December 31, 2011

More Research I Could've Done


I think I've probably mentioned before just how much I adore research carried out by professionals that ends up exactly with the results that you knew they would.

For example I wrote about Canadian Researchers who proved that you are more likely to have unprotected sex if you are drunk. Yeah OK then. Could've seen that one coming if I was blindfolded and in the dark.

So here are some more that I stumbled across by accident. Well, OK we all know that is a slight fib, I didn't so much stumble across it, as look for something to write about and found it.

Ready for the most obvious answers to questions we either hadn't thought about or just accepted that it was a forgone conclusion?

Right apparently men suppress fear, pain and empathy. Eh OK. Indiana University of Pennsylvania are responsible for that little nugget of priceless information.

The next one comes from the journal Epidemiologic Reviews, here we are told that if you smoke marijuana/hash what ever you want to call it, then it's not safe to drive. Wow, bugger me if I hadn't worked THAT out by myself. I've seen people so stoned that I'm amazed they know who they are, never mind where the car is. But hey, who am I to suggest that this isn't legitimate studies.

I do have an amusing image in my head of someone trying to persuade the Police that the drugs are for professional use and not personal use.

Some more research reported during 2011 stated that pigs love mud. Seriously, even though they use it in order to keep cool, they sometimes just do it for, well, shits and giggles.

What about research results written up in April in the Journal of Ageing Studies? What do you think their findings were? Sadly, very predictable, fashion magazines very rarely show women over 40. That's my Vogue modelling career out the window then eh?

Another blog that I had written about was the secret to a happy marriage, which when converted into lay mans terms simply stated don't marry a dick. Marry someone who is actually nice to you and thinks about your feelings from time to time. Simple eh?

Here is another obvious statement that now, thanks to University of Michigan's C S Mott Children's Hospital we can say has basis in fact. Parents don't think their children have any bad habits such as underage drinking, drug taking etc. Pft tell that to my mum, who always thought I was up to no good!

In October an eye tracking device used by volunteers revealed to all of us, that only 1% of people read the nutrition labels on food packaging. Fancy that eh? I'll admit I look to see if it's vegetarian then look at the calories and I have very little interest in any other information. If I'm taking that honesty even further, I only look at calories because I'm trying to lose weight.

Pew Research reported in December that people go on the Internet for mindless entertainment and usually aren't actually doing anything in particular at all.
I will look forward to seeing what revelations various scientific journals and researchers can come up with in 2012.

Maybe we will find out that pigs can't fly?

December 29, 2011

The 'Oliver Twist' of the New Millennium

I'm right fed up of hearing about recession this, recession that. Things can be depressing enough without constantly being reminded how skint everyone is.

Don't get me wrong, I've had many months when it's gotten to the last week and I wonder how I'm going to afford to put fuel into my car to get to work.

I know that it is quite a shit time in the world when you don't have enough cash to pay your bills and buy food or treats for your family.

Then I read about Dimitris Gasparinatos from Patras, west of Athens. Things have gotten so bad for them lately that the 42 year old has put in an official request for 4 of his kids to be taken into care.

He said to the Guardian that they didn't want to break up the family but felt it would be easier for them if they were sent to an institution for a couple of years.

Afterwards Dimitris' wife visited the town hall and asked for her children to be saved....

This would be a sad and tragic story but apparently it's not just a one off and it's becoming more and more common.

Being a mother, the story that got me was a toddler being left at a nursery with a note which said 'I will not return to get Anna. I don't have any money, I can't bring her up. Sorry. Her mother'.

As for the Dimitris and his family? They had money given to them by the wife of a rich family from Athens, this meant he could move into a better house.

All very good for 1 family but that leaves thousands of others in the same situation and a burning fear that it may happen here too.

For the mean time I realise that I'm not as bad off as I thought.

December 27, 2011

Tattoos in a Choir? No way!

I'll be honest, the Military Wives Choir song 'Wherever You Are' isn't really my bag.

But before you jump down my throat I don't think it's a bad tune and I appreciate all the time and effort that has gone into it.

I mean a group of women didn't all wake up on the same day, decide to randomly meet and then sing a tune. Obviously there has to be a choir master, women who hold a tune and who have the balls to get up there a sing in front of everyone.

That I respect. If I was to sing, the RSPCA would be round telling me to stop torturing cats.

I also would not be able to put myself out there, so to speak. As in, this is fine, as I’m not in the public eye and that means I’m not open for scrutiny by people who want to cast judgement on you cause they have nothing else to do in their lives.

I realise that it was becoming a really bad habit that every year, the Christmas number 1 record would be whoever had won X Factor. Then the public began to get wise to this and in an epic campaign rejected this as being force fed whatever Simon Cowell wanted us to hear.

That is really refreshing.

So while I'm still on this theme of thinking for yourself.....

A group of women who are married to military personnel get together with TVs Gareth Malone, practise, record the single 'Wherever You Are' give all the proceeds to the Royal British Legion and the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association and get the government to waive VAT too.

My thoughts are 'very well done ladies' and everyone should be proud of they have achieved.

But no, somewhere a select number of people appear to have forgotten that these are real people, not 'celebs' who are courting fame and fortune. They are everyday women, which happens to include some with body art.

In particular soloist Samantha Stevenson has visible tattoos (god forbid a woman should have tattoos-Daily Mail outrage).

I personally don't think it's a big deal, it's her body, she's a real person, a real wife, a real mother and a real good singer.

However, should the fact that a woman has visible tattoos when she's singing in a choir be worthy of a hate campaign?

She said: 'There were loads of nasty comments. It was hurtful. My tattoos make me stand out from the rest of the girls.'

Seriously, it's not as if she's stolen your kids Christmas presents to buy crack then buy a dog from Gumtree to be a bait dog! She has tattoos......

'You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, I am who I am and I like my tattoos. It doesn't make me a bad person. The internet stuff isn't going to put me off, I'm going to have a poppy tattoo to celebrate the single going to No1'

I hope she does!

December 20, 2011

THE ART OF MARKETING: SELLING A MASTERPIECE, NOT A PRODUCT


It's been said in recent years that the field of marketing/advertising has become an art form.  The way companies convince us to buy their products has transcended from merely providing product information, to creating a narrative that resonates with us in one form or another. They set the tone for us to write their products into our own life stories, so that inevitably their products become a part of us.  Advertising, in it's archaic form, was blunt force to say the least.  It was typically a juxtaposition of 'our product vs. their product,' citing various reasons why the former is the better purchase. Ultimately though, it never convinced people why they needed said product over all others, and whether conscious, or subconscious, it never made the pitch part of the customers lives.  Today, marketers use seduction to sell their wares.  They create their advertisements like a piece of art, making you love it without exactly knowing why.  Everyday, in offices all over the world, millions of marketers are crafting advertising masterpieces.  These masterpieces might not affect you immediately, but the positive feeling their advertising instills in you will remain with you until the day comes, with a credit card in hand, that you have to make a spending choice.

If can make the leap from simply being a functional tool to sell a product, to becoming art (and a part of our culture by that extension) then it needs to learn how to transcend time, and like art, become 'timeless.'

What was art 2000 years ago, can still be viewed as art today. Not only that, but art made today by the same methods (sculpture, painting, etc) as 2000 years ago, can still be appreciated, and can still resonate with the people. However, the advertising practices of 2 years ago, when used today, are trite and in some cases extremely counterproductive.

For example, advertising online has become an extremely useful tool for companies in the past few decades.  Since the internet has now become an extension of the human consciousness, marketers have been attempting to penetrate that consciousness.  They methods they use don't connect with customers in a positive manner though.  How many people actually view a 'pop up' window as a positive experience?  I would hazard a guess at not very many.  It's an inconvenience, and I would bet that a potential consumer isn't going to resonate with a company that first introduces itself in an inconvenient manner.  Similarly, online advertisers that use video ads with sound, or ads that expand when 'moused over' and cover almost the entire browser window, immediately make the consumer look for the 'X' to close it out or the mute button to shut it up.  Again, this is a negative experience right from the start, which is not a good way to paint a picture of the product, and by extension the company, in an appealing manner...which is essentially the goal of every advertisement.

Take a look at the advertising on this very page...does it speak out to you? Does it even give you the faintest interest in what it's trying to sell?  Probably not. Online advertising isn't art, nor is it even functional anymore.  Our awareness over what advertising is, has allowed us to tune it out.  We, as people, don't want to simply be sold something, we want something to identify with us, something to not define us, but to help us define ourselves.

Television commercials, on the other hand, have been making a few more strides in the battle to make marketing more effective...more cunning.  That is, of course, if marketers could get rid of the DVR plague that is ruining their highly prized commercial spots.

TV commercials as of late haven't been as blunt force as they used to be. Though there are still some bad ones out there, such as commercials that use a timer for you to call them (fake buying pressure,) ones that are so low budget that you question the companies integrity, and others that spout so much 'small print' in 8 seconds that know a fair deal isn't part of their repertoire.  Oh...and the classic bad sales technique of employing TV pitchmen to yell at you.  I'm talking to you Anthony Sullivan.

Some TV commercials today have become artistic in nature and have drifted more towards creating a positive feeling in the viewer than rather than bombarding them in a firestorm of 'ego-productal' (yes, I made that word up) rhetoric.  And, in some cases, this is even at the expense of telling the viewer what the product their pitching actually is.  It's become, like art, a game of the subliminary, many layers, many meanings.  This idea of creating an ambiguous form of cinematic art to sell a product, isn't necessarily to sell that product tomorrow...it's to buy a customer for life.  It's to create a bond with the customer, be it through humor, awe, or in some cases, shock.  Think of how many commercials your remember?  Of the top of your head, probably not that many through active thought. But I'm sure you've caught yourself quoting funny commercials to friends, or humming a jingle from one while taking out the garbage.  Because like art, this new wave of advertising is with you forever...like art, it can passively become part of your life and part of your culture.

Below is one of my favorite funny commercials in recent times....satire is the way to my heart.

December 19, 2011

The End of my Childhood: Swinging Krankies


I was born in the 70s, I know that makes me middle aged now, but ignore that if you can, I can remember the Berlin Wall coming down, warehouse all night raves, packets of crisps costing 5p, hell I can even remember the ½ p.

I can remember ‘Top of The Pops’ and when the shops weren’t open on Sundays.

But my blog today isn’t about how glorious my days were growing up, no, this blog is actually more about how I’m very glad that I didn’t have my breakfast this morning.

Now, don’t dare give me a lecture about how missing your breakfast isn’t good for you and it how it is the most important meal of the day, blah blah, whatever!

Because, if you were born around the 70s/80s you may remember ‘The Krankies’.

The couple, now both 64 consisted of a very short woman (Janette), who pretended to be a school boy (Jimmy), dressed like one too and her real life husband (Ian) who pretended to be Jimmy’s father.


Now not only is there more than a few things that Freud may want to say about THAT scenario but the revelation today, made we want to lose the breakfast that I hadn’t had.

According to Ian and Janette Tough, they were swingers……….

At first, I reckoned that I had a totally different meaning for ‘swinging’ than the journalist who had written the story. However, then Janette said: "We weren't behind each other's back. We knew what each other was up to.”

Sadly, I was wrong, the journalist and I had the same meaning.

Before anyone jumps down my throat about casting judgement on people who have different ideas of a bumper sex life than me, that is not really what I’m getting at.

Well, maybe just a tiny small bit.

It’s the thought of the full thing, these people who basically ‘raised’ my generation are not only talking about sex, they are talking about having consensual sex with different people whilst married and the other partner knowing’


It’s a bit like catching your grandparents having full blown sex whilst wearing a gag and full bondage gear when you come home from school one day. You know its none of your business and sure as hell wish you could unknow what you know.

On BBC Radio Scotland’s aptly named Stark Talk the couple continued to say that they were wild when they were younger. Now after a revelation like that, surely there isn’t anything that can be wilder than that?

December 18, 2011

Remember Ben: How a Secret Santa Should be Done

In all honesty a Secret Santa is a bit of a pain in the arse. You are more or less guaranteed to get stuff that is bordering on useless, you know the sort of thing, body/bath/shower gel or socks/hat/gloves etc.

Sometimes it would just be easier if you turned round and said ‘why don’t you just give me the money instead?’ Then at least, well you could get yourself something you wanted or maybe you could put it to better use by paying your bills.

In an idea designed to be fun and make sure that everyone is included in holiday celebrations it often falls flat on its face and sadly reveals what our work colleagues actually think about us. Therefore you can end up not feeling included, not feeling in a very fun mood and having lost the spirit of Christmas or lost touch with the Winter Solstice.

Prepare to have your ice cold Narnian Witch’s heart melt by these tales of generosity and kindness. In some areas in the USA people are having their layaway plans for Christmas toys paid off by a Secret Santa. For example CNN reported that in Detroit one ‘Santa’ donated $2000 to pay of debts of 14 people.

Kmart has a layaway plan that runs all year round, not just at the holiday season so people who aren’t flush with money can save up for larger items which will be held at the shop until the bill is paid off.

Chicago Sun-Times reports that Santa’s little Elves have been visiting Naperville Kmart where 12 layaway balances were paid off just yesterday. This has even encouraged some of the staff to go and pay off a layaway too.

Think that is all I have to say about Secret Santas then?

Well no it isn’t, get the tissues at the ready for this next instance of Christmas goodwill.

In Indiana, Edna Deppe the assistant manager of Kmart told the story of a lady who paid the layaway bill of the worn out looking man standing in front of her with 3 kids and a bill.

He stood and looked at her then the assistant manager, Edna says, “He asked if it was a joke. I told him it wasn't, and that she was going to pay for him. And he just busted out in tears."

The woman in her mid 40s wasn’t by any shape or form finished, she continued on her spending spree and paid off even more layaway plans, as many as 50. Then, as a parting gift she paid for 2 trolley loads of toys for a woman at the till. The lady did not say who she was, only that her husband had just died and she wasn’t going to be able to spend the money, so it was only right that it brought happiness to others.

'Remember Ben’ is all she said.

Ok, I know I could be cynical and suggest that it is a Kmart publicity stunt but at the end of the day, does it really matter, because at least there are people somewhere who care enough to make a difference to the lives of other people.

December 16, 2011

A Christmas Wish: Boycie Wants a Home

It will soon be Christmas and although we are probably all very familiar with Dickens’s story ‘A Christmas Carol’ or any of its variants, in this economy it is very easy to think more about yourself than others that are perhaps less well off.

But isn’t that what Christmas is about? The time of year where your really should think of others, give up on your own ignorance and greed to help those in need. You see sometimes the cruelty of humans amazes me; I just fail to see what they get out of it.

Bearing all this in mind, when I came across the story of Boycie I felt the need to do what I can to help him out.

Like or hate dogs, you can’t condone cruelty towards them or any animal. So whether you consider our canine friends to be smelly, messy or taking up too much time I would loath to think that you would actually do them harm?

This brings me back to the story of Boycie.

You see I watch a lot of Criminal Minds on television and one theme that appears to run through it is how your past affects your future.


But its strange because that doesn’t always happen with dogs, take Michael Vick’s Pit Bulls from Bad Newz Kennels for example, out of the 70 dogs that were found at his kennels 48 dogs survived and have been re-homed after being used in dog fights, as bait dogs for dog fighting, neglected or abused.

These dogs, like Boycie aren’t the bad guys here; they are the victims who are willing to trust us humans again. They want to be loved, cuddled and wait patiently at the front door for you to come back home again complete with a wagging tail and smiley face for you.

Boycie’s rubbish beginning wasn’t his fault; he didn’t ask to be abused, neglected and live in a crack den. Would you fancy that idea? Or would every day you cower in the corner wishing to be invisible and hope that this life wasn’t as good as it gets?

Luckily Boycie was rescued from that situation and given medical treatment, love, care and attention and thanks to these people he is no longer afraid, skinny or malnourished. Boycie is a survivor.

Boycie is still very young and at about 2yr old still has many years of life left in him. You wouldn’t need to take Boycie with you every where you go, though you could if you wanted, because he is perfectly happy being left alone for a few hours.

Like many rescue dogs, Boycie desperately wants to make you happy, whether it is being all cuddly or running about daft, chasing a ball in a field. Boycie is really clever too; after all, he managed to survive a horrible situation so any type of training will be a breeze.


To me, Boycie sounds perfect, good fun, willing to learn, likes a cuddle, doesn’t mind other dogs (unless they are really scary) and really appreciates the fact that he has come out of hell alive and well.

If you are thinking about doing the right thing, Boycie is in the Home Counties, but don’t let that put you off him if you are at the other end of the country. How far would you go for the love of you life? Many say to hell and back, Boycie has been there and can make sure that you don’t have to.


This blog is about giving, giving Boycie a chance at life, in my mind he has already proved he is a winner. Perhaps Boycie could bring out the winner in you too? Do something powerful, make a statement to the world that you have done something positive in 2011. You are someone’s hero.

If you want to chat about Boycie, ask some questions, meet him, take him for a walk or give him a cuddle and chew stick Email Boycie_needs_a_home@hotmail.co.uk or https://www.facebook.com/BoycieNeedsahome want to see how Michael Vicks dogs survived? http://badrapor.www65.a2hosting.com/home

There is one point to remember though; yeah it’s the season of goodwill and thinking about others and their welfare so that goes two ways. Don’t think that if you take Boycie or any other rescue dog home you are on your own, every decent rescue organisation will give you a follow up call to make sure that all is well and answer any questions you may have. They will also give you any help or advice you need at any point…..

December 14, 2011

The Secret to a Happy Marriage is.......


Woo Hoo, more ridiculous research results, bet you can’t wait to see what I’m going to dig up next….

This piece of stunning research is by the University of Virginia’s National Marriage Project where they asked 2800 married people about generosity.

The punch line is the more generous the spouse is, the happier the other person is. In fact much more so than those who had married a self-centred asshole.

Wow, what about that for a revelation now? I had worked that out already and I don’t work at a University in Virginia or any other place for that matter.

Dr W Bradford Wilcox said that (I kid you not) if people share things like housework, childcare etc that it goes a long way to contributing to the happiness of the marriage but extra unexpected generosity (the virtue of giving good things to one’s spouse freely and abundantly according to the New York Times) brings about real happiness.

So it turns out that Marie Claire, Cosmo and all the other women’s magazine were wrong, apparently you actually don’t actually have to be able to carry out sexual gymnastics non stop to keep your man, you really only have to be nice to him.

Fancy that then eh? Who knew?

Sex and the Sloshed


I love reading research information especially when they come to a conclusion that we already suspected to be true. You know the one so obvious that you can’t believe that people somewhere were actually paid to research it?

So here is the stunning piece of information that researchers have researched…..
If you get pissed up during the festive season, you are more likely to have unprotected sex.

The journal ‘Addiction’ featured a study by Canadian researchers proves that after about 4 drinks for women and 5 drinks for men 5% were more likely to have unprotected sex with a random person.

Their argument is that drinking to excess can lead to HIV and that HIV awareness should feature along with binge drinking campaigns.

Surely the thought of waking up in a hedge covered in puke with your skirt round your waist would be deterrent enough? It works for me.



Let’s be honest though, 4 drinks for a woman and 5 for a man? They obviously didn’t conclude their studies in Scotland!!!

Possibly ‘Addiction’ can feature a story in their next issue that shows when you are over tired you want more chocolate, crisps and junk food.

December 11, 2011

Youll Be a Gonorrhoea if You're Looking For Love

Science is a strange thing especially when it comes to research. I say that because surely when you do research or experiments there should be a purpose. The experiments that the Institute of Cytology and Genetics in Novosibirsk, Russia have been doing (that I’ve heard about anyway) is about infectious disease and odour.


Yeah, that’s right; do you smell like shit if you have an STD?

And the answer is………..Yes you do.

I thought about leaving this blog at that but that wouldn’t be much fun without the science bit would it?

34 male Russians donated armpit sweat (I’m being serious here) and some spit too. Now, 13 of them had gonorrhoea and 16 were healthy and the remaining 5 had had gonorrhoea but had been treated.

Then some how Mikhail Moshkin, the professor at the Institute got a hold of 18 women willing to do the sniff test.

The girls described 50% of the infected men’s sweat as putrid, which doesn’t seem that definitive to me when they reckoned that 40% of the men who used to have gonorrhoea and 30% of the uninfected lot as having had putrid sweat also.

I’m not sure how the professionals would have summarised their findings but rest assured it’s probably in a way more descriptive manner than I will.

So, here goes, if you meet a man who smells particularly rank to you, don’t shag them, chaperone them to the doctor for a check up instead.

December 10, 2011

NEWT GINGRICH: POURS GAS ON THE PALESTINIAN/ISRAELI FIRE

 As the carnival horse race for the GOP nomination is approaching the final straight, many of the younger horses in the field have fallen at fences of gaffes, gropes, and the famous "anyone but Willard" water ditch.  In the wake of this thinning field the veteran runner, Former Speaker Newt Gringrich that attracted no bets until the 'at the post,' aside from the long shot gamblers, has pulled ahead of the ailing pack.  Being head of the pack, however, means all cameras are on you, and all commentators are screaming you name. And with close coverage, comes close scrutiny.

Though a lot of political rhetoric can be taken with a pinch of salt and viewed as merely a grisly means to a political end, sometimes a truth about a candidate comes out that transcends the now commonplace (although it doesn't justify it) inflammatory statements of political campaigns.  Most recently, Newt's comments to The Jewish Channel TV station in regards to the Palestinian people is one of these inflammatory statements.

Mr. Gingrich Said, "Remember, there was no Palestine as a state, It was part of the Ottoman Empire."
He continued in saying, "I think we have invented the Palestinian people, who are in fact Arabs and who are historically part of the Arab community, and they had a chance to go to many places, and for a variety of political reasons, we have sustained this war against Israel now since the 1940s. It's tragic."
Now I'm not going to delve into the pages of history and make a case for either the Israelis or the Palestinians, as history is written by the perception of man, which is undoubtedly biased.  And no 'peace deal' will ever be reached as long as history remains the deciding factor.  
Newt's comment is quite purely and simply, extreme bias.  It's counterproductive, it's racist, and it is profoundly hypocritical.
First and foremost, his claim that "It was part of the Ottoman Empire" is correct, in fact the Ottoman Empire stretched as far north as around Budapest.  It encompassed, what is now modern day, Greece, Ukraine, Albania, Bosina, Croatia, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and parts of Saudi Arabia.  If Newt's reasoning of the Palestinian history is correct, does that mean that EVERY one of those other countries that were once part of the Ottoman Empire should return to rule under a Turkish banner? Simply because at one point in history they were all territories of a former, now fallen, empire?
A second part of his comment also has profound ramifications if the vile bias is sucked out it and it's viewed as the voice of 'reason.'  He claims that the Palestinians are an "Invented people."  This next statement should not be taken out of context as without the context, it is just as inflammatory as Newt's statement.
If Newt's assertion that the Palestinian people are an "Invented People" is assumed as true...then that also means that Americans are invented people.
The American people were 'invented' by ex-pats from European nations, most notably Great Britain. If Newt's logic is sound, then all Americans are actually nothing more than citizens of the British Empire. If you go back far enough in the pages of history, in most cases it was someone else that 'owned' the land you currently live on.  In America's case, it was the NATIVE American tribes.  It is their land that is currently occupied by the "Invented Americans."  So if Newt's basis for who should reside on what piece of the earths crust is simply based on previous ownership, then every American must leave and return to their European homelands, every Australian must return to the United Kingdom, French Canadians must return to France etc.
Actually, let's take Newt's reasoning a step farther.  Every citizen of every country on the face of the planet has to go back to Pangaea.  On second though, let's take it one step farther than that and say that every human has to walk back into the ocean that our genetic ancestors crawled out of so many years ago.
I specifically used that last sentence to make another point, incorporating religious tensions with those of a historical nature.  Historical and religious fascination are the reasons that peace cannot be reached in the Middle East.  In order to move forward we, as a united human race, must put aside historical discrepancies, and religious conflictions to live in the present and look to future.  The 'promised' land for all of us is earth...the entire planet.  To try and carve it up into sections based on ancient texts is extremely counterproductive to the needs of today's globalized world.
I wish to make clear that I am not an advocate for either Palestinian interests, or Israeli interests.  I'm and advocate for all peace between everyone that inhabits the earth.  Just as I condemn Newt's Palestinian statements, I condemn Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's statements toward Israel...as I view them as entirely similar in nature, they both imply that a group of people don't exist.  


I firmly believe that anybody with aspirations to become the president the United States, needs to be utterly impartial when it comes to the Palestinian/Israeli divide, they need to look to the future, not reiterate that past, especially when the past of the US is as murky as any other nation.  Again, it was history that Newt was eluding to, and history always has two sides.  The Americans in the revolution could be viewed historically as patriots in the US, but traitors in the UK.  What America called 'Westward Settlement' the Native Americans could label genocide.  History is littered with injustice, but at some point we must pave over history, as counter intuitive as that sounds, to build the foundation for a united future.  We must make concessions with our past, concessions with ourselves, and concessions with each other in order to live together on this planet.
Newt's vile bias has no place in the world of today's politics.  After spending so many years as House Speaker, he should know that in any peace deal, there are concessions on BOTH sides. And that clinging onto such a narrow minded view is detrimental to the overall outcome.

December 7, 2011

Bak off: He's A K9 Officer


I have met people with their own secret agendas but I’ve never met a dog with one. So when they are working dogs it’s not really like they can become a double agent and secretly work for the local top dog drug dealer instead of the police. This makes them very valuable as officers of the law.

Which is one of the reasons I think it’s really awful that a police dog was stolen and perhaps murdered; Bak really wasn’t likely to be mixed up in gang warfare.

Bak was a 5 year old German shepherd who lived with his handler Sgt Kerri Andrews in Oklahoma. It appears that someone had removed the lock on Bak’s security pen and either took him or just let him escape.

Moore Police Officer Jeremy Lewis said that there was trauma to Bak’s body and as a result they would be performing a post mortem examination.

When someone kills a police officer you tend to find that fellow officers will move heaven and earth to find out who is responsible. Police dogs like Armed Forces dogs are considered to be officers as well and not just a piece of equipment so should anyone be found guilty in the death of Bak they will quickly be made aware that in Oklahoma the death of a K-9 is classed as a felony offence.

"It's kind of hard to explain unless you've been in the situation. The bond between the handler and the dog is remarkable. They realize when the officer puts on his uniform, they go to work. When he comes home and takes off his uniform, they revert back to a family dog," US Police Canine Association National Executive Director Russ Hess told The Huffington Post.

Sgt Kerri Andrews has lost her partner and her pet.


I feel I have to include this last bit of information on the off chance that someone from Oklahoma reads my blog but if anyone out there in the cyberverse knows anything about Bak’s disappearance or death give the Moore Police a call 405-793-5171 There are colleagues and family members who miss him terribly.

In Defence of the Motorist


I tried not to write about it, I tried not to laugh about it and I tried not to be upset about it, but I have so got to write about the huge crash involving a poor Toyota Prius and some fancy motors.

A 14 car smash is news however you look at it but the interesting cringe-worthy thing here is that the crash involved the super car wish list of the century including 8 Ferraris, 1 Lamborghini, 3 Mercedes and possibly a Nissan GTR (though some sources say it was a Toyota).

The convoy of cars were thought to be on their way to Hiroshima for a ‘gathering of super cars’ which could maybe mean it was a car show or meet of some description, but to be honest it doesn’t really matter does it?

The point I’m trying to make is that, yeah I did have a bit of a smirk, guffaw, giggle and even a chortle to myself but that was more like a nervous laugh. After all, if I had just totalled my Mk2 Scirocco Storm I would be near suicidal, never mind if it had been my McLaren F1.

The Guardian reported ‘The automobile enthusiasts, aged between 37 and 60, were condemned by Japanese police. "It was a gathering of narcissists," Mitsuyoshi Isejima of the Yamaguchi prefecture expressway traffic unit told Bloomberg.’

How very dare people have such powerful and expensive cars and possibly break the speed limit. How dare a self employed business man spend his cash on a car? I mean really!

Now to me that says it all, because someone likes cars and saves up to buy nice cars and enjoy them it doesn’t actually make them the devil or one of his associates. Though in the everyday world it appears that may well be the case.


Yes, the 60 year old Ferrari driver admitted he that he had been speeding and happened to have an error of judgement, but that can happen anywhere with any driver of any car. The car accident didn’t happen because these people had fast, powerful, expensive cars!

December 2, 2011

How May I Help You? - Yeah, I'm Siri-ous


So, I got the Iphone 4S a week ago now and I will admit that I am still finding my feet a bit with all the technology it has.

I love it; don’t get me wrong I think it’s an awesome bit of kit, although I am very incredibly paranoid about harming it. Not as in considering taking a hammer to it or anything, more along the lines of my normal mobile phone mishaps, you know the sort, the ones that involve spillages, being dropped and being left in pockets along with receipts, sweet wrappers and snotty hankies.

What is confusing me is Siri, Apple’s idea of Jarvis in Iron Man so to speak.


What an amazingly superb idea! Some gadget thing that you tell what to do and it does it. Until you go to use it and you don’t know what to say. In fancy language that will be some voice activation system that can look up stuff on the internet, take notes, set up reminders and calendar dates for you. Siri is like having a mini Dr Reid from Criminal Minds in your pocket, which I think is very cool indeed.

Seriously, though I have sat for 20 minutes not knowing what to say to a mobile phone. Ridiculous isn’t it?

What did freak me out was when I was reading stuff about Siri being a sassy sounding female……. Eh no! My Siri is a guy. So the story goes in the US and Australia Siri is a girly and the UK has a dude.

I am so not sexist at all and quite honestly don’t mind who takes notes, reminders etc as long as they get them right. Jon Briggs who has done all kinds of voice over work from ‘The Weakest Link’ to Porsche’s Sat Nav system is the voice our Siri.

The bad thing is that Siri in the UK sometimes doesn’t quite understand what you’re asking, and gives the response ‘Sorry Lynn, I can only look for businesses in the United States, and when you’re using US English’

The good news is that this is an early form of voice activation and Apple is continuing to develop it.

Personally I can’t wait for one that sounds like Melanie Sykes. Id love her to tell me that I should ‘put a scarf on ‘cause it’ll be cold out’

November 27, 2011

THE HEALTHCARE DEBATE...RATIONALIZED

Phil McCarron wonders why profits trump morals.

Would you help someone that was dying in the street?  Or would you let them die?

If you take the healthcare debate from the realms of rhetoric and place it into a real life palpable situation, it becomes easier to figure out what side of the fence you should be standing on.

At the simplest level of compassion, I’d like to believe that no one would wander by a fellow human being in need of medical attention.  Imagine seeing someone walk by a bleeding man?  What would you think of them?

Out of sight out of mind

It’s become a case of ‘out of sight out of mind.’  Since the people affected by the failings of privatized healthcare aren’t in our line of sight, we assume that it’s nothing to do with us.  That somehow it isn't our responsibility. The debate of ‘healthcare freeloaders’ aside, which is despicable to say the least, there are some people out there that for one reason or another have fallen on hard times.  I for one, don’t believe that they should die because of it.  When you put a price on the life of a human...you trivialize that life.

Fundamental right to live

At this stage in our society the right to live should be a fundamental right for EVERYONE, and that right should never be subject to the profit margins of private health insurance companies.  Simply put, when you put a profit margin against someone’s health it makes their live an investment opportunity.  Which means if someone else can’t make money off that life, it’s not worth saving.  That is the travesty of a greed culture.

Anything less than free universal healthcare for all, and we will have to drastically re-think our definition of a civilized society.  And I would go so far as to say, that we could no longer call ourselves a civilized species.

Money is new alpha in a dog eat dog Darwinian world, which a capitalistic health care system enshrines.  Until the right for a person to live a healthy life is totally and completely split from the cash in their wallets, we as humans, are no better than the wild animals we call 'uncivilized.'

This is capitalism/socialism debate.  This is an uncivilized/civilized debate. This is a debate about choosing to become better, as a species, or slip back down the ladder into the world of the pack mentality primates.


Written by: Phil McCarron

November 25, 2011

Not Really a Criminal Mind


Today I read a story of a woman from Karachi in Pakistan. Strangely enough depending on which version of events you read, she is either 32 or 42 years old, though when you kill and cook your husband i'm not convinced that it matters how old you are.

Yeah, so that’s what Zainab Bibi did, allegedly that is. Police in Karachi had arrested the lady after neighbours complained that there was a particularly nasty smell coming from the house.

The story according to the police is that Zainab Bibi and her 22yr old nephew Zaheer Ahmed killed her husband by (again depending on what news source you read) either by stabbing him to death or by poisoning him then strangling him.

Both news sources say that Zainab and Zaheer cut Ahmad Abbas into pieces and hard started to boil him up for cooking.

Of course, like most people they have a reason for murder (in their own heads at least) Zainab’s excuse was that Ahmad wanted to begin a physical relationship with his daughter who may or may not be 17 year old.

The only pieces of information that are the same between the various news sources is that is that Zainab Bibi did not regret her actions.

When I decided to write about this I didn’t realise the different variations of the same and to be quite honest I’m not sure which one is right and which one is wrong, so I’ve given you both stories so you can make up your own mind.


Seriously though, I don’t really approve of murder as way a stop someone doing something, it’s a bit of overkill really, especially if it’s over a parking space or something like that. But this murder happened because a woman was trying to protect another one from incestuous rape.


It’s a lot more of a valid reason than some I’ve read or heard about and you get many lesser reasons for manslaughter on ‘Criminal Minds’ and more horrible murders on ‘American Horror Story’. Not sure how Derek Morgan or Dr Reid would profile Zainab though, I suppose it depends on what she has been through herself.

But still if I ever find out the correct story, ill let you all know.

November 24, 2011

RIP Freddie Mercury: Long Live Queen

20 years ago today Freddie Mercury died. I remember it clearly, well not his death as I wasn’t actually there, but the announcement I heard on the radio as I travelled to University. Farrokh Bulsara had died of bronchial pneumonia as a result of AIDS, he was the first major rock star to have died as a result of the virus.

There are so many people today that are classed as ‘celebrities’ however I am not convinced that 20 years after their death we will all still be interested in them, however Freddie is different.

What makes Farrokh Bulsara so very special and important then and now 20 years after his death? We know that he sang in a band with a couple of other folk and how they all wrote and sung on the records too. But there was something very very different about Queen.

Queen was one of the ultimate bands; it had something for everyone from every age and background. Nothing beats singing along to Queen in the car at a volume loud enough to hide your vocals, but loud enough to embarrass your child!

If you aren’t convinced by singing along to ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’ or ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ then try a bit of ‘Killer Queen’. Play nearly any Queen track and it doesn’t sound dated; it may sound classic, but not dated.

I could go on about how super Queen are as a band, but this about the 20th anniversary of the death of Freddie Mercury.

It is hard to describe Freddie Mercury without saying ‘flamboyant’, ‘charismatic’, and ‘iconic’, ‘theatrical or ‘hedonistic’. As a result Freddie taught us all that its OK to be what you want and its perfectly fine to be yourself in a do what you will, harm none type theory. After all, where would Katy Perry, Lady GaGa, Madonna and the like be without Freddie’s guiding hand?

The influence that Queen and Freddie Mercury had over the world cannot be measured in my opinion, there are so many people who still play the songs (on cd or mp3 now, not vinyl sadly) sing along, watch the DVDs of Queen playing live in order to experience the great band themselves.



Does Freddie Mercury still have a place in today’s society? Yeah I think so. To me it’s a bit like arguing why ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is still important in today’s society when it was written circa 1593 and we all know it is still relevant and has been copied many times.

Queen is dead, long live Queen. RIP Freddie Mercury, the world is a better place for having known you.

If you are looking for more Freddie facts, www.queenarethechampions.blogpot.com/

November 22, 2011

All The Presidents Men: The Kennedy Detail


At the weekend I watched a TV programme called ‘The Kennedy Detail’ it was on the Discovery Channel and based on the book written by one of the special agents that had been assigned to the Kennedy family, Jerry Blaine.


Usually at this point when I’m writing I would give a bit of background information about my subject matter. Though even after a short bit of research I couldn’t find anyone at work that had not heard of the Kennedy’s, America’s answer to the royal family.


The Kennedy Detail was a fascinating insight into the lives of the men who put themselves in the line of fire. Some of these guys were ex-servicemen who had fought in the Korean War, others came from an intelligence background and one was even an expert marksman so they were used to tactical fighting, combat situations and all familiar with how detached they would have to be in order to be professional.


I could write for decades on the subject of JFK, his wife Jackie, the Kennedy clan and all sorts of controversies and conspiracies that goes along with the subject but that is not what this blog is about. It is about the President’s men and how close they became to the Kennedy family.


In 1963 when John F Kennedy was assassinated there were only 34 agents responsible for his protection and as a result the documentary was based around the stories of eight of them. Some were assigned to the President, some to Jackie and some to the kids, but the purpose of the job was the same.


It became evident throughout the documentary that these guys had become emotionally invested in the Kennedy clan. These hardened and trained professionals were so upset when re-living the stories of death of Patrick Kennedy in the August of 1963 at 2 days old that by the time it came round to sharing the events of Kennedy’s assassination in November of the same year you could tell how much they thought they had failed the family.





It is widely accepted that the world changed when Walter Kronkite announced From Dallas, Texas, the flash apparently official: President Kennedy died at one p.m. Central Standard Time, two o’clock Eastern Standard Time, some thirty-eight minutes ago.


America went from having and living the dream to living the nightmare, like a loss of innocence.


There isn’t a person I spoke to who was alive at the time of Kennedy’s death that can’t tell you where they were or what they were doing at the time when they heard.


This documentary was about the men who still to this day consider themselves to blame for America’s fall from grace.


That’s a bit harsh in my opinion but to be honest if I give you my reasoning for that then you’ll never attempt to read the book of watch the documentary and I really think you should.

November 20, 2011

Hope Demi has 'Another Happy Day'


Over the past couple of days I have read so many news articles/stories and columnists writing about how Demi Moore should never have expected her marriage to Ashton Kutcher to last any length of time because of the age difference.

The Daily Mail has Amanda Platell as a columnist sometimes I think she has overdosed on the smugness pills from the bathroom cabinet. The basis of her column article regarding the separation of Demi and Ashton is ‘told you so’.

Amanda then goes on to say Demi Moore had plastic surgery to keep her younger lover happy. I’m not sure that I remember reading THAT particular interview with Demi, so if anyone else can find it, please let me know.

Anyway even if Demi did get plastic surgery to keep Ashton happy, should we not be supporting her in a tree-hugging-hippy way, reassuring her that she needn’t have bothered because she is beautiful anyway?



The rumour mill is working overtime on this particular divorce though, not only has Ashton has been shagging other people, Demi is bi-sexual and into threesomes and they have an open marriage according to Chelsea Handler.


Whatever has caused the breakdown of their marriage is it really our business? I know that I sure as hell wouldn’t want people to keep guessing at which party is to blame for what.

I do agree with Amanda Platell on one part of her article and that is successful marriages do come from having a shared history complete with joys and hardship. Hinting that Demi and Ashton don’t have a shared history because of an age difference is a lot of crap, it is still possible.

I mean, when it comes to history you have got to start somewhere!

Lets be honest, their marriage has lasted much much longer than Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries……

November 19, 2011

Natalie Wood - Manslaughter or Accident


I vaguely remember when I was young, a story about an actress who had drowned while drinking on a yacht. It only sticks in my mind because she was as stunningly beautiful as my mum with her dark hair and classic looks.

As a 10yr old my mind was fixed on horses, dogs and riding my bike so it is a bit strange that I can recall the death of Natalie Wood.

Yup, Natalie was petite, gorgeous and talented. She had been a child star and survived into adulthood, starred in some of the most celebrated movies ever including ‘Rebel Without a Cause’, ‘Miracle on 34th Street’, ‘West side Story’ and ‘From Here to Eternity’ and had dated some of the most sought after men too.

Then on 29th November 1981 Natalie drowned. The cause of death is without a doubt, but the grey area appears to be whether husband Robert Wagner (Hart to Hart fame), co-star Christopher Walken (scary actor from Fatboy Slim’s video ‘Weapon of Choice’) or Dennis Davern the Captain of the yacht had anything to do with the drowning.

I’m not suggesting for one moment that any/all/some of the guys mentioned knocked her about a bit then shoved Natalie overboard.

But, come one, I’m no one special and I sure as hell wouldn’t go ashore wearing a long nightgown, socks and a down jacket?

What puzzles me is why has extra information from Captain Davern appeared now? He co-wrote a book ‘Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour’ in 2009 where he said that he thought Natalie had died as a result of her argument with her husband. So this piece of tasty gossip isn’t new.



Then in 2010, Davern said to CNN that he believed the whole investigation was ‘incompetent’ and ‘regrets misleading investigators by keeping quiet at Wagner's request.’

It’s all a bit bizarre really as far as I’m concerned, but the case is being re-opened and Robert Wagner is not a suspect according to LA County Sheriff’s Department. However the LA Times says that ‘A law enforcement source added that the department recently received a letter from an unidentified "third party" who said the captain had "new recollections" about the case. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because the case was ongoing.’

Wonder if it is Marilyn Wayne who reported hearing a woman call for help on that fateful night? Ok she also said that she could hear others shouting ‘we’re coming to get you’. But what disturbs me is that Wayne and her unidentified friend didn’t attempt to rescue the troubled voice, they just listened to it for 25 minutes. Surely if a rescue attempt hasn’t worked in that space of time someone somewhere possibly needs back-up, support a coast guard maybe?

I’ve watched too many episodes of Criminal Minds to know that people don’t just surrender information because 30 years later they have suddenly remembered it. It is usually for a reason.

November 17, 2011

Prost v Senna? No its BlackBerry v iPhone


After the BlackBerry Blackout of October I fell out with by beloved BB. I was disgusted, how very dare BB have a fault with their network which meant that I had lost touch with the world.

I had no email, no twitter and no facebook for 3 days; I mean really, how would anyone expect a woman to get through the day?

I am fully aware that there are many things wrong with that statement, like for one; do I not have a life? Or do I only have one that revolves around interaction via the written word?

Secondly, it’s not really as if it was a major hassle, I mean my poor BB got called some not very nice names, indeed the sort of words that would make a squaddie blush. It was only 3 days service missed from email, twitter and facebook in the time Ive had the phone, which is approximately 18 months or so. My little curve has been dunked in Cola, dropped in snow, kicked accidentally across a room and succumbed to the powers of a demolition expert of a 7yr old.

It is still in one piece, but I still felt let down and betrayed RIM.

As it is now approaching phone upgrade time Ive got the big decision to make, should I keep a hold of a phone that I like or go for the unknown iPhone contender?

I think the Blackberry RIM v iPhone rivalry is along the same lines as Ferrari v McLaren, Senna v Prost, you have to be in one camp or the other, you can’t (and won’t) dare have a foot in each camp. It just isn’t the done thing.

So I asked peoples opinions, iPhone 4S or BlackBerry Torch? It was that simple. I called Orange my network provider (see, I can be posh sometimes) and discussed it all with a lovely lady called Alison.

In short, FBF’s (facebook friends) say iPhone is the one to go for where as my twitfam (Twitter followers) are much more divided. Alison from Orange suggested that I try the iPhone and if I don’t like it I can easily return it within 14 days.

So, I’m finally buying into the whole ‘I’ thing, they have sold me a lifestyle choice full of hopes, dreams and aspirations and I’ve been reeled right in, all willingly.

Pfft, next Ill be owning an Audi……..oops got that.

















November 16, 2011

GROVER NORQUIST: POLITICAL ENIGMA...AND ALSO AN IDIOT

The provocateur of the current fiscal change embargo. 
Phil McCarron has the same thought on his mine as most Americans do...who the f*ck is Grover Norquist?

I could easily answer this question with various and colorful four letter words.  However, that wouldn't fitting for a man of his stature.  No, he deserves a full, in depth, decimation, well within reason.  Writing a full report on the preposterous Grover Norquist would take me 70 years to complete.  And by that point arthritis would be the sole reason I couldn't continue, as it would make it psychically impossible to finish my report on the political enigma who's lobbying group is holding elected lawmakers hostage...with a piece of paper.

So what is this all about?

In 1985 Norquist founded a lobbying group called 'Americans For Tax Reform' with operates under the mantra of, ''oppose ALL tax increases as a matter of principle."  Sparing you all the mundane details of the entire history of this particular lobbying group, I'll cut right to the explain it's most prominent talking point.

The Pledge.

The Grover Norquist pledge is a document that is presneted to members of congress to sign that states, unequivocally, that they will NEVER, I repeat, NEVER consider any legislative bill that includes a raise in taxes. At this time it should be prudent to note that in Grover Norquist's entire span of life on this planet, he has never been elected to political office.  He has never been entrusted by a group of American citizens, through the process of a general election, to hold any measure of lawmaking power on Capitol Hill.  For some strange reason however, he holds a vast number Republican legislators in his narrow sighted, insanely biased, and ethically questionable grip.

To explain the impact his pledge has had, the following occurred at a GOP straw poll a few months ago.

The 8 GOP nominees were asked by the moderator if they would reject a 10:1 ratio of spending cuts to tax raises (favoring the cuts.)  All 8 replied with a definitive ‘yes.’

If there is no compromise, there is no democracy.  And the petulant members of the Republican Party residing in Norquist's pocket that prohibits raising taxes under any circumstances, should be considered undemocratic.

But the obvious question is yet to be asked.

Hundreds of Republican lawmakers at both the state and federal level have signed this pledge, some of which are now, for various reasons, wishing that they hadn't.  Yesterday in an ironic twist, Republican Senator Pat Toomey suggested a loophole in Norquist's pledge that would allow for Republicans that have signed the pledge to, in fact, raise taxes.

In short, the reason this is possible is because the current tax code (referred to as the Bush Tax Cuts) has an expiration date of early next year.  Since they are technically temporary measures, the actual rates as they sit under permanent law are at Clinton era levels.  Effectively, this means that the rates can be raised as long as they don't surpass the ones that have been undercut by the temporary Bush Tax Cuts.

Good news right?

I suppose it could be considered that.  However, I would be more concerned with the obvious solution that evaded the Republican party for so long, aside from the fact that they should have signed it in the first place.

Here it is...the simplest solution.  Are you ready?

F*ck Grover Norquist and f*ck his idiotic pledge!  As Speaker of the House John Boehner said in a news conference a few weeks ago in response to a question about Norquist, he responded "It's not often that I get asked a question about a random guy."

I find it incredibly perplexing that the most powerful individuals in the country, the people that have been elected to look out for the interests of 300 million Americans, have been held hostage for so long by just a 'random guy.'  It simply defies logic!  There was no need to find a loophole in his pledge, all that was needed was to call Norquist up and say "your pledge is undemocratic, and you're an idiot."

This wasn't a lawful contract, this wasn't a constitutional amendment, this wasn't a condition of employment that had to be met before the oath of office could be taken, this was a random guy with a piece of paper and a pen that has HALTED the entire US debate on fixing the deficit.

In short, the lunacy of elected Republican's to keep a promise (an ill advised and undemocratic promise) to ONE man is derogatory to the other 300 million Americans that elected these men and women to look out for the collective interests, not the warped ideology and fiscal irresponsibility of ONE man by the name of Grover Bloody Norquist.

Norquist advocates a 'Starve the Beast' fiscal strategy.  Sounds like a fun bit of word play.  However, it might be prudent to know that after a while a starved beast gets vicious and hostile due to mistreatment.  So I'd watch out for the Republican handlers of this beast, as they may end up getting bitten.

Figuratively of course.

The Bottom Line

If everyone had the mystical power that Grover Norquist, a random guy, has to press their own beliefs on tax reform upon members of congress...then we would have a democracy.  It isn't, and should never be about the sole opinion of one, but the general consensus of many.  That's what democracy is.  Not undermining 300 million Americans by holding the entire legislative branch hostage with an egregious pledge.

Article by: Phil McCarron

November 14, 2011

Justin and Corporal Kelsey DeSantis Bring Sexy Back





When I think of Justin Timberlake I think of a talented ex-Mickey Mouse Club brat who hasn’t had a childhood for being a performer. A guy who has never really had it hard in his life, he could fall in a puddle of horse shit and come out smelling of roses.

Then I read that Justin Timberlake had accepted an offer made by Corporal Kelsey DeSantis to attend The Basic School Instructor Battalion 236th Marine Corps birthday Ball in Washington.

The first thought I had was that Justin Timberlake had won a publicity gold medal, not only had a gorgeous 23yr old marine asked him out but the chance for a someone like to him to raise his celebrity profile and status in the world would be priceless.

What better story for the media, gorgeous film star/singer takes Marine on a date.

I read the Daily Mail’s story about it, which predictably made it sound that Justin T was on a massive PR coup to make himself look like a national hero.

Being the type of blogger that I am, I always like to read what other people have said about it. I like to hear and read different opinions in order that I can form my own.

The best thing to do in this case was to hear it from the horse’s mouth. I read Justin Timberlake’s own account of the story.

It became evident that for Justin, the night wasn’t about him; it was about and all the men and women who keep America being the land of the free and home of the brave.

‘What I didn't know was how moved I would be by the whole experience,’ is what Justin said on his website and what I was beginning to suspect as I read his account of the night.

So much so, that I cant actually think of a way to describe what I was learning about the ‘In Time’ actor. I had gone from thinking it was an intelligent PR Stunt based on Mila Kunis’ invitation to realising that if half of what he said was true, the guy felt truly honoured and in awe of the company he was keeping.

There could be another explanation for my opinion reversal.


You see, I am a total sap. I never used to be, I was as hard as the proverbial bunch of nails, so much so that I’m sure I could’ve been an assassin if I didn’t suffer from asthma, have bad eyesight and have the throwing arm of a blind badger.

Not only would having to stop in the middle of a chase to get my breath back and my lack of aiming ability lose all my cool points but I physically I wouldn’t have been about to threaten Jason Bourne with his job.

OK, so I was never likely to be an assassin, but the point is, I used be a lot harder emotionally than I am now.

So much so, that my darling brother will make fun of me when he reads this. In fact, I might even make fun of myself when I read it.


So when Justin Timberlake said ‘Thank you Corporal Kelsey DeSantis. Thank you for inviting me. And, thank you for being my hero.’ I had a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye.



November 10, 2011

Wanted: Fairy Dog-mother for Lennox


Where knowledge ends, violence begins.


Lennox is a 6 year old black boy who was taken from his home by an official illegally; he has no contact with his family since 19th May 2010. He has also suffered from some unexplained injuries while he has been held against everyone’s wishes on a bed of sawdust.


Disgusted yet?

This hasn’t happened in a far off country, this has happened in Belfast.

On 11/11/11 when some people are celebrating the weirdness of the date, 12 year old Brooke will be wondering if her best friend will die.



Disgusted yet?

Is this enough prejudice for you?

Ill give you some more then. Think about this for a bit then will you? Lennox is being held because of what he looks like, not what he is.

Lennox had his legs and nose measured with a run-off-the-mill dressmaking tape measure and there the decision was taken to remove him from the house.

Lennox was seized under the Dangerous Dogs (NI) Order 1991. The measurements were used as proof that Lennox is a banned Pit Bull Terrier; incidentally, those measurements could also condemn a Labrador….



When Lennox was a baby, his very responsible owners had him neutered, licensed, insured, DNA registered, Pet Safe registered and micro chipped. Lennox is actually a Labrador crossed with and American Bull dog and as a point of interest, when Lennox’s brother was adopted his paperwork shows him to be a Lab cross.

Not just one suffering

Caroline Barnes is not only concerned about the health and welfare of her beloved dog, but her daughter Brooke’s health also. Brooke who is registered disabled has lost her best friend and is so distraught that even her specialist Doctor and Belfast

Royal Hospital for Sick Children said how Lennox being away was having a negative affect on her well-being.

I’ve signed the petition at http://www.savelennox.co.uk/ because I care. Not just about a girl I’ve never met in a country I’ve never been too or a dog I’ve never had a slobby kiss from, but because it’s right to make a stand.

At the beginning, when the thought crossed that I was talking about a child, how politically motivated did you feel? Do you think dogs don’t have feelings?



Lennox has not bitten, attacked or put a paw out of place in all of this. It is very easy to rectify the situation but no government official seems to have the balls to be the fairy godmother and right this wrong.

Fancy a quick quiz?

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html



For additional information

http://savelennox.com/
#SaveLennox
@SaveLennox