Dear Diary 2005
(Previous Years)
2004
2003
21st December 2005
Do you live near someone
who goes overboard with their Christmas decorations. Well check out
this bloke from, where else, America.
click
here
17th December 2005
With Christmas fast approaching
it's been a little busy at Hanna Towers. Not that I get too involved
with decorations, presents and all that stuff. Personally I'm looking
forward to a bit of peace over the Yuletide festivities. A bit of a
break is good for the soul and a week is just about right because I
tend to get bored after a few days of inactivity.
6th December 2005
George Best's funeral
took place last Saturday and I must say it was very moving. The ceremony
was entirely appropriate and mirrored George's immense contribution
to football. George was the most gifted footballer of all time and also
a very vunerable human being. His passing is mourned by all his many
fans.
God bless you George.
George Best 1946 - 2005
26th November 2005
Take That have announced
they are reforming (minus Robbie Williams) for a tour of Britain. Is
it really ten years since they split up? I watched the documentary about
them last week which showed all too clearly the pitfalls of stardom.
I wish them well.
"Back
For Good" media clip
25th November 2005
It's with great sadness
that the news of the death of George Best was announced at lunchtime
Friday 25th November 2005. George was my boyhood hero for a number of
reasons. Firstly he was a football artist not just a great player but
a man who took the game to a higher level, a level that marked him apart
from ordinary professionals. George often played on pitches that were
like cow fields compared to the billiard tables modern footballers enjoy.
Imagine if he had played in today's era. George playing on today's surfaces
together with the protection of modern refereeing would have been a
wonder to behold.
When I was kid, George
was in his heyday. In those days my pals and I played football at the
local recreation ground. We always picked our hero's identity when we
played. I'd always be George Best except when I was in goal when I'd
be Pat Jennings. Being Irish and greatly admiring these two great Irish
players meant I'd always take on their identities. Boys probably don't
do this today but back then we went into our innocent boyhood fantasy
world whenever we played. So I played as George Best against Bobby Charlton,
Bobby Moore and Jimmy Greaves, even Pele turned up sometimes.
George once came to our
school. He was filming a TV programme about football coaching. They
had to keep the exact filming day a secret because the school would
have been mobbed if the news had leaked out. The boys who were lucky
enough to take part in the filming were totally in awe of George after
they had met him. My mates told me he was a magical person and this
was 1971 while George was at the height of his career.
George was and still is
my hero. I'm forty seven now but whenever I think of George I go back
to my childhood. To me he was the greatest player to have ever played.
George was a complete player. He could use his right foot, left foot,
he was good in the air and he could tackle hard too. He was the complete,
finished product and he did everything with cheeky panache that left
his opponents shaking their heads in disbelief. If you ever want to
know why George was such a genius watch his goal against Benfica in
the 1968 European Cup final. In extra time, with the score still level,
George received the ball ten yards outside Benfica's penalty area. He
beats a defender and he's one on one with Benfica's goalkeeper. Most
players would have side-footed the ball past the keeper but not George.
With the European Cup in the balance he shimmies past the keeper to
the left and calmy left-foots the ball into the net......unbelievable!
Only George would have done that.
I'd like to offer my sincere
sympathy to all George's family and friends.
BBC
Tribute To George Best
14th November 2005
England pulled of the
great escape on Saturday against Argentina, winning the game 3-2 after
Michael Owen popped up to score two late goals. Argentina scored first
but Rooney equalised soon after. The second half brought more drama
as Argentina again went into the lead to make it 2-1.
Peter Crouch came off
the bench and proved too much of a distraction for the Argentine defenders
who were so busy watching the six foot seven inch striker that they
allowed Owen to sneak in unchallenged to score the equaliser. With five
minutes to go Owen scored the winner as Crouch fended off a defender.
Although Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen scored England's goals, in my
view Peter Crouch was the deciding factor.
A great game!
BBC
Sport report
10th November 2005
Tony Blair has been totally
humiliated over the Terrorism Bill which was defeated by 322 votes to
291. This Bill would have allowed anyone to be detained for 90 days
without trial and as such was more than most M.P.s could stomach. Instead
they voted for a 28 day limit.
Tony Blair should now
resign. He has lost all credibility and his leadership is in tatters.
15th October 2005
Here's a funny clip from
ITVs game show "Catch Phrase" starring Roy Walker.
It's good but it's not
right. Click here
Roy
Walker's website
13th October 2005
England 2 Poland 0 (England
win their group)
Well, I hate to say I
told you so. Brilliant performance last night by England against the
Poles. England totally dominated the game and played free-flowing, stylish
football. What a contrast to the Austria game. The key was the inclusion
of Ledley King and Shaun Wright-Phillips to the midfield. King totally
dominated the middle of the park and provided much needed defensive
cover for Frank Lampard's forward runs. Shaun Wright-Phillips brought
attacking pace and ran rings around the Polish defence. England looked
like world-beaters and I feel this bears out my comments made in this
column on September 19th. England's two scorers were Michael Owen and
Frank Lampard.
I was annoyed that young
Peter Crouch was booed by a small minority of England supporters when
he came on for Shaun Wright-Phillips. I thought he played well in the
Austria game which was after all his first start in an England shirt.
Give the lad a chance!
BBC
Sport Match Report
Wayne Rooney fends off
the Poles.
12th October 2005
Have you seen that the
nasty BBC have stopped production of the last series of Bottom? How
dare they? How much cash have they made out of the DVDs?
Apparently the feminist
management don't like it because it's not touchie feelie enough.
I'm writing a formal letter
of complaint to the Beeb's board of governors and I suggest that you
all do the same. This will tie them up in oodles of red tape as each
complaint has to be dealt with in triplicate along a set procedure.
If enough of us write they may have to reconsider their policy. If not
they will carry on with their leftie feminist policies and rob us of
anything worth watching. I'm not against women or equality, I am against
the politically correct feminist dogma currently in vogue at the Beeb.
Don't forget it's we, the public, who pays the licence fee!
9th October 2005
England 1 Austria 0
England have just had
an escape that Houdini would have been proud of. First there was a lucky
win against Austria after a very lacklustre performance and then there
was the victory by Holland over The Czech Republic. These two events
have guaranteed England's qualifications for the World Cup finals in
Germany next year.
My own view of the situation
can be found in my comments in this column on 19th September and I stand
by my opinion that the captaincy should go to John Terry and I think
that a large contingent within the England squad share my opinion. It
is my belief that two camps now exist within the team. On one side are
Sven and Beckham and on the other are the "Chelsea boys."
I dread to think what
will happen if these matters are not resolved before Germany. Personally
I'm with John Terry.
4th October 2005
I'm very sad to learn
of the death of comedy legend Ronnie Barker. For anyone my age Mr. Barker
was a constant TV companion as I grew up. The Two Ronnies, with Ronnie
Corbett, was the comedy mainstay of the BBC during the seventies and
eighties. His other masterpiece was as Norman Stanley Fletcher in the
series "Porridge."
Masters of the comedy
art like Ronnie Barker are irreplaceable and will be sadly missed.
Ronnie Barker
It's goodnight from
me and farewell to him.
Full
story and tribute from the BBC
20th September 2005
I strongly recommend the
DVD by Dave vonKleist,"
911 In Plane Sight." The film raises some unsettling questions
about the terrible events of September 11th, 2001.
I must admit to some disquiet
myself following these events. It always struck me as odd that all the
World Trade Centre buildings dropped perfectly despite the damage being
concentrated on one side of the buildings as you'd expect after a plane
had flown into them. I'm not a structural engineer but I should of thought
that the buildings should have toppled over asymmetrically rather than
drop perfectly to the ground.
I wonder if these buildings
were rigged with demolition charges following the earlier terrorist
attacks in 1993? NO! NO! NO! I hear you squeal. Don't forget that the
intention of the 1993 bombers was to topple one tower into another which
in turn would have fallen into other buildings setting off a domino
effect. This could have cleared half of Manhattan. I wonder if the powers
that be foresaw another attack and set demolition charges to prevent
this happening...... you know just in case. After all, better to lose
one tower than a whole bunch of buildings falling on top of each other
one after another. Is this a wild idea? Makes you think doesn't it?
What would you have done?
It also occurred to me
that the lack of CCTV footage from the Pentagon was to say the least
surprising. This is the most heavily guarded building in the world and
all we see are five frames of distant images none of which show the
plane....DAMN. If the plane had hit Mr. Patel's corner shop we'd have
had more footage to analyze.
My interest in the murkier
side of government started a long time ago. The Kennedy brothers assassinations,
Dr. Martin Luther King, Lockerbie, 911 all have that unmistakable aroma
of political bulls**t around them. There's something about all of these
events and more that just don't add up. Western governments are seeking
to watch-over our every move and to this end they listen in., monitor
and snoop on ordinary people. These governments say that the so called
conspiracy theorists are all paranoid. Well I wonder who is the most
paranoid, after all who has all the monitoring stations, CCTV, secret
security services, listening posts etc...... at a cost of billions of
Pounds/Dollars. Who's watching who?
After great tragedies
like Lockerbie, JFK, RFK, Dr King, 911 occur, there are meetings held
behind firmly closed doors. Always present are people who are unknown
to the public. These dark individuals hold the real power and these
people do not have to go on Newsnight to justify their actions. They
make decisions and then slip silently away into the night. Discussed
at these meetings are two key questions:
1. Who did it?
2. Who shall we blame?
The answers to question
1 and question 2 are rarely the same. The agenda is "Well, now
that it's happened we may as well exploit the situation to our advantage."
We the public are then
told the "official" version of events via the controlled mainstream
media. After all, it must be true it was on TV.
Or perhaps I'm just paranoid?
Get me my medication nurse!
I think I'm having one of my funny turns.
click
on the banner to go to the website
19th September 2005
My team Sheffield United
are going strong this season and we won again on Saturday against Watford.
I think the new signings are really making a difference. You can read
all the latest news courtesy of my brother Peter's website by clicking
here.
Steve
and Monty
While on the subject of
footie I'd like to put forward my own two penny-worth regarding the
current England problems. It seems to me that the team has a fundamental
lopsidedness. This is because David Beckham is captain and therefore
an automatic choice. This means that the team formation has to fit in
around him regardless of the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition.
Solution? Give the captain's
armband to John Terry. What do you have against David Beckham I hear
you ask? Absolutely nothing, he's a great player but his presence as
captain creates major problems.
John Terry only plays
in one position i.e. centre back. England's problems revolve around
the mid-field and forward positions. David is currently playing wide
right and pings the ball forward for Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney.
Problem is both of them are short and the opposition's 6'4'' center-backs
have little trouble beating both of them in the air.
Solution? We need a big
lad up front for flick-ons and to operate as a holding player for Michael
or Wayne to run on to. Liverpool's "bean-pole" Crouchy would
be my choice or even Marlon Harewood from West Ham.
If we are playing Michael
and Wayne together we should play with Shaun Wright-Phillips instead
of David Beckham. Shaun has amazing pace and is not a welcome sight
for lumbering Centre-Backs. Personally I would not play Michael and
Wayne together unless we're playing with three up front. I would play
one of them with a big lad as a centre forward unless we were playing
4-3-3 with Wayne playing just behind the two forwards. Obviously this
would be a very attacking formation which would allow Beckham and Wright-Phillips
a good target for crosses.
I would also alternate
between Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. Steven and Frank are two of
the best mid-fielders in the world without any doubt but I would not
play them together because they both like to push forward which makes
us vunerable to quick counter-attacks. Frank plays his role at Chelsea
aided and abetted by Makele who in my opinion is an unsung hero. Steven
has the same help at Liverpool with Hamman. Their role is to watch the
back-door when Frank and Steven get forward. In the England set-up we
don't have this and that's why we're leaking goals from quick counter-attacks.
I'd use Nicky Butt or
young Scott Parker for the Makele/Hamman role.
To recap........it's Beckham
or Wright Phillips, Rooney or Owen and
Gerrard or Lampard but not both at the same time. England have been
guilty of picking the eleven top players and then trying to squeeze
them into a makeshift formation. It doesn't work because football is
a team game and the formation and tactics override any superstar.
My normal team selection
would be:
Paul Robinson in goal,
Defenders: Gary Neville
(or Jamie Carragher or Luke Young or Phil Neville), Rio Ferdinand, John
Terry (Captain), Ashley Cole
Midfield: Joe Cole, Frank
Lampard (or Steven Gerrard), Scott Parker, Ledley King (or Nicky Butt),
Shaun Wright-Phillips (or David Beckham)
Strikers: Crouch (or Marlon
Harewood), Michael Owen (or Wayne Rooney) or even Darren Bent.
I don't think Mr. Eriksson
reads my Diary Page so I don't suppose we'll ever see this take place.
Oh well, just shows what I know about football.
10th September 2005
The blame business continues
in the USA and head of FEMA, Michael Brown, has been "transferred"
to other duties. Brown is clearly the sacrificial lamb but I think they
have targeted the wrong person. "Blundering" Blanco is to
blame and I notice she is keeping a low profile. She holds the position
of Governor and as such must take responsibility for the lack of local
action.
9th September 2005
I am shocked to learn
that President (sic) Blair and the British government
have not donated any aid to the hurricane appeal. Seems odd to me as
Tony Blair keeps telling us that the USA are our closest allies. Strange
then that he's not seen fit to put his money where his mouth is. Come
on Mr. Blair show some support to our friends in America.
In America the dithering
Louisiana Governor Kathleen "Blundering" Blanco has done it
again! The Mayor of New Orleans has ordered a forced evacuation of the
city only to be overruled by "Blundering" Blanco. She's decided
that it's still unclear whether the water is unsafe. Well I'm no scientist
but the fact that the water has raw sewage, industrial chemicals, gasoline
and dead bodies floating in it indicates to me that it is not a healthy
a place to be. I would not take a quick dip or use the water as a mouthwash.
It's obvious to me that "Blundering" Blanco is miffed that
her authority is being undermined and has used this as an opportunity
to reassert her own political power. I'd say to her to shove her own
ambitions and look after the people's safety first.
In contrast to Governor
Kathleen Blanco's pathetic performance is the very impressive Lt. General
Russell Honore as he continues his great efforts to get some semblance
of order to the proceedings. The good General is mightily impressive
and it is clear that he should be in overall charge as he has the leadership
abilities to run the show. Within minutes of his arrival last week he
conducted a detailed briefing to the press and he gave a complete and
detailed situation report identifying all the major problems and their
solutions. He is the kind of man who people follow because it is clear
to everyone that he knows his business.
The Dynamic Lt. General
Russell Honore
CNN
Interview with LT. Gen. Honore
8th September 2005
England lost to Northern
Ireland last night 1-0. Here's a football tip Mr. Eriksson....the diamond
formation doesn't work. Of course for me this defeat doesn't matter
because I was born in County Down, Northern Ireland, so "Top of
the mornin' to yuz all."
This dual identity is
quite useful to me at times but it also has its drawbacks. A few years
ago whenever I went abroad I was met at Passport Control and greeted
as if I were the IRA's top man. The mere sight of my birthplace marked
in my passport prompted a thorough search and an intimate meeting with
the Customs man's sniffer dog. Can't say I blame them really because
if I'd have been charged with guarding the country I'd have done the
same. Having had this experience I can't understand why Muslim people
are complaining that they are being targeted for police searches on
the transport system in London. Various ethnic minority whingers are
saying that only 40% of searches are being carried out on white people.
I should point out that none of the bombers were white so this 40% represents
discrimination (or political correctness) against whites not Asians/Arabs.
When my Customs friend was searching me he did it because my passport
said that I was born in Northern Ireland. Given that he was searching
for Irish terrorists it was more logical to look at me as a possible
IRA man rather than the black, eighty-year old, Afro-Caribbean woman
standing behind me in the queue. It's called common sense and has nothing
to do with racism.
7th September 2005
You can tell that the
situation in the New Orleans area is getting better because the celebrity
rush has started. Famous faces have begun to appear on the scene. I'm
sure that some of them are sincere but I'm equally convinced that some
celebs (and politicians) turn up to milk the publicity. If they really
want to help they can best do this by writing a large cheque from their
huge personal fortunes. I also notice that the female reporters have
arrived complete with their designer combat gear. Last week when things
were really rough the reporters were exclusively male but now that order
has returned the women have arrived screaming "Quick find me a
baby to cradle, we're on in thirty seconds."
The media eh!
Mind you I also think
that the desperate reports made by Shepard Smith and Geraldo Rivera
on Fox News undoubtedly speeded
up the response to the terrible plight of the victims (mainly poor and
black- in America this is more or less the same thing). Their coverage
has been first class and I'm appalled by the spiteful criticism by Alassandra
Stanley of The New York Times regarding Geraldo's actions. Where was
she during this terrible time? Safely in New York fiddling with her
luxury apartment's air conditioning control no doubt or possibly shopping
for urgently needed shoes! Well done Geraldo and Shepard Smith for bringing
people all over the world the real story on the ground.
Vacationing politicians
have suddenly woken up because of the terrible news that their popularity
polls were down two points. This devastating revelation prompted the
immediate launch of an armada of helicopters to the area. Fingers were
removed from the collective political ass and things began to get going
at long last. So I say well done Shepard and Geraldo, good show!
Fox
News website
An
English view of New Orleans by The Kinks' Ray Davies
5th September 2005
Things seem a lot better
in New Orleans and surrounding areas because the US military have arrived
on the scene. Now that generals are running the show and not politicians
things have got moving. Most people have been evacuated to safety although
there is still much to do. The military response is indeed impressive
and it's obvious that this should have been done much earlier. The military
are used to operating on this scale and their ability to get men and
equipment to the area is indeed amazing.
Help at last! Soldiers
unload bottled water.
Man Of Action - Lt.
General Russell Honore. A true leader of men.
CNN
Interview with LT. Gen. Honore
Woman Of Inaction -
Governor Kathleen Blanco - A Waste Of Space!
With all the troops and
resources being sent to New Orleans let's hope that Al Quaida don't
take the opportunity to mount another attack on the United States. Just
the sort of thing those scumbags would do.
3rd September 2005
The questions I asked
two days ago are now being echoed in America. Five days after the hurricane
struck and mothers with babies, hospital patients and old people are
still left in New Orleans to fend for themselves. Not good enough Mr.
Bush! One of your predecessors, Harry S. Truman, once said about the
office of President of the United States "The buck stops here."
Indeed!
The performance of Louisiana
governor Kathleen Blanco has been woeful. Her appearance on Fox News
projected the leadership qualities of a wet lettuce. She mumbled her
way through the interview and looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
It's obvious that her approach to the oncoming hurricane was "let's
wait and see" and it appears that little preparation was done.
This is a complete contrast to Mayor Rudy Giuliani after The World Trade
Centre disaster. His strong leadership was inspirational.
A REAL LEADER. FORMER NEW YORK
MAYOR RUDY GIULIANI
Here's
what Michael Moore says
1st September 2005
I've been watching the
terrible TV pictures of the aftermath of hurricane Katrina which struck
the Gulf Coast area of the USA around New Orleans. I've noticed that
most of the people who were unwilling or unable to evacuate the region
were black Americans. When you watch the crowds there is hardly a white
face to be seen. I suspect that white middle-class Americans found it
easier or were more able to leave the danger area. I'm not sure what
to make of this.
People sheltering in
the New Orleans Superdome following the hurricane.
Full
story
31st August 2005
I've watched two programmes
in the series "Don't Get Me Started" ( Channel 5 Tuesday 7:15
pm). Excellent TV I say. This week's episode was written and presented
by Rosie Boycott and was on the subject of false, public demonstrations
of grief. Most famous of these public outpourings was seen following
the death of Princess Diana. As you know this is a subject near to my
ranting heart. The nauseating sight of people blubbering in public (the
more public the better) was more than I could bear.
Princess Diana was a spoilt,
self-obsessed, manipulative member of the aristocracy and the idea that
she did any work for charity is a joke. She wallowed in the attention
that linking herself to a good cause created. She shamelessly manipulated
the media and gullible members of the public for reasons of self-publicity.
Don't forget that this woman was born into one of the wealthiest aristocratic
families in Britain. She then married into the wealthiest and
most powerful family in the land. Her qualification for this was that
she was the only female member of this elite club who was still "Virgo
Intacto." Since this is a minimum requirement for a possible future
Queen this left Prince Charles with little choice when picking a whelping
bitch to produce the future heir to the throne.
Diana was a woman who
lived her entire life enjoying wealth and privilege although you wouldn't
think so if you listened to her constant whining. She wanted the whole
world to feel sorry for her and she ruthlessly manipulated the media
to achieve this. Her motivation was self-interest and self-obsession.
So why did ordinary people
choke the streets to lay flowers and blubber in public? The answer is
to get attention and attempt to elevate their own importance. The common
factor in these cases of public grief is the attendance of TV cameras
and press lensmen. Take away the cameras and no-one will turn up to
lay flowers. In people's minds is the possibility that they may appear
on TV or have a story to tell with themselves portrayed as "Johnny
On The Spot."
It's
all part of the "Look At Me" culture endemic in Britain today.
People cannot separate fact from fiction because their empty lives revolve
around TV. The mindless crap that mainstream TV channels churn out to
satisfy their equally mindless viewers seems endless. People in Britain
are obsessed with celebrity culture and the latest attention-seeking
moronic occupants of the Big Brother house and have little interest
in the real issues that should concern all citizens.
My call to my fellow Britons
is WAKE UP!
30th August 2005
Suddenly, everyone in
the country is a cricket fan! Strange as last year they were all converted
to rugby....until England's fortunes dipped. This has become something
of an oddity of late as a lot of the new fans are women. These new converts
to the sport don't even know the rules of cricket and most don't care,
all they need is a winning team to follow. So next week the sport of
choice may well be chess or even tiddlywinks, as long as England are
winning of course!
22nd August 2005
The poor result in Denmark
last week is still on the minds of the nation's back-page pundits. Doom
and gloom pervade and many a voice is shouting for the instant removal
of Sven. What rubbish. It was only a friendly and as such many of our
top boys were playing carefully to avoid injury. I can just imagine
Sir Alex Ferguson's reaction if Rio Ferdinand had of picked up a serious
injury after lunging into a tackle. The hairdryer would be at maximum
power and poor old Rio would have to go into hiding. So come on lads
give it a rest and let's see what happens in the Wales game before you
go completely hysterical.
20th August 2005
Happy Birthday to my son
Sean. I miss you and Daniel very much.
18th August 2005
In the news yesterday
was a "leaked" report which came out with a different version
of events surrounding the unfortunate shooting of an innocent Brazilian
man, Jean Charles de Menezes. It appears that the earlier reports regarding
the alleged suspicious behaviour and clothing he was wearing were completely
unfounded. Menezes was wearing a thin denim jacket and not the large
quilted garment earlier reported. Nor did he vault the barrier and run
down the stairs into the station as reported by many witnesses. It is
obvious that so many people cannot be telling the same lie so, as Sherlock
Holmes said, if people give conflicting descriptions of a man they are
simply describing two different men. My take on what actually happened
is as follows.
Firstly it is clear to
me that the man reported as wearing the large quilted coat, as seen
by many witnesses, was most likely a surveillance officer following
the Brazilian man. The officer was wearing this large coat to hide his
bulletproof jacket and radio equipment. This officer ran into the station
and vaulted the ticket barrier in pursuit of Mr. Menezes. He was closely
followed by a group of armed men dress in police clothing. The witnesses
assumed (incorrectly) that the plain clothed surveillance officer was
being chased by the group of police personnel. In fact they were following
the surveillance officer to assist him and he in turn was following
Mr. Menezes. Witnesses tried to make sense of the situation after they
found out that a man had been shot whilst fleeing police. Their minds
wrongly concocted this version of the truth which led to the wrong story
being put out by the media. The police never related this story, it
was offered by the witnesses via the media.
Secondly, in my opinion,
the officers who shot the man were not policemen at all but were SAS
men. The method of operation is hallmark SAS. It is unlikely that a
civilian policeman would be psychologically able to carry out a shoot
without warning policy. The large number of rounds found in Mr. Menezes'
body (seven in the head and one in the shoulder) indicate military counter-terrorist
tactics.
I should emphasize that
these are only my opinions and that I have no concrete information either
way. I would suggest that you at least think about my reading of the
situation.
In many ways these events
bring back memories of Gibraltar and the shooting dead of three IRA
terrorists by the SAS in March 1988. These terrorist kill innocent people
without hesitation, a fact lost of the various media "wise after
the event" pundits. Counter-terrorist personnel (SAS or police)
have to make decisions based on the best information available at the
time. If they hesitate or use too much caution dozens of innocent people
may die. For this reason they cannot hesitate and must on occasions
appear to overreact. "If only" doesn't bring people back from
the dead. Mistakes will be made but that's the nature of counter-terrorism
and it's the terrorists' actions and behaviour that set the agenda and
influence the rules of engagement.
I feel sorry for the Menezes
family and I too mourn their son. But now is not the time for witch-hunts.
Britain faces a terrible enemy and we must not weaken our resolve. How
would you feel if a police or SAS man dithered and allowed a terrorist
time to explode his bomb and a member of your family was killed in the
resulting explosion. You'd ask "Why didn't you shoot him?"
Full
Story Here
17th August 2005
I have followed the story
in the media regarding a study that has found that one in twenty five
men in Britain are rearing a child that is not his thinking that it
is. The story is interesting in that it bears out my comments expressed
elsewhere
on this site and it also shows the media bias in favour of women. Nowhere
in the media was it mentioned that this problem is the result of female
deception. We all know that there is a media eleventh commandment which
states "Thou shalt not criticize women." Instead the story
was treated as if these situations are innocent mistakes and endless
hairy feminists where brought out to extoll their view that the whole
thing is a result of women being victimized or the result of a mistake.
What a load of crap! The
situation is like this:
Married woman has an
affair.....
Married woman gets pregnant
by her boyfriend.....
Married woman tells husband
the baby is his.
Married woman gets hubby
to pay for the child's upbringing (even following a divorce).
That's it, simple as that.
Women do this because
for them it's a "cake and eat it" situation. She can have
her fun with other men and then get hubby to pick up the financial tab
including paying maintenance following a divorce (isn't that obtaining
money by deception?). Women have done this for centuries and are adept
deceivers. They always have been and always will be.
My solution? DNA tests
before a birth can be registered. At the moment the law accepts the
mother's word as to who the child's father is and the man named has
to pay. Not good enough!
8th August 2005
I am puzzled by the contrast
in which the two recent murders of Richard Whelan and Anthony Walker
have been reported. Both are despicable crimes but I've noticed a complete
difference in reporting styles. Anthony's murder has been called, quite
rightly, a "racist attack" because it was carried out by white men on
a black man. However, Richard's murder has not been reported as a race
attack at all despite the crime being carried out by a black man. Indeed
this fact has hardly been mentioned and positively suppressed by the
police and the media. There has hardly been any coverage of Richard's
murder compared to Anthony's and I wonder if this is because of political
correctness and a reluctance to report a murder carried out by a member
of an ethnic minority. To me murder is murder and both crimes are equally
vile regardless of the colour of the victim's skin.
Richard
Whelan's story
5th
August 2005
There has been a certain
amount of speculation in the press recently regarding Mr. Blair's future.
As you know I'm not a big fan of our current Prime Minister as he appears
to be as right-wing as Mrs. Thatcher. He's certainly done nothing to
unravel the mess she made of our once fair country.
In Britain we have problems
with state pensions, public transport, education, The Health Service
etc. etc. All are said to be in crisis. They are actually simply starved
of investment mainly because of Mrs. T who decided that the electorate
would be stupid enough to vote for her if she gave away tax cuts. She
claimed that this would put money back into our pockets....which was
true but only temporarily. The tax cuts (and more) were quickly gobbled
up by massive inflation in the housing market which has lumbered us
all with very high mortgages. The only beneficiaries to this policy
are money lenders (banks) and land owners (the aristocracy). Therefore,
Thatcher's American-style free economy never worked here and has in
turn left the average British family with massive debts to pay and pathetic,
under-funded public services. We are caught in an economic no-man's
land between American free-enterprise and European socialism. The result
for ordinary Brits is chaotic.
In Europe they currently
enjoy cheaper housing and still have great public services for which
they pay higher taxes. Good hospitals, better schools, free universities,
superb public transport are all the norm. Interest rates are only 2%
compared to our 4.5%. We are told how well our economy is doing but
we the ordinary people don't seem to benefit from this. This is why
there has been a mass British exodus across the Channel to France and
Spain.
I actually believe that
in her mind Mrs. Thatcher thought that her policies would be good for
Britain but she grossly miscalculated the effect that her actions would
have on house prices and Britain's wider economy. America is a huge
country compared to ours and they don't have 95% of their land owned
by a few aristocratic families who can hold the rest of us to ransom.
Therefore, the monetarist policies over there have not caused the high
house prices we've had here. The basics of life are much cheaper and
their economy is in no way similar to ours.
Mr. Blair's government
has kept taxes at the same level despite the fact that he knows that
this is causing severe problems in our society. He has shown no moral
courage in this respect. He is terrified of higher interest rates because
he knows that this would show up Thatcherism for what it is. That's
why our armed forces are in Iraq in order to control the supply of oil
and prevent oil-inflation which would lead to higher interest rates.
Personally I think Blair
will depart before the end of the year and embark on a lucrative lecture
tour of America after he's written his autobiography of course. I've
taken the liberty of suggesting a title "Tony Blair- Political Chameleon"
Good Riddance to him I
say!
In closing I'd like to
pay my own respects to Mr. Edward Heath, Prime Minister from 1970 -
74. By current standards he was a socialist and I always respected him
as good man and a committed Parliamentarian. He will be sadly missed.
The Rt Hon. Edward Heath
1916 - 2005
Facts
about Mr. Heath
26th
July 2005
The hunt continues for
the London bombers. British stoicism remains undaunted as a few nutters
with exploding backpacks will not intimidate the majority of the public.
In Britain we are used to the various terrorist campaigns that have
been waged against us over the years. The attitude here is to sweep
away the broken glass and open as usual.
After 9-11 the Americans
completely freaked-out and for a while many people were reluctant to
travel on airplanes. That's because terrorism was a new experience for
our American cousins. Not so here in Dear Old Blighty. The traditional
battle cry of "Open as usual" rings out along the highways
and byways of our fair land and it's very much business as usual. Nor
have the non-Muslim section of our community blamed the peaceful followers
of Islam. We aren't that stupid as it's transparently obvious that's
the whole intention of the terrorists. No.....we'll do the British thing
and have a cup of tea, talk about cricket with our Muslim friends and
get on with our lives in peace.
8th
July 2005
I'm disgusted by the mindless
brutality of the vicious acts of violence perpetrated in London yesterday.
The three explosions on the Underground and one on a London bus have
sickened everyone although I cannot say I'm surprised. In fact I think
we've probably had some lucky escapes already which have been headed
off by the security services and not made public. One has to question
again our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our presence there has
fuelled the hotbed of hatred for the West that already existed in these
countries. Indeed many Britons question Tony Blair's enthusiasm for
this American led policy. New Labour lost over a million votes at the
last election and I'm sure the "Iraq factor" was the cause.
Of course this in no way
excuses these evil actions and I feel for the poor people who were directly
affected particularly the relatives of those who were killed and the
people so horribly injured. I can only hope that the culprits are soon
brought to justice and that the full weight of the law is used against
them.
Aftermath: The devastated
London bus at Tavistock Square.
Blasts occurred:
* Between Aldgate and Liverpool Street
tube stations
* Between King's Cross and Russell
Square tube stations
* At Edgware Road tube station
* On bus at Tavistock Square
Click
here for the full story from the BBC News website
6th
July 2005
Like most people I watched
the Live 8 concerts on Saturday. By and large it was a very good show,
I particularly enjoyed Pink Floyd and The Who which I suppose gives
away my age. I thought Razorlight were excellent as well. Sheffield's
own Def Leppard did a great set from America especially their version
of the old Badfinger number "No Matter What." Interesting
choice.
Unfortunately Bono did
his usual trick of disappearing up his own bottom. I used to like U2
but Bono has been lost in showbiz since the late eighties and I find
him to be as sincere as a car salesman's handshake. On that subject
I was annoyed by the blatant posing during the concert's final number.
A well known female artiste grabbed the nearest black child and clutched
him to her in order to get the "money shot" for the Sunday
papers. She then moved next to Saint Geldof for the same purpose. We're
not stupid we know what you're up to.
Having said all that,
I wholeheartedly agree with the motives of Bob Geldof and the others
who worked so hard to highlight the problems in Africa. I am worried
whether or not the G8 boys will listen. Tony Blair seems full of enthusiasm
probably because it has nothing to do with Iraq and is a welcome media
distraction. Bush doesn't give a shit because all he's worried about
is making the Americans fatter and richer and sod everyone else. He
is the world's leader of the biggest snout lobby. This is pretty much
the attitude of ordinary Americans as well. America has become very
insular which is strange as its population is almost entirely immigrant
or immigrant descendant. Only 30% of Americans has a Passport and most
never leave the confines of the United States except those members of
the armed forces who invade other countries of course.
Only time will tell but
I think that the cynical politicians will milk the good publicity while
it lasts and then move on having done nothing to help Africa. I hope
I'm wrong.
Bob Geldof arrives in
Scotland for the G8 bash. (Nice suit Bob)
Of course the quietest,
most modest contributor to the proceedings on Saturday was Bill Gates,
the man who has given away more money to charity than anyone else in
history. Bill has given away a staggering six billion dollars in all
and many good projects have benefited from his generosity. Good on yer
Bill. Perhaps the politicians are more likely to listen to Bill than
they are to a group of rock stars.
Humanitarian Bill Gates
($6,000,000,000 dollars to charity)
1st
July 2005
I've just received exclusive
footage of our brave lads training in Iraq. You can't win 'em all.
Click here
27th
June 2005
I'm shocked and saddened
to learn of the sudden death of "Countdown" presenter and
TV journalist Richard Whiteley. Richard was a familiar face to everyone
especially those of us who were lucky enough to be brought-up in Yorkshire.
He was the presenter of "Calendar" when Yorkshire Television
took over from Granada in the late sixties and his nightly visits to
our homes was as a trusted friend. Richard went on to host "Countdown"
on Channel 4 and I was an avid viewer of the show complete with my cup
of tea and a biscuit.
Richard will be greatly
missed by everyone especially in his beloved Yorkshire.
Richard Whiteley O.B.E.
(1943 - 2005)
BBC
tribute
15th June 2005
It's been an odd day here
in Sheffield. The G8 Finance Ministers are meeting in the city and because
of this we mere mortals are not permitted to go anywhere in the city
centre due to "Security." In other words our illustrious leaders,
who of course were voted for by us, don't wish to have any contact with
the general public in case someone should demonstrate their dissatisfaction
with the various Governments' policies.
The same principle will
apply when the G8 leaders meet in Gleneagles. Personally I reckon the
ten mile police cordon is actually there because Tony and his pals will
be off playing golf all weekend. Bob Geldof and his mates will arrive
and be stopped twenty miles from Tony Blare. Bob's Live 8 concert seems
a bit strange to me. The world's wealthiest nations' leaders will get
to meet the worlds wealthiest rock stars who in turn will lecture us
poor earthlings about how to ration our resources better. Can you spot
the irony children? No doubt the rock stars will arrive in their own
personal helicopters just in time to tell us off for having a five year
old Ford Escort. It's a funny old world.
F*****g Jayzuz it's
yer man Bob!
Meantime, in California,
Michael Jackson is found not guilty on all ten counts. I heard that
there's a king sized double bed on e-bay this week......going cheap
or will exchange for a single. Hmmmm.
Jacko
26th May 2005
Well done and congratulations
to Liverpool on winning the Champions League final in Istanbul. I bet
some newspaper uses the headline "Liverpool's Turkish Delight."
What a fantastic game!
Liverpool were 3-0 down at half-time and looked dead and buried. Whatever
Mr. Benitez said during the interval team talk it certainly worked,
that and a change as Hamman came on for the second half after which
Liverpool were a different side. They dragged the score back to 3-3
and forced extra time. No further score meant that the game went to
penalties and A.C. Milan folded under the pressure. A great save by
Dudek clinched the title for the Anfield lads.
Jerzy Dudek is mobbed
after his great save that won the match.
It was a monumental match
and Liverpool won on sheer guts and determination. They have now won
the cup five times and as such get to keep it. I can't think of a better
place for it than in Liverpool's trophy cabinet. Many congratulations
to everyone at Liverpool.
Steven Gerrard with
the Champions League trophy
19th May 2005
I was listening to a radio
phone-in earlier today and the subject was a story about a traffic cop
who had been let off by a judge despite the fact he'd been clocked at
159 MPH. His excuse, no doubt thought up by the Police Federation lawyer,
was that he was testing the car. What for The British Grand Prix? I'm
not an anti-police person but this does smack of "don't do as I
do, do as I say."
One hears reports of people
being fined and points put on their licenses for a mere couple of MPH
over the speed limit and this cop overtakes the Starship Enterprise
and gets away with it. Seems a bit strange to me. I should of thought
that a race track would be a more suitable place to do such speeds.
Smile!
8th May 2005
Well the election is over
with, thank god. Tony Blare is back with a much smaller majority (I
can hear the sound of knives sharpening). He's had his bottom severely
spanked by the electorate who still find him to be suspect in the truth
stakes. Funny thing is, though, we were voting for him as well as his
"heir apparent" Gordon Brown. It's been a strange campaign really....very
negative. I still have not had an answer to the following questions.
1. Why do we in Britain
have the lowest state pension in the western world despite the fact
that we have the fourth largest economy?
2. Why do we have the
highest male retirement age in the western world and why do we have
different retirement ages for men and women? No one else does.
3. Why do we have the
longest working hours in Europe?
4. Why do we have the
least holidays in Europe?
5. Why are our housing
costs massively higher than anywhere else in Europe?
6. Why do we spend less
per capita on health than any equivalent country in Europe?
7. Why are we loading
debt on to our students despite employers telling us they need more
graduates?
8. Why do our armed forces
have to work with duff equipment?
9. Why have the schools,
hospitals, transport and services to old people had to struggle without
proper investment?
The answer to all these
questions is Mrs. Thatcher. She decided to cut taxes in order to buy
election victories in the eighties and in turn all public services were
starved of investment as she considered these to be a waste of time
and money. What's happened since is that no one will raise tax to invest
in these vital services. It's like having to tell someone bad news but
somehow you just can't bring yourself to do it. Because of this we've
had a Labour government who will not raise tax to invest in schools,
hospitals and public transport. The same applies to our state pensions.
Of course people have more money in their pay packets but they don't
spend the extra cash on a pension plan they use it to buy a new four
by four and other luxuries and this extra cash has fuelled massive inflation
in the housing market which means that everyone has a larger mortgage.
In the meantime public
services are in chaos, state pensions are a joke, transport pathetic
and schools are strapped for cash. The only solution to these woes is
a rise in taxation and public regeneration projects but no one wants
to tell us this painful truth. I saw a documentary recently about pensions.
It contrasted the difference between the UK and New Zealand. In New
Zealand everyone over sixty gets an excellent state pension and the
only criteria to qualify is a ten-year residency rule. This means that
everyone over sixty has enough money to live on including women who
have not made tax contributions in their own right because they have
raised a family.
To do the same in Britain
would cost approximately 2p on income tax. Money well spent I'd say.
The government here have said they are targeting the poorest pensioners.
In practice this means that pensioners who are not getting enough money
from their state pension have to fill in umpteen 68-page forms to get
the money they need. Many cannot manage this and so live in poverty.
The government are aware of this because they know how many benefits
are left unclaimed. The answer is a system similar to the one in New
Zealand where everyone gets enough money to live comfortably automatically
from the state pension and we the people who are working pay for it.
We in turn are safe in the knowledge that when we retire we won't have
a problem with money. Sounds good doesn't it so why doesn't it happen
here? The truth is our government don't have the balls to do it. They
do not want to be remembered as the party who raised tax rates so they
leave them at a level that is insufficient to maintain the quality of
services run by the state. This is Thatcher's real legacy and it will
remain so long after her death. Thatcherism has screwed up the quality
of life in Britain for ordinary people and will do so until a strong
leader comes along who has the "bottle" to do the things I've stated.
We in Britain will then get the quality of life that we deserve.
21st April 2005
The election campaign
is now in full swing and my bullsh*t deflectors are working overtime.
Someone once said that we get the politicians we deserve. Well, if that's
true we in Britain must have collectively burned down an orphanage at
some point. They each claim that they have the answers to all our country's
problems. They expect us to believe that they can lower taxes and at
the same time increase pensions, invest in The National Health Service
and put more police officers on the beat. How does that work then? Lower
income and higher expenditure and still balance the books. This is a
magic act Paul Daniels would be proud of. I think you're telling me
lies again aren't you Mr. Politician . Do you really thing I'm that
stupid? Probably, you do, don't you.
|
The Party Leaders
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Right Honourable Anthony
Charles Lynton Blair M.P.
|
The Right Honourable Charles
Peter Kennedy M.P.
|
The Right Honourable Michael
Howard Q.C. M.P
|
|
|
U.K Liberal Democrat Party
|
|
|
Personal
History
|
Personal
History
|
Personal
History
|
Tony spent his early life as a
public schoolboy. Later he went into politics after his earlier
ambition of being lead guitarist with Led Zeppelin fell through.
Here's a tip...don't mention Iraq. Will Tony step-down soon?
I think he will within a year. Watch this space.
Hobbies?
Playing electric guitar and answering the same
old questions about Iraq......though not at the same time.
Favourite band/music?
"Motorhead, Lemmy rules!"
Favourite drink? "Anything
slimy"
|
Charles, or "Chuck" as he's known
to his friends, came to prominence in the TV series "Rab
C. Nesbit" playing the role of the drunken vicar.
Hobbies?
Being fat and looking tired.
Favourite band/music?
"Drinking songs"
Favourite drink?
"A wee dram if you're buying"
|
Michael Howard first came to the public's attention
when he was a member of the nineties boy band "Take That"
Hobbies?
Looking like Dracula. Michael is also president
of the Ray Reardon fan club.
Favourite
band/music?
"Any death metal man"
Favourite drink?
"Human blood"
|
12th April 2005
My thanks go to all those
who have left messages on my Guestbook page. I've recently received
a message from Peter Hurst from Preston who like me used to work for
BT/Post Office Telephones. I've posted his anecdote which reminded me
of the good old Commer van and its trick of backfiring. You can read
"Buzby's Boys" by clicking on the Buzby poster below. For
those who don't know "Buzby's Boys" is my recollections of
my time during the late seventies/early eighties when I was with The
Post Office Telephones/BT as an engineer. It's just a collection of
stories and anecdotes from a time when life was simpler than it is today.
I should like to hear
from people who have connections with The Post Office Telephones or
BT, or anyone who wants to contact me for any reason. Please E-mail
me by clicking on this link:
E-
mail Dennis Hanna
click on Buzby to go
to "Buzby's Boys"
8th April 2005
Last month I visited Goathland.
No, it's not a brothel in Wales but part of the North Yorkshire Moors
Railway (anorak alert). Goathland is better known under its TV name
of Adensfield as it's the village where they film the series "Heartbeat."
They also used it for the railway scenes in the Harry Potter films.
While I was there I managed
to get snowed-in which gave me the opportunity to take some photos of
the station and village cloaked in snow. I finally managed to escape
the blizzard with the kind assistance of a local farmer and his snow-plough
equipped tractor.
Goathland Station
more
photos of Goathland
3rd April 2005
Well done to Lee Bowyer
and Kieron Dyer for behaving like a couple of spoilt children during
the match with Aston Villa yesterday. What a pair of tossers! These
pampered, overpaid idiots should be ashamed of themselves. They actually
have the best job in the world bar none but they behave like a couple
of spoilt schoolboys. What a joke.
Graeme Souness should
kick them both out of the club. Perhaps they should have a couple of
weeks working in a steel works so they'd get a taste of a real job.
Perhaps after that experience they'd appreciate how lucky they are.
Bowyer and Dyer trade
punches (pathetic)
Dyer, Mr. Souness and
Bowyer.
Full
story on the BBC website
29th March 2005
Good win by England over
the weekend. Score line flattered a bit though as Northern Ireland managed
to hold England to a 0-0 draw until just after half-time. The first
goal went in and Northern Ireland caved in a bit. Final score 4-0.
It's been typical holiday
weather this Easter weekend as it's been as miserable as a traffic warden's
face. No doubt blistering heat will follow as soon as everyone's back
at work. Ah well it is England.
7th March 2005
I am very sad to have
learnt of the death of Rock DJ Tommy Vance who died of a stroke over
the weekend. To rock fans, like me, Tommy was a god. This follows the
death of John Peel last year and I know that he and Tommy are quite
irreplaceable. God bless you Tommy, you will be greatly missed.
Tommy Vance
BBC
tribute to Tommy click here
4th March 2005
It's been a bit chilly
around Sheffield recently. The media have gone overboard by using words
like "blizzard" and "crisis." It's actually been
neither of these as we've just had some snow showers which is hardly
unusual in Britain in February.
More importantly, The
Blades were knocked out of the F.A. Cup after two thrilling games with
Arsenal. We eventually lost on penalties. The lads played well and we're
all proud of the performances.
15th February 2005
Today the Kyoto Protocol
has been accepted despite the fact that the world's biggest polluters
haven't signed up. Bit of a waste of time then? The American, Chinese
and Indian governments have given the agreement the cold shoulder and
refused to sign. Well they would wouldn't they because they are the
world's biggest polluters. This is no surprise as President (chimp-face)
Bush has little regard for anything other than his own domestic popularity
and the profits of his oil industry buddies. The Americans do not believe
that global warming is a problem......well perhaps they will when the
Atlantic Ocean is licking round the second floor window of the White
House. I always wondered why government buildings are always at the
top of a hill. Perhaps these Jackass politicians aren't so dumb after
all.
Meanwhile back here in
"Dear Old Blightie" (Britain) we've had the rejection of the
appeal launched by the fox hunting brigade. This ramshackle alliance
of stuck-up toffs, countryside yobs and rural misfits has lost its court
battle to get the ban overturned on some made-up legal technicality.
Sorry old chap but you'll just have to find something else to amuse
you at weekends other than galloping around on horseback with a pack
of dogs, tearing old foxy to pieces.
That's tough old boy!
Bad show... What!
Personally, I'm not against
hunting as such so long as you eat the game/fish you catch.
|
Quotes from
interested parties.
|
|
|
|
|
|
"I'm delighted"
|
"I'm gutted"
|
"Tally-ho"
|
13th February 2005
Great win today against West Ham in
the F.A. Cup, we've just the small matter of beating Arsenal next Saturday
at Highbury. I recently attended another "Blades Day" as a
guest of Alan Palfreyman and The Sun Newspaper at Bramall Lane. You
can click here to find out more about the game
and my previous "Blades Days."
Me and Phil Jagielka
12th February 2005
I've just found a great
website dedicated to the memory of Fred Dibnah. Fred was a hero
of mine and I loved his documentaries which he delivered in his wonderful
Bolton accent. Fred was a breath of fresh air in the TV world which
it seems is more interested in presentation than content. Fred just
told it like it is without worrying about self-image or his marketability.
I also liked his old fashioned values and views of life. He was a thoroughly
GOOD BLOKE!
He will be sadly missed.
23rd January 2005
I've just received the photos from
my day out with Sheffield United on the 28th December 2004 as a guest
of my old pal Alan Palfreyman and The Sun Newspaper. I had another superb
day in the Directors' box at Bramall Lane.
Click here
for more details.
January 17th 2005
A little snow is in the air around
Hanna Towers and this unexpected flurry has sent the Highways Dept into
a spin. Everytime I turn on the telly weather report I seem to be greeted
with the latest statistic about the coldest this, the windiest that
or the warmest whatever. When did they start keeping statistics.....
last week? Either that or the global warming / global dimming profits
are right. Yes that's the newest scare....global dimming. For those
who have not heard of this latest frightener I'll explain. It seems
the global warming scientist have underestimated the severity of the
problem because the effects are being counterbalanced by global dimming.
It's all caused by various methods of pollution but the upshot is we're
in the proverbial you know what!
George W. Bush has leapt into action
and has bought a bigger car. This is a typical response by the Americans
who seem to think that pollution is the responsibility of the emerging
nations and nothing to do with they, the Americans, who of course produce
60% of the world's pollution despite accounting for a mere 2% of the
total global population. Our greedy American cousins don't think it's
their problem and won't entertain any solution that doesn't entail them
consuming even more resources. The other day I read that Americans are
so obese that 40% of deaths in USA are caused by over-eating.......greedy
so and so's!
At this rate soon there won't be any
Americans left apart from a few people making fitness videos.
Fat Americans and their
national sport.
The United States....consumers
of the year, again!
