good about government is like looking on the bright side of any catastrophe. When you quit looking on the bright side, the catastrophe is still there." P. J. O'Rourke.

Ordure or obstipation...

2011-10-18T09:53:00.002+01:00

The news that some motorbikes may begin to smell poo - instead of just sounding like turkeys farting - has turned out to be more shitty reporting...it seems the stories of a Toilet Bike powered by the driver's poo are not all they seem: the bike (and its comfy looking 'throne' seat) was only developed to advertise Toilet maker Toto's environmental activities; the bike is in fact powered by a bio-gas fuel sourced from livestock waste and household waste-water (click on image for article).

Ongoing OWS: occupation ontology...

2011-10-18T07:29:00.004+01:00

This may look similar to the blog-post title immediately below but it isn't: [edited 8 a.m.] this is another Occupy post. "The potentials and contradictions of the OccupyWallStreet movement are far too many to enumerate." Nail on head! From Unemployed Negativity (so was the great image). It's about the on-going Occupy protests (will something as simply as winter chill be what finally dissipates the protests?). Every report I've read and every interview with anyone involved seems to throw up different reasons for protest and different grievances; one good thing is that - at least on the surface - there seems to be no party political angle at all. I found that 'Unemployed' post via Rob Horning yesterday on PopMatters, his opinion too nailed it for me:

"So basically the debate seemed to go in circles for me. I think the governmentality critique needs to be taken seriously. I think that the protests do form a material basis for the articulation of a different kind of subjectivity, and the longer the protests persist, the more plausibility and ideological heft that subjectivity has. But I also think that inability to measure the degree to which that emerging alternative is actually changing people’s sensibilities and changing how they live and conceive what is possible makes the protests hard to sustain, especially in the face of empiricist critiques and the practical demand for tangible accomplishments."

Ongoing Ows...

2011-10-15T07:55:00.000+01:00

Well, hello...almost back to normal now; I have just spent one of the worse weeks I have had for a long time*: Owsblog - along with at least 30 other blogs - was hacked and looked like THIS. The blog is now pretty much as it was, not 100 percent but as near as damn it (previous posts and comments weren't effected and most of the template were backed up) but it doesn't feel the same as I have not 'won' it back, it was released by the hacker so I can only assume he (odds are it's he?) can do the same again whenever he likes. My personal e-mail was also hacked and spam sent to all my contacts, this was no coincidence and I end the week with my Hotmail, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts deleted. I began to have serious fears of identity theft but that appears not to be the case. I hope from now on things are settled.

* This is worrying in itself but it does confirm what I already know.

back in control...making changes...

2011-10-14T20:42:00.001+01:00

Oneirataxic odorivector occupation?...

2011-10-10T19:46:00.006+01:00

If you're looking for OWS blog then I can safely say - and being very polite too - YOU'RE IN THE WRONG PLACE! Chris Hedges has written in the 2nd 'Occupied Wall Street Journal' that "The goal to us is very, very clear. It can be articulated in one word—REBELLION. What the elites fail to realize is that rebellion will not stop until the corporate state is extinguished." Wrong! (and really a bit laughable, don't you think?) The first link asks a few pertinent questions but it really does appear to be those that pretend to be the great unwashed doing what they do...again. Image and more from A Tangled Web.

Odious ophidian...

2011-10-07T09:18:00.000+01:00

Well, the fat useless (but highly paid) git isn't really ophidian (snake-like) but he certainly spits venom; no doubt he also writes in green ink; ironically this is how he accuses Sarah Palin of being "Shriekily filled with venom" against Obama. The Aged P over at Biased BBC rips MM a new one, deservedly so as MM starts with a complete lie and the article goes downhill from there in a lying shit-fest opinion piece. Is it really so news-worthy that someone not running for POTUS announces they're not running for POTUS?

P.S. More great reading on why Mark Mardell isn't fit for purpose.

Overdue ovation...

2011-10-04T18:22:00.002+01:00

Bojo's mojo? He does seem to have livened up the proceedings at the Conservative Conference. Rhubarb or Viagra? I presume Melanie's opinion is shared by any 'real' conservative Conservative; he is also perfectly placed - being 'outside' the Coalition - to swoop; if he does, will he pick his time well? And I wonder what was in DC's mind as joked last night and as one that led the ovation for Boris today.

Osborne's optimism...

2011-10-01T18:49:00.000+01:00

A poll of almost 1400 members for ConservativeHome found that although just over 40% agree with the level of measures being taken by the Chancellor George Osborne, however, more than 50% think 'that his spending scaleback should be faster and deeper', (click on image to enlarge) to avoid tax rises or that there should be some sort of tax cut policy to aid growth. Tax cuts before the next election are something George has all but ruled out today...mind you, he did say "unlikely" and of course who knows when the next election will be! The optimism is obvious in the interview in the DT today, however, as the Economist mentions today - also it must be said - in a fairly optimistic outlook:

"British policymakers should do all they can to lift the economy. But they know that Europe might ultimately decide its fate."

Onward oldies...

2011-10-01T12:39:00.000+01:00

Great news for any old gits that are good at their job and want to continue! Forced retirement when reaching the Default Retirement Age (DRA), 'regardless of someone's ability to work' has ended. Mind you, this may just be the intro to various measures to soften the introduction of higher retirement ages.

Oppugnant onomatomania...

2011-09-27T19:05:00.002+01:00

FFS! PC BBC BCE/CE or BC/AD? Boris got in a huff, over this puff, but there's enuff stuff to belie the hysterics; that said some presenters clearly are using the trendy meaningless BCE/CE and the website for BBC Religion and Ethics does seem to prefer the newer terms.. headed by Aaqil Ahmed;...surely Aaqil is not offended? And surely it makes no difference because according to most BBC news/political output that I've heard over the last few months time started in May 2010.

Osmatic oppidan...

2011-09-27T18:45:00.001+01:00

I did say blogging would be light but some things need sharing: picture this: yesterday I was lucky enough to observe - in Providence Place, Bedminster, Bristol - a lady walking her pet...skunk!

Obvoluted opinions...

2011-09-20T18:50:00.003+01:00

"3, 2, 1...you're back in the room"

Tim Montgomerie notes that most of the ~~ear~~ big wigs: Hughes, Farron, Cable and Huhne all seem to be vying for position amongst themselves both in the 'who will take over from Clegg' stakes and in out-doing each other in their derogatory remarks about the Conservatives. At least Vince gets one thing spot-on (however, Vince the Cable is also calling for more quantitative easing from the Bank of England):

"Many of our problems are home-grown. Gordon Brown regularly advised the rest of the world to follow his British model of growth. But the model was flawed. It led to the highest level of household debt in relation to income in the world. It produced a dangerously inflated property bubble. It encouraged a bloated, banking sector while manufacturing declined at an unprecedented rate. Then, they socialised the costs of the crash though a massive budget deficit, the biggest of any major economy. His disciple, Ed Balls, has – sort of – apologised but advocates policies that would repeat the disaster."

Out, OUT or out...

2011-09-19T14:21:00.004+01:00

The British allergy continues but is the 'British federasty' really dead? I would take the news that 120 Conservative MP eurosceptics want a 'clear plan' with a large pinch of salt; more HERE: "Holed below the waterline."

Optimum outcomes: one organisation; one orthodoxy...

2011-09-13T23:47:00.000+01:00

"What’s in a name?" Asks David Melding (My Christian namesake, my countryman -in part - and even born in the same week). Why change the name? They won't believe you all of a sudden. The BBC - as usual - prefers more polemic headlines: "Thatcher legacy hampers Welsh Tories"; the BBC hate her of course. David wants to change the name of the Welsh Conservatives because due to the 1980s pit closures "Many people say to us they could never vote Conservative"; however he assuages this by adding "About twice as many people say that of the Conservative Party as any other party in Wales"; I ask 'Is that all'? Instead of a name change perhaps a bit of truth.

In terms of both production and manpower employed Welsh coal output peaked in 1913 (yes, nineteen thirteen); this was the year my great grandfather died in the worse mining disaster in the UK in the Universal Colliery (Senghenydd Explosion). The 1920s saw depression in the coal industry and the 'decline of the coal industry during the period 1919-39 turned South Wales into an area of mass unemployment', [Link]: hundreds of pits closed and the number employed halved. During WW2 the government took control and the industry (as it had done in the Great War) but this time the industry moved towards nationalisation; (from 1943/44 my dad was a Bevin Boy) in 1945 the National Union of Mineworkers came into being.

"However, nationalisation did not prevent the long, steady decline of the coal mining industry in Britain nor prevent on-going pit closures. Throughout the 1950s, 60s and 70s the decline continued."

Distal smaller pits farther up the valleys were closed due to lack of manpower, workers went elsewhere and oil, natural gas and nuclear were growing; absenteeism in the 60s was about 20% (who'd blame them?) and those available were shifted to the bigger 'long life' pits further down the valley so those rural communities suffered. Maggie may not be a saint to most but she shouldn't be cast as the Devil.

Ominous October...

2011-09-13T07:44:00.001+01:00

“It’s now all about what the stress tests never tell you”...The Slog on Greeks' caring shifts (sorry) as they admit there's no money. Deutschemarks on the printer...?

Ollie on outstanding Olympians...

2011-09-12T21:38:00.001+01:00

Whilst Britain seems to be fading from former glories in the track and field 'major' events (with of course honourable exceptions) we seem to be doing well at the other 'less popular' sports: sailing, rowing etc to name but two. However there is another where we could sweep the board if all goes well (now I've said that there's no hope!): "Why are the British dominating world triathlon?" Well Ollie Williams will tell you: and a clean sweep at U23 bodes well for the future. All the links in Ollie's blog-post are interesting; not least that of Jack Maitland one of the triathlon coaches, who remains the only non-Nepalese man in the fastest times list of the Everest Marathon.

Ottomans ousted...

2011-09-11T18:29:00.002+01:00

Today many in the world will remember the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in New York - most will never forget. Today in London, a group of radical Muslims decided to protest and they burnt a US flag outside the American Embassy (click on image for news); amusingly - if anything about this can be amusing - they say it's the American's fault for being in Muslim lands etc conveniently forgetting centuries of Muslim invasions and atrocities certainly long before the USA was a world power. Perhaps they have long memories:

September 11th 1693: one of the most important battles of the 17th century after the march for the Relief of Vienna ends in a decisive victory led by Jan III Sobieski - king of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth - over far superior numbers at the Battle of Vienna.

September 11th 1697: an amazing and crushing victory led by Eugene of Savoy (this was 'his first independent command'; it was to be 'the first of a series of spectacular campaigns' [Wiki]) over the superior numbered force at the the Battle of Zenta.

Islam will NOT dominate the world.

Oblique, opaque organisation...

2011-09-07T22:52:00.001+01:00

"Refounding Labour started life as a good old fashioned vanity project... ...But then things started to get out of hand... ...Then some strange rumors began to circulate about what was emerging behind the closed doors of this open and inclusive consultation... ...Then on Monday, via that traditional form of internal communication – a leak to the Guardian – Labour members learned how they’re planning to transform their own movement... ...A good, old fashioned opaque, tightly managed consultation is going to be followed by a good, old fashioned NEC stitch up and a good, old fashioned, our-way-or-the-highway resolution to party conference." LOL! Great stuff and well written by Dan Hodges, contributing editor of Labour Uncut. hat-tip Prodicus.

Only one Obama...

2011-09-07T19:02:00.001+01:00

Only one job he's looking to create that is: ~~"Obama's Last Chance to Repair Damage and Change the Debate"~~...save his job.

"This is his State of the Union speech, given five months ahead of schedule by a White House justifiably panicked by polling data that indicates Obama's credibility on job creation has cratered--and with it his attachment to key reelection constituencies."

Obvious opener...

2011-09-04T08:48:00.000+01:00

New Labour Project's Blair, Campbell, Mandelson and Darling plus a host of others and hundreds of underlings have all said the same thing but with different words: Gordon Brown was a seriously flawed effing loon. So, the big question: why let him become Prime Minister? In fact why give him so much leeway as Chancellor? In fact why was he Chancellor in the first place? Writing a history of the Labour party doesn't really show you've got what's needed: and there are plenty of 'clever' people, of 'mighty intellect' that are raving moronic fuckwits when common sense or similar is needed. And Why wasn't he SACKED years before? "The truth about Brown does not reflect well on him, but it also raises further questions about the people around him" writes John Rentoul in the Independent today; he also asks "How did Brown succeed unopposed to the leadership?".

Ongoing overcrowding...

2011-09-02T16:13:00.001+01:00

...of a green and pleasant land [Owsblog 2006]. Before I go on just let me make it clear that this post isn't just a dig at the festering shite heap that was New Labour...but I do start off with that:

“Every country must have firm control over immigrationand Britain is no exception.” Labour election manifesto 1997

We know that in their 1st term - from 1997 - immigration tripled; in their 2nd term it quadrupled (from the 1997 figure) [MW - pdf]. This seemed bad enough and then we found out it was entirely intentional and had a 'subsidiary political purpose' and was not just the result of a booming economy and perceived skills shortage. Now, we learn of ANOTHER round of secret immigration intentions: "The secret immigration policy they tried to hide". "Behind closed doors, EU negotiations will trigger a new wave of cheap labour into Britain." Who and when will the public be informed? These are new, irreversible commitments. Not Labour, 'even though Peter Mandelson initiated all the current agreements', not David Cameron or the Coalition...not UKIP, or the Greens or even the Unions (although apparently the RMT may yet force some sort of 'alert').

Ooops (2)...

2011-08-31T22:49:00.002+01:00

Late again, almost missed it: just enough time to ketchup... (I'll get my coat). Buñol's annual tomato fight; hat-tip JD at Nourishing obscurity.

P.S. 5 posts in one day, an Owsblog first (makes up for possible period of light-blogging coming up)

Overlords' obrogate...

2011-08-31T22:00:00.001+01:00

ESM Treaty: ~~Euro Slave Mafia~~ European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism: "This is racketeering and money laundering on a continental scale." It's also bloody scary; read it all at IPJ's blog/journal. HERE in pdf (save a copy).

Old Osram opinion...

2011-08-31T20:41:00.005+01:00

No offence to Osram at all (in fact I had a very close family connection with the brand); just handy that it's the lightbulb manufacturer whose image is on this BBC Magazine article: "The 60W bulb: A luminary love affair". "The once ubiquitous 60W light bulb is about to plop off the production line for the last time across Europe." And it won't just be going the way of candles, oh no, as of tomorrow, September 1st, an EU-wide BAN on "the manufacturing and importing of 60W incandescent clear light bulbs comes into force". Exactly 2 years ago, the EU had already admitted that 'Energy saving' light bulbs are "not as bright as their traditional counterparts and claims about the amount of light they produce are 'exaggerated'" (!!!) but I'd like to give you a personal example of the apparent benefits (Source: Energy Saving Trust...no, really!) I have one 60W bulb which has lasted 4 years (and counting) in my modern apartment: I have replaced 20 cunting energy saving ugly shite bulbs - at least two more than twice. My comments in (bold):
1. Can run for up to 10,000 hours (but never do, not even close)
2. Use up to 80% less electricity than a standard bulb (straw man/see no.4)
3. Fitting just one bulb can save you on average £2.50 a year (so at least 2 years to recoup the exorbitant cost and you need to change them before that anyway)
4. More expensive but difference will be recouped on electricity bill in about a year (the more expensive is damn right, the rest is a fucking lie)
5. Invention of "soft tone" bulbs has given them a warmer glow (and?)
6. Dimmable bulbs are now available (what the fuck for? they're dim enough already)

P.S. Gildy has posted on this topic twice before (you'll note my wrath in the comments).

Optimising on-board organisation...

2011-08-31T12:38:00.001+01:00

Airlines, call U.S. astrophysicist Dr. Jason Steffen, NOW! He's waiting for their call - hoping commercial airlines will take an interest - "especially given that he estimates it could save them millions." The predictions and conclusions made on paper reflect the actual trial results: the most efficient way to board a passenger plane. [Link]

Ominous (obvious?) overview...

2011-08-31T10:07:00.002+01:00

"At moderate levels, debt improves welfare and can enhance growth. But high levels can be damaging. When does the level of debt go from good to bad?... beyond a certain level, debt is bad for growth. ...The immediate implication is that countries with high debt must act quickly and decisively to address their fiscal problems. ...Up to a point, corporate and household debt can be good for growth. But when corporate debt goes beyond 90% of GDP, our results suggest that it becomes a drag on growth. And for household debt, we report a threshold around 85% of GDP, although the impact is very imprecisely estimated.".

Parts of the abstract of "The real effects of debt", from the Bank for International Settlements, BIS. Full document pdf HERE. Look at Table 1, page 6: one country is WAY way out from the crowd in terms of changes in household, corporate and government debt as a percentage of nominal GDP between 2000 and 2010. The balls and brownstuff is smothered over the bed and the UK has to lie in it. Also, we may soon know more of the reasons why: Darling on the "brutal and volcanic" Brownstuff.

Update: and obviously the UK isn't the only one that will be 'changing the sheets'; Ruth Lea on the EU's woes.

Organisation of observation options...

2011-08-28T10:48:00.002+01:00

Sky wins battle for Tripoli: "It's really time we asked whether the TV Tax is going to the right people" writes Raedwald; he's not alone and even the BBC tried to get their defense in early; will this be Sky's rebirth as per CNN and the Gulf War? Chris Cramer, the then head of the Beeb's newsgathering operation admits he was so humiliated by CNN's superior coverage he finally went to work for them.

Now, the point of this post is that today Labour is seeking parliamentary support to tighten rules on media takeovers; Ed Miliband has told David Cameron that he should prevent Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation bid for BSkyB. Ivan Lewis the shadow culture secretary says Labour wants a wider "public interest test". I'll be honest Ivan, careful what you wish for: looking at news coverage of Libya as an example (there are many more), if it was for the public interest the bid would already be accepted!

Let's be clear: Miliband last month called a company with 20% of the - shrinking rapidly - newspaper market unhealthy and "frankly quite dangerous." I'll be frank too, in terms of news provision, only one organisation has a dangerous and unhealthy monopoly in the UK.

Outstanding Oz...

2011-08-27T15:11:00.002+01:00

For the first time in a decade Australia have won the Tri-Nations Rugby tournament. Despite almost throwing away a 17 point half-time lead today the Wallabies held out. You know what this means don't you? At last the All Blacks will start the Rugby World Cup (at Home for them) coming off a losing streak...so they're bound to win! Every time they're always favourites and beating everyone beforehand only to fall at the final hurdle...not this time? I hope for a NZ vs. England final (making England the first team to reach three consecutive finals).

P.S. For those looking for the Women's rugby picture you have to click on the image above.

Omen of oncoming obsequies...

2011-08-27T10:24:00.002+01:00

From Marcus at Harry's Place: "In the Navy". "Have a look at this clipping from January 2009.

"Russia has decided to establish naval bases in Libya, Syria and Yemen within a few years, a Russian military official was quoted as saying on Friday by Itar-Tass news agency...“It is difficult to say how much time it will take to create the bases for our fleet in these countries, but within a few years this will be done without question"

Gives a new twist to the Arab Spring; not so close to home it may also be getting Hugo a bit nervous what with a strategic bomber base, joint manoeuvres plus gold and uranium...what say 2012, mi pana primavera?

Update:...and loans to buy weapons.

Overdoing obesity...

2011-08-26T18:53:00.003+01:00

I was interested to read that there has been a marked drop in the number of the bastards most probably responsible for more human deaths than any other single cause: the mosquito. However that is off topic but I do suspect there may be an inverse correlation between your chances of suffering death by mosquito and your chance of being affected by another epidemic: globesity. Obesity is one of the "most blatantly visible, yet most neglected, public health problems"; the Lancet has released a series about the global pandemic covering the challenge of obesity and what needs to change, the economic and health burdens, 'reversing the tide' and 'where next'. However I think most of it has already been said a couple of years ago; not by Owsblog - although I did suggest certain 'action this day' - but by Sander L. Gilman, Fat Chance (click on image). And despite all that Sander says, I suspect with the way we are heading, the globesity pandemic - such as it is - will soon start to subside.

Operational overspend?...

2011-08-24T12:49:00.001+01:00

No. However, am I being too cynical not to expect much coverage of this news: "Majority of PCTs predict cash surplus for end of financial year". The General Practitioners Committee had warned that because NHS primary care trusts debts were likely to be transferred to the new GP consortia when they take on commissioning they would be starting with millions of pounds in debt and deficits; they expressed concern that these difficult financial conditions could mean that GP commissioning was doomed to fail. They need not fear: not a single one of the seventy one trusts that responded to the request for information "forecast a deficit at the end of the 2011/12 financial year"... "In fact 90% of PCTs predicted that they would be in surplus."

Oncoming obstipation...

2011-08-23T18:43:00.008+01:00

Bloomberg News yesterday released data obtained through FOI requests, months of litigation and trawling 29,000 pages of previously secret documents re the lending to banks and other companies USD1.2 trillion of public money [Overview]. The six or seven non-US companies in the top 20 may surprise a few: many on that list are banks that "survived the crisis without government capital injections" (and some that received a lot: mention no names RBS) but were lent money via programmes that promised confidentiality... "You don’t have to be a Hairy Leftie to discern that these people are taking the piss." (hat-tip: The Slog)
[edit 20:04 CET, click on image to see the future]

Odd obscurantism over one observation...

2011-08-23T12:09:00.003+01:00

How many people know it is Black Ribbon Day today?* The day (image link to Wiki: European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism) was adopted as one of the proposals set forth in the Prague Declaration [Link] "...millions of victims of Communism and their families are entitled to enjoy justice, sympathy, understanding and recognition for their sufferings in the same way as the victims of Nazism have been morally and politically recognized".

* The Prague Declaration has not been without it's critics but as Barry Rubin wrote last year, responding to that criticism, and quoting the Declaration: "Those who neglect their past have no future".

Obfuscation obeisance...

2011-08-22T16:12:00.004+01:00

Why feel the need to pay homage to a traitor? Charles Moore's article in the DT today, perhaps following on from a Letter by Jon Ball's (**below) to the DT yesterday (scroll down) and alluded to by Guido this afternoon - albeit with a different point - is more rewriting of history: "When will the BBC ever tell the truth about Anthony Blunt?"

"What was disgraceful, though, was the structure of the programme. For many, The Reunion's version may be the first they have heard of the subject. It is the duty of the BBC to apply to history the impartiality on which its Charter insists. Yet, as with the same programme's treatment of the 30th anniversary of the Brixton riots (which this column criticised on March 28), the entire panel was on the same side. Blunt was a virtually innocent victim, we were told, and the only villain was the press."

"The Reunion propagated the theory that spying for the Soviets in the Thirties and Forties was nothing worse than an excess of zeal. This is a shocking untruth. Hitler and Stalin were moral equivalents. ... The BBC would (rightly) never dream of making a programme which sought to excuse traitors who worked for the Nazis."

**The Blunt fact.
SIR – A group of worthies on Radio 4’s The Reunion were concerned that Anthony Blunt may be remembered not as an art historian, but as a spy. They need not worry. Although his Soviet controller was indeed a spy, Blunt himself was not. He was a traitor.

Original or obvious?...

2011-08-21T14:38:00.005+01:00

Connected in a way to my post yesterday although this time it is about Britain and not Venezuela. In the great tradition of misquoting out of context (e.g. 'There is no such thing as Society') the arch vampire himself has come out and said 'hug a hoodie'! Of course Blair hasn't said that; in exactly the same way that Cameron didn't say it several years ago despite what lefty twats like Russell Brand think (my comment to RB on that thread). What Blair said (akin to what DC said in opposition) is that the major cause of the recent riots is that there is a group of alienated, disaffected youth who are outside the social mainstream and who live in a culture at odds with any canons of proper behaviour", so hug a hoodie! Also, "he believes this generation is more respectable, responsible and hard-working than his own", clearly he is entitled to his opinion but - on this point - I think he's talking bollocks. HOWEVER, I agree with something else he says:

"This is a hard thing to say, and I am of course aware that this too is generalisation. But the truth is that many of these people are from families that are profoundly dysfunctional, operating on completely different terms from the rest of society, either middle class or poor."

Blair adds, correctly IMHO, that this is a current and general phenomenon in almost all developed nations. He says the solution - his plan as New Labour (ha!), later abandoned (pah!) - was "intervention family by family, a reform of criminal justice around antisocial behaviour, organised crime, persistent offenders and gangs." Unfortunately, during ten years as PM he saw fit not to stop or reverse the emasculation of the police and the politicisation of both the police and the judiciary. [post edited 16:15 CET]