Phone-in

Fifa Shame

Caring Fifa! After being shot at, and some players killed, Fifa have now banned Togo.Of course their government interfered-for the players' safety,Fifa obviously don't give a toss.The twits who made this decision need to be banned from football-permanently. All national football associations need to stand up and protest against this outrageous treatment. The punishment should be against Fifa officials for not providing adaquete security.
Football is just a game after all. If all of the competing nations in this year's World cup threatened to pull out of the competition unless Fifa back down AND fire the idiotic officials responsible, FifA would have no choice but to back down.




Togo banned from next two Africa Cups of Nations
Togo players carry the coffin of deputy national coach Abalo Amelete
The attack on the Togo team bus has overshadowed the tournament

Togo have been banned from the next two Africa Cup of Nations following their withdrawal from this year's tournament.

The Confederation of African football (Caf) also fined the Hawks $50,000 for quitting the competition in the wake of a gun attack on the team bus in Angola.

Two members of their delegation and a coach driver were killed in the ambush, which occurred two days before the start of the tournament.......
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/8489127.stm

Blur

Tony Blair is giving evidence today to account for his decisions in regard to Iraq.In the end, it doesn't matter what he says, nobody will listen to what he says.Truly an exercise in futility.
Although the Iraq war can undeniably be deemed a failure I still believe that it is worth remembering that Saddam remains the only leader to have used poison gas since at least the second world war.He used them against his own people and against Iranian soldiers defending their country against an Iraqi invasion. He also used biological weapons and was directly responsible for the deaths of a million people in the 1990s, by invading Iraq's neighbours.
Surely there should be a movement to determine how the world can deal with monsters like this in the future? How can the West learn from the failures in Iraq.The emphasis needs to be on providing more teeth to the UN, and encouraging regions to adopt and act upon regional solutions, even those requiring force. The US and the UK shouldn't have to be involved, but the UN security council has to provide unanimous help and support to enable regional solutions.As it stands, the UN is crippled due to constant vetoing of both the Chinese and Russian governments.

Change

Very big changes are afoot. On New years day 2009, I would never have believed that I would be in the UK by the end of the year. Once again, after spending a very happy New Year's eve and New Years's day with my family, events have overtaken me and change is coming.

My facebook entry 2 days ago summed it up.
There are moments, moments in life that define who you are, that define the very essence of your life's experiences, days that changed the direction of your life-tipping points-moments of clarity. Today is one of those days for me.

Burns Night

Epitaph For A Wag In Mauchline


Lament him, Mauchline husbands a',
He aften did assist ye;
For had ye staid hale weeks awa',
Your wives they ne'er had miss'd ye!

Ye Mauchline bairns, as on ye pass
To school in bands thegither,
O tread ye lightly on his grass -
Perhaps he was your father!


A Poet's Welcome To His Love-Begotten Daughter
1784


Thou's welcome, wean; mishanter fa' me,
If thoughts o' thee, or yet thy mamie,
Shall ever daunton me or awe me,
My bonie lady,
Or if I blush when thou shalt ca' me
Tyta or daddie.

Tho' now they ca' me fornicator,
An' tease my name in kintry clatter,
The mair they talk, I'm kent the better,
E'en let them clash;
An auld wife's tongue's a feckless matter
To gie ane fash.

Welcome! my bonie, sweet, wee dochter,
Tho' ye come here a wee unsought for,
And tho' your comin' I hae fought for,
Baith kirk and queir;
Yet, by my faith, ye're no unwrought for,
That I shall swear!

Wee image o' my bonie Betty,
As fatherly I kiss and daut thee,
As dear, and near my heart I set thee
Wi' as gude will
As a' the priests had seen me get thee
That's out o' hell.

Sweet fruit o' mony a merry dint,
My funny toil is now a' tint,
Sin' thou came to the warl' asklent,
Which fools may scoff at;
In my last plack thy part's be in't
The better ha'f o't.

Tho' I should be the waur bestead,
Thou's be as braw and bienly clad,
And thy young years as nicely bred
Wi' education,
As ony brat o' wedlock's bed,
In a' thy station.

Lord grant that thou may aye inherit
Thy mither's person, grace, an' merit,
An' thy poor, worthless daddy's spirit,
Without his failins,
'Twill please me mair to see thee heir it,
Than stockit mailens.

For if thou be what I wad hae thee,
And tak the counsel I shall gie thee,
I'll never rue my trouble wi' thee,
The cost nor shame o't,
But be a loving father to thee,
And brag the name o't.

Roving

We'll go no more a-roving
-Byron

SO, we'll go no more a-roving
So late into the night,
Though the heart be still as loving,
And the moon be still as bright.

For the sword outwears its sheath,
And the soul wears out the breast,
And the heart must pause to breathe,
And love itself have rest.

Though the night was made for loving,
And the day returns too soon,
Yet we'll go no more a-roving
By the light of the moon.

Byron

On This Day I Complete My Thirty-Eighth Year, first published in 1824-Lord Byron

'Tis time the heart should be unmoved,
Since others it hath ceased to move:
Yet, though I cannot be beloved,
Still let me love!

My days are in the yellow leaf;
The flowers and fruits of love are gone;
The worm, the canker, and the grief
Are mine alone!

The fire that on my bosom preys
Is lone as some volcanic isle;
No torch is kindled at its blaze--
A funeral pile.

The hope, the fear, the jealous care,
The exalted portion of the pain
And power of love, I cannot share,
But wear the chain.

Days gone by

Hedge your bets-Astrology or meteorology?

This is the real weather forcast released by the Met office today;

UK Outlook for Tuesday 26 Jan 2010 to Thursday 4 Feb 2010:
During the first week it looks like staying unsettled in northern and western areas with periods of rain, occasionally heavy, along with snow at times over the higher ground and with occasional gales. Central and eastern areas probably having a good deal of dry weather but with an ongoing risk of some wintry showers. Probably remaining cold in the south and east with easterly winds at times, temperatures nearer average in the north and west. At present there is a lot of uncertainty regarding the latter part of the period into February, but a continuation of rather unsettled weather is thought most likely with spells of rain, sleet or snow, and with a risk of strong to gale force winds at times across northern parts. Temperatures probably remaining below normal.
Updated: 1206 on Thu 21 Jan 2010

And this is mine:

There may be rain, sleet or snow in the next two weeks, which could be heavy at times. There is also the possibility of sunny spells. Temperatures may be near average, with possible periods below average, and the chance of milder temperatures cannot be ruled out.

.......Saturday could be a lucky day for some!

The noughties

Legco approves white elephant

So, the Hong-Kong government have decided to go ahead and spend a vast amount of the reserves on a white elephant rail project.It will be the most expensive rail project ever undertaken, by a massive 300% on a $ per mile basis.
The previous record was held by the Channel tunnel, but at least this was the first land link between England and France, it could be justified. This rail link cannot be justified, as Hong-Kong already has numerous rail and road links to China.
There is also another even larger project being undertaken which passes through Macau, but why? Macau holds no importance to Hong Kong, and its only trade is gambling. This project will be 70% funded by Hong Kong, but yet Hong Kong stands to gain the least benefit to its economy.This smells of corruption, as the whole thing defies logic, and has very few supporters.
The puppet legislative council has again ignored the obvious will of the people.How long can this continue?


Scuffles erupt outside Legco building (from RTHK)

16-01-2010
Demonstrators opposed to the Guangzhou high-speed rail link lie down in the road.
Protesters outside the Legislative Council building reacted angrily to the vote approving $67-billion in funding for the Hong Kong to Guangzhou high-speed rail link. Some of them scuffled with police - and several protesters were pepper-sprayed. Organisers say about 8,000 people were outside Legco - amid a heavy police presence. They included both supporters and opponents of the project.

Hong Kong, democracy and the train to nowhere.

-Hong Kong's parliament is debating a controversial railway project that proposes to link the Chinese territory to the city of Guangzhou.

The plan has triggered street protests, with opponents saying it is too expensive.

Rob McBride reports on the railway debate and why it encompasses a much wider issue.
From Al Jazeera
Also featuring Christine Chan

Murdoch vs the BBC and Obama

Who cares?

Friday's papers-Who cares?



And who doesn't?

3 views

The Guardian leads with the terrible events in Haiti.
The Sun leads with holidays, a pregnant pop star, and 10 dead Brits!!!!
The Star calmly states that 500,000 are killed, in a small corner of the front page.Mustn't be any 'Brits' then!

God's Wrath!!

Is freedom of speech really such a good idea?

The US televangelist, Pat Robertson, claims the reason for Haiti's misfortunes is that the nation "swore a pact to the devil" two centuries ago. "They were under the heal of the French... And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, we will serve you if you will get us free from the French... And they kicked the French out. You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since they have been cursed by one thing after the other," he tells the Christian Broadcast Network.

Keeping warm beats the chill

Satellite pic of the UK-January 6th 2010
10.30pm-Just returned from the beach. Wanting to test out my new walking (non slipping) shoes in the snow and having never visited a snowy sub-zero beach I set out for a bracing walk tonight after the kids went to bed. A snow covered seaside town is a strange place at night. With no wind and the snow absorbing and echoing the normal sounds of the night, I stomped along the empty streets, enjoying the sound of my boots crunching the snow and ice, I must have looked like a 12 year old marching in the snow. I crossed the Promenade which was still thick with snow, not many cars or pedestrians having driven or paraded along in this weather. I threw a few snowballs onto the frozen lake, not able to find anything more substantial to break the ice, must take the boys back tomorrow to investigate how thick the ice is. Well the sand was hard and the sea, as usual here to far to see or hear, I have only ever seen it once come in close enough to walk to. So it was a short visit, but it was the walk there and back that was enjoyable-fresh snow, not a soul in sight.
I stopped off at the pub closest to my home, a very quiet place on a side road, but nice and warm with a large(snow covered) beer garden at the front. After about half an hour as I sat immersed in my book and my beer, an elderly woman popped her head up from the next alcove and asked 'Do you like reading?' She was with her middle aged son who like his mother were smilingly awaiting my answer. I could tell straight away that he was a simple man, now I could be politically correct and say 'he had special needs' or he was 'intellectually challenged' but to be honest simple is the best and least insulting description.
Anyway, I replied that that I did indeed enjoy reading, to which the lady very happily informed me that her husband also enjoyed reading. I took this to mean a possibly dearly missed and departed husband, and not wanting to dwell on such a serious topic with my second sentence replied that there is nothing like a good book and a beer in this weather, knowing that the weather is always a winning topic. The old dear then informed me 'I live at 66 Station rd (the address has been changed to protect the innocent), do you live near here?' I took quick stock of her and her still smiling son, suspicious city dweller that I am, and told her the road I live on, but not the number. I didn't quite feel that we were on a popping in for a cup of tea level of friendliness just yet. Of course I felt guilty not reciprocating this quite obviously innocent openness, but that is a fault of my generation, a fear and suspicion of neighbours.

We then had a conversation about the level of noise at night in the area, and how long I had lived there, and how it compares to other places. The son never said a word throughout, but smiled and nodded friendlily. As I put my head back in my book, I felt a warm glow from the pleasure of spontaneous neighbourly conversation. A little later as they were leaving, the son said goodnight individually to everyone in the pub, including myself. I could see the reaction on the faces of people who obviously didn't know him, like me surprise-suspicion-relief-pleasure. His mother followed him around the pub also saying a few words to people. The whole pub was left feeling brighter and warmer by their 'simple' friendliness.

First day back at school

2009 pics Hong Kong to Merseyside

Winter wonderland

Hamlet and the daleks

I am astounded that my 2 boys just sat through a 3 hour production of Hamlet and stayed awake, enthralled until 11pm watching it. Not bad for a 6 and an 8 year old. The fact Doctor Who gave a sterling performance as Hamlet may have helped, I think Jack was waiting for the Daleks to appear!