Tag Archives: politics

by | December 31, 2010 · 7:00 pm

My most viewed post of 2010 on John’s Jottings?

As 2010 draws to a close I have been looking back at my Jottings over the last 12 months to see what was popular and what wasn’t so much.

The two clear winners for John’s Jottings are the one on Natural Disasters (Acts of God) and Am I a LibDem, both of which have also had a bit of a resurgence in interest lately, albeit that they were both a bit more topical with regard to the general election. If you missed them first time round please click on the links to have a look.

Anyway, thanks for reading these, and other posts around my blogs. I hope that you all have a peaceful and prosperous 2011.

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by | November 21, 2010 · 1:46 pm

I say No Thanks to Berlin Time.

I have been reading of Rebecca Harris MP (Conservative, Castle Point) and her private member’s bill proposal to have the UK switch to Central European Time, or Berlin Time as some folks would have it, presumably to raise the spectre of Johnny Foreigner, here in the form of the Hun, taking over the country.

Xenophobia aside, for me this is plainly ridiculous and I see no point in it whatsoever. Yes it just shifts the day, but I go to work in the dark for a lot of the year anyway; I’m an early riser. Lighter evenings would result and that would be pleasant and no more, but the hard facts that are being touted are largely untrue: Last time we tried this road deaths went up, not down.

Ms Harris may be sincere, but I believe that she is misguided. Surely she could have found something more sensible to spend a private members bill on? Or has she just picked something controversial to make a name for herself?

Join me in lobbying against this daft idea. There are plenty of websites and polls opposing it.

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by | October 30, 2010 · 1:50 pm

Florida’s next govenor

Jeb Bush came from a political family (you may have heard of his Dad and his brother, both of whom served, albeit with widely different standards). He seemed like a good administrator and I got the impression that my adopted second home state prospered with him in the chair.

Charlie Crist came over as a good man and a rare politicion in that he always seemed more intrested in getting the job done than in self promotion.

Sure maybe both had some grey areas in their administrations, but what prospects does FL have to come? The candidates appear to offer a choice between a crook and an incompetant. As for the furore over the recent televised debate where one party clearly did break the rules of the debate and then was silly, or poorly advised,  enough to lie about what she had done (did she not know, or was she not told, that the episode was filmed and was being broadcast ad nauseum?).

Pretty stupid, but her opponent’s outrage was pathetic. Come on people, what about the real issues?

If this is the best that came be offered, Florida could be in for a rough time whichever way the vote goes.

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by | May 14, 2010 · 1:32 pm

cabinet mobile phone ban

About time too. If you are at a meeting you are there for a reason, and leaving your mobile (cell) phone on is both rude and unprofessional.

It’s rude because you should be respecting your colleagues and devoting your full attention to the meeting.

It’s unprofessional because your job for the duration of the meeting is to participate in the meeting.

Distractions like phones should play no part. Turn them off and put them away out of sight. No leaving them on the desk in silent mode; switch off and put away. The world isn’t going to stop if you’re off the airwaves for a couple or three hours.

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by | May 3, 2010 · 2:02 pm

letters to the editor number 19 – initial thoughts

Sir

My attention has been drawn to the intials PM. Amongst other things, they appear to stand for:

a) Prime Minister
b) Puppet Master
c) Peter Mandelson

Am I alone in thinking that this is no coincidence? I think that we should be told.

Yours faihtfully
Worried of Wiltshire

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by | April 16, 2010 · 7:46 pm

Thoughts on Natural Disasters (or Acts of God?)

Reading that insurance companies might claim that the volcanic ash incident currently closing UK airspace was an act of God and thus not covered got me thinking of my own experience in trying to phone insurance company helplines.

I pictured something like:
Ring ring, “Welcome to the Acts of God customer service call centre. Your call is important to us, but our operator, whilst omnipotent and omnipresent, is busy right now. Please hold and your call will be answered shortly”
Cue music, then: “Your call is still in a queue. Your call is important to us, but right now we are experiencing a high demand. All calls are recorded on tablets of stone for training purposes”.
More music until just as you start to enjoy it “Your call is still in a queue. If your call is not urgent, you might try our web site at http://www.weknowwhoyouare.com”. Back to the music, but not where you left it.
Then “You may key in your 16 digit account number, followed by the hash key, on your telephone key pad, if you wish to, but we know who you are and what you want, so you don’t have to, but if it makes you feel better and helps pass the time feel free”, and, once again, the music cuts in.
Then a voice interrupts “Yes John, I know you are troubled about me”
Err, well, I’m a bit concerned that you’re not too happy up there? I mean I’ve been chugged down the high street for the victims of the earthquake and the cyclone and now this volcanic eruption has caused my holiday flight to be canceled and the insurance company won’t pay out for my car hire and hotel ‘cos they say it’s an act of God and, well, what can I do?
“John, these are not acts of God, they are a natural disasters, but your insurance company is right; natural disasters are covered in their exclusions. Did I not give you two good eyes to read the small print?”
Well, yes, but the eyes aren’t too good these days .
“And is not self abuse a contributing factor? And were you not warned about this and the consequences?”
Well, maybe you’re right.
“Of course I am right! Now, how may I help you?”
Well I was worried that you were angry or something with all of this trouble around the world, so are we going to have any more acts, I mean natural disasters? I mean what about the general election?
“John, the outcome of the election will not be a natural disaster. It may be a supreme act of folly, but you were not created perfect. I can only hope that you learn from your mistakes and, although you have shown little evidence of being able to do so, I above all must have faith in you to get it right one day. Now, is there anything else I can help you with today?”
Well, no. Thank you.
“You are welcome. You will receive an email within the next 24 hours to give feedback on your experience with our helpline. Goodbye”.

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by | April 15, 2010 · 9:39 am

election e-hype? Evening Standard article

Great article by Roy Greenslade in last night’s London Evening Standard (14 April 2010, page 35) on how doorstep campaigning is still the way to go. Completely ruined the post I had planned on the same subject though!

Not sure if you can find it on line, but well worth checking out. Just to quote one line; “There is, at present, no substitute for knocking on doors and speaking at the hustings”. I couldn’t agree more.

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by | April 11, 2010 · 7:08 am

letters to the editor #14 – share the election

Sir

I was saddened to read of the loss of the Polish president and colleagues in the recent air disaster, and my condolences go out to the familes of those lost and the Polish people. I understand that a general election has been called in Poland as a result.

Given that there are lots of Polish people living here in the UK, many of whom are families of gallant allies that have resided here since helping us defeat the Axis powers in WW2, and that we also have a general election in the offing, is this not a chance to merge our countries under a single leadership? It could save costs by having just the one election and we might end up with a much better government (it couldn’t be any worse surely).

Suddenly our general election might be of interest after all.

Yours

Saddened of Swindon

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by | April 7, 2010 · 7:06 am

is there going to be an election then?

Haven’t we had one or two of these before? I’m sure that I remember several over the 57 and a bit years that I’ve been on the planet.

So why did the BBC extend its lunchtime bulletin to rabbit on over and over about the PM going to see the queen ad nauseum? After about the fourth time that they told us how he’d driven to the palace and back etc etc, what the other two leaders (sorry, can’t remember their names at the moment) had done and so on I was at screaming point.

Yes he’s called an election: So what? We all knew it was going to happen. We all knew when the date was. So what was newsworthy? Just a quick confirmation would have been enough; less than a dozen words. But no, we have to have the expense of goodness knows how many people out on outside broadcasts and spouting meaningless twaddle on the subject just so they had something to say. At least, in the bit I did watch (in the forlorn hope that they’d get round to Bargain Hunt), they didn’t mention the respective wives.

It isn’t a momentous event, it’s a routine proceess and it happens every 5 years or so. If I was the Queen I’d have left a note on the gate saying “Yes, I’ve heard. Just get on with it” and not bothered to see the oaf at all.

Clegg and Cgmeron; there, I’ve remembered. This is the problem for me; they are all a bunch of faceless nonentities these days and therefore I have little to get enthused about. The current lot have systematically destroyed the country I used to be proud of and to a point that I don’t hold much hope of the others being able to do much to restore things assuming that they get the chance.

Oh well. Life will go on regardless and I will be watching even less TV than usual. A good book, some music or a good conversation are much better ways of spending the time. Roll on the middle of May when it will all be over.

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by | March 20, 2010 · 1:51 pm

letters to the editor #24 – a hung parliament?

Sir

My enthusiasm for a hung parliament has waned since it was brought to my attention that it will not require the use of many lengths of rope and most of the lamp posts along the embankment as I had first thought.

I therefore formally withdraw my support.

Yours faithfully
Disappointed of Dorcan

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