clawsfour

Branded

Is it just me or are we seeing the same (albeit on a much smaller scale) mass hysteria that greeted the accidental death of a princess over the rather infantile and offensive radio prank by Ross and Brand. 

One complaint escalated to 18,000 as competitor light entertainment shows - ie newspapers - lead the witch-hunt. At the same time, unreported, young people in particular were showing their support for the pair through other media by up to six to one. 

I don't think what the pair did was particularly clever or funny. I think the editorial team aren't up to much for not spotting the inevitable outrage from Folkestone. 

But for Yasmin Alibah-Brown to say that this is some perversion of the great British tradition of freedom of speech is complete fucking bollocks. 

It offended against the good taste of some and the good manners of others. And caused real offence to one person. One too many maybe. But a good deal less offence than a less funny comedian like Jim Davidson causes on a daily basis through his racist and sexist xenophobic humour(?). 

For the one person really offended there is a proper apology. For the others there is the off switch. For Y A-B there is no hope.

Cardinal sin

Another reason why religion should be kept to consenting adults in the privacy of their own homes.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7696505.stm

I have nothing personally against people who have religious beliefs. I have friends who believe in the most extraordinary nonsense and that doesn't bother me. I don't feel the need to disinfect myself after visiting their homes. But they do at least keep their faith to themselves and don't presume to use it to prescribe and proscribe the actions of others.

God, I hate God. Even Tony Blair - enthusiastic believer - had the good sense to recognise that politicians 'don't do God' (or, at least Ali Campbell had the good sense for him). It's a pity that preachers don't recognise that God doesn't do politics.

Getting pumped up

The real scandal about George Osborne, Shadow Chancellor, is not that whether he did or didn't solicit a donation from an impermissible donor - although his own admissions seem to bring the decision down on the did rather than didn't side of the fence - but his scandalous economic policies.

George Osborne says "high petrol prices are a scandal". But what the Tory hypocrite in waiting doesn't say is that he wants to pump up the prices at the pump himself.

The real question Osborne and Cameron should be answering is not "Why are you touching up Russian oligarchs for cash? Has Lord Overseas Ashcroft run out of money?" but "WHY DO YOU WANT TO PUT 5P TAX ON UNLEADED PETROL TODAY?"

With BP anouncing profits of £70m PER HOUR, it is mind-blowing that the Tories want to squeeze the ordinary hard-working families with this new Tory Tax.

Cameron's (oil)slick PR machine thought a green tax would win headlines but it would in fact add millions of pounds to British families’ tax bills because of changing oil prices. If Mondeo man is still the person politicians want to win over to win elections, then Cameron and Osborne may want to explain why Mondeo Man will be paying £3.50 a tank more at the pump under the Tories.

As the Labour Party say, "When times are tough and people are worried about their cost of living, this just shows the risk of putting a headline-seeking novice in charge".

I can't get no....

...satisfaction. Which is the half time music. And about sums it up.

Saints playing really well but still 0-0. AND THEN AT FULL-TIME 1-1.

It could easily have been 4-1 or 5-1. Sometime soon the Saints are going to batter someone, I just hope they can retain some confidence until that happens. Still at least the fans who did turn up were behind the team - no nonsense about protests against the manager or the Board.

Exciting game. Unlucky result.

Where were you on the night the music died

Well here I am at St Mary Stadium. There must be at least 5 or 6 thousand here.

Where are the other 20k so called supporters?

I've never wanted us to win so much.

It's either inappropriate or it isn't...

The most important thing about the mega-yacht-gate affair that is engulfing soon-to-be-ex Shadow Chancellor Osborne, is not the fact that he didn't solicit a small donation from one of the world's wealthiest men. Or that he did. Neither scenario is particularly important.

The key thing, and the reason he is most likely to lose his job, is the spotlight Osborne has turned on Lord Ashcroft, the Tory Party's campaign bank-roller. Once again questions are being asked about whether Lord Ashcroft is a UK resident. The deputy chairman of the Conservatives is accused of using a chain of companies originating in his home country of Belize to donate nearly £5m to Conservative Party campaigns. Osborne has denounced such activity by his robust defence of his own position in recent days including......

"At the end of that conversation Mr Rothschild mentioned that Leyland Daf, a UK trading company owned by Mr Deripaska, was interested in making a donation to the party. Leyland Daf is well known to be a company recently purchased and owned by Mr Deripaska.

Mr Feldman said that he was not sure if such a donation was appropriate. He told Mr Rothschild that he would have to seek advice on the matter. Later that day it was decided after consultation with senior party officials that it would not be appropriate to accept such a donation. There was no futher contact from Mr Rothschild or Mr Deripaska and the matter was considered to be at an end."

Either it is inappropriate to channel money through UK registered companies - the reason Osborne says neither he nor the Conservative Party Chief Executive considered accepting a donation from a Russian Billionaire through his his UK registered and trading company - or it isn't. Which means either Lord Ashcoft's money is inappropriate - or it isn't.

Which means George Osborne is either Shadow Chancellor, or (as now seems increasingly likley) he isn't.

Maybe the decision of Lord Ascroft to bequest £900m to charity will also include the Tory Party - a charity case if ever there was one.