DYING YOUNG

It is always tragic when a young person dies.  It is right that the kids should outlive the parents.  However, when the young person in question is a drug addict, binge drinks and does not look after their own health the consequences are inevitable.

Our deepest sympathies should go to Mr and Mrs Winehouse and their family, extended family and friends, they have, after all lost a daughter, a relation and a friend but come on.....what's with the national and international outpouring of grief.

The girl was hardly mother Theresa.  She didn't, as far as I have read, save the world, give her life for her family and country and she didn't invent or create something that will alleviate world poverty or hunger.  Her last couple of concerts she could hardly sing a note, forgot her words and fell over.  She was a reasonable singer (when she was sober and not drugged to the eyeballs) but she was a drug addict, hardly a role model for the young of the world, yet her death has grabbed world headlines, streets have to close while idiots lay flowers outside her house and we hear morons - who never met her and didn't know her - interviewed on the news telling us how much they loved her, how she will be missed and that they don't know if they can go on without her. 

IF YOU NEED TO MOURN, MOURN FOR THE BRAVE HEROES WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIVES IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN

CRUISE SHIP RIP OFF

Cruise ship holidays hide away a little extra charges that are nothing but a rip off. You pay a high cost to go on a cruise holiday and find that they add 15% to every drink they serve you as a "gratuity".  Then, when you go to sign your receipt, you are invited to add an additional gratuity

Then they charge a "discretionary" $12 per person per day gratuity to thank the staff for the high quality of service and encourage "crew motivation to work as a team".

Sorry but when you pay for your holiday you expect a high quality of service. Gratuities are payable for service above and beyond that which is expected. Team building and motivation are issues for managemnt and often encouraged through recognition and non-monetary means.

This daily gratuity is just a way that the companies have thought of to reduce wages and increase their profits making staff dependent on the goodwill of the customers to earn a decent wage.

REMEMBER YOU CAN ALWAYS USE YOUR DISCRETION AND INSIST THE DISCRETIONARY CHARGE IS REMOVED

TATTOOED POLICEMEN

There is a call for police forces to actively encourage people with tattoos and piercings to join up.

Supporters say that officers with visible tattoos will encourage communication as their appearance will act as an ice breaker.

Sorry but most people see tattoos and piercings as aggressive and threatening. People have life choices to make and if someone wants to join the police - don't get visible tattoos or piercings ... Simples!!

WHY DO WE KEEP PANDERING TO MINORITIES - RESPECT DIVERSITY BY ALL MEANS BUT LET'S KEEP A GRIP ON OUR OWN CULTURAL NORMS

MANS INHUMANITY

A car bomb in Oslo and more than 80 kids murdered in a holiday camp in Norway.  All the work of a "far right fundamentalist"  Why do we try to legitimise his actions by giving him a "political cause"?

TRUTH IS HE AND OTHERS WHO CARRY OUT TERRORIST ACTS IN THE NAME OF ONE CAUSE OR ANOTHER ARE JUST PLAIN EVIL

PUNCHING ABOVE OUR WEIGHT

In June, Bill Gates hosted a conference and invited Governments to pledge money to help immunise children in third world countries.

The Global Alliance on Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) had asked world leaders and leading foundations to contribute $3.7bn (£2.3bn) to help vaccinate children against preventable diseases but pledges announced yesterday totalled $4.3bn (£2.6m).

The UK topped the table of donors, promising $1.3bn (£814m) in addition to the £680m it had already pledged by 2015.

1 United Kingdom: $1.3bn (£814)
2 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: $1bn (£613m)
3 Norway: $677m (£415m)
4 United States: $450m (£276m)
5 Sweden: $201m (£123m)
6 Netherlands: $175m (£107m)
7 Australia: $149 (£91m)
8 France: $146m (£90m)
9 Germany: $73m (£45m)
10 HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi: $33m (£20m)
11 Italy: $25m (£15m)
12 Denmark: $19m (£12m)
13= Canada: $15m (£9m)

13= European Commission: $15m (£9m)

15 Brazil: $12m (£7m) 

Now hang on...here we go again.  We are in the middle of an economic crisis with businesses closing down and services such as national health, education and policing are under threat and we are top of the donation list.  We are donating nearly 4 times what the US have and our nearest comparators, Germany and France have pledged less than a tenth of our grand gesture. 

It is right we should contribute.  There is no doubt it is a good cause BUT we need to put our donations in proportion to our size and our ability to pay.

Our government just don't seem to be listenting

THE PIGGY BANK IS EMPTY.........STOP SPENDING WHAT WE DON'T HAVE!

GUESS WHAT'S WRONG

When someone is obviously down, upset or in a foul mood it is only good grace to ask what is wrong.  If you can understand what is upsetting them then you can do something to try and make it better.

The answer to the question "What's up" is NOT "nothing".  Such an answer is patently not accurate and only serves to annoy/upset/confuse the asker.

IF THERE IS SOMETHING UPSETTING YOU AND YOU ARE ASKED "WHAT'S WRONG" DON'T ANSWER "NOTHING" WE ARE NOT MIND READERS

PROMISES PROMISES

Its the annual moan about time flying.  After commiting myself to keeping the blog up to date I have failed miserably.  This is the first entry since February. Where oh where does time go?  I even got the app to do it from my phone and still didn't find the time to put up a few words everyday.  Ok so now I admit defeat and
I will update when I can..no promises.

DON'T YOU JUST HATE PEOPLE WHO MAKE PROMISES AND THEN BREAK THEM