Post Title Of The Month

David Thompson is understated:

Quote Of The Month

Bill Sticker's road trip comes to an end and his thoughts turn to charity, which begins at home. Doesn't it?

"Talking of taking the day off, I’ve just been looking for volunteer opportunities locally to help victims of the Fort McMurray fire. To which I must report I found none in Victoria. At least not online. There are plenty for Syrian refugees, SPCA, Eating Disorders, Invasive Plant Species, Farmers Markets, but none for sending supplies to the afflicted in Alberta. Maybe I’m just too late and all the fuss is over? Or is the well known BC prejudice against Oil Sands production making itself felt yet again? Hmm."

Post Of The Month

Anna Raccoon goes to court...

Oh, 'Guardian'...!

Blimey!

Editors asleep at the switch, like the wretched kid's mother, you reckon? She's now been identified, raising further questions for the zoo, such as 'Why not let her in to rescue the child? What self-respecting silverback would fancy his chances?'...

Reaping What You Sowed...

Vinny's family were audibly stunned when Kendrick, without warning, began demanding to see crime scene photos of Vinny as Judge Mr Justice Timothy King was about to begin summing up the case.

He shouted: 'I want to sit in chambers because I want to discuss something without Vincent Waddington's family and that fella from the Echo here.'

Judge King indicated he was not willing to delay the trial, but Kendrick shouted: 'I will just say it then, I want to see pictures of his body, of Vincent Waddington's body.'

As the atmosphere in court became heated, junior counsel for his legal team, Saul Brody, approached the dock to try and calm Kendrick down but was greeted by a tirade of abuse. Kendrick said: 'F*** off you c***, you don't represent me yous are sacked, you do f*** all for me.'

The murderer grinned as Vinny's family were led out of court while things calmed down.

At one stage of the trial Kendrick became annoyed that his co-defendant Bate was being asked questions relating to him by prosecutor Nigel Power, QC. Appearing to feel his legal team were not addressing the issue, he launched into a foul-mouthed tirade against the pair, saying to Mr Brody: 'I have told you once, I have told you twice, I won't tell you a third time; get the f*** out of my face.'

What on earth causes someone to have so little respect for the rule of law and for the justice system?

The court was told Kendrick had 25 previous convictions for 44 offences, and had been released from prison two weeks before the murder. His first conviction, for criminal damage, came when he was just 12 years old.

That's that question answered then.

"We hope that you will respect our privacy at this time..."

...say the useless parents of the four-year-old who crawled under barriers, got into the gorilla exhibit and cost the life of an endangered animal in captivity. Pity they didn't respect the gorilla's privacy...

"...said Zoo Director Thayne Maynard “The Zoo family is going through a painful time, and we appreciate your understanding and know that you care about our animals and the people who care for them.”

Hmmm, sounds familiar. Wait, where have I heard this sort of self-justifying bollocks before?

Alejandra Montalva, the zoo director, defended the actions of staff. “The alarms sounded and chemical control arrived [tranquiliser darts] and an independent shooter arrived. The shooter decided to save the life of the person and unfortunately we had to sacrifice two members of our family,” she said.

Funny. My first instinct, on seeing 'a member of my family' struggling with an intruder wouldn't be to help the intruder.

I don't know what's more nauseating, the thought that, this being the States, the neglectful parents will probably hire some ambulance chaser to sue the zoo, or the fact that they clearly teach this PR crap to all zoo 'directors'.

Pray For Canvey...

How much more can they take..?

Oh, Mate...

So unexpected.

Sunday Funnies...

It's shocking how many of these I had to do in the 6th Form...

When Hitchens Is Right....

...he's so very, very right:

Consider the grim-jawed face which the police now turn towards us, the public. They stand around scowling with sub-machine guns, stomp about in big boots, stab-vests and baseball caps, display their clubs, Tasers, pepper-sprays and handcuffs to let us know who’s boss, and generally act as if the high street is a war-zone, on the rare occasions when they bother to visit it.

They love to dress up like Star Wars stormtroopers in body-armour and big helmets. They even have their own air force, which enjoys flying round in the small hours, blazing its searchlights into people’s gardens from 1,000ft. But confronted with 200 boozed-up ravers in a West Country wood, they won’t face them in the dark. We pay for this non-service. Avon and Somerset police’s annual budget for 2016/17 is £276,075,000. They employ 2,759 officers who cost us £146,383,000 in pay each year. They spend more than a million a year on their share of the ‘National Police Air Service’. From July 2009 to May 17, 2016, they spent £51,000 on CS Spray (pepper spray) – that’s 5,180 canisters at £9.86 each. They also spent £31,000 on batons at £25 each, and another £1,249,000 on body armour.

BUT despite all this clobber they won’t go into the woods to enforce the law and keep the peace. I’m honestly not sure what they do do. They always say that if people like me, who criticise them, were in trouble, we’d call on them. But would they come when we did? Or might it be too dark?

Once, the English police force was the best in the world. The idea that a middle-class columnist would have cause to say this in a national newspaper would be unthinkable. Yet it resonates with middle England. Froth as they might, the online police flag-wavers and blamers of the Tories can't deny this.

How did we get here..?

"It Takes A Village To Raise ... Allegations Of Child Abuse"

Research commissioned by the Department for Education found that one in three individuals who have suspected a child they know is being abused did nothing to act on their suspicions. Fear of having misread a situation, potentially ruining someone’s life by wrongly tarnishing them with such a serious accusation, is cited as the biggest factor which deters reporting suspected crimes.

And no wonder, as a glance at Anna Raccoon's or Moor Larkin's blogs could tell you.

Of course, no decision to report abuse will ever be easy. The sense of the magnitude of the accusation, and the awareness of the extreme repercussions for all involved, can be overwhelming. However, the seriousness of child abuse should mean that the question of whether to report should not be a question at all. We all have a duty to report our fears, despite our concerns that they may be unfounded.

"Never fear, citizen! The office of Witchfinder General is known for its compassion and professionalism, so report that old lady with the black cat when your cow's gone barren in confidence. It's your civic duty!"

Putting responsibility on victims to report sex crimes, and therefore the responsibility to prevent abuse, perpetuates victim-blaming attitudes; it reflects the belief that the onus is always on the victim to stop their abuser by speaking out, rather than on society to protect its citizens in the first place and to be receptive to signs of abuse when they occur. It absolves wider society of responsibility, in failing to acknowledge that child abuse is a far-reaching and important social issue. Instead, we are encouraged to think about abuse in terms of isolated events and disconnected individuals.

"Only 'society' has a responsibility, never the individual!"

If we are serious about eradicating abuse, collective cultural responsibility is just as important as individual victim empowerment.

"Forward, citizens! Forward together, as one, into our glorious collective future!"

This broadcast has been brought to you by The People's Republic Of Islington.

The Civil Service Never Sleeps...

Oh wow! What vital state secrets are they guarding?

Correcting a spelling of 'judicial'? Wow! Pedantry never sleeps, either. I'm rather touched.

"My son knows the difference between right and wrong, he is a really sensible young man."

If that's true, why do you need a law to stop him from shoving unknown substances up his nose?

Jon Royle, chief executive of the Bridge project in Bradford, which provides services for drug users, said the new Act would prevent the legal sale of the substances.

"I don’t accept the argument that it's safer for people to buy these drugs legally, it’s evident that the legal suppliers had no concern for the welfare of users and the most vulnerable people in our society found a ready and easily accessible supply on the high street and internet."

Hmm, doesn't that blow the arguments of the 'legalise drugs!' crowd out of the water?

'Caring' For Whom..?

Certainly not the public:

Father-of-three Chris Scutt, 38, was shopping with his wife, Jen and their 15-month-old son, Alvis, when the man launched himself at the youngster.

Mr Scutt says he is angry that the carers responsible for looking after the man, who had learning difficulties, had brought him into the store - despite knowing he should not be around children.

Well, why not? They are never going to be held properly responsible, are they?

'I turned to hit the person who had done this and saw he had learning disabilities.

'I refrained as my main concern was to care for our son who had blood pouring from his face.'

Lucky for you that you did - the police would have certainly arrested you, and probably charged you with a 'hate crime' into the bargain...

A spokesman for Cephas Care, which runs a home where the man is living, said: 'We take seriously our role in the care and safety of the people we support.

What about the care and safety of the children they are prone to attack?

'As the event is currently under investigation by the police we are unable to comment in detail, however, at the time of the incident we did involve the safeguarding team at the local authority and we continue to work closely with them and the investigating police officer.'

Translation: 'Blah, blah, blah...'

An Essex Police spokesman said officers are investigating reports of an assault and inquiries are ongoing.

I hope Mr Scutt doesn't hold his breath. Essex plod have form for doing sod all in these cases.

"We Need A Strong European Union To Make Sure Everyone Watches EU-Based TV Shows..."

...said no-one, ever:

Guenther Oettinger, the EU commissioner for digital economy, said: 'We have a European film culture and we think European content should be in those programmes.'

Mr Oettinger said the Commission believed 'there should be a guaranteed share of those programmes,' and '20 per cent is a reasonable figure'.

Well, maybe this'll finally wake up the Millenials to the dangers posed by voting Remain.

The proposal still has to be approved by each EU nation's parliaments.

Not that that's going to be a problem, with Call-Me-Dave at the helm.

SJWs - Here To Ruin All Our Pleasures....

There’s a question at the heart of the Uncharted games that the latest title, released to great acclaim this month, tackles most directly: is the dashing lead protagonist, Nathan Drake, a hero or a thief?

Wha..?

Can't he be both? Raffles could!

What’s interesting is that these characters continue to flourish in a culture that is becoming increasingly sceptical towards the idea of acquiring and retaining cultural artefacts from overseas. This is a time in which the British Museum is under constant pressure from Greece’s culture minister to return the Parthenon marbles to their country of origin. This debate has raged for decades, with the name “Lord Elgin” is now all but synonymous with idea of cultural imperialism.

What on earth this has to do with games is anyone's guess. It seems that the SLWs are determined you can't even pretend to be non-politically correct in your leisure time.

Many of us are sensitive to the case put forward by countries that have seen their treasures dispersed around the globe; but while playing Uncharted or Tomb Raider, we’ll spend hours of our free time engaged in the process of removing valuable cultural artefacts from their native homes.

Yes. Because it's just a bloody game.

...Drake’s sticky fingered approach to archaeology is something of an ethical quandary. The word “loot” is widely used in video games to mean any collectible item, but few of us stop and consider its connotations.

*sighs*

Perhaps Lara Croft’s reinvention as a thoughtful explorer and the ending of the Uncharted series will mark a new era for this thorny archetype; maybe we will see a new generation of video game adventurers more attuned to the politicised interests of this generation.

Dear god, games made by and for progressives: the horror, the horror..!

...what’s clear is that there’s a growing determination to expose and neutralise the cultural hangovers of colonialism and imperialism – whether they’re exhibited in the appropriation of ideas or objects. For good or ill, it is difficult to imagine that a generation who believe that Rhodes Must Fall will allow the adventuring archaeologist figure to stand uncontested.

What do they plan instead, I wonder?

Professionals....

Police called to deal with a fight ended up in a nine hour operation, halting trains and leaving an officer hospitalised.

Officers were called to a fight outside Muchos Nachos, in Whyke Road, Chichester, at 10.20pm on Saturday.

When one man was believed to have run away across the railway line trains had to be stopped.

Officers then found a man in Wyke Road and sprayed him with captor spray - but he ran away again.

Another officer traced him to a industrial estate in Gravel Lane, but he assaulted the officer leaving him unconscious.

Another officer Tasered the suspect but he got away again. Eventually the man was traced to an address in Bognor Road, Merston at 4.30am.

Firearms officers and negotiators then spent almost three hours on the scene, before tasering the suspect again and arresting him at 7.20am.

What I wouldn't give to see footage of this epic battle...

A Clash Of Titans..

It's the NHS vs the cycling lobby. Yet another 'Can't they both lose..?' moment:

A top London hospital today sparked an angry row with cycling campaigners after launching an unprecedented campaign against a proposed bike lane on Westminster bridge.

Bosses at St Thomas’s hospital fear the design of the segregated lane - placing it between bus stops and the route to the hospital’s main entrance - will put patients at risk of colliding with cyclists.

 Ooh, the popcorn's going to be coming out for this one!

Similar “floating” bus stops have already caused a major headache at Elephant & Castle, where Transport for London officials have been patrolling daily to prevent passengers stepping into the path of cyclists.

What a fabulous job creation scheme!

But cycle campaigners say the “floating” designs are being used safely on the CS2 cycle superhighway near the Royal London hospital in Whitechapel, and avoid forcing cyclists to divert into moving traffic to pass bus stops.

So why aren't they having the same issue at Elephant & Castle? It's a puzzle.

And the big beasts are starting to get involved.

MP Kate Hoey, whose Vauxhall constituency includes the hospital, called on Mr Khan to intervene. She said: “TfL’s plans for so-called ‘floating’ bus stops are potentially dangerous.

"Every day thousands of patients – many of them elderly, pregnant or with sick children – use the bus stop outside St Thomas’. The present plans ignore this vulnerable population and I do not believe that adequate thought has been given to their needs.”

*munches popcorn* How will the cyclists respond?

Funny Sort Of 'Respect'...

...that thinks forbidding a man to do as he pleases with his own property, property he has literally shed blood for, is the correct course of action.

Beware! Liar!

The court heard the teenager had a history of speaking to men online and arranging to meet then, before confronting them.

Judge Christoper Ball QC said some of her evidence in court was "plainly untrue" and her validity as a witness in any future court case must be considered.

He said: "The prosecution must give careful consideration before relying on the evidence of this witness in any pending case if they are putting her forward as a witness of truth.

"Her account of her movements and conduct in this matter falls seriously short of the truth.

"Her denials of knowledge of the use of a knife were plainly untrue."

That being the case, your honour (and this is quite an extraordinary statement, isn't it?), perhaps the general public ought to be entitled to know who she is?

Sssh, Brian! You're Ruining The Narrative!

A friend of the victim, Brian Markintosh, said that Mr Woods was 6ft 6in tall but said: “He’s such a gentle giant. He’s the kindest person you could imagine.

“This geezer broke his jaw with a knuckleduster. He was filming the young gay guys.

“And when he was attacking him he was shouting all this Muslim stuff but no one wants to hear that.”

Gosh! Not just homophobia, but a religion-based hate crime!

Sussex Police said that it was not aware of any racial or religious element to the assault.

Apart from the accused's behaviour and the eyewitness accounts, that is...

Sussex Police recruitment poster

H/T: WoaR in comments

Never Give Up On Your Dreams....

...after all, Rochford doesn't!

But Not At The 'Mail'....

...where they have to label the animal pictured for their readers.

Even more surprising is that it's correctly labelled (this time)...

Sunday Funnies...

And Hollywood'll get right on it, once they've run out of classic films to remake...

Want To Bet Those 'Terribly Overworked' Teachers Find Time For This?

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development aims to analyse pupils’ attitudes towards ‘cultural diversity’ for the first time.

Fifteen-year-olds will be asked about their understanding of global issues such as migration alongside separate tests in reading, maths and science.

Gosh! How will teachers cope with more work?

The ‘global competence’ assessments are proposed for the 2018 round of PISA (the Programme for International Student Assessment), which is run by the OECD.

Children from about 80 countries including England are expected to participate.

 Ah. My bet is they'll find time for it after all...

Pupils completing the PISA questionnaires will be asked about topics such as immigration and whether they enjoy unfamiliar food.

Under the plans, they will be asked whether their teachers ‘talk in a respectful way’ and are ‘open to personal contact’ with people from ‘all cultural or ethnic groups’.

Other potential questions focus on whether staff ‘have lower academic expectations’ for students from some ethnic groups and ‘apply the same criteria’ to grading and disciplining children ‘irrespective of their cultural origin or ethnic group’.

 Oh, yes. This is propaganda, plain and simple.

Andreas Schleicher, director for education and skills at the OECD, said it was vital to measure pupils’ perceptions of their teachers’ attitudes to different cultures and ethnicities.

He told the Times Educational Supplement: ‘We are looking at what students perceive to be teachers’ attitudes.

‘We believe that perception will shape and will frame the way in which students learn about global competencies.

‘For example, if you have a teacher who says: “The textbook says I have to teach you about the diversity of cultures, but I think it’s complete nonsense” – in an environment like this a student is not going to engage themselves. But imagine a teacher who confronts them with the difficulties refugees face in England in getting integrated, and then I think you would probably get a very different stance from pupils.’

And the teachers will lap it up....

The Open Borders Advocates Are Getting Shriller...

Baroness Sally Hamwee (Lib Dem peer) froths and fulminates:

Some years ago I remarked to a colleague how distasteful it was for parliamentarians to talk as if the atlas was still almost all coloured pink, as it was when Queen Victoria was on the throne. Though my colleague is by instinct far more rebellious than I am, he advised me that to say this in the Lords would not go down well.

Your colleague is a bit brighter than you then, clearly.

During the debates around the current immigration bill the term “pull factor” has been used time and again. The Home Office has been explicit about its wish to create “a hostile environment” for immigrants – the most vivid example being the “go home” vans that it sent out on the streets of London until the Liberal Democrats put a stop to it during the coalition government.

And the public responded by throwing you out on your ear...

The decisions that refugees are forced to confront must be agonising. To characterise the decision-making process as an assessment of pull factors is a theory largely divorced from reality, and amounts to a dismissal of the thousands of Britons who have offered homes to unaccompanied child refugees.

What about the millions that didn't offer, Baroness?

For that matter, how many have you taken in?

What's that? None?

I'm shocked...

Does Anyone Remember When...

...games reviewers cared only if the game was any good?

These days, it seems their main concern is how 'diverse' it is. I guess that's why so many of us no longer trust their reviews, preferring to listen to other gamers instead.

"No Cock Please, We're Kentish Town!"

Plans by Nando's for a giant chicken logo above an historic north London pub have sparked an angry backlash from residents.

*raises eyes heavenwards*

Caroline Hill from the Kentish Town Road Action group told the Standard: “It’s going to be an enormous chicken because it’s Nando’s. 

“It’s absolutely horrendous and it’s 11.5ft high. It’s completely out of keeping with the historic aspect of the building and everybody opposes it. 

“It’s absolutely ghastly.”

There's a 'Kentish Town Action Group'..? Is it twinned with the 'Tooting Popular Front'?

“I think they’re just doing it to make themselves stand out.”

Yes, sweetie. That's the point of advertising.

I think I'm with Ted:

Spot on.

When Dogma Meets Reality

Vanisha Ramdhony, 31, lives in Darwin House on the Worcester Close estate and was outraged to find out earlier this year that residents from her block of flats would be banned from on-street parking.

After leaving their cars on the road overnight last month, some of them woke up to a £100 fine from Parking Control Management Ltd., who told the residents they would have to use the 12 bays owned by their housing association, Affinity Sutton.

She and her neighbours have been caught in a tug-of-war over the bays ever since, with tensions escalating as the residents of 53 properties across Darwin House and neighbouring Bodleian House, also owned by Affinity Sutton, struggle to find somewhere close by to park.

Because parking 'close by' is one of those expectations people have.

Off-street parking can resolve this where there is an opportunity (and where there is one or two cars per household) but this is not practical for multi-occupancy dwellings.

Many residents have resorted to parking further away from their homes, not an ideal situation for those with young children, Ms Ramdhony says.

She told News Shopper: “Affinity Sutton’s slogan says ‘Helping people put down roots’. 

“Does it look like in any way us residents will be able to live happily with this parking chaos hanging over our heads? 

“There are 12 parking bays on the whole estate.”

Hmmm, if I wanted to have three cars, but my driveway only holds two, would I:

a) settle for two,
b) move house, or
c) loudly demand that some of my neighbours give me space on their drives?

Obviously, option c) never crosses my mind. I wonder why the same cannot be said for those who dwell in 'social' housing (a strange name, as often the denizens are pretty anti-social)?

But this is the inevitable conflict provoked by councils pushing 'green' policies onto developers to restrict car usage by restricting parking.

Councillor Angela Wilkins told News Shopper that street parking is becoming a major issue locally, partly because the overground is being heavily used by commuters. 

She said: “I am working with officers to try to address this - but the overriding problem is too many cars and not enough space.”

“If parking charges or residents' permit schemes are introduced the likely outcome is that the problem simply moves to neighbouring streets.”

Those artist impressions on advertising for new builds showing everyone cycling and walking, ordering their shopping online or using the bus, are pipe dreams. People still cling to their cars, and will continue to do so, no matter what.

Why Can’t Bailiffs Recover The Costs?

Police were called at 8.55am on Friday November 20 when a light brown dog was allegedly thrown from the back of a fourth floor Steamer Street flat into Island Road on Barrow Island.

The dog, a former rescue dog called Clyde, suffered internal and chest injuries and was later taken to Grove Vets in Rawlinson Street where he was treated and spent a number of days.

Clyde was later taken to kennels in another part of Cumbria while police investigated the incident.

And initially, it seemed that this case was progressing:

A 30-year-old man from Barrow was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty. He was then further arrested on suspicion of an offence under the Dangerous Dog Act, which was later withdrawn.

Police have since confirmed to the Evening Mail that the man will face no further action in connection with the alleged incident and because of this, he was given 28 days to claim the dog back.

Naturally, he didn’t.

That time period has now lapsed and after receiving no response from the owner, police have said that Clyde will now be rehomed by an animal charity.

Which is good news for the animal, but not so much for the taxpayer:

The Evening Mail understands Cumbria Police has paid for all costs associated with Clyde's care at Grove Vets.

Actually, unless the station had a whip-round, it means that we – the taxpayer – did.

Why has the cost of this animal’s treatment not been recovered from its owner? The usual answer is ‘because he doesn’t have any money’. But he must have something. Remove it, sell it, and put whatever it fetches to the bill.

How About A Nice Trip To Paris, Instead?

Just not the one in Texas:

Hapless Richella, from Sutton Coldfield , booked the trip through lastminute.com as a 30th birthday surprise for Ben.

She kept it secret for more than a year before finally revealing the present at a bash in front of all their family and friends.

Me, I'd keep this quiet, rather than run to the papers...

Ben said: “It’s a common mistake apparently – but if that’s the case the company’s website should make it more clear.”

*boggle*

H/T: Stonyground in comments

Trimming The Fat In The Budget…

Funding for obesity in Essex is being cut …

Well, it’s OK, we’ve got quite a huge reserve of landwhales and lardbuckets, so we’ll be …

Wait, that wasn’t what you meant, was it?

… despite a countywide epidemic. By 2020 experts estimate more than a third of adults will be clinically obese. Despite the problem Essex County Council, the organisation responsible for public health, is cutting funding. Last year £1,482,762 was spent on weight management.

This year it will be £1,342,800 - a reduction of about £140,000 - and the money will also have to cover a new National Diabetes Prevention Programme.

That’s all we are talking about – a mere £140k? You’ve still got over a million pounds left!

A weight management campaign was launched by the authority this year, in stark contrast to the funding cut, called Essex Weighs. The website www.essexweighsin.com allows people, according to the council, to create "a personalised profile, where they can log their weight and pledge to act upon different healthy lifestyle changes, such as eating more fruit and exercising".

A spokesman said: "As well as free resources such as recipes and exercise advice, the website also has a community focus, with the inclusion of blogs, which allow residents to share their own experience, in their own words, of their healthy living and weight management journey. "

So you set up a website – that didn’t cost £140k, did it? But then, knowing the way councils spend money…

Combating The Knicker Nickers...

Cambridgeshire police have been briefed to roll out their latest crime fighting initiative...

Tasers? Drones? Drones with Tasers?

...free underwear.

*blinks*

The move is the brainchild of crime reduction officer Sue Loaker who launched the project to help young men and women get regular access to toiletries and sanitary items and pants.

Called Sue's Essentials, the scheme wants to spare deprived youngsters' blushes and prevent bullying which can then lead to offending as they can end up shoplifting to obtain the hygiene essentials.

Really? Yeah, well, I suppose they have to come up with some excuse why you've been collared bang to rights with 10 cans of Lynx up your jumper.

And it doesn't even really need to be a good one these days, does it?

The officer said: "We recognise that unfortunately there are some people who are struggling to get regular access to toiletries, sanitary items, and underwear – items that very often most of us take for granted.

"A lack of access to the most basic of items not only causes discomfort but can also lead to embarrassment and bullying.

"This can cause low self-esteem and in the worst cases we have seen young people resorting to crime in order to try and get hold of these items."

How many cases? How many proven to be caused by 'poverty'? Be specific.

Chief Inspector Donna Wass said: "We know that when times are hard financially, poverty can push people towards criminal behaviours in extreme cases.

"We want to do everything that we can to avoid criminalising people – particularly young people – in hardship, and this initiative from Sue is part of a compassionate response to that."

This woman is a Chief Inspector? Good grief! Why go into the police farce to 'avoid criminalising people'..?

I detect the hidden hand of Common Purpose in this...

The Usual Suspects....

A corrupt council officer who gave tenancies worth £2.4 million to fraudsters claiming to be homeless has been jailed for five years.

Trudy Ali-Balogun, 55...

There's a good old East End name!

Biayo Awotiwon, 47, and Adeyemi Olalekan Oyedele, 48, were jailed for five months each.

Kudiartu Falana, 60, was jailed for five months, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service.

Joseph Akin Oliaya, 53, was jailed for six months, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service.

And I can't help but feel some sympathy for Cameron, monstered over his recent comments about Nigerian corruption.

Awotiwon received £226,000 of housing for 12 years at a property in Tooley Street in Southwark, and is refusing to leave.

Oyedele, 48, a former assistant to the Nigerian High Commissioner, is refusing to leave his Bermondsey flat.

Deport them. Now.

Fiona Colley, Southwark Council’s cabinet member for finance, modernisation and performance, said: “Today’s sentencing concludes a lengthy investigation into fraud and deception at the hands of someone who abused their position of trust for their own selfish gains.

“I’m glad that the penalty reflects the severity of the crimes committed and I hope this send out a clear message about just how seriously we take housing fraud. Southwark’s waiting list is filled with hundreds of people in genuine need of a home. We will continue to cater to these people whilst also bringing those who take advantage of the system to justice.”

Bit pointless, when you show no signs of changing your employment criteria too...

Another Accident Waiting To Happen?

A 16-year-old boy has been spoken to by police in the presence of his mum after following a woman through the streets of Ringwood wearing a Guy Fawkes mask.

Yesterday, the woman told the Echo of her terror as the masked teenager followed her home - even after she had told him he was scaring her.

Hmmm. Is she being a bit over sensitive? Well, maybe.

But maybe not.

“I have never had any incidences before and this one has truly petrified me,” she said.

“This was not a group of young lads on the corner drinking and trying to impress peers and being stupid: this man had intent. I turned the corner and ran as fast as I could. I saw a light on in our local community centre and ran to the automatic door; thank goodness it opened for me. If it had been closed then who knows, it’s just too scary to even think about.”

The police issue the sort of bland, soothing statement we've now come to expect.

Chief Inspector Simon Tribe said: "We have had a fantastic response from members of the public to reports in the media of a suspicious incident involving a man wearing a mask in Ringwood on the evening of Tuesday, May 10.

"A 16-year-old boy has now been spoken to in the presence of his mum and officers have explained to him how his actions have affected the woman he jumped out in front of and advised him strongly about his behaviour.”

So, just a prank then? But...why does a 16 year old require his mum with him?

Well, as we all know, the best way to find out the real story is to go to the comment section:

Ah. That puts a bit of a different spin on it! As does this:

Sounds dreadfully familiar, doesn't it? I wonder if we'll be reading about this nutter again soon.

I Wonder Why It Was Rejected..?

The second day of Mr Eastick's trial heard a number of what were described in court as "doggy character references" in relation to the Alsatian, which all said he was well-behaved around people.

Two of the references came from BBC journalists who had spent a number of days filming with Mr Eastick for a documentary they were making, and said the dog "never gave any cause for concern" while another was from the boss of LGBT support organisation Unity Wales who said Mr Eastick did voluntary work for the group and would take his dog along to sessions for older members to stroke and pet.

Impeccable, unbiased witnesses, I'm sure you'd agree?

The Alsatian in question was an animal that had been offered to South Wales Police as a police dog but had been rejected — it had been sent to a home from where it was subsequently given to Mr Eastick. The defendant was described in court as being an experienced dog owner with a successful history of looking after "challenging" animals.

Challenging in what way?

The court heard that the victim of the bite spent two days in hospital and underwent plastic surgery on the wound — on her release she needed crutches to walk for the subsequent week, and had been left with a permanent "lumpy" scar on her leg.

Oh. I see now.

...68-year-old Mr Eastick, who helps to train South Wales Police officers in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues, said the victim's friend's dogs had been barking at his Alsatian — he had been trying to shield his dog from the joggers and the other dogs, and it only bit the woman when she went up behind Mr Eastick and touched his shoulder.

Let's hope none of those people attending the voluntary work sessions look at Mr Eastick askance, then. Or tap him on the shoulder to ask if he wants a cup of tea...

Mr Eastick, of Panteg, Ystalyfera, was found not guilty following a two day trial.

Well, the jury has spoken. I wonder if we'll see Mr Eastick in the dock again soon?

It's Nice To See Local Newspapers Taking Off The Kid Gloves...

...and calling a spade a spade, for once!

"We're Gonna Need A Bigger Lens..."

He should be easy to spot...

Sunday Funnies...

America truly is more fascinating than people give it credit for...

What's The Cornish For 'About Bloody Time!'..?

Cornwall has harsh words for David Cameron in a language that he is no longer willing to support. Westminster has slashed the annual £150,000 budget for the Cornish language, without explanation and with immediate effect.

Well, he won't bother to read 'em, then, will he?

But when it is estimated that fewer than 500 people speak Cornish fluently, and (at time of writing) fewer than 6,000 people have signed a petition asking the government to reconsider, the effects of the cuts aren’t immediately clear.

Au contraire, I'd say they were very clear!

Steve Double, Conservative MP for St Austell and Newquay, says he can’t see how Cornwall council could have spent £650,000 it has received over the past four years, and that the language is not a priority for his electorate. But campaigners such as Loveday Jenkin, who chairs the Cornish Language Fellowship, argue that great value was extracted from the tiny sum. Core staff at Cornwall council facilitated volunteer groups, who translate road signs and documentation for the council and local businesses. Maga Kernow, the Cornish Language Partnership, offers educational resources and training. Pensans primary school, in Penzance, has been teaching Cornish since 2005, which wouldn’t have been possible without Maga, says the school’s Sarah Crummay.

 Hmm, I think I can see where they've spent it. On jobs for the boys!

But why is it important to keep Cornish alive when so few speak it? Jenkin calls Cornwall a place of low aspirations, and suggests that renewed regional pride, coupled with a local rise in high-value creative and digital jobs, might stop people from leaving the county to find work.

That's the biggest load of bollocks I've read since...well, since the last 'Brexit will cause XXXX' statement from the 'Remain' campaign.

Dr Merv Davey is the grand bard of Gorsedh Kernow, which maintains the region’s Celtic traditions. He is angered by the cuts, but remains optimistic. “We have to carry on fighting for proper recognition and what we’re owed, but I don’t think we should be obsessed with that; we must get on with it ourselves,” he says. “We’re quite resourceful, as Cornish people. We’ve never really kowtowed to central government, and we’re not going to start now.”

No-one expects you to kowtow - we'll simply be satisfied if you just stop holding your hand out for more taxpayer money!

Generation 'No Consequences' Comes Of Age And Finds Work...

...mostly, finds it a shock to the system:

After I graduated I took on some freelance work at my local radio station, assisting on the breakfast show. At first I was ecstatic to get the job. I had no idea how long I would be there but I prayed the work would keep coming. Then the exhaustion of being new and inexperienced set in. The shifts consisted of 5am starts and a deserted office to greet me good morning. One morning a TV broadcaster, thought of as a ‘local treasure’ on the network, laughed at me for saying I was finding the early mornings a struggle and let out a purse-lipped baby wail into my face.

Welcome to the world of work, Bridgit! It's a shock to find you're expected to do some, isn't it?

Another, a trainee teacher, has struggled to qualify in an increasingly stressful environment. “The expectation for us to do everything required - even when we’re not yet working independently - is impossible. I’ve already taken three weeks off for anxiety. Out of the 25 of us that started my course, there are only 20 of us left, two of us require extended placements due to absence, and another five are just pushing to finish with no desire to teach afterward”.

Sorry, what did you thing a job spec was, a list of options you could select from?

The current climate is one of insecure jobs and low pay, and it doesn’t do millenials any favours. Employers receive hundreds of applications for each entry level position, so they won’t accept anything less than a superhuman. And so millenials are left scrabbling around for any opportunity we can get and then expected to move heaven and earth if we’re lucky enough to bag a job.

Awww. let me pause to wipe away a tear...

This isn’t a complaint about hard work: we know it’s impossible to succeed without putting in some serious graft.

So what is it a complaint about, then?

But that success shouldn’t come at the cost of our mental health. For far too many of us millenials that’s the price we’re having to pay – and that should worry us all.

*speechless*

The Death Of TV Drama...

Much like the lack of rights and representation in criminal justice, people bereaved by murder have no voice. And yet some members of the media industry continue to exploit the murder-bereaved and victims of crime in pursuit of entertainment. Surely the law needs to change in a way that enforces the human right to privacy, especially in a time of such vulnerability. Victims and their families need more options to express their voice and have more rights over their “story” and the narrative of their loved ones.

Anyone asking just how that could ever, in any conceivable reality, work in practice is on a hiding to nothing:

The SJWs have another hobbyhorse, and they'll ride it until the poor beast collapses in exhaustion...

Judges Are Getting Awfully … Judgemental

About dog ownership:

Foulds was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid community work, pay £500 compensation for each child, and £85 prosecution costs.

But the district judge said it was not necessary or appropriate to disqualify her from keeping dogs.

But District Judge Clews told her: "I am surprised that you still keep this breed of dog, and intend to do so in the future. It's not something I hold against you. If you feel comfortable with such ownership, that's a matter for you. I dare say many people would not."

And about sex:

Former military policemen Jeremy Jones and Thomas Fulton, both 28, were cleared on Wednesday of raping their colleague Anne-Marie Ellement.

During an eight-day court martial, the pair said they had taken part in what was described as a drunken “threesome” with Ellement before heading off to a nightclub. Fultonconceded he had called Ellement a “slag” and a “cunt”.

The judge Jeff Blackett, a former navy officer, said the pair’s conduct was disgraceful. He continued: “This is not a moral judgment – and I make no comment upon sexual practices involving more than two people – but the way you treated Anne-Marie after your encounter was extremely unpleasant.

“After engaging in sex you effectively discarded her while you decided to go off to town without a thought for how she might be feeling or how she might get back to her accommodation safely. And for Mr Fulton to call her those very unpleasant names, including the word slag, was truly dishonourable.

“You may have grown up … and I hope you will never act in such an appalling way again, but when you look back on what happened you must feel very ashamed.”

Is this a new trend? I wonder…

Art! Is There Nothing It Cannot Do?

More than 50 people viewed photos and artwork contributed by Hackney-ites, short films about the borough and its spaces and invited to add to a graffiti piece called What is Hackney to you?.*

The 'artwork' can be seen at the link. Sadly, it can't be unseen... *shudders*

“I wanted to do this simply because I know people from outside Hackney, and their views can be quite negative about our community,” said 18-year-old Josephine Okunbolade. “Some are even too scared to visit based on things they have heard, so I wanted to participate to educate people and show that Hackney is beautiful. This is why our hashtag is #DontTurnABlindEye”.

Not to be outdone, others are even more ambitious:

I...

I just...

*H/T: wiggia via email

Well, If They’re Going To Film It…

…I guess the YONA meme can be retired!

A video has been posted online of the moment a 'mass brawl' erupted outside a busy south London shopping centre.

The footage, uploaded onto live streaming app Periscope, shows dozens of young people gathering outside Centrale shopping centre in Croydon on Tuesday before a fight breaks out.

‘Young people’, eh?

A Metropolitan Police Service spokesman said: “Police were called to North End Road, Croydon, at 5:25pm on Tuesday, 19 April, to reports of a fight involving a large group of people.

“Officers were called to the scene and dispersed the fight.

“There has been one arrest.”

I have issues with the descriptor of ‘people’, frankly.

Still, it must help the police enormously that these idiots are filming their own evidence now.

Animal Mad...

As a freelancer, any time I take off for whatever reason is unpaid. But plenty of pet owners I know with proper jobs tend to assume that they have to take annual or unpaid leave to care for pets, even in a life-or-death emergency.

Well.....yes. *baffled face*

According to the Blue Cross survey, pet owners feel stigmatised when asking for time off work. Over half (56%) chose not to give their employer the real reason for taking the day off if their animal was sick or had died...

Or maybe, being British, they simply felt that their reason for taking leave was none of their employer's business..?

H/T: wiggia via email

New Policing Methods…

…turn up long after the call, get your useful idiots to lay the blame on ‘Toree cutz’:

Chief Insp Simon Anslow, district commander for Southend, said the fight had ended by the time police had arrived.

He added: “We were called to reports of a big fight outside Genting Casino.

“The report that there was about 10 women fighting and some men were getting involved too.

“However, it all filtered out by the time police got there.”

I bet you’d have put the blue lights on if it had been someone harassing a protected identity group, though…

Mr Callaghan said: “By the time the police turned up, there were only two young ladies left and everyone else had gone.

“I don’t think it’s the police’s fault that they couldn’t get down in time.

“They just haven’t got enough resources because of all the cutbacks.

“Only two officers turned up.”

Funny. They seem to have plenty to turn up when they want to stop people enjoying themselves.

Yeah, Good Luck With That Excuse...

Sarah Acres, defending Burrows, said her client will claim the attacks were not forseeable and she could not have known the risks were there.

The prosecution plans to introduce several years of 'Tom & Jerry' cartoons as evidence...

Didn’t Get The Memo, PC Jaworski..?

PC Marek Jaworski, from Basildon Police, said: "The two men were walking along Timberlog Lane when this group of about 20 people surrounded them and started attacking the victim.

"He was kicked twice in the back and once in the head and face, which caused reddening and bruising.

"Fortunately the blows did not pierce the skin. "The 18-year-old then managed to escape from the gang and run off.

"Apparently they don't know who they were, which makes it all the more worrying. It could have been that members of the gang were egging each other on to attack passers-by."

Ooh! That’s not the message you should send! It should be things like ‘isolated incident’ and ‘no reason to believe members of the public are at risk’.

You won’t get far telling the truth.

Maybe The Residents Have Better Things To Spend Their Money On..?

Kirsty Pearce, who co-manages the popular community group New Addington Pathfinders, said plans were already under way to ensure a “successful” People’s Carnival at Milne Park this summer.

But she feared the event, which will take place over the weekend of June 12 and 13, would be on a smaller scale than previous years without an increase in funds.

For once, she isn’t demanding taxpayer funding. Yet.

The Carnival’s organizing committee has so far raised about £4,500 to stage this year’s festivities - less than half of its £10,000 target.

Well, let this be a lesson in ‘you get what you pay for’.

Ms Pearce said: "We can put a carnival on with less, but it's not as good. We don't want the negativity of people saying, 'It's not as good as it used to be'.

"We're saying, put your money where your mouth is.”

But what you’ve failed to consider is that that might be just what they have done, Kirsty..?

If every one of New Addington’s 8,000-or-so households donated just £1 to the carnival, the fundraising target would be easily reached, Ms Pearce said.

So every household should contribute to a carnival they might not want to visit? Have you thought of going into politics, Kirsty?

Well, I Look Forward To The Sequels…

Pupils were told the story of The Most Magnificent Mosque by Ann Jungman, in which a Muslim, Christian and Jew bond over the beauty of a local mosque.

You know, the sequels where Muslims, Christians and Jews bond over the beauty of a local church, or synagogue.

There will be some, won’t there?

Religious educators have been spreading a message of interfaith respect through Newham primary schools. Religious Education Matters invited year five primary pupils from across the borough to a workshop at Brampton Primary School in East Ham.

A workshop? How sophisticated!

The pupils were also encouraged to question, and voted on the most important question from a list to decide which was the most profound. Pupils believed the question of whether a team is still a team if somebody breaks away was the most vital of all.

I don’t know if that’s a dig at apostasy, or the kids didn’t really understand the question and thought it related to football transfers!

"Mr Garet? Who's Mr Garet...?"

Oh! Right...

H/T: Stephen Guy via email

Ahhhh, Britain's Rich History...

....the 'Daily Mail' editors know it not.

H/T: Stephen Brown via email

Sunday Funnies...

"The North Valley Food Bank in Whitefish, Montana, actually accepts donations of what its staff members call "vehicle-tenderized meat.""

Enjoy that Sunday roast... :)

Would It Kill The Progressives To Listen To The People Who Work With The Homeless For Once?

Dawn Foster spouts a load of bollocks yet again:

It’s rare to walk more than a few minutes in London without someone asking for spare change.

No it isn’t. I went to London three times just last week without once being accosted by a beggar. There, that cancels out your anecdote. Doesn’t it?

Many charities warn against giving money to people begging and advise, instead, to give regularly to specified charities. That approach may make sense on a macro level but, as my friend pointed out, we’re human and, faced with an individual explaining they’re in need, it’s difficult not to give.

No it isn’t. It’s pretty easy. I never have trouble withholding money from the scabby druggies and alcoholics that I do see, usually (in good weather) in Southend.

It’s been a hell of a long time since I saw a beggar on the Tube, too, but I never had the slightest problem in staring them down until they moved on, with their snot-covered infant in tow.

It’s for this reason that Nottingham city council has come in for harsh criticism in the past few weeks. Around the city, adverts funded by the local authority have popped up on bins and bus stops warning people not to “give to fraud”; that homeless people are often alcoholics, drug users, or not as needy as they seem.

Boo! Hiss! Bad council, bad! We'll just skip over the fact that they are right, shall we?

Framework, a charity and housing association that works to prevent homelessness in Nottingham, described the campaign as “provocative but accurate”, pointing out that many people begging in Nottingham are known to them, lead chaotic lives, and often refuse accommodation because they can make more money begging.

But what do they know, eh?

But many residents point out that the campaign contributes to a growing stigma against homeless people and, coming at a time when homelessness services are being cut in Nottingham, is hypocritical and a poor use of funds.

Would that be 'many residents who read the 'Guardian', then?

Not everyone who begs is a drug addict, an alcoholic, or a fraud, and even if they are, we must not lose sight of our common humanity.

Wait, you've spent all that time trying to convince us that the campaign is wrong, and now you're hedging your bets, Dawn?

If I’ve had a gruelling day I’ll pour myself a glass of wine when I get back to my warm, stable home. If I were homeless, that small stab at release and happiness would be no less important, emotionally. Giving to homeless people is an act of empathy resisting the tide of opprobrium hitting them.

But, Dawn, I've earned that wine. Even you've earned that wine (by dint of the fact that someone's paid you for this pile of bollocks).

See the difference?

Women’s Work Is Never Done…

Think of your colleague on the next computer, or the person who lives in the house opposite. What do you know about them? Their immediate family’s names, probably. Pets, maybe. Jobs, interests, what they got up to at the weekend? Bar a few gaps, you could probably give a pretty good potted history of these acquaintances.

Yes, probably. They are, after all, my colleagues and neighbours.

Now what about your cleaner?

Well, for starters, I don't have one. And if I did, he/she would (presumably) be working when I'm not there.

So if I did have one, they'd be like my window cleaner or car mechanic - a professional I pay to do a job. Not a colleague.

It is a question that many of us should be equipped to answer, given that one in three UK families are now employing someone to take on their domestic labour…

Really? Gosh. I wonder if this is the cause of the rise in the Black Economy?

While there’s nothing inherently exploitative about domestic labour as a concept, the reality of gendered capitalism in the UK is that women make up the workforce in the majority of low-paid jobs: a staggering 90% in the domestic and care industries. Undocumented migration and cash-in-hand payments mean accurate data is hard to come by, but it is estimated that migrants made up 27% of workers in elementary cleaning occupations in 2014, disproportionate to their 13.1% share of the UK’s population.

Yup. Like I figured. It is.

Cleaning is work that women should do for free, so goes the logic, and so it’s left to those most desperate for jobs to pick up the slack – often at less than minimum wage and with no guaranteed hours.

Presumably this is, however, better than their options in their home countries? So why should we worry?

This presents a problem for high-flying feminist women who see the rejection of domestic labour as liberation from tradition and a chance to further their careers and ambitions. Why clean the bedroom when you could be sitting in a boardroom? But this individualistic model of equality focuses on women gaining power rather than feminists gaining influence, and it does nothing to improve the material lives of less privileged women.

Ah. I see. This is yet another paradigm shift in feminist policy making.

The unfortunate fact is that mess and dirt will always exist, and someone will always have to clean. The feminist response, then, isn’t to keep shifting undesirable domestic labour to one another but to challenge the perception that it should be negotiated between women alone. Only then can we really start to question why domestic jobs should be valued at a lower premium than any other labour, resulting in work that is insecure, inflexible and isolating.

They are valued at that premium because they are jobs that the unskilled can do. And as soon as the Roomba or its like can cope with stairs, and is cheap enough, they won't even have this. As I pointed out elsewhere.

I Think I Can See Where The Recruitment Went Wrong…

The ‘Guardian’ interviews a PCSO. By sheer good fortune, they’ve managed to find one whose worldview matches their own. One who presumably reads the ‘Guardian’ (or at least, looks at the pictures). How fortuitous is that?

You’ve heard the expression “it’s like herding cats”? Well, it isn’t. Working for the police is like shepherding a million or so unpredictable human beings through a world where anything can and will happen.

Errrr….that’s what the expression ‘herding cats’ is meant to represent. It’s a simile. It’s not meant literally…

My main duties are supposed to be focused on low-level crime, antisocial behaviour, community engagement and public reassurance. I have to remind myself of this on a daily basis, because what usually dominates my time is dealing with a load of old claptrap.

Welcome to the world of work! Few of us get to do what we think we are employed to do. Why should it be different for you?

As a PCSO you probably assume I get regular abuse. This isn’t true. Yes, I am a walking target in a yellow coat and a silly hat, but in my community the last thing the local youths want to do is to draw attention to themselves. Occasionally some youngling of around 13 – who hasn’t yet graduated into crime from low-level antisocial behaviour – will shout “plastic” from about half a mile away, encouraged by the anonymity of being part of a larger group of sniggering mates. I’ve never been bothered by this. Besides, I have a lot of empathy with kids growing up in this community. Getting to know them over the years has convinced me to see them as victims too – of a system that consistently lets them down.

Ah, ‘the system’. Not ‘parents’? Not ‘peers’?

And aren’t the real victims the people who have to put up with the behaviour of these anti-social little scumbags? The elderly lady whose garden is trashed, the mechanic who has to get graffiti and gang signs removed from his premises, for example?

What really bothers me are people wasting my time, which more often than not involves disputes between neighbours. People phone the police just to get the upper hand in an argument, and it becomes a ludicrous battle over who can get the most complaints logged against the other. I desperately want to tell each party to grow up and stop messing about, but my hands are tied.

Finally, you’ve said something we all can agree with! But this attitude that the police are the arbiters of all kinds of petty disputes amongst the underclass arose out of the same government that brought you in. It created your job, in effect.

And I bet you voted enthusiastically for it.

I’ve seen kids move through the various stages of criminality and have little chance to stop them. It’s heartbreaking. When the eight-year-old boy causing problems in school starts smoking cannabis and stealing cars, it is hard not to trace the blame back to one source: a lack of government funding across the board.

Not ‘parental responsibility’ then? Not personal responsibility, to rise above the circumstances of your birth, like so many others manage to do?

No, clearly, everything is the government’s fault. If only it threw enough money at a problem, it’d be solved, wouldn’t it?

The other day I sat with an elderly victim of a bogus caller. A man had entered her house pretending to be from the water company and had stolen her jewellery. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that the investigation had been closed because of a lack of evidence, and that detectives were swamped with other things. So I just sat with her and held her hand, and tried not to think about the fact that someone, somewhere was out celebrating their banker’s bonus – ironically with a whole lot of alcohol and drugs. Probably.

And that has what to do with ….well, anything? The banker didn’t steal her jewellery, did they? It was most likely the father of one of the little scallywags you express sympathy for.

Yeeeaaah, That Might've Worked...

...if you could have held it together, that is:

When Simpson was arrested on 19 January she denied being aggressive and told police: ‘I was with a friend who was being mouthy.’

Worth a try, right?

Simpson kissed her teeth and began ranting in the dock as her baby cried, shouting: ‘This is bulls**t bruv, f**k’s sake bruv.’

She added: ‘How can there be a trial for something there’s no evidence of?’

Errrr....

We Should Be So Lucky, Fiona…

Fiona Millar thinks this is a bad thing…

A short-term goal is 4,000 chains running every school in the country, possibly reducing to 1,000 chains in 10 years. It means loss of independent legal status for all schools, the end of school governance as we know it, and multi-academy trusts able to top-slice millions from the budgets of schools that will be no different from branches of a supermarket.

I hope so!

I’ve never, for instance, been refused service in a supermarket because the staff were on strike.

Nor told by the manager and staff I can't buy another supermarket's product if I want to.

Nor lectured on morality when I'm selecting my baked beans and toilet rolls.

So I say: Bring....it....ON!

"It's OK When We Do It!" Part 5485

Luciana Berger, mental health shadow minister, said Devon had spoken out “openly and honestly about the challenges facing children’s mental health under this Tory government.

“If she has been silenced then this raises serious questions over the government’s commitment to listening to the evidence and acting in the best interests of young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

“Ministers must explain themselves as a matter of urgency. Nicky Morgan [the education secretary] claims to be in ‘listening mode’ but it would appear that this does not extend to those that do not agree with her.”

Really, Luciana? Blimey, you must have been apoplectic when Labour did the same to Professor David Nutt.

Funny. Can't seem to trace any quote from you then...

Are You Sure You Wouldn't Be Better Off With 'Media Studies', Love?

Lizzy Kelly, a history student at Sheffield added: “Students might be more inclined to read what academics want them to if our curricula weren’t overwhelmingly white, male and indicative of a society and structures we fundamentally disagree with because they don't work for us.”

You're studying history, love. White, male and a 'society you don't agree with' is pretty much the coursework, isn't it?

H/T: wiggia via email

Hurrah! Progressives Have Finally Figured Out Why Anti-Semitism Is A Bad Thing!

...and given us a new definition of 'self-absorption' into the bargain.

I Wonder If Sergeant Peter Allan Dreamed Of Arresting Armed Blaggers As A Child...?

If so, it must be a crushing disappointment to learn what his job now entails...

Sergeant Peter Allan, the force's hate crime sergeant, said: "I am pleased the court has convicted the defendant in this case. No-one should be targeted in such a personal and public way because of the way they dress.

"This sentence sends out a clear signal that we will take a robust approach to those who target individuals based on their disability, gender identity, race, religion or sexual orientation."

Well done. Have a break. Have a biscuit. You deserve it, tangling with such a tough opponent, you brave crime fighter, you...

People Who Despise Fox Hunting Should Reconsider...

The hunt has since apologised to Miss Brown and, as a gesture of goodwill, bought her three replacement sheep.

But no such apology has come from the RSPCA and there has been no offer to return her cats.

They couldn't possibly have known the RSPCA were playing fast and loose with their power. They had no need to do this.

They did it because they are fundamentally decent people. The opposite of those who work for the RSPCA, it would seem.

Shorter Hadley Freeman: “Shut Up, You Hideous Bigoted Old People!”

I am an older and quite well-known person about to be interviewed for a national newspaper. Any tips?

An Older Person, Celebrityland

Oh, my dear Older Person. When I look at you, I see not a dignified soul striding off to attend to one’s media requirements but a helpless young babe in the wood, rucksack on your back, skipping straight into the mouth of the lion.

Wow! That’s not at all patronising, is it?

Here’s how it works now: a famous older person goes off to give a talk or an interview. They are either encouraged to give their views on transgender people or do so of their own accord. Their slightly outdated views are then gleefully published everywhere by newspapers so as to encourage people to tweet and Facebook their outrage, ideally with links to the article, thus generating more readers.

And who has encouraged this sort of mob mentality, Hadley? Could it possibly be you and your SJW chums, gleefully sneering and shouting down anyone who holds an opinion not in accordance with yours?

Anyway, what can you, famous older person, do about it? Fortunately for you, I have compiled a small map to guide you through this minefield. Just ask yourself the following questions and go to the appropriate answers. Good luck, gentle soul.

1. Do you want to talk about trans rights in an interview? (a) What are trans rights? (Go to 5) (b) Actually, I have some very interesting thoughts on this subject that I’d like to share. (Go to 2)

2. Do you think men are men and women are women and no fancy political correctness can change that? (a) Obviously. (Go to 5) (b) Actually, my gay nephew Owen was explaining to me just last week that it’s a little more complicated than that. (Go to 3)

3. Do you plan to make frequent references to genitalia in your argument? (a) Well, of course. (Go to 5) (b) In public company? Certainly not. (Go to 4)

4. Speaking truth to power and all that, but do you fancy spending the next month being yelled at by millions of people online and the rest of your life answering questions about this in interviews? (a) God, no. (Go to 5) (b) Why would people yell at me? (Go to 5)

5. Do not talk about trans rights in an interview.

So basically if you don’t share the ‘Guardian’ view of any subject, you should cease to talk about it entirely?

That Law Of Unintended Consequences (Part 45689087)…

Mr Glanville, 60, from Billericay, was arrested in connection with the murder probe along with a 54-year-old man from Basildon after the death in July 2015 and had been due to answer police bail in May.

Essex Police announced yesterday that the men will face no further action and an inquest into Mr Gallagher's death is due to take place.

It took a year. A whole year!

That’s a stunning new level of utter incompetence and slothfulness even by Essex Police standards, isn’t it?

His widow, Linda, said she had been left "devastated" by his death and has requested the case be looked at again, according to a national newspaper.

The Crown Prosecution Service said: "We have had an application from a family member under the victim's right of review for the decision to be looked at again and we will be doing so."

How is it that someone who breaks into your house and sets about you and your possessions can now be considered a ‘victim’ if you kill him in self defence?

Nah, Think I'll Vote For Someone Who Can Proofread...

The air we what..? *sighs*

Well Played, 'JustEat', Well Played Indeed...

Sometimes an ad campaign just gets it right - the TV ad was a bit irritating after a while, but this is my current favourite.

Sunday Funnies...

I can only imagine how the SJWs would have reacted to No. 7...