How Naive Are These Magistrates?
16 hours ago
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Monday, December 25, 2006
Ther is no rose of swych vertu
Ther is no rose of swych vertu
As is the rose that bar Jesu,
Alleluia.
For in this rose conteynyd was
Heven and erthe in lytyl space,
Res miranda.
Be that rose we may weel see
That he is God in personys thre,
Pari forma.
The aungelys sungyn the sheperdes to:
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gaudeamus.
Leve we al this wordly merthe
And folwe we this joyful berthe;
Transeamus.
As sung by the very wonderful Sinfonye - three Aussie feminists and a hurdy-gurdy. Translation here. You can hear a clip here. Merry Christmas.
(Image from this site)
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Naught For Your Comfort
It's that time of year, when we look at the ONS Population Trends.
2003 - 19% of births in England and Wales and 47% of births in London were to mothers themselves born outside the UK.
2004 - 20% of births in England and Wales and 49% of births in London were to mothers themselves born outside the UK.
This year's figures (pdf) are for 2005 - 21% of births in England and Wales and 51% of births in London were to mothers themselves born outside the UK.
The figures come with some commentary. British understatement is not dead.
The increase continues the marked rise in this proportion seen over the last decade: the proportion of births to mothers born outside the United Kingdom has risen from 13 per cent in 1995 to 21 per cent in 2005.
The trend does seem to be upwards.
When only those births that include the father’s details on the registration are considered, 21 per cent of births were to mothers born outside the United Kingdom and 15 per cent of births had both parents born outside the United Kingdom. These two proportions indicate that for a third of overseas-born mothers the child’s father was born in the United Kingdom.
Figure 7 shows that the majority of the increase over the last ten years in the proportion of live births to mothers born outside the United Kingdom is among women in their twenties and early thirties. The percentage of live births to mothers aged 25 to 29 born outside the United Kingdom has more than doubled since 1995 to 25 per cent in 2005.
So it has. It's young 'uns having the babies. Plenty of time to have more.
There's stacks of stuff in the report (a fair bit about migration and ethnicity), much of it gloomy for anyone who believes, as I do, that importing large numbers of people while making no effort to integrate them (indeed, while not even being sure that there is an existing culture to integrate to) is likely to lead to a lack of what's currently called 'community cohesion', with possible adverse consquences ranging from the kind of thing we're seeing in Fiji at present to the kind of thing we saw in the 1947 Punjab.
The fertility rates for the last 100 years are interesting. You can see the great boom after WWI and WWII, then the Sixties baby boom. Then something happens - several things, actually. The Pill, abortion more or less on demand, and the 60s cultural revolution. Fertility (TFR) drops by about 40% between 1957 and 1977, the time my generation should have been having their babies.
I was writing Christmas cards a few days back. While my circle of friends was probably more 'alternative' and 'radical' than most, and while a fair number have had kids, it's still sobering to contemplate such a number of intelligent, brave, creative women, now pushing 50, whose gifts and qualities will die with them.
2003 - 19% of births in England and Wales and 47% of births in London were to mothers themselves born outside the UK.
2004 - 20% of births in England and Wales and 49% of births in London were to mothers themselves born outside the UK.
This year's figures (pdf) are for 2005 - 21% of births in England and Wales and 51% of births in London were to mothers themselves born outside the UK.
The figures come with some commentary. British understatement is not dead.
The increase continues the marked rise in this proportion seen over the last decade: the proportion of births to mothers born outside the United Kingdom has risen from 13 per cent in 1995 to 21 per cent in 2005.
The trend does seem to be upwards.
When only those births that include the father’s details on the registration are considered, 21 per cent of births were to mothers born outside the United Kingdom and 15 per cent of births had both parents born outside the United Kingdom. These two proportions indicate that for a third of overseas-born mothers the child’s father was born in the United Kingdom.
Figure 7 shows that the majority of the increase over the last ten years in the proportion of live births to mothers born outside the United Kingdom is among women in their twenties and early thirties. The percentage of live births to mothers aged 25 to 29 born outside the United Kingdom has more than doubled since 1995 to 25 per cent in 2005.
So it has. It's young 'uns having the babies. Plenty of time to have more.
There's stacks of stuff in the report (a fair bit about migration and ethnicity), much of it gloomy for anyone who believes, as I do, that importing large numbers of people while making no effort to integrate them (indeed, while not even being sure that there is an existing culture to integrate to) is likely to lead to a lack of what's currently called 'community cohesion', with possible adverse consquences ranging from the kind of thing we're seeing in Fiji at present to the kind of thing we saw in the 1947 Punjab.
The fertility rates for the last 100 years are interesting. You can see the great boom after WWI and WWII, then the Sixties baby boom. Then something happens - several things, actually. The Pill, abortion more or less on demand, and the 60s cultural revolution. Fertility (TFR) drops by about 40% between 1957 and 1977, the time my generation should have been having their babies.
I was writing Christmas cards a few days back. While my circle of friends was probably more 'alternative' and 'radical' than most, and while a fair number have had kids, it's still sobering to contemplate such a number of intelligent, brave, creative women, now pushing 50, whose gifts and qualities will die with them.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Thursday, December 21, 2006
"This is not a racist issue"
Following on from yesterday's reports of 'grooming' (isn't that what primates do ?) in Oldham, there are also reports from Burnley and Rossendale.
The Evening Telegraph can exclusively reveal girls as young as 12 have been targeted by gangs of men who pay the youngsters in cash, drugs, cigarettes and drink for sexual favours.
Police revealed in the past year, around 50 East Lancashire victims aged under 16 had been identified by special police and social services teams set up to combat the menace but they believe as many as 100 could be involved.
Many of the youngsters go missing from home each week to spend time with men who have groomed them for sex.
Officers said the predators, who initially approach the girls on the street, are predominantly Asian and community leaders have joined the fight to tackle the issue.
In an attempt to stamp out the abuse and help girls who are lured away from home, police in Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley launched a crackdown called Operation Engage last June but have now made it a permanent policing priority after discovering the extent of the problem.
At the same time police in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale (Pennine division) ran Operation Fruition to identify the scale of the problem of girls being groomed into sexual exploitation by isolated groups of men.
Muslim leaders have also been holding special seminars at mosques across East Lancashire to raise awareness of the problem.
PC Helen Dean from the Engage team revealed that in the past 12 months, along with Alison Hartley, from Blackburn with Darwen Council's children's services, she has worked with 31 children who have been groomed into this abuse.
PC Emma Shaw, who is dedicated to dealing with all missing from home cases in the Pennine division, has worked with between 15 and 20 girls who had been groomed into sexual exploitation by gangs of men.
But they are only the girls that they had been able to connect with and they believe many more are being victimised.
Since June 2005 police have issued 65 warning letters to men in the Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley area who have been identified through intelligence for harbouring children away from the care of their home or social services.
So far so bog-standard. You have to pull a wry face at the police response though.
Police stressed, however, that the issue of grooming also involved men, predominantly white, who target girls through the internet.
Blackburn MP Jack Straw today expressed his deep concern and said he would be raising the matter immediately with the Home Office.
He said: "I was frankly unaware of the scale of this problem until the Lancashire Evening Telegraph highlighted it but it is one that we all must now address including the Asian community."
Supt Neil Smith of Lancashire Police said: "This is not a racist issue. It is about the exploitation of vulnerable young girls for sex.
"The majority of cases involve Asian males but there are also a significant proportion of cases involving white men using the internet."
I think that 'predominantly' has been added by reporter Caroline Innes. The police phrase is 'significant proportion'. But the analogy doesn't add up anyway. It's not Asian girls who are being tempted into cars with offers of drink, is it ? Does anyone think white men on the internet are targeting Asian girls ?
And when was the last time a police report on misbehaviour by white people included a rider to the effect that there was plenty of crime committed by minorities ?
The Evening Telegraph can exclusively reveal girls as young as 12 have been targeted by gangs of men who pay the youngsters in cash, drugs, cigarettes and drink for sexual favours.
Police revealed in the past year, around 50 East Lancashire victims aged under 16 had been identified by special police and social services teams set up to combat the menace but they believe as many as 100 could be involved.
Many of the youngsters go missing from home each week to spend time with men who have groomed them for sex.
Officers said the predators, who initially approach the girls on the street, are predominantly Asian and community leaders have joined the fight to tackle the issue.
In an attempt to stamp out the abuse and help girls who are lured away from home, police in Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley launched a crackdown called Operation Engage last June but have now made it a permanent policing priority after discovering the extent of the problem.
At the same time police in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale (Pennine division) ran Operation Fruition to identify the scale of the problem of girls being groomed into sexual exploitation by isolated groups of men.
Muslim leaders have also been holding special seminars at mosques across East Lancashire to raise awareness of the problem.
PC Helen Dean from the Engage team revealed that in the past 12 months, along with Alison Hartley, from Blackburn with Darwen Council's children's services, she has worked with 31 children who have been groomed into this abuse.
PC Emma Shaw, who is dedicated to dealing with all missing from home cases in the Pennine division, has worked with between 15 and 20 girls who had been groomed into sexual exploitation by gangs of men.
But they are only the girls that they had been able to connect with and they believe many more are being victimised.
Since June 2005 police have issued 65 warning letters to men in the Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley area who have been identified through intelligence for harbouring children away from the care of their home or social services.
So far so bog-standard. You have to pull a wry face at the police response though.
Police stressed, however, that the issue of grooming also involved men, predominantly white, who target girls through the internet.
Blackburn MP Jack Straw today expressed his deep concern and said he would be raising the matter immediately with the Home Office.
He said: "I was frankly unaware of the scale of this problem until the Lancashire Evening Telegraph highlighted it but it is one that we all must now address including the Asian community."
Supt Neil Smith of Lancashire Police said: "This is not a racist issue. It is about the exploitation of vulnerable young girls for sex.
"The majority of cases involve Asian males but there are also a significant proportion of cases involving white men using the internet."
I think that 'predominantly' has been added by reporter Caroline Innes. The police phrase is 'significant proportion'. But the analogy doesn't add up anyway. It's not Asian girls who are being tempted into cars with offers of drink, is it ? Does anyone think white men on the internet are targeting Asian girls ?
And when was the last time a police report on misbehaviour by white people included a rider to the effect that there was plenty of crime committed by minorities ?
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
What Does A Teacher Do To Get Suspended ?
"selling cigarettes to under-age pupils at the school where she was teaching" - Kent. Not only that, but she'd bought them duty free !
Fiona Forster, 43, of Tunbridge Wells, was booted out of her job at Meopham School in Kent after CCTV film of her allegedly taking cash from pupils in exchange for cigarettes was shown to a panel at General Teaching Council (GTC).
This enterprising woman is now teaching in the private sector.
Attending the Tehran Holocaust conference - Sweden.
"The teacher, identified as Jan Bernhoff, had given a lecture where he alleged that 300,000 Jews died in the Holocaust during World War II as opposed to the number of six million commonly used by academics."
Public lewdness - America. I think it's called indecent exposure here.
Hitting your son's basketball coach - ditto.
"The Westmont superintendent said school officials will need more information about the fight before making a final decision on Harrigan's status." Number of previous bouts ? Age, height and reach ?
Smearing paint on your bottom, applying it to canvas - then putting the video on Youtube.
Thank heavens for the more traditional extra-mural activities.
Fiona Forster, 43, of Tunbridge Wells, was booted out of her job at Meopham School in Kent after CCTV film of her allegedly taking cash from pupils in exchange for cigarettes was shown to a panel at General Teaching Council (GTC).
This enterprising woman is now teaching in the private sector.
Attending the Tehran Holocaust conference - Sweden.
"The teacher, identified as Jan Bernhoff, had given a lecture where he alleged that 300,000 Jews died in the Holocaust during World War II as opposed to the number of six million commonly used by academics."
Public lewdness - America. I think it's called indecent exposure here.
Hitting your son's basketball coach - ditto.
"The Westmont superintendent said school officials will need more information about the fight before making a final decision on Harrigan's status." Number of previous bouts ? Age, height and reach ?
Smearing paint on your bottom, applying it to canvas - then putting the video on Youtube.
Thank heavens for the more traditional extra-mural activities.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Lordy ...
Coverage of Ipswich continues to range from the - well, I've not quite got the word for it - to the traditional foolishness which takes me right back. Even Reclaim The Night is returning.
Lenin, like Meaders, like Nick Davies, is spot-on with symptoms, diabolical with analysis.
"The fact that the demand for prostitution is increasing tells us something about the parlous condition of gender relations in this country."
Can't disagree with that, old boy. It's just the diagnosis that's up the Swanee.
The family unit has been the chief way in which the reproduction of labour has been guaranteed under industrial capitalism. The woman's subordinate role in the household and in society has ensured that the exploited male worker ... the Mad Mahdi 'family as capitalist invention' theory.
It's entertaining to read the 153 comments, from people who I'll hazard a guess are rearing about 5 children between them - especially when you consider that his political allies are a bunch of people who know all about the importance of the family - and are highly successful at both raising children in quantity and passing on their culture to them.
Media comment is mainly in the traditional 'aren't we Brits a bunch of sad, hung-up hypocrites when it comes to sex work ?' mode, with a few 'the debate shows how far we have advanced' dissenters. Traditional Guardianista ambivalence is in full effect. As I wrote many a moon back :
They still don't know - and they may never.
The other foolishness I've noted is the Saudi arms deal affair. From Shuggy and Paul Anderson on the left to The Lone Voice on the right, horror is the order of the day.
I'd recommend anyone commenting on this issue to take a look at Anthony Sampson's book The Arms Bazaar. Bribery and large arms contracts have been together for a very long time. If we don't bribe others will. Even senior people in Western democracies can be bribed.
Now it's not unreasonable to say - no. We shouldn't bribe. Let others do it - we won't. Fine. If you don't want to bribe, get out of the arms trade. Which means closing a large chunk of what remains of Britain's technically advanced manufacturing industry. And in this case it also means a rupture with a powerful (we've sold them all that kit) oil-rich nation bordering Iraq. You can see why HMG might blink at this.
Amazingly, the most logical contribution I've seen on this comes from BNP blogger John Bull.
I have no idea whether BAE paid certain Saudi royals a 'commission' or not, and now that the inquiry has been dropped we shall never know. But so what if they did? How was any Briton harmed by this? The point of the law is - or should be - to protect Britons from harm (either physical or financial). Even if BAE did bribe the Saudis, so what? How did any Briton suffer by this?
As I have said repeatedly, British governments are elected by Britons for Britons; it is not the responsibility of the British government to eliminate corruption thoughout the globe. The fact is that if we want to win foreign business we have to adapt to foreign business practices. It is absurd of us to try to impose our mores and morals on foreigners, just as it would be outrageous if they tried to impose theirs on us. Most foreign countries accept that 'sweeteners' are part and parcel of any business deal. If we want to sell to foreigners - which obviously we do - then why not accept this tradition? How does it harm us?
This attempt to apply British law in foreign lands is another example of the Left's attempt to impose its values around the world. Thank goodness on this occasion they have been rebuffed. So three cheers for the Saudis who have stood up for their own culture, their own values and their own traditions.
I'm not sure three cheers is the order of the day. But I take his general point.
UPDATE - the mighty Littlejohn thunders across the Portman Road turf, studs up.
I know this might sound frightfully callous in the current hysterical, emotional climate, but we're not all guilty.
We do not share in the responsibility for either their grubby little existences or their murders. Society isn't to blame.
That's just the warm-up ...
The tortuous twistings of the sisterhood over the past week have been a joy to behold. The 30-year-old Spare Rib T-shirts have been brought out of mothballs and we've been treated to the All Men Are Bastards/Rapists/Murderers mantra from assorted Glendas who ought to be old enough to know better.
We've heard the well-rehearsed arguments for legalised and regulated prostitution, as if we were living under the Taliban. The fact is, we've already got de facto legal brothels on every High Street.
They're call saunas or massage parlours.
When Blair gets back from saving the Middle East, don't be surprised if he turns up at the funeral of one of these unfortunate women to deliver a lip-trembling, tear-stained eulogy: "She was the People's Prostitute".
Lenin, like Meaders, like Nick Davies, is spot-on with symptoms, diabolical with analysis.
"The fact that the demand for prostitution is increasing tells us something about the parlous condition of gender relations in this country."
Can't disagree with that, old boy. It's just the diagnosis that's up the Swanee.
The family unit has been the chief way in which the reproduction of labour has been guaranteed under industrial capitalism. The woman's subordinate role in the household and in society has ensured that the exploited male worker ... the Mad Mahdi 'family as capitalist invention' theory.
It's entertaining to read the 153 comments, from people who I'll hazard a guess are rearing about 5 children between them - especially when you consider that his political allies are a bunch of people who know all about the importance of the family - and are highly successful at both raising children in quantity and passing on their culture to them.
Media comment is mainly in the traditional 'aren't we Brits a bunch of sad, hung-up hypocrites when it comes to sex work ?' mode, with a few 'the debate shows how far we have advanced' dissenters. Traditional Guardianista ambivalence is in full effect. As I wrote many a moon back :
Is selling sex in all its forms, from car adverts through Page Three and ladmag shoots to Amy and Lara, a major cause of gang rape, frustration and impotence, and eating disorders (Ms Bunting), ‘violence against women’ (femiluni Julie Bindel), is it just another job - sex work, or is it ‘a girl power thing’ where the exploited are the poor sad male punters (A Good Thing) rather than the girls (A Bad Thing) ?
They still don't know - and they may never.
The other foolishness I've noted is the Saudi arms deal affair. From Shuggy and Paul Anderson on the left to The Lone Voice on the right, horror is the order of the day.
I'd recommend anyone commenting on this issue to take a look at Anthony Sampson's book The Arms Bazaar. Bribery and large arms contracts have been together for a very long time. If we don't bribe others will. Even senior people in Western democracies can be bribed.
Now it's not unreasonable to say - no. We shouldn't bribe. Let others do it - we won't. Fine. If you don't want to bribe, get out of the arms trade. Which means closing a large chunk of what remains of Britain's technically advanced manufacturing industry. And in this case it also means a rupture with a powerful (we've sold them all that kit) oil-rich nation bordering Iraq. You can see why HMG might blink at this.
Amazingly, the most logical contribution I've seen on this comes from BNP blogger John Bull.
I have no idea whether BAE paid certain Saudi royals a 'commission' or not, and now that the inquiry has been dropped we shall never know. But so what if they did? How was any Briton harmed by this? The point of the law is - or should be - to protect Britons from harm (either physical or financial). Even if BAE did bribe the Saudis, so what? How did any Briton suffer by this?
As I have said repeatedly, British governments are elected by Britons for Britons; it is not the responsibility of the British government to eliminate corruption thoughout the globe. The fact is that if we want to win foreign business we have to adapt to foreign business practices. It is absurd of us to try to impose our mores and morals on foreigners, just as it would be outrageous if they tried to impose theirs on us. Most foreign countries accept that 'sweeteners' are part and parcel of any business deal. If we want to sell to foreigners - which obviously we do - then why not accept this tradition? How does it harm us?
This attempt to apply British law in foreign lands is another example of the Left's attempt to impose its values around the world. Thank goodness on this occasion they have been rebuffed. So three cheers for the Saudis who have stood up for their own culture, their own values and their own traditions.
I'm not sure three cheers is the order of the day. But I take his general point.
UPDATE - the mighty Littlejohn thunders across the Portman Road turf, studs up.
I know this might sound frightfully callous in the current hysterical, emotional climate, but we're not all guilty.
We do not share in the responsibility for either their grubby little existences or their murders. Society isn't to blame.
That's just the warm-up ...
The tortuous twistings of the sisterhood over the past week have been a joy to behold. The 30-year-old Spare Rib T-shirts have been brought out of mothballs and we've been treated to the All Men Are Bastards/Rapists/Murderers mantra from assorted Glendas who ought to be old enough to know better.
We've heard the well-rehearsed arguments for legalised and regulated prostitution, as if we were living under the Taliban. The fact is, we've already got de facto legal brothels on every High Street.
They're call saunas or massage parlours.
When Blair gets back from saving the Middle East, don't be surprised if he turns up at the funeral of one of these unfortunate women to deliver a lip-trembling, tear-stained eulogy: "She was the People's Prostitute".
Monday, December 18, 2006
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Apologies
Light blogging due to
a) Christmas present getting
b) wedding anniversary. Gosh. It's flown by.
c) sealing a wooden bedroom floor - not so time-consuming, but emptying the room and finding somewhere to put everything was. Last coat tomorrow inshallah then get the curtains up and move the bed in. Just need to find a carpet, about 8 by 8, burgundy-ish, with a border, to put the bed on ... rest of the room will be bare boards with a few rugs. Old Habitats die hard.
d) work
in that order. A pity when there's so much to blog about.
a) Christmas present getting
b) wedding anniversary. Gosh. It's flown by.
c) sealing a wooden bedroom floor - not so time-consuming, but emptying the room and finding somewhere to put everything was. Last coat tomorrow inshallah then get the curtains up and move the bed in. Just need to find a carpet, about 8 by 8, burgundy-ish, with a border, to put the bed on ... rest of the room will be bare boards with a few rugs. Old Habitats die hard.
d) work
in that order. A pity when there's so much to blog about.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Yes, It's Working Girl Fever !
"Good morning, this is James Naughtie in London"
"And Sarah Montague in a leather jacket, mini, and heels in Ipswich"
"Later in the programme we ask - should sex workers get more Government support ? Is it time for heroin to be given free to vulnerable key workers ? Should using the word 'prostitute' be a criminal offence ? But first, the news from Ipswich ..."
"... in the Five Live phone-in today - how would YOU go about finding a ruthless killer ? Call us on 909 or 693. And after the discovery of two more bodies yesterday, we ask - is it time for us to give these vulnerable girls whatever it is they want - if it will help to save lives ..."
"BBC Radio Whore - it's ten o'clock"
"Today in Woman Sour, we talk to a woman who say that sex work is, for her, the most empowering and liberating employment she knows - we speak with the mother of a young heroin addict who disagrees - and Julie Bindel on why all women will continue to be in danger until the last man is fed screaming into an industrial shredder."
"In Newsround today, fifteen-year old Danela talks about her abduction from Moldova, her journey to Britain and her life as a sex worker in a Gloucester massage parlour. And in Blue Peter, you can see her again, when she shows how to make a condom from an empty Tesco carrier bag and some strong elastic bands ..."
"This is Drive on Radio Five, with Rachel Burden in the studio"
"And Peter Allan in a rather fetching wig and fishnets, on an industrial estate just outside Lowestoft. Are you looking for business ?"
"And Sarah Montague in a leather jacket, mini, and heels in Ipswich"
"Later in the programme we ask - should sex workers get more Government support ? Is it time for heroin to be given free to vulnerable key workers ? Should using the word 'prostitute' be a criminal offence ? But first, the news from Ipswich ..."
"... in the Five Live phone-in today - how would YOU go about finding a ruthless killer ? Call us on 909 or 693. And after the discovery of two more bodies yesterday, we ask - is it time for us to give these vulnerable girls whatever it is they want - if it will help to save lives ..."
"BBC Radio Whore - it's ten o'clock"
"Today in Woman Sour, we talk to a woman who say that sex work is, for her, the most empowering and liberating employment she knows - we speak with the mother of a young heroin addict who disagrees - and Julie Bindel on why all women will continue to be in danger until the last man is fed screaming into an industrial shredder."
"In Newsround today, fifteen-year old Danela talks about her abduction from Moldova, her journey to Britain and her life as a sex worker in a Gloucester massage parlour. And in Blue Peter, you can see her again, when she shows how to make a condom from an empty Tesco carrier bag and some strong elastic bands ..."
"This is Drive on Radio Five, with Rachel Burden in the studio"
"And Peter Allan in a rather fetching wig and fishnets, on an industrial estate just outside Lowestoft. Are you looking for business ?"
Is Sociology At The Root Of Our Problems ?
" ... I certainly wouldn't say marriage is a cure for poverty - the cure is more money, but I do see the flight from marriage as problematic: what we see here is the cultural ambiguity of ..."
... with a cry of "For God's sake !" Laban reaches out and turns off The Moral Maze after only thirty seconds. The flat Northern vowels of Claire Fox are replaced with the gentle hum of the computer fan and the occasional slight bumping of a hard disk. Bliss.
As Schopenhauer said :
"Pleasure is simply the absence of pain".
... with a cry of "For God's sake !" Laban reaches out and turns off The Moral Maze after only thirty seconds. The flat Northern vowels of Claire Fox are replaced with the gentle hum of the computer fan and the occasional slight bumping of a hard disk. Bliss.
As Schopenhauer said :
"Pleasure is simply the absence of pain".
Ipswich
A few small observations on media and other coverage of the Ipswich unpleasantness which so dominates the airwaves and press.
a) the attitudes of a Reclaim The Night march back in the Eighties are now entrenched in editorial positions. The working girls are almost becoming street heroines, the punters are the scum of the earth, and while there may be a shortage of punters at present, there's no shortage of journalists wanting good interview.
b) I'm pretty sure last week I heard Eddie Mair on R4 ask a senior police officer "The pimps are asking for an amnesty - are you prepared to offer this ?" - the first time I've heard the BBC acting as intermediary in this way.
c) a number of bloggers and journalists seem unclear on the law. Prostitution has never been illegal in the UK, but soliciting in the street is, as is 'controlling prostitutes for gain' e.g. pimping/poncing, and as is 'keeping a brothel' where more than one prostitute works.
d) some writers who rarely if ever write about the many, many victims of murder are for some reason writing about these victims. Street heroines again.
e) if anyone can point me to the remarkable column I glanced at yesterday, which said the murders were the fault of a society which "either puts women on a pedestal or considers them whores", I'd be grateful.
f) I'm going to take a punt on the killer and do some outrageous stereotyping, based on my deep knowledge of a couple of Ruth Rendells and an episode of Morse. Once upon a time in a place like Ipswich you'd have looked for the strange, withdrawn farm lad - still at home aged 33, good with animals, bad with people.
Most of the native farm boys have been made redundant, replaced by young single Catholic lads a long way from home.
g) I lived in Bradford during the Ripper years and knew one of his prostitute victims (not professionally). It should be unnecessary, but I suppose I'd better say that I disapprove of all murders, no matter who the victim.
a) the attitudes of a Reclaim The Night march back in the Eighties are now entrenched in editorial positions. The working girls are almost becoming street heroines, the punters are the scum of the earth, and while there may be a shortage of punters at present, there's no shortage of journalists wanting good interview.
b) I'm pretty sure last week I heard Eddie Mair on R4 ask a senior police officer "The pimps are asking for an amnesty - are you prepared to offer this ?" - the first time I've heard the BBC acting as intermediary in this way.
c) a number of bloggers and journalists seem unclear on the law. Prostitution has never been illegal in the UK, but soliciting in the street is, as is 'controlling prostitutes for gain' e.g. pimping/poncing, and as is 'keeping a brothel' where more than one prostitute works.
d) some writers who rarely if ever write about the many, many victims of murder are for some reason writing about these victims. Street heroines again.
e) if anyone can point me to the remarkable column I glanced at yesterday, which said the murders were the fault of a society which "either puts women on a pedestal or considers them whores", I'd be grateful.
f) I'm going to take a punt on the killer and do some outrageous stereotyping, based on my deep knowledge of a couple of Ruth Rendells and an episode of Morse. Once upon a time in a place like Ipswich you'd have looked for the strange, withdrawn farm lad - still at home aged 33, good with animals, bad with people.
Most of the native farm boys have been made redundant, replaced by young single Catholic lads a long way from home.
g) I lived in Bradford during the Ripper years and knew one of his prostitute victims (not professionally). It should be unnecessary, but I suppose I'd better say that I disapprove of all murders, no matter who the victim.
Monday, December 11, 2006
It's Political Incorrectness Gone Mad ...
Fame and being plugged by Ian Dale has gone to Bob Piper's head. He's given the blog a makeover and embarked on a shameless headline-grabbing campaign, suggesting that David Cameron is the secret love-child of former newsreader Jan Leeming and the late Dai Francis (pbuh).
Could this :
Plus this :
Equal this ?
We'll let you be the judge.
Could this :
Plus this :
Equal this ?
We'll let you be the judge.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
10 Things I Wouldn't Do ?
Tagged by Sarah at St Bloggie... hope the little lad gets well soon.
1. Plumb in new central heating, new kitchen and bathroom - again. Life's too short - I should have paid someone. All those weekends with the family lost forever.
2. Get to ten. There are many things I don't fancy doing - but never is a big word. I might be desperate !
3. Tag anyone else with this !
1. Plumb in new central heating, new kitchen and bathroom - again. Life's too short - I should have paid someone. All those weekends with the family lost forever.
2. Get to ten. There are many things I don't fancy doing - but never is a big word. I might be desperate !
3. Tag anyone else with this !
He's Moved
Expat Yank has gone Wordpress - six weeks ago. The trouble with relying on Bloglines is you don't notice the move - you just wonder why he's not posting.
Having a favourite blog undergo a makeover is like the wife returning from town with radical new hairstyle. You'll get used to it and grow to love it, but what was wrong with the way it was before ?
Having a favourite blog undergo a makeover is like the wife returning from town with radical new hairstyle. You'll get used to it and grow to love it, but what was wrong with the way it was before ?
Mysterious New Crime Outbreak
As reported by Norwich Union and a number of other insurers.
'Cash for crash' insurance scam hotspots revealed
More than 22,000 fraudulently-staged and induced motor accidents have taken place on UK roads since 1999 and the practice is spreading, it was revealed today.
Insurance fraud, eh ? How does it work ?
Typically in such cases, fraudsters drive to busy road junctions and perform unexpected, unnecessary and dangerous emergency stops designed to cause innocent members of the public to crash into them.
Claims are made to the innocent motorist's insurer, often including several accounts of fictitious injuries from members of the criminal gang.
For each successful scam, the criminals can net up to £30,000 and the IFB said there was growing evidence to show that the proceeds from this type of fraud were used to fund other forms of serious crime, including drugs trafficking and gun running.
Fraudulent insurance claims meanwhile were adding 5% to the premiums paid by the honest public.
Where's this happening then ?
The "cash for crash" number one hotspot was Blackburn, where there have been 1,710 incidents over the last seven years, according to figures from the recently-formed Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB).
The next worst locations were Bradford (1,669 incidents), Birmingham (1,510), Oldham (1,034), Bolton (986) and Manchester (979). The scam was first spotted in North West of England but had now spread to London and the South East, said the IFB.
Blackburn, Bradford, Birmingham, Oldham, Bolton, Manchester. How very strange. I'm sure those places share something in common. Let's take a look at the detailed data (pdf).
After Manchester, the scallies of Liverpool - then Preston, East London, Luton. Still seeing the pattern. Twickenham, Harrow, Leeds, Southall. It's still there.
What have these places all got in common ? Obvious, isn't it. They all elect Labour or Lib Dem MPs !
UPDATE - the commenters at the Manchester Evening News have noticed too.
'Cash for crash' insurance scam hotspots revealed
More than 22,000 fraudulently-staged and induced motor accidents have taken place on UK roads since 1999 and the practice is spreading, it was revealed today.
Insurance fraud, eh ? How does it work ?
Typically in such cases, fraudsters drive to busy road junctions and perform unexpected, unnecessary and dangerous emergency stops designed to cause innocent members of the public to crash into them.
Claims are made to the innocent motorist's insurer, often including several accounts of fictitious injuries from members of the criminal gang.
For each successful scam, the criminals can net up to £30,000 and the IFB said there was growing evidence to show that the proceeds from this type of fraud were used to fund other forms of serious crime, including drugs trafficking and gun running.
Fraudulent insurance claims meanwhile were adding 5% to the premiums paid by the honest public.
Where's this happening then ?
The "cash for crash" number one hotspot was Blackburn, where there have been 1,710 incidents over the last seven years, according to figures from the recently-formed Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB).
The next worst locations were Bradford (1,669 incidents), Birmingham (1,510), Oldham (1,034), Bolton (986) and Manchester (979). The scam was first spotted in North West of England but had now spread to London and the South East, said the IFB.
Blackburn, Bradford, Birmingham, Oldham, Bolton, Manchester. How very strange. I'm sure those places share something in common. Let's take a look at the detailed data (pdf).
After Manchester, the scallies of Liverpool - then Preston, East London, Luton. Still seeing the pattern. Twickenham, Harrow, Leeds, Southall. It's still there.
What have these places all got in common ? Obvious, isn't it. They all elect Labour or Lib Dem MPs !
UPDATE - the commenters at the Manchester Evening News have noticed too.
What the Butler Drank
When I heard yesterday that the Anglican Bishop of Southwark, Tom Butler, had been mugged, my initial reaction was highly unChristian.
"Perhaps he'll change his mind about those poor criminals, victims of our punitive society" thought I. Tom Butler is so woolly and so liberal-left he makes Rasputin look like Pope Benedict. If it's in the Guardian or Indie it'll be on a Southwark press release afore too long.
Turned out the mugging may have been self-inflicted. But mitres off to the Bishop for his brilliant one-liner. Say what you like, the man's got style.
The Right Reverend Tom Butler, Bishop of Southwark, reportedly staggered home from an embassy function and climbed into the back of a stranger's Mercedes, where he started throwing an infant's toys. He was pulled out but toppled over and suffered several head wounds.
Asked to explain himself, he is claimed to have said: 'I'm the Bishop of Southwark. It's what I do.'
Almost as amazing is the revelation that people in 2006 go for a drink in London and leave their Mercedes unlocked.
"Perhaps he'll change his mind about those poor criminals, victims of our punitive society" thought I. Tom Butler is so woolly and so liberal-left he makes Rasputin look like Pope Benedict. If it's in the Guardian or Indie it'll be on a Southwark press release afore too long.
Turned out the mugging may have been self-inflicted. But mitres off to the Bishop for his brilliant one-liner. Say what you like, the man's got style.
The Right Reverend Tom Butler, Bishop of Southwark, reportedly staggered home from an embassy function and climbed into the back of a stranger's Mercedes, where he started throwing an infant's toys. He was pulled out but toppled over and suffered several head wounds.
Asked to explain himself, he is claimed to have said: 'I'm the Bishop of Southwark. It's what I do.'
Almost as amazing is the revelation that people in 2006 go for a drink in London and leave their Mercedes unlocked.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
A Death
It's amazing how little publicity a murder can get. Some get the full BBC treatment - others get a couple of lines in a local paper.
If anyone knows anything else about the death in Bilston, Staffs of Irene Norman, or about her killer Donald Edward Benion, I'd be interested. What prompts a 37 year old man to attack his 84-year old neighbour and drown her in the bath ? Sort of thing a disturbed teenager might do. Poor lady.
I can find stuff here :
4th. December 2002
PENSIONER FOUND DROWNED AT HOME
An 84-year-old woman has been found drowned in her home in the Black Country. Officers discovered Irene Norman at her address in Fairway Green, Stowlawn, Bilston, after a neighbour became worried and raised the alarm. A post-mortem into her death revealed she had also suffered facial injuries, said West Midlands Police.
MAN CHARGED WITH KILLING OAP
A man has appeared at Wolverhampton Magistrates' Court charged with the murder of an 84-year-old woman who was found beaten and drowned in her home. Donald Benion was accused of killing Irene Norman at her home in Bilston. The 37-year-old father-of-two spoke only to confirm his personal details. He was remanded in custody and will reappear in court next week.
Various pay-links to Evening Mail stories at this site :
OAP, 84, killed for no reason.(News)
Birmingham Evening Mail (England); Apr 5, 2004; 105 Words ... hospital. Judge Frank Chapman told Donald Benion at Wolverhampton Crown Court: 'You killed ... robust old lady for no reason whatsoever.' Benion, 39, of Fairway Green, Bilston, admitted ... order. Rachel Brand QC, prosecuting, said Benion's mental problems were characterised by ...
A MAN who beat up his 84-year-old neighbour before drowning her in the bath has been told he will ...
OAP bath murder charge.(News)
Birmingham Evening Mail (England); Dec 6, 2002; 67 Words ... an elderly neighbour found drowned in her bath. Donald Edward Benion, 37, was remanded in custody at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court ... November 27. She had suffered facial injuries. Father-of-two Benion, of Fairway Green, Stowlawn, will appear at Wolverhampton Crown ...
Man on bath death charge.(News)
The Birmingham Post (England); Dec 6, 2002; 83 Words ... elderly neighbour who was found drowned in her bath. Donald Edward Benion (37) was remanded in custody at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court ... at her home in the Stowlawn area of the city on November 27. Benion, of Fairway Green, Stowlawn, was ordered to appear at Wolverhampton ...
And here :
Carers failed to spot killer
A HEALTH worker was unaware for more than a year that she had responsibility for a mentally ill patient who went on to kill a pensioner, a damning report found.
Irene Norman, aged 84, was drowned in the bath at her home in Bilston, Wolverhampton, by neighbour Donald Benion on November 27, 2002.
Benion admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility when he appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court in February 2004. Two months later he was sentenced and ordered to be detained indefinitely in a secure mental unit outside Wolverhampton.
A report to the NHS West Midlands board yesterday highlighted "a range of concerns that collectively allowed" Benion to fall out of contact with mental health services.
In September 2001 his care coordinator left the trust and his case was allocated to another care worker but, according to the inquiry, she did not become aware of this responsibility until October 2002, a month before he killed Mrs Norman.
The report - compiled by Consequence UK, Hampshire Part-nership NHS Trust and South West London and St George's NHS Trust - does not identify Mrs Norman or Benion, who it refers to as W1.
It says: "W1's care and management fell short of the standards one would have expected between September 2001 and November 27, 2002. Whilst there are no guarantees contact with W1 would have revealed any behaviour suggestive of an increase in risk factors, the fact he was not seen leaves this open to question."
Mrs Norman's granddaughter, Kerri John, yesterday criticised Wolverhampton Primary Care Trust and the SHA for delays in the report.
In a statement yesterday, she said: "Although the report has exceeded expectations and provides answers, I remain disappointed we had to be persistent to ensure the independent investigation occurred. It took me 16 months of phone calls and letter writing before the investigation was commissioned."
Wolverhampton PCT has drawn up an action plan in line with the raft of recommendations, primarily to improve training for care coordinators over care programmes.
And here :
A health worker did not know for more than a year she was supposed to be responsible for a mentally ill patient who became a crazed killer and drowned a Black Country pensioner, a damning report has revealed.
Widow Irene Norman, aged 84, was kicked and dragged into her bath by her neighbour Donald Benion in Stowlawn, Bilston, on November 27, 2002.
Benion will remain in a secure mental hospital for the rest of his life after pleading guilty to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility in February 2004.
An inquiry, which took 16 months of complaints by the victim’s family to be commissioned, revealed he received inadequate mental health care from Wolverhampton City Primary Care Trust (PCT).
It highlighted “a range of concerns that collectively allowed” Benion to fall out of contact with mental health services, the West Midlands NHS board heard yesterday.
In September 2001 Benion’s care co-ordinator left the trust and his case was allocated to another care worker, but she did not become aware of this responsibility until October 2002 - a month before he killed Mrs Norman.
The investigation referred to Benion as W1. Among the failures highlighed were:
The hand-over of care co-ordination responsibility in September 2001 was ineffective.
The requested and required review of how his care programme was dealt with did not happen.
The report said: “Whilst there are no guarantees contact with W1 would have revealed any behaviour suggestive of an increase in his risk factors, the fact that he was not seen leaves this open to question.”
By Health Correspondent Andy Rea
If anyone knows anything else about the death in Bilston, Staffs of Irene Norman, or about her killer Donald Edward Benion, I'd be interested. What prompts a 37 year old man to attack his 84-year old neighbour and drown her in the bath ? Sort of thing a disturbed teenager might do. Poor lady.
I can find stuff here :
4th. December 2002
PENSIONER FOUND DROWNED AT HOME
An 84-year-old woman has been found drowned in her home in the Black Country. Officers discovered Irene Norman at her address in Fairway Green, Stowlawn, Bilston, after a neighbour became worried and raised the alarm. A post-mortem into her death revealed she had also suffered facial injuries, said West Midlands Police.
MAN CHARGED WITH KILLING OAP
A man has appeared at Wolverhampton Magistrates' Court charged with the murder of an 84-year-old woman who was found beaten and drowned in her home. Donald Benion was accused of killing Irene Norman at her home in Bilston. The 37-year-old father-of-two spoke only to confirm his personal details. He was remanded in custody and will reappear in court next week.
Various pay-links to Evening Mail stories at this site :
OAP, 84, killed for no reason.(News)
Birmingham Evening Mail (England); Apr 5, 2004; 105 Words ... hospital. Judge Frank Chapman told Donald Benion at Wolverhampton Crown Court: 'You killed ... robust old lady for no reason whatsoever.' Benion, 39, of Fairway Green, Bilston, admitted ... order. Rachel Brand QC, prosecuting, said Benion's mental problems were characterised by ...
A MAN who beat up his 84-year-old neighbour before drowning her in the bath has been told he will ...
OAP bath murder charge.(News)
Birmingham Evening Mail (England); Dec 6, 2002; 67 Words ... an elderly neighbour found drowned in her bath. Donald Edward Benion, 37, was remanded in custody at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court ... November 27. She had suffered facial injuries. Father-of-two Benion, of Fairway Green, Stowlawn, will appear at Wolverhampton Crown ...
Man on bath death charge.(News)
The Birmingham Post (England); Dec 6, 2002; 83 Words ... elderly neighbour who was found drowned in her bath. Donald Edward Benion (37) was remanded in custody at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court ... at her home in the Stowlawn area of the city on November 27. Benion, of Fairway Green, Stowlawn, was ordered to appear at Wolverhampton ...
And here :
Carers failed to spot killer
A HEALTH worker was unaware for more than a year that she had responsibility for a mentally ill patient who went on to kill a pensioner, a damning report found.
Irene Norman, aged 84, was drowned in the bath at her home in Bilston, Wolverhampton, by neighbour Donald Benion on November 27, 2002.
Benion admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility when he appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court in February 2004. Two months later he was sentenced and ordered to be detained indefinitely in a secure mental unit outside Wolverhampton.
A report to the NHS West Midlands board yesterday highlighted "a range of concerns that collectively allowed" Benion to fall out of contact with mental health services.
In September 2001 his care coordinator left the trust and his case was allocated to another care worker but, according to the inquiry, she did not become aware of this responsibility until October 2002, a month before he killed Mrs Norman.
The report - compiled by Consequence UK, Hampshire Part-nership NHS Trust and South West London and St George's NHS Trust - does not identify Mrs Norman or Benion, who it refers to as W1.
It says: "W1's care and management fell short of the standards one would have expected between September 2001 and November 27, 2002. Whilst there are no guarantees contact with W1 would have revealed any behaviour suggestive of an increase in risk factors, the fact he was not seen leaves this open to question."
Mrs Norman's granddaughter, Kerri John, yesterday criticised Wolverhampton Primary Care Trust and the SHA for delays in the report.
In a statement yesterday, she said: "Although the report has exceeded expectations and provides answers, I remain disappointed we had to be persistent to ensure the independent investigation occurred. It took me 16 months of phone calls and letter writing before the investigation was commissioned."
Wolverhampton PCT has drawn up an action plan in line with the raft of recommendations, primarily to improve training for care coordinators over care programmes.
And here :
A health worker did not know for more than a year she was supposed to be responsible for a mentally ill patient who became a crazed killer and drowned a Black Country pensioner, a damning report has revealed.
Widow Irene Norman, aged 84, was kicked and dragged into her bath by her neighbour Donald Benion in Stowlawn, Bilston, on November 27, 2002.
Benion will remain in a secure mental hospital for the rest of his life after pleading guilty to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility in February 2004.
An inquiry, which took 16 months of complaints by the victim’s family to be commissioned, revealed he received inadequate mental health care from Wolverhampton City Primary Care Trust (PCT).
It highlighted “a range of concerns that collectively allowed” Benion to fall out of contact with mental health services, the West Midlands NHS board heard yesterday.
In September 2001 Benion’s care co-ordinator left the trust and his case was allocated to another care worker, but she did not become aware of this responsibility until October 2002 - a month before he killed Mrs Norman.
The investigation referred to Benion as W1. Among the failures highlighed were:
The hand-over of care co-ordination responsibility in September 2001 was ineffective.
The requested and required review of how his care programme was dealt with did not happen.
The report said: “Whilst there are no guarantees contact with W1 would have revealed any behaviour suggestive of an increase in his risk factors, the fact that he was not seen leaves this open to question.”
By Health Correspondent Andy Rea
Leafy, white and conservative
Billy Bragg is the archetype of all those right-on rebels or PC exemplars who, when the kids come along, up sticks from the vibrant multicultural melting pot of the city to a leafy, conservative area.
The Bard of Barking is touring yet again.
"Coming from Barking as I do, the fact that the BNP are now the main opposition party in the area is a source of deep disappointment."
He's coming from Barking alright, but where's he going ?
Let's compare the average primary school league table results for Barking and Dagenham :
With the results for Burton Bradstock CoE Primary in leafy Dorset, where the most multicultural feature is the occasional Gambian drummer performing at the school.
The kids must be heading for secondary level by now. My money's on this little place up the road.
The Bard of Barking is touring yet again.
"Coming from Barking as I do, the fact that the BNP are now the main opposition party in the area is a source of deep disappointment."
He's coming from Barking alright, but where's he going ?
Let's compare the average primary school league table results for Barking and Dagenham :
With the results for Burton Bradstock CoE Primary in leafy Dorset, where the most multicultural feature is the occasional Gambian drummer performing at the school.
The kids must be heading for secondary level by now. My money's on this little place up the road.
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