Tweet Of The Month

Post Title Of The Month

Longrider on the 'Guardian's' enduring obsession:

Quote Of The Month

Bill Sticker on the mystery that is modern feminism:

"Some feminists have even been quoted as saying that women do not need men at all. First they deride the men they reject as ‘involuntary celibates’ and virtually ensure that they will have an equally barren life and run the risk of ending up as elderly cat ladies writing green ink screeds against their ‘oppressors’. They rail against the notion of feminine attractiveness as a primary tool of control, forgetting how much power it actually gives women. Then we see TikTok videos of young women demanding to know where ‘all the good men are’."

Post Of The Month

Bucko on the US news that pissed in a thousand Guardianistas' cornflakes.... 

Tally Ho!

Giving the midgets a run for their money, in gallops PETA:

Animal rights activists have demanded the Sly Old Fox pub in Birmingham change its name because it is 'derogatory' towards foxes. PETA has suggested the pub, which dates back to 1891 and has hosted a number of famous faces including Charlie Chaplin, becomes 'The Clever Old Fox' instead. They have argued the current name is 'negative' and perpetuates foxes' 'unearned' reputation as pests.

I think they've more than earned that reputation.  

While the Sly Old Fox has so far made no public announcement as to whether it will agree to PETA's demands, the suggestion has been ridiculed on social media.

Good old social media, sometimes seeming the only sane thing in an increasingly insane world. 

Proof – As If We Needed More – That The Wrong People Are Attending University

The parents of a student who killed herself after receiving inaccurate exam results are calling for universities to provide better support.

What? How exactly are universities to anticipate some snowflake topping herself over something so trivial...except, perhaps, by better screening of the people they let in? 

Mared Foulkes, from Anglesey, received an email in July 2020 saying that she had failed an assessment and could not progress to her third year – even though she had already re-sat it and passed.

Did she know she'd passed on the retake? The article doesn't make it clear. 

Mared’s family want to see a change in the law on how universities support students with mental health issues, and how they communicate with the families of students.

Mared’s mother, Iona Foulkes, said: “She came home that evening from work and we had a normal family meal.

“Then she decided she wanted to make a cheesecake and said she was going to the local supermarket and asked if I wanted anything.

"She took the car keys and left.”

Two police officers visited the house later that evening to tell her family that she had died.

How this could have been forseen by the university, if the family didn't suss it out, is anyone's guess.  

"She had worked so hard at her course," her mother added. "She had her heart set on becoming a pharmacist from a young age. She had done voluntary work in a hospital in the Philippines and been accepted to study in China.

“To be informed that you have failed two years of study and you couldn’t progress – it must have been horrific.

“You are talking about a 21-year-old, a young person getting this information.

Did she expect to go through life never encountering disappointment? If so, her family failed her.  

“It is a tragedy which should never have happened. It shouldn’t be. Something needs to change – quickly – before more families have to endure what we have to live with for the rest of our lives.”

Well, we could mandate mental health assessment before attendance? 

Nine months before Mared died, she had visited the university’s support services to discuss her mental health, but her family did not find out until a year after her death.

They had no idea? It's not like the university could breach her confidentiality and tell them, is it?  

The March Of The NuPuritans Continues

Schools in England should be banned from giving pupils cakes or biscuits as part of their lunch because they contain so much sugar, food campaigners say. They want ministers to overhaul the rules that guide schools on the nutritional content of the meals they serve to outlaw such sugary snacks.

Who are these fun sponges? 

The call has come from Action on Sugar, a group of nutritionists and other health experts at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), who campaign on the health dangers of too much sugar.

Oh. Of course.  

At the moment schools are allowed under the school food standards to give pupils desserts, cakes and biscuits as part of the lunch they receive on the premises. They include sweet treats that are either bought in or made from scratch, such as cakes, buns, pastries and scones.Action on Sugar made its plea after an analysis it undertook of the sugar content of dozens of cakes, chocolates and biscuits that have as much as 12 teaspoons in them. For example, Ritter Sport marzipan has 51g per packet while the same firm’s whole hazelnuts and white whole hazelnuts contain 44g, the equivalent of 11 teaspoonfuls. “These findings reinforce the urgent need for a complete ban on cakes and biscuits currently permitted under the school food standards at lunchtime, as they are unlikely to align with current maximum sugar guidelines,” said Dr Kawther Hashem, a lecturer in public health nutrition at QMUL and Action on Sugar’s head of research and impact.

“We have a duty to every child to make every school a sanctuary from unnecessary sugar, so they can grow up healthier, stronger and free from the risks of diet-related disease.”

Why are we employing foreigners in hijab to tell us what to eat?  

Presumably Because Even Starmer’s Government Of All The Talentless Know It Isn’t Going To Work

A social media ban for under-16s is “not on the cards at the moment”, a minister has said, as teenagers urged him to rethink plans to follow Australia’s lead and restrict access to sites such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.

Finally, a plan so stupid even Starmer's mob can see right through it!  

Peter Kyle, the secretary of state for science and technology, is trying to convince social media platforms to do more to prevent online harms, with new laws coming into effect next year that could result in heavy fines and even jail in cases where online safety is breached. He told the Guardian: “There’s no work programme at the moment on banning smartphones to children,” and he added: “It’s not my preferred choice.”

Because it's impossible, as Australia will shortly leaen.  

He said the main risk he was concerned to tackle was of deaths of children as a result of social media. “I’ve met parents of children who have either committed suicide or the murder has been instigated via online activity,” he said.

“I get a lot of parents writing to me saying ‘just stop this kit getting into my kid’s hands’.”

Do you ever say to them 'No, that's your job, you're the parents'? 

Well, Fine, It Can Go To The Great Kennel In The Sky Then!

The owner of an XL bully dog has reluctantly agreed to let the police put the dog down, due to the effect spending time in police kennels might have had on her.

Is it possible to make these mutts more unpredictable than genetics already has done, then? 

Leicestershire Police went to Harry Lunn's home in New Romney Crescent, Netherhall, Leicester, in April after receiving a report about Azelda, his unregistered XL bully. Under the law, any XL bully not registered by Thursday, February 1 this year can be seized by police.But Lunn, 30, who lives with his children, decided he did not want to risk having the dog back. Leicester Magistrates' Court heard on Friday (November 15) that he was worried Azelda would have been changed by her time in kennels.

Because apparently, his other - legal - dog had been: 

Lunn owned Azelda illegally and had a second dog that was perfectly legal for him to own. When police visited, they asked Lunn to voluntarily turn the dogs over but he refused, saying he believed Azelda was registered and was a safe dog who didn't deserve to be destroyed. The police returned with a warrant to seize both dogs. They have kept Azelda ever since but the second dog was returned to Lunn eight days later. Prakash Morar, representing Lunn in court, said: "When the second dog was returned eight days later it was not itself.

"It was shaking and had what he believed was kennel cough and had completely changed as a dog."

'What he believed'? I assume this means he didn't get it vet treatment? Sounds like someone who shouldn't have dogs at all.  

He said that Lunn decided he did not want to risk Azelda returning to the family home. Mr Morar said: "He feels he won't be able to take the XL bully dog back. He has children at home."

Of course, if not for the revised DDA, there'd be plenty of people willing to take this ticking time bomb: 

 

The magistates, who stopped short of ordering Azelda's destruction because of her non-violent nature, gave Lunn two months if he did change his mind and decide to register Azelda.

Oh, FFS! More taxpayer money down the drain! 

What Has 'Common Sense' Got To Do With It, Liam?

A foreign paedophile who abused his stepdaughter and two of her cousins has been allowed to stay in Scotland – because deporting him would breach his right to a family life. The man in his 50s, originally from central Africa, was found guilty of vile sex attacks on the three young girls. The severity of his offences meant he was to be automatically sent back to his homeland.

But of course, the intervention of activist judges with warped priorities put the kibosh on that. 

But even though his victims were members of his extended family, his deportation was blocked as he claimed his family life would suffer – despite a judge ruling he ‘continues to pose a risk’. Last night Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: ‘The public will be appalled that this dangerous criminal can remain in Scotland.

'Common sense should mean that public safety is always prioritised rather than offenders.’

We don't operate by 'commmon sense' any more Liam. If we did, this man wouldn't be here in the first place. And initially, he wasn't.  

Identified in official documents as ‘MD’, he arrived in the UK in 2008 and claimed asylum but was initially rejected.

Hurrah! Some common se..

Oh. 

Using publicly funded legal aid, he went to court to argue he should be allowed to remain.

*sighs* 

He married a British woman and fathered three children and became stepfather to his wife’s daughter from a previous marriage.

The Home Office said it is challenging the ruling.

It needs to start challenging the activist judges, too. 

They Aren't Superhuman....

A mother has vowed to fight for justice for her 15-year-old daughter who was electrocuted on railway tracks, as the coroner says police failings may be to blame. A jury will decide whether the actions of police officers led to the death of Roxy Phillips, who died on the railway tracks in Weymouth, Dorset.

So, how did this happen? Did they stand by and do nothing? No, Reader, they did what they could: 

Senior Coroner Rachel Griffin said there was reason to suspect the actions of police officers could have caused Roxy's death, which requires a jury inquest to be held. Mrs Griffin said:

'CCTV captured Roxy at Weymouth train station at around 12.57am and showed her walking onto the tracks.

'A minute later a member of the public called Dorset Police to report a person on the railway line.

'Dorset Police notified Network Rail of a member of the public on the line and requested the electricity to be switched off. 'Officers from Dorset Police were called to investigate the report of trespassers and arrived at the scene at 1.15am.

'At 1.17am officers reported that they could not see anyone on the tracks. They thought there was no point going onto the tracks as there is multiple places that people can leave the tracks.

'Dorset Police stood down and handed the incident over to British Transport Police (BTP). 'In line with Network Rail procedures, the emergency switch off was lifted after no trespassers were found.

'At 2.06am paramedics were called to Roxy's aid, but she died at the scene.

They turned up. looked for her, couldn't find her and stood down. What else were they supposed to do, lock out an entire train line until she was located? 

Are We Allowing The Wrong People To Attend University?

Oxford University has been hit by a second sudden student death - just days after news of a tormented student killing himself made headlines. Neuroscience PHD student Cal Shearer, 25, who is said to have 'radiated warmth to all those around them', was found hanged in digs at St John's College in the city on October 30.

Oh, if only there had been some warning? 

Caring Cal, who was autistic and transgender, volunteered talking to callers to The Samaritans helpline, but privately battled with their own mental health struggles.

Truly, the blind leading the blind! What sort of parents produced this disaster, I wonder? 

Cal's parents, former Fast Show actor Paul Shearer and former former children's TV presenter turned actress and film producer Vicky Licorish are understood to have been left devastated - as is longtime family friend, acclaimed author Jeanette Winterson.

Aha! I suspect this is a clue... 

Imogen, Cal's long term friend, then partner and, last year, wife never left their side. 'Now working for the NHS, Imogen tried to secure Cal the right treatment for this all too prevalent but not yet understood crisis of suicides amongst autistic people identifying as trans.'

I think it's perfectly understood - unstable people do unstable things. I'll reserve my sympathy in her case, as I don't think anything of value was lost, unlike other cases:  

Alexander Rogers, known as Xander, found himself frozen out by his social circle after he had sex with a female friend who told other male students she had felt 'discomfort' about the encounter, a coroner heard. Despite having no intentions of reporting the incident, two male friends confronted the third year student, telling Alexander he had 'messed up' and they 'needed space from him'. The next day, the undergraduate jumped into the River Thames from Donnington Bridge and died from serious head injuries.

Poor guy should have realised his chosen 'social circle' weren't real friends at all, and he was well rid of them.  

The Department of Education has since been urged by coroner Nicholas Graham to review the 'cancel culture' phenomenon sweeping across university campuses in the UK.

What are they supposed to do about it?  

Why Did The Journos Agree To It?

Chief Constable Kate Meynell will undergo a probe conducted by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) after claims she tried to suppress members of the media from revealing that the perpetrator of the attacks had previously been reported on two occasions, according to the Mirror.

It is, of course, the Valdo Calocane case.  

Knifeman Valdo Calocane had been reported to authorities for stalking on two separate occasions before stabbing Barnaby Webber, Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates to death in 2023.

Chief Constable Meynell had revealed the oversight in a private press briefing but had journalists in attendance sign non-disclosure agreements, preventing them from publishing the information.

Not exactly Woodward and Bernstein are they, our modern journalists? 

This attempt to conceal police failings was revealed by the Nottingham Post, with the victims families launching a formal complaint to the Nottingham Police and Crime Commissioner.

Nor was this the only source of further lack of trust in the police from this DEI hire and this farce... 

In the wake of the stabbings, there were also calls for Chief Constable Meynell to step down when it emerged her own son was one of the Nottinghamshire Police officers circulating graphic details of the stabbings via WhatsApp.

I wonder where he got the impression integrity was optional? 

I'm Sure It's Due To An Increase Of Something In The Area...

...I just don't believe the council's claim that it's due to fouling or attacks:

Dog walkers are fuming after finding out a London borough is dreaming up new rules that could stop their pets roaming freely in parks. Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman, who has made headlines in the past for his spats with the Labour party, is overseeing the enforcement of the government's 'Asbos for dogs' policy. Known officially as the Public Spaces Protection Orders, the regulations have already been implemented across the country. However, Tower Hamlets is an oddity by failing to specify which areas dogs are allowed to roam leadless.

Probably none, which would, of course, suit majority population in this little corner of Bangladesh London down to the ground.... 

It is this greyness in the rules which has now left open the possibility that the borough's biggest green spaces, such as Victoria Park, could now become no-go areas for dogs. The council claim that these clampdowns are warranted due to an increase in violent dog attacks in the borough alongside a rise in reported dog fouling.

Well, of course they do..! 

One such livid Tower Hamlets local is Team GB star Scarlett Mew Jensen, who won a bronze medal in diving at last summer's Paris Olympics. The proud owner of black labrador Olive, Jensen has claimed that her energetic canine companion would not be the same dog if mayor Rahman institutes a borough-wide ban on leadless dogs in parks. 'If she's not able to get off the lead, she's not able to be a dog. That adjustment would be really hard', Jensen told the Times. 'She has to run from time to time or she's not herself', the Olympian added.

Perhaps she should move out of the area then. There are far better places to live, after all.  

Reacting to the pushback over its enforcement of the 'Asbos for dogs' policy, Tower Hamlets council have cited data which suggests there were 108 dog attack penalties issued in the area in 2023-24. Although, objecting locals have pointed out that this data mainly features the notorious XL Bully breed which has been under a nationwide ban since the start of 2024.

It's a red herring. The real reason is obvious.  

Another issue of contention with the proposed dog law changes is Tower Hamlets council's plan to hire an additional 31 enforcement officers across the borough whose roles will include policing any pet owners in breach of the new lead rules. This would increase the number of enforcement officers in the borough by almost double, seeing a total of 64 officers employed at a starting salary of at least £55,698. In stark contrast, a new Met Police hire can expect to earn nearly £20,000 less, with a starting salary of just £38,269. The council has so far failed to explain this disparity in wages.

*shrug* That's what Tower Hamlets voted for, it's a bit late for buyer's remorse now.  

He Used It For The Very Reason He Bought It

Most of the media reports of the court case that has resulted in a well-deserved guilty verdict for the owner of the XL bully that savaged a man to death in the street have led the reader to believe that this stemmed from another 'dog on dog' attack, with the dangerous mutt launching its attack on the owner's dog and his death becoming 'collateral damage' as a result when the beast turned on him. 

But actually, that's not so:

The American XL bully owner whose dog killed a neighbour “failed to control” it as he chased the victim suspecting he had put out a window at his home, it has emerged.

Following the smashing of a window at his home, Bell was said to have run from his address with his two dogs to chase Mr Langley, who he thought was responsible. After a short pursuit, one of Bell’s dogs, an XL Bully named ‘Titan’, grabbed Mr Langley by the throat, causing catastrophic injuries.

 He owned weapon dogs, and he used them as a weapon in the street. 

“It was clear from the evidence in this case that Bell had not attempted to control the dog as he chased Ian Langley, admitting in a police interview that his primary focus had been to catch Mr Langley.

“It was for this reason that he did not think to intervene in his dog’s pursuit.”

He bought it for that pursuit, he used it for that pursuit. He murdered that man as surely as if he'd shot him, it's just that the weapon he used wasn't a gun. 

Following his guilty plea, Bell was told by Judge Robert Adams that, “all sentencing options will be open to the court” when he returns to be sentenced in the New Year. He asked the Probation Service to prepare a background report on Bell prior to the sentencing hearing.

Not sure what 'background report is needed here, he deliberately set the dog on that man. Why is he not charged with that offence? 

Easy Mistake To Make...

Finger on the pulse as ever, Matt....

Hiring From The 'Mail' Pool, Standard?

I really hope that was a misspelling of 'rescued'!

Sunday Funnies...

It's a truly foreign country...

Put On Your Big Boy Pants, Maybe?

OK, selecting an agony aunt from the 'Guardian' may not be very wise....

The dilemma I am a 53-year-old husband, happily married for 10 years. Everything is as good as it could be, but I sometimes feel like a neglected housewife living in the 1950s, while the “husband” (my wife) is ignoring the real me – and that real me is a writer.

Whew! Thank goodness, I was rather expecting 'the real me' to turn out to be something else entirely... 

About a year ago, I spoke to her about needing her support as it’s a lonely pursuit, and she listened. But nothing changed. I then realised she was not interested in me as a writer, so my question is not how do I force her to be interested but what do I need to do for it not to hurt any more? What do I need to do for it not to feel personal?

You need to man up.  

“…of no more impact or relevance than for example if we had both had an interest in crown green bowling or church bell ringing”

A judge has denied he was asked to give legal advice to hospital bosses over concerns about nurse Lucy Letby because he is a Freemason, a public inquiry has heard. The Thirlwall inquiry into events surrounding the crimes of Letby heard that both Judge Simon Medland KC and the Countess of Chester’s former director of corporate and legal services, Stephen Cross, are members of the organisation.

This case gets murkier and more likely to turn out to have been a huge miscarriage of justice every week, doesn't it? 

Earlier this week, the inquiry heard of “rumours and hearsay” about a Freemason connection of a “number of high-ranking people in the hospital and elsewhere”. Dr Stephen Brearey, the neonatal unit clinical lead, said he understood Cross had risen “quite quickly” from a junior position, and queried whether the hospital had followed any processes “in terms of fit and proper candidates for executive roles” . He said he heard Cross had been demoted from a senior rank in the police force to a constable.

Blimey!  

Dr Brearey said people at the hospital had the impression there might be “deals going on behind the scenes”.

Gosh! You wouldn't expect that at a hospital, of all places, eh? *inserts tongue firmly back in cheek* 

Local Council Efficiency

Businesses are cheering as the go-ahead has finally been given for ‘ugly’ scaffolding to be removed from Andover High Street, two years after it was erected.

Test Valley Borough Council and Andover BID manager, Shelley Coburn have been putting pressure on Entain, the owners of Ladbrokes to start structural repair works on the listed building, to stabilize and make the building safe.

A spokesperson from Test Valley Borough Council said: “We have been applying significant pressure to the parties responsible for the maintenance of the building and have been informed that plans to begin repairs are now mobilising. We have been advised that works are expected to begin at the end of November and will take around 16 weeks to complete."

So it won't actually come down until April 2025. They might as well leave it to celebrate its three year anniversary!

At least they are protecting the Andover populace from the horror of....PVC shop signs:

"We have provided various support to Andover Catfe, including a £1,200 independent retailer grant, and we will continue to help in any way we can. But we also have a duty to make sure that the sign on a listed building in the town centre conservation area is acceptable in planning terms.

In April, we granted planning consent for a new wooden sign. After careful consideration, we have refused the retrospective planning application for the foam PVC sign installed in its place. "

They do love to splash the ratepayer's cash:

A new dog care service has been awarded a council grant. Harley's Hounds, owned by Lucy Maryon, has received a Business Incentive Grant from Test Valley Borough Council.

The grant will help Lucy improve her dog walking and boarding services.

*sighs* 

H/T: Ian J via email 

A Clear Case Of Nominative Determinism Here....

Julian Nutter, defending, argued Edge was somewhat acting as a 'Robin Hood' figure by giving people who would struggle to afford a Sky subscription access to the games.

Seriously?!?

'Whether or not he made a significant profit is an issue which is raised. The point should be made on his behalf that the people who would buy his products would not be people who are likely to have the money to buy a Sky subscription,' Mr Nutter said.

The people who rob banks probably don't have a lot of money either. But can we try one last Scouse-oriented throw of the dice here? Reader, Nutter's the man for the job: 

'They have limited income. The people he would be been dealing with in the Merseyside area would hardly be the same as toffs in London who would have money coming in from the city. 'He was providing a service to people who would probably not be able to afford it otherwise. There's an element of a Robin Hood to all that.'

Well, no. So now he's banged up for three years and four months, while these people aren't, and probably gets free Sky in prison!

Well, Of Course We Will, Emma…

...because judging each other is what social beings do.

...new research suggests different social classes have stopped using different words for the thing we sit on in front of the television. The non-U (U as in upper class) “settee” is dying out and we all mostly say “sofa”. Then there’s the other thing we all sit on: we call it the loo or toilet indiscriminately now, irrespective of where we went to school.

Truly, we live in an egalitarian society! But who on earth cares about such things these days, anyway? 

The giant pit of words that is the internet means we live radically less linguistically siloed lives, too. Perhaps this study will finally bury U and non-U. Of course, it won’t stop us judging each other based on how we talk; plenty of words and phrases make me clutch my pearls in horror. I have started compiling a list of my most irredeemable for 2024: Substack, sleepmaxxing, fridgescape, “passionate about content creation” and microbiome.

Over to you, Reader, what are your personal bugbears? 

"Licensing private hire jet skis is not something the council has done before."

But you can practically see the pound signs in their eyes, can't you?

The use of private hire jet skis on waterways in Suffolk has been scrutinised after a district council decided it would launch a consultation on whether it should be licensing them or not.

Members of the East Suffolk Council licensing committee met on Monday to discuss the issue following the launch of a business in the area earlier this year.

Well, at least they decided to consult, I suppose...

Oh, wait!  

Under Section 94 of the Public Health Act Amendments Act 1907, jet skis let out for hire must be licensed by the council.

Then...why the consultation? 

The consultation will only focus on jet skis let out to hire and not those used by private owners.

The ones not for hire run silently and produce no pollution, I suppose? 

Bathers, be sensible! Build your nests somewhere else! You too, seals...

 
H/T: Dave Ward via email

Why Should ‘Reform’ Not Mean Less Funding, Frances?

In the days after the budget, the headlines were dominated by talk of Rachel Reeves’s “tax and spend” bonanza. The message was clear: austerity is officially over. When there was concern about squeezed incomes, it was solely for workers. As the Mail front page put it: “Reeves’ £40bn tax bombshell for Britain’s strivers”. Almost a week later, there has still barely been a word about the policy set to hit the group long scapegoated as Britain’s skivers: the billions of pounds’ worth of benefit cuts for disabled people.

Talk about single-issue loons, and up pops Frances, like a handicapped version of 'Candyman'... 

It’s no wonder that many disabled people – and charities and journalists for that matter – thought this meant Labour would implement the outgoing Tory policies. In fact, the government has no such plan. When I spoke to the Department for Work and Pensions, it confirmed it will make the same “savings” the last government committed to – but it cannot as yet say how those savings will be made.

Lots of people made assumptions about the likely direction of a Labour administration, and lots suddenly found their hopes crushed, so you're in good company. 

A spokesperson confirmed to me that the WCA needs to be “reformed or replaced as part of a proper plan to genuinely support disabled people into work – bringing down the benefits bill and ensuring we continue to deliver the savings set out by the previous government. But these sorts of changes shouldn’t be made in haste. That’s why we’re taking the time to review this in the round before setting out next steps on our approach.” When I pressed, they added that changes to the WCA – whatever they may be – will come into effect in early 2025. There is something faintly ludicrous about the government announcing billions of pounds of cuts to disability benefits before working out how it is going to do it...

No surprise, though I think Net Zero still takes the cake for Worst Policy of the Decade. 

It is right that the WCA – long known to be a dangerously faulty assessment – is consigned to the scrapheap. But “reform” should not mean less funding, and reducing funding should not be the purpose of reform.

Why should 'reform' not mean less funding? Why take an option off the table? Do you need this?

 

It's Not Just XL Bullies....

A dog who repeatedly bit a man’s groin in an attack is so dangerous he must be put down, a court has ruled.

Owner is, of course, utterly useless:

"He is a lovely family dog normally,” she said" 

The story is paywalled, but the thing is a German Shepherd cross mastiff. Not another XL Bully. 

Not that that stops the idiots from proclaiming that dangerous dogs are just fine family pets and shouldn't be destroyed.

Who wants to try 'retraining' a dog that's attacked people repeatedly?

H/T: Dave Ward via email

Rejoice! Free Propaganda!

Konnie Huq, Jamie Oliver, David Baddiel, Adam Kay, Mary Portas and Joseph Coelho are among those collaborating on an ebook about the climate crisis which will be free to access for every UK primary school.

And I'm betting the ones squawking about celebrities writing children's books won't be uttering a single peep about this.... 

The ebook, Children for Change, is edited by Huq and features contributions from more than 80 writers, illustrators, environmentalists and young people including Tom Gates author Liz Pichon, The Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler and TV presenter Chris Packham. The book contains stories, poems, illustrations and features about a variety of topics related to the environment including fast fashion, rewilding and measuring our carbon footprint.

Ugh! Children are usually pretty good about avoiding propaganda and stories adults encourage them to read, so hopefully, they will regard this with as much horror as I once regarded stuff by Enid Blyton.  

The introduction advises children to “start anywhere” in the book. “It’s a chocolate box, essentially”, said Huq.

Well, Jamie Oliver won't like that! He's a health nut now, isn't he? 

“What I love about the idea behind this book is that it’s not all doom and gloom,” said Young Bond series author Charlie Higson, whose writing appears in the anthology. “It’s about letting kids know there are things they can do to safeguard their futures and encouraging them to get involved.”

Because how else can the next cadre of eco-terrorists be raised? 

Huq said it was important that the book was made available for free because there are many children who do not own books, as well as schools that do not have libraries.

A school with no library is an abomination.  

Wonder If The Trial Will Reveal The Truth?

The family of Aidan released a tribute to him as the murder investigation continued. They said: 'Aidan was the best son, big brother, nephew, grandson, cousin and friend anyone could have. He was a massive part of so many people's lives and is loved very dearly by all.

Clearly, not by one person. Not if police suspcions that this was deliberate are correct.

'He was a kind, caring, funny and sometimes shy boy, who was always polite and had respect for others. Aidan will be so missed by so many people.'

He wasn't missed by the driver. Who, I suspect, as is often the way with these things, would have a somewhat different view of the deceased to the family. We shall see at the trial. 

The Dog Is Following It's Nature. Is The Defence Doing The Same?

Another day, another horrifying attack by an XL Bully....

Ms Muru said Ratteray, who also lives at an address in Oxford Street, Leicester city centre, had no similar previous convictions and nothing at all for the past five years. She said the 41-year-old had bought Cookie for Bott, 34, but he was the registered owner of the XL Bully.

Jabeen Naru, representing both Ratteray and Bott, said the couple had properly obtained an exemption certificate for Cookie, who was a "family pet". She said: "Their children were devastated when the dog was destroyed. Mr Ratteray immediately did follow the dog. He did everything he could to bring his dog under control." She asked the magistrates to be lenient to Bott, due to her lack of involvement in what happened during the incident. She said: "She herself suffers with depression and anxiety. I would like you to consider a conditional discharge for Miss Bott."

But the magistrates, who have the power to jail people for up to six months, decided their powers were not enough to deal with the case.Ratteray and Bott are due to be sentenced at Leicester Crown Court later this month.

So, were the magistrates not convinced by the statements made by the defence? According to Facebook, they'd have been right not to be: 

Fighting dogs gonna savage, defence solicitors gonna lie shamelessly. Both are following their nature. Shouldn't the justice system check what they are actually being told told is true?

H/T: Baz via Twitter 

'She always saw the good in everyone....'

Well, that was her fatal mistake. Because some people just don't have any in them. And no-one's sorting out the potential killers from the rest.

Rhiannon Skye Whyte, 27, died in hospital three days after she was knifed at Bescot Stadium railway station in Walsall following a shift on October 20.

Deng Chol Majek, 18, who is believed to be a Sudanese who crossed the Channel in a small boat, has since been charged with her murder.

It is understood a row over a packet of biscuits took place at the hotel just before the attack, The Sun has reported.

Lives are held cheap in some countries, such that a killing over something so trivial is no surprise. And now, if convicted, he gets to stay in the UK with a better lifestyle in prison than he would have free in his own country. 

Majek has been remanded in custody and will next appear at Wolverhampton Crown Court on November 19.

And all it cost was the life of a British mother. 

Two Birds, One Stone!

Matt always has his finger on the pulse..!

Let's Hope, If WWIII Breaks Out, The Fighter Pilots Don't Read Upday News...

Under the agreement, the Ministry of Defence said German P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft will "periodically" operate out of RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, potentially armed with UK-supplied torpedoes, helping to secure the North Atlantic.

Pity, then, that you couldn't have found a picture to illustrate your story with, as that's a Luftwaffe Airbus A400 transport... 

H/T: The Jannie via email

Sunday Funnies...

Will probably never be played on Radio Two...

I Guess She Just Couldn't Be The Bigger Person About It..?

A pub called The Midget is to change its name. The watering hole, in Abingdon takes its name from the classic MG sports car which was manufactured in the Oxfordshire town, and was opened as 'The Magic Midget' in 1974. But the name was labelled 'disablist hate speech' by disabilities studies lecturer Dr Erin Pritchard.

Oh, FFS! 

Dr Pritchard, who teaches at Liverpool Hope University, said that she and other people with dwarfism find the term 'offensive'. She previously campaigned for Marks and Spencer to rename their Midget Gem sweets to Mini Gems.

Someone who is employed to teach at a university turns out to be a crank with a chip on her shoulder? Gosh! You could knock me down with a feather!  

I wonder why she's not objecting to other, more problematic things? Is it because she'd get a decidedly rougher ride from them? 

Dr Pritchard spoke with the owners of the bar, brewers Greene King, which is set to reopen the venue with the new name in December following a renovation, the Telegraph reported. Its managing director Zoe Bowley said the new branding would honour the town's heritage while ensuring the pub remains a place 'where everyone feels welcome'.

They don't say what the new name will be. May I suggest 'The Special Snowflake'? 

Greene King previously found itself in hot water over a pub called 'The Black Bitch' in Linlithgow, West Lothian, amid fears the name could be seen as racist. Its origins derived from a female greyhound that formed part of the town's traditional crest - but pub bosses opted to rename it The Willow Tree regardless.

And thus left yourself open to pressure from every crank and nutter in the land. So you've only yourself to blame. 

Might As Well Have Fined Her £1000000

My guess is you'll never see a penny:

A woman has been ordered to pay nearly £2,000 after fly-tipping a pile of construction waste in South London. The dumped waste was found by Bromley Council officers in May this year where it was blocking a path leading to a plot on Oaklands Lane, Biggin Hill.

My guess is she didn't dump it personally, but employed a dodgy 'waste disposal' firm on social media... 

Laura Estrada of Great Western Road in Western Park was prosecuted by the authority after she failed to respond to a legal notice asking her to provide information on the disposed rubbish.

And so she was summoned to court. And ignored that too. 

Ms Estrada was found guilty in her absence at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on October 8.

What's the betting she'll ignore the demand for the fine as well? 

Conservative Councillor Angela Page, executive councillor for public protection and enforcement, said: "We are tackling the menace of fly-tipping, with the support of residents. What may not be known is that as well as clearing reports of dumped rubbish, we also investigate who may have been responsible.These enquiries are legally significant, and recipients of notices requiring information that may assist in such investigations are required by law to respond or face prosecution, which has happened in this example."

Good luck with getting that fine paid, Angela! 

The CPS Loses Yet Again...

A mobility scooter rider who went viral after pinning down a couple abusing a school bus driver has been cleared of assault after the case was thrown out of court.

Didn't even get to a jury! The magistrates weren't having any... 

Richard Holt, 53, was filmed driving over the woman and hitting the man, while yelling: 'Get the f*** out of my town'. The one-legged amputee reacted after watching the man open the doors of a school bus and squirt liquid at the driver in Hull, East Yorkshire.

And of course, as seems usual these days, they weren't troubled by arrest. 

Magistrates today kicked out the case after the pair - named as Jason Morfitt and Alison Whittaker - failed to turn up at a trial to give evidence.

The inference being, if they had, it would have gone ahead, I suppose? 

His lawyer, Ian Phillip, said: 'The defendant went to the police station after the video spread on social media and vigorously denied matters, saying he was defending himself and others, and preventing crime.'

Stephen Downing, prosecuting, said the couple had claimed they were 'abused' by schoolchildren who 'assumed they were homeless people'.

He said: 'Obviously they objected to that, and there was some sort of remonstration with people on the bus.

'The defendant was arrested and interviewed and basically he argued that whatever he did was in self defence. His opinion of the situation was different to what the two prosecution witnesses felt the situation was.'

But since they didn't feel strongly enough about it to turn up.... 

I Think I've Found The New Euphemism For 'Facelift'...

Spotted these while waiting for my bus back from Sunday lunch in Wanstead...

Sadly, they can't seem to spell it.

"More Than 200 Previous Convictions..."

I mean, how on earth could this be even halfway possible? At which point does someone in the justice system say 'Leniency isn't working'?

A serial criminal with more than 200 previous convictions who broke into a Norwich business and stole six e-scooters has walked free from court.

Wha..? How? 

Hallam's probation officer told magistrates that Hallam had recently lost his mother from cancer and that one of the last things he promised her was that he would "stay out of trouble".

Liar as well as thief then? 

Hallam was sentenced to a 24-month community order that requires him to comply with a drug rehabilitation programme and wear a monitoring tag for four months. In addition, he was ordered to pay a total of £214 in charges to the court. Magistrates decided that a compensation fee "was not necessary" despite the stolen goods never being recovered.

For once, the EDP commenters seem to agree, and so far haven't descended into the usual slanging match. This one is particularly good:

I LOL'd! 

H/T: Dave Ward via email

Why Do You Wait For A ‘Specialist Dog Unit’ When You Have Armed Officers At The Scene?

Cops were forced to use batons on a pack of savage 'pit bulls' that mauled a small pet to death.

'Forced to use'...? *rolls eyes* 

A small dog was killed in the horrific attack in Kinross, which left a woman and two other dogs injured. Police locked down High Street and Burns-Begg Street in the town earlier today. One local, who declined to be named, told how police officers arrived within minutes of the attack and had to use batons to get the beasts off the woman who was being dragged about the ground like a “rag doll.”

Why are they so apologetic? Why are they so bloody useless at protecting the public? 

“The dogs then ran back inside the house and haven't been seen since.”

Officers were standing guard around the house and locals are being kept on the street.

Growing up, the idea that police would keep you outside your house for hours because of savage dogs would have been something that only happens in Third World countries, but I suppose that's what we are now... 

Police marksmen were on ladders at the garden of the property and the dogs could be heard barking aggressively. Around five hours after the dogs launched their vicious attack shocked neighbours were allowed to return to their homes.

The four dogs were still in the living room of the house and were barking as officers stood guard outside the end-terraced property.

It's understood they will remain in their home until a specialist police unit is available to carefully remove them and take them to kennels.

You have a specialist police unit on hand with their guns. Use them.  

Do You Believe In Fairies And Unicorns Too, Judge Williams?

Chantelle Bennett, 32, confronted Baljinder Singh in Kings Lane, Newport, when her victim was on his way to work last September. Mr Singh and Ericka Bailey had been walking when they encountered the defendant who refused to leave them pass.He was punched to the left cheek by Bennett who then asked him to fight her before she used an offensive racist term to abuse him.

Bennett, of Itchen Close, Newport, was found guilty in her absence of racially aggravated common assault at the city’s magistrates’ court.This put her in breach of a suspended prison sentence for a hammer attack on a man in Newport city centre in 2019. She also pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to surrender. Bennett has 21 previous convictions for 38 offences which include wounding and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Neil Evans, representing the defendant, said in mitigation that although the use of one racist word was completely unacceptable “it wasn’t a volley of profanities”. The court was told Bennett was working to deal with mental health problems and was a carer for her partner.

'Partner' there being 'in crime'...? What a lovely pair! 

Judge Richard Williams told Bennett: “You confronted, pushed and punched the complainant before you racially abused him and challenged him to fight you.” He said he was able to suspend her prison sentence because he believed she was capable of being rehabilitated.

I'm in danger of rolling my eyes so hard they fall out of my head at this point... 

Two women attacked a man with a hammer and a glass bottle after he was bitten by their dog in Newport city centre. Rebecca Tantrum, 28 (Ed: some nominative determinism there...), and her partner Chantelle Bennett, 30, attacked Paul Sutton in Commercial Street on July 5 last year after their dog approached the victim and his partner Louise Elliott who had been out walking their pug.

The judge said he would have sent both defendants straight to prison had it not been for the delay in the case, which had not been their fault. He said: "This case highlights how the court's hands are tied. Cases like these are taking far too long to get to the doors of the court." Tantrum was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for 12 months and Bennett was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment suspended for 12 months.

Could she stay out of trouble? Reader, no. Not a chance.  

A Newport woman has appeared before the city’s magistrates’ court to plead guilty to keeping five XL Bully dogs.

Yup, guess who!

Chantelle Bennett, 34, of Sandpiper Way, Duffryn admitted possessing/having custody of a fighting dog. The animals are called Daenerys, Prime, Bumblebee, Duster and Violet. Bennett committed the offences on April 23.

Contingent destruction orders were made for the dogs unless they are kept under proper control.

Who thinks that chavs who can't keep themselves under control can do so with five maulers? 

How On Earth Can JD Sports Get Away With This?

I mean, not wrong entirely, but a bit too 'on the nose' in this day and age, I'd have thought!

  

In an age when the usual suspects complain about anything and everything, no-one's complained about this? Shola MashpotatoBingBang obviously hasn't seen it yet! 

Which is understandable, as I only clocked it because I was on my way to work.

I Don't Think You'd Be Able To Find A Single Person Genuinely Shocked By This...

Look at her gormless face: "What, me? Do some police work?"

Horrified onlookers react in shock as they call out to the cops - asking why they have not taken action as they let him walk away up the street.

Sussex Police has since revealed it is hunting for the man as the incident is being investigated as a hate crime.

Well, you wouldn't need to 'hunt for him' if your officers had arrested him then and there. As the public suggested at the time... 

Accosting one of the liaison officers, the clearly distressed man behind the camera says: 'He's just done a Nazi salute in front of you, you saw that! 'He just did a Nazi salute, goosestepping, a Nazi salute and you did nothing! How dare you!'

Another police liaison officer repeats that she is trying to see where the man has gone and that she is 'trying to assess where he is'.

The filmer replies: 'Why did you not stop him there and then? You let him walk past until I made a fuss. How dare you?'

Another protester, in the background, can be heard adding: 'Someone could have just grabbed hold of him, he was an old guy!'

Sussex Police will undoubtedly fall back on the 'That wasn't her role!' excuse: 

Police liaison officers attend marches and protests to identify and differentiate individuals and groups who may become involved in or encourage disorder or violence or increase levels of tension. They must also provide commanders with 'fast time' updates to enable informed and proportionate decision making, according to the College of policing. Officers are also responsible for sensing the mood and intent of groups and crowd members.

Not, you'll note, actually doing anything about it when it happens right in front of them. Maybe that's the real issue here? 

Well, It Is Nearly Panto Season...

...so let's have a hearty rendition of 'Oh, yes you are': 

 Filters - they can work miracles!

When her week-long trip to Cancun was coming to an end, Ms Hall claimed the men asked her to take two suitcases back with her, which they said contained $250,000 in cash.

'I agreed to it because there was no reason not to. It was just money and I didn't see anything wrong in it,' she said.

If there was 'nothing wrong in it' they'd do it themselves, not recruit some gormless bird! She doesn't even realise she's admitted intending to smuggle here, albeit got the substance wrong...

Her father John Hall, 59, previously defended his daughter, saying all she is guilty of is 'stupidity and naivety'.

That's all that's needed in a smuggler. Is the whole family stupid?

And If That’s The Case, Who Is Committing Them, Sandy?

A senior police officer has said that the 1,400 rape allegations made in Scotland in the space of six months this year probably represents "the tip of the iceberg". The total number of cases recorded by Police Scotland between April and September was 19.5% higher than in the same period last year. Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson said police were hoping it represented victims having increased confidence in coming forward to report sex crimes.

And if it doesn't represent this, but instead represents an actual increase, Sandy? What then? 

Police Scotland revealed the figures as it launched the latest phase of its award-winning That Guy social media campaign, which aims to prevent sexual offending by addressing male behaviour.

It's noticable that almost all the men in this campaign are white Scots. There's the odd token dusky-hued chap, but they are very much in the minority.  

Praised by campaigners, That Guy was launched in 2021 and targets men aged between 18 and 35, the main age of people convicted of sexual crime.

And though they've considered age, it seems they've not looked at race.  But then, ignoring the obvious in order to skew the stats appears to be a thing south of the border too...

No, 'Guardian', This Will Not Take Place...

...no-one carries out an 'autopsy' on an animal, only on humans. The vet will perform a necropsy. 

If the animal had been with them four years (assuming the pooice are telling the truth, and not just repeating the story given by the owners), why did the child tell everyone she had a 'new pet' according to those interviewed? 

Why are the police not sending a file to the CPS to prosecute the parents for child endangerment? Come to think of it, why have they not been arrested? If the Argentinian cops can arrest drug dealers after one of their customers dies, why are our police so bloody weak when idiot chavs leave their child with a deadly dog?

We Will Remember Them...

Even if this year, thanks to the relentless march of identity politics, the Legion has come a bit of a cropper. and allowed its poison to taint this day.

  

So this year, instead of the Legion's appeal, I have found a better cause to support.

The flowers left thick at nightfall in the wood,

This Eastertide call into mind the men, 

Now far from home, who, with their sweethearts, 

should Have gathered them and will do never again. 

In Memoriam (Easter 1915) by Edward Thomas

I Guess The 'Benefits Of Such New Ways Of Communicating' Aren't Seen By Every Police Farce...

The Police Policymakers are embracing social media, with every farce in the country employing a media team, working to these guidelines. I wonder just what sort of Section 4 risk prompted them to immediately pull this happy Christmas Tweet so abruptly?

 Was it because the public immediately pointed out that the threat Santa's Little Armed Helpers were supposedly guarding us against went strangely unspecified? 

Was it because it prompted a wave of ridicule that made the social media team cry? 

Was it because it contrasted so strongly with past Christmas markets that didn't require that level of security that people asked awkward questions about why today's Christmas markets felt the need for them?

I guess we'll never know.

'Let's Have A Do-Over!'

A driver who crashed into a school leaving two girls dead is facing a fresh police investigation after a review uncovered flaws in the original inquiry.

Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau, both eight, were killed when a Land Rover Defender smashed through a fence as children and staff attended an end-of-year tea party last July.

But driver Claire Freemantle, 47, faced no charges after it was claimed she had suffered an epileptic seizure at the wheel for the first time.

Can the Met Police get anything right first time? What a waste of time and money that first investigation was! 

Now Scotland Yard has reopened the case after a review revealed significant shortfalls in the way officers conducted the initial investigation into the crash at the Study Prep School in Wimbledon, south-west London. This includes consideration of medical evidence that led to the case being dropped.

Re-consideration, in fact. Were they too swayed by the status of the perpetrator, perhaps? Will we ever find out?

It Appears We Do Have A Time Machine After All

George Gascón, the Los Angeles county district attorney, has recommended that the Menéndez brothers be resentenced for the 1989 killings of their parents, a step that is expected to lead to their release. Gascón said during a news conference on Thursday that the pair should be resentenced, and that life without the possibility of parole be removed, after the office reviewed new evidence in the case. They will be eligible for parole immediately because of their ages at the time of the murder, he said.

We can go back in time and re-sentence someone to what they should have been sentenced to, if only public sympathy they have now had been present at the time! 

The development is a major victory to the brothers and their supporters who said that they killed their parents in self-defense after years of sexual, physical and psychological abuse by their father. Prosecutors had argued that they were driven by greed and a desire to inherit a multimillion-dollar fortune.

But now there's a hit Netflix series, that modern addition to the legal process, changes have to be made. 

Gascón said he believed the brothers’ account of abuse.

“I do believe the brothers were subjected to a tremendous amount of dysfunction in the home, and molestation,” he said.

“They have been in prison for nearly 35 years. I believe that they have paid their debt to society.”

Whatever happened to 'It doesn't matter what I believe, what matters is what I can prove'..? Is the US legal profession beholden to Netflix ratings now?

So Good, Right Up To The Last Minute...

...but then Judge Harmes fumbles the ball:

Ian Birch, for Carnell, told the court his client was remorseful and regretted what happened on the day, while Carnell, who had no previous convictions, said she was sorry for what happened to Theo and that she considers herself an otherwise upstanding member of the community. She said since the incident she had felt she has done everything possible to put things right, including pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity.

But Mr Harmes told the court: “It seems to me she has done everything in her power to minimise the offence.” He explained how Carnell told the probation service a previous incident where the dog had caused her injury was due to her slipping before her hand went into the dog’s mouth.

“I am not going to buy that,” Mr Harmes said.

Well, who would? Apart, that is, from far too many of your colleagues? 

He added that in June 2022 the dog attacked another dog leading to Carnell having to pay substantial vets fees.

“She pretends she didn’t know about that,” Mr Harmes said. “I see people in here shaking their heads at me. Shake away. I don’t care. This dog has hurt another dog and was known to be potentially dangerous. Almost weekly dogs in this country attack young children. If an owner cannot control their dog they shouldn’t own a dog. I do see this matter as very serious.”

Hurrah! Thankfully, at least one judge has seen the light. 

It was said in mitigation that Carnell, 46, of Church Street, immediately tried to help the boy when the dog set about him. “Of course, she would have been appalled by what happened that day,” Mr Harmes told Mr Birch. “But what I am saying is that she would have been on notice that the dog was a risk.”

Indeed, so, having failed to buy her fake remorse, her dumb excuses, her denial of the reality of her dangerous 'pet', you'll throw the book at her, right? 

Carnell was sentenced for being the owner of an out-of-control dog for three months suspended for two years. She was disqualified from owning a dog for four years and she must complete 100 hours of unpaid work. She must also pay £2,400 in costs.

*sigh* Of course not... 

H/T: ProtectOurPets via Twitter

“We’ve been working hard at wanting to create the most diverse classes possible…”

There's really only one question: Why?

Since the US supreme court banned affirmative action in college admissions in June 2023, US colleges and universities have grappled with how to boost campus diversity amid recent, troubling data. The latest figures on US college admissions at some major universities have shown drops in Black, Latino and Indigenous first-year enrollment.

And why is this an issue? Given the regular reports of how admission of these demographics are changing univercity life provided by the indefatigable David Thompson, why is it seen as a problem to be solved? 

Following the supreme court decision, as a means to encourage equity in the college admissions process, Carleton College, Occidental College, Virginia Tech and Wesleyan University have said they would no longer consider legacy status in admissions, a practice where a prospective student receives preference because of an alumna or alumnus relative.

...many still have legacy policies to maintain alumni relations, and to secure funding from alumni, despite research disputing that legacy admissions increase donations, said Richard Kahlenberg of the Progressive Policy Institute, a liberal thinktank.

Ah, I see the issue. It seems that long march through the institutions hasn't quite hung up its walking boots and put on its slippers yet... 

The majority of people with generational connections to a university are wealthy and white, said Julie Park, a professor of education at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Oh, heavens! Undesirables!  

Schools need to examine other parts of the application process that can create unfair advantages, including use of standardized testing or putting significant weight on a student’s advanced placement (AP) classes, courses that are disproportionately unavailable to students of color, said Sarah Hinger, the deputy director of the Racial Justice Program at the American Civil Liberties Union. “Are schools affirmatively reaching all communities where there may be students who would be strong candidates for their school and enrich their student body?” she asked. “Are they using entry requirements that unnecessarily and unfairly exclude opportunity? For example, AP courses or even calculus may end up providing a skewed assessment of a student’s capability.”

Universities as we knew them are doomed, aren't they? 

It's About Time...

At the inquest into her death today, Senior Coroner Richard Travers said that he will prepare a Prevention of Future Deaths Report for Home Secretary Yvette Cooper about restrictions for dog-walkers in public places. Mr Travers confirmed during the hearing that 'there are no national restrictions or regulations regarding the number and weight of dogs that can be walked in a public place.'

Local councils have often imposed restictions but there's clearly a need for a UK-wide restriction, and - of course - proper enforcement of it. Because it's useless without that.

The inquest did not hear which dog had been responsible for Natasha's death. But it was previously reported two of her own dogs which were being walked on the day had since been destroyed including a banned bull terrier named Stan.

Anyone surprised? 

Streaming TV: For All Mankind (Apple TV)

I do love the 'alternate history' genre, so I was delighted to see this when I got a free three months Apple TV with my new iPad and decided to give this a try. It's a great romp through history-not-as-we-know-it, with some great characters and casting. 

And although the hard science in it often leaves me baffled it's full of really human storylines, and unexpected (and often tragic) setpieces. It's very much a soap-opera rather than a drama, despite some really nail-biting scences of peril.  

If It’s That Easy For Them To Do, Maybe You’re Not As Good As You Think You Are?

"A modern classic by Keira Knightley" reads the provisional cover of the actor’s debut children’s book, I Love You Just the Same. Set to be published next October, the 80-page volume, written and illustrated by Knightley, is about a girl navigating the changing dynamics that come with the arrival of a sibling. The Pirates of the Caribbean star is the latest in a long list of celebrities to have turned to writing children’s books. McFly’s Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter have been hovering at the top of the bestseller chart since the publication last month of their latest book The Dinosaur that Pooped Halloween!. Earlier in the year, David Walliams dominated with his newest book Astrochimp. The entertainer has sold 25m copies of his children’s titles in the UK alone, according to Nielsen BookData.

And? So what? Well, it seems there's a big upwelling of jealousy... 

“These celebrities do not need any more money or exposure, but plenty of genuine writers do,” says the author, poet and performer Joshua Seigal. When news broke of Knightley’s book deal, authors expressed frustrations online; in one viral tweet, the writer Charlotte Levin joked about deciding to become a film star.

Well, go for it, girl!  

Authors say that stars wading into children’s publishing discredits the efforts and talents of non-celebrity authors. “Writing for children is an art,” says Seigal. “It requires skill, practice and discipline. I work really hard on my art, and it’s quite galling that people seem to think it is something that’s easy to do.”

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. But they are producing something the audience wants. If you aren't, maybe the fault is within you. 

“Before landing a publishing deal, I had sent over 180 queries across three manuscripts over four years,” says the author James A Lyons. “Non-celebrities face hundreds of rejections and ghosting, and not a fast-tracked ticket to the front of the queue.”

Writing is a business. Give the audience what they want is the key to success. It seems that this is indeed what they want. Crying about it isn't going to help.

In The Immortal Words Of Queen....

"Another one bites the dust... " Met Police DEI hire, that is. 

A Metropolitan Police officer has been sacked for posting offensive tweets about Jewish people and non-Muslims. Pc Ruby Begum was found to have committed gross misconduct after she admitted to posting discriminatory language such as 'dirty Zionists. Hell is waiting' while serving as a special constable.

The 29-year-old also admitted using the term 'kuffar' to refer to non-believers, using a shortened version of Pakistani, and making controversial comments about the September 11 2001 terror attacks.

Whoops! Do they do no due diligence at all? 

Ms Begum denied gross misconduct and said her comments - which she agreed could be deemed discriminatory - amounted to simple misconduct and a final warning would be a sufficient outcome.

But the panel disagreed, thankfully. 

But the panel said they found her posts 'appalling', 'derogatory' and 'abusive' and told the defendant her actions amounted to gross misconduct and dismissed her without notice.

The list of wrong 'uns employed simply to tick a box gets longer and longer... 

I Hope I'm Not Counting Chickens...

...but I have everything crossed that Trump silences that damned cackle for good! 

Oh dear, it's like Brexit all over again for the left-wing press. All of them are in 'I don't understand! Nobody I know voted for Nixon!' mode.