The Hypocritical Oaf…

Today our dear leader, David Cameron has preached made a speech at a summit in Sweden about equality. Included in his utter bullshit words of wisdom he said “case is overwhelming that companies and countries run better if you have men and women working together at the top. So the real nub of the issue is how do we accelerate, how do we fast forward to having at least 30% of boards made up by women. The evidence is that there is a positive link between women in leadership and business performance, so if we fail to unlock the potential of women in the labour market, we’re not only failing those individuals, we’re failing our whole economy.”

“That’s where you get down to quotas, which I don’t think you should ever rule out. If you can’t get there in other ways, then maybe you have to have quotas.”

Time to practice what you preach Mr C? 

http://www.number10.gov.uk/the-coalition/the-cabinet/  Currently in the 29 strong Coalition Cabinet we have just 5 female’s. Now, I’m not great at maths but even I can work out that a ratio of 29/5 is a tad short of the desired 30%…

Downing Street later said the government had no plans to introduce quotas and wanted the impetus to come from business….

In other news, David Cameron has shown his full support for his latest scapegoat  Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.  Here is David showing the rest of us “his full support” ; )

David Cameron’s Cap… #wrb

Following today’s bullying over-rule of The Lords’ amendments to the much feared Welfare Reform Bill, it seems that David Cameron has indeed got his new cap…

Dying for a fag…

Smoking in cars should be banned. 

Today the BMA have called for smoking in cars to be outlawed due to the effect 2nd hand smoke can have on passengers, particularly children.  I absolutely applaud this, even though it will cause massive outrage to smokers who already have chips on their shoulders as large as the tar on their lungs, over the public spaces ban. 

Ms Cushion would love to see smoking made illegal whilst driving in particular, also ban other distractions like putting on lipstick, eating, kids, changing radio channels after some selfish git someone else drove your car, drinking hot drinks and using mobiles.  What, mobile use already banned, who knew? 

I used to smoke.  I used to open new cigarette packets, light them, drop them, frantically search for lit ones on the floor of my car and nearly crash as a result.  How many of us have thrown a lit ciggie out of the drivers window, only for it to come back in the passenger’s window behind?  Whilst smoking in cars is dangerous to passengers health, it is also dangerous to the driver and other road users.. which is why I support the ban.

RIP Deborah Lawson

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/838249-dropped-cigarette-caused-kent-car-death

BBC, Box-ing not so clever… #budget2011

BBC News 23 March 2011

“For the past 150 years British chancellors have been carrying their budget papers in the briefcase first used by William Gladstone.  However, that box was retired last year and George Osborne is the first chancellor to try out a new one.  In time-honoured tradition he held it aloft outside Number 11 Downing street for the media this morning.”

But, erm..

“In 1997 Gordon Brown ordered a new briefcase.  Four trainees from the Rosyth dockyard in Scotland made the case and appeared on the steps of Number 11 on Budget day for a photo-opportunity with the new Chancellor.

Taken from    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/84715.stm

Come on BBC, we know you ‘ve had your own budget problems but get your act together!

 

The Mask Is Slipping And What Lurks Behind It is Ugly.. #Conservatives #BigSociety

Are Tory Councillors loose cannon’s? Increasingly we are hearing about Tory councillor’s putting their hand-made size 9’s in it..

A Westminster Tory Councillor has launched a legal case to have a soup kitchen for the homeless banned… his reason?  Free food encourages homelessness…  Daniel Astaire says “soup runs on the streets in Westminster actually encourage people to sleep rough in central London”  .  Quite right!  I for one am packing my handkerchief up and heading for London where the streets are paved with Campbell’s …

Also flying the bigot flag for the Tory’s is the charming John Fareham who is in deep water for stating “the usual collection of retards in the public gallery spoiling it for real people” after a public meeting in which a £65million cuts package was approved. Mr Fareham has since apologised but this is not the first time he has been reprimanded for his thoughtless comments. Last year saw the Lib Dem-run council’s standards committee ordering a written apology from him before sending him on a training course. He was accused of bullying a female aide, stating that she had “lesbian hair”. Danish-born Inga Jorgensen also claims the politician regularly referred to her as “foreigner”, “woman” and “wonk”.

Since taking power, we are seeing the true face of the Tory’s and I for one am finding it extremely ugly indeed!

Nick Clegg – Hero or Zero? #HousingBenefit #Clegg #DLA #ESA

Conservative Manifesto 2010  : We will ensure that receipt of benefits for those able to work is conditional on their willingness to work.

Which roughly translated into a 10% drop in Local Housing Allowance (Housing Benefit) after one year of unemployment..  This so designed to force encourage the lazy feckers  /  work-shy unemployed to find work in their area or move to seek employment.

Today this policy has been dropped from the proposed bill on Welfare. Nick Clegg is said to have grown a pair stepped in to demand it’s removal as it effectively discourages private landlords from renting to LHA claimants.  Too late.  Private landlord’s already discriminate against LHA claimants and increasingly so since the LHA has been paid to the claimant not directly to the Landlord or Letting Agent.  I have personal experience of this, having “lost” several houses now due to being in receipt of LHA whilst awaiting for and recuperating from my recent operation.

Before we all shout hurrah for Nick and hoist him up on our shoulders there is another angle to this story. This policy was voted for. This policy was wanted by the general public!

Has that hit home?  I remember countless “man on the street” interviews prior to, during and for a long time after the election, calling for this policy.  “Its not right we are paying their rent when they re too lazy” etc etc..  Tabloids headlines screamed about millionaire’s mansions being rented to “no-good scroungers”.  The public WANT the “work-shy” to go out and get a job. Fact.

What the public are getting is a U-Turn on a policy which could possibly work, with and ONLY with substantial investment in employment opportunities.

So what IS being introduced in this bill?  Why, set the REAL no-good, scrounging, lazy fecks to work of course.. the disabled.  Re-assessing “Incapacity Benefit” claimants WAS in the Tory 2010 manifesto sadly: We will re-assess all current claimants of Incapacity Benefit for their readiness to work … Even the way it is phrased implies that they are capable, just are they “ready” and willing?

We all know people who are or have claimed benefits they are not entitled to.  We all know we support some “lazy feckers” but in forcing all health related benefit applicants to be re-assessed and by removing DLA for residential care-home residents we are showing how badly thought out this bill really is.

But the good news is, “Euthenasia Packs” may soon be available from ATOS…

Exclusive – First Twinterview with Larry the Downing Street Cat..

Today I had the honour of being the first blogger to interview Larry, the new Downing Street Chief Rat-Catcher.  I approached him nervously as he has already attacked a journalist this week but offering him a saucer of cream seemed to appease him.  To gain his confidence I told him about my puss-cat Pickles, named after the big man of the moment, Eric of course.

Rat-Watching, Downing ST Style..

I asked Larry about his past, all I really knew about him was that he is four years old and was brought in to sort out the pest problem in Downing Street which has been growing gradually worse since May 2010.  Huge rats have been seen entering No.10, they are growing in confidence as well as size and have even been known to wave at photographers!

Larry is no stranger to rodents, having served his apprenticeship with the Marquis of  Carabas, then forming a partnership with an odd young man with big ideas. Together they headed to London where he was initially treated as a hero but soon forgotten as his then Master became more and more wrapped up in a crazy bicycle rental scheme.  

Poor Larry was at his wit’s end, penniless and forgotten when he was invited to stay in a Big house, along with other losers guests. Larry loved it in the Big house, he had as much cream as he could eat and played happily with the others until he was suddenly thrown out back on the streets again.

Since then Larry has tried to find work, appearing on the odd TV programme but finding himself ridiculed and even despised.  

Until now..  this could indeed be the lucky break he has longed for.  His mission is to clear out all the rodents and undesirables, not just from Downing Street but the whole of the UK.   Our Big Society cat.

Watch out, Larry's about !

TwitWatchUK – Week 5 – Oil Baron’s, Trees and “Oh Sheeeet”‘s

Another week already, who would’ve thunk?

This week has been mostly overshadowed with the unrest in Egypt. Despite the “Day of Departure” demonstration, the ruling President Murbarak still maintains his position, some people just can’t take a hint can they.. ?

In other news, the Conservative’s have cleverly solved the war over NHS reforms by smoking us out with library closures and  forest-selling.  The forest-selling off really won’t affect us though as they already have it under control..

 

They took all the trees
And put them in a tree museum
And they charged all the people
A dollar and a half to see ’em

Available for sale for just £21.80 (I kid you not)

 

Da da da da da da da da da da… doesn’t sound the same without the music does it?

In TV news this week the delightfully sweary grandma from Gavin and Stacey, Margaret John passed away *sad face* 84 year old Margaret said in 2010 “I get hugged by women and kissed by men in supermarkets. It’s lovely!”  “It’s great to be a sex goddess at my age!”   But *happy face* it was announced that the hit 80’s Dallas, last aired in 1991 would be returning to our screens..YAY! But how will they bring it back? Ms Cushion would love it to return via another Patrick Duffy/aka Bobby Ewing “it was all just a dream” shower scene..

Speaker John Bercow’s wife Sally caused a right rumpus again this week, this time posing in just a bedsheet for a Valentine’s newspaper special.  While I think she was probably a bit daft to pose as she did, let he who is without sin cast the first stone and all that… doesn’t mean that we can’t take the mick mercilessly though does it ; )

Para means “for”… #paraDanielle #paracetamol

I was reminded to write this post by the sad death of a teenage girl in hospital, due to an overdose of Paracetamol.  In Danielle’s case, the Paracetamol was administered to her intravenously and a fairly usual adult dose killed her. 

The night I had my operation my foot began to swell, this is quite usual post-surgery and I had been warned to expect it. What I hadn’t bargained for was the tightness of the bandages and the incredible pain the swelling would cause.  Usually anti-inflammatories are prescribed at the hospital, I found out later that they had decided against giving them to me as I have had liver problems in the past, following the taking of anti-inflammatories for my arthritis.

I had been given Co-Codamol as a post-surgery pain reliever, this contains (and clearly states on the side) Paracetamol. I knew full well about the dangers of taking more than one type of Paracetamol at once, for example Lemsip for a cold mustn’t be taken with a head ache remedy etc..  However, I was in a great deal of pain so as the night went on I began taking Paracetamol and doubled my dose of Co-Codamol.  I know, I know!   You just can’t think of ANYTHING apart from the searing pain though.. by morning I started to be sick, a lot.  I called the GP out, he finally arrived at 2.30pm and told me I had over-dosed on Paracetamol. He was, naturally very annoyed and concerned but thankfully (as I had been so sick) decided not to send me to A & E.  I was really shocked, I honestly had no idea how easy it was to overdose, I imagined having to take handfuls of pills all at once to cause real medical problems and never considered the impact a slow release of them could have on your internal organs. 

I have learned a very important lesson and am SO thankful that I seem to have got away with my stupidity in one piece. I am now taking anti-inflammatories short-term, which are helping with the swelling but I don’t want to even think about my liver!  So the lesson for today is PLEASE DONT UNDER-ESTIMATE PARACETAMOL. EVER.

RIP Danielle Welsh

TwitWatchUK – 31st Jan – Week 4 (or should that be Weak… )

Twitwatch UK would have been so much easier this week had I actually spent time on Twitter!  My operation was Tuesday so I was in a funny world of panic in the days leading up to it and have pretty much slept through every day since.  I did manage to pluck a few gems out however..

Jane Blount hit the headlines this week complaining to a radio station ” “My son James Blunt, who is hugely appreciated worldwide, receives harsh criticism here and we have, rather sadly, been aware that it is because of his background”   Nothing to do with the fact he’s a talentless prick then?   He did something right though, in dropping the “O” from his name he provided Twitter with the perfect rhyming slang hashtag opportunity.

Orders are being taken for this year’s must-have toy…  (via @robinbogg)

Just what every child needs, what family isn’t complete without a carriage and corgi after all..

It started with a tweet….  Another bargain that you may have missed out on this week is a piece of magic history, after tweeting a picture of it, Paul Daniels sold one of his toupees on Ebay this week, raising £1100 for charity! 

 

Which beg’s the question, who on earth would pay £1100 for a ginger toupee?  

The trending topic of the week though seemed to be sexism in sport following the release of taped conversations between two Sky sports presenters.  Sexism in sport, who would’ve thunk?