Happy New Year All!

And here's to 2024! 

Normal service will resume on Tuesday.

Absent Friends...

Raedwald 

Captain Ranty (Blog now sadly gone dark) 

Unenlightened Commentary 

Anna Raccoon 

Dracunculus 

Bystander, a sad loss to the world of profession-blogging. 

Peter Risdon (Blog also now sadly gone dark) 

Niall Kilmartin and Brian Micklethwait of Samizdata 

Frank Davis 

The incomparable Old Holborn

Mark Wadsworth.

Gone, but not forgotten.

Well, It Wouldn't Be New Year's Eve...

It's 'fewer'!

..if the dear old 'Grauniad' didn't see us out with a grammar boo-boo. Would it?

D'Oh!

...or should that have been 'doe'..? Not that Faye is probably any better at nomenclature than she is at plurals.

Sunday Funnies...

Something to bear in mind when you watch all those ads for next year's holiday destination...

Tweet Of The Month

Post Title Of The Month

Longrider on the hapless plotters trying to pry Sunak's sticky fingers off the wheel of the Great Ship of State: 

 

Quote Of The Month

Nick Drew at 'Capitalists@Work' on education:

It's pretty clear that for anyone broadly on the right with the slightest regard for social equity (whether for altruistic or self-serving reasons), providing good education for the masses to facilitate any latent potential for meritorious advance is one, if not the main, central plank of policy. It ought to be so for lefties, too.

And the ireppresible DumbJon on this year's 'I'm A Celebrity...':

"Meanwhile, back in the real world, Farage was already meant to be dead and buried thanks to voice of the people Nella Rose - or as the public generally refer to her 'who'? "

Post Of The Month

Johnathan Pearce at Samizdata on the true heroes of lockdown...

You Mean 'By The Ratepayers', Don't You, Luke?

Luke Charters, the Labour Party parliamentary candidate for York Outer, which includes Haxby, said: “‘I had numerous conversations with many bereaved families and from October 16 have called for a public apology and for the cost of repairing the toppled gravestones to be met in full by the council.”

Because we all know that's who will be getting the bill in reality, don't we? 

Just like they got the bill for them to be toppled in the first place...

When Google Searches For 'Animal Husbandry' Go Badly Wrong...

Scott Fleming, 27, was found with vile movies showing adults engaging in sexual activity with animals including a horse, a pig and a dog when police raided his home two years ago.

Another deranged pervert is caught! This one more of a voyeur than an active participant, but still...

Will this one get his just desserts? Reader, read on... 

During the search, Fleming was also found to have downloaded a shocking film depicting a man having a 'live moving drill' inserted into his penis.

Oooh, I can hear the wincing and crossing of legs from here, gentlemen! 

Fleming pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing extreme pornographic material between March 19 and May 10, 2021 when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month. He was back in the dock for sentencing last week where Sheriff Adrian Fraser said the terms of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 'do not apply to the circumstances of this offence'.

The court previously heard offenders who are convicted of possessing extreme pornography can only be placed on the Sex Offenders Register if they are jailed for more than 12 months. Fleming appeared at court on a summary complaint meaning he could not receive a custodial sentence of more than 12 months.

*sigh* Catch 22 is alive and well beyond The Wall, it seems... 

Fleming, from Prestonpans, East Lothian, was instead sentenced to a nine month supervision order and ordered to carry out 162 hours of unpaid work in the community.

Hopefully not 'odd jobs' with power tools! 

Jay MacAskill, Fleming's defence, said her client was currently unemployed and there had been 'no sexual gratification in possessing such videos'.

Was he trying to get DIY tips then? 

Little Tip...

...don't do what the voices tell you. Even if they come from your police radio:

Footage shows Pc Jonathan Marsh and a female colleague speaking to Rasike Attanayake, who reported that a drunken man had smashed a notice board outside his audiology practice in Romford, Essex. The officers begin to walk in the direction that Mr Attanayake had given them, only for their colleague to then tell them over the radio that he was the suspect.

Ooops! 

They handcuff Mr Attanayake who pleads that he was the one who called them, as PC Marsh tells him to 'get on the f***ing floor now' and throws him to the ground.

The clip, released by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) shows Mr Attanayake saying 'please can you not do that' before PC Marsh then punches him in the head and restrains him further.

And when did it become clear they had the wrong man? When the voices came again: 

Within just ten minutes, the officers were informed that Mr Attanayake was not the suspect. Less than an hour later, he called police to make a formal complaint against the officers.

I'm only surprised that took so long! 

Giving evidence PC Marsh, a former prison officer at HMP Chelmsford, told the court the force he used was proportionate and necessary.

Well, yes, but unfortunately, it wasn't the right man, was it? 

The trial ran out of time and will resume on January 29.

One to watch. 

H/T:SadButMadLad via Twitter 

First, You Got Reindeer Fillets Dropped From Lidl's Christmas Range...

...and now look what you're trying to ban!

Animal rights activists accused a British company of 'ruining the spirit of Christmas for children everywhere' after advertising...

Oh, here we go... 

...trophy Reindeer hunting trips during the festive season.

Well, if that's when they are in season, why not? 'Rudolph' is, after all a creature of fiction. Not real. Sorry, kiddies!  

The Fife-based firm does not say how much a trip costs but it is understood to be thousands of pounds and even suggests to trophy hunters the best type of rifle with which to kill a reindeer.

I'd expect them to... 

Explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes called the firm of trophy hunters 'cowards' and 'evil', saying to the Mirror: 'This is probably the most un-British thing I have ever heard of. If we needed proof of just how evil trophy hunters really are, then this is surely it.

'These cowards are happy to ruin the spirit of Christmas for children everywhere. How dare they. For a British company to be profiting from this disgrace is beyond appalling. We need a complete ban on this sick industry.'

Is that the royal 'we', Ranulph? I need no such ban. And while we are banging on about 'un-British things', could we also include 'sticking your nose in someone else's pleasures'? 

Because that's about the most un-British thing I can think of... 

Oh, Really..?

Many families from deprived backgrounds are unable to make the most of NHS-provided diabetes technology because they are unable to afford smartphones, charity workers and healthcare professionals have said.

Well, if you believe this, you've never worked in or visited a foodbank - the 'deprived' tend to have smartphones permanently glued to their hands!

But surely there's an alternative to owning a smartphone for the genuinely poor? Reader, there is...

Although CGMs are compatible with receivers that are provided with the devices, healthcare professionals and charity workers have said when managing type 1 diabetes, especially in small children, using CGM devices with smartphones are necessary.

They might be handier, but are they really necessary..? What do they do that the receivers don't? 

Gillian Adams, a paediatric diabetes specialist nurse at Ealing hospital, west London, said using a smartphone, rather than a receiver, with a CGM device was essential for the management of young children with type 1 diabetes.

“It can be distressing and more difficult for a parent to manage their child’s glucose levels with just a receiver, as they can be anxious when the child is out of their sight, and without a smartphone they have no way of being able to track their glucose levels when they are away from them,” she said. “With a receiver, the child has to have it with them at all times, which means that when they are at school, or at nursery, it is only through a smartphone that parents are able to track their glucose levels.”

Sorry, sweetie, but that really doesn't make them essential or necessary. It simply makes them handier to have. And even if they were essential, is this not something that charities could supply? 

Carolyn Goldhill, the founder of the charity Supporting Children with Diabetes, said it had distributed more than 500 smartphones to families with children with type 1 diabetes.

There you go! 

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

Mostly normal service will resume on Boxing Day (as I'm away, posts will be limited to one a day)! 

When we remember the most glorious festive tradition of all...

Hey, EDP, As The Shamen Will Point Out...

                  

...'e's are good! 

You know what else is good? Centering your subject, so readers don't think you can't tell the difference between a plane and a helicopter...

H/T: Dave Ward via email

Christmas With Matt...

He's always spot on, isn't he?

Christmas Sunday Funnies...

Joke's on you, wokies, the films are still good!

Let's Go Back To Battering Them With A Truncheon, Then...

Police are far more likely to use a Taser electrical weapon against black people due to structural and institutional racism rather than the views of individual officers, a new report says.

Oh, really? Once again, we are presented with a report which draws some bizarre conclusions in the progressive press, to advance an agenda. Must be a day with a 'Y' in it...

It follows the biggest ever academic study of the police’s use of the weapon, which found officers increasingly see it as a tool that can get suspects to comply, rather than a potentially lethal item.

And isn't that a good thing? Don't we want people to comply with the police? 

Communities see its use as humiliating and traumatic and the report, which was funded by the police, says radical reforms are needed to training.

All 'communities'...? 

Or maybe some actually see it as pretty useful, and necessary to ensuring the other 'communities' don't run rampant stealing and looting with impunity, hmm? 

While some officers see black people as more threatening and thus use a Taser electrical weapon, the study said the biggest reasons for the racial disparity was not decisions by individual officers. How and where officers were deployed by their chiefs were the key reasons. Officers are more frequently deployed into higher crime areas, which tend to have acute levels of poverty and higher ethnic minority populations.

It's the same old boilerplate, Reader, isn't it? But surely if black suspects were being Tasered willy-nilly, there'd be more reports?

Well, of course, they aren't: 

Use of the weapon in official statistics does not necessarily mean it is fired at a suspect. The official figures include where it is unholstered and a suspect threatened with it, and also where a suspect is “red dotted”, where the red laser used to aim the device is visible to a suspect, often leading them to obey an officer’s commands. It is fired in about a tenth of incidents.

The other alternative with a suspect who isn't obeying an officer's commands is, what? Just let them go? 

Rebranding Of The Year!

 Anyone who read imported American comics in the Seventies will remember these ads: 

I never fell for it, as I kew only too well just what these little (admittedly fascinating) critters actually were.  

Well, get ready for more disappointment from your children should you buy a certain German supermarket's latest offering: 

Sorry kids, they don't look like dragons either!

Looks Like The Justice System Is Really Keen On Second Chances...

...and extends that to dogs as well as human criminals:

An XL Bully escaped from a home in Wellingborough and launched a vicious attack on a female passer-by who was with her teenage daughter. The dog locked on to the woman’s forearm and caused an horrific injury, which paramedics initially told her could lead to the loss of her arm.

Owner Ruben Marques appeared at Northampton Crown Court yesterday (Thursday, November 23) to be sentenced for a single charge of allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control.

An attack out of the blue? Well, Reader, no: 

The court was told that the dog had previously been involved in an incident with another dog in which a neighbour had received a minor bite wound. At that point the dog was just eight months old and police seized it.

But it was later returned to Marques who said that when it came back it had grown much bigger.

Yes, they do that, don't they?  

Marques, who has four young children at home, was told by officers to muzzle the dog in public. He had been keeping it at home in a cage and tied up with cord, but police who attended the scene in August last year said that the cage was clearly not substantial enough to enclose such a powerful dog who had displayed aggressive behaviour on a previous occasion.

Oh, FFS! 

Marques was given a six month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay the victim £750 in compensation. Titan was taken by police and was destroyed several weeks after the incident.

Another victim of police and justice system failure, as much as of the animal itself... 

H/T: BullyWatchUK via Twitter

You Work For ‘The Guardian’, Zoe…

…it’s surely not just at Christmas?

If public calorie announcements have their own specific message – the establishment of a set of rules, with numbers attached, because how can you police others’ behaviour if the law isn’t laid down in advance? – it is marginally less ridiculous than the companion advice of how to avoid a hangover this party season. I’ve read all of these, in new and old media, since time began, partly so you don’t have to, partly because they have the shape of an ancient riddle. The tips, whether it’s “Alternate every drink with a glass of water” or “Never drink more than four units in one go” always boil down to: “Don’t get drunk.”

A Guardianista complaining about NuPuritanism and killjoys is rather rich, isn’t it? 

I'm Sure A Zoo Or Farm Could Have Helped...

 

An eminent judge launched an extraordinary tirade branding the prison system a 'shambles' after he was forced to postpone sentencing a sex attacker for the fifth time. Judge Philip Grey lambasted the private contractors Serco used to bring prisoners to court after they failed to load the defendant onto a van.

...they are pretty good at large animal loading and transport, after all.

Scrooge Is Alive And Well And Living In Lincoln...

The Lincoln Christmas market, a four-day celebration which sees over 300,000 people attend per year, was prevented from opening over the weekend after the local Labour Party-run council prohibited the festivities from taking place.

The leftist politicians justified their decision by claiming that the popularity of the market presented a “risk to public safety” due to alleged overcrowding.

But at least the mayor Mr Bean (Ed: Seriously...?) didn't miss out: 

"Lincoln Mayor Biff Bean spent the weekend in the city’s sister city of Neustadt in Germany and reportedly attended a Christmas market there."

Typical local council; pleasure for me, none for thee... 

H/T: IanJ via email

Well, On That, We Agree...

...I'm willing for them to be sacked too. In fact, more than willing.

Their defiance came in response to a query on an internet teaching forum asking what they thought about 'the Government proposing guidance for schools to potentially outing trans kids/kids questioning their identity/gender norms, to their parents.' One wrote: 'I'm a gay teacher and I'd refuse to do this if a child came to me in confidence.'

There's no reason, ever, for someone who is gay to be supporting the 'transgender' cult.  

A second teacher said: 'It would be putting their lives at risk in certain families, and I will never do it. It isn't my business if a kid is questioning their gender or sexuality, I'm not going to ask them, and if they tell me something I'm going to keep it private and quietly support them as they work it out.'

So, there are 'certain families' who would murder a child who questioned their sexuality, and of course, you won't say what those families actually are, will you? 

One, who teaches in a majority Muslim area, insisted: 'I would rather be fired than ever out a single student. Arrest me. Do it.'

Yet I'm sure you never refer to it as anything other than 'the religion of peace', eh? 

Christmas Is Coming And...What's Getting Fat?

Charles Leigh-Bennett said three of the six geese, who stayed in a grassy area in the village, disappeared around the same time the tyre marks were spotted, and then the rest of the birds disappeared a few days later.

He explained the council was waiting to see if the birds reappeared. They will make a formal decision in January.

Tyremarks, eh? Well, I doubt they drove south for the winter... 

H/T: IanJ via email

Will The HSE Take Action, Then?

It seems foreign worker are already causing disasters, though:

A senior coroner has since issued a warning about the inability of foreign health staff to speak English after hearing how carers looking after Mrs Rymell did not know the difference between 'bleeding' and 'breathing'. Their lack of English 'severely hampered' the call handler's response and made a 'meaningful' assessment of her condition 'virtually impossible', the coroner said. Following the call, Mrs Rymell's case was classified as 'serious' rather than requiring an 'immediate' response and when paramedics did arrive at the care home she was dead.

The inquest shows clearly that the practise of hiring foreign workers is not the amazing boon to the NHS that Labour claim it is: 

The inquest concluded Mrs Rymell had died of misadventure as a result of her fall, a combination of her dementia and frailty and 'mechanical obstruction of respiration'.

But Mrs Marsh said she had been shown evidence that at least one the carers' understanding of English did not meet the standards required to work in Britain.'It transpired during the Inquest that one of the workers on the evening of the 8th August 2022 had never passed the SELT, so was not qualified or permitted to work in the UK.'

So, the care home was blatently breaking the law. At least the HSE has some teeth, so what action will it take? 

There are 152,000 care worker vacancies in England, and care home inspectors often have found that a lack of staff means residents receive substandard, and sometimes dangerous, levels of care.

Sounds like an excess of staff - if the wrong sort - can also cause that. 

It's Not Going To Be A Labrador, Is It?

The attacked dog suffered minor injuries and both Bozo and a second dog belonging to Walters were seized by police.

No details of Walter’s second dog have been released by South Yorkshire Police .

Those things take a lot of feeding. Just how is a 'homeless man' earning enough by begging to feed them? 

Following the hearing , the judge deemed it safe to return Bozo to Walters under the condition that he isn’t walked off his lead or by anyone under the age of 16 and must wear a muzzle to prevent further biting of a person or dog.

Walters was also fined £150 and ordered to pay £85 in court costs and a £60 surcharge.

I guess, like the tins of Pedigree Chum, the taxpayer's footing the bill for that too? 

H/T: The Jannie via email

Down On The Farm...

A depraved pervert who was caught sneaking into a cowshed and having sex with a calf after a farmer set up surveillance has today avoided jail.

What do you have to do these days? 

Brown had triggered an alarm in the early hours of the night and ran off from the cattle farm in Burton, near Christchurch, Dorset. He jumped several gates only to land in another cow pen where he was trampled on by the animals. He was caught crying on the ground by Mr Farwell, whose family have owned the farm for 144 years. Brown's father had previously worked there as a tractor driver for 17 years.

Pity he was only trampled. Cattle can be unforgiving. 

Brown admitted the offence and said he felt 'shame and embarrassment'. He was ordered to pay Mr Farwell £600 compensation by a judge who called it a 'very alarming, bizarre and worrying case'.

It's not totally unknown, sadly. But it's really the sort of thing someone should see jail time for. Or perhaps be tossed into a field with a bull, I'd be happy with either. 

The court heard he had no previous convictions and shown genuine remorse.

Olivia McGonigle, defending, said: 'He doesn't live anywhere near the farm and has no intention of working with livestock. He is living with his mother, but there is the possibility of him moving in with his girlfriend, who has been a very supportive person.

'He has expressed how remorseful he is. He is distressed by the pain he has caused.'

Wait, his girlfriend is supportive? I notice she's not named. Understandably so! 

Keep Clapping For Them, Sheeple...

A dementia diagnosis service will stop accepting new patients so nurses can be redeployed elsewhere to save on agency staff costs.

...while they sweep your loved ones under the carpet to avoid having to treat them. 

Are They Robots?

Probably not, robots would be better workers...

H/T: peter via email

Pardon..?

I...I just...

Sunday Funnies...

Some (well, one) still are...

Supporting Small Businesses..?

Clearly not...

'The council should be supporting small businesses yet they have given in to the ridiculous complaints of three residents. I just feel bad for the community as groups met at the cafe every day.

'We have a chap that comes and sits for three hours reading a book, as well as students from the Wyvern School.

'Disabled people liked coming here as they could easily stop by on their mobility scooters.

'I'm in shock and I'm trying to figure out what to do next.'

Give up trying to run a business, this council - like so many others - doesn't seem to like that sort of thing. I guess they'll be happy to forego the business rates. 

The decision notice states there were also concerns about anti-social behaviour and increased traffic at the site. It concludes: 'The development causes unacceptable harm to the living conditions of the occupiers of neighbouring properties.'

Oh, I'm sure there are residents everywhere that would be only too glad to exchange their troubles with the neighbours of this business. The smell of bacon and the clinking of teacups seems quite small beer, after all.  

H/T: MisanthropeGirl via Twitter

But The Bad News Is...

...now the Advertising Standards Authority wants a word about the labelling!

Who Is Running Banks?

After the Daily Mail contacted Barclays the bank telephoned Mr Sparks, apologised for closing the account and offered to reopen it, according to the businessman.

He said: ‘An exec told me the decision to close the account was automated but they couldn’t tell me why that was. I declined the offer to reopen the account.’

Why couldn't you tell him? Because 'Computer says no'..? Who programmed it? 

Mr Sparks and his sister have now been forced to set up an online business account with Monzo.

When I had a similar issue trying to navigate Barclays' bizarre complaints system to get my mother's account closed down and the balance transferred to her online First Direct account (who were superb, and I'd recommend them to anyone) to pay for her care home costs, I ran into similar issues. 

It seems banks are no longer running things. The government and/or 'the systems' are...

A spokesperson for Barclays said: 'As part of our ongoing responsibility to help prevent financial crime, and to meet our regulatory obligations, we are required to keep up to date information regarding our customers’ accounts.

'In this case, after 18 months of repeated attempts to contact the customer, including through online banking, email and post, we did not receive all of the necessary information relating to their Barclays Business account, leaving us no alternative but to close the account.

'We fully understand the issues this can cause customers and we worked hard to avoid the last resort of account closure. As a gesture of goodwill we have offered to re-open their account to allow more time for the information to be shared, which has been declined.'

Can you blame him?  

Even The Usual Anti-Death Penalty Advocates...

...couldn't really argue this wasn't a suitable case, could they?

Mr Hollywood was convicted of murder alongside Mr Williams, aged 28, of Horne Way, Birmingham. Mr Coates, 18, of Sydney Way, Shard End, was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter. Mr Williams-Reid, 18, of Orchard Meadow Walk, Castle Vale, was cleared of murder and manslaughter. All four were found guilty of conspiracy to murder Mr Ward's son.

It's on CCTV, it's utterly savage and these are dangerous men who showed no fear of consequences.  

Sentencing is due to take place in January next year.

Even if it's 'life', it's not severe enough. 

Our Justice System Is A Total Dog's Breakfast...

Case in point:

A farmer who was filmed dragging his white husky along the road while it was tied to the back of his car before she died has avoided jail.

I've yet to see a more obvious case of animal cruelty and intransigence when caught by the police, so how could he possibly have avoided jail?

Rendall was sentenced today to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, 300 hours of unpaid work alongside a 20 year disqualification from having or keeping animals with the exception of cattle, and fish.

He'd find it tricky to drag either of those behind his car, it's true but seriously, does anyone really believe someone who could do that to a dog would have any regard for any other creatures?

What sort of excuse did he proffer?

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Michael Longman said the defendant had shown a 'high degree of recklessness' in his actions. He said the excuse of social awkwardness 'does not begin to explain or mitigate your behavour'.

*blinks*  Whut..?!

The judge told Rendall that even if he had not realised the extent of Daisy's injuries by the time he drove off he had still showed an 'arrogant distain' towards her.

He described obstructing the police who were trying to get medical help for the dog as 'truly dreadful' and added: 'I don't believe that you were devastated. You showed a deliberate disregard for Daisy's welfare in failing to seek treatment.'

Then why, 'your honour', are you not sentencing this thing in man's clothing to the fullest extent of your power?  

If It Was An Animal, You'd Put It Down...

"He has a number of serious medical conditions; PTSD as a consequence of systematic and prolonged abuse as a child, ADHD, he left school without qualifications. He has an acute personality disorder for which he's on medication. He has two children with whom he has a close relationship and when not in prison he cares for them and his poorly parents."

...but we can't even put it behind bars for long enough to keep people safe.

Aren't You Missing A Vital Key Request, Though?

The voices in the pages of this report, speaking out for our loved daughters, sisters, mothers and aunts, need to be urgently listened to. We have several key requests.

First, a shift from an approach that responds to these abhorrent killings, to one that anticipates, intervenes and prevents them. These are not unavoidable tragedies, they are preventable crimes.

We also need a sentencing framework and criminal justice response that demonstrates an absolute intolerance of the killing of women (Ed: screw everyone else, then..?), that holds perpetrators to account and protects our communities.

Finally, we need a root-and-branch review of the care and support accessible to families, because the devastation left in the aftermath of these crimes is far reaching and doesn’t end.

What about 'Telling women and girls that you can't change him, you're not special, and if he's violent to other women and girls he'll be violent to you', Julie? 

We see these crimes in the same way we see bolts of lightning – something deadly but not something we can prevent.

Except when there's a storm brewing, we know to expect lightning. Some people seem incapable of making that connection and getting indoors out of the way. 

Hey 'Mail', You're Spelling 'Deported' Wrong. I Hope?

Muslim pupils who voiced outrage after their teacher showed them a Renaissance painting of nude women will be disciplined, France's Education Minister has vowed.

Still, if not, at least the French arn't sticking their fingers in their ears and their hands over their eyes. As our politicians are doing over the Batley schoolteacher.

And How Exactly Could It Do That?

The 'Guardian' takes to its fainting couch on hearing that people swap memes and jokes on social media:

Among the messages are racist comments about a black Labour MP, who has been a frequent target of racist abuse online. The conversations also include homophobic memes about a prominent TV presenter. The Guardian has chosen not to name them but offered specific details about the content of the messages and the groups’ geographic locations to the CNC. The messages also show explicit images of nudity, as well as racist imagery and descriptions of graphic paedophilic acts. They also show men ridiculing female colleagues at the sites for their appearance and sexual attractiveness.

In other words, it shows that they are human beings and not robots in uniform. Which is quite refreshing. And so long as they aren't glued to their phones while they are supposed to be watching the nuclear sites, who really cares? 

Apart from those determined to waste court time, I suppose...

The groups also suggest that cultural concerns at Sellafield may extend to a range of other sensitive sites, raising questions about conduct within the nuclear sector as a whole. Sources told the Guardian that they fear a failure to address a negative working culture and concerns ranging from bullying to a lack of trust in management could ultimately undermine the safety of some of the most hazardous sites in Europe.

Errr...OK. How, exactly? 

Studies examining safety in the nuclear industry have found that working culture can feed into how sites are run. A 2020 report from the Office for Nuclear Regulation argued that poor culture fed into events which led to nuclear disasters, including Chornobyl in 1986 and Fukushima in 2011.

Gosh, I've always thought Chernobyl was caused by poor soviet era H&S practices and bad communication, not by Boris & Ivan swapping грязная шутка* on their mobiles... 

*'dirty jokes'

He Probably Couldn't Read Anyway...

Now, owner Liz Byford has vowed to install signs to warn walkers and claims the “vandals” took down signs that had been in place until the summer.

She has insisted replacements “have been ordered and will be installed either later this week or on Monday”.

Is Dr Doolittle translating them for you? 

Move It Monday: December

Well, to round off this year's selection, what better than the incomparable 'Boogie Wonderland' by Earth Wind and Fire? 

You can even see it with penguins!

Next year: my top 12 streaming TV shows.

Shouldn’t Be A Surprise…

…surely he saw one earlier? Like, on 7th October?

A London surgeon has described witnessing a “massacre unfold” during 43 days spent under bombardment in Gaza, saying the destruction of the Palestinian health system was a military objective of the war.

Turns out the description 'London surgeon' is working a little too hard here... 

“Having seen this massacre unfold, the creation of an uninhabitable Gaza Strip was the aim and the destruction of all the components of modern life at which the health system lies was the main military objective,” said Abu-Sittah, who has a practice in west London and has worked in Gaza since 2009, as well as in wars across Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

He clearly fancies himself a military strategist too…

When asked about Israel’s claims of being at war with Hamas and its denial of targeting civilians in Gaza, he said: “Statistically, it appears that the numbers tell a different story.”

Any numbers coming out of Hamas are 'telling a story', alright!

Since leaving Gaza 10 days ago, Abu-Sittah said he felt an overwhelming sense of guilt for those left behind. “My fear is even those who are steadfast enough to stay will eventually leave on their own and we will have what the Israelis want, which is another 1948,” he said.

“This war is the continuation of the 1948 Nakba.”

Not such an overwhelming feeling he opted to stay, one notes… 

This Could Easily Have Been Another Fatality...

Watch the video; this man - who was - according to bystanders - attempting to help the woman try to control her hellbeasts - so narrowly escapes being pushed onto the DLR track by the force of the attack. 

Now, I know Stratford - it's usually crawling with security and police, especially at this time of year. Why was this woman allowed to take two animals she couldn't control onto a train platform in the first place?

Banning these things can't come soon enough. But bans are only effective if they are enforced.

Undoubtedly A Sticky Situation To Be In...

...but c'mon, 'Mail'! 

Were They Spiders?

...because if so, you know what female spiders do after mating, don't you, Reader?

Sunday Funnies...

And they did it all without looking at the picture on the box (probably)...

Go Woke, Go Broke...

Woke books that were bought for huge advances by 'inexperienced' editors have flopped commercially, insiders say. 'Ideological fanatics' allowing their politics to dictate professional decisions have seen profits slump, according to industry experts.

 Gosh, you’d really have to have a heart of stone, wouldn’t you?

Among the works responsible for huge losses is a hotly anticipated memoir by the actor Eliot Page about his journey transitioning. 'Pageboy' sold for a $3 million advance but has sold just 68,000 copies.

 Just sack a few woke editors, to recoup the money!

Other recent 'woke' flops are Carolyn Ferrell's, 'Dear Miss Metropolitan' described by the New York Times as 'a story of three young girls, Black and biracial, who are kidnapped and thrown into the basement of a decaying house in Queens.' The novel was acquired in a deal estimated to be worth more than $250,000, but has shifted just 3,163 copies since it was published in 2021.

 Blimey, that’s not that much more than if all her friends and relatives bought a copy…

Another example is 'queer feminist Western', 'Lucky Red' by Claudia Cravens which has sold around 3,500 copies despite commanding a $500,000 advance.

Its clearly true what they say about a fool and their money. But let’s face it, they had it coming: 

'We flat-out decided we weren't going to look at certain white male authors, because we didn't want to be seen as acquiring that stuff,' one senior editor told The Free Press.

When asked whether editors acknowledged they were 'discriminating against writers because of their skin color', the editor replied: 'I don't think it was worded quite as blatantly as that. It was worded more like, 'Is this the right time to be championing authors of more traditional backgrounds?' Often, the language was a bit opaque.'

The bank balance isn’t opaque, it’s pretty stark, isn’t it? 

"No Racist Words? Ahhh, You Racists Are So Clever!"

Another astonishing win at employment tribunal, where not uttering any racist threats or phrases just proves how racist you are...

The judge said: “Samson was calm during every call I had with him that afternoon and spoke clearly and professionally. It was very clear that Samson had the best interest of the patients and customers as well as the reputation of Boots at the front of his mind.”

You don't consider, then, judge, that someone in a court setting conversing with a person who is deciding his case might just behave somewhat differently to how he behaves when alone with women? 

The judge added: “Mrs Walker, Ms Daley and Ms Munson made no overt racist comments. Their repeated allegations of aggression could reasonably lead us to the conclusion that Mrs Walker and Ms Daley were stereotyping.”

Heads he wins, tails you lose. 

Money Well Spent, For Once...

Nearly £590,000 of taxpayers' money has been spent on asking civil servants how they feel about the office and working from home, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

...and I don't say that about civil serpents very often!

The work has been driven by the Government Property Agency (GPA), a quango in charge of all Government office space. It claims to be 'helping transform the way the Civil Service works and reshaping the relationship civil servants have with their place of work'.

Surely the only 'relationship' that counts is 'work gets done, they get paid for it'? If that's happening, who cares where the work is getting done? 

Its survey concluded that only three per cent of employees wanted to go back to the office full-time after lockdown.

In which case, can we, the taxpayer, please stop footing the bill for huge expensive offices in London and other major cities? 

The GPA calls Leesman a 'world leader in measuring workplace experience'. It told the MoS: 'It is critical that civil servants have a voice that shapes their workplaces so that the spaces we deliver can best support them.'

What about us taxpayers? Don't we get a voice? 

The Cabinet Office said: 'These surveys... are used to ensure we can maximise the number of people working in the office. Since 2020 any surveys conducted have not included any questions on working from home. Using independent assessments, we can ensure that money spent on office space delivers true value to taxpayers.'

In other words, the emphasis will be on whipping these people into the office in order to justify having built or leased it in the first place. Why is this so cart before the horse? 

But They Won't Warn Parents That Johnny Wants To Be Called 'Julie'...

...so why would they warn them about this?

 

A recent survey shows nine in ten mums and dads want to be informed if their young ones partake in using the devices, which teachers say are growing in popularity. Currently, there is no legal requirement for schools to ban vapes or to notify parents if their child is caught, as there is for tobacco and drugs.

If you want to be fully informed about what your child is up to, there's only one option: homeschool them! 

Yes, The Law Really Is An Ass...

A mother was forced to spend £30,000 to stop her paedophile ex-husband from having access to her daughter. The father was imprisoned for sexual offending and was banned from having contact with children. But he still held parental responsibility for his daughter because he was married to the mother at the time of birth.

What?!? 

The mother took the exceptional step of asking the court to remove her ex-husband's parental rights and ban all contact, direct, indirect or through social media, until their daughter turned 18.

Why did she need to? Why wasn't it automatic? 

Despite the severity of the father's crimes, the mother was advised that the process was likely to be difficult. The father is described as manipulative and she feared he would be able to convince a court of his remorse.

Yes, well, that never seems too difficult, does it, Reader? 

When Your Loathing Of The Westminster Government...

...outstrips your desire to keep your supporters safe:

Nationalist MSPs have been accused of gambling with Scots’ lives after refusing to sign up to the Prime Minister’s ban on XL Bully dogs. Scottish ministers have officially turned down a request from the UK Government to comply with the fast-tracked crackdown being implemented south of the Border.

But perhaps the Scots are sensible. Maybe they don't exist in such numbers south of the border.  

Last month, a court heard how one mauled three children in Forfar in a matter of weeks. Also, in October a teenager was set upon by his own dog in Motherwell and required emergency surgery. In September an owner in Dundee had her thumb bitten while her husband was also badly mauled.

Oh. well. So much for that! 

Victims and community safety minister Siobhian Brown has written to the UK Government, stating the Scottish Government will not apply the new measures. Her letter said the Scottish Government backed the ‘proportionate approach’ of dog control notices being served on owners who allow their animals to be out of control.

But she also argued that it was up to the UK Government to ensure that no XL Bullies were abandoned over the Border.

Wait, what? Why the hell is it up to our government!? 

Scottish Tory Justice spokesman Russell Findlay claimed the SNP was gambling with lives and said: ‘Given the spate of horrific incidents, the evidence for a ban in Scotland is surely staring SNP ministers in the face.

‘Her refusal to sign up to this sensible plan can only increase the risk to Scots.

‘It seems likely that the SNP are yet again picking a constitutional fight with the UK Government.’

He added: ‘For her to then demand that these dogs do not end up in Scotland is tacit admission of the danger they pose. The SNP must stop pathetic posturing and put public safety first.’

Satan will be looking on Amazon for ice skates when that happens! 

Cost Of Living...?

...or usual winter fare when it's cold and wet out? You decide,Reader!

Isn't It Obvious..?

The relatives of 27 people who died in the worst mass drowning in the Channel for decades have marked two years since the disaster by issuing an open letter demanding answers over what happened.

Your relatives tried to breach UK immigration laws by setting out in an inadequate vessel in poor sea conditions. There! Didn't take a lot of effort to answer, did it? 

The letter states: “We will never let the lives lost that night, or those of loved ones lost since, be forgotten. We demand justice and change. We long for people seeking safety on British shores to be seen as human beings, deserving of rights, compassion and dignity.”

They were setting off from France. That's perfectly safe. 

“Tragedies like this occur because of the ‘othering’ our politicians insist on – of the dehumanising of sons and fathers, mothers and daughters, friends and family members.”

No, it's because these people are insistent on coming illegally to a country of their choice, no matter what. They claim they want to come to the UK 'for a better life' and that makes them economic migrants, and not refugees.

The letter calls for safe routes for all refugees wishing to come to the UK and improved resettlement and refugee family reunion schemes.

“That is the only way these tragedies will end,” it says.

Well, that's not on the cards. So it looks like this won't end.  

The open letter has been coordinated by a coalition of charities in the refugee sector including Calais Appeal, Care4Calais, Freedom from Torture, Refugee Action, the Refugee Council, Safe Passage and the Scottish Refugee Council.

Of course. The usual suspects.  

Now They Are Financially Bankrupt...

Brighton Council has warned it is in 'financial peril' and will have to cut millions of pounds in spending next year to balance its books - after Nottingham City Council declared itself 'bankrupt'.

...instead of just morally bankrupt.

Ms Sankey said: 'The council's finances are in an extremely perilous position. 'There was absolutely nothing in the autumn statement to provide relief for this council or local authorities who have faced a decade of heartless central government austerity, or any real-world financial help for struggling families.

'Demand for our services is increasing, especially in key areas like adult social care, children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and homelessness, which is putting pressure on other services.'

Well, maybe you should spend what you have on those, and not on idiotic things no-one wants..? 

The Labour council leader added: 'We're being forced to look at every one of the 400 services we provide and start the extremely difficult process of deciding what are priority services and what aren't.'

You've already decided on that, though, and we can see what the ratepayers think of your choices.  

'To put it bluntly, the less money we have the less services we can provide.'

It's 'fewer services', love. 

But We All Know It Won't Be...

In a prevention of future deaths report, coroner Laurinda Bower outlined numerous failings admitted by Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, including 'inadequate monitoring' as staff were 'distracted by the use of their personal mobile phones', even though it was prohibited on wards.

In the report sent to the trust last month, Ms Bower said she was concerned more people could die 'unless action is taken'.

Who is going to force that action to be taken, then? A report from the coroner isn't going to do it, is it? 

An inquest jury concluded in September that the failings had 'probably more than minimally' contributed to her death.

Her widower Michael, 49, of Rainworth, Nottinghamshire, said: 'When Michelle [seemingly] fell asleep, staff should have realised something was very wrong. Had they acted earlier Michelle would have been taken to ICU (intensive care unit) and put on a drip. That would have saved her life.

'By the time they realised what was happening, the same course of action was far too late.'

Mr Whitehead said his 'warm, caring and easy to love' wife had suffered a 'total breakdown from the person she normally is' in the last days of her life.

And no doubt he was reassured that she was in 'the best place' to treat her condition, when that was very far from the case... 

The trust admitted eight failings which also included staff failure to adhere to policy after Mrs Whitehead was sedated, leading to inadequate assessments of her. There was also a delay in a doctor arriving, and in admitting paramedics to the building.

Ifti Majid, chief executive of the trust, apologised to Mrs Whitehead's family for her 'quality' of care, and said the trust was considering the findings of the jury and coroner.

Why is no-one 'considering' whether this trust is still fit to run hospitals? Because we all know that no-one is... 

Oh, Here We Go Again...

It is one of picturesque Glencoe's most famous landmarks - but for all the wrong reasons. Now locals have called for the eyesore Allt-na-Reigh cottage - once owned by shamed Jimmy Savile - to finally be razed to the ground.

Sounds familiar. But these locals aren't exactly helping themselves by objecting to just that! 

It comes as fresh plans have been lodged to transform the building into a modern home.

Why object if you want the 'eyesore' gone? 

The new design tries to blend the house into the hillside after previous plans sparked protests from objectors who said it did not fit in with the scenic landscape.

They have been lodged by the director of Fife-based Scottish convenience store operator Eros Retail Harris Aslam who bought the property for £335,500 in 2021.

*sighs* 

It's All Kicking Off Now!

In a statement shared on X earlier this week, they wrote: 'Peterborough United Football Club strongly condemn all forms of social media abuse and are appalled by some of the comments aimed at our players over the weekend on X.

'We would like to reiterate that anyone involved in making or sharing such comments will be reported (Ed: to whom..?) and are not welcomed in interacting with our football club on any level.

'We will continue to support the players who have received any social media abuse and work with governing bodies to find a solution to stamping out any future abuse. The welfare of our players is paramount and will always be our priority.

'We hope social media companies will put the relevant legislation in place to stop any form of abuse from happening moving forward.'

Gosh! What sort of awful abuse have they been coming in for? Death threats? Is it something the media can even print?

After Peterborough posted images of the two women to celebrate their goals on X, supporters piled in with comments, with many appearing to focus mainly on the players' appearances rather than their goalscoring ability.

Oh. Well, it's noticable that their official photos are rather like glamour shots... but it's hardly 'abuse' to notice that, is it?

There were also a number of remarks that appeared to be patronising the players, with one writer posting: 'Kirk > Messi and Ronaldo', while another stated the forward is 'the goatttttt' (Greatest of all time) and a fellow 'fan' claimed 'she must win the ballon d'Or'. Another 'supporter' added: 'Another weekend, another Perkins and Kirk masterclass'.

Oh, FFS! Calling this 'abuse' when it's at best mild ribbing is ridiculous! 

The Rise Of Skynet Delayed Again...

Oh, no, is this the long-awaited machine uprising?

No, Reader, fear not - it's simply a breach of safety regulations. 

The worker, Remigiusz Cyrek, was choked unconscious after he was dragged into the machine by the hood of his jacket and trapped there by a giant roller.

Why was the machine working at the time of cleaning, and why have anything on that could get caught? 

Good grief, in my office, we're even warned - as part of induction and regular H&S updates - not to let anything dangle near the shredder when you're using it! 

Barry Smith, a lawyer for the company, said that Cyrek was a valued employee and that Kettle Produce “very sincerely regret this accident occurred”. He told the court: “There was a system, and had it been followed properly, it would have ensured safety.

“Clear instruction was not universally understood and followed. It is accepted the company fell short of the required standard.”

Why would any company hire people who cannot understand and follow routine safety procedures, I wonder? 

"Photo Monkey, Find Me A Picture Of A Car With A Frozen Windscreen..."

"Sure, boss! Errr, that's the one on the side, right?"

"What? No!"

Don't Leave Us Hanging, 'Mail' Editor!

If he what..!? Or should that have been 'of her brother'?

Sunday Funnies...

I like my cartoons light and funny and without hidden darkness, thanks!

"And Now We Go Over To Lord Of The Flies High For A Report..."

Striking teachers who walked out of a Kent academy in a row with authorities over pupil behaviour have been slammed by some locals who say they're 'bowing down' to the anti-social children they're supposed to be teaching.

I'm not normally in favour of strikes, but it must feel to these teachers as if they genuinely have no other recourse... 

The troubled school was rated inadequate by Ofsted in August 2022 due to concerns over 'bullying, racism, homophobia, vandalism and pupils' understanding of sexual consent'.

Around 20 staff formed a picket line between 7.30am and 10am today holding up placards including some saying: 'I Come to work to teach not to be abused'and 'NOT ready, not respectful not safe.'

The school, which is one of only two on the Isle, has denied repeated calls for 10-day suspensions to be handed out to students if they abuse teachers.

Then they can't really be surprised when their workers take matters into their own hands, can they? 

Deb, a nurse who moved to the Isle two years ago, ... disagreed with the strikes and says that teachers should get back to work.

'The discipline is down to the law as far as I am concerned. Just as we have to bow down to our patients, they have to bow down to their pupils.'

Anyone aware of the NHS 'bowing down' to anybody? Anyone? Bueller? 

'I'm really old fashioned. It doesn't matter what school a child is in - if they want to learn they will learn.'

'There's always been issues with pupils. And unfortunately, the issue starts with a lot of the teachers are frightened of the parents because they can be very challenging.'

If the parents are 'challenging', you can imagine how the children behave... 

The trainee, who has been there for 18 months, said: 'Students verbally abuse teachers – arguments about phones are constant as well as the use of the iPads which we loan them. 'I've seen a chair thrown at a teacher. I've seen a gang of four students chase a teacher into the staff room.

'Those who criticise us striking are wrong – regardless of what the children have said or what they've done we still go back every day and give them a clean slate.

'But if we have an incident in class and we need a student removed and we send a call out, no one comes. That's 20 minutes of learning time lost in a 50 minute session'.

Those children who are, like Deb insists, 'there to learn' are being let down. Why does no-one consider that? 

Ms Kahan and her family live in a large detached house on the same road as the Minster-on-Sea site – and have had to deal with students kicking down their fences four times since she has lived there. The multi-generational family have been left to shell out hundreds of pounds to replace the panels which stands next to a busy bus stop.

She said: 'Me and my husband have come out to speak to them so many times. These things are expensive, we've had to fix it four or five times.

'But they just give it back to us. They 100 per cent need to be disciplined more'.

Yes, they certainly do, but it appears no-one wants to, so nothing will change. 

Why Should Anyone Care About His 'Emotional Stress'..?

He's not the victim here, he's the perpetrator of it!

The now 41-year-old killer was granted a private hearing after the Parole Board ruled that a public one would cause 'disproportionate emotional stress' to Venables, but he still didn't show up.

The source told the Sun: 'It makes a mockery of it all. He's been a coward to the end. He probably didn't want to hear the impact statements so took the easy option.'

No doubt the useless Tories will try to have him dragged in chains to the hearing in a desperate attempt to stop the hemorrhaging voter base now... 

Denise Fergus, 54, James's mother, said she endured 'three decades of hell' after Venables killed her son and urged the board to 'keep people safe from this monster' by denying his parole.

Ah, if only that was actually in their job description. 

And It's Bred...!

Outrage has greeted the news that 19-year-old TikTok menace Mizzy - a father of one- will be locked up for 18 weeks in a young offenders institution with children rather than an adult prison.

The 'prankster', real name Bacari-Bronze O'Garro, has been jailed for violating court orders which ordered him 'not to upload directly or indirectly, any original video content on social media, without prior documented consent of the people in that content'.

In another ridiculous step for the so-called 'justice system' we have in this country, he qualifies for this soft treatment purely due to the age at which he committed the offence.

...speaking to MailOnline, Ernest Aduwa, Partner at Stokoe Partnership Solicitors explained that Mizzy's containment in the youth system was how the penal system was intended to operate.

He said: 'When deciding which prison a person is sent too (sic), it's not so much determined by any representations made by the defence solicitor at a time of sentence.

'Any mitigation put forward in relation to the offense committed - so any remorse, or any mitigating circumstances personally relating to that offence, and to that offender in particular.

'It won't affect what prison that offender is sent to.

'Young offenders institutions aren't any less of a prison than an adult prison - they're just separated from adults over the age of 21.'

Sure, sure, we all believe that, don't we? 

In mitigation remarks, Barrister Paul Lennon, defending O'Garro, urged the court to consider his young age and his personal circumstances.

None of which will be a surprise: 

'In terms of his family relationships, his relationship with his mother is both good and bad. He has not had any contact with his father since he was two years old.'

'His relationship with the mother of his child is difficult, but he still attempts to have as much time with his child as he can.'

Perhaps, like the well-to-do registering their young offspring for Eton, the mother should be considering which juvenile offenders institute she'd prefer the child to go to in the future?  

Gosh, How Unlucky Can One Man Be..?

A security worker who was cleared of involvement in the £26m 'Burglary of the Century' raid on Tamara Ecclestone's mansion allowed his bank accounts to be used to launder money stolen from a dementia sufferer, a court heard.

Sorin Marcovici, 56, was cleared of the heist at the socialite's 'Billionaires' Row' home in Kensington, London.

More foreign criminal. Don't we have enough of our own home-grown type? 

David Ryan, prosecuting, said:' The loser was duped into handing control of his computer to a third party. 'The money was transferred to two accounts controlled by the defendant.'

*sighs* 

Matei Clej, defending Marcovici said: 'He is married and is of previous good character. This was a one-off offence.'

The barrister said Marcovici has been suffering from long Covid.

So..? 

Passing sentence Judge Alex Gordon said:'Money laundering is an integral part of much criminality.'

But the judge accepted that a long time had passed since the offence, and that he had not committed an offence since.

'This has enabled you to demonstrate that you have not committed any offence between then and now.' He also took Marcovici's health into account.

Marcovici, of Newham, was given a sentence of 16 months suspended for two years.

I note there's no mention of being able to recover the victim's money... 

Marcovici, dubbed 'The Professor', was cleared of conspiracy to burgle by a jury in January 2021 after he denied and knowledge of the plan to carry out high value raids

He told the court: 'Never, I have ever known anything, and if I knew that something happened and felt instinctively something was wrong I would have reported it to the police, because this is my home country.'

That needs to change... 

Tweet Of The Month