You are currently browsing the The English Guy's Personal Blog weblog archives for January, 2008.

Posted at 11:38 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in politics

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Jan 29
2008

Posted by richard

Corruption comes in many forms but nepotism has to be one of the most abused, don’t you think?

I understand the urge to protect you and yours, but to pay your two sons for working for you (as an MP) when they are a University and not actually doing the work? Hmm, I’d definately say that spills over from corruption and ends up in fraud.

Then you get the tongue-in-cheek attitude of the establishment media. First Derek Conway was suspended, then he was expelled, then in another report the ‘whip was withdrawn’ and then in yet another he was expelled again. For God’s sake, get it right.

Frankly, when you pay your sons £52,700 (that’s the last count, according to the BBC) for work they haven’t done (out of OUR pocket) that’s when the police get called in. Sod the parliamentary committee suspending him from Parliament for 10 days. 10 days?! If I nicked £52K from the government I’d be living at their expense for three years in a 10 foot by 5 foot cell!

Some feel his suspension and whip removal was acceptable, that David Cameron‘s decision was about right (I don’t). Some (prisonlawinsideout) feel like me, that he should pay all of the money back and spend time in prison.

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Posted at 2:14 pm • Trackback Trackback

Posted in humour

2 comments - Latest by:
  • richard
    On the other hand I suppose - McDonalds has to make money, and it would fire incompetent staff. Still, you're ...
  • MacBros
    LOL! I laughed at that news article also. Lets hope we don't have any McDoctors, or McPolice. :D
 

Jan 28
2008

Posted by richard

What a pitiful state our education system must be in that the Government has permitted McDonalds, that leviathan of the healthy fast food industry, to issue diplomas that are equivalents of A-levels.

I find it a bit amusing that having a mcjob might enable a person to get to University when I did it the old fashioned way, stayed at school, completed my A-levels instead of going out into the world at 16 and earning a living. It does make you wonder what they might go to University for – perhaps a degree in fast food service, or a BA in fast food shop design?

Just imagine the howls of laughter (or actually more like woe) from the halls of academia when fellow students learn you have a ‘diploma’ from McDonalds. O woe, o woe is thee.

Posted at 9:33 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in life

3 comments - Latest by:
  • richard
    Today, I feel ok. Tomorrow, I will go back to work and pretend I did not have norovirus, or amusingly ...
  • richard
    You burst blood vessels? Christ man! I was told not to eat large amts, just small bits here and there. :(
 

Jan 28
2008

Posted by richard

Just when you think that Monday’s were bad enough, you get to work and an hour in you feel sick. In fact you feel so sick you spend about 20-30 mins in the toilet worshipping the porcelain god. Nothing happens. You still feel sick, there is a gnawing ache in your stomach.

Someone at work suggest you take a drink of water (thanks Eddie/Albert) you do so and not 10 seconds later you’re throwing up in the bin. Great.

I suffer with the pain for about an hour, and finally go upstairs to say I’m going home because I’m ill. That’s when I throw up again, in the kitchen, again.

I get home, I lay down on the bed, I still feel ill. Five minutes later, I throw up again.

Thanks norovirus, I love you. I -really- hate being sick, throwing up has to be one my worst experiences. Now I miss today, and probably tomorrow, from work. That silver lining doesn’t look so good when you need to get paid!

Posted at 12:46 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in humour

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  • MrCorey
    Perhaps the judge had only listened to the song by Primus and Hetfield...
  • Pages tagged "controversial"
    [...] bookmarks tagged controversial Three Little Pigs Now Offensive saved by 3 others     GxTr0wer bookmarked on 01/27/08 | ...
 

Jan 27
2008

Posted by richard

Apparently, at least according to BECTA (our esteemed government’s educational technology awards agency), a story based on ‘The Three Little Pigs’ is too controversial for an award, because it might offend muslims.

And so they said:

But judges at this year’s Bett Award said that they had “concerns about the Asian community and the use of pigs raises cultural issues”.

The thing is – the majority of the muslim community are intelligent, free-thinking and knowledgeable about other cultures – why would our government bodies assume otherwise? They are the same as the majority of the Christian community – both have fringe elements who tend to be extreme.

I also don’t believe muslims are taught to hate pigs, or not learn about them, or even rear them, they are only taught to not eat them. Is this not correct? To completely cut them out of life simply because they don’t eat them is ridiculous and for our government to believe this and reinforce it is tantamount to state extremism. The story certainly does not encourage muslims or anyone reading the book (aside from highly literate wolves, of course) to eat pigs, perhaps BECTA missed that point?

And humorously:

The judges criticised the stereotyping in the story of the unfortunate pigs: “Is it true that all builders are cowboys, builders get their work blown down, and builders are like pigs?”

Hmm that’s a pretty close call on those; 1) no, but there’s a lot who are, 2) no, but we don’t exactly get hurricanes and tornadoes here on a regular basis, 3) do you know any working builders?

Posted at 11:21 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in life

2 comments - Latest by:
  • richard
    You see a lot of them on the World War documentaries, but it's always about military campaigns etc., Not many ...
  • MacBros
    I watched a long time ago about a group that went around documenting video of vets. I wish I could ...
 

Jan 25
2008

Posted by richard

We talk of World War I and World War II like they were yesterday, just battles and wars in the recent past. Even until the 1980′s for example, there were bomb craters and bombed-out areas in London. We still dig up bombs all over England (and presumably, Germany).

But today (well, this month at least) something happened that will be happening soon to us, and the French, and the Americans and the other nations that fought in World War I – the last surviving veteran died (for the Germans at least).

Now no-one can hear firsthand of any World War I experiences. These may be the things that don’t get talked about in documentaries, never get discussed because they seem so menial and humdrum.

Posted at 9:32 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in politics

2 comments - Latest by:
  • richard
    I try to find 'em and nix 'em.
  • MacBros
    Well lookie there. You've been scraped! Scum. Their all scum them there scrapers don't cha' know?
 

Jan 25
2008

Posted by richard

Once it was just the way that things were done in America. Now it might just happen here in Europe. I say ‘Europe’ because apparently we’re a “bloc” now – strains of socialism creeping in here, getting me a little worried. Comrade.

From the MSNBC post entitled ‘EU proposes fingerprinting visitors‘:

The European Union’s top justice official proposed Friday to replicate U.S. border security measures in Europe with plans to fingerprint and electronically record the entry and exit of all visitors to the 27-nation bloc.

This is a Justice official! I thought that Justices were supposed to sit and judge on points of the law and so on, not propose new laws, isn’t that the job of the politicians?

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Posted at 2:31 pm • Trackback Trackback

Posted in humour

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  • richard
    Yeah little green aliens ;)
  • MacBros
    LOL! I saw that too on Discovery. They had a guy from NASA and he explained it to be just a ...
 

Jan 24
2008

Posted by richard
mars_life.jpg

It does seem a bit silly that life could exist in the harsh conditions of Mars. Doesn’t it?

The picture looks nice, it really does. The alluring image everyone is so excited about is on the top left part, difficult to see. It looks like the little mermaid sculpture in Copenhagen, sort of.

But seriously, humanoid life on Mars? Give me a break.

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Posted at 11:26 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in life

2 comments - Latest by:
  • richard
    Well in that case - baaaaa!
  • MrCorey
    Have you forgotten? Government exists to suck the money from your wallet and never return it! Government exists to impede ...
 

Jan 24
2008

Posted by richard

Imagine knowing that the heavy rains we have been deluged with will, in all probability, flood your house and/or town. Then think about this – a collection of you, townspeople, gather to decide that by erecting makeshift flood defenses, you can save your town and/or property. This is an elevated bank, protecting many houses.

Then there is the real kicker to the story – the Environment Agency then tells you and your fellow survivors that your newly-built flood defences are illegal. Why? Because they are potentially causing more problems elsewhere for other people.

So, what is the point of government again?

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Posted in work

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Jan 23
2008

Posted by richard

We had some training today from some specialists in our particular field at work (signs). These are guys that build the components that we use to construct the signs. Despite what you may think it’s very complex, at least in terms of construction, the methods, the tools, the materials and so on.

It took all afternoon, and we have some more tomorrow. :|

Posted at 1:57 pm • Trackback Trackback

Posted in hot

2 comments - Latest by:
  • richard
    Yep, apparently found with pills strewn around him Sad. Looks like Amy Winehouse will be following him soon (filmed smoking crack).
  • MacBros
    Wow! I wonder what happened. Drugs?
 

Jan 22
2008

Posted by richard

I can’t say I’m a real fan of Heath Ledger‘s work, but when you jump over to msnbc’s news page and you see plastered across the top: ‘BREAKING NEWS: Actor Heath Ledger found dead in his New York apartment’ it really does make you jump.

Like they say, the good die young. TMZ reports:

He was found dead in his bed in one of his residences in Soho by his housekeeper at 3:35 PM ET today. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ they believe it was not a crime.

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