Syria....what next??

The nations of the West stand aloof & speak appeasement like platitudes on the human haemorrhage that is Syria. France, the UK, Turkey and the United States openly condemn the killing by all the barbaric means known to mankind of the civilian population of that country. The United Nations stands by whispering protests towards the butcher of Damascus-President Assad.Yet that is all that is being done. In the 2 & half years that the bloodshed has been going on for God alone knows how many have died. There have been countless ceasefires all broken by the 'ruling Government of Syria. Standing by supporting President Assad are Russia & China-no doubt making a killing financially in selling weapons to the regime.

Today we hear yet more howls of protest & condemnation from the West following the use of poison gas on his own people. The word is that he has killed at least 1000 men, women & children. This hasn't been confirmed though because Assad refuses to allow the UN access into the area to verify the accounts and claims made by the Syrian opposition.
So nothing is done.No 'no fly zones', no troops on the ground, no active aid to the wounded, nothing as far as can be seen to bring solace to the poor people of Syria.
I'm minded of Kuwait some years ago. And of Iraq when in both examples the West led an invasion to 'liberate' those nations. The latter (Iraq) was undertaken I believe without a UN mandate.
So why not go in in some form or other & support the beleaguered population Syria in some form or other??

Simple.....Syria has no oil. Plain as the nose on your face. If Syria had oil reserves then the US, UK & France would have intervened long ago. But.... they aint...all because Syria has no oil to sell the West.
 Shameful.

Roman Catholic education & child abuse A personal experience.

I see that the evil spectre of child abuse has arisen once again in a Roman Catholic school.
This time there is evidence that there was physical, sexual and psychological abuse carried out by male teachers on male male pupils at the Scottish Fort Augustus school during the 1950's & 1960's. The abusers were members of a Order of Benedictine monks.
I've been reflecting on this abuse & looking back on my educational experiences as a pupil of the Roman Catholic educational system.

In my formative years as a pupil in a Roman Catholic primary school, I both witnessed & was on the receiving end of physical and mental abuse.
I recall very clearly being literally force fed my school lunch by a nun- a member of the order of Sisters of Mercy, of being hit around the head by the same nun during a practice (of all things!) for my first Holy Communion.On both these occasions I was 6-7 years of age. I recall feeling fear (literally) if, & when this nun stood behind you as it came to signify that a slap around the head was coming.

One especially fearfully and troubling example of abuse I witness by this nun was when she actually tied a 6 year old boy to his chair (after first placing the chair on a table) because he wouldn't sit still.
I don't recall any incidents of sexual abuse, but the incident I witnessed where I believe, the thin edge of the wedge of abuse perpetrated by this nun.

I unfortunately suffered & witnessed examples of physical, mental & psychological abuse as a teenager within the Roman Catholic educational system. I was 15 years of age at a Roman Catholic secondary school when I was systematically physically and emotionally abused by a teacher. The 'man' I'm thinking of wasn't a member of any religious order, but seemed to take some delight in grabbing me  by throat, shaking me and threatening to "pumble me". This was frequently carried out in the presence of my class mates. I, & others, were frequently humiliated verbally by this teacher, told we were "stupid, a waste of time and energy, that we would never come to anything"  Often we were physically punished for the smallest demeanour.
I would love to meet these abusers today-especially the male teacher of my teen years. I would not resort to physical violence towards him, rather I would psychologically humiliate him as he did me.


Having said all this I believe that it was almost expected that pupils in the Roman Catholic schools during the 1950's & 60's were to be the victims of abuse. At best the behaviour/abuse was carried out in the belief that it would "break & mould the child" or at worst it was carried out to satisfy some innate perverse desire of the abuser. Either way it was unacceptable.

But I don't know hat to do about it.

The UK minister for skills....his recent media release.

Matthew Hancock MP

 I heard on the radio news today a worrying and morally repugnant statement released by the UK minister for skills. No doubt it was said with the intention of gaining the favour & votes of those misguided people who harbour bigoted views about none national UK residents, but it made me heave.

The minister who goes by the name of Matthew Hancock said that "employers have social duty, when considering whether or not to take a person they should chose a local British person in preference to an immigrant".
I hear echoes of pre war Nazi Germany policy here. When the national Socialist government of Germany  (post election of Hitler) only employed Ayrian Germans in preference to Jews or those which the government considered 'unpure/inferior.
I guess though that only difference is that the UK minister for skills comment is, as I said, aimed as a vote gaining comment at those bigots in our society.
I wonder though, what kind of society are we heading for with the Government we currently have?
Those of us who forget the lessons of history are destined to repeat them.

The Royal baby.....

I guess that all of you knew that I just had to have a rant about the birth of the baby to William & Catherine.So here goes: To be fair, I've left it a day or so to rant otherwise what I'd have written would make even less sense than usual!
I do wish the parent of the baby congratulations, & I hope (rather, I bloody well know) that everything will go well & work out for them.
The baby, God help him, won't have any say in what kind of life he wants. All decisions are already made for him, but that's one of the downsides of being born with a silver spoon stuck in your trap.
What I do strongly object to is (president) Cameron coming out and announcing to the world that ."..the whole of the country is excited" by the birth). What right has this man got to speak for me? How does he know the feelings of every man, woman & child in the UK? & how dare he presume that we are all "excited".
 Where is his research into whether or not the "whole of the country is excited"? The prat.
I could give a flying feck about the birth to be honest. There were a few thousand women giving birth on the day that Catherine did & I wish them all congratulations in equal measure.
Catherine gave birth in a £4k hospital suite complete with hairdresser thrown in-no cheap in & out NHS delivery suite for her folks! She had 2 personal gynaecologists in attendance throughout her delivery unlike the majority of women in the UK who give birth who never see a gynaecologist from the moment their labour begins to the day they're discharge from hospital with their baby.
Its a bullshit, unfair system we live in. The Royals live in a fantasy world in which they believe that the majority of their subjects live as they do. (I'm open for persuasion on that point though)

Then there were the scores of twats who crowded around the Palace & the hospital giving vent to their 'joy' at the birth. One person said that it was the "best Monday she had ever had"-poor sad creature. Get a fucking life!! Its all about people craving celebrity status. They're mad for it, they buy magazines full of photos & stories about celebrities, they queue up for days on end for an audition to be verbally abused by ill mannered louts like Simon Cowell in the hope of becoming a 'star'. These people live in a world of celebrity by proxy.
so there you have it. My rant on the Royal birth. Let 'em get on with it. I won't comment on how much this extra Royal mouth will cost us all-Ill leave that to you to reflect upon.

You pay them to do your job!!!

I had (yet another) bill drop thru my letterbox the other day-many thanks Darren!! (you know who you are comrade!!)
I expect, like anybody else to get my fair share of bills & I pay them, some without question, but the majority with a grimace on my handsome mug.
The bill kindly shoved thru my letterbox by the aforementioned Darren was from the regulatory body of the UK nursing authority. This body is known these days as 'The United Kingdom Nursing & Midwifery Council'. Least-ways that's what I think they call themselves these days, because they seem to change their name as often as I change my underwear.Since I've been a nurse they've called themselves-The General Nursing Council, The UKCC, & now the long winded name I've just told you above.
Ok, to get to the point: Each year we, as qualified nurses if we desire to continue to practice our art have to register with the above named body. We are required (& should the body desire it) provide written proof that we (as nurses) have kept abreast & undertaken some additional training or other.
But here's the think people....In order to do our job(s) we have to pay the United Kingdom etc etc £100 for the privilege of doing the job. Its went up this year by £25.
The body justified this years increase by saying in a gobshite letter by saying that the bulk of the additional fee will be spent in bringing to heel those nurses amongst us who are brought before the disciplinary committee.
God almighty  are a badly behaved lot or what?
So there you have it.....I have to pay for the privilege of doing my job.
What a fucking diabolical liberty!

The UK Government privatisation of Royal Mail

It was announced last week by the Conservative/Government that The Royal Mail will be sold off to the highest bidder in the near future.
The Government have valued the service at between £2-£3 billion Sterling. However to those who use and who work in the Royal Mail its worth considerably more. The British public weren't consulted about whether or not they, the users, wanted the Royal Mail sold, and further more, the workers of The Royal Mail actually voted against the sell off of their industry to the highest bidder. This is yet another example of this Governments utter disregard of the electorates democratic voice.

Oh sure, the Government throws in a 'sweetener' to make it appear as though the public and Royal Mail employees will gain from the big give away to 'whoever'.
On this occasion they have said that the workers of Royal Mail will be given  (so its said) between 10% of shares  and an an undisclosed pay rise. What we hasn't been made public is that the Government has told the Postmen that the rise & offer of  '(free') shares is subject to them forgoing their right (s) of industrial action between now and Christmas 2013.
Now then people...... Why throw in this condition?? I wonder...?? Could it be that the Government, amid (secret) sales negotiations with would be buyers know/have planned to impose some draconian change in working conditions or pay which would be so outrageous that the workers have no option but to resort to protest. But due to the clause  thrown in by Cameron & Vince Cable they are unable to do bugger all about it? I wonder.
So then how will the sale affect us, the users of Royal Mail?? Well, I reckon that (as usual with all sale(s) of public industries to the private sector, service will deteriorate. The price of postage will increase, people will use ever more electronic mail etc which will result in decreased use of the service with the subsequent laying off of Royal Mail workers.
I bet you a pound to a penny that deliveries will be even further reduced-especially for those customers who live in rural areas who may only get a delivery weekly.
So who will buy the Royal Mail??? Who has the financial clout to pay the knock down bargain price?
Not many UK buyers I reckon. But.... Last week the Chinese were in town meeting with Cameron....& I  (along with a friend) believe that they, & they alone have the financial muscle to lay out that amount of money demanded by Cameron et al.

So there we have it. Further dismantlisation of a public owned British industry by the money motivated Conservative Government. Mark my words: The British public will live to regret this sell off. But don't hold me responsible I didn't vote Conservative & I DO NOT agree with the sale..

Now this is bullshit!!!!

I've worn specs since I was 11 years of age, my eyesight is pretty poor &  without my specs I have trouble seeing a hand in front of my face to be honest. So it was with disappointment that after having a stronger script for new lenses less than 12 months ago I felt that my vision wasn't as sharp as it was. Thought that I'd better go for an eye test & get my sight checked out.
The optician tested my eyes at my usual optician-Boots & told me that I needed stronger lenses which he added gleefully would cost me £320.
Then.... He said that my existing lenses were scratched. Now, being extremely myopic my very close vision is excellent-I can see tiny things really really sharply if held close, so imagine my surprise when he told me that the lenses were badly scratched because neither me nor Kate could see any scratches.
Then came the bombshell: "what's caused the scratches , considering that the lenses are less than 1 year old & cost in excess of £300?? I ask. he glibly informed me that my eyelashes were the cause. querying this he then added that if I consider the number of times per day that I blink then it should come as no surprise.
Now this has got to be bullshit of the highest degree!! My eyelashes aren't long, neither are they made of thick hair. So I wonder then, has anyone out there ever had the experience of their spectacle lenses being scratched by the daily blinking action of their eyelashes???
Or is this the latest line of sales bullshit from Boots Opticians??