Much as it would please me to meet this guy somewhere quiet and have a word in his shell-like, I am forced to agree with the blasted European court in this instance. If there is evidence that this odious individual has committed a crime – and there seems to be plenty, even if it is under the egregious ‘hate-crime’ laws which I also despise – then he should be charged, banged up and then deported.
I believe it is entirely wrong that our political ‘leaders,’ should advocate setting aside the hard-won rights of HM subjects, rather than getting the bar-steward into court and serving him up his just deserts. And, yes, I would agree that this Rshole is as much of a British subject as Deng Xiao Ping, but, for better for worse, he is, blast it, entitled to the protection of the law of this Land as much as I am, one law for all, bugrit again!
There, the other side of the Bravo coin to set against my views in the Assange and Dewani affairs.
Why do footprints in the snow fill up as fresh snow falls?
Say a footprint in the snow is an inch deep, measured from the surface. Now, say another inch of snow falls. The bottom of the footprint will now be an inch higher, that is, at the original level of the surface of the snow. But the snow surface is now also an inch higher…
Johnny finally acknowledges what we all knew and hangs up his International boots…
To say I have played through four World Cups, two Lions tours, 91 international games and a ridiculous number of injuries and other setbacks gives me an incredibly special feeling of fulfilment.
Not a bad achievement at all, I would hazard to say.
A gentle reminder. I’d like to share an experience that I had this weekend regarding drinking and driving. Its obviously very relevant during the forthcoming festive season.
Many of you will know people who have had brushes with the authorities on their way home from the odd social session over the years.
Well, a couple of nights ago, I was out for a few drinks with some friends and had a few too many light ales than maybe I should have had – It happens.
Knowing full well I was very likely over the limit, and knowing I’d had a close call from being pulled over by a traffic cop to take a breathalyser only the week before, I did something I’ve never done before – I took a bus home!
Anyway, I arrived home safely, enjoyed the ride and it was all free of worry about police pulling me over and testing me.
I know we often avoid doing this and take the risk of using the car we came in to go home in, BUT DON’T DO IT! The police will eventually catch you, you will lose your licence and maybe even your livelihood!
I’m sharing this experience with you because the incident was a pleasant surprise to me, particularly since I had never driven a bus before!
What might this really important stuff be, then? Before we get onto that, I’d like to talk about some of the fun stuff. A good part of my time is taken up by the continuing battle against illicit traders – counterfeiters and smugglers. Not that I am a policeman, my role is to gather information and make sure the right people get it. It is often the case that different branches of the authorities in the less-developed markets operate on the old Soviet principle of hoarding information for the supposed advantage it might bring them – Customs don’t talk to Police, the Financial Police don’t talk to the Criminal Police… It is also often the case that I, and by that I mean of course someone in a role like mine, talk to all of these people and can help whoever seems most likely to make use of the information to put it all together and take some effective action. Sometimes, if I achieve a really good relationship with a policemen or customs officer or something, I get to ride along on raids and seizures and watch – from a good and safe distance, of course – while some of the Rsholes, (‘scuse me ladies*) are reeled in.
The really important stuff, though, happens in the office. I have to start explaining why with a statement of the blindingly obvious, the security manager can’t be everywhere at once. Every employee, as King Agesilaus of Sparta is often misquoted as saying, has to be a brick in the wall. The security manager has to manage security not by managing, but by influencing. He or she has to be able to take a full part in business meetings at all levels, to put together a business case that stands up to often clinical examination by the finance, marketing and corporate relations types and, I always insist, has to be accountable. Some of the stuff I do sometimes has to be confidential, never anything illegal (- as I’ve said before, I work in some places where you really, really do not want to see the inside of a gaol,) but sometimes not the sort of thing you would discuss in polite society. Whatever I’m doing though, I must be able to account for it to someone in authority, if not the whole board. So accountability is important, and so is a demonstrable ability to contribute to the bottom line. Read more…
I read this story, lo, these many moons ago, (about 600, plus or minus,) and came across it again, as you often come across stuff, when googling something else. I shared it with my children and my two daughters confessed to squeezing out a little tear, as did I when I first read it – hey, I was a sensitive lad once, before life knocked a few rough edges on to me, like, ‘Hey, if you have to knock someone down, the last thing you want to do is let him get up again, you prat.’ But I digress, it’s still a haunting little tale even after all these years. It was written by a Tom Godwin and appeared in ‘Astounding,’ or ‘Amazing,’ or one of those good ol’ pulp fiction sci-fi mags – sadly missed in these days of eBooks, Kindles and whatnot – though I read a lot electronically these days, everything to its place and a Kindle’s place is not next to a roaring fire on a rainy winter afternoon with a glass of something smooth, mellow and golden…but I digress, again. The story is now public domain, so no copyright issues. I hope some of you might enjoy it as much as I did. The Cold Equations, by Tom Godwin
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