Puritanical attitudes to sex

Over the last few days we have been hearing of the murders of three prostitutes, with perhaps, two more dead too; at the moment they are just listed as "missing" (God bless them)

It seems to me, that if this damn stupid government of Britain, didn't keep responding to the puritans in our society (ie: those that shout the most), we may actually see licensed Brothels in this country. This would of course, not only make it easier to relieve one's sexual frustrations, and stop the financial rip-offs of "punters", but would make it safer for the women who give their services. What I am saying is that we should adopt many of the practices of our continental neighbours.
I have no idea what the percentage of murdered licenced sex-workers in mainland Europe is, but I would wager it is less than that of the UK.
BTW I have never used the services of a sex-worker, but I have considered it. If one is honest then it is likely that I am not the only one who has considered it at times.

We must help the people of Darfur

Brit envoy: Darfur options must be eyed
By ANGELA CHARLTON, Associated Press Writer.

UNITED NATIONS - The international community should consider all options — including military intervention — as it mulls how to deal with Sudan's rejection of a U.N. peacekeeping force for war-ravaged Darfur, a top British official said Monday.

Last month, the Security Council passed a resolution that would give the
United Nations' control over a peacekeeping operation in Darfur now run by the African Union. The AU force has been largely ineffective and understaffed because of a lack of funding, and its mandate expires at the end of this month.
Sudan has so far refused to give its consent for the U.N. takeover, stalling the transfer of power.
"The international community is going to have to keep its options open," David Triesman, the British Foreign Office's minister for Africa, told reporters in New York ahead of a
U.N. Security Council' meeting on Sudan later Monday. He added that nothing was being ruled out, and that the situation was nearing a "tipping point."
Asked about the possibility of an international force intervening even if the Sudanese government continues to resist a U.N. peacekeeping force, he said: "There is bound to be a consideration of a range of options if there is no movement."
The Darfur conflict began in early 2003, when ethnic African tribes revolted against the Arab-led government, which was accused of unleashing militiamen blamed for rapes and killings. At least 200,000 people have died and more than 2 million people have been displaced.
The Sudanese government has said a U.N. force would infringe on the country's sovereignty and has offered to send government troops to Darfur instead. Critics say such troops would escalate violence in the region
Sudanese presidential adviser Ghazi Salhuddin Atabani was quoted by Britain's Guardian newspaper Monday as saying that Sudan may agree at an African foreign ministers meeting in New York this week to allow AU troops to remain in Darfur past the deadline at the end of this month.
The African Union's Peace and Security Council had been scheduled to meet Monday in New York to discuss breaking the deadlock, but Britain's U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said the meeting was postponed. He did not say why it was postponed or when it might take place.
Atabani said Sudan wanted to consider a plan under which AU peacekeepers remain in Darfur but get help such as helicopters and surveillance technology from Western nations.
Hundreds of thousands of people rallied in cities across the world Sunday to protest the violence and urge world leaders to intervene to resolve it. U.N. Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari called Darfur the most urgent issue at this week's U.N. General Assembly.
"No issue needs more urgent attention than Darfur. There is no longer any time to waste. When we say 'never again' to genocide and serious human rights abuses, we must mean it," Gambari said.
Triesman warned, however, that anyone considering intervening against the Sudanese government "has got to make the calculation whether more people will be killed and more will be displaced if we do," he said.
With the end of the AU force's mandate less than two weeks away, Triesman said diplomats were focusing on pressing the Sudanese government to accept a U.N. force and a continued African force for the next two or three months, until a U.N. force could be ready.
He suggested that the international community could put together an incentives package to encourage Sudan's cooperation — but not until after it commits to ensuring the full implementation of the May peace agreement with a key rebel group.
That peace pact has sparked months of fighting among rival rebel factions.
In Khartoum on Monday, the Darfur rebel faction that signed on to the May peace deal again urged Sudan's ruling party to allow U.N. peacekeepers in.
French President Jacques Chirac' said Monday that he would make a "solemn appeal" to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir during the General Assembly meeting. A new catastrophe in Darfur "could destabilize all the countries in the region," Chirac said.
In Geneva on Monday, U.N. Secretary-General
Kofi Annan' urged the United Nations' human rights watchdog to focus its attention on Darfur. Annan has warned that if the 7,000 African Union troops leave and a U.N. force cannot replace them "we are heading for a disaster"

Where are you Mssrs, Bush and Blair? though I acknowledge that you at least, Blair, are calling for "military action" will it come to pass, or shall you let GENOCIDE take place because you are scared of yet another Islamic country (Sudan) chucking bombs at us rather than doing what is right?
You two World leaders want more respect? then DO something positive, like send in 4000 Marines and soldiers to protect these poor people who have been systematically Raped, tortured and KILLED for three years already. Get the troops in you two leaders and for once get some respect for your actions. I am sure that most people will be behind you on this one.

Immigration.

A very topical subject to discuss nowadays, and one which invokes many heated arguments. I heard a part of the Australian Prime minister's "talk" on this, a few days ago; here's the gist of John Howard's thoughts:

"Any immigrant who is prepared to contribute to the prosperity of this country is welcome; however we are not prepared to change or alter our heritage, culture, or way of life for you.
If you are not prepared to accept our rules and lifestyle, then get out"

Any British MPs reading this?

Iran: can we take a chance?

We've been hearing of the "catastrophe" that will ensue should the Iranians ever make a Nuclear device ie: BOMB. But are we merely echoing the United States' paranoia, when we shake with fear at the prospect?
Shouldn't we remember that the Iranians are leading the world in Stem-cell research, and giving it's women "nose-jobs" on a regular basis. Yep, Iran is plastic-surgery mad, and wants to join the "Technology club" which we in the West enjoy.

Is it beyond the realms of belief to actually suppose that the Iranians REALLY want to have a Nuclear programme for peaceful purposes?
We must learn from history, and in particular the Cold war, when we were brain-washed into thinking that the Soviets were going to attack us at any minute. It transpires they had no real intention to, any more than Hitler was really going to invade England.

Can we take the chance that Iran will not try and obliterate Israel, or us ,if it had the means? Certainly the rhetoric coming from their President is not a good sign.

It is said that WWII could have been avoided if we had taken "measures" against Hitler and his thugs when they were perceived to be building up a vast army and armaments, in direct contravention of the treaty signed after the end of WWI. Britain stood by and watched this, doing nothing until after the invasion of Poland.

Should we idly stand by NOW and watch the next likely protagonists arming themselves for a possible conflagration?

We should take action only when we actually see the evidence for bomb-making. I hope that by that time it isn't too late.

My TV viewing..

I've been watching more TV than I usually do over the last three months. Now anyone who is in England will know of "Big Brother?"
I usually scorn such shows, and have previously only watched "celebrity BB" but this time, I'm watching this one, and really enjoying it!!
It is a perfect vehicle for the sociologist and dare I say; Psychiatrists and Psychologists!
People, with little understanding of any real-life, or people with no real brain at all will pour scorn on this show and belittle it, as I have seen on some of the Daft teletext comment pages, oh you assholes, shut your wrap if you have no clues what it is all about.
Watching the antics of people like Nikki Grahame is a killer, a real laugh, she is, a prima-donna all right, but I DO like her. Now to the serious stuff. I think that although the producers of this show are good at their jobs; they have occasionally gone right over the top, especially with Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace. If I might explain; the producers profess to keep the health of the housemates 'in mind at all times,' yet punish poor old Aisleyne in an extraordinarily cruel way, particularly when they made her choose one housemate (Jonathan) to leave "the house next door". To me, reducing a woman to tears is not good entertainment, and smacks of sadism.

Aisleyne is a good person, but highly sensitive and emotional. She is not self-centred, as the horrid Jennie implied (who can even understand WHAT Jennie is saying anyway, I barely understand what she says and have to use sub-titles)

Although BB is riveting stuff and addictive, I hope that the producers of this show next time, show a little more compassion towards the Housemates. I vote for Aisleyne to win this show, because she thinks everyone hates her, when many love her, and has endured severe provocation from not only the Silly Psychologists who advise on the format, and sadistic producers, but from Housemates who have very little idea what Aisleyne is really like, and constantly pick on her, primarily because they are jealous of her, or misunderstand her.


AISLEYNE TO WIN, and the thought of her being told she HAS, will be the summit of the show, and the highlight of the week for me and for many others.

( If she wins she'll be very tearful, I should imagine!)



*yawn* I WAS going to write about "Lost" but I'm too tired now; maybe tomorrow.

War War War

Everytime I turn the news on, all I'm hearing is more people killed in Afghanistan; more dead in Iraq; more in Israel; more in the Lebanon, WHAT IS the damn matter with these frigging people?
They need their heads banging together, or the the wrath of God to visit them or something.

I really dislike humanity sometimes.

Israelis :Murdering scum!

Israel now kills over sixty people in Qana, Lebanon, about thirty five of them women and children!! Is there no end to that country's barbarity, and a halt to the support for it by America?

The Israelis will find it hard to wriggle out of this one, but already have given a non-believable excuse for it. Saying that it was a legitimate target is hardly credible, and showing video from a drone plane which could have been shot anywhere, is laughable!

They "gave the civilians a warning to leave" they also say, but to go where? and how can they leave when all the bridges are blown-up and the roads full of bomb craters?
Some of the children murdered by this arrogant scum are, it was reported, disabled in any case, looked after by their mothers.

Israel, the rubbish pit of the world, also scored a direct hit on the building in which refugees were taking shelter.; let them even attempt to say it was all a "mistake" Yeah right, like it was a "mistake" when four UN observers were killed by them too no doubt. Israel holds the UN in contempt, as does it's bully-boy henchman in the USA.
It must be quite a relief for these critters to get rid of them from the country, then they hope that nobody can see what they are up to, and just how many of the Geneva conventions they are breaking.

Is Israel the new pariah?

I am increasingly getting more and more angry at Israel, and what it is doing to the Lebanese.
What is the figure now for Lebanese deaths? I think it is something like 400, and many of these were women and children. Collective "punishment" is not allowed in the Geneva conventions, nor is the destruction of the civilian infrastructure, which Israel is patently engaging in, just as it has in the Gaza strip where the power station was targeted and destroyed.

These atrocities are being committed with the connivance of the United States, who supplies these monsters with yet more arms, to add to their already huge stock of F16 planes, and tanks.
Arms with which to kill yet more children, bomb UN observers, ( and attack those who went to rescue them) and bomb and strafe ambulances.
This cannot be in the name of "Self-Defence", this has to be cold-blooded murder, but it is what we have been led to expect from that country who always pleads to be the "injured party".

Sure, it is as the "injured party" that 120 more Palestinians have died whilst the World's attention has been on the murderous onslaught in Lebanon.

If I remember right, Hezbollah didn't fire missiles at Israel until it used disproportionate force against the Palestinians in the Gaza strip, who kidnapped just of ONE of their soldiers. That soldier for all we know, is still alive and well. This would not of been the case had it been al-Qaeda who had snatched that guy; presumably he would have ended up just like one of the unfortunate others captured by them.

Hezbollah obviously took advantage of the situation, and unwisely kidnapped two other Israelis.
The response to that kidnapping, again, was totally disproportionate. Rather in the style of the Americans, who have created havoc and civil-war in Iraq with their heavy-handed approach. If a country bombs cities, almost razing them to the ground; has little regard for the innocent civilians, and kills women and children, (which is against the Geneva conventions) what is to be expected except gross retaliation?

This is what the Israelis are getting now; even more rockets fired into their country, as REVENGE.
In fact I think that they are now realising that they are dealing, this time with something a little bigger than what they are used to. These aren't a few Palestinians with AK47s; this time it is something like a proper army they are fighting, but it is time they realised that disputes like these cannot be settled in the American way; only by dialogue and at least some active compromise, can they hope to win this one. Why not release some of the 10,000 Palestinian prisoners they hold, many of whom are women and kids under sixteen?
As it stands, they have zilch sympathy from me. Of course, I don't have to spend half my day in a bunker, and duck because yet another missile is overhead, but they should KNOW why that is.
Give up the illegal forty year occupation of Arab lands; release prisoners who have killed nobody, and TALK!!!

And a message to the United States, and especially to the nut in the Whitehouse: STOP supplying Israel with arms to kill more innocents!!

And the UK government MUST stop the USA and Israel from using our Airports as a platform for the shipment of MORE lazer-guided missiles and bunker-buster bombs with which to kill yet more women and children.

I'm steaming MAD!

I've just heard that the my household electricity and gas supply is to increase yet AGAIN! The gas by 19% and electricity by 8%.
The gas supply only went up last March. What are these people playing at?

You know what the biggest surprise was? I found out what the initials "EDF" stand for. Well what do you know, for about three years I've been paying my bills to the bloody FRENCH!! EDF is "Electricitie de France" I don't have French characters on this computer, (and don't want them anyway) but you'll know who I mean.

It's no good keep saying to switch supplier when they ALL keep increasing their prices; that's how I found EDF, they were cheaper than my previous gas supplier, Powergen.

What sticks in my throat is that, not only are the French taking my money, and squeezing the consumer 'til his eyes pop out, but I heard from "Energywatch" that the UK still gets 97% of it's gas from it's own gas fields in the North sea! It may well be running-out, but it ain't done so yet, so WHO is making all this profit off my back?
AND, something worth looking at; are the French, so casually screwing me and the UK consumer, paying the same price for energy as I am? Not a bit of it, what from I understand, but I haven't the foggiest notion yet, by how much.

I hate the way that this country is gradually being taken over by foreigners; we have no mass car manufacturer now; NO aviation industry to write of, excepting making bits of 'planes for others, and again, mainly the FRENCH. The Airbus A 380 built in France again, yeees.

AND all I buy nowadays seems to be made in CHINA!!

I fervently believe that the French have never liked the Brits, and could never beat us in battle, but now they buy our industry, sell off bits of it, and sack the workers, like Peugot have done, or intend to. And that mobile phone company (Orange, I think) who also has laid-off mainly British workers, again, french owned.

All the French are able to read, write and speak English, and are taught it from an early age yet pretend they cannot speak our language. It really galls them that English is the new Global language.

Enough of this rant about the French, what about the Russians bidding for Centrica, the owner of all the pipes, meters, and infrastructure of the gas supply industry?
What the hell is it coming to, when this unreliable and bullying country can own OUR gas pipes etc? Look what they did to the Ukraine a few months ago" The Russians tripled the gas price as supplied to them, giving excuses like, the Ukraine has special rates because it was a part of the Russian federation, but it wishes to be closer to the West so can pay higher prices now!

What will it be if they (the Russians) get their hands on our Gas supplies, or give us theirs in unfavourable terms
For God's sake Blair, keep some of our country for us; and don't keep selling-off our "crown jewels"
Remember, these are not Brits, and have no loyalty to the British consumer or the country as a whole. When difficulties come, we will come second to their own country.

I'm new to this!

After years of having Yahoo keep telling me that I can't say this, or I can't say that, and keep deleting accounts; freedom of speech is somewhat refreshing!
In fact I have noticed freedom of speech, on the internet seems to be getting less and less, and at the whim of a few suits 'upstairs!'

Watch out Bush, we know what you're up to.
The thought of people actually talking to each other without you being able to control them is anathema to you.