Time Time To Draw A Line Under Bigot Gate - There Is An Election To Be Fought For

The Big Dollop has had a fairly hectic return to work after a well earned sabbatical concerning the ever present chore of having to work for a living and as such found himself spending most of yesterday sound asleep thus missing out on the so called Bigot Gate scandal concerning PM’s Gordon Brown’s ill advised faux pas when he made reference to a lady he met on a trip to Rochdale as being some “Sort of Bigot” after he mistakenly misunderstood the content of a question she asked of him regarding the influx of foreigners from Eastern Europe.

It cannot be denied that immigration is a subject which has been conveniently swept under the carpet in the run up to the general election next week by the three major parties in UK politics.

With many UK citizens holding the opinion (rightly or wrongly) that the influx of people from the former Eastern Bloc countries (and beyond) in recent times have somehow played a significant role in the large increase in people signing on at the local labour exchanges up and down the length of the country as the recession took hold.

Indeed with an ever increasing number of people (from the UK) finding themselves thrown on the scrapheap unable to find a job, and a means by which they can pay the mortgage on their homes- I have no doubt the question asked by Mrs Duffy will have resonated with a fair percentage of the UK electorate.

What was surprising was the manner in which Mr. Brown reacted to it; For the record I for one cannot condemn Mr. Brown for his apparent *duplicity* concerning his opinion of Mrs Duffy’s veracity with regards to her question about foreigners flocking to the UK from Eastern Europe, and whilst I myself would not consider Mrs Duffy’s question as being anything approaching bigotry, I do understand why Mr. Brown might have construed it as such.

There have been bloggers and journalists alike who have stated that their opinion that this episode is evidence of Mr Brown holding the UK electorate in utter contempt, with all due respect I would refute those allegations completely.

Whilst acknowledging that Mr Brown clearly dropped a monumental clanger by not switching off his mic whilst indulging in a private conversation during which he candidly expressed his reservations about Mrs Duffy’s character - In this instance his reservations (ill advised or otherwise) related to his personal view of just one person out of an electorate of some 40 million citizens .

He has apologised to the lady concerned,  therefore in my humble opinion the time has come to draw a line underneath it and get back to the business of each of the political parties in the UK promoting their policies which they hope will entice the likes of myself and the thousands of “Mrs Duffy’s” of this country to get out and exercise their right to vote next week.

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*Unfortunately duplicity is a trait which the vast majority of us have exercised at one time or another - indeed I would challenge anyone who has the opportunity to read my humble post on this matter to say (hand on heart) they have never spoken ill of someone behind their backs, regrettably it's a flaw in human character  which most of us (myself included) sadly possess.*

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Done For Possession of a Knife - Don't Make Me Laugh

The Big Dollop had occasion to read a story in one of today’s newspapers which featured an article about a 61 year old gentleman who was found guilty of being in possession of a knife after police from the Devon and Cornwall constabulary pulled him over and subjected him to a road side breathalyzer which he passed with flying colours.

On a subsequent search of his car the two police officers said they found a Swiss Army Knife along with  a torch, maps and a first aid kit which were all wrapped up in a pouch located within the glove compartment and incredibly formed the opinion the knife represented a “Potential Danger” which in my book,  is nothing but a load of crap.

 A Potential Danger ?

 Don't Make Me Laugh

The only danger here is  inept police officers who have absolutely no idea of what “Potential Danger” is or  who have the slightest inkling  of who actually poses a threat, I mean who in their right mind but a cretin would think a 61 year old man who had a Swiss Army knife in a pouch in the glove compartment of his car could possibly constitute a danger to anyone.

Call me cynical but I get the impression this court case came about because the two individuals masquerading as competent police officers were pissed off that the gentleman in question had passed a breathalyzer test and like the overzealous traffic plod I recently had the misfortune to come across  - came up with this worthless prosecution for no other reason than to save face in order to justify a warped sense of credence to maintain some crime prevention targets set for them by the political powers at be.

Once again a story which shows exactly why the police in the UK are losing the trust and confidence of Joe Public.

Footnote: Perhaps the two police officers concerned in this case might want to have a wee look at this video -  it just might show them what constitutes “ Potential Danger” with regards to what knife crime really is all about.

 Update:

Anzac Day (Australia & New Zealand)

Anzac Day 2010

The 25th of April  marks the 95th  anniversary of Anzac Day in commemoration of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War when they stormed the  Gallipoli  peninsula in Turkey .

The acronym ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps whose soldiers were known as Anzacs.

Anzac Day remains one of the most important national occasions for the people of both Australia and New Zealand, a rare instance when  two sovereign countries not only share the same remembrance day, but making reference to both countries in its name.

Today, 95 years on - the spirit of Anzac, with its human qualities of courage, friendship and sacrifice continue to have a profound meaning and exemplifies as much relevance for the Australian / New Zealand people's  sense of national identity today, as it did back in 1915.

On Anzac Day, ceremonies are held in towns and cities across Australia and New Zealand  to acknowledge the service of  those veterans and everyone in the Australian and New Zealand military who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations.. 

Lest We Forget.

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Flying The Flag of St George (Proudly)

Thankfully in the MacBlogosphere there is nothing to prevent me as a Scotsman commenting on matters which are wholly English in content – a sort of “West Lothian” concept if you will.

In certain sections of the media there have been reports that David Cameron and the Conservative party are to reclaim the English flag in order to (I suppose) give it a place of respect instead of being seen as some sort of racist emblem, presently promoted by those who would support the likes of the BNP.

The Flag of St George 

For the record I must state here and now that I do not consider the English Flag is any more racist than the Union Jack is - They are not!

However it is IMHO hypocritical of any politician to reclaim either of the two flags I mentioned, as the political correctness which has been systematic in various Governments over the course of the past 30 years or so has seen both flags effectively thrown into the gutter where the likes of the BNP and their ilk retrieved it from  - hence the reason  the good name and reputation of both flags have long since been sullied.

Numerous institutions the length and breadth of the country have been reticent to fly them, in order to not tread on the sensitivities of certain people who in all probability are not of Anglo Saxon heritage if they didn’t like it, should have been told exactly where to go with their puerile concerns.

The red cross of St George belongs to the English people much in the same manner the cross of St Andrew belongs to the Scots – if I was a little Englander of English stock I would proudly fly my flag where and when ever I wanted, and to hell with any one who didn’t like it .

Come the middle of June when the world cup is in full flow. I have a sneaky feeling England will be awash with the Cross of St George – it’s a shame its takes an even such as that for its citizens to fly the flag without the fear of being branded   "Racist".

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When In Rome Do As The Roman's Do

The Big Dollop read a story in this morning’s Sun newspaper which told of an unnamed driver who was fined £18 by a court in the French city of Nantes after being stopped by police who were of the opinion she had impaired vision because she was wearing The Hijab. (A garment often mistaken for a Burka )

On being stopped, the woman in question complied with a request from the traffic officers to remove her veil and when asked to do so she also provided them with proof of her identity - in spite of not committing any traffic violations as such, she was understandably quite upset when the police decided to prosecute her.

Whilst I am of the opinion traffic police the world over are less than approachable I do have a certain sympathy with the lady in question,  however I have to concede that in this instance the police officers may very well  indeed -  have had the safety of the public first and foremost as their  top priority when faced (excuse my pun)  with this lady's driving apparell.

There is no just way it can be safe to drive any vehicle with your face covered like that, not just to others but to the wearers themselves as well.

Fined for Wearing A Hijab Whilst Driving?

A No Brainer IMHO  

Unsurprisingly she has since said the charges against her were racially motivated and as such was currently seeking legal advice with a view to  suing the French police for discrimination.

Perhaps its just me, but I was under the impression in Islamic countries where women are by law enforced to wear the Hijab /Burka - women were not allowed to drive cars.

I just don't see how a woman who follows the Islamic faith can claim she is being discriminated  against in European countries such as France when she would be the recipient of a public lashing for driving a car under Islamic Law in countries like Saudi Arabia  where women are hardly given the  time of day.

The First Ever Video Uploaded On To You Tube

Yesterday being the 23rd of April represented a rather unique and somewhat important event which marked the fifth anniversary of the first video ever uploaded to the web site  - YouTube.

YouTube was founded February 14, 2005, but the first video to hit the site--a 19 second clip of YouTube cofounder Jawed Karim at the San Diego zoo--didn't come until April 23, 2005.

You can view it below - all 19 seconds of it.

Tina Turner - Simply The Best

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It is no secret that the Big Dollop is a closet follower of the aspirations of a certain football club from the south side of Glasgow – namely the Glasgow Rangers.

Bearing this in mind, an interesting article in the Scottish edition of the Sun newspaper caught my eye, it featured an on line campaign currently being enacted by supporters of the Rangers to get Tina Turner’s song “Simply The Best” to the number one position in the national music charts to hopefully co-inside with their team winning  the SPL for the second year running.

I doubt if Ms Turner has even heard of the Glasgow Rangers but I am fairly certain she will love benefiting from the royalties accrued by the current clamour to download her classic song.

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The Diverse Opinion of Our Political Leaders

Due to a prior commitment to attend a social event The Big Dollop missed out on viewing the second of the "Leaders Debates" which was broadcast on Sky Television last night and as such (going by the highlights in this three minute video) apparently missed out on some good entertainment.

The Leaders Debate

OK - not having seen the whole debate I am hardly in a position to pass a comment (informed or otherwise) on its impact on the UK electorate, I have however read some of today's newspaper publications, each of which expressed their opinion on the competence of each of the political leaders and come to the conclusion that the concept of "Impartiality" is just not part and parcel of journalism in the UK - Don't believe me ? Judge for yourselves! 

Harbouring A Grudge Is No Way To Live Your Life

The Big Dollop read an interesting story which featured an article about a headmaster who had been beaten up by a former pupil who had harboured a grudge for a caning he had received as a six year child old some twenty years prior.

Jermaine Bullen received a custodial sentence of three years when he plead guilty to wounding with intent to commit grievous bodily harm for the unprovoked attack on the 58 year old headmaster.

For the record I would like to state that there is no way the Big Dollop would ever give  Bullen  a “free pass” for carrying out a brutal assault on his ex headmaster over an incident which occurred when he was a child, however relating it to my own experience as a school boy some thirty five years ago, I can perhaps understand (though not condone) the warped  logic behind his apparent act of retribution.

When I was at school I had a teacher who often mocked me in front of the class simply because my father was unemployed and as such -  not in a position to provide me with the proper kit for my PE class.

Looking back I now realise my PE teacher was a power mad control freak who used to whack me on the back of the head with my plimsolls for no other reason than I had had the fortitude to stand up for my dad when he tried to ridicule my fathers desire to find a job when I first turned up for PE lessons without the proper kit which incidentally was nothing more than a pair of royal blue shorts. (mine were white)

I would like to think if I had the occasion to meet him nowadays I could possibly exercise some kind of decorum in my own demeanour and whilst I would love to just once take of my shoe and hit him on the back of the head as a form of payback, I know better - I would just let him know how little I think of him as a human being in relation to his teaching methods  for I know for certain - some  thirty five years later my father is still ten times the man he ever was / is  or will be.

Election Flavoured Ice Cream - What Ever Next ?

Ben & Jerry's have come up with a delicious new way to get a taste for how the public may vote in the general elections. They have renamed flavours with a political twist for the main election hopefuls (Monster Raving Loonies) and are selling the limited edition versions at selected Empire and Vue cinemas from this week onwards.

 Which one do you prefer? 

Here Come The Girls

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The Big Dollop had the pleasure of reading an article in this morning's sun newspaper which featured a bevy of ladies known by the acronym SWAGS (Servicemen's Wife’s And Girlfriends) who took it upon themselves to get their kit off in the commission of a calendar in support of the Help for Heroes charity.

The Calendar which can be found here is a truly worthwhile contribution to keeping the spirits of our boys up in the discharge of their duty in  theatres of operation' such as Iraq and Afghanastan, where our boys are short of home comforts - lets hear it for the SWAGS - hip hip hurrah !

Happy Birthday Ma'am

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 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Born in London on April 21, 1926, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was the first child of Albert, Duke of York, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon -- later to become King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.

The then princess Elizabeth was never expected to ascend to the throne, but when her uncle King Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson, her father George succeeded to the throne and Elizabeth's fate was sealed; she was now ipso facto, the heir presumptive and would eventually follow in her fathers footsteps.

In 1952 she attained the throne on the death of her father and was crowned as Queen the following year, a position she has graced in a dignified and impressive manner ever since

The Big Dollop would like to express his sincerest and heartfelt good wishes on this - the occasion of her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth's 84th  Birthday.

Happy Birthday Ma’am

David Kernell - Palin Hacker Trial Begins

The Big Dollop has a question for the readers of my humble blog,  How many of you guys know an individual who goes by the name of David Kernell ? - Not too many I would surmise.

Mr Kernell achieved some notoriety prior to the US Presidential election in November of 2008 when he was arrested for hacking into the Yahoo E- Mail account of the then republican vice presidential candidate Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska.

Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska

The Caring Face of Conservative America?

Today Mr Kernell sits in a Tennessee courtroom where his fate, if found guilty of the four felony charges (identity theft, wire fraud, intentionally accessing Ms. Palin’s e-mail account without authorization and obstructing an FBI investigation) arraigned against him could end up with the 22 year old to being sent to prison for the next 50 years or so.

Much will depend on Mrs. Palin herself who has been subpoenaed by prosecutors in Knoxville Tennessee to present evidence "in person"  in order to “seal the deal” so to speak.

Wither Mrs. Palin strolls in to court all smiles and lets this kid have it with both barrels, thereby exclaiming those on the left wing of the American political spectrum - no one F***s with Sarah Palin, or by stating that in her opinion the case was no more than a silly, "prank'ish", college boy stunt which in no way merits a custodial sentence approaching 50 years in the state penitentiary, thereby presenting herself to the world at large as the Conservative Christian she professes to be – remains to be seen.

I have a sneaky feeling Mr Kernell has a snowballs chance in hell of sitting in front of a computer screen any time real soon.

An Example of Two Drivers Up For Motoring Offences

The Big Dollop would like to beg your indulgence for a moment and ask a straight forward simple question for which - all things being even - the answer should be fairly obvious, but then again I find myself asking - Am I imagining it or is the judicial system in this country as F**ked as I think it is?

Today I read in the Daily Mail newspaper two separate stories which although related in content are totally out with any concept of what passes for acceptable in so far as what the eventual outcome was when presented before a judge for sentencing.

The first case involved a 38 year old man by the name of John McDonald who ignored the flashing red lights and decided to smash his 44 tonne lorry through the crash barriers at a level crossing just seconds before a train was due , luckily the train driver managed to bring his train to an abrupt halt before crashing into the debris left behind from the mangled barriers. 

For his trouble Mc Donald received three penalty points in his license, a fine of £170 and ordered to pay court costs of £45.

The second case involved a man of 40 who was pulled over by police who ended up on a drink driving charge when they saw him driving along the road at 4 mph, the fact that the car was a toy car did not carry any weight when Mr Paul Hutton appeared before a judge at Colchester magistrates court where he was on the receiving end of a three year ban, a 12 month conditional discharge and order to pay £85 in costs. 

Whilst I do not condone the drink driving offence committed by Mr Hutton I do think that he was rather hard done by in so far as the car he was driving was a modified toy capable of doing no more than 4 mph, hardly a dangerous matter when one considers the slap on the wrist the idiot who drove his truck through crash barriers on a level crossing received. 

It is my contention that the sentences handed out to these to individuals should have been swapped around, surely a maniac who crashes through a level crossing is deserving of a three year ban (at least) whilst a twit who had one too many and decided against his better judgement to drive a toy car along the road should have received a fine instead of a ban.

As I said- maybe its just me !

Metaphorically Speaking - Defecation Occurs

Reported in much of the media over the weekend was the fact that the Liberal Democrats have led in the opinion polls for the first time in over one hundred years, this coupled with some commentators reporting that their leader Nick Clegg (on the basis of a good performance in a live television debate ?) had apparently become as popular as the great Winston Churchill. WTF? - Is it just me who sees the absurdity of that synopsis?

Metaphorically Speaking - Defecation Occurs

Whilst recognising that Mr Clegg outshone his two rivals on the night of the debate, to elevate him to a status on par with the greatest ever Britton who ever lived is complete nonsense IMHO, although I cannot deny that his credibility as a candidate for the office of PM has been greatly enhanced in the days that have followed, I am still of the opinion (in spite of his charismatic performance in the leaders debate) his chances of being so - are still more of an aspiration than a distinct possibility.

Let me explain why:

Regardless of how well Mr Clegg performed he is only standing in his own constituency in Sheffield where he will subject to the scrutiny of the local electorate, his perceived popularity will have no standing what so ever in any of the other 640 odd seats being fought for in the General Election other than a slim hope that his enhanced credibility will somehow rub of on any Liberal Democrat candidates standing elsewhere.

Publicised in the days running up to the first leaders debate was the notion that the election was seen as being a two horse race, if anything good has come of it - is the fact that Mr Clegg has made sure his party has not been swept aside as being “Irrelevant “like the spin masters in both the Labour and Conservative parties would have us believe.

The hard part for Mr Clegg is to translate his perceived popularity into some kind of electoral gain for his party, where (regardless of who actually wins) he can be in a position to exert some influence in the next Government.

Given that his parties policies will come under intense scrutiny from some sections of a hostile media intent in seeing Mr Brown and the Labour Party being driven from power on May 6th I have a sneaky feeling Mr Clegg will find this to be a task easier said than done.

The fear that the Liberal democrats will take seats off the Conservative seats thus allowing Mr Brown the luxury of another 5 years holding the reins of power in Downing Street does not bear thinking about in vast swathes of UK society.

With sixteen days and another two leader’s debates to go, there is much to play for Messieurs Brown, Cameron and Clegg - it is by no means just a two horse race any more.

Ben McBean - A True Hero

Reading the newspapers over the past few days one cannot help but notice most of the coverage has centered on the leaders debate and the disruption caused by the fallout from an erupting volcano in Iceland which has spread a toxic cloud which has affected the aviation industry in the UK with the closure of all of its major airports.

So it was a delight to read a story in the Scottish edition of the Sun newspaper which featured an article about an ex marine who lost an arm and a leg in the discharge of his duty in Afghanistan when he fell foul to an IED left at the roadside who in an effort to raise £15,000 for the Help for Heroes charity by running in the London marathon.

Having come home from a grueling night shift complaining of a sore back, reading about Ben McBean’s indomitable fortitude has somewhat humbled the Big Dollop.

In spite of his obvious disadvantage I have no doubt brave Ben will achieve his goal of raising the £15,000 he seeks – heroes come in many guises.

WPC Yvonne Fletcher

Talking of Heroes - It is hard to believe it has been 26 years today since the tragic death of WPC Yvonne Fletcher who was shot and killed whilst on duty during a demonstration outside the Libyan Embassy in London.

God Bless Her Memory.

In all that time her killer has never been brought to justice.

Sammy Davis Jnr - The Candy Man Can

Just after 8 am this morning I found myself driving along the coast road between Greenock and Largs, it was a beautiful sunny morning with the sea looking like a sheet of glass and in the distance the snow covered caps of Goat Fell on the Isle of Arran - on radio 2 Chris Evans played this cracking song, it was almost a pleasure being at work.

Pure Dead Brilliant IMHO

Wishing The Holy Father A Happy Birthday

The Big Dollop, as regular readers of my humble blog will appreciate is by no means of the Roman  Catholic persuasion, indeed I would say that my outlook on many theological aspects of life differ greatly from the teachings of the catechism as promoted by the Vatican,.

His Holiness - Pope Benedict XVI

However that is not to say I am completely dismissive of them, for as I have aged, I have mellowed in my thought process and come to understand that being indifferent, or worse - hostile to the beliefs of others has no place in a modern society and as long as people tend not to solicit their beliefs on me personally, then they have every right to practise the religion of their choice.

I would just  like to take a moment to wish the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI a happy 83rd Birthday, God knows he has much to contend with recently.

Happy Birthday Your Eminence.

Tilern DeBique- £1 Compensation Claim Denied

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Reported widely in the media/ blogosphere over the course of the past week or two has been the case of Tilern DeBique, a 28 year old single mother who was suing the MOD for £1 million in compensation arguing that as a serving soldier she was expected to be available for duty 24 hours a day 365 days a year, however as a single mother was not in a position to make suitable child care arrangements.

Ms DeBique was disciplined by the Army after missing a military parade to care for her daughter; she was apparently told by a senior officer that the British Army was:

  "A war-fighting machine unsuitable for a single mother who couldn't sort out her childcare arrangements".

She left the Army in April 2008, after submitting her resignation a year earlier.

Whilst I can sympathise with Ms DeBique in so far as her sister was denied the right to settle in the UK, as a serving soldier she should have expected to be available for duty 24/7 – 365 days a year and in suing the MOD for £1 million (IMHO) smacks of opportunism given the fact she is fit and able enough to find her self a job and do what the rest of us have to do to get by on a week by week basis.

No harm to Ms DeBique but when I read in the newspapers this morning she had been awarded £17.016 my immediate thought justice had been seen to be done, the award as such is very much in line with my own line of thinking, given that we have soldiers who have lost limbs in the discharge of their duties in places like Afghanistan who have been awarded a lot less than £1 million.

Sorry Ms DeBique but there are a lot more deserving cases in need of £1 million in compensation – that’s just the way it is !

B@st@rds

The Big Dollop had the misfortune to be pulled over by Strathclyde’s finest whilst on my way home after finishing my work this morning, the reason given was that my car had been reported as being stolen, which I must confess was "News To Me".

Having left my wallet at home the previous night, I had no means of identification on my person which meant I was detained at the road side for the best part of thirty minutes or so whilst the two officers present conducted an inquiry into my status with regards to my ownership of my car.

Although courteous throughout, I was less than impressed with their determination to find something askew with the legality of my right to be driving my own car on the Queens highway and after several questions which eventually convinced them as to my identity - one of which was an inquiry to ascertain if any outstanding warrants were in my name.

I was left with the impression that these two paragons of justice saw my old jalopy and probably thought there was a distinct possibility it didn’t quite make the legal requirements and decided to pull me over.

If indeed my car was reported as being stolen, once I proved beyond doubt I was its lawful owner, the police officers should have let me go about my business unhindered but guess what?

Having found out my car was insured, road taxed and had a current MOT certificate, they then proceeded to check out its road worthiness by an examination of its lights, tyres and so forth.

I also had to suffer the indignity of having to stand there and be searched for items which I can only assume may have had something to do with the illegal drug trade which is prevalent in many parts of UK society nowadays.

Having pulled me over for the poorest excuse ever, (as if I was going to report my own car as being stolen) they could have “saved face” if they had said they had made a genuine mistake with regards to my car not being the one they were supposedly looking for - instead my personal trust and confidence in the police has been diminished greatly by the over zealous manner in which these two cretins tried to justify their actions in pulling me over in the first place.

B@st@rds.

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The Fight for Number 10

Ok its time for some light hearted entertainment, pick your fighter and try to knock 10 bells out of your opponent,

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The Real Cost of The Fighting In Afghanistan

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It is with utmost respect to those who have fallen in the line of duty that The Big Dollop presents this interactive tribute to the British troops who have sadly died in Afghanistan since 2001. God Bless each and every one of them.

"They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old - Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning- We will remember them."

Thank Goodness For Small Mercies.

During the course of the past few days the West of Scotland has enjoyed a brief period of summer time (like)  weather – with temperatures in the high 60's many neighbourhoods have come alive.

The outbreak of some  welcome sunshine has been the catalyst for many people to break out their lawn mowers and catch up on some necessary maintenance with regards to their gardens, whilst others who are not in gainful employment have relaxed in their back yards and have taken the opportunity to play their unique choice of music (loudly) to all in sundry.

Adding to the bedlam when the sunshine comes out is the numerous amount of children who have taken to running round their various neighbourhoods sampling the delights of the curent good weather by indulging in water fights and playing in the paddling pools and so forth .

Over the course of the weekend the neighbours have indulged in the enjoyment of the BBQ - sitting round the fire pit partaking of the amber nectar resulting in the sounds of the karaoke once a few beers have been sunk.

Sounds like a great time had by all? Not Hardly I say – You see, some of us work the Night Shift, and find that the summer sunshine has its pitfalls too - luckily for the likes of my self the good summer weather in Scotland, on average tends to last only a few days at a time.

Thank goodness for small mercies.

Gary McKinnon's Mother To Stand Against Jack Straw At The General Election

Reading the news this morning I noticed that the mother of Gary McKinnon - the man currently awaiting being extradited to the USA on charges relating to the hacking of their *military computer systems* – is to stand against the home secretary Jack Straw as an independent candidate at the general election in just three weeks time.

Realistically speaking Janis Sharp (Gary’s mother) has a snowballs chance in hell of winning the Blackburn constituency where Jack Straw is the sitting MP – if for no other reason than personally giving Mr Straw a piece of her mind when after the results are declared protocol will dictate Mr Straw will be compelled to stand on the same podium and be on the receiving end of an ear bashing from a very disgruntled mother.

Placing Ms’s Sharp personal grievances aside for a moment, she brings up an issue which perhaps some other candidates who represent some of the opposition parties should be addressing – that of the policy of extradition of UK citizens to the US for the most tedious of reasons – for it has become very apparent that the US has sought to seek the extradition of UK citizens for reasons out with the remit of the treaty signed by the UK (Jack Straw).

Going by his record in Government there is a distinct possibility that Ms Sharp could have the last laugh for it is by no means certain Mr Straw will still be the MP for Blackburn on the morning of May 7th-

Good luck Ms. Sharp.

* The computer systems allegedly hacked into by 44 year old Mr McKinnon,  included those at the Pentagon and, if convicted, he faces 60 years in prison. He claims he was seeking evidence of UFOs.*

Imagine Opening Your Door To These Two

I have a simple question for the readers of my humble blog. 

As your just about to sit down to watch Coronation Street - What could be possibly worse than having two Mormons knock on your door?

Justice Served ? Not Quite Yet IMHO

Reading this morning’s newspapers The Big Dollop came across a story which for a change told of badly behaved police officers getting their just deserts (of sorts).

PC's Jason Hanvey, 37, and Sergeant Andrew Kennedy, 51 were each jailed for a period of 18 months each for their inexcusable conduct in the rough treatment of a 19 year old woman in their custody  at a police station in Collyhurst, Greater Manchester.

                                            Hanvey                     Kennedy

Hanvey was caught on the stations’ CCTV system slamming the girls face down on a desk and was heard to say he would rip her F**king Skull off, prior to this the b@st@rd grabbed her hair, pulled her handcuffed arms (from behind) over her head, holding her there for more than a minute in a cruel position* and then forced her to say 'pretty please' to be released, which he callously refused to do when understandably the girl was forced to comply.

His co-accused Kennedy who was senior desk officer that evening stood by his side and showed 'complete indifference' as he failed to intervene and stop his colleague’s assault on the girl, although he did not have any part in the physical aspect of the brutal assault meted out he was (IMHO) just as complicit with his refusal to apply a proper duty of care to an arrested individual

These two b@st@rds then had the audacity to plead for some leniency from the court bleating that they had suffered financial hardship as a result of this case in the form of potential lost earnings and pension benefits – luckily in this instance we had a presiding judge who for once did not have his head up his ar$e and acted accordingly.

The Big Dollop is of the opinion that these two scrotums have not been punished enough, if true justice is to prevail perhaps we will read in the same newspaper somewhere down the line, that they themselves have been on the receiving end of the same type of rough justice they  handed out to a defenceless young woman, in their instance a broken arm or two would not be out of place - you can but only hope!

*This sort of behaviour would not be out of place with the Iraqi secret police in the time of Saddam.

Northallerton Police And a Four Foot Phallus

I must confess I had a wry smile on my face when I read in one of this morning’s newspapers today that a shopkeeper had had a visit from the boys in blue after they had received a complaint from a narrow minded Prude concerned member of the public that he was showing a penis in his shop window.

On receiving the complaint, officers from Northallerton police station rushed round to the shop and imposed a £80 on the spot fine on a slightly bemused shopkeeper for a committing an offence under the Public Order Act 1986."

For the sake of regularity perhaps I had better clarify my above statement, the penis in question was a four feet long hand carved sandstone phallus which the police officers in their wisdom decided to confiscate, stating that in their opinion - the shopkeeper was displaying an item which was liable to cause harassment, alarm and distress to any member of the public who happened to walk by the shop window.

Surely the Northallerton police have better things to do with their time than act on a superfluous complaint by someone who I assume, has recently undergone some sort of personality bypass operation  is in need of some much needed counselling to overcome their apparent lack of self esteem in matters pertaining to the human body.

It is simply inconceivable that these dickheads constables thought it prudent to take into custody a 4 foot long penis.

Surely they could have marked the shopkeeper's cards by giving him a stern lecture by simply admonishing his apparent misdemeanour concerning public decency, such a resolution might have been a better course of action to employ.

Given that their shenanigans involving a four foot long penis were photographed and there after  published in a down market dailly tabloid, they have now become a laughing stock and no doubt the subject of some leg pulling down at their local nick!  - you really could not make it up.

I hear the shop keeper has started up a Free Willy campaign on the social network – Facebook – it just gets better and better.

Mr Brown Makes It Official

It would appear that Mr Brown has now bowed to the inevitable and realised that the time has come for him to visit HM The Queen and to ask her for dissolution of parliament before formally announcing to the UK public his intention to hold a general election in just 30 days time on May 6th.

For the record, I have no desire what so ever in trying to convince anyone on matters pertaining to their voting intentions on election day – that after all is a matter you the reader and your conscience.

Being long in the tooth as far as UK elections are concerned The Big Dollop knows full well that as the three main parties in UK politics their have their “base” on which they can count on in their quest to attain a working majority of parliamentary seats in the Westminster Parliament, thus allowing them to take the reins of power for the next 5 years or so.

So with just 30 days to go before we are collectively called upon to cast our vote at the ballot box who do I actually vote for? Which political party can count on the vote of myself and millions like me who are not affiliated in any shape nor form to any of the main protagonist’s who will seek our endorsement on election day – May 6th.

The Big Dollop has previously stated in my humble blog that in past elections I have voted for the individual whom I have regarded as the best candidate available rather than subscribe to any political affiliations or dogma – that is indeed the case today, however there are if I am honest, some underlying issues which could change that point of view and it may be the case that I may have to cast aside my principals and vote along political lines.

I think there is a consensus among the British public that who ever forms the next UK government will have to fill their boots from the get go – we all know there are difficult decisions concerning the state of the economy.

Speaking as I do from a working class man's point of view, I would like to express my opinions on the important issues that matter to myself and I believe, thousands of families just like my own.

Take the cost of home energy bills – something should be done in order to have them forced down for the average family – especially pensioners, the price the utility companies charge should, IMHO be pegged back  in line with profits.

It is absolutely obscene that the utility companies should be making vast profits at a time when the country is experiencing the worst winter in the past 30 odd years.

Don’t get me started on the cost of running my car!  - The amount of tax accrued by the Government from what we in the UK pay for a gallon of Petrol is outfrickingragious!

Council tax is another rip off – again it is incredible that Joe Public is being fleeced out of his hard earned readies on a month by month basis for a piss poor service by many local authorities.

Illegal Immigration is another issue which resonates with a goodly number of people in this country – it is galling to see how the British way of life is being slowly strangled by an insane adherence to political correctness in case the sensitivities of people who are not of British heritage are somehow upset.

Mass immigration has led to unparalleled pressure on our social services which unfortunately have to be paid for by the British taxpayer - it reduces the effectiveness of those services for all, hence the need by the incoming Government to slash the public budget to the likes of the NHS for example.

Europe is another bone of contention, first labour promised us a referendum on the matter, then reneged on it, whilst David Cameron didn’t quite have the testicular fortitude to commit his party to the same commitment should his party assume the reins of power this time next month.

Once and for all the UK needs to define its roll in Europe - Are we in for trade only thus captain of our own destiny or are we in it to be dictated to by people who have never even been to Britain, let alone understand the unique imitability of our country - I sometimes wonder!

Unemployment is an issue which has come home to roost at the home of the Big Dollop, with my other significant halve now pulling her hair out at the continued rejection from almost every application she makes for a job.

The Big Dollop has serious doubts as to the viability of any Government initiative which claims to have the policies to get people off the dole queue and back in to the workplace – every day it seems like business’s are closing up shop and moving to the far east – Are we becoming a nation of call centres?

Its a national scandal to have a skilled workforce like those at Corus on Teesside and Diageo here in Scotland thrown on the scrap heap for short term expedience - its shameful that our politicians of all hues were unable to change the outcome which these companies by enacting methods that brought them immediate benefits, based on practical rather than moral considerations have treated their respective employees.

These are just some of the questions I have asked of myself before I decide who to vote for.

Unfortunately the three leaders of the political parties in the UK have sought to score points over each other in the phoney war which has thus far been fought out in the public domain, perhaps now that Mr Brown has finally bit the bullet and called out his political opponents these and other issues can be debated properly and myself and thousands of others like me can make an informed choice on who will recieve our vote on May 6 th

I would not dare for one moment tell any of my readers who to vote for  however I would implore you to do so, democracy is a wonderful aspect of living in the UK, just thank your lucky stars you don’t live in a country where the gun and the bomb speaks louder than ballot box.

Get out and VOTE on May 6th – that’s all I can say

Thought Provoking To say The Least

The Big Dollop found these factoids regarding the human body to be very interesting indeed, especially the information regarding the thumb thought provoking to say the least .

The Human Anatomy

1. It takes your food seven seconds to get from your mouth to your stomach.
2. One human hair can support 3 kg (6.6 lb).
3. The average man's penis is three times the length of his thumb.
4. Human thighbones are stronger than concrete.
5. A woman's heart beats faster than a man's.
6. There are about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet.
7. Women blink twice as often as men.
8. The average person's skin weighs twice as much as the brain.
9. Your body uses 300 muscles to balance itself when you are standing still.
10. If saliva cannot dissolve something, you cannot taste it.

Interestingly Women reading this will be finished now - Men are still busy checking their thumbs.

Not Everyone on The Dole Is Working The System

The Big Dollop read an interesting article in one of this morning’s newspaper’s which highlighted the fact that the Government intend to shake up the benefits system by getting 1.5million people off the dole queue and back into work and in the process save the UK taxpayer £15billion.

Whilst the Big Dollop acknowledges that there are vast numbers of people on the dole who could not give two hoots about finding work, there are a similar number who have to “sign on” who, because of circumstances out with their control (illness and redundancy for instance) find it very difficult to find a job which pays enough in order to pay their way in the world.

Anyone who has read the Big Dollop blog recently will realise that because of such circumstances my significant other halve now finds herself signing on at the local labour exchange, she has been absolutely resolute in her quest to find a job which given our outgoings would make it viable for her to take up.

Thus far she has applied for the best part of 400 jobs ranging from menial cleaning jobs to jobs in the banking sector, numerous secretarial and even some managerial positions in the hotel and hospitality sector- all to no avail .

Any jobs she has been offered have all been of minimum wage involving a fair amount of travel which has rendered them as totally unsuitable in so far as contributing in a positive manner to the budget considerations of the Big Dollop household.

Now I have no doubt some people reading this will be of the opinion that perhaps Mrs Big Dollop and I should not have taken on some of our financial commitments on the basis of not being able to fulfil our obligations in repaying them - ie; living beyond our means.

To a certain degree perhaps we are guilty as charged, however in our defence I would contend that we are no different from the vast majority of people who struggle to pay the bills on a week by week basis.

I would also add in our defence that we prepared ourselves for such an eventuality by taking out the necessary insurance protection against the circumstances such as I described above.

So whilst the politicians seek to highlight certain sections of the community (the shirkers of this world) for bold initiatives which could involve the withdrawal of their jobseekers benefit - perhaps they should consider those who have done the right thing by taking out various insurance policies in order to pay their mortgage and so forth and accordingly - exercise some understanding that not all those signing on the dole are working the system.

David Cameron as PM - From a Scottish Perspective

This picture (from a Scottish perspective) -  represents a caricature of how a David Cameron win for the Conservative party in the forthcoming General Election will be seen north of the border.

                                                     
That's the Big Dollop Finished with the election posters for now  - no more until the actual week of the election - I promise!

Back to the 80's- Two Different Perspectives.

Going back some 30 odd years now to a time long before the internet, those in the main stream political parties would spend a fortune in the commission of road side posters in order to either promote their manifesto or attack the failings of their political opponents.

Nowadays anyone with a computer can if so minded take a simple poster and turn it to their advantage, simply by presenting the same photograph to shoot down their adversaries with a totally different message to the one originally intended

The Labour party in trying to place the fear of a return to the policies of a Conservative Government which saw 3 million people thrown on to the dole in  the 1980’s have used a theme from the BBC programme Ashes to Ashes to implant a subliminal message in order to remind their “base “of the bad old days of the 1980's when the Conservatives held the reins of power under the Premiership of one -  Margaret Thatcher.

Using the TV programme Ashes to Ashes  as an example of going back to the 80’s might have seemed like a good idea, however in using Gene Hunt there was always going to be one answer from those supporting David Cameron's bid to be PM come the election in May of this year.

On this occasion I must confess I like the Conservative version better.

An Anthology of Charlatans - The Royal Bank of Scotland

The small band of denizens who regularly read the Big Dollop blog on a fairly consistent basis will only be too well acquainted with the news that my strong willed better half -  Mrs Big Dollop is currently unemployed having been recently made redundant from a job she loved doing.

That small but significant event in our life together as man and wife has understandably caused us both a fair amount of anxiety in so far as we have been robbing Paul to pay Peter almost on a weekly basis since the need to sign on at the labour exchange has become a necessary evil for Mrs BD.

In the three months that have elapsed since, we have struggled to have sufficient funds in our bank account on the designated day when our direct debit to pay our mortgage was due – this in spite of the loan guard payment protection we had taken out with our mortgage provider just in case we should find ourselves in the position we now do.

Having phoned them once again this morning we were once again met with total indifference from our insurance company with regards to them actually doing anything positive to process the paperwork we sent them almost two weeks ago – with our mortgage due in the next seven days or so we were informed that with Monday coming being a bank holiday, it would be more than likely be the 12th of April before we could look forward with any degree of confidence of having sufficient funds in our bank account to pay our just and lawful dues – almost a week after our direct debit is due!

I came off the phone this morning wondering if these people had any sense of fair play in so far as I have been an account holder with this anthology of charlatans since leaving school in 1975 during which time I have conducted more than a fair amount of business with them.

During that time I never ever defaulted on a single payment regarding the many bank loans I have taken out with them, yet here I am, in a situation not of my own making - having paid insurance for many years with them and the first time I actually claim on it? - they do all they can to obfuscate and  delay me my much needed insurance claim on time in order to meet my commitments to my mortgage provider.

I would like to ask these charlatans to step a forward in to the spotlight and take a bow, you guys know them better as the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), a collection of low level bankers (typo on my part ) if ever there was.

You would think that the RBS would have a better service for its loyal customers than the one they currently have – when you have RBS unemployment protection insurance to pay for a RBS mortgage you would think that somewhere along the line they could get their shit in a sock and make sure one department could pay the other in time for a customer not to default on the mortgage payment and in doing so - make sure the customer does not incur bank charges for non payment of direct debit.

This is the third month in a row where I have had to borrow money from relatives in order to have sufficient funds in my bank account to enable me to pay the mortgage.

The constant worry of having to pay our relatives the money back once our insurance claim is processed and then to go back and ask for it in the form of another short term loan two weeks later is a soul destroying experience – it’s now getting to the stage where we don’t know who’s money it actually is.

It’s a fair bet to assume that in the Big Dollop household - the RBS are about as “welcome as a fart in a spacesuit “

Driving on the Queen's Highways

Regular readers of the Big Dollop blog will know that I earn my living working nightshift in the distribution industry therefore I would like to take this opportunity to pass on some less than serious observations which I have come to learn in my 30 odd years of driving on the Queen's Highways. 

The Big Dollop's Driving Tips

1. Rubber necking is important when driving past an accident; it is a show of sympathy for the victim.

2. Patience is a virtue;  Allow at least ten milli - seconds before beeping at car in front when the lights hit amber before changing to green.

3. The Scottish road authorities strategically place potholes at regular intervals to keep drivers alert and improve their reactions.

4. Indicators give away your next move; a confident Scotsman never uses them.

5. Drive close to the car in front – no more than one cars length; any more allows space for another car to get in which decreases the space between you and the car in front and makes it more dangerous.

6. Seatbelts are for wimps; using them implies you expect to crash.

7. Driving ridiculously fast improves safety; it allows you to get past the danger before it happens.

8. Pavements are for parking on; don’t be fooled by selfish pedestrians who want them for themselves.

9. Zebra crossings are artistic decorations on the road, nothing more.

10. An amber light is a dare to speed up and get across before red; only wimps stop on amber.

11. Speed limits are basic guidelines and not to be followed too closely.

12. Policemen are there to test your wits and strength of character. Have fun Seeing if you can out bluff them and avoid paying the “on the spot” fixed penalty’s they impose willy nilly

13. No parking signs only apply to people not driving big black expensive cars.

14. It’s important to park as close to people as possible making it near impossible for them to get out, hence to help them fine tune their manoeuvring skills.

Welcome To The Real World Ma'am

There has been much speculation in recent times regarding the dire state of the economy in the run up to the general election - just how bad the economy actually is can be demonstrated by a photograph which features HM Queen Elizabeth boarding her flight to Aberdeen for her onward trip to Balmoral where she is expected to spend the Easter weekend.

The Queen has been accused by some people as being a burden on the UK tax payer, perhaps in response to those unwarranted criticisms - Her Majesty saved the tax payer a small fortune by boarding an easy jet flight from Luton to Aberdeen at a cost to the UK taxpayer of just £38.

Welcome to the real world Ma'am