BT and Premium Rate Scams

BT has a problem. They do not want to admit that they can analyse the 180,000,000 calls made every day.

As someone who has a lot of experience in this field it is very possible to do this and well within their capability technically.

I have also looked up at setting up legitimate premium rate services. To avoid this problem, you just put a three month hold on payments of all premium rate services, so that claims can be investigated first.

 

Radio 5 and Free Range Turkeys

A few months ago I spoke to a producer of free-range ducks and turkeys. He stops the fox from taking his share, by having a radio play 5 Live quietly all night. The voices scare them away!

 

Celibacy on Victoria's Phone-In

I was listening to those idiots talking about celibacy.

What planet do they come from?

I should say that I have been married for over thirty six years and we both had own first sexual experience with each other. But the knowledge and experience we have accumulated over the years, shows us that without proper sex education and access to professional services unwanted pregnancies and sexual transmitted diseases will continue to occur.

Last week there was an article in the Times about provision of such services in Harlow. A few years ago, there were none and sexual health in the town was very bad. But after provision, everything has got a lot better.

We must not let the religious zealots get in the way of scientific correctness!

 

Peter Hain and Identity Cards

How can someone who grew up under apartheid support identity cards?

 

Bad Law

I live on a large stud in the depths of the Suffolk countryside.

This morning as I often do, I took my basset hounds for a long walk. Now what should happen if they go and chase a hare, which they do occasionally?

Am I breaking the law? Should I report myself to the Police?

What should happen too, if a hare comes into our garden as they do sometimes? Should I protect the hare, by keeping my hounds in the house all the time and only let them out on leads?

 

Spanish Football Crowds

They were making noises at Glen Johnson and Darren Bent last night and I thought I heard them doing at Ashley Cole tonight after about 10 minutes!

Let's hope it was the last.

 

London and the Olympics

I don't want to be defeatist, but ever since Tony Bliar backed the new Crusader over Iraq, we haven't had a chance of getting the Olympics in 2012.

So why bother!

 

Manchester United

If you know about football, you’ll know about Manchester United.

Have you been reading the stories of how Malcolm Glazer of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is trying to take over the club?

More...

He’s very much considered an American thug, who gets his own way. But J. P. Morgan have decided he’s too much and have dropped him in the doo-dah!

Yet another American, who really knows how to annoy people. And when you add up how many supported Manchester United have that’s an awful lot of people. I bet he supports Dubya!

 

John Peel and Yasser Arafat - Part 2

Even the Times had more coverage of John Peel's funeral!

Perhaps doing a lot of good is more important than doing nothing good of any consequence!

 

John Peel and Yasser Arafat

Both were buried today. John Peel after a dignified service in Bury St. Edmunds and Yasser Arafat after an emotional shambles in the West Bank.

John was the more significant in that he gave pleasure to millions, guidance to many and started the careers of a large number of musicians.

I predict that when the history of the twenty-first century is written, then the quiet gentle man from Liverpool will be remembered more than the Palestinian leader who could not transform from terrorist to statesman.

Perhaps only Nelson Mandela was man enough to make that transition.

 

The Advantage of Being a Coeliac

My wife and I have had a bad week!

On Wednesday she had to go into hospital for an operation, so I managed to get a fish bone stuck in my throat on Monday night.

After three hours at Addenbrookes casualty, they couldn’t get it out, so they asked me to come back in the morning for a full anaesthetic and a fishing expedition. But as things go, they had lots of emergencies, so at three I was still waiting for an operating theatre. So after telling the sister that as it was essential I was seen to because of my wife’s op, the sister found a doctor who was prepared to go fishing with just a local. I’d already said that as a coeliac, I was used to having uncomfortable things bunged down my throat.

After six goes, failure was imminent! So I asked them to get a nurse to hold my hand to calm me down. (Usually they do this with endoscopies at Addenbrookes!) Two more goes and the doctor succeeded. He didn’t think he’d have got it out of someone who hadn’t been scoped.

My wife had her operation and I’ve just got her from the hospital today. She is hopefully better!

I don’t want to repeat this week!

 

Level Crossing Safety

You probably can’t eliminate all level crossings, but many would cause little inconvenience if they were sealed off. Interestingly, the one where the accident happened at Ufton Nervet is on a secondary road, that would mean a detour of no more than a mile for anyone.

Here where I live near Newmarket, we are always having trouble and accidents at level crossings, although luckily no-one has been killed. If all of those crossings without an attendant signal-box were sealed some would cause severe problems. Many would be extremely expensive to eliminate as they are very close to housing, which would have to be demolished.

 

The Queen on the Royal Train in Berlin

We've been on that overhead railway that runs right across Berlin. It gives wonderful views of the city.

The panoramic train is open to all and looks like it's worth a trip.

Find out more!

 

Bush is Good for Europe

Brand America is in trouble!

Why should I buy products from people like Ford, Kellogg, Asda and other American companies, when there is a European alternative?

America has a large deficit that was once a large surplus under Clinton!

If the financial situation continues to deteriorate, Bush will prove that he is as good at economics as he is at foreign policy.

Reminds me of the joke about the surgeon who pronounced the first head transplant a success, even though the patient had died.

 

Anti-Gay Violence

There has been an anti-gay murder in London and the feeling is that some of these so-called rappers are fueling the violence.

What really worries me though are these song lyrics!

Not only do I find them totally offensive, but I would also find them so if they were advocating killing all 57 year old white males. Or anybody else for that matter! There is absolutely no difference. To urge people to kill someone because they are different to you is wrong. And it always has been.

They’ve just announced on BBC East that a gig of one of these rappers has been cancelled at Milton Keynes. No reason was given, but apparently the singer cancelled it himself. It would be wonderful if the reason was that no-one wanted to go!

That would be the best way to ban them, but as with many offensive things in this world, such as George Bush, guns, 4x4’s and shell-suits, there is often a large unexplainable market.

 

NHS Staff Shortages

I regularly go to Addenbrokes Hospital in Cambridge and find a typical pattern of staff with quite a few from places like Australia, South Africa and Europe.

Recently, I had to go to the small local hospital at Newmarket for an X-ray. Nearly everyone there is local and a good deal older. Just as they are at my GP's surgery!

Could it be that both the local hospital and the GP offer family friendly and non-shift hours, so they can pick and choose staff? Then there is also the fact that Addenbrokes has very bad parking, whereas Newmarket and the GP's have plenty of it and it’s free!