CoffeeHousers' Wall, 1 March - 7 March

HJ

When will Brown go to the palace?

TrevorsDen

How many people here on coffee house have actually stopped buying the Daily Telegraph?

Speaking personally ...
I despised the tabloid way it ran the expenses story.
I think the personal rhetoric of columnists like Heffer and bigoted bloggers like Warner are beneath the standards of what should be a great paper.
I think many of its columnists are frankly juvenile.

And its sports coverage is not what it was, with a further minus being its Motoring section seems more interested in motorbikes.

And its falling over backwards to be anti tory - at a time of real crisis for our nation - is inexplicable.

I for one would like to see tory papers (and magazines) having some influence on a Tory government rather than a tory opposition.

All in all The Telegraph is a pathetic shambles. Give us our paper back.

Sean Haffey

Does anyone know when the Nikon D700 will be replaced?

Verity

Trevor's Den (Eric Pickles) which columnists do you think are lefties? Daniel Hannan? James Delingpole - eek! I had to duck fast in case a hastily grabbed missile came shooting over the Atlantic aimed at my head - , Janet Daley? Norman Tebbitt? (just kidding, milord!) Boris Johnson? Philip Johnson? Nigel Farndale?

Who?

EC

Edward McLaughlin,

Great photo. Some colour at last! There's a strange light in the sky down this end today.

Alexandrovich

Oh, you want your paper back but we can't have our party back.

Richard Manns

@ TrevorsDen

Hear, hear. The sports quality has fallen; we read the Times for that now. As for Warner, he really took the biscuit with his stunning piece on the HPV vaccine; it was like listening to the Catholic Church on condoms' being "full of holes", with impressive ignorance of the fact that, even if she is faithful to partner all her life, she has a 30% chance of infection.

Heffer needs to pipe down, grow up and at least have the political nous to realise that Cameron needs to win an election. We all wonder at times whether Cameron is Thatcherite enough, but even Mrs Thatcher didn't swing into full gear until after 1983. Such lack of historical perspective and political acumen is breathtaking from a leading columnist; it's like he's fighting a personal grudge against the Tories.

pete-s

Three stories have emerged last week, that typify all that is wrong with this country. I can best describe it as 'playing the system'.

The first is the scandal of the Stafford Hospital where the main fault of this 'disaster' is caused by the target driven philosophy of the gov. The hospital went all the way up the hospital league table at the expense of causing in the region of 1200 deaths, incredible.

The second story is about 'single mothers' from the British Social Attitudes survey and how the number have grown dramatically. It surely only be due to the benefits system that makes a no responsibility attitude workable.

The third story is the draft report that showed it was an unofficial gov policy of having mass immigration. Again why struggle to live in Africa or Eastern Europe , rather then be given a council flat in Thamesmead and a benefits system.

Overall human beings will make rational judgements that benefit themselves. Unfortunately the long suffering tax payer also wants to make rational decisions. This does not mean subsidising the rest of the world with this Gov hair-brain incompetent ideas.

daifromwales

I certainly despised the way it turned a single story into a running sore that ended up offering a few human sacrifices to the self righteous. There was one story as far as I can make out. MP's pay was restricted by Downing Street as a PR exercise. But MPs were told to claim lots of 'plausible' expenses, which would not be too closely checked. Exactly the same occurred in industry during the pay freezes in the 1970s, and for the same reason: it was to stop good people from simply going away.
A corrupt concept corrupted those who paid and those who received. And who is entirely incorruptible? "Deliver us from temptation" is the prayer we all used to say once a day - it's a pity more of us don't say it more often.

I swore never to buy the Telegraph again. we now see that the old "corrupt" expenses only cost the taxpayer one third of the new "incorruptable" policing procedures. So lots of people have washed their consciences clear at yours and my expense. Again.

Tiberius

I only read the DT/ST online these days, and although there some incredible anti-Tory or pro-Brown pieces from the likes of Mary Riddell and the Hefferlump, I still find Matt, Boris, Ben Brogan and Charles Moore unmissable.

It has some good financial pieces too. But I don't think it will go back to what it was when I used to buy it five years or more ago.

The Bellman

@TD: I gave up after they dropped Mark Steyn. I still read Charles Moore on Saturdays and buy it on Sunday for the business section and the TV listings. Christopher Booker and Alisdair Palmer can be entertaining. The rest is derivative c0ckwaffle.

I feel somewhat similar about the Spectator, but I buy it to read on the Tube. In my view it suffered a major decline after the cover cartoon expanded to fill the whole sheet (although the post-9/11 cover 'The West must fight back' was brilliant). It declined still further after Frank Johnson left. The media fluff that gathered pace under Boris Johnson shows no sign of being slowed under Frser Nelson.

Standpoint is now what the Spectator of my youth was.

HJ

TrevorsDen I couldn't agree more. Heffer, Warner, Daley and Riddell repeat the same rubbish every week. Their collumns are ill thought out, predictable and would once have been considered too impetuous for the Daily Mail.
As for Boris Johnson; he can clearly write well but the subject matter is drivel and he is being paid thousands but putting in very little effort. There was a time when the Telegraph would not have employed a collumnist whose single attribute was that they seem to be a Conservative celebrity.
There are a couple worth reading, Jeff Randall is OK, as is Matthew D'Ancona, but as a whole the paper is now trash.
What annoys me most about Heffer and Warner and friends, is they seem to have missed the most important aspect of being a conservative. It is to stop things happening. In other words to stop our current government. Yes, a PM who is a cross between Enoch Powell and Margaret Thatcher that stopped immigration and brought back hanging would be my ideal. But they wouldn't get elected, making that sort of person useless. You would think thirteen years in the wilderness would have made these people realise that Cameron is the best hope for a Conservative government. I often wonder how conservative somebody who helps Labour by voting UKIP is, and I say that despite the fact that UKIP are probably closer to my own political view point than the Tories.
A true conservative would vote for the lesser of two evils, that has the best chance of stopping the current destruction being done to our country. At the moment, that is Cameron's Conservatives.
There is one thing the Telegraph has made me realise. There are almost as many fools on the right as there are on the left.

Norman Dee

Trevor, of course they are juvenile, this is the way that society and especially the media has gone, if you're not editior in chief by the time you are 29 you've had it. Unless you knoe where the bodies are buried, then you can go on forever like Michael White

THX1138

Edward McLaughlin

Great picture, we might not agree about politics but it seems we both share a love of the British countryside..

In2minds

TrevorsDen - The Daily Telegraph, online or paper, is like most of the UK MSM a bit breathless. But in the last few days I have enjoyed the story of the infiltration of Nulabour by Islamic radicals and the current story of Sir Ian Blair signing deals with these sort of people. Also motorcycles are wonderful, well my Moto Guzzi is.

MikeF

'Threat to 25,000 council jobs' proclaims the BBC in a warning of what might happen after the Election. Just a thought why don't the Conservatives say that in any round of council job cuts the axe will fall first on all those posts that have the words 'eqality', 'diversity' or 'coordinator' in their title. Could be a vore-winner.

John Bracewell

Could Nick Robinson and the BBC be more biased? Read his comments on Lord Ashcroft and his tax status, no balance whatsoever.
Little mention of the many Labour Peers that donate to the Labour Party. As we get nearer to the GE he has dropped all pretence of adhering to the BBC charter which requires him to be independent and balanced in his views.

teledu

Mary Riddell is a definite turn off, but Heffer tells it straight, even if he knows it won't be liked and I like that. The Crossword and Matt and the letters page also make it worth buying.

House Elf

Last week Dr.Papadoploploploplous (sic) publishes a report that children are exposed to far too much sexual imagery!

Today my year six comes home with a sex education consent form!!!

Joined up thinking! Promote it, and show them how to do it! That’s sure to reduce teenage pregnancy!

Will no one rid me of this meddlesome party

James Murphy

Can I humbly recommend Men Only as an antidote to all the more or less PC rags currently on offer at the news-stand? Or if that is too bland, Hustler? Both have top-rate photo journalists on the payroll and the text is always direct and to-the-point.

David Ossitt

THX1138

“Edward McLaughlin

Great picture, we might not agree about politics but it seems we both share a love of the British countryside.”

It is a superb picture, but what is it with all of this British stuff?

This is simply the pure and unadulterated perfection that makes Yorkshire, God's own county.

daifromwales

I know people on this board and elsewhere are frustrated by Cameron's 'lack of policy' (by the way - must we English have yet ANOTHER Scotch leader?) - but he can hardly enter an election year by telling the electorate that he will be raising taxes and cutting services, can he? Nor can he or should he deliberately anger the Moslem population of this country. Realistically he'll lose far more votes than he will win by doing that.
We must get rid of Brown: almost whatever else arrives in his stead.

I'm annoyed that in his big speech we heard him say how the Tories must win "for the sake of the party" - or words to that effect. He should have clearly said "for the sake of the country". That might have got a better message across.

AAE

This morning on the radio, Chris Woodhead, the former School's Inspector, gave his critique of Gove's plans which he didn't think were going to be much less centrist than Blair's Academies, and in reply, whilst expressing his respect and admiration for Woodhead, Gove noted that the main criticism of his plans was now coming from the "radical Right". (Same defamatory tactic as Labour.) Well, wait until he starts chatting to the NUT! And the day after Dave's big call to radicalism, could the Shadow Cabinet define the parameters of acceptable radicalism, because, like the centre ground, it's an area that's quickly being sub-divided and overpopulated.

Tiberius

James Murphy: the answer to your first six words is "yes", but I would settle for a copy of Country Life if it had a photo of Caroline Flint on the front cover.

Anne Wotana Kaye 1

MikeF: Reading your posting, I wonder if you saw the 6 o'clock BBC 1 News. In the later part, "Around Your Area", they showed how Surrey County Council is going to cut the school buses which carry children from their homes to school. This has been an off/on matter which the Tories seem unable to decide on. What interested me was that unlike most of the film BBC News shows of school children, 99.9 percent were white. Usually this percentage is heavily in the Black or Muslim court. Am I being cynical in thinking that if the children were not mainly, or almost all white English children there would be more reluctance in removing an essential service? Do the powers that be recognise that white, indigenous citizens are far more apathetic than other ethnic groups? This deliberate targeting of whites extends to the reducation of hospitals and social services, especially for the elderly. Perhaps the Council for Equality, Diversity or whatever the damn thing is called, should be brought in to represent a people so cowed they can no longer stand up for their rights.

Derek

David Ossitt

Perhaps; but God has also been seen walking on a Spring day among the bluebells and primroses in an Essex wood.

Beer Moth

EC, THX, David Ossitt

Tah very much.

MikeF

Anna - Obviously I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek but not by much. If cuts in council budgets have to be made then there is a clear and substantial political opportunity for the Conservatives to identify and cut jobs and activities that serve the ideological purposes of the left and to contrast that with what might well be cuts in real services in Labour-controlled councils.

There are plenty of targets. They might include foreign trips by councillors to show 'solidarity' rather than to gain information that might support enhanced service provision in the UK, all advertising of council jobs in The Guardian rather then the council's own website and translation services for communities that refuse to learn English.

Alexandrovich

Feets don't fail me now! I've just watched Dispatches and my eyes are sure swivelling now. So everything we suspected is incontrovertably true. Lordy, I hope Frank P. was sedated before watching.

Derek

A while back, one was happy to see Conrad Black given a one-off column in the Spectator - "Diary"? - submitted from his monastic cell, always a stimulus to reflection and focused thought.

Those who have wondered whether Mr. Black had picked up his quill only to set it down again will be interested to read his reflections on the Middle East, and in particular on Iran, online in the National Review.
(http://article.nationalreview.com/426103/strike-against-iran/conrad-black?page=1).

I wonder what his thoughts are on Neathergate...

Frank P

Beer Moth/Ed McLaughlin.

Or Janus? :-)

Verity

Beer Moth - Oooooh, "tah very much!" Tha's a reet posh lad an' all!

Major Plonquer

I object to the use of the term Non-Dom as applied to the dear Lord Ashcroft. Surely as a Conservative the term should be 'Con-Dom'.

This is doubly true as, like his prophylactic namesake, he is only guilty of protecting a bunch of pricks.

Frank P

A cerebral prognosis from November 2008 that is worth the time to re-read, particularly now that we know now that Cameron is being briefed by Obama's culture warriors:

http://www.olavodecarvalho.org/english/articles/081118lf_en.html

The Cat Anan

It seems that none of Verity's posts are getting through on this site.

Kevyn Bodman

If you don't like the Telegraph columnists don't read them.

Some years ago I read a few pieces by Yasmin Alibai Brown.
Having reached a view about her columns I don't read them any more.

Some time ago ,on this site, I read a few Face to Faith posts.
I don't read those any more.

Easy.

But be wary of denigrating columnists just because they don't write what you would write.
Having a different viewpoint from you doesn't in itself make a writer bad.

Ronnie

The Cat Anan.

If Verity's posts aren't getting through, does that mean that our reinforcements will not arrive in time?

Rob C

Has anyone read this excellent post?

http://wallstreetpit.com/18155-economic-reality-check

Can't help but wonder what the UK's graphs would look like - very much the same (or worse) I suspect. Perhaps Fraser will use his excellent presentational skills and will find something comparative for the UK MSM?

Ghengis

Both Brown and Cameron undertook to facilitate a referendum upon the EU treaty. Neither honoured their obligation. I can also quote "And to honour those who raised us, I can affirm our commitment to restore the link between the Basic State Pension and earnings." Gordon Brown, Labour Party Annual Conference Speech 2007. He made a similar statement before the 1997 election but 3 years later and we are STILL waiting.
Cameron, in his speech of Sunday, undertook similarly whilst being on record as being in the process of cleansing his party. Inasmuch that he has not cleansed his party how on earth does he expect us to believe any thing he says more than Brown.

Lucy Jones

Is "Mrs Rocester" married to "Mrs Goebbels"?

a>

Anne Wotana Kaye 1

Lucy Jones: I am afraid I must be suffering from sunstroke after yesterday's wonderful weather. I love a good joke, but can't understand what your latest posting refers to. Mrs married to Mrs? Please elucidate for a poor bewildered fellow blogger.

Frank P

Apparently the editorial staff at OQS are having a long, tooth-sucking session over the Mandleshit's breathtakingly hypocritical attack on Lord Ashcroft this morning - aided and abetted by Sky News. He kept a straight face too (if you call any part of the egregious little turd's poisonous carcass "straight"). Let's hear it chaps - how are you going to wrap and ribbon this one?

Verity

Alexandrovich - what was in the programme?

Lucy Jones

Sorry about the confusing "Mrs Goebbels" post from earlier - only half of my post appeared for some reason.

Sarah Brown likened to Mrs Goebbels here:
http://tinyurl.com/y9lazdl

Made me think of a quotation attributed to the first Mrs Goebbels:
"He no longer listens to voices of reason. Those who tell him what he wants to hear are the only ones he believes". (Magda Goebbels, regarding Hitler, 1944)

Frank P

Alexandrovitch,

No sedation needed to watch a very tardy and disappointingly watery piece by the pudgy little Gilligan, whose own record of journalistic cock-ups and treachery marks him as a source less than reliable. As for Channel Four? well ...!

Nothing 'we' were not aware of already surely? Moreover I felt that it was tempered by far too much lay-off (concern, even) on behalf of so called 'moderate Muslims', most of whom it seems to me are merely biding their time; waiting for demographics to achieve what their more impatient and sanguine co-religionist nutters are trying to hasten by more aggressive methods.

You disappoint me Alex; if it required Gilligan and Channel 4 to 'convince you of what you suspected' then you clearly haven't been paying attention.

My own 'suspicion' was replaced by certainty (backed up by overwhelming evidence) years ago - much of it direct from the Koran, but more from the he mouths and pens of those who use it as their springboard for conquest, never mind the occasional somewhat alarming and explosive demonstrations of their intent. If you missed all of that tangible proof of mens rea, then perhaps the absence of Twin Towers might have indicated a more urgent example of actus rea?

Then there was a rather confused day on the London Underground on the 7th July 2005, which should have dispelled any lingering doubts and moved the proposition from the "I wonder?" tray, into the "Oh, Shit!" tray, had you not been distracted by other pressing issues?

I could list many more pointers (having done so ad nauseum, here and elsewhere, for the past half century or so) if you're still not quite certain. If however my assertions are disqualified for reasons of advanced years and assumed incipient senility (a common assumption of the more ignorant of the last two spoiled and arrogant generations), then I suggest that you turn to the younger turks, such as Melanie Phillips, Mark Steyn, et alia, whose intellectual passion is matched only by their brilliant writing skills and their willingness to look beyond the ends of their noses. I am content to stand with them, if only as a woodworm-riddled sign-post to their work.

If you were merely being ironic, already convinced and committed anyway - and merely teasing, then forgive me for using the opportunity to remind the less well informed that Gilligan is only the latest of the hacks from the dead tree media, TV and intertubes who are belatedly screaming “Wake up” after the house is burned down and their mate Gordon Brown has already settled the insurance claim – but unfortunately by means of a deal with the arsonists insurance company. Now that’s my definition of scorched earth.

EC

FFS! Is is not possible for the Speccie commentariat to have a Reich free week, even a single day???

Full details of Godwins's Law and Huffman's Hitler Hypothesis here:

http://www.worsethanhitler.net/

@Lucy Jones - Dire! You're a candidate for the "Just like Goebbels" section.

Andy Carpark

@EC

'Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.'

L Wittgenstein (who was at school with Hitler 1903-4)

Andy Carpark

@EC (2)

The female impersonator, Barry Humphries, paints watercolours in his spare time. Someone asked him who his influences were, or where he would place himself in the pantheon of water colourists.

(Long pause) 'Somewhere between Churchill and Hitler.'

James Murphy

Ah yes, Tiberius, I see what (and who) you mean. Having not come across Caroline Flint before, I have just googled her to death, and can agree that she is a fine looking woman.

Anne Wotana Kaye 1

Lucy Jones: Thanks, now I see what you mean. Yes, the lady in very bovine and passive in appearance, but then who else whould tolerate a tyrant? I wish she would change her persona and do a Lady Macbeth on McBruin and rid us all of his dreadful countenance each time he is on TV.

Kevyn Bodman

It's just after 5.00pm and SKYNEWS is running a 'Breaking News' story about the TV debates with the 3 biggest party leaders.

But this is a con.
It's not breaking news at all;it's a
stitch- up.

Filmed reports had already been prepared,interviews with Cameron and Clegg had already been taped and the converstaion between Jeremy Thompson and Adam Boulton,while not scripted, had clearly been planned in advance.
And the story had been embargoed till 5.00pm.

That's not 'breaking news';it's a cosy little arrangement within the club and it's got very little to do with breaking news.
It falls outside the definition of news as something they don't want you to know about;it's advertising.Pure.And.Simple.

Austin Barry

The 'moderate muslims' in which our elites invest so much hope and taxpayers'dosh remind me of the 'good Germans' of the Third Reich - inert and invisible. They are the passive aggressives of the Caliphate, biding their time until, as Frank P. points out, the relentless demographics determine our respective futures.

Soon a cherubic little Islamist will stand on a stool in a Tower Hamlets curry house and start singing "Tomorrow Belongs to Me". And, as the burkas and dishdashas sway faster and faster, far off in Golders Green, Finchley and Hendon will come the discordant accompaniment of smashed windows.

EC

Andy Carpark,

"What we can't say we can't say, and we can't whistle it either." Frank Ramsey

Anne Wotana Kaye 1

Austin Barry: I'm afraid you are correct. The situation is not pleasant, and before now I have said it is reminiscent of 30s Germany. One point of interest,will Fanatical Muslims turn on their friends in the very politically correct BBC? The Asian Programme is really for all from that part of thge world, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Buhdists et al, but like everything else the Fundamentalists grab it for themselves alone.

Derek

Austin Barry

Yes, and meanwhile some are not content in just biding their time - their time come round at last, the fundamentalist Islamic Forum of Europe is accused by the Environment Minister,Jim Fitzpatrick, of infiltrating the Labour Party. The IFE, it is said, believes in jihad, sharia law and the transformation of Britain into an Islamic state.

This does not appear to have created any ripples on these pages.

Our intellectual and political masters seem paralysed with fear and unable to address the question lest they be accused of racism. Rod Liddle, even he, seemed, a few weeks ago, unable to distinguish between racism and denunciation of a pernicious religious ideolgy. I received an email from an Indian friend though today which went to some length to recount the achievements in wealth creation of the Indian economy and then concluded, perhaps a little shrilly for Notting Hill Gate and other genteel environs:

"Indians and Pakistanis have the same Y-chromosome haplogroup. We have the same genetic sequence and the same genetic marker (namely: M124).
We have the same DNA molecule, the same DNA sequence. Our culture, our traditions and our cuisine are all the same. We watch the same movies and sing the same songs.

So, what is it that Indians have and we don't?
INDIANS ELECT THEIR LEADERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And also to mention: They think of Construction of own nation, unlike other nations who are just concerned with destruction of others...

Simple answer why Indians fare better than Pakistanis ... They don't focus on religion and neither do they spend time and money in devising ways to kill their own and everyone else over religion.".

Perhaps Mr. Nelson could highlight the distinction between racism and ideology when he completes his long-aaited and long-promised position paper on Neathergate...?

Meanwhile, who was it, long, long, long ago, who said "There are some of us... who will fight and fight and fight again to save the Party we love" ? Which party was that? Which country was that? A foreign country, I think.

Verity

Where's my comment that I sent in at 1:55 pm GMT?

John Richardson

Two things occur to me regarding the contemporary Conservative Party .

1) They should be ashamed of their record in Opposition.
They have failed to stop the Government in any substantial measure they have determined upon. They have supported some of the most disastrous policies.
They have failed to alert the public to the threat of Govn. policies.
They have failed to focus public attention on Govn. failings; even in obvious & indisputable areas such as crime/sentencing or education.

2) Last summer their lead in the polls was huge. They have lost it without a fight.
No-one is sheepish, no-one is ashamed.
They do not realise this is THEIR fault, not the British people's fault.

They were paid to oppose. That was their job.
Whatever happens in the coming General Election, the whole country has been let down terribly.

John Richardson

Two things occur to me regarding the contemporary Conservative Party .

1) They should be ashamed of their record in Opposition.
They have failed to stop the Government in any substantial measure they have determined upon. They have supported some of the most disastrous policies.
They have failed to alert the public to the threat of Govn. policies.
They have failed to focus public attention on Govn. failings; even in obvious & indisputable areas such as crime/sentencing or education.

2) Last summer their lead in the polls was huge. They have lost it without a fight.
No-one is sheepish, no-one is ashamed.
They do not realise this is THEIR fault, not the British people's fault.

They were paid to oppose. That was their job.
Whatever happens in the coming General Election, the whole country has been let down terribly.

John Richardson

Two things occur to me regarding the contemporary Conservative Party .

1) They should be ashamed of their record in Opposition.
They have failed to stop the Government in any substantial measure they have determined upon. They have supported some of the most disastrous policies.
They have failed to alert the public to the threat of Govn. policies.
They have failed to focus public attention on Govn. failings; even in obvious & indisputable areas such as crime/sentencing or education.

2) Last summer their lead in the polls was huge. They have lost it without a fight.
No-one is sheepish, no-one is ashamed.
They do not realise this is THEIR fault, not the British people's fault.

They were paid to oppose. That was their job.
Whatever happens in the coming General Election, the whole country has been let down terribly.

paulg

I read the telegraph as a paper and can't say its anti tory, although its blogs are crammed full of kippers and socialists pretending to be kippers.
Your right about gerald Warner, although, I think his rants are the first sign of alzheimers.
Whereas simon Heffer just offers lazy analysis & platitudes for the kipper mob. Its a shame because he is one of the best writers on the conservative side.

Verity

Why are these people dressed like this? Why do the stumps have ads on them. Why is the beautiful game being degraded to being Formula 1?

Verity

Ooops! I think I left the link off ...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/england/7352850/Eoin-Morgans-brilliant-century-guides-England-to-ODI-series-win-over-Bangladesh.html

Tiberius

There really is no need to worry about our Muslim friends, you know.

Once the darlings realize that the Caliphate will prevent Western ingenuity from inventing the next generation of mobile phones with which to detonate their bombs, they'll be rushing to replace their mosques with churches faster than you can say Ali Ba Ba.

Beer Moth

Frank P

Janus was a pussy. Life was so much more fun on the old open site:

Al Faturd, Alf Tupper, Amina Bull, Arnie Sagnussen, Beerchipsbingo, Ben Shand, Buntin Tosser, Circuitous Cant, Commondog, D Menscher, Dandiprat, Derah Yasque, Dog Snob, Dug Skullery, Flag Uniform, Inuit Nell, Jenny Whine-Brit, Juan Kerr, Kipperbreath, Levy Malone, Little Plum, Lou Dacht, Max Peasley, Mr Mhena, Nitnurse, Northpaw, Not Dancing Just Scratching, Percy Filf, Percy Topliss, Raven on the Wing, Recumbent Nude, Scott Chegue, Salamanda Palagandafan, Smyrna Merchant, Spotted Dick, Straight Abandon, Stumpichimp, The Isle of Sheppey Caravan Club, That Fat Eddie off the Bill, The Boy of Pigs, Ujah Kapiv, Unsteady Eddie, Vapid Cant, Wadi Amin, Waiting for Gobbo, Wellwisha, Yusuf Public.

Every man needs a hobby.

Alexandrovich

Verity: sorry for the delay. The programme is Dispatches, broadcast on Channel 4 Monday 1st March and was an expose of how the caliphate has secured its grip on the East End by infiltration of the Labour Council.
As I said, nothing we didn't suspect but truly gut-turning to see it played out, courtesy of the secret filming.
I think you will be able to stream it from Mexico - try this:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/4od
(Five tequila slammers first though.)

Alexandrovich

Point taken Frank, it was probably that effin' gulag that slowed me up.

Derek

Would you please consider placing a running note of the number of hits on each blog as well as of the comments which is now shown? It would be interesting to see if there is a large horde of lurkers out there. At present the impression given is that we are a few cats in a bag.

Frank P

Beer Moth

Aaahhhh ....!

Malfleur

"Stephen Hawking plans 'to leave Britain over Government cuts in science'"

Oh, that's just Gordon.

duncan veasey

Never mind the Telegraph.Mr Nelson canvassed our views on the writers we wanted to read. Pretty consistent for less soft and fluffy and more Steyn and Dalrymple.Any sign of any change at all? ( He'd already promised us Paul Johnson...Huzzah!)

London Calling

Following the advise of Winston Churchill I learnt a new word today in the Wall Street Journalâ¦â™Nefariouslyâ™ to describe the Hedge funds that are colluding and forcing down the Euro, for which the Justice party are now investigating.

nefarious adjective:
abominable, arrant, bad, base, confounded, contemptible, corrupt, criminal, degenerate, deplorable, depraved, despicable, detestable, devilish, discreditable, disgraceful, dishonorable, dissolute, dreadful, evil, execrable, felonious, flagitious, flagrant, foul, gross, hateful, heinous, horrible, ignoble, immoral, impious, improper, indecent, infamous, infernal, iniquitous, miscreant, monstrous, obnoxious, odious, outrageous, peccant, pernicious, profligate, reprehensible, reprobate, scandalous, shameful, sinful, sinister, terrible, treacherous, unrighteous, vile, villainous, wicked, wrong

Isnâ™t the English language wonderfulâ¦:)

U.S. Probes Bearish Euro Bets

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704486504575098021150940494.html?mod=WSJEUROPE_hpp_MIDDLETopStories

Verity

London Calling - I think nefarious is a routine part of everyone's vocabulary, but thanks anyway.

Alexandrovitch - Thank you, I'll go to it today once I've cranked up my laptop. The new speakers on my desktop worked for one day. Clue: Sad to say, as I'm a big fan of the Chinese, but their manufactured products are not yet dependable.

Tequila - no thanks.

Vulture

I know its not done to speak ill of the dead, especially of the freshly cold...but here goes.

Can I just say what a silly and dangerous old fool the late Michael Foot was?

The BBC have predictably donned the donkey jackets of mourning as they go into full sentimental twaddle mode over this foolish old buffer... evey leftie's favourite granddad.

But what is there to mourn? A lifelong pacifist who wouldn't lift a finger to
defend his country from the fascism he claimed to detest. (Excused service in WW2 because of ill health - yet he still managed to stagger on to 96).

A 'Socialist' who continued to believe in that evil garbage through Stalinism and beyond.

A cradle CNDer who would have happily have denuded this country of its only defence against a Soviet takeover.

A windbagging old monster who made Kinnock look tight-lipped.

A man too feeble to defend his wife Jill Craigie when she was raped (by fellow writer Arthur Koestler).

A middle-class leftie who lived in bourgeois Hampstead from where he told the workers in Wales what to do.

A hypocrite who broke the bread of that great capitalist right-winger Beaverbrook - and even wrote a hagiography.

And his political achievements were.....well, what, exactly?

No, frankly the only good thing abt the old dope was that he was such a hopeless leader that he almost succeeded in destroying the Liebour party ( Sadly, not quite). No Fool like an old Foot.

God, can you imagine how crazy the Beeb will go when Benn turns up his toes?

And likewise, you won't be able to hear them for the popping of license-fee Champagne corks when Thatcher goes.

Verity

Has it crossed anyone else's mind that the only explanation for Dave still being in situ, despite the hemorrhage of confidence in him as Leader, is, the Tories are deliberately throwing this election?

I cannot think of another explanation for them hanging on to someone in whom Tory voters have placed not a jot of confidence. Someone who has adopted, wholesale, the very nastiest parts of the totalitarian agenda - i.e., fascist-imposed shortlists of women, immigrants and gays that override the decisions of the local party; and obfuscates the party's intentions with regard to the monstrous EU project - a threat to our democracy even more sinister than 1930s Germany, and is taking campaign advice from Obama's Marxist election advisor, this Dunn woman, and talks lefty drivel out of his arse.

To walk away with the election, all he had to do was promise to hold a referendum on the EU, and to address the immigration tragedy ... but on those two critical points, nary a word.

Yet he hasn't been sacked as Leader. Why?

It crossed my mind this morning that the Tories are throwing this election for some reason.

Anne Wotana Kaye 1

Vulture: I liked your posting. I am sick and tired of hypocrisy in the name of sevility, politeness or decency. I would be happy if every socialist politican dropped dead simultaneously and rid us of their cursed presence. Last night I saw an excellent movie on BBC 4 (I wonder if they had an agenda for showing such a great foreign-language film at this moment in time). It was "The Lives of Others" and what with the Stasi, etc. it was a terrible reminder of the way things are going and will go even quicker if that pillock Brown gets elected.

Anne Wotana Kaye 1

Verity: For some time I have been accused either of paranoia or of being a fool. I have stated that I believe the Tories are deliberately avoiding being elected. They have, I think, a deal with Labour and when the next election takes place, and the dust has settled, we will find a whole new batch of Peers in the House of Lords and Osbourne being taken on as Minister for Moslem Affairs (a new office with his brother as Executive Director). I wonder if anybody recalls Johnny Ray, the guy who cried as he sang? Well we will have a new Crying Duo, Brown and Cameron, in another newly created Ministry, The Ministry of Caring Compassion, administered by these two weepers.

Verity

awk - Well I don't know about weepers, but they certainly are a couple of bleeders.

London Calling

Thanks accepted Verity⦠The second word I learnt today was Adoxography meaning to write skilfully on an unimportant subject⦠but I guess you know that one very well alsoâ¦;)

Frank P

Vulture (2.20pm)

You've submitted that obit. to the Daily Telegraph, I hope. The timing is somewhat - er - quick-off-the-mark; but the data is impeccable. As I said elsewhere, "Ten inches" Foot was two inches short of a ruler. Will he he join Karl and Ralph in Highgate Cemetery, I wonder? That would give the Miliprick Bros another chance to visit Dad without showing out the family secret. Or perhaps they'll just toss him down a disused pit in Welsh Wales.

PeterDuffell

Congratulations to the Spectator on last night's post reformation debate. Lively and enjoyable stuff from the platform from Mathew Parris's knockabout stuff to the good humoured contributuions form the Cardinal and the Bishop. Pity about the contributions from the floor - if only the zealots could articulate a point and state it with succint brevity. I wouldn't take the outcome too seriously. PRD

Anne Wotana Kaye 1

Caring David was on the BBC 1 TV News at 6 this evening. He stated that Michael Foot was a great opponent of Fascism and Hitler. B*ll Sh*t! Foot was an active opponent of Stanley in 1933, when he increased spending for arms, and later still when war seemed inevitable he was still refusing to see reality. The war in Spain, of course, was different. It was his beloved Communists against Franco. Fior this he was prepared to put aside his 'honorable' conscientious objections to war.

Ghengis

By their attitude and performance at PMQ's today (3.3.2010) it is apparent that the political class throughout their ranks, are of the opinion that their object of removing themselves to a position at which they are beyond the law has been attained.. Their pompous caterwauling and infantile antics equalled if not exceeded those we have become accustomed to when watching scenes of drunken Saturday night behaviour upon television. They appear to have become removed from reality by their avoidance of retribution and to have lost all respect for the establishment in which they are privileged to sit and for which so many have and continue to die for. Even their Speaker drew their attention to the fact of their behaviour not being in accord with their employers wishes, to of no avail – Such is their arrogance that they have become convinced that such behaviour is what they are paid for as well as being so inept and unworldly when grappling with the “complexity” of the Green Book Rule. This House is in contempt of its electors and the sooner such behaviour is no more and those sitting are brought to respect it the better. They are not “celebrities” as they obviously consider themselves, there to entertain each other, but there to perform serious duties in the defence of and for the convenience of we citizens with a degree of dignity.

Thucydides

Vulture 2.20 pm

Normal people like myself – socially liberal, economically dryish – see rightwingers as basically nasty. There are various shades of nastiness: some Tories are actually only a little bit nasty, although most are fairly nasty; Ukippers are very nasty, with the occasional entertaining element of madness; BNPers are just very very nasty, with no redeeming features. One of the many pleasures of reading blogs like this is to have these prejudices confirmed.

Incidentally, there is a lot of hand-wringing from the old farts on here about how Dave just isn’t going far enough on immigration, the EU, hanging and flogging etc. I don’t like Dave – all those Etonians, and there is still a chance, even if it is a small one, that he might turn into the right-winger that you lot all want him to be. But I fully expect him to get elected, and so I hope that he takes heed of your collective advice and lurches to the right before the election (the only way to move that way does seem to be to lurch); that is certainly the best hope to avoid a Conservative government.

Verity

Thucydides - Quite a boring, hackneyed post. Is that the best you could do? Gordon Brown may throw a shoe at you.

Anne Wotana Kaye 1

It seems that the House of Lords has been infested with mice and they don't know what to do. The House's administration chief has rejected suggestions to acquire cats. He says the cats could ingest mice poison or wander around the chamber and disrupt business. What puzzles me is this. Raised in the country, I was taught that mice and rats cannot live alongside each other. This proves that the old wive's tale is false!

Beer Moth

Thucydides

If you're normal, I'll stop as I am thanks.

Not for Prophet

Beer Moth - Tee hee.

Verity

Austin Barry of a couple of days ago writes: "The 'moderate muslims' in which our elites invest so much hope and taxpayers' dosh remind me of the 'good Germans' of the Third Reich - inert and invisible."

I just thought the folks in this parish might like to read that sentence again.

David Ossitt

They are getting seriously worried that Gordon might actually win the election; well not win as such but not quite lose, so as to be able to cling on after the election.

They; of course are his fellow socialists, the are worried for a number of reasons, one is that they hate him more than we do, and in their heart of hearts, they know that he is the problem and not the solution.

As a by the bye; where on earth are all of these salivating loony-lefties coming from?

We seam to have a new one each day, ranting and raving their loathing of all things Tory.

Malfleur

"Jack Straw has said that it is not in the public interest to disclose why Jon Venables, the killer of James Bulger, was sent back to jail despite the Home Secretary saying that people have a right to know."

Oh, that's just Gordon.

Frank P

"Point taken Frank, it was probably that effin' gulag that slowed me up."

Yerrss! No doubt your AGW theories developed there, too? :-))

One way or another you now obviously think you are much less likely to survive here than there?

Thucydides

Blimey, that's me well and truly put in my place then.

Actually I was a bit disappointed with Verity's effort; not up to her usual cutting standard. Beer Moth's was better, but a bit obvious. 5 out of 10? or maybe a 6?

David Ossitt I think we can dispense with, so desperately wanting to be part of the big boys gang, but just not quite cool or hard enough.

Does it happen on lefty sites, too, this phenomenon whereby people, given the freedom of the web, strive to outdo each other in demonstrating their macho political credentials? The result, of course, on this site is a perceptible rightward drift. Who would have thought that support for the BNP would be quite so naked on the Speccie? Fraser Nelson and his predecessors must be privately appalled.

Hey ho, I'm off now but I'll keep reading so keep it up.

phil

Thucydides
March 4th, 2010 7:58am-I stopped posting here a while ago ,but sometimes I amuse myself by reading the sycophantic nonsense that is the daily ration from those you mention ,but yours was a breath of fresh air even though you missed out some of the worst offenders .
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The description of right wingers is too far to the left for most of these who are becoming a legend in their own lunch boxes ,backs that are black and blue from patting each other on the back at their own perceived brilliance.Care and compassion never sees the light of day here but thankfully they rarely stray out of the wall ,Boudica herself when she has, was dealt with very severely and retired to lick her wounds .
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This wall is a safe place for those whose lives are fulfilled by the ability to insult any one with ambitions for a better world ,a veritable mad hatters tea party ,so my deep regards to AWK who wields the teapot but forgets to put in the Darjeeling . Keep it up Thucydides , we or shall I say I need a bit of sense here even though I will vote Tory ,can,t stand Balls and his missus :)

David Ossitt

Thucydides

“Blimey, that's me well and truly put in my place then.”

If by that; you mean that you are in the wrong place, then you are entirely correct.

“Blimey” its use tells volumes.

Nicholas

Thucydides: "Normal people like myself – socially liberal, economically dryish – see rightwingers as basically nasty."

"Normal" as in demonstrating yourself to be as big a bigot as members of the BNP are. Your pseud(onym) suggests you might have a better grasp of history and be able to review objectively whether the right or the left have been responsible for the most murder, torture and misery in the world.

As for the right wing being "basically" nasty, whatever that means, I think you'll find stems more from the left than the right, but conceals itself well behind a lofty priggishness, a pompous presumption of moral superiority to everyone and everything else and a remarkably blind eye and deaf ear to its own legion faults.

Whereas the "nastiness" of the right is largely a left wing construct and difficult to evidence in fact and history the nastiness of the left is all too real, evidenced and demonstrated on an almost daily basis throughout the world but happily concealed by its perpetrators and their self-deluding supporters.

"Socially liberal"? What is that? In five minutes of real conversation I could expose the hypocrisy of that position - as without a doubt your "socially liberal" aspirations would involve some very anti-social and illiberal impositions. Hitler would probably have described himself as "socially liberal" - he was after all responsible for the rise of national socialism, a construct remarkably similar to New Labour. A peculiar joining of social "improvement" and authoritarian cynicism glued together by total dishonesty in thought, word and deed and driven by the engine of avarice for power. I you are duped rather than duping then I feel sorry for you.

Sic Semper Tyrannus.

Derek

Notwithstanding the nod in the direction of discussing immigration, and the feeble reference to Neathergate, in a blog soon buried under later contributions, Mr. Nelson's promised article on Neathergate is still awaited.

The failure to address this colossal scandal permits political correctness to advance in areas where otherwise it might have been stopped.

So we read in today's Daily Mail online that Heads will be forced to list children as young as five on school 'hate registers' over everyday playground insults and the registers will be maintained by local government.

So the pink fascists pf the Labour Party continue to build in England the mainland Chinese system of a file for everyone from kindergarten to the grave which follows the unfortunate wherever he studies, works or relaxes with dire results for those who don't kowtow.

Thucydides

I know I indicated I wouldn’t post again, but I could hardly let Nicholas’s magnificent effort of 10.25 pass without comment. There I was, thinking that my political views were pretty unexceptional if, to be completely honest with myself, not always completely coherent, when all of a sudden I’m compared with Hitler. I mean, I’m much taller for a start. I don’t know, have I insulted you or your family personally in some way? Didn’t mean to: I was just making the gentle point about how easy it is for internet “communities” to develop into little closed cliques, divorced from every day reality. I wasn’t expecting you or your e-chums to agree, but still.

Couple of other points: the “who’s worse historically, Left or Right” debate that you allude to is always tedious and ultimately meaningless; and the “pseudo(onym)” joke doesn’t really work, does it?

Right, that really is it this time.

Wilhelm

I know why Fraser Nelson hasnt written about Neathergate.

If he doesnt talk about it, the subject matter doesnt exist.

Its C.O.S or Classic Ostrich Syndrome and Fraser has got it BIG TIME.

Ghengis

Oh! dearie me, handbags at dawn Eh!. Verbose dueling with the master penman. This will not do, there is a danger of reality entering the postings. Facing facts is not done here.

Verity

Thucydides - Your posts are ill thought out, predictable and never connect with an actual point. The stream of consciousness approach isn't working for you.

I'd like you to call your Troll Master and ask for suggestions to camouflage the paint-by-numbers nature of your posts to pep them up a bit.

I am sure I am not alone in never having finished reading a single contribution from you.

If you are not able to change streams mid-horse, so to speak, I suggest your controllers at Gramscis R Us take you off trolling and put you onto filing or compiling alphabetical lists os things.

Andy Carpark

This thread keeps meandering off topic, the topic being Hitler.

So, to nudge it back on course, here is one of those strange (but true!!!) chains of connection.

1. Adolf Hitler attended the Realschule in Linz,

2. As did Ludwig Wittgenstein, who asserted that life is a mystery,

3. As did Madonna, who had a fling with Warren Beatty,

4. As did Dame Freya Stark, who had an Airedale dog,

5. As did Saddam Hussein, who had a black moustache,

6. As did Adolf Hitler.

Verity

Andy Carpark - Ah, I see you've cracked the mystery of the universe! Well done!

(BTW, there is no topic on The Wall, so one cannot go "off topic" here.)

Nicholas

Thucydides: I don't believe that I compared you directly to Hitler, did I? There we are with those inconvenient facts again, eh?

Of course in a country where the prevailing narrative is of a specific Leftist slant the historical comparison between Left and Right would be considered tedious and ultimately meaningless, like so much of the rest of our history. But then no-one forced you to describe rightwingers as "nasty".

It was "pseud(onym)" btw. and it was not a joke.

Nicholas

"The leftist elite still believes in multi-culturalism, coddling criminals, a European super-state and high taxes," Wilders told cheering supporters at a rally in Almere after polling ended on Wednesday.

"But the rest of the Netherlands thinks differently. That silent majority now has a voice," he said.

Seems to me that Holland is not the only country troubled by a "leftist elite".

Anne Wotana Kaye 1

Andy Carpark: What about Bully Boy Brown? In a Brown Shirt!

Verity

Nicholas - But where is Britain's Geert Wilders?

phil

Thucydides do not worry she reads every word,but never acknowledges the difficult ones .do not give up you are one of the few lights that are on . btw Nicholas is trying to say something ,I,m not sure what and I do not think he does either ,but the picture of a supercilious youth fills my vision ,you know one whose future is in the past .What a wall this is ,yards and yards of nonsense ,written by loads and loads of nutters ,but amusing if you do not take them seriously .

James Murphy

Verity - 'But where is Britain's Gert Wiilders' - How can you say that when we've got the Dimbleby brothers and Question Time to air our grievances? Shame on you, you old shit-stirrer! - Interestingly (though, I confess, also horribly trivially), in regard to creeping Islamisation, I couldn't help noticing the Egyptian footballers at Wembley last night all religiously genuflecting and touching heads on the grass surface in a huddle when they scored. I found this vain and self-conscious blending of the religiose and the sporting uniquely irritating (only momentarily I promise). As if the Almighty doesn't have bigger problems than the footie results. Of course, this escapes the enfeebled intellect of your average sportsman. My point is that I feel religious expressions should be keep out of sporting arenas, which are, when all is said and done, by definition profoundly secular (unspiritual) places anyway. I include Christian expressions in this by the way, not out of hideous political correctness, but because I find it equally annoying when players 'cross' themselves before taking a penalty or such-like. The idea that God cares whether I score a penalty or not is, of course, so ludicrous as to beggar (stunted intellectual) belief - unless, of course, he is a Chelsea fan, in which case I might possibly understand it.

David Ossitt

Thucydides

Just a little bit of advice; do not, what ever else you do, fall for the sly serpents seductive advances.

To have him on your side, is, you will find, far more damaging than the criticism that the rest of us might sling at you.

In particular; do not, let him have any of your email addresses.

Well; that is my good dead for today.

daifromwales

Midly entertaining stuff from Phil and Thucydides - of course you socialists believe you have a monopoly on self-rightiousness. Socialism is a seductive creed - hence its success. Who could possibly object to a politician who tells them that they have the right to other people's money without the inconvenience of working for it?

London's Evening Standard is trying to get me to sympathise with an unemployed (and unemployable) woman who has 11 children from 5 different fathers,and to whom the State pays £40,000 a year.

I simply cannot AFFORD such payments. I don't know if Thucydides can. I suspect he just wants me to pay.

If they starve it would be very sad - but not as sad as the consequence which is: if we continue to pay people like her we simply multiply the problem until we shall all starve. Bliar + Broon have nearly achieved this.

I'm sure Michael Foot's heart was "in the right place" - but his love was very selective, and he, like all socialists, had no concept whatsoever of any of the Laws of Unexpected Consequences.

I would love to be able to afford more than the two children I have - the main reason I cannot is because I am paying vast amounts of tax to allow others to feed theirs. And I bitterly resent it.

If you carry on erecting more safety nets, more people will jump in. And when China decides to cash in its Sterling chips, we'll all starve. Thanks to Socialism.

Lovely philosophy - some nice people (my best friends are Socialists) - pity it's a completely mad idea.

And why are they all so BOSSY? They all smoked dope and slept about in University - now they are all ghastly puritans.

David Ossitt

daifromwales

Thank you; I did enjoy your post.

Well thought out and oh so accurate.

Nicholas

phil: "btw Nicholas is trying to say something ,I,m not sure what and I do not think he does either ,but the picture of a supercilious youth fills my vision ,you know one whose future is in the past." (sic)

Funny, I was thinking exactly the same about you. Your posts stereotyping CHers as nutters fall well within the meaning of supercilious. I wouldn't usually presume to go beyond the badly punctuated evidence of them to speculate about your youth but something tells me it would have been (is?) considerably more supercilious, if not actually priggish, than mine.

daifromwales has the exact measure of your type.

Anne Wotana Kaye 1

Phil 9:02

,a veritable mad hatters tea party ,so my deep regards to AWK who wields the teapot but forgets to put in the Darjeeling . Keep it up Thucydides

Oh, I forgot to phil the teapot!

Verity

Well, the pragmatic Germans have come up with a workable idea: We'll give you the money you need if you'll give us Corfu."

Details here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1255449

They also want the Acropolis, but that might send Daniel Korski into a tailspin and he'd be found in a corner somewhere sobbing.

Malfleur

"Just why the Labour government thought it a good idea to extend an invitation to the legendary philanderer, who loves nothing more than to prance around a stage in tribal dress waving a machine-gun, is something of a mystery." (Daily Telegraph)

Oh, that's just Gordon.

Noa Zrk

Phil

You're back! With your bizarre punctuation and even more bizarre thoughts,as oleaginous as ever. What happened? Did the New Statesman throw you out, are you barred from the Grunter?
Or have you been having a good "seeing to" on the blogosphere equivalent of the top shelf?
We are all still waiting for your explanation of what you meant.

Noa Zrk

Vulture

Your eulogy of Michael Foot is an appropriate summation. Ultimately he was a self absorbed 'socialist', i.e. beebspeak for communist, of the old school, who did not have the physical courage of his convictions in the real world.
I put Antony Wedgewood Benn in the same class. No doubt when he passes on we shall have to put up with the same guff as we do now with Foot.

My own summation is borrowed ...
The evils that men do live after them, the good is interred with their bones...
In

Noa Zrk

Anne Wotana Kaye 1 - March 3rd, 2010 8:29pm

The Rats mixing with the HoC mice in Westminster? LoL!
Of course they leave the river when the tide rises. That doesn't mean they have to claim excessive expenses though ,or behave like ASBO loaded hoodies or the St Trinians Debating Society at PMs Question Time.

Noa Zrk

HJ March 1st, 2010 2:30pm
When will Brown go to the palace?

Hmmm.
When he goes to the Palace are you utterly and absolutely sure that he will leave?

phil

daifromwales
March 4th, 2010 7:33pm --My compliments one of the few who has written any sense here for a long time ,I must disappoint you though I am not a socialist and never have been ,just a guy that shows respect for those whose lives have come to an end and who I believe showed integrity and loyalty ,in fact that which has been applauded by almost all the major politicians this week .
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I enjoy the attempts at humour or is it sarcasm from those like Noah who has demonstrated above his expertise about the qualities of Uriah Heap if nothing else ,but what's new? ,perhaps he needs to know that I have not been "having a seeing too "any where in the blogosphere" and have .just been taking a break from reading the c-- p , your pals produce on a daily basis -I have actually been busy doing some thing useful for the youth of our country ,not a good thing to obtain popularity with you lot ,of which I am well aware -

Can,t help the tea lady she is beyond help ,although I could recommend Margaret Hope ,its a Darjeeling variety dear ,perhaps a little pale for your tastes -Nicholas sorry old chap I had to indulge in the repartee that is your style ,you are probably a good chap even if a little rude-The ostrich needs a mention as I assume he will cry if I do not notice him and I am sure he will enjoy being told how foolish he appears ,of course on the basis that the worst thing one can say of another is WHO?-Have I left anyone out -oh hell yes the fragrant one ,cant be bothered .

-Now guys ,hope I have written in the style of this wall ,you know lots of well meant unpleasantness,it had slipped my memory how nasty you all can be ,I actually came here to give a little respect to the memory of a great man ,even though I did not agree with his opinions ,but I am not so arrogant as to believe only my views are right ,can any of you say the same ? Oh as an afterthought ,my punctuation ,you no doubt are right ,I concentrate on common sense and compassion to the evident detriment of punctuation of which no doubt you are all expert ,spelling,s ok though isn•t it ?

Austin Barry

The Question Time audience gets stranger by the week. Hoots of support and the biggest round of applause greeted Will Self's contention that the torturers and killers of little Bulger were confused and bewildered children. Whatever the merit or otherwise of Self's point did it really warrant such a lunatic response?

Thucydides

Nicholas 4.33 pm,
You must really want me to keep posting. “I don't believe that I compared you directly to Hitler, did I? There we are with those inconvenient facts again, eh?”. Clearly we have to take this slowly, so here goes. I described myself as socially liberal. You said social liberals were hypocrites, and Hitler would have described himself as one. I said – pay attention here, crucial bit coming up – “… all of a sudden I’m compared with Hitler.” Let’s review the evidence. Did I say you compared me directly to Hitler? No. Did I say that you compared me with Hitler? Yes. Did you? You bet. It’s all in that little “directly” that you sneaked in to the opinion you attributed to me. As you yourself so presciently put it, inconvenient facts, eh? Please don’t bother to respond again. Godwin’s law applies and I win.

Since I’m here:

Verity: you need a new putdown. You’ve used the “I don’t read your posts” line a number of times before and, as phil has pointed out, it’s clearly not true.

phil: thank you, but you really should sort out your punctuation. Is it your keyboard or something?

David Ossitt: no idea what you’re on about (and you, too, on the evidence of this and other posts, need to work on punctuation and spelling – and yes I know that “dead” was a typo).

daifromwales: not being a far right loon does not make me a socialist. I don’t know about the Standard story you refer to, but I agree that in principle you and I should not be paying for women like this.

Enough. It’s been a pleasure.

Rachael

The Question time audiences are vetted before they even get there.

They do not make up the views of the population. They make up a cross section of the views the producers want in there.

The whole idea is to get warped response like the one Will Self got last night to try to influence viewers. That's why the leaders of the main parties want silence in the election debates.

As to Will Self - a jack of all trades and master of none of them.

Wilhelm

The very brave Geert Wilders is in London today to show his 12 minute Fitna film to the House of Lords, he's under 24 hour police protection. look what happened to Theo van Gogh, his throat was slit by a muslim nut on an Amsterdam street, the first politcal assasination in 300 years in Holland after Pim Fortuyn.

Why are muslims soooo frightened of a 12 minute film , is their religion sooo fragile that it will collapse in to dust if people see the film ? You can watch it on YouTube.

The odious loathesome harpy Yasmin Alibaba Brown was squeeeling from the rooftops about it. So that proves that Wilders is 100% correct .

Nicholas

Thucydides: "Nicholas 4.33 pm, You must really want me to keep posting."

Actually, no. But if it massages your considerable ego you are welcome to believe it.

"Please don't bother to respond again. Godwin's law applies and I win."

That says it all. A Parthian shot is the term I believe.

I'm not even going to try to unjumble the frenetically pedantic ramble about Hitler and your crucial bit. It's too early in the morning. But hopefully this time you really have buggered off, smugly pleased with your victorious "win".

phil: nowhere near the repartee that is my style but do keep trying - imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, etc.

Frank P

Noa Zrk (12.07)

"When he goes to the Palace are you utterly and absolutely sure that he will leave?"

What is your speculation: that he intends to depose Lillibet (which wouldn't surprise me considering his current stage of paranoid delusion), or that she will have him transferred to the Bloody Tower? If you're suggesting the latter, I hereby volunteer for the post of HM Official Axeman and will demand supply of a scimitar for the execution, to signify poetical justice.

One yearns sometimes for those days, when the resolution of serious problems of overweening political ambition were swiftly concluded.

I suppose the ballot box is a better alternative - but can we trust the hoi polloi to do their duty?

Noa Zrk

Frank P

Ha! My surmise was that, once there, he would remain to rule over us all, for ever. An Aberdeen Angus soled Loake stamping in the face of humanity forever...
In the spirit of an old Peter Cooke & Dudley Moore sketch;
"If 40,209,302 people die, I'll be Queen..", or some such.
But I prefer your interpretation and I believe there's no doubt that, should the vacancy arise, the post of Public Executioner would be even more fashionable than becoming a City Trader in the nineties.

phil

Thucydides
March 5th, 2010 8:15am It is fun though is it not? :) loads of nutters to correspond with and I do not have that opportunity in my everyday life .Punctuation is not my forte especially on a computer ,as I was never shown how to use a keyboard .I do not know where all the icons are and too many secretaries have made me rather lazy with this skill -sorry.
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I just try to say how an ordinary socially conscious guy sees the world ,you know one that helps an old lady across the road and gives up his seat on a bus to a lady and tries to put something back into society -it will cause amusement here for BOUDECA and the sycophants (what a great name for a pop group).btw I think Nick shows signs of being a better guy than he has portrayed so far ,just got stuck in the insulting mode .come on Nick come out and show you are ok .
---------------
This wall is not something I wish to make a habit of ,it adds nothing to society other than a place for right wing nutters to praise one another and insult those that do not go down their route -the middle course gains no applause here ,but on the whole it does give a chance for the ordinary citizen to have a little amusement and pass on a few tips on how to make tea,something I am sure AWK should concentrate on as social views are decidedly not her cup of tea .--
-------------
Austin made a good point about the audience on QT last night -Will Self said something for the first time that I could agree with regarding Venables .we do not need to know why he was arrested ,we are not ,I hope a lynch mob ,although that audience showed signs that it would have liked to be one , and that knowledge will serve no useful purpose for us other than ghoulish interest .We have a legal system and we should be content to let it work, let that law take its course and then we can be informed that it has . We cannot bring back little Jamie, and the continual public interest in the killers can never help the parents in a search for peace .It is that peace that I am interested in not what Venables did .

EC

For more examples of the analogy that cannot be topped:
http://www.worsethanhitler.net/

Rachael

Richard Littlejohn has written the most exquisite obituary on Michael Foot. Enjoy.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1255529/Michael-Foot-good-Old-Footy-No-dangerous-deluded-hypocrite.html

Nicholas

phil: no-one calls me "Nick" and you certainly shouldn't. We have not been formally introduced and I have no idea how potentially deranged you are.

If you think (or like to think) that you know me, believe me, you don't.

(If, however, you are using "Nick" in the current, trendy, informal, slippery politician/car salesman style then that is even more disturbing - and eerily reminscent of "Fatbloke on Tour".)

EC

Frank P,

"...but can we trust the hoi polloi to do their duty?"

It is apparent that democracy is a such dangerous concept that it needs to be kept in check. [or rather cheque!] Democracy is an anathema to politicians and that's why they rarely afford the great unwashed a referendum on important issues.

Nicholas

The bit about Will Self(absorbed) that amuses me most is his obvious discomfort at being on the panel and his subliminal desire to be the chief rabble rouser in the audience/mob. His "Ladies and Gentlemen" appeals give it away and the use of his hand to vaguely indicate the rest of the panel. He is almost visibly shying away from them.

Lord Adonis is an annoyingly verbose baldy dweeb/gerbil New Labour man who ploughs his mantra without listening to questions or what anyone else has to say. I bet he plays squash with Liam Byrne. Boris Johnson did the Tories no favours and should speak with more circumspection, clearly a legend in his own mind. Carol Vorderman has lost it; although I quite enjoyed her anti-Labour rant the BBC mustered, co-ordinated clapping Labour Youth Audience/Mob didn't. Shirley Williams lost it a long time ago and is the female equivalent of Roy Hattersley - maybe even Hattersley in drag.

And as for the goatee-bearded, spectacled Labour/Commie activist Trotsky look-alike wazzock in the audience who tried to needle Johnson with his scripted statement. An arse.

Andy Carpark

Ah, Mr EC. You thought you had us fooled with your gnomic references to lederhosen and the Vienna Circle.

I finger YOU, Sir, as Ernest Cratchet, formerly Ernst Kaltenbrunner, some time chief of the Einsatzgruppen and other taxpayer-funded community groups.

As you are now 106 and spend your days eating pureed broccoli through a tube and watching Deal or No Deal, perhaps you should at last come clean with the CH-ers.

Come on, don't be shy. If the authorities didn't come after Melita Norwood, they won't come after a genial old buffer like y'self.

EC

"Fatbloke on Tour"

He/she was a gem who, if nothing else, at least brought some much needed diversity to the wall. Reminiscent of the superb @EricPickled.

Whatever happened to George Laird?

phil

Nicholas
March 5th, 2010 11:28am ,or nick or nicky or knickers if you prefer. well you certainly are in a twist .Do you like anyone ?You have shown me at least that I can misjudge people ,and that I should have used my first instincts viz that you are unbalanced or in your own words deranged -I have to be grateful for that , Naturally I would prefer to be discussing something of importance here but it is necessary to answer your silly post first .I have paid my tribute this week to a great politician here so I believe it is fair to address you now .
-----
Perhaps as you see yourself as the font of all knowledge you will grant us the privilege of knowing what you have achieved in your life in order that we can give some weight to your remarks ,perhaps a qualification ,a sporting award ,maybe you are a director of a successful business ,an editor ,and surely not the snotty kid that your writing portrays -tell us .Maybe my own professional , sporting and social qualifications will pale into insignificance compared to yours -I will wait with baited breath .If it helps to allay your fears I will tell you mine -7 professional letters after my name ,a county champion at one sport, 6 handicap at another- golf , represented GB at yet another sport and numerous directorships and you can add to that certain social work that I am involved in ,now let us see whose cv would achieve most credibility with normal people -I promise you mine is true even if it does not prove my sanity ,but it does help ,oh and btw I suspect your arch enemy TH is infinitely better educated than you and certainly more grounded .Just one word more of advice ,if you want to be a bully ,pick on someone very small and one with a very small brain who cannot match your amazing knowledge -as they say ok nicholas ?

radgie gadgie

in the spirit of off-topicness....

Although I'm not a Tory, I love the Speccy for its intelligence and wordiness. For me its also a window into a world and culture so very different from my own.

This weeks edition has a brilliant example contrasting Spectator World with my own; Andrew Roberts' Diary article begins .."The popular conception of Caribbean literary festivals is...."

I feel such a peasant not only not knowing what the popular conception is but that there was one to be had. Luckily we have a published author within walking distance (look..its not Notting Hill here OK?) and I shall ask him his opinion on Mr Rs observations.

Fabulous...its what I buy the mag for.

EC

Andy Carpark

Nein! er.. No. That Ernst was a war kriminal who did a short stretch in custody with fatal konseqwences. Ich habe mein Persilschein er.. No, ha,ha - I didn't need wun old chep, with me being in fect the youngest child in the Camm household. Tally Ho und wizard preng und all that.

Verity

To the creepy Phil, to whom the full stop is alien, if you are going to refer to your doppelganger, Uriah Heep, do us all a favour and spell his name correctly. âœI have actually been busy doing some thing useful for the youth of our country.â� Not teaching English literature or punctuation, I hope.

(Addressing Nicholas, Phil greases forward): âœI had to indulge in the repartee â¦â�. Right, Phil, youâ™re a real Noel Coward. By the way, just to be helpful, there should have been a full stop after style and the âœyouâ� should have had a capital y. (I hope the useful thing you were doing for the youth of our country was not teaching them English grammar.)

âœI concentrate on common sense and compassion to the evident detriment of punctuation of which no doubt you are all expert ,spelling,s ok though isnâ¢t it ?â� Uriah Heep. How does âœcommon sense and compassionâ� militate against correct punctuation? Are you saying the Dalai Lama probably canâ™t spell or write a literate sentence?

Thucydides â“ I have already suggested that you go and get counselling from your Troll Master and ask him to point you in a new direction. (Preferably off this blog, for a start.)

Wilhelm

Im very suprised that people actually still watch Question Time, I gave it up 10 years ago, a few weeks ago, snake oil salesman, slimey George Galloway was on it, spewing out his hatred for the west. A week later Sinn Fein MP and convicted killer Getty Kelly was on it. Not a cheep out of the lame stream media yet it was a different story when Nick Griffin appeared, the roof fell in.

But the worst Question Time was the week after 9/11 attack, the American ambassador was on it, he was close to tears by the hateful multy culty audience who all screeeamed and ranted that America had it coming to them because they support Israel.

You just cant beat that erroneous thinking

Verity

What happened to the Hague item over on Coffee House?

Verity

Why did my post above come out with all those horrid little icons all over it? Does anyone know? I think my techie put an update of Word on my computer and it's a real bugger. Does anyone know what the problem is?

EC

"You're Nicked," as Frank P was oft wont to say.

Cheer up cheps! It's a beautiful spring day out there. The sun is up, the sky is blue and there's always the prospect of someone lobbing a rope ladder over the outside wall on the far side of the exercise yard.

Ode to 'The Nickster?'

Nick, nacky, nick-nack, nicky-nacky noo.
Nick, nacky, nick-nack, Thank you!

Ken Dodd

Nicholas

phil, I am always suspicious of people who have to list their credentials in online threads in order to establish their self-important status. It is about status with you right? Professional, sporting and social no less. Still if it makes you happy I doff my virtual cap and knuckle my virtual forehead, after all who am I to presume to tread equally in the presence of such illustrious majesty with seven professional letters after your name no less - not six, or eight, but indeed seven - duly noted.

But I'm not in a "twist" and I'm afraid of no man - least of all you or your professional, sporting and social credentials. I've seen plenty of those sort squeal like girls and wet their pants when the chips are down. Are they a nuisance to lug around or do you have a subservient, less qualified and credentialised caddy to carry them all for you? Can you tell, with your prescient knowledge about all others here, what I think about you now that you have emerged from the shadows, pummelled your chest, stamped your little sportsman's feet and roared your importance through the previously concealing leaves of this virtual jungle? Now I just can't get the image out of my mind of a very short, very self-important little man in loud golfing trousers going through life in the fond belief that on his sporting handicaps and "numerous directorships" (I've met a few directors btw) rests his entire credibility. Or that such meaningless adornments give some special power to his posts. And you have the gall to call us nutters?

I'll leave you to your own presumptions about me. Entering into a virtual pissing match about "qualifications" and "credentials" is meaningless. You know nothing about me beyond that which you might like to imagine to bolster your own inadequacies. Ecclesiastes 9:11 says it all.

And TH is not my "arch enemy" - just another pompous, self-important bore who likes to dabble in the self-gratifying piquancy of being a daring, trendy "socialist" here at CH and slagging off the "far right" regulars - who, nutty or not, are infinitely more interesting and attractive than he - or you.

I wish I were a snotty kid. That would be too cool.

EC

AGW Update

"Ice breakers on Friday were working non-stop to clear northern Germany's frozen harbours..."

"The ice breakers “Arkona” and “Görmitz” have been on duty without rest since the New Year to help freighters reach Stralsund, Greifswald, Vierow and Wolgast and beyond – but experts predict that it will still be several weeks before ice up to 40 centimetres thick disappears completely."

http://www.thelocal.de/national/20100305-25693.html

A, ahem, relative in the Black Forest said it was -8C and sunny today but the forecast was for another 3ft of Global Warming to be deposited overnight and tomorrow.

David Ossitt

Wilhelm.

“The odious loathesome harpy Yasmin Alibaba Brown”

I can’t think of her without feeling ill.

The Bellman

I have been inspired by Liam Byrne's concerns about our economy, principally the worrying decline in the pound this week following comments by Ken Clarke, George Osborne and William Hague that have misled some biddable and inattentive investors into thinking that there might somehow be something wrong with Britain's economy.

Clearly, this is dangerous nonsense, and the fundamentals are sound as a - well, are sound. Of course the government would be able to explain all that if only they had the time, and these investors wouldn't be so worried.

Obviously, as the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Mr Byrne is himself has a hectic schedule of nationally-televised interviews making political insults intended to shore up the Labour vote, and is much too busy to be expected to deploy an effective economic counter-argument that would reassure the markets - otherwise he'd have done it already.

So clearly he needs help, and it's down to us, all of us, to put our hands to the wheel, pull together and help Mr Byrne out.*

So I am going to spend this weekend talking up the pound. I figure that as a long-time poster on CH, I have as much influence as most of the parliamentary Tory party, and that if I can say it loud enough, we can reverse the damage done by the opposition's at best reckless if not treacherous attempt to undermine our economy.

I'm going to start talking about it with some friends at the Old Doctor Butler's Head just off Moorgate tonight, and I'll reinforce the message by Tweeting occasionally, and posting comments on various newspapers' websites to the effect that the pound is great and that the economy is just dandy. As long as I'm not too hung over, I'll carry on by about lunchtime tomorrow, and all afternoon and evening I will be texting, emailing, instant messaging and sometimes writing about just what a great currency we have, and how our public, private and commercial debt isn't a problem and that huge budget deficits are actually a sign of how much people have lent us in the past, and therefore an sign of confidence.

Who's with me? Come on. Here's a chance to prove that the web isn't just posturing, and to put the Great back into England.

*Even if he is an odious, smug, slap-headed little shit whose self-satisfied smirk is crying out for a pukka shoeing Perth-style.

Rachael

Lord Ahmed reaches a new low:

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/douglasmurray/100028566/by-calling-for-the-immediate-release-of-lady-al-qaeda-lord-ahmed-has-brought-the-upper-house-into-disrepute/

phil

Nicky that was wonderful ,but it does seem as if you have been reduced to the ranks of the mere mortal,but I knew if you were confronted you would collapse like a pack of cards .Lots of childish bluster and not a word of sense ,not a word of what you believe in ,nor a person who you admire ,only ignorance and abuse from your pen ,the panel on QT must be sick to their boots by your disapproval .I will ask again ,is there anyone who you like or approve of .?,
-----------------
You have obviously done nothing of importance ,but you continue to exercise your frustration on others who so obviously have .Typical of the type that shout so loudly on this wall ,you sneer at those who contribute to society ,but you are unable to say a word about what you stand for or even have done .Perhaps name calling fulfils your desires -enjoy my boy ,I like to see people happy but do try to become a decent citizen . -------------------------

-For the record It is in fact young people like you that I have been trying to help,lonely and confused ,frustrated at the lack of opportunities causing them to lash out at society in general ,so although I am putting you down here due to your insatiable appetite for rudeness ,I would rather have tried to help you ,sadly it is not possible because of our anonymity ,It would be patronising to tell you what to do but I hope you will think about being constructive rather than the destruction you are attempting to reap here.
----
Verity ,you have been moved to read the unreadable , suffer the insufferable and read what I wrote ,well I knew you always did ! So are we to believe anything else you say ?and you do say a lot. If my punctuation offends that's tough but your latest effort seems to suggest you have a problem yourself rather worse than my punctuation and so I will commiserate with you- Was it really gibberish ?? Perhaps it was written in an Indian dialect that I do not understand ,that was the country that would not let you stay was it not ? They are wonderful people with a great tradition and a great sense of how one should behave -I love them
---------
.May I thank you for the insults ,I could not receive them from a more appropriate person ,particularly as I would be appalled to have been admired by you -impossible TG ! .As for greasing , you do indulge in plagiarism do you not ?.It was in fact yours truly who suggested you had greased like a lump of lard up and down the CHwall rather than take your medicine on Mels threads where you were not too well received were you ? Maybe the chillies in Mexico give you the wind which you expel here so regularly -its the bell peppers you know ,dangerous !
---------------
I will not leave without a word of praise as I have noted that Wilhelm is writing a lot worth reading recently so if I may say to my old opponent /friend ,I like your current common sense better than your earlier jokes :) maybe mine too, regards

Pete Hoskin

phil, Verity et al: just a friendly plea that you stop this (largely ad hominem) back 'n' forth. I know this is the freewheeling, freespirited Wall - that's why I've let it run so far. But I may have to be a bit meaner with my moderation if it remains quite so personal.

Austin Barry

In relation to Ms Yasmin Brown it's always fun to watch her on Sky's late night review of the papers They invariably partner her with the irascible Kelvin McKenzie whose cockney comedic skills and outside-right political views send her into yelps (unerotic) of despair.

Beer Moth

EC

"another 3ft of Global Warming".....Nice one my son.

Anyway, here. How do you do that thing where the line crosses through what you have writted?

WILHELM

Peter Hoskin

Chill out , Hugo Rifkind might think you are an uptight square.

Anne Wotana Kaye 1

David Ossitt
March 4th, 2010 7:20pm

Report this comment

Thucydides

Just a little bit of advice; do not, what ever else you do, fall for the sly serpents seductive advances.

To have him on your side, is, you will find, far more damaging than the criticism that the rest of us might sling at you.

In particular; do not, let him have any of your email addresses.

Well; that is my good dead for today.
------------------------------------
Good evening David,
I am writing this in all seriousness. Anybody that divulges their identity is not only going against the etiquette of blogging, but is also leaving themselves open to danger. Remember that nice, sensible poster Peter of Maidstone? Since he gave out his private email to some crackpot he seems to have vanished from these forums. Unfortunately there are some psychopathic bloggers who pretend either to need counselling themselves, or offer it to disturbed individuals. Please don't fall for these deviants.

phil

The Bellman
March 5th, 2010 4:50pm --Well said sir and good to see constructive comments on this wall -I am shocked as a tory to hear their ideas of how we should proceed to get stuck into our economy whilst it is still so fragile -for me it borders on insanity ,this is a long and painful process and must be done in a delicate way -We cannot afford to force the closure of business,s by reducing the flow of money ,they are the ones who produce both jobs and taxes and keep people from claiming benefits from a reduced income to the treasury ,this is not rocket science .
On the other hand the fantastic waste of valuable funds by quangos and government departments must be addressed and it is high time we looked at the difference in earnings between those that do an honest day,s work and those that have earned enormous sums gambling in our banking industry .I am talking about the attempts at selling us something every time we ring our banks whether it be insurance that we do not need or bonds that the seller has little knowledge about other than it earns the bank and them commission -I could of course talk about the mortgages that were offered so freely to those that could never have afforded to repay them without another increase in property prices -this is where the banks have lost so much of our money on toxic debt and the commissions have still been paid -I cannot blame the ordinary bank worker ,they did what they had to but those in the city who drove this unethical practice are rightly being criticised .You will realise that I could say a lot more but at least it gives a flavour for those that do have an interest in our future .

.Last night Paxman hosted a debate suggesting that the baby boomers had ripped off the future from the younger people of today -I seem to remember a most frugal earlier life after the war and one that was retrieved by parents who worked so hard to put us back on track ,in those days we produced goods and ships and cars etc not service industries and this current crop of young people is enjoying the ability to go to university ,to eat and DRINK to their hearts content and I for one do not apologise for the country we bequeath to them .Let them show the guts that earlier generations showed not only fighting fascism but also the poverty that they grew up with .I hope they enjoy the future by hard work and innovation just as we did .

Those that are revelling in criticism of our economics will learn that their imports and holidays will prove a very painful experience ,so I suggest they make sure our pound does not suffer more abuse on our home front -more strength to your arm Sir

EC

Beer Moth,

Re: Strikethrough text: It was Ms Phillips that first put me on to the possibilites of using this.

I'll try and illustrate this - with gaps - otherwise you will only see the result. ... but in reality there are no spaces.

< d e l > your-text < / d e l >

If you go to this webpage you can see another example of this and also how to do all the other stuff:

http://www.tizag.com/htmlT/htmlstrikethrough.php

(see under Formatting Tags on LHS and click the one you want)

Beer Moth

EC

Tah. It's the learning I'm doing.

Beer Moth

Bloody hell I'm good

David Ossitt

Pete Hoskin has just made a friendly plea; to those of us who post on the CH Wall, to stop personal comments.

He has a valid point, but I would argue; that the good natured banter that has been such a regular and highly entertaining feature of the Wall, has of late, been infiltrated by one, who has been the cause of much disquiet.

This individual has only just returned to the Wall after a gap of some weeks; prior to this he made a series of personal attacks on a number of the regular posters, his own posts’ became a strange mixture of self-admiration and tirades of his dislike of all who dared to disagree.

Often his posts would ramble on; with little if any coherent structure.

Reading them; I have often wondered, what a skilled physiatrist would deduce from their content.

For my part; I will, in future refrain from any direct reply to this person, thereby complying with Pete Hoskin’s request.

David Ossitt

Anne Wotana Kaye 1
March 5th, 2010 7:06pm

Anne I agree unreservedly; I was simply trying to warn Thucydides of that very same thing.

Nicholas

phil, there you go again with the presumptions. I am not young and just because I choose not to boast about my "CV", professional, sporting and/or social credentials, that need not be taken as any evidence that I am "lonely and confused", etc., or all the other fascinating imaginaries and put-downs you have lined me up for, hilarious though they be. Mind you, I don't play golf - I'll give you that - the funny trousers just don't suit me and I can quite honestly admit to having no sporting achievements in that game whatsoever.

As for dishing out insults, you don't do too badly yourself, which rather undermines your pretensions to grace and favour as the sensible and moderate voice of the Coffee House.

Is there some Coffee House protocol that I have missed that I should have to admit to an admiration of some public or historical figure(s) in order to compete evenly in these literary lists? You're not really trying to suggest that my disparaging remarks about the unholy QT should be taken as evidence of my general cynicism and contempt for those who pass for role models, influences on and/or leaders of our society are you? It is tempting to draw that view but I'm sure if I could be bothered to think about it long and hard, maybe until the Spring when the full effects of hibernation are shaken off, I could come up with a few names of people I admire. Unfortunately most of those I do admire are largely unsung, un-public and unknown figures, modest champions in adversity, compassionate and selfless souls who do much and expect little. Their names would, alas, mean nothing to you.

I do like Ratty and Moley though. Good chaps those two.

Derek

Charles Moore highlights in the DT online today lovable Michael Foot's record on the payroll of the KGB.

I wonder if there are still members of the Labour Party leadership taking the shilling financially or intellectually from Putin's reorganized mob or others of that ilk. We might benefit for instance by the searchlight being turned on those promoted by the late Jack Jones.

Cui bono?

It is perhaps a pity that reform of our libel laws was never a part of "the Project" - but that was perhaps because the Project moved towards shutting down our liberties, rather than expanding them farther.

Cui bono?

Let's hope that this is one of the barrels of powder being kept dry in the Tories arsenal. (Dreams are not yet proscribed.)

Derek

Nicholas

I was interested to see, when checking that I hadn't muddled them up, that the figurative use of "a Parthian shot" was first used as late as 1842 and that of "a parting shot" actually a little earlier, in 1828.

Noa Zrk

Am I alone in finding the reports of the kidnapping of Wajid Shamsul Hasan offensive in universally describing him as a "British" boy?
There is too much protesting on this point methinks.
There are also other aspects of this visit by a British Asian to relatives in Pakistan which bear consideration.
Why was he not accompanied by his mother?
Why was he not in school? It is term time.
Pakistani criminals have apparently realised the
wealth potential of their British cousins. £100,000 is probably the value of a a large terrace house in Oldham and British Asians are assiduous in remitting money acquired in the UK to their homeland.
Such monies are used to acquire property and assets there. They are often used as well to import drugs and fund other criminal and Islamic terrorist activities.
Odd really, that a story which should elicit sympathy in fact serves to raise suspicions and emphasise how the former wealth of the UK is being stripped from it and indeed used to assist in its destruction.
And this thought process is the result of the kidnapping of a 5 year old "British" truant at his grandmas.
and other

Verity

I concur with David Ossitt and Nicholas and will henceforth ignore the pugnacious and illiterate jibes of a visitor to this parish, in respect to the orders of that nice Mr Hoskin.

Noa Zrk - No, you're not alone. This is part of the media's thought fascism. They think we're too stupid to get it. I remember a few years ago they reported on an earthquake or something somewhere round the Hindu Kush area and writing "Britons dead in earthquake!" (or similar). Of course, it wasn't Britons. It was immigrants or asylum seekers or similar. It's all part of the plan. They think we're too stupid to notice.

phil

AWK- sorry to disappoint you and your friend but Peter never received any emails from me and nor I from him ,perhaps it was you ? A good cup of darjeeling is very calming you know and may stop you sending out messages of alarm to your pals .They scare easily without you adding to their fears -boo!

Verity

Plus, as I mentioned earlier on another thread, what happened to the Hague post that was at the top of the page this morning?

Why was it taken down? Did Mr Hague threaten to sue? I'm sure others have written in enquiring about this.

Verity

And speaking of "British", the Americans have announced that the knickers bomber, who probably called himself British because he went on some university course in Britain, didn't really have enough explosives to blow up the plane hidden in his panties. Well, the plane wasn't hidden in his panties, but the bomb that blew his bits off was.

They did a controlled experiment - on the ground, although the bomb was supposed to be triggered while the plane was aloft - and the plane didn't blow up.

So a big thank you to the investigators who gave out this information, which will be much appreciated by the terrorist community, who can concentrate on making their airline bombs stronger in future.

BTW, they have also announced that bombs in underpants are not detectable by those ridiculous new scanners at airports. So bombs in smalls it is.

Noa Zrk

David Ossitt. March 5th, 2010 8:09pm
Well said and duly seconded. Too much intellect is being diverted in addressing the chimeras of a simulacrum NewLabCon TrollBot.

Pete Hoskin

Verity: there definitely hasn't been a Hague post today.

You did, however, leave a comment, today, on this Hague post from earlier this week:

http://tinyurl.com/ybtoknh

Is that the one you're looking for?

Anne Wotana Kaye 1

A fine comical thread - knickers. I imagine G strings won't be popular with female terrorists, more suitable will be directoire knickers. For the males, trunks or combinations will be better for holding explosives. Therefore a cursory examination of a passenger's undies should be sufficient. All those in grotty underwear can be assumed guilty.

David Ossitt

Noa Zrk
March 5th, 2010 9:32pm

“Am I alone in finding the reports of the kidnapping of Wajid Shamsul Hasan offensive in universally describing him as a "British" boy?”

No; Noa, you are not alone, my wife’s comment was poppy cock, when for the third time on the evening news this beautiful child was referred to as “a British five year old”.

His distraught father spoke little English; and is quite obviously a Pakistani as is his son, a child who was born to Pakistani parents.

Nicholas

Derek, the etymology is interesting. Some of the key issues are whether in order to qualify as a "Parthian shot" the shooter has to be merely feigning retreat or in fact genuinely retreating and whether the shot has to be effective, e.g. really wounding - whereas the "parting shot" implies a genuine withdrawal, may be shot blind and miss. Some accounts still maintain that "parting shot" is a misquotation of "Parthian shot" but your chronology suggests not.

Nicholas

And of course the weasels are New Labour. A noisy, vulgar rabble occupying the seat of power illegitimately and trashing it while they can.

Verity

AWK - I don't think you understand. Explosives held up between the legs by tight underwear won't be detectable because the camera doesn't probe between the legs.

Also, explosives shoved up their arses as suppositories will not be detectable either.

So ... no ... point. I personally think the authorities know this, but its prime purpose is control of the population. Getting people to submit. Get them accustomed to allowing what is demeaning.

Control.

I don't believe we're seeing these bizarre machines outside the EUSSR. Am I right? I haven't seen the notion being broached in the US or Oz (although I may be wrong).

I think it's just the EUSSR.

AAE

Has it only been a week since David Cameron's battle cry for David Cameron's Conservatives? Just a reminder of this magazine's live blog: "'We will be radical from day one.' But Cameron is clear that the sunlight uplands are round the corner, providing that radical programme is enacted. Cameron's optimism is enthralling; there is the greatest contrast between him and Brown. He ends with 'Let's get out there and win it for Britain'." So why has radical Dave been the silent man all week then? No, I don't admire him, his politics nor his strategy, but for all James' admiration of his memory, the public do sense the lack of visceral conviction, the lack of performing temperament fired by passionate beliefs. The only time I've seen him roused was at that PMQs when he swiped his notes off the dispatch box over, I think, the Baby P disgrace. So if he gets up this week, could someone tell him that it's not just what you say, but how you say it that determines whether the message and the messenger make an impact. The impression we get is an awfully sensible rather shy young man trying his best, when what is required is something more like Robert Hardy blazing as Harry Hotspur!

Noa Zrk

David Ossitt
"His distraught father spoke little English; and is quite obviously a Pakistani".
I missed that part of the broadcast. So either mother nor father sees fit to directly supervise their child?

In contrast to the father the mother, kindly best described as a plain woman, speaks with a broad Oldham accent. That suggests he was an imported groom, he and their child being then a direct consequence and product respectively of the Neather NewLab multi-cultural peasant import programme.

Is it worth an article on the Real story behind the story yet Fraser? Theres plenty of basic research material on the Migration Watch website should you care to accept the challenge.

Anne Wotana Kaye 1

Verity: I stand corrected. What do I know. I thought of the bloomers we were made to wear at my old school, a hundred years ago. Elastic around the legs and a pocket. Always black or navy. At least, concede, Verity, that they could have some use.

David Ossitt

Noa Zrk

“That suggests he was an imported groom, he and their child being then a direct consequence and product respectively of the Neather NewLab multi-cultural peasant import programme.”

Spot on; succinct and to the point.

Frank P

Verity

According to Fox News several hundred body scanners have already been deployed in airports across the US, despite protests from civil liberties groups.

Governments are knee jerking as usual, hoping (or perhaps pretending) that the measure will deter homicide/suicide bombers.

That of course not only underestimates the intelligence and will of the enemy, but also ignores the fact that the chaos and cost of these measures is an objective of the enemy anyway, so as usual it's a win-win outcome for them.

Unless there is outright war on Islamic jihad both externally and internally, this cat and mouse game will continue ad infinitum - or until the Caliphate is restored, at least. The majority of brainwashed infidel citizens of the West already have their heads too far up arses to see the necessity for harsh repression of Islam and governments know this; in any case they are importuning the Muslim vote.

Sadly Verity you and I, in our remaining years, will have to witness incremental destruction of Western Civilisation. No doubt we shall continue to protest until the Internet is soon handed over to foreign control, then we shall be silenced; become a new set of dormant twins in the firmament - dubbed Castrated and Bollox, no doubt! The only optimism I can muster now is that it will have to get much worse before it gets better for our heirs and descendants.

Perhaps they'll listen to Glen Beck and form a PG Tips Society - that should crack it!

Noa Zrk

Firstly an apology to fellow CH Wall readers.
Wajid Shamsul Hasan, is the Pakistani High Commissioner in the UK, and not the five year old "British" kidnap victim with the traditional Lancashire name of Sahil Saeed.

But the plot thickens!

Wajid Shamsul Hasan has said police are investigating whether a member of Sahil Saeed's
is involved in his kidnapping. Unsurprisingly, the family demands UK government help and intervention and Phil Woollas, the Immigration Minister advises us that this is the "Number one issue for the Foreign Office in Pakistan". Really, I would have thought there were higher priorities, but then, there's a lot of Neather created voters out there, we wouldn't want to give them offence would we?
Intrigingly, the boys father, Raja Naqqash Saeed, is unemployed, yet can afford to visit Pakistan and Dubai. Is he and his family, on UK
benefits. His two daughters of 4 and 20months remained safely 'at home' in Oldham whilst he was on an extended visit to Pakistan.
in his words:
""I think we were targeted because we are from England. They took gold and money from two of our houses here. The robber said 'we're going to take your son. We've been tracking you for one week.' They asked me where I was going to (why he was going to the airport). I said I'm going to Dubai... They said 'you're not going to Dubai, you're stopping there for three hours and then you're changing onto another flight and going to England'...".

Surely there's real scope for some good old fashioned, bottom up, in-depth investigation here. If only by the relevant police, benefit, welfare and education authorities on the intriguing affairs of this family?
Is this the dumbed down Labour equivalent of the Ashcroft Non Dom story? This typical humble happy immigrant Oldham backstreet family has at least 2 house in Pakistan, plus money and gold on the premises. And by the high walls and gates of this detached property we can safely assume they have reasonable means.
We can only speculate what this unemployed man was planning to do in Dubai. We can however thank the Labour government and treacherous Ministers like Jack Straw for the opportunities they have provided to millions of such immigrants for our cultural enrichment, as well as our financial impoverishment.
The magic of numbers comes into play with such imported grooms. We now have the opportunity to maintain not just him but also the three children he has fathered to date. All good Labour voters no doubt, until an Independent Muslim Party feels strong enough to dispense with its ally of convenience.

James Murphy

Nicholas - what about this couplet by Samuel Butler as an absolutely superb metaphorical use of the 'Parthian Shot' in the sphere of romantic love - "You wound, like Parthians, while you fly,
And kill with a retreating eye..."
—Samuel Butler, An Heroical Epistle of Hudibras to His Lady (1678)

Austin Barry

In a dreary week there has at least been one glittering event: the electoral success of Geert Wilders' party -- to paraphrase Leonard Cohen, first we take Almere then we take the Hague.

And so amusing to watch the Lib-Left media huff and puff with outrage at democracy in action. The anguish compounded by this being the Netherlands, for Polly's sake, formerly its most favoured country.

Well done, Geert, veel geluk!

Frank P

I just watched Dai Cameron addressing the sheep-shaggers at Llandudno; not a bad speech. Managed to keep his voice down half an octave, too. Or perhaps all this speechifying is ripening his pharynx. Can I even begin to hope that his balls have dropped?

When are going to get the You Tube up and a post about it? A phone call interrupted my viewing and I missed the last ten minutes or so. I'm all agog, if not indeed: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch!

Yaki da.

Peter From Maidstone

It has been interesting to see how often 'journalists' are trying to get the word 'extremist' into any paragraph mentioning Geert Wilders and his party. And they never fail to associate him with the 'right wing' British National Party.

Frank P

A hard-hitting Mark Steyn piece in the Canadian publication Investor’s Business Daily:

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=525661

Extract:

>“So there was President Obama giving his bazillionth speech on health care, droning yet again that "now is the hour when we must seize the moment," the same moment he's been seizing every day of the week for the past year, only this time his genius photo-op guys thought it would look good to have him surrounded by men in white coats.
Why is he doing this? Why let "health" "care" "reform" stagger on like the rotting husk in a low-grade creature feature who refuses to stay dead no matter how many stakes you pound through his chest?
Because it's worth it. Big time. I've been saying in this space for two years that the governmentalization of health care is the fastest way to a permanent left-of-center political culture.”<

And what is David Cameron using as his rallying cry for the Tories? The Conservative Party is the party of the National Health Service.
Read it all, it’s worth a click or two and five minutes of your valuable time.

Verity

Who is in control of the Conservative Party? I ask because I am baffled that such an unappealing loser - who should be storming to victory, such is the hatred for Gordon Brown and everything he, Blair and Jack Straw have done to our country - and David Cameron is still in situ.

He should have been replaced at least two months ago. Common sense and normal human observation tell us that. Yet he is still there. Why?

Do the Bildenbergers have that much influence over the managers of the Conservative Party? I just don't believe it. It is being proved day after day in the polls that not only is there no appetite for Dave, there's a positive loathing growing ... and a growing determination to vote for other parties.

This is known to the people managing the party.

So why are they persisting with this inadequate person? Why? They cannot positively want to lose. They cannot want a coalition. Can they?

Any ideas?

Verity

Thanks for the tip, Frank P. I went over and, as always, Steyn nails it neatly into place. I wonder if there is a co-op of geniuses writing under the name of Mark Steyn?

And, of course, David Cameron has pledged himself to "improving" (spending more national wealth) on the NHS instead of rejigging it.

I recommend everyone go to Frank's link. (Tip, you are invited to rate the article at the end of the piece, and if you click on it, a form comes up wanting all your details, which is rather cheeky, but worse, you cannot then get back to CH without closing it down and starting anew.) Read the piece, but don't vote on it.

Vulture

I implore anyone who doubts that the BBC is biassed - I mean institutionally biassed - against the Tories to give a listen to this weekend's Any Questions on the 'Listen Again' facility.

It came from the London Muslim Centre in the East End - please listen to it. You will be shocked - and scared.

Frank P

Gerard provides a little something for the weekend: unmissable!

http://americandigest.org/mt-archives/driveby/quick_takes.php

radgie gadgie

Noa Zrk & David Ossit,

I'm pleased that the censors have allowed your ruminations on the Pakistan kidnap case. I find it difficult getting this sort of stuff posted - stuff based on many years living in a j****i strongold in E*** L****n.

Last week I submitted some examples of how a certain religious group from a certain country who are allowed more than one wife, is now accomodated by local authorities lest their human rights be maligned. I explained how a very good living is acquired both here and in their homeland by our (well named)benefit system. As with other examples didnt see the light of day.

As for the phrase 'British child', the father showed us the kid's Brit passport. what he didnt show was any Pakistani passports or explain who in his family maintain dual nationality. The principle always was that if you are in the country of your other nationality you were considered to be a national of that country and that Govt had responsibility for you. In recent years this has been stretched to breaking point by subcontinentals. my 1st thought was also 'why isnt he in school?

Maria

I know. I listened. I didn't believe.
2 Labour people, 1 Libdeb. And a strange wild atmosphere. Even Ken Clarke found it hardgoing. Poor old Andrew Gilligan took a bashing for daring to say things...

Verity

My speakers are broken, Vulture (lasted for one entire day; made in China). Could you give us a précis?

Anne Wotana Kaye 1

So one of the vile bastards that killed the Bulger baby is back in Gaol. Naturally, to protect his rights we mustn't be told what he did or what his new identity is. What I would like, if only there was real justice, is that he had gone after the perverted imbeciles who decided to let him out and not serve a life sentence. I would like them to really suffer. Does anybody know the names of the judiciary who made this decision? Now of course, they won't say they made a terrible mistake, but rather that he reoffended because he wasn't given the right rehabilitation treatment in prison. Perhaps he was deprived of drugs, booze and all his other goodies.

Verity

Does anyone know why, when I type an accent, as in an e with a grave accent - é - it comes out in a weird, ugly icon that doesn't mean diddley instead of a letter? What is going on?

Verity

AWK, It seems he was employed as a bouncer in a nightclub. In order to avoid libel, I suppose we are to draw our own conclusions.

Austin Barry

I see Brown is on a shameless electioneering trip to Afghanistan.

This from the Vietnam War Glossary:

"Fragging" - Assassination of an inept, dangerous or unpopular officer by his own troops, usually by means of a grenade or other fragmentation device.

Mmmm......

Derek

Nicholas - In view of their equestrian skill, I would think that the implication must be that the Parthians' arrows more often than not found their mark. My guess would also be that the retreat could be either a feint or a fighting withdrawal. The latter question is not perhaps important if we accept Mackensen's maxim, albeit framed at a rather fraught time for the Imperial German Army, that a retreat is just an advance in a different direction.

David Ossitt

Anne Wotana Kaye 1

“Naturally, to protect his rights we mustn't be told what he did or what his new identity is.”

Anne we are now told that he has been accused of a crime of a sexual nature; we are also told that this information was not released straight away, lest it might prejudice a future court case.

I have long been of the opinion that giving criminals the protection of the extremely expensive new identity program, (there have only been four to date) is a dreadful waste of public money and an insult and injustice to those who suffered at their hands.

It also puts the criminal justice system into an almost impossible position and a hostage to fortune, in that, should the individual commit a crime, this young man might be charged with a crime, it will be very difficult to bring him to trial, the reason for this is that his defence will claim that he will not be able to have a fair trial should any jury member suspect his true identity.

For any one; to have to live a constant ongoing lie, to have to pretend to remember a false past, must and will ruin any future relationships and in the long term will rot the soul.

AAE

Further to State Health Care, it was Lenin who said that it was the keystone of socialism. (Though, he might have knocked it into second place if he'd known the BBC - Any Questions was a disgrace and it is surely no coincidence that the only times when I've heard an extremely threatening, intimidating audience is when Red Ken is on the panel. Contrast the behaviour of the London Muslim Centre, it's questioners dripping self-righteous aggressive victimhood, with that of the Christian institutions the programme often visits.)

annassasin

Don't forget if the whereabouts and new identity of Venables is released the human rights act with launch into action. Any new trial will be ruined by his rights of this and that.

Anne Wotana Kaye 1

David Ossitt: Yes, David, the whole system of giving s new identity is flawed. How correct you are stating that living a lie would eventually rot the soul. That is, of course, if the soul wasn't already rotten. True penitents would not wish to live a lie, but try to demonstrate repentance by living decent and caring lives. Personally I believe for truly evil crimes, in the unfortunate absence of a death penalty, a life sentence should mean exactly that. Life.

Anne Wotana Kaye 1

(Copied from BBC News) In late 2000, the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, ruled that enormous efforts had been made to rehabilitate the pair, who were now young men, and that passing them on to a young offenders' institution would run the risk of unravelling the good work. He said their tariff had expired.
----------------------------

The two monsters were released in 2001. I should have guessed that demented Lord Wolf let them loose. He should either be prosecuted now as aiding and abetting a criminal, or sectioned as mentally incpable.

daniel maris

I think we should apply what I call the "Faeroe Islands" test to all this legal nonsense.

Presumably anyone accused of a serious crime on the Faeroe Islands (pop c 60,000?)who has a previous criminal record has to accept when they go to trial that their fellow citizens know all about their previous misdemeanours. And presumably in the Faeroe Islands there would never be any question of anyone being able to hide their identity.

And yet as far as I know, no one has ever suggested that the Faeroe Islands is some sort of vigilante-ruled undemocratic hellhole.

I would suggest that what is required here is some political leadership. People have every right to know about the identities of people, of whatever age, convicted of crimes.

Legal secrecy is poisonous to democracy.

At the same time, I would hope our political leaders would stress compassion and point out that people like Venables have had horrendous upbringings and deserve our sympathy and support. But that of course doesn't extend to endangering the citizens of our country.

Noa Zrk

I see William Boyd has taken Austin Barry
to task on Melanie Phillip's latest blog for promulgating the idea of 'fragging' Gordon Brown.

It seems political assassination, except where "the forces of hell" are unleashed on one's deadly enemies, including Bullying Helplines, are out of fashion. One more step along the path to Honecker Heaven I suppose. Perhaps we should call this brave new world in which we now live 'Brown Bliss'.

But even in the most dystopian paradise there should be the opportunity for an objective evaluation and trial of the highest in the land for incompetence.

The Tudors and Stuarts, bless 'em, Royalist liberals that they were, had the Court of Star Chamber to resolve issues with the treacherous and incompetent. Even in softer more modern times the crime of treason has resulted in the execution of British citizens when they acted in the interests of the enemy.

So then, why should not Brown be subject to public trial for his denial of funding and resources to our armed forces during time of war? There are other offences no less serious; the bankruptcy of the public purse would have earned him the opportunity to examine his own entrails in front of a gainfully entertained public not too long ago. In more modern times the introduction, through mass immigration, of a fifth column into the citadel of the UK would have entitled him to a conversation session in Lubianka, allied with a true and fair confession of his wrong doing, before a period of self examination in a gulag, if he was lucky.

So what means do we have available these day to punish our incompetent and treacherous politicians? None, it would appear. There is simply no means of holding them to account for anything they say or do, no matter how bad. The embezzlement and waste of public funds earns an index linked pension at worst, probably a peerage and possibly a winning Euro-Lottery ticket. Be a real traitor, taking money from your country's enemies, and you will be acclaimed as a great man of principle on your death.
What is required, desperately, is an objective means by which to hold those in positions of power to full account. The mere loss of power at election is no longer a sufficient safeguard for democracy. The upholding of our sovereignty, the protection of our nation and people, and the safeguarding of our public finances are all matters upon which we can and should be able to objectively measure, verify and reward or punish our politicians.
A crime, of malfeasance in office, with a range of punishments from fines upwards, would concentrate the minds of our politicians and public servants wonderfully.

Noa Zrk

Interesting article by Christopher Booker in the ST today concerning the lack of any effective Conservative energy policy and the continuing fixation with Green fantasy.
Looks like the problem of the soaring cost of power will be simply solved by ceasing to produce it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists
/christopherbooker/7386628/How-will-David-Cameron-keep-the-lights-on.html

Ghengis

Noa Zrk -- May I add a PS.
"By their attitude and performance at PMQ's today (3.3.2010) it is apparent that the political class throughout their ranks, are of the opinion that their object of removing themselves to a position at which they are beyond the law has been attained.. Their pompous caterwauling and infantile antics equalled if not exceeded those we have become accustomed to when watching scenes of drunken Saturday night behaviour upon television. They appear to have become removed from reality by their avoidance of retribution and to have lost all respect for the establishment in which they are privileged to sit and for which so many have and continue to die for. Even their Speaker drew their attention to the fact of their behaviour not being in accord with their employers wishes, to of no avail – Such is their arrogance that they have become convinced that such behaviour is what they are paid for as well as being so inept and unworldly when grappling with the “complexity” of the Green Book Rule. This House is in contempt of its electors and the sooner such behaviour is no more and those sitting are brought to respect it the better. They are not “celebrities” as they obviously consider themselves, there to entertain each other, but there to perform serious duties in the defence of and for the convenience of we citizens with a degree of dignity".
Thank you.

daniel maris

Noa Zrk -

The idea that we should continue to put our security in the hands of despots in the Middle East and Russia or submit to a nuclear solution doesn't appeal to me.

We should definitely seek energy independence and go green as far as possible, but include clean coal and natural gas in the mix.

If we exploit the full range of technologies: solar, wind, wave, tidal, new hydro, osmosis, geothermal, energy from waste, biofuels, clean coal and so on we can achieve energy independence.

For instance there was a report out this week that showed river turbines (new hydro) could generate enough electricity to serve 3% of the nation's homes.

Noa Zrk

daniel maris @ 8:53pm.
"The idea that we should continue to put our security in the hands of despots in the Middle East and Russia or submit to a nuclear solution doesn't appeal to me".

Sensible people accept the logic of sustainable power' when it's reasonable and cost effective to do so.
The wholesale closure of existing power sources and their replacement by untried and unworkable technologies is simply not feasible. The present government has disgracefully neglected its responsibilities in allowing the run down and loss of control of the UK's strategic power facilities and energy sources.

Current Conservative energy policy, disgracefully, perpetuates the current leftist mixture of moral cowardice, woolly thinking and deferred strategic decisiveness that has brought us to the brink of a strategic energy shortfall.

Quite simply total reliance on green power, as both China and India know, is not feasible, which is the point of Mr Booker's article.

From a strategic perspective I fully accept the inherent weakness of our dependency on foreign energy sources. All the more reason that we should use all resources at our disposal to minimise it. From your perspective does that include the maintenance of an effective military capability to protect our Antarctic oil reserves? Or should we freely rescind any interest in $7 trillion worth of oil in favour of South America?

As a matter of interest, did the report to which you refer identify how much would it cost to produce the 3% contribution to the electricity grid that hydro power would make, or how the remaining 97% shortfall would be met?

Noa Zrk

Ghengis - The relevence of Your cogent posts of 3rd March and today is duly acknowledged.

Thank you

daniel maris

Noa -

Any energy system requires investment, unless you buy it on the spot market (where you pay a premium to cover the investment).

No one is seriously suggesting we abandon fossil fuels and nuclear power overnight. BUt it is quite wrong to suggest we pay an economic penalty for going green. Wind energy costs are now v. close to those of nuclear - but without a leaving future generations a poison legacy.

Hydro power is one of the cheapest forms of energy around (second only to tidal, from my analysis). Once in place hydro units require v. little ongoing labour input.

Of course there will be a high capital cost initially but the same is true of nuclear. THe much touted "new generation" nuclear facility in Finland is already 3billion Euros over price. The lead in time for such facilites could be 10-15 years.

Remember capital costs will all else being equal provide an economic stimulus to the domestic economy, assuming we have not entirely lost the ability to manufacture and construct things.

We should have a plan to move over to predominantly green sources of energy over the next 30 years.

adenuff

Who am I describing?

‘Gained power in a bloodless coup. Held on to power by imposing a reign of fear within his inner court and by refusing to hold democratic elections. Gained the loyalty of the common people by ensuring that they had low paid jobs (if at all), no ambitions and depended upon state handouts for survival. Neglected the health of the common people. Ruined the economy of his previously wealthy country. Survived numerous attempts to depose him. Prone to making long rambling speeches. Arranged for the destruction of opponents. Bolstered his own self-importance by staging gatherings of his ‘loyal’ troops. Liked to stage events to show his ‘human side’. Censored reports by critical journalists and threatened those who spoke up against him. Blocked critical internet publishing. Thought that he had saved the World. Had delusions of ruling the World. Even when exposed did not accept any responsibility for failures, blaming those around him.’

Is it an insane, psychologically damaged Third World or Middle Eastern dictator?

Or is it someone closer to home after (we hope) the next General Election?

It is surely time for a regime change!

Noa Zrk

Daniel- 8th March, 2010

All reasonable points and as a matter of good sense we should be looking for cheap and sustainable power where int doesn't threaten our strategic and economic interests.
I noticed a feature on Today this morning which covered the private generation of hydro power from our rivers. Aside from the usual major bureaucratic hurdles from planning permission etc there is a major threat to fish stocks and a multi-billion pound bill. The net result? A maximum of 0.5% of total electricity produced.

Leaving what no doubt appears as skepticism to one side my original point was that we are in danger of the lights going out not within 30 years but the next 5 and the Conservative party doesn't not have so much as a jump lead, much less a clue, to address what will be the most pressing public issue after national bankruptcy.

daifromwales

Daniel

Hydro power, as Noa Zrk points out, is essentially irrelevant to England. There are not enough mountains, not enough rain, not enough valleys to be flooded etc etc. It's a completely hopeless cause.

Wind is pathetic. Last month in the coldest weather for a decade or more there was no wind whatsoever. Allegedl our wind generators work working at 1% of rated output. We need a land area bigger than England to supply England, and we'd be bankrupt. The only reason they make sense to investors is because of Government subsidy.

Coal is probably perfectly safe - but say probably, and that is my opinion and am frankly not able to judge the APG arguments accurately enough to be willing to bet the future of the planet on my opinion being correct. So consider coal to be out. CO2 collection is in its infancy - and is, at present, not proven.

Wave power is great fun - but costs are huge, transmission losses likewise, and the plants will become wonderful undereas nature reerves as they clog up with marine growth. As a one time SCUBA diver, think that's great - but I don't believe it to be a sensible use of resources. We cannot compete with China if we are shackled to even greater mountains of government debt.

Nuclear is developed technology. It has thus far proved itself to be by a huge margin the safest form of power generation, and fuel comes from stable, friendly, English speaking nations. Don't complain about how long it takes to come on stream. Most of that time is atsed fighting the self-styled Friends of the Earth (sic) who would rather see the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse ride across the world that arrange for safe storage of small quantities of waste material which future technology will probably find a use for anyway.

As far as I can make out, the majority of informed scientists and engineers favour Nuclear. Those who do not are, by and large, luddites who no nothing whatsoever about the subject but still passionately believe themselves to be right.

I, and other like me, have been shouting this for decades. If it's too late now, blame Greenpeace, not me.

By the way - the worst possible nuclear accident would affect land values, but have no influence whatsoever on the global climate. Thus: a small fraction of mankind might (just MIGHT), suffer - but we'd have no affect on on any other species. And if global warming really is our fault, surely we should pay the price and GO NUCLEAR.

I am buying a generator to keep my gas heating going in the blackouts next winter. I hope the Russians don't cut off the gas...

Frank P

What's Andrew Rawnsley up to? Just watched his Channel 4 'Dispatches' documentary on Cameron. Interesting. Made a lot of assertions about DC being Eurosceptic. Has he joined the Cameroons? Obviously Rawnsley has deserted the NuLab project; unless of course Cameron is the replacement for Brown in latest GLM morph.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches

Shall be watching out for Fraser's post on this one. Couldn't really get a handle on it myself - a very slippery exposition. But one gets the impression that Andrew thinks that Cameron has already got a provisional lease on No.10. and that he wants a regular invite for Champers & canapes. Watch out Fraser; looks like you are being usurped.

daifromwales

Funny sort of Welshman, you, is what I would say first.

But leaving that aside, you are talking nonsense. England is a very mountainous and hilly land. Look at a contour map,comparing England with France say.

Anyway, this isn't about England v. Wales. No one in England would have a problem with doing a deal with democratic Wales. They could be trusted as Putin's Russia or the Mullahs' Iran cannot.

A nuclear event in say Dungeness could virtually finish off England as a functioning political entity. And it doesn't have to be an accident - it could be sabotage. We already know that the Islamist doctors - trusted professionals - in Scotland tried to commit mass slaughter at an airport. There is no reason why Islamist nuclear engineers might not attempt the same. Or a plane could be flown into a reactor.

Feel free to risk millions of peoples' lives and livelihoods to a highly dangerous source of energy.

I prefer a common sense approach which avoids all that.

daniel maris

Sorry Daifromwales...

That post above is not from you of course but from me Daniel Maris - got carried away at the keyboard. Not intentional sabotage!

daifromwales

Nuclear power stations are not atomic bombs - not even close. I am far more concerned about meteor impact than I am about Dungeness. Our paranoia about low levels of background radiation is misplaced - we have strict regulations about ventilating basements where radon gas is emmitted from the ground (e.g. in Cornwall), yet there is a negative correlation between lung cancers (which are associated with radiation damage) and the presence of radon - i.e. small doses do no harm. The nuclear industry follows the standard practice of assessing proportions of populations who will be killed by particular radiation doses and extrapolates down to theorise that, at a risk level of 1 in 1 million, 60 people will die. This is a convenient method of comparing costs with risks - but is grossly safe-sided at such low risk levels - but its still used as a stick for Greenpeace etc to beat the industry.

p.s. The north and west of England is hilly. Do we flood every valley in the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Pennines, Dartmoor etc - and, after all that destruction, still not generate enough power? Let's drown Ebbw Vale to start with, and find out what the Welsh think of that. Loch Lomond could do with being 100 metres deeper as well.

Peter From Maidstone

I'm not too far from Dungeness. I'd happily live closer with no worries at all about safety. It is treasonous that this present shower - and the Conservatives are no better - have not already committed some years ago to building more nuclear power stations and making us self-sufficient. I'd also build coal, develop the means to capture CO2 is necessary, and use the reserves we are still sitting on. Everything is just a matter of political will and technology.

radgie gadgie

A modest proposal. We tell the UN and our EU governors that, due to economic necessity and for energy security reasons we are reopening our mines and developing new ones to access our hundreds of years worth of reserves. And it wont be clean carbon captured either. On the basis that it is a drop in the ocean compared to India and China's coal power output there should be no objection. If our competitors and/or carbon credit junkies object we will happily accept some more carbon credits to replace the proposed emissions.

By the way... is there any truth in the rumour that the closure of Corus at Redcar will result in a few £100 million in carbon credits going to TATA India?

Herbert Thornton

Verity -

When a computer does the kind of thing you've encountered it can be very frustrating. It looks very much as though your computer is operating in a language that isn't English. Maybe it's using a non-English version of Windows (if you are using Windows) or maybe the separate word processor that's been installed is a non-English version.

It gets even more frustrating because a program that worked fine with, say, Windows XP, may not work well, or at all, with, say, Windows 7.

I still use Windows 2000, and my own favorite word processing program is Jarte 26. It's simple to use and includes a spell checker. I much prefer it to any of the versions of Microsoft's Word, or Write or Wordpad.

Maybe Jarte 26 is still available for free download from the Internet. Another quite good one is called Open Office - it can be downloaded from the Internet. But I don't know whether they work with later versions of Windows such as Windows XP or 7.

Noa Zrk

Radgie

- Darn right that India will benefit from the closure of the Redcar Steel works. The estimable Mr Booker covered the various issues in the following linked article.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/6798052/What-links-the-Copenhagen-conference-with-the-steelworks-closing-in-Redcar.html

Trevor Hardaker

Verity@
Seems to me as though you ought to stay away from the sherry bottle!

Trevor Hardaker

Herbert Thornton@
Any relation to the the Tool or the chocolate maker?

Herbert Thornton

Trevor -

If the name Thornton interests you, a man called Thornton was a signatory to the American Declaration of Independence and more recently the lady mentioned in the following web site achieved some fame, but I so far as I know I do not have the distinction of being related to either of them, nor to anybody of that name who manufactures either tools or chocolates.......
http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~sawyer/thornton.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~sawyer/thornton.html&usg=__0d2XtEJSrFhFIJCQA7TbE7Kt3f8=&h=430&w=300&sz=116&hl=en&start=7&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=Bcz3btnGojaIUM:&tbnh=126&tbnw=88&prev=/images%3Fq%3DBig%2BMama%2BThornton%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26tbs%3Disch:1

P.S. - if the link doesn't work, try Googling "Big Mama Thornton".

Frank P

Just so you all know - for sure!

http://digitaltechnologiesllc.net/db1/00080/digitaltechnologiesllc.net/_uimages/FAGbarneyfrank.jpg

Not looking for a barney, guys- just being Frank!
How about posting the picture - up top, Pete? Or perhaps on the bottom might be more appropriate.

And before you say I'm obsessed, Andy Brummigan, just remember these sods are running the World at the moment.

Frank P

A rap over the knuckles for the Pope - heavy duty!

http://americandigest.org/mt-archives/grace_notes/something_heretical_i_got.php

Disturbing - for grown-ups only.

Frank P

MArk Steyn addresses Dr Charles Krauthammer's analysis (and Glenn Beck's) of Geert Wilder's trial and his appearance before the House of Lord's.

I agree entirely with Mark and was quite shocked to witness the good Dr's rant on Fox in the "All Stars" segment of Brit Hume's slot. Another reminder of just how far America has to go before it wakes up to what is actually happening in Europe, rather than what they perceive to be happening.

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZDk2ODI2OGEwMjAzOWFlMzQxMzUxNTE3Nm

Krauthammer is a very shrewd man, Beck is just a showman, even though he has raised many issues that we raised here before Obama was elected. Amazing naivety exists concomitant to generosity and ability in Americans, it seems.

egh

Open Office works fine with Vista. I use it for compatibility with those who insist on MSWord - which I loathe!

James Strong

So some Irish people have been arrested for plotting to kill a cartoonist.
Bloody Buddhists!
What can be done with them?
Or was it a group of militant Methodists this time?