All Seeing Eye: July 2009

Friday, July 31, 2009

The Dead Parrot Party Twitches

Ah, election fever is in the air, lurking like the stench of a decaying whale carcass over a sewage-encrusted beach. It's not just irritating...it's M&S irritating. And so, to maintain our interest, over the last few days the debate about whether to have a debate has taken off.

However that Nick Thingummy has written something in a newspaper that nobody reads, saying:

"If Gordon Brown believed in the Labour party and his own record, he would be champing at the bit to hold this debate. I'm eager because I want people to know about Liberal Democrat policies, and I want the opportunity to explain why Labour and the Conservatives would take us in the wrong direction. Labour's time is up, and the Conservatives think it's automatically their turn, but I think in these difficult times we need to do something altogether different." - Nick Clegg in The Independent

This is interesting for several reasons -

1. He assumes that it will include no-hopers such as himself. Everyone realises that the fight is purely Con/Lab in terms of where the next PM comes from. So why does he think that he is entitled to a pulpit? Mind you, the BBC will want two lefties against the Tory so he'll get it, but under his logic there would also need to be space for Nick Griffin, Nigel Farange etc etc and the BBC won't let THAT happen.

2. Compared to the LibDems doorstep canvassing techniques, it'll be more tricky to be all things to all people on television. Perhaps they will ask for regional debates so they can say whatever they like to different audiences.

3. He doesn't realise that giving a wider audience to LibDem ideas, rather than gain them votes, will result in their existing supporters garotting themselves with razor wire and a pencil out of shame and humiliation for sticking one of those diamond poster thingies in their window last time round.

Cleggy is not on a winner here.

Sinn Fein Is Wealthiest Party In NI

According to figures published by the Electoral Commission and published by the BBC, we learn that Sinn Fein is the wealthiest and highest spending party in Northern Ireland with an income of £1.12m and spending £1.15m in 2008.

The SDLP had an income of £291,931 and spent £290,169. The Ulster Unionist Party's income was £383,504 and it spent £397,734.

Details of the DUP's finances were published last month. The party filed four sets of accounts, none of which exceeded £250,000 which is the threshold for publication by the Electoral Commission. The parties of nationalism are far out-spending the parties of Unionism - and the parties with "Unionist" in their names are all pulling in different directions anyway.

The figures for parties in Northern Ireland are of course swollen by their ability to accept donations from foreign sources...something not permitted for politicians from other parts of the United Kingdom. Just one of the many sops to IRA/Sinn Fein to get them to very kindly stop killing people.

More details from the BBC and from the Electoral Commission.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Homeless In New York

The politicians in New York have come up with an interesting program to help the homeless:

New York has found a novel, if expensive, way of dealing with its overcrowded shelters - buying one-way tickets for homeless families to leave the city.

Under the initiative, by the administration of the mayor, Michael Bloomberg, hundreds of families have been given plane, rail, and bus tickets and even petrol vouchers to leave the city. One homeless family of five was given $6,332 (nearly £4,000) worth of travel costs to Paris, according to the New York Times.

The city justifies such costs because it argues the alternative is more expensive. It costs New York's taxpayers $36,000 to put up a homeless family in a night shelter for a year.

Families can qualify for the tickets if they have a relative in another part of the world, including the US, who says they are willing to house them.

Since the $500,000-a-year scheme was launched in 2007, 550 homeless families have been paid to leave the city. None have come back.

"We want to divert as many families as we can that need assistance," Vida Chavez-Downes, a city official said.

"We have paid for visas, we've gone down to the consulate, we've provided letters, we've paid for passports for people to go. Anyone who comes through our door."

Critics have dismissed the initiative as a gimmick.

Arnold Cohen, head of a New York campaign group, Partnership for the Homeless, told the New York Times: "The city is engaged in cosmetics. What we're doing is passing the problem of homelessness to another city. We're taking people from a shelter bed here to the living room couch of another family. Essentially, this family is still homeless."

What they are really doing is twofold - saving taxpayers' money and getting people off the street and back with people who can help them get their lives back together. Even if the family hasn't historically got on, it is a harsh parent or sibling who would turn away a blood relation at their lowest ebb. They would get support which the authorities have shown that they are unable to provide effectively, and that taxpayers don't want to pay for.

Who knows, this scheme could have knock-on effects throughout whole families and communities as people rally round.

Obviously this is not the solution to the problem of homelessness. Only so many homeless people can be helped this way and, of course, some of them will get rejected by their relatives and simply end up homeless in a new area. However this is cheaper, smarter, and more likely to produce good results for the people who are participating than the current system of homeless shelters and police harassment.

All in all, that makes it a good idea.

Official: Swine Flu Cure Found

Well, that's it then. We are all officially safe from swine flu.

Serbia's official emergency swine flu committee have given the go-ahead for a music festival in Guca on the grounds that the locals drink extra-strong spirits and that will successfully see off the flu.

The organisers are delighted, as they were expecting many visitors - especially from Britain. When 10,000 Brits turned up to the Exit music festival in Novi Sad earlier in July there was a peak of swine flu cases, but now that has been clearly shown by the committee to be the fault of locals drinking the wrong type of moonshine.

As the government's emergency swine flu committee has ruled locals are immune to the virus because of the amounts of high alcohol home-brewed brandy they get through (reports Jutarnji List newspaper via the incomparable Austrian Times), there is clearly only one thing for it.....

....TheEye is going to spend the evening protecting himself with as much medicine as possible.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Tipping The Waiter? What Colour Are You?

So, you've finished your meal in the restaurant. The wine was good and the steak was sublime, although maybe the soup could have done with a touch more salt.

As the brandy slips down and you contemplate whether you're close enough to home to risk the car, you fumble for some change as a tip.

It's not very much and the waiter looks down his nose at you.

Iz it 'cos you is black?

Yes, probably.

A new study by Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration finds black Americans generally tip 20% less than restaurant diners who are white. Restaurant workers of all races dislike waiting on black people because they assume the tips will be less no matter how good the service. This in turn leads to poor service and makes for a self-fulfilling prophecy.

From NPR.org which reports on the survey,

"The study found that 63 percent of blacks and 30 percent of whites didn't understand that the standard restaurant tip in the United States is 15 to 20 percent.

The difference between how blacks and whites view tipping has serious ramifications for restaurants, including lawsuits and lost profits, Williams reports

"The average tip from a black customer is about 13 percent of the bill. The average tip from a white customer is about 16.5 percent of the bill," says Dr. Michael Lynn, the study's author.

In some cases the difference in tipping may be the result of poor service, but blacks interviewed in one of Lynn's studies rated the service slightly higher yet still tipped less than whites, he says.

He says cultural elements - blacks have avoided sit-down restaurants in favo(u)r of take out or self-service eateries - institutionalized racism that exists in the restaurant industry and education about tipping are all behind the discrepancy. "How do people learn about tipping? If you don't go, you don't know."

Or you DO go out, but you go on a University-funded junket of a survey which probably gathered all the data whilst dining out on expenses. Almost MP-level in its inventiveness. You wait; it'll be a quality assessment of brothels for their final year thesis.

This excuse for poor tipping is of course nonsense. The real reason is that black people have worked this scam out and know they can all save lots of money as long as no brother breaks ranks and starts to tip properly.

Obama Botox Brings New Taxes

Now it's often been said that the G.O.T. is a scary individual, but only now do we find the true extent of his twisted influence over the world.

Under the guise of #SillyWeek he is attempting to soften us up for new taxes. Look at what they are thinking about rolling out in the US now. We learned yesterday from the National Journal which reports on the US Congress:

"Face-lifts, tummy tucks and hair transplants could be hit with a new tax to help finance the trillion-dollar healthcare overhaul plan, according to sources familiar with the Senate talks."

and

"According to the IRS, deductions for procedures such as reconstructive surgery due to cancer or laser eye surgery would be allowed. But nose jobs, liposuction, teeth-whitening procedures and Botox injections to smooth wrinkles would be prohibited under Sec. 213 and subject to the new tax."

So it's going to be 10% extra in the US to look like Brad Pitt or Jennifer Aniston. The harsh reality is that there is not enough money in the world to look as good as TheEye, though.

Don't tell McDoom or we'll get the same thing over here quicker than you can say "Roman Nose". These things start off as a joke, but before you know it.....

Michael Jackson Up For Nobel Peace Prize

No, not a contribution to Man In A Shed's Blogger Silly Week but genuine nonsense instead.

Jackson might end up will a Nobel Peace Prize if some of his nuttier fans get their way. The grim horror is in this post here.

Michael Jackson fans have launched a campaign calling for the superstar to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The late star's fans have flocked to sign online petitions supporting the move.

They say he should be honoured for his charity work and "lifelong dedication to the well being of humanity".

So far, more than 2,000 people have added their names to the campaign started by Los Angeles student Anneliese Nichole Brown.

Sad. Very sad. To put up a man who was known for plastic surgery and abusing small children up for a Nobel Prize is ludicrous and a disgrace. But, then, no more ludicrous then Al Gore and the United Nations winning with a bunch of lies and a fake issue.

Monday, July 27, 2009

US: 1,000 Executed By Lethal Injection And Counting

A man who went on a 1992 Christmas holiday killing spree that left six people dead, including an 18-year-old mother gunned down at a pay phone, was executed last Tuesday, the state's second execution in two weeks and the 1,000th lethal injection in the U.S. since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.

Marvallous Keene, 36, who was convicted in five of the murders, chose not to file a late appeal over his death sentence.

He died by lethal injection at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville — seven days after Ohio's last execution. It was the fastest turnaround since the state executed two inmates in six days in 2004.

The Ohio Supreme Court, in denying a request last month to delay Keene's execution, said it would schedule future executions at last three weeks apart so that public defenders will have more time to prepare clemency cases for inmates who wish to pursue it.

Ohio has one execution scheduled per month through until February 2010.

Keene and three accomplices went on a three-day murder and robbery rampage in Dayton that began on Christmas Eve 1992.

Victims included Sarah Abraham, 38, a convenience store clerk shot in the head after handing over $30 from a cash register, and Marvin Washington and Wendy Cottrill, two teenage acquaintances who Keene feared would tell police about his crimes.

Predictably the UK sidled up behind the skirt of the EU who, via the rotating Presidency, issued a sanctimonious call for the US to stop punishing their mass murderers. TheEye is curious...do countries like China and the US just treat such statements as the posturing political chaff that they are and simply ignore them, or do they issue official replies?

"Bugger off and mind your own business" would seem an appropriate official response.

Like it or not, it's up to the US to decide what they want to do in their own country*....that's called "sovereignty" which is an concept alien to our EU masters. It's freedom for the people to decide their own future through the ballot box - which in the UK of course would mean a return of the death penalty, withdrawal from the EU and McDoom being strung up by his balls from Traitors' Gate.

*Including electing a bloke who may have been born in Kenya as President.

Happy National Sleepy Head Day (In Finland)

To all of our Finnish readers, All Seeing Eye bids one and all a happy National Sleepy Head Day (Finnish: unikeonpäivä)

For those who don't know, it is celebrated on July 27 every year. Traditionally on this day, the last person in the house (also dubbed as the 'laziest') to wake up is woken up using water, either by being thrown into a lake or the sea or by having water thrown on them.

It is based on the story of the Saints of Ephesus who slept in a cave for some 200 years during the Middle Ages whilst hiding from persecution by Decius, the Roman Emperor at the time.

In the city of Naantali, a Finnish celebrity is chosen every year to be thrown in the sea from the city's port at 7 a.m. The identity of the sleeper is kept secret until the event. People who are chosen have usually done something to the benefit of the city. Every city mayor has thus far been thrown to the sea at least once, but other sleepers have included the president Tarja Halonen's husband, Dr Pentti Arajärvi, the CEO of Neste Oil, Risto Rinne, along with many writers, artists and politicians. The family celebrations continue into the evening.

It is also a shallow and pathetically obvious excuse to post a picture of an attractive woman on the blog...as if an excuse was really needed...

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Ayo Gurkhali

Regular readers will know that TheEye has been involved with several of the Gurkha and Nepalese support groups in his Parish. So it was a pleasure to read reports about a long battle fought and won.

Nepal's Gurkhas gave British actress and campaigner Joanna Lumley a hero's welcome when she landed at Kathmandu airport on her first-ever visit to the Himalayan nation today.

Hundreds of soldiers and their families greeted the 63-year-old star of TV show Absolutely Fabulous, who spearheaded a campaign for the British army veterans to be allowed to settle in the country they fought for.

The actress's impassioned lobbying earned her the adoration of the Gurkhas, who have described her visit as a "homecoming". "I am delighted to be here," Lumley said as she was engulfed by cheering supporters who presented her with marigold garlands and a traditional shawl.

"Ayo Gurkhali!" she shouted, echoing the soldiers' war cry that means "The Gurkhas are coming".

As we all know, McDoom was humiliated in May when he was forced in the face of Lumley's campaign to concede that all Gurkha veterans who had served at least four years in the army could now apply for residency. Previously, only those who retired after 1997 had been eligible to apply.

The Indian-born actress, whose best-known role was as the cocaine-snorting fashionista Patsy in the hit comedy Absolutely Fabulous, had become a rallying voice for the men she called the "bravest of the brave".

During her six-day trip to Nepal, Lumley will meet the country's President and Prime Minister as well as visit three towns with large Gurkha communities.

Now the one-eyed snot-gobbler and that bloke with the Hitler moustache have to follow up and honour the national covenant by providing decent equipment for their brothers who are currently fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq...

Malmö Couples Hook Up For Make-Out Fest

This blog likes to provide examples of oddness, and this story is truly that. However sometimes these stories are tricky to find pictures to illustrate, so this time we can only get away with a suggestively-shaped building.

From The Local, Sweden's English daily newspaper...

"Malmö's Möllevången district was the scene of a make-out manifestation on Saturday as many perfect strangers found one another and helped to spread the enduring message of peace and love.

The "Make-out manifestation" attracted more than 30 amorous couples to Folkets Park in central Malmö at the heart of the annual Möllevången festival on Saturday afternoon.

The snog-hungry festival-goers arrived at the appointed hour of 3pm and divided themselves according to preference with the help of makeshift cardboard signs which read: guy-girl, guy-guy, girl-girl and "does not matter".

While many of those attending this public display of affection were already couples, about half of those partaking had met for the first time, local newspaper Sydsvenskan reports.

"We take part to spread the love. And because it is lovely to make-out," enthusiastic participant Beata Wulff told the newspaper.

The make-out fest drew to a thirsty close some 15-30 minutes later and organizers Sara Westman and Daniel Wilby were very happy with the turn out.

"The most fun thing was that many came and found a make-out partner on the spot," Sara Westman said.

Many of the couples lingered on after the event in order to get to know each other better."

If this is the way of the world then truly we are all doomed.

New Boys Toys: Indian Version

Bored with fighter aircraft and missiles? What do you get if you are a country with just about everything?

How about your very own shiny new submarine to carry your nuclear missiles... What do you mean Not Got One Yet?

Well now ya 'ave, sunshine. India's first home-made nuclear powered missile submarine, INS Arihant ('Destroyer of Enemies') was launched today (Sunday July 26) at Visakhapatnam by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's wife.

The previous one, INS Chakra, (pictured) the first nuclear submarine to serve with the Indian Navy, was a Charlie I class attack submarine but was only leased from the Soviet Union. This one is a Charlie II knockoff.

The launch date marks the tenth anniversary of the conclusion of the 1999 Kargil War.

The launch will involve floating the submarine in a completely-enclosed dry-dock called the Shipbuilding Centre (SBC) in Visakhapatnam. Later the submarine will be towed out to an enclosed pier for its harbour trials. The submarine is expected to stay in the enclosed dock possibly for several months as its nuclear power plant is started and tested. It will then cruise into the Bay of Bengal for sea trials.

The ATV reportedly is equipped with 12 launch tubes of 2.4m diameter each. Initially, each missile tube will likely accommodate 3 0.74m diameter K-15 Saagrika missile. Later the tubes could accommodate the 2.0m diameter Agni IIISL (The submarine launched version of the Agni V / Agni 3+) missiles with MIRV capability. At 5,500 tons it needs 100 crew to lurk effectively whilst waiting for the order to flatten Pakistan.

If all goes well, it will take between two to three years for the submarine to be commissioned into the Navy. It's the first of 5 submarines costing $2.9 billian which have been delayed for years due to technical problems.

India has 16 diesel-electric submarines of Russian and German origin, which are all 25-40 years oldThe hull diameter matches that of the Charlie II class submarine on which Arihant's design is based after technical help from Russia.

Combined with buying a ship that is being converted into aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya by the Russians for $2.8 billion for delivery in 2012, the Indian Navy will have (unlike us) a reasonable chance of not getting turned over by the Swiss coastguard patrol boat fleet.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Official: Obama As Popular As Gallstones

Whisper it not in the corridors of the BBC, but the Obamessiah is less popular at this stage of his presidency than George W Bush was.

Although this is being widely reported outside of the mainstream liberal media and therefore wouldn't normally be blogged on here, there are a few links worth passing on.

USA Today recently posted an interactive graph comparing approval ratings for each of the last 12 presidents. At this point of his presidency, Barack Obama ranks 10th. Harry Truman sported the lowest approval rating -- 22 percent in February 1952, while George W. Bush boasts the highest at 90 percent just after 9/11, followed closely by his father, George H.W. Bush, at 89 percent following the Gulf War. Oddly enough, though Bill Clinton hit a low point of 37 percent in 1993, his high point of 77 percent came after he was impeached in 1998. So, while Obama's approval is consistently getting worse, as The Wall Street Journal's James Taranto jokes, "All the president has to do is either go to war against Iraq or get impeached. If he can go to war against Iraq and get impeached, he could end up with approval in excess of 100%."

The funny thing is that these comparisions wouldn't have gained such wide coverage if a policeman who was an expert in racial profiling hadn't correctly arrested a racist "professor" for being...um...racist...and labelled as "stupid" by a racist president.

Strange times we live in, eh?

US Senate Blocks F-22 Purchase

"The U.S. Senate voted on Tuesday to stop production of the F-22 fighter plane, handing President Barack Obama a victory as he tries to rein in defense spending," reports Reuters. The Senate actually voted 58-40 in favour of funding the additional Raptors, but alas, the dreaded filibuster threat meant 60 votes were needed for the amendment, which would have funded seven additional fighters. The House still must vote on the measure but already there are signs that some Representatives were becoming more lukewarm to the proposal.

Memo to Reuters: "Barack Obama" and "rein in spending" don't belong in the same sentence. The paltry sum saved by cutting the F-22 -- $1.75 billion in a $600-plus billion bill -- is further evidence that national defence is a laughing matter to the president. Granted, every little bit of saving helps when the U.S. is facing a $1.8 trillion deficit, but how about scuttling the proposed health care traincrash instead? Unlike health care, national defence is actually enumerated in the Constitution as a federal responsibility.

The Senate did pass one worthy national security objective as part of the Bill: legislation on so-called "hate crimes." Reuters notes, "Last week, the Senate approved a measure that would expand hate-crime protection to gays and lesbians, and on Monday also extended that protection to military members."

Well that's all right then. When those missing Raptors are needed over the battlefield, any surviving troops can reassure themselves that at least they will be safe in the showers afterwards.

We Shall Remember Them

Last week we lost Henry Allingham, and today the sad news comes of the death at 111 of Private Harry Patch. He was the last British soldier to survive the First World War - a veteran of Paschendale and Ypres. At his death he was the oldest man in Western Europe and the third oldest man in the world.

Iain Duncan Smith had campaigned for a state funeral service for the last British WWI survivor. This distinction, if it happens, would fall to Claude Choules, an ex-Royal Navy serviceman who is 108 and lives in Perth, Australia.

There were concerns that the family of that last survivor may not want such a public occasion but a national service to remember the enormous sacrifice of the generation that has now almostgone forever would be entirely appropriate. Even more meaningful would be a renewal of the national covenant that sees our troops properly equipped and veterans given the very best care.

Freedom Isn't Free

Rewriting History - If Mary Jo Had Survived

In stories referring to Sen. Edward Kennedy it is common on this blog to add something along the lines of "Mary Jo Kopechne could not be reached for comment."

Well, 40 years ago last Saturday, on July 18, 1969, Ted Kennedy drove his Oldsmobile, with Mary Jo in the passenger seat, off that bridge at Chappaquiddick Island and neglected trying to help her or even calling for help until the following morning. The accident and subsequent cover-up would have finished the political career of most men, but Kennedy survived both personally and politically.

Perhaps his tragic family legacy saved the youngest Kennedy brother from electoral defeat and enabled him to continue a long Senate career. Nor did it hurt that less than 48 hours later the story of one of mankind's greatest successes to date wiped most mention of one man's personal failing off the newspaper headlines - the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969.

For the 40th anniversary of her death, let's ponder a few questions about what might have happened if things had occured differently....

Perhaps one good thing did arise from the death of 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne. Eleven years later, we had a presidential election - one in which Teddy Kennedy figured prominently. A question worth pondering is, had Chappaquiddick not happened, would Jimmy Carter have whipped Ted Kennedy in 1980? With Carter's mishandling of the economy gone as a campaign issue and the Kennedy mystique brought up afresh by the media, could Ronald Reagan have just been another failed presidential aspirant? Instead, we got eight years of Reagan's conservatism.

And Kennedy is cashing in on his career in the Senate, selling leather-bound, electronically signed copies of his upcoming autobiography for $1,000 a pop. How it's worth the $8 million advance Kennedy reportedly netted we'll never know.

Friday, July 24, 2009

North Korea Executes Bible Distributor

It is easy to make the mistake these days of thinking that the current clash of civilisations and religions is between a mixture of Christanity and secularism on one side and extremist Islam on the other.

There are other places where freedom is a pipe-dream.

We learn today via Associate Press from South Korean activists that North Korea publicly executed a Christian woman last month for distributing the Bible, which is banned in the communist nation.

Ri Hyon Ok, 33, was also accused of spying for South Korea and the United States and organizing dissidents. She was executed in the northwestern city of Ryongchon near the border with China on June 16, according to a report from an alliance of several dozen anti-North Korea groups.

Ri's parents, husband and three children were sent to a political prison camp in the northeastern city of Hoeryong the following day, the report said, citing unidentified documents it says were obtained from North Korea. It showed a copy of Ri's North Korean government-issued photo ID. It is virtually impossible to verify such reports about secretive North Korea, where the government tightly controls the lives of its citizens and does not allow dissent.

On Thursday, an annual report from a state-run South Korean think tank on human rights in the North said that public executions, though dropping in number in recent years, were still carried out for crimes ranging from murder to circulating foreign movies.

North Korea claims to guarantee freedom of religion for its 24 million people but in reality severely restricts religious observances. The cult of personality surrounding national founder Kim Il Sung and his son, current leader Kim Jong Il, is a virtual state religion.

The government has authorized four state churches, one Catholic, two Protestant and one Russian Orthodox, but they cater to foreigners and ordinary North Koreans cannot attend. However, defectors and activists say more than 30,000 North Koreans are believed to practice Christianity secretly.

The U.S. State Department reported last year that "genuine religious freedom does not exist" in North Korea.

"North Korea appears to have judged that Christian forces could pose a threat to its regime," Do Hee-youn, a leading activist, told reporters, claiming public executions, arrest and detention of North Koreans are prevalent.

Cuba And EU Cosy Up

Just as you'd expect from two unelected unwanted dictatorships, the EU is cuddling up to Cuba. You know, the same Cuba voted a few months ago as 7th Happiest Place To Live - a fact neatly explaining the hordes of Cubans trying to leave the place on converted lorries, surfboards and bathtubs.

Anyway, yesterday European Commissioner for Foreign Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner arrived in Havana for discussions on relations between the EU and Cuba, local media reported.

The European Union resumed diplomatic ties with Cuba last autumn after they were suspended in 2003 following a series of arrests of dissidents.

"It is expected that the European commissioner will discuss relations between Cuba and the European Commission and also some other international policy matters with the [Cuban] authorities," Granma newspaper reported on Thursday.

Cuba has said it was ready to have a dialogue with EU, though questions on Cuban justice system could not be discussed as they are "an internal affair". Yep, and so were those holiday camps built by the Nazis and the nice salt mines Stalin dug. He even threw in "internal" snow for those too as a sort of festive effect.

European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Louis Michel visited Havana in March and said it was the right time for political dialogue between the EU and Cuba.

The visit to Cuba wraps up Ferrero-Waldner's Latin American trip, which included stops in Mexico and Argentina.

In Buenos Aires, she called for "a deepening of the political dialogue" with Cuba, adding that Havana is making "positive steps" in this direction, Latin American media reported.

Ferrero-Waldner pointed to food security, trade, the environment and technological research as areas of bilateral cooperation with Cuba.

TheEye points to poverty, tyranny, brainwashing and a propaganda coup for the ageing Castro brothers.

It's about time we were given an in-or-out vote on the EU. Deals with Cuba? Not in my name.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

RIP Iceland

Athough this has been extensively blogged about at A Tangled Web and elsewhere, TheEye decided to wait until the moment of truth to comment.

Farewell, then, Iceland. We are going to miss you. Okay, we won't miss arguing about cod. Or about Rockall. Or your habit of creating new volcanic islands at random. Or any of your banks. Or Bjork. Or The Sugarcubes.

Okay, so we won't really miss you at all when you cease to be an independent country.

For today is the day that Iceland officially applied to join the European Union, with its foreign minister targeting membership within three years.

"This is the day when I have the historic duty to hand in formally the Icelandic application to the E.U.," Foreign Minister Oessur Skarphedinsson said at a presentation ceremony in Sweden, which holds the EU's rotating presidency.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt was really enthusastic about the whole thing, saying the application would be dealt with "in the same way as the other membership bids."

He added "Got any Bjork CD's?"

According to Bildt, Iceland's membership in the EU will "let diligently cooperate" with "the Arctic region which is extremely important regarding to ecological and sea routes matters." So, give us your fish and don't cause trouble.

The request has to be approved by the EU and after that Icelanders will vote on it in a referendum. Remember what one of those is, McDoom? It's where you get to vote on stuff.

The key issue in any referendum is going to be the EU's fisheries policy, long a difficult topic within the bloc and one of Iceland's most important industries.

The Icelandic parliament, after a long and heated debate, concluded that joining the EU and adoption of the euro currency would help to restore the health of the economy after the devastating economic meltdown, which saw the top Icelandic banks collapse last year.

Strange that for every other country in the EU membership has been a sea-anchor on their economies and a source of high taxes...Iceland ranked 5th in the Index of Economic Freedom 2006 and 14th in 2008 with a flat tax system. The main personal income tax rate is a flat 22.75 percent and combined with municipal taxes the total tax rate is not more than 35.72%, and there are many deductions. The corporate tax rate is a flat 18 percent, one of the lowest in the world. Other taxes include a value-added tax and a net wealth tax. Employment regulations are relatively flexible.

Let's see how long all that survives under the EU dictatorship.

Man 0 Sharia Law 1

There are times when you have just got to know when to keep your mouth shut. Like when the Sergeant-Major asks for volunteers or McDoom is looking for replacement ministers.

In a classic example of how not to do it, a Saudi man has been arrested for boasting about his sex life on television, the English-language daily Arab News reports.

Jeddah resident Mazen Abdul Jawad was arrested after he appeared last week on Red Line, a program on Lebanon-based LBC television which is also popular in Saudi Arabia, the newspaper said.

On the program Mr Jawad said he first had sex with a neighbour when he was 14, and he also described in detail some of his later adventures.

He explained how he uses the Bluetooth function on his cellphone to try to pick up Saudi women, who are forbidden to mix with or reveal their faces to men who are not related to them. He also gave a recipe for an aphrodisiac.

The segment sparked about 100 complaints to local justice officials, leading to his arrest, the paper said.

Mr Jawad could face charges under Saudi Arabia's strict Islamic sharia law of speaking openly about vice and admitting he engaged in pre-marital sex, it said, adding that if convicted he could be jailed and flogged.

"The program presents anomalies and deviancy in society that are unacceptable and immoral and should be punished according to sharia," Ahmad Qasim Al-Ghamdi, Mecca head of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the religious police, said.

Or maybe his "deviancy" extends to wanting to play Pick Up The Soap' and 'Whip Me Harder' too. Whichever, it just goes to show that, as you see worse on BBC daytime chat-shows just about every day, a Sharia court set up in Broadcasting House would be kept quite busy in the flogging'n'stoning department.

Just imagine...all those years of BBC appeasement wasted.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Common Sense In Sweden

If you had a filing cabinet in front of you for storing ideas, this one would go in the Bleedin' Obvious drawer.

For we learn from The Local, a Swedish newspaper published in English, that Iranian nationals have been banned from Swedish university programmes with ties to nuclear and missile technologies following a warning from the country’s Säpo security service.

So far two Swedish institutions – The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm and Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg – have decided to turn away applicants from Iran.

“For us it means that we don’t accept Iranian citizens to our masters programme in nuclear technology,” said Chalmers spokesman Magnus Myrén to the TT news agency.

The restrictions also affect students from North Korea, but according to Säpo there are only a handful of North Koreans studying in Sweden.

The measure comes as part of a 2007 European Union regulation connected to a 2006 United Nations resolution authorizing sanctions on Iran.

“It concerns not only that which is directly affected by nuclear weapons, but also aerospace technology,” Säpo spokesman Patrik Peter told TT.

According to Sveriges Radio, Säpo, along with two other agencies – the Inspectorate of Strategic Products (ISP) and the Radiation Safety Administration (Strålsäkerhetsmyndigheten) – sent letters to the heads of security at seven Swedish universities alerting them to how their institutions could be affected by the restrictions on Iranians wishing to study in Sweden.

In the letter, the agencies explained that educational programmes are a

lso covered in the sanctions laid out by the EU rule.

Specifically, the letter points out concerns about masters and PhD programmes in subjects which could involve technologies related to nuclear weapons or the rockets used to deliver them.

In addition to Chalmers and KTH, the letters were also sent to Luleå University of Technology, Lund University, Mälardalen University, Uppsala University, and Linköping University.

Although authorities in Sweden have developed a list of example programmes, it is up to each institution to decide which subject areas will be covered by the restrictions.

“The rule is somewhat fluid. This is an example of something which has dual use, both for civil and military purposes,” said Peter.

Peter could not say, however, whether the restrictions may lead to Iranians being arbitrarily ruled shut out of Swedish universities. Nor did Säpo have any estimates of how many people might be affected by the measures.

Peter added, however, that Säpo plans to evaluate the universities’ adherence to the directive.

Iranians make up the largest group of international students enrolled in masters programmes at Chalmers, with 120 students being admitted for the 2008 autumn term, according to the Svenska Dagbladet (SvD) newspaper.

Seems like common sense, which is of course why most countries aren't doing it.

Post largely reproduced from source.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Fries With That?

ust as he was busy putting the British economy through a rusty garlic crusher, Harold Wilson came up with the famous gem:

"It does not mean that the pound here in Britain, in your pocket or purse or in your bank, has been devalued".

Of course it did, but that's what you get when you vote for voodoo economics. To get a better sense of the real world, where better to turn than The Economist?

The Economist has compared the dollar price of the Big Mac in different countries for two decades, making conclusions about underestimations or overestimations of national currencies. The Big Mac index is based on the theory of the purchasing capacity parity, in accordance with which the currency rate balances out the cost of the basket of goods in different countries. The basket is replaced with the McDonald’s sandwich. The cost of the most popular sandwich in the world in each country depends on the volume of production, the prices on rent, raw materials, labour force and other factors. Therefore, the Big Mac index is the best way to see the mismatch of currency costs in the countries with similar levels of income, especially during the crisis, when the expensive basket is particularly unprofitable. A weak currency gives advantage on expenses and product prices.The cheapest Big Mac is sold in Hong Kong ($1.72), China, Sri Lanka and Ukraine ($1.83), which is twice as cheap as in the USA ($3.57).

The most expensive Big Mac is sold in Norway: $6.15, which is 1.7 times as expensive as in the USA and 3.4 times as expensive as in China and Ukraine. The Big Mac in Switzerland is 1.6 times as expensive as in the United States and 1.5 as expensive in Denmark. The Euro zone saw a 40-percent reduction of the price gap over one year, and the sandwich costs $4.62 there.

The British pound was 28 percent overestimated on the Big Mac index a year ago. Now its cost vs. the dollar has reached parity after the pound lost nearly 30 percent of its value from August till February. Unlike the pound, the Japanese yen was strengthening its positions, and its price edge of 27 percent has vanished.

In Russia, the Big Mac became eight rubles as expensive over a year (by 13.5 percent) - 67 rubles – but became less expensive in dollar terms - $0.5 (19.7 percent).

Russia has been reducing the gap in the purchasing capacity parity with the United States. The Russian ruble was 29 percent underestimated according to the Big Mac index – similar to the currencies of Japan and Saudi Arabia. The gap has currently grown to 43 percent (the gap made up 51 percent during the devaluation of the ruble in January of this year). If the exchange rate were based on the Big Mac index in Russia, the dollar would now cost 18.8 rubles (the current rate is 31 rubles per one dollar).

So there you go. Chinese takeaway or pizza tonight then?

From The Mouths Of Babes

Fresh from a walk through Town in the blistering heat and sunshine, it would have taken a stronger entity than TheEye not to be swivelling his head more than that girl in The Exorcist.

For there were many scantily-clad ladies to be seen.

However there were also on display that section of female society which leaves TheEye feeling unnerved and uneasy - very young girls wearing t-shirts or skimpy tops bearing messages that you'd hope if they were your daughter they were still waaaaaay too young to understand.

A company in Australia has just extended the idea to babies. Yes, thanks to Cotton On you too could have your baby wearing a t-shirt proclaiming "I'm living proof my mum is easy", I'm a tits man", "Mummy likes it on top", "Wipe my butt sucker", "So hot right now", "I like big boobs and I cannot lie", "I'm bringing sexy back" and "Practice safe sucks".

Read the predicable "We're All Going To Hell" versus "The slogan products aren't for everyone, but there's definitely a place in our society for provocative humour that pushes the boundaries" here.

Each to their own but centainly not to my taste. And they are unlikely to be opening a store in Iran any time soon.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Predator Drones Illegal Says Left

The US Predator drones have probably been the single most effective weapon in combating terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan. Invaluable for targeting Taliban and Al-Qaeda, they have accounted for many high value targets who were beyond the reach of conventional attack.

Virtually invisible when flying, they are able to track and hit targets from the air when mountainous terrain makes it notoriously hard to send troops.

So what do the leftys in America want to do to help? Have them declared illegal.

Obama's recent national security decisions are leading to suggestions that legal challenges could be made against the U.S. military's use of Predator drones.

"That's the spooky thing about the Predator," national security and terrorism expert Neil Livingstone said. "Even if the Predator is directly overhead and you know it's overheard, you still can't see it or hear it. This is kind of like death out of the blue."

The Predator program, which is a holdover from the Bush administration, could be the next legal battle against the government by opponents who say use of the Predator could be illegal.

"This is part of a broader campaign on the left to begin the drumbeat of withdrawal from Afghanistan and Pakistan generally to change the direction there and make it about only providing aid and not about military engagement," said Matt Bennett, a national security analyst for Third Way.

Human 'rights' activists are also turning their attention to the drone program in part because they say there's no warning to innocent civilians who are in a targeted area.

Gabor Rona, international legal director of Human Rights First, a U.S.-based group that advocates universal rights and freedom, said large number of civilians are being unintentionally hit, harmed and killed.

"This is not only a violation of the international laws of war," he said. "It's bad policy."

The laws of war allow individuals who are engaged in hostilities to be targeted in an armed conflict but strictly prohibit actions against those not engaged.

"Even when you're attacking a legitimate military objective, you cannot cause civilian casualties that exceed the value of a legitimate military attack," Rona said.

However, Human Rights First Spokesman Brenda Bowser Soder said the group is not currently considering legal action. Presumably not stripping coalition forces of their most potent weapon should make us be grateful to you, eh, Brenda?

Got that one wrong, traitor.

Two high-value Al Qaeda operatives were killed on New Year's Day this year in northern Pakistan as a result of Predator attacks. Usama al Kini and Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan were wanted for their involvement in the 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania. More than 200 people were killed in the embassy bombings, including 12 Americans. The men sought refuge in the tribal areas of Pakistan.

"Our military fighting in Afghanistan has got to be able to pursue high level (operatives) who flee across the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan," Bennett said.

On the presidential campaign trail, Obama had said that if he had legitimate intelligence about high-level Al Qaeda personnel he would not hesitate to act. And although there's no formal agreement between the United States and Pakistan when it comes to Predator drone attacks, Pakistan more or less looks the other way.

Livingstone said even if high-value targets are killed in one of these drone attacks, Al Qaeda still can claim a "propaganda victory" because of the number of civilian casualties.

"So many of these guys surround themselves with collateral casualties," Livingstone said, and large numbers of women and children are strategically placed around hotbeds of activity.

So there we have it. We try to play it clean against a dirty enemy who is aided and assisted by a fifth column of 'useful idiots' in our own midst. How long before the living postbox-mouthed Cherie Blair jumps on this bandwagon?

Survey Technique 101

There are several rules about organisations releasing poll results from surveys conducted on their own behalf.

Rule 1 is Slant Your Questions To Get The Answer You Want

Rule 2 is Hide Or Bin Off The Results You Don't Like

The Royal Commonwealth Society in London don't seem to have grasped these simple rules.

MORE than three-quarters of Australians would not be sorry if the nation kissed goodbye to the Commonwealth according to a poll they released today. Australians were far less attached to their membership of the 53-member body than developing countries, including India.

More than 6000 people from seven Commonwealth member countries - Australia, Canada, Great Britain, India, Jamaica, Malaysia and South Africa - took part in the survey to mark the Commonwealth's 60th anniversary.

Just 25 per cent of the 1020 Australians polled said they would be "sorry" if Australia gave up its membership of the Commonwealth, while 38 per said they "wouldn't mind one way or the other" and 10 per cent would be "fairly pleased".

Australians viewed Asia as being most important (43 per cent) to their homeland ahead of the United States (25 per cent), the Commonwealth (22 per cent) and Europe (three per cent).

They also nominated the United Nations (64 per cent) and APEC (61 per cent) as being more valuable as organisations than the Commonwealth (59 per cent).

Most Australians (84 per cent) correctly identified the Queen as the head of the Commonwealth, compared to 37 per cent who didn't know in India.

However unlike the other countries surveyed, Australians nominated Prince Charles as the person they wanted to see take over the Queen's Commonwealth role when she dies.

Australians appeared slightly confused about what the Commonwealth's function was, with 37 per cent unable to name its activities.

Overall, the survey found people in developing countries were twice as likely to think the Commonwealth was important compared to developed countries.

The findings follow a separate survey released in March which found the Commonwealth had suffered a major drop in popularity in its homeland of Britain, where most knew little about the Commonwealth's functions.

Royal Commonwealth Society director Danny Sriskandarajah said knowledge about the Commonwealth was at a low.

He hoped a new website being launched by the Society to gather ideas on how to boost the Commonwealth's profile would help increase its popularity.

"A quarter of Jamaicans think President Barack Obama is the head and one in 10 Indians and South Africans think Kofi Annan is head.

"While few people dislike the Commonwealth, our polls show that not enough people know much about it or have reason to love it."

TUVALU TOO LOW!

You have to laugh.

The tiny Pacific island state of Tuvalu has said it wants all its energy to come
from renewable sources by 2020. Public Utilities Minister Kausea Natano said his
nation of 12,000 people wanted to set an example to others. Tuvalu is made
up of a string of atolls with the highest point only 4.5m (15 ft) above sea
level, making it extremely vulnerable to flooding. The government hopes to
use wind and solar power to generate electricity, instead of imported diesel.

Here's a little perspective, the sort the BBC will NEVER provide!

"There is a suspicion though that the problem is not global, but local.
Fongafale, where the worst of the flooding is occurring, happens also to
have around 6,000 people living in an area little bigger than the average
city park. They have used the money made from selling their successful Dot
TV internet name to pave the roads, and Taiwan has built a large new three
storey administration building which towers over the islet. This might well
be having its own severe environmental impact. Human occupation has rendered
the once crucial freshwater lens too brackish to use. Inevitably one asks
whether people should be living on low-lying atolls at all. Around 10
kilometres across the lagoon, on the other side of Fongafale is unoccupied
Tepuka islet. As close as perfection as it seems possible to get to these
days, it shows no signs of sinking."

Say it ain't so!!

THE FIRST EVER RACIST VIRUS

I notice that over at Old Holborn there are some curious statistics concerning those parts of the UK where swine flu appears to be all the rage. Sadly these seem to coincide with areas with a predominant Muslim populations. I think we may be encountering the first ever racist virus and I fear that even the Burqa may not provide sufficient protection.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Telly Tax Mk.II

Anyone who reads Biased-BBC knows that watching an political programme involves a gymnastic combination of holding your nose, pouring yourself a stiff drink and reaching for your wallet.

To watch England beating Australia in the Ashes on Sky, one needs to pay the BBC their telly tax. However it (whisper it not in the presence of Gordoom for fear of giving him ideas) the Aussies are going to tax consumers to even buy the kit to watch them lose.

For we learn from the Australian Sunday Herald Sun that buyers may be charged an additional $30 for a TV or computer under a plan to pay for the safe disposal of old appliances.

The Federal Government claims that the new tax is to pay for compulsory recycling, but as we know so-called hypothecated taxation is a scam and money can never be accurately ring-fenced for pet projects.

The tax is outlined in a government-commissioned report to the Environment Protection and Heritage Council of federal and state environment ministers.

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett revealed the report last week with a low-key press release calling for six months of community consultations. But he did not refer to the issue of a new tax.

The Price Waterhouse Coopers report to the council says the need to change community and commercial behaviour in relation to recycling old TVs and computers means a tax to pay for their disposal is an option that has to be seriously considered.

Computer users reacted with outrage to news of the new tax.

"I don't think putting a tax on computers is the answer," said Lyn Goodall, former president of the Melbourne PC Users Group. "It's just slugging the consumer. Computers are expensive enough as it is."

The National Association of Retail Grocers of Australia senior policy adviser Gerard Van Rijswijk said the plan amounted to "a billion-dollar scam".

Australian Information Industry Association chief Ian Burke said a straight-out tax would probably add an average $30 to the cost of a new television. He said his group would prefer each importer or retailer to have market-based competitive recycling schemes to reduce the hit on consumers and achieve better environmental outcomes.

"A flat levy is one option," Mr Burke said. "But we don't advocate that because the consumer would pay more."

The Opposition described the idea as "a television tax", with Coalition environment spokesman Greg Hunt saying it would hurt low income earners most.

Perhaps Gordoom is going to give this tax a miss as it will hit his couch-potato dole slob benefit scrounging voter base the hardest. Instead, class hatred and bitterness will remain the background for taxation decisions. Via the most splendid Croydonian, renowned for pulling obscure but fascinating facts from obscurity into the cold light of day, we learn of a proposed tax in the UK to own a horse.

Good grief. Whatever next.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Available: One Chinook - Slight Scratches

There is a very interesting post over on Iain Dale's site which apparently comes from an RAF insider detailing the real levels of helicopter availability.

He doesn't, however, include this gem of a fact. One of the few Chinooks that we have has been in service since 2003 but things are not quite what they seem.

For it is a 'chop-shop' job. The front is a from a British Chinook which crashed in Oman in 1999 when it's rear rotor blades hit the ground on take-off and ripped off the rear of the helicopter. The "new" rear comes from a captured Argentinian Chinook taken during the June 1982 re-capture of the Falkland Islands.

Much as cannibalism for spare parts is common in all areas of the Forces and just about every other industry in the world too, this one is pushing the envelope a bit for scariness.

Source: Daily Mail

A Tale Of Two Sarah's

The BBC is at it again. Bias isn't just a skin infection for them...it is a disease which goes right through every nerve and bone.

Compare and contrast their treatment of two Sarah's.

First up is Sarah Kennedy. the Radio 2 presenter was "spoken to" by executives at the corporation for praising the late Enoch Powell.

During her show on Wednesday, Kennedy described Powell, who was sacked from the shadow cabinet by Ted Heath in 1968 for his "Rivers of Blood" speech about the dangers of mass immigration, as "the best prime minister this country never had".

A spokesman for the BBC informs me that it has received 25 complaints. "It was inappropriate for Sarah to offer an off-the-cuff political opinion and we have spoken to her and made that clear," he said.

Gloriously incorrect and therefore she is in trouble.

Can you imagine a presenter in similar trouble for making similar comments about Tony Benn? Ken Livingstone? Neil Kinnock? Dennis Skinner?

Next up is Sarah Brown, new member of something that is apparently called the First Wives Club. Completely non-existent as an entity, the article appears to compare her to Carla Bruni and Michelle Obama.

Now we don't have a Presidential system in the UK (and long may that continue). We don't have a First Lady, a First Cat or a First Goldfish. Instead we have a dribbling snot-gobbling unelected nutter.

Check out Gigits for a great post on this here which puts it very well.

Commander In Chief Challenged

There have been many attempts to show that B Hussein Obama might not be an US citizen and therefore is not eligible to be President. Some have been dismissed by the courts but more than a dozen are still making their way through the US judicial system.

Make of them what you will...frivolous attempts to bypass democracy if you are a Democrat or protecting the Constitution to many Republicans. However one man has come up with a nifty twist on the ongoing saga to delay his deployment to Afghanistan.

"U.S. Army Maj. Stefan Frederick Cook says he shouldn't have to go," reports the Columbus, Georgia, Ledger-Enquirer. "His reason? Barack Obama was never eligible to be president because he wasn't born in the United States." According to Cook, if he were to deploy, he "would be acting in violation of international law by engaging in military actions outside the United States under this President's command ... simultaneously subjecting himself to possible prosecution as a war criminal by the faithful execution of these duties."

Cook's lawyer, Orly Taitz, has challenged Obama's legitimacy before and was seeking conscientious objector status for Cook in this case. This week, he got it. Taitz says, "It means that the military has nothing to show for Obama. It means that the military has directly responded by saying Obama is illegitimate - and they cannot fight it. Therefore, they are revoking the order."

Some Americans certainly still have questions about Obama's citizenship - for starters, where's the long-form version of his Hawaiian birth certificate that has information regarding the birth hospital and attending physician? Even those not born in Hawaii can obtain a short-form document like the one Obama has posted online. This and others are questions that he has pointedly refused to answer.

In the meantime, according to a 20-page document filed with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia with Cook’s July 8 application for a temporary restraining order, he was ordered to report to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla. From there, the Florida resident would have gone to Fort Benning before deploying overseas.

In the meantime he has his restraining order in place. Quite what his comrades who have deployed in his absence make of the whole episode is another matter entirely.

RIP Henry Allingham

113 years old, and a founder member of the RAF? What a life?

A man born before heavier than air flight was even invented, Henry joined the Royal Naval Air Service at the outbreak of WW 1 (hurrah!) Then when the RAF was formed in 1918 he transferred (Boo!). Luckily he won't be around to see it disbanded very soon!!

He managed to bag a raft of records.

Oldest Man in World (as of 19 Jun 2009).
Last Survivor of the Battle of Jutland.
Oldest Surviving veteran from First World War.

Requiescat in pace Henry. Your duty was well & truly done.

St C.

Friday, July 17, 2009

MoD Spy On Our Troops

Wondered where all of the helicopter money went? Well it went in to the MoD budget for spying on troops injured in the course of duty.

Using the controversial Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), originally intended to help the police and MI5 monitor terrorists in the UK, the MoD are covertly filming injured soldiers who are claiming the money they are due for injuries sustained. Anyone who has put in a claim has been sent a letter saying that they are liable for "convert surveillance" and that any instances of fraud would be reported "to the MoD Police".

Of the 300 soldiers spied on so far, NONE have been found to be exaggerating their injuries. Thousands have claimed in all so far...a number bound to rise as the campaign continues.

This is a disgrace. These brave men and women sacrificed their physical and mental health for us and here is our government treating them like dole-scroungers, benefit fraudsters and common criminals. We should trust their word and the word of the doctors who are treating them.

Is thtis what we have descended to? It's time to go, Gordoom. Now. everything you touch disgraces our country.

Source: Daily Mail

This Model Comes With A Free AK-47

A car dealer in Butler, Missouri has come up with an entertaining free gift with any pick-up truck you buy from him in August....he'll throw in an AK-47.

Instead of handing out the hardware himself, Mark Muller of Max Motors is giving a voucher for the $450 cost of what is the ultimate in burglar deterrents.

Clearly a firm believer in the U.S. Constitution's 2nd Amendment (which is more that B Hussein Obama is), Muller has previously given away vouchers for Caltec pistols with purchases.

Oddly, though, he is insisting that purchasers have a Missouri licence to carry a concealed weapon. Just where would you conceal it?

Is that an AK-47 in your trousers or are you just pleased to see me?

FRENCH KISSING IN THE USA

I touched on this story the other day but didn't realise that it was an American company's premises that French workers were threatening to blow up IF they didn't get better redundancy terms. I've heard of a Glasgow kiss as an act of brutality but now it looks like la belle France is adopting similar if not worse loutishness. It's outrageous the way that the French State looks the other way on this - the workers involved in this threatening blackmail should be arrested and thrown in jail. They are commie scum. Sadly, the US company caved.

Schumacher Roller Coaster Ride Derailed

If you want irony and strangeness then the Austrian Times should always be on your Favourites list. Here we learn about the embarassing fate of the world's fastest rollercoaster:

"The world's fastest rollercoaster which was opened in a blaze of publicity last week with F1 legend Michael Schumacher in pole position has been forced to close after the braking system exploded on only the third day of operation.

The "ring racer" was hailed as a triumph of German engineering and the world's fastest rollercoaster when it was unveiled last week at the Nuremberg F1 racing track in Germany. The ride was set to be the new highlight at the fun park adjoining the racing track.

But it is now closed indefinitely. One park visitor said: "There was an enormous bang like a clap of thunder. People were running all over the place but nobody was hurt - although it was frightening."

Park officials say that there needs to be extensive repairs to the ride's "pneumatic starting mechanism" before it can be put back on line.

They need a new elastic band, it seems.

They said it was not clear when this would be possible as new safety checks also need to be carried out.

The seven-time F1 champion said the ride which takes place in a red wagon that resembles an F1 car was exciting."

Well, there is 'exciting', there is getting scared half to death and losing your lunch, and there is having bits of fast-moving machinery explode underneath you....or there is sitting around with an ice-cream at a safe distance.

TheEye prefers rum'n'raison ice-cream, as you asked.

Half-Baked Laws

TheEye is not a Sun reader. This has a lot to do with the fact that the crossword is too easy and that it is easier to be irritating in public with a strategically deployed broadsheet in a confined area.

However The Sun Says today is rather good. In a week when we found out that we had a staggering 29,000 politicians and placemen (one-third of the strength of the Army) costing us half a billion a year, The Sun goes on the attack:

"We are in the middle of the worst financial crash in living memory. Our heroes are fighting and dying in a vicious war 3,500 miles from home. And our MP's are about to take one of their longest holidays ever. Next Tuesday politicians pack their bags and leave Westminister for 12 weeks. This is after 24 days off at Christmas and New Year, a 10-day winter half-term break, a 17-day Easter holiday and 10 days at Whitsun.

You might think they would have reconsidered their 82-day summer snooze if only to restore their reputation after the expenses scandal.

No one wants even more interference in their lives by MP's hanging around looking for things to do. We are already over-governed. That is why their numbers - currently a bloated 646 - need cutting in half. Just like the holiday time of those who are left. Then they can do a proper job of vetting what Ministers do, instead of nodding though half-baked laws."

Personally this could have been worded a whole lot stronger and still found TheEye nodding in agreement, but read the whole article here.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

RATS SWIM TOWARDS SINKING SHIP

Did you see that the Parliament in Iceland has voted by a narrow majority to set in motion an application to join the European Union, after five days of gruelling debate?

Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir of the Social Democrats has also been pushing for the adoption of the euro as the Nordic country's currency. The bid must now be approved by the EU, after which Iceland's people will be asked to vote on it in a referendum.

Are they gluttons for punishment? Perhaps it is the weather? Either way, applying for membership of the failing Euroclub seems odd to me but I suppose if it saves the necks of a few politicians then handing over national sovereignty is a minor price to pay. Wonder what Bjork thinks? It's all so quiet from her, these days...

SCHADENFREUDE

I know it is wrong but I had to raise a smile at the news that Cherie Blair has been diagnosed with suspected swine flu.

The former Prime Minister's wife has had to cancel a host of public engagements because of the illness. Mrs Blair started to feel unwell at the beginning of the week. Doctors are reported to have given her a course of Tamiflu and she is now said to be resting as she fights the illness.

Let us hope her recovery is swift. Ahem.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

STRENGTH TO BLOG!

As you know, I have been doing my best to keep the All Seeing Eye warm and cosy whilst The Eye himself is recuperating! Got good news today - he's on the mend and may be able to blog here again soon. No pressure on him - we will all await his return when he is ready!

TheEye Is Back

For those who don't know, TheEye had an accident a few weeks ago. Several days were spent completely unconscious until the sounds of bustling nurses broke through the arms of Morpheus and TheEye awoke to discover that he was surrounded by a vast array of medical gizmos up to and including the one from Monty Python's "The Meaning Of Life" which just went 'ping'.

Further questions were curtailed by the tubes down the throat, up the nose etc etc and the fact that its tricky talking with a smashed jaw. So questions about why multiple internal squidgy bits failed in some sort of secondary strike action had to wait for another week or so. But it added to the fun.

There is no question that TheEye owes his life to the Intensive Trauma Unit of St. Bernard's Hospital and can never repay the debt. Humbling and overwhelming are the only ways to describe the reaction of family and friends. Thanks to all of my co-conspirators for keeping the blog alive and more interesting than ever. David, especially, has been prolific in his scribblings and it has been appreciated.

TheEye is back!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

EXPLOSIVE INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS!

Zut alors! Did you read that French workers are barricaded inside their bankrupt car parts factory after threatening to blow the plant up with gas canisters unless they receive a bigger pay-off.

“Are we capable of blowing up the factory?” asked CGT union
official Guy Eyermann during a meeting of about a hundred workers who have been occupying the factory in Chatellerault for several weeks. “Yes, we are capable.”
They insisted the string of gas canisters they have strung together are full - despite claims from officials that they are bluffing with depressurised gas bottles - and will be used to blow up the plant if necessary. “Let them come and see,” said Eyermann. “These are serious threats.” It is said that the 366 workers said on Sunday they would carry out their threat unless carmakers Renault and PSA-Peugeot - who accounted for 90 per cent of business - pay them 30,000 euro each when they lose their jobs.

Socialism in action...dont'cha just love it?

SALUTING THE FALLEN..

I am sure that were The Eye here he would want to pay tribute to those fallen heroes whose bodies have just been returned to the UK. It's heart-breaking for the families and indeed for all of the rest of us who have such pride and respect for our armed forces, here and abroad. Such a tragic end to young lives.

What angers me, however, is the fact that many of these deaths need not have happened had this miserable excuse for a government provided the numbers of military on the ground and the right equipment for our men and women in uniform. We have a government which puts welfare above warfare when it comes to how cash is allocated and the result is millions of spongers claiming social benefits even as our military lack the helicopters, and personnel to get on with the job in Afghanistan.

To all those who read this blog who may have family serving in the forces, my prayers are with you for their safe return.

TIME TO AXE THE NHS?

Wonder what you make of the news that people in England may be forced to pay as much as £20,000 on retirement to help fund the social care system under plans being put forward by ministers?

It is one of three options being proposed by the government alongside
top-ups and insurance. In return, the government said a certain amount of social care would be provided free to everyone, while accommodation costs could be deferred

I have a better suggestion. Socialised healthcare yields the worst of all outcomes as the NHS stands grim testament to. So by all means let people make provisions for their health but the cost of this should be the NHS being axed. This Stalinist anachronism has to go along with the battalions of bureaucrats that fill its inners. Government up for THAT?

TROUSER PORN...

Let's be honest - Islam and fashion do not go together! But where is the outraged voice of the Sisterhood? Cue silence....

A group of Sudanese women diners face up to 40 lashes - for wearing
trousers. The women have been accused of dressing 'indecently' while dining at a popular restaurant in Khartoum, the capital. Up to 30 police stormed the building without warning and arrested those wearing trousers, 13 women in all. Some have pleaded guilty - so they could ‘get it over with - and received 10 lashes. Others though have not admitted their 'guilt' and could subsequently receive 40 lashes if tried and convicted.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

PUPPY LOVE

The rancid media is full of sycophantic coverage of the Obama grand tour of Ghana. The people of Ghana love Obama and yet, when we look at it, their love extends into the most surprising areas;

A Ghanaian woman has married her dog because it has qualities she had seen only in her late father. Emily Mabou, 29, of Aburi, married the 18-month-old dog in a ceremony attended by a traditional priest and local, curious villagers, reports the Daily Dose. Her younger brother David Mabou said her family boycotted the wedding which they felt was "a stupid step to combat her loneliness". But Ms Mabou said: "For so long, I've been praying for a life partner who will have all the qualities of my dad. My dad was kind, faithful, and loyal to my mum, and he never let her down.

WHERE'S OSAMA?

I read that Osama bin Laden and the top Al-Qaeda leadership are not in Pakistan, making US missile attacks against them futile, according to the country’s interior minister.

“If Osama was in Pakistan we would know, with all the thousands of troops we have sent into the tribal areas in recent months,” Rehman Malik told The Sunday Times. “If he and all these four or five top people were in our area they would have been caught, the way we are searching.” He added: “According to our information Osama is in Afghanistan, probably Kunar, as most of the activities against Pakistan are being directed from Kunar.”

But do we trust Malik? How about we raze Kunar but for insurance purposes we continue to bomb the hell out of those parts of Pakistan which are clearly redoubts for Al Queda? I do not believe that Bin Laden is alive but I am sure that militant Islam IS still functioning so the pressure must not be let up.

PORCINE PARALYSIS

Oh no - it's the end of British business as we know it. Consider this alarm from the people's newspaper, The Guardian;

Vital sections of society could be paralysed if swine flu reaches epidemic proportions as expected, the government has been warned. A Whitehall meeting of emergency services and business chiefs has been told that more than a third of Britain's businesses have no response plans at all for dealing with the pandemic, while specific fears have been raised about the ability of the country's broadband network and the London Underground to operate effectively.

There's no need to worry - Gordon Brown is in control and will surely bring public sector efficiency to all those naughty private sector companies that have no response plan in place. Then again, the private sector tends to deal with likely reality rather than fantastical possibilities.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

THUGS BUNNY!

Again, here on The Eye we often get to consider the really big issues that the rest of the blogosphere so cruelly ignore; Take this....

A pet rabbit has become so hooked on a late night soap she attacks her owners if they try to change the channel. The bunny loves watching the drama as she sits between her doting owners in bed in the family home in Xiamen, southern China.

But the rampant rabbit - named Jia Xiaoyu - gets hopping mad if she misses a single episode of the Korean TV drama Ms Mermaid. Owner Wing Chunlei said: "If we accidentally switch to another channel, she gets very angry, biting the pillow and attacking us. She wouldn't stop until we turned back. "And she won't watch TV anywhere except between my wife and me in bed. If we try to move her she gets cross and stubborn."

Rabbit stew?

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