Cats vs. kids: 1-0

A teenager who micro-waved a six-weeks-old kitten was banned from keeping animals for seven years. On the other hand, people who kill their kids cannot be banned from having new ones;  every call for introducing such measures ends up with strong objection from human right activists.

Protecting cats good, protecting kids bad. Strange place this is.

A naive question about Israel, Gaza and hypocrisy

The Rafah Crossing

The Israeli attack on the flotilla to Gaza has heated up emotions around the globe. But leaving emotions aside, the Gaza situation raises many question. 

The first one that comes to mind, is about the siege itself.  Because, while Israel is condemned for the marine siege of Gaza, a territory from which thousands of rockets have been launched onto Israel cities, Gaza has another border, a border with Egypt. Rafah is the border crossing between Egypt and Gaza. However, except for a few short periods, the crossing has been closed since 2007. 

Egypt, a country of brothers to the Palestinians, has stopped any access to Gaza. Do they have a reason that Israel doesn’t? Why don’t we see attempts to break the into Gaza through the Egyptian border? Why aren’t they condemned? 

Hypocrisy

Mr. Rondean had been awarded £62,500 for sexual discrimination. ‘It was not the money that was important,’ he said. ‘It was justice that I wanted’.

On the same day Elain Hess, whose husband Stuart died after being addicted to cigarettes was awarded £5.6m. ‘It wasn’t about the money’ she insisted. ‘I just really hope this can help ….’

Give me a break. If it’s not about the money, give it to charity. If it is, enjoy it and shut up

To Porn Or Not To Porn

It’s heart worming to learn that the Gallant Mr. Brown feels that those who abuse the expense system should apologies. Severe punishment indeed. Let's cancel the legal system, and replace it with letter of apology.  What saving that would be to the tax-payer. Why should I pay a traffic fine, if I can apologize to the policeman.?

And to a nearly completely different matter: I am glad to see that the house has taken measures to ensure that such unpleasant incidents will never happen again. From now, MPs will be allowed a few days to edit their receipts before they become public.

It’s already clear that they’ll be allowed to delete vendor names from their receipts (so we will not know that they used tax payers money to watch porn) and the date (so we will not know that they charged two hotels in different part of the country on the same day). What else will they be allowed to delete -- the amount? Why not? After all, they make the laws. Whatever they say can’t be illegal.

Accountability and transparency, this is what the head of our gang has promised to legislate into the post-credit-crisis economy. I am glad to see that in his own house he does not practice what he  preaches. For a moment I got worried.

Bribes

Rail chiefs are in line for £600,000 bonuses, despite the continuously deteriorating service. I am glad to see that the reward for failure tradition continues. I also applaud the sensitivity of our leaders to the current market condition. After all, merely a year ago bonuses for failure were much higher.

Drug enlightened UK by ranfuchs @ 18/02/2009 – 07:19:45

A father of three, whose family had been suffering from heroin dealers, has been jailed for two months for grabbing dealer’s heroin stash and flushing it down the toilet.

How enlightened UK has become. We have now entered a new human-right era in which heroin dealers seek police help to protect their possessions. Next, they will sue the police when it fails to protect them.

Coming soon: tax-payer's funds will be used to establish help-line for heroin dealers in financial distress.

Adoption

A couple was denied the right to adopt a child because the man was too fat. There were other behavioral or health problems. Is such discrimination legal in the UK? It wouldn’t be in many parts of the civilized world.

On the other hand, isn’t the department dealing with adoption the same as that dealing with child safety? This is the same department that followed the correct procedures to the letter, only to end up with the death of Baby P ...  and others. 

It’s a wonderful economic environment to find replacement for some of these long term government paper pushers. So many good people need a job these days.

The English Irish War

‘Saver can forget about 100% deposit guarantee’, said Brown, who at the same time blamed the Irish government, which offers guarantee, for pulling depositors money out of the UK.

As an ex-financial genius, Mr. Brown should know that it is still a free-trade, capitalist markets. When people don’t like what you offer, they go somewhere else. For years the UK has been doing just that. it was in our favour, after all. Now we feel the other side of the stick. No foreign government is to be blamed; we would have done the same. Again.

I am a bank owner!!!

Can anyone tell me what it means that Northern Rock will be bought into ‘public ownership’? Am I, as part of the public, an owner? Can I get dividend when the bank starts making money again? Can I  sell my shares, my part of the ownership?

What a misnomer; what a spin!

All it really means is that they will use my money to buy something I cannot use or enjoy. And some would claim that the capitalist democratic world is what we should impose on everyone.

God help them all.

Trust the News

"Heathrow crash jet survivors may sue BA."

This announcement came a few weeks after the passengers hailed the pilot, claiming  that they had not even been aware that a crash happened, until they left the plane.

Not that I mind that anyone sues BA -- I like them as little as the next person. But doesn’t it seem as if some vulture lawyers are doing their stir up? Let’s send them to Iraq, lots of stirring opportunities there, I hear.