A TANGLED WEB

ATW FRIDAY JUKEBOX...

OK, it's Friday evening here at ATW central and it feels like it's been a loooong blogging week, predominantly caused by the slower-than-the-speed-of-steam Squarespace platform. Just to say I have re-activated the ATW typepad site and am currently redesigning it to ensure it is as attractive as this site. So when people say "Hey David, isn't it time you did something about Squarespace nonsense..." - I say well, listen to the song..... 

BUSH SEPARATES FROM HIS BASE...

I do like Peggy Noonan, I think she is a very thoughtful conservative writer. So when she excoriates President Bush for his treatment of those many Republicans who are genuinely concerned about his Immigration plans, I think she's well worth a listen... don't you?

The White House doesn't need its traditional supporters anymore, because its problems are way beyond being solved by the base. And the people in the administration don't even much like the base. Desperate straits have left them liberated, and they are acting out their disdain. Leading Democrats often think their base is slightly mad but at least their heart is in the right place. This White House thinks its base is stupid and that its heart is in the wrong place.

For almost three years, arguably longer, conservative Bush supporters have felt like sufferers of battered wife syndrome. You don't like endless gushing spending, the kind that assumes a high and unstoppable affluence will always exist, and the tax receipts will always flow in? Too bad! You don't like expanding governmental authority and power? Too bad. You think the war was wrong or is wrong? Too bad. But on immigration it has changed from "Too bad" to "You're bad."

THE CON-SERVATIVE CAMERON...

Well now, hasn't "Call Me Dave" Cameron gotten himself into a real mess following his ever-so-clever idea to abandon English Grammar Schools in order to win plaudits for the left? Faced with a continuing revolt among MPs and grassroots Tories, David Willetts, the education spokesman, has announced that in some specific areas, new grammars could be built after all.  Two weeks ago Mr Willetts and Mr Cameron said selection by ability did not work and that no more grammar schools would be built under a Tory government.

Listen, I couldn't be more pleased than to see Cameron swing on this. His betrayal of our Grammar's is symptomatic of his more general betrayal of Conservative values. This man is a Vichy Conservative, and he has been destroying the Party that he leads. As if you needed any further evidence of Cameron's true values, just consider the fact that he has appointed former editor of the "News of the World", Andy Coulson, as their head of communications and planning. The "News of the World" is a scumbag rag. The fit with Cameron is perfect.

HANDS UP? HANDS DOWN!

Lunacy! The Government believes that Teachers should stop asking pupils to put their hands up to answer a question because it holds back more timid classmates. They should instead pick the children they want to respond to questions so quiet pupils are tested as well as the keener ones. The Department for Education said the measure would help tens of thousands of "invisible children" who fail to make enough progress at primary school.

This is SO patronising of our teachers, and so removed from the reality of the class-room. Children who can answer questions SHOULD be encouraged to put their hands up, teachers know how to cope with the more quiet pupils without this politically correct gibberish being forced upon them. There is not doubt that Government interference in Education is destroying our schools which is why we need to get its malign influence out of the class rooms! Hands up for that

QUESTION TIME WATCH...

Did you happen to watch BBC Question Time last night? The panel were awful, even by Question Time standards. All shades of political opinion were on display, so long as they were LEFT!

Pompous old Labour buffoon Lord Roy "the boy" Hattersley was there, large as life and twice as useless. The oddly moon-faced Liberal-Democrat Sarah Teather was shockingly bad, preening her inept liberalism as if it had any value! Then we had Greg Dyke, former BBC Director General, who earned HIS liberal credentials by describing the BBC as "hideously white". (Whereas Dyke is just, erm, hideous!) We had the token Tory - the drippingly wet Caroline Spelman, who did not leave me spellbound! And finally, we had TV historian Simon Schama - presumably they could not get a left wing enough comedian?

Anyway, they all started off by universally condemning Grammar Schools. The consensus was that it would have been better if Grammar Schools did not even exist, so ALL kids could be MADE to go to their ideologically acceptable Comprehensives  i.e. Schools that comprehensively fail. Spelman's defence of Cameron's Grammar School problems was hilarious to watch- she was a complete hypocrite.

Then they all got stuck into the "folly" of the UK having soldiers in Iraq. In essence, they all agreed we needed to get our soldiers out of there asap. The consensus was that removing Saddam was a huge error, better to have left him in situ. One member of the audience suggested that we also needed to urgently apologise to Syria, Iran and surrounding countries, and...surprise...we need to deal with the "Palestinian question" before any peace can be achieved. 

Pure Moonbattery from start to finish. No one defended Grammars, no one defended our mission in Iraq - this was a hideously liberal programme from start to finish.

GAMBLE'S GAMBLE...

Those who prey on children should be locked up, as a minimum. Paedophilia is a gross crime and any of us who have kids must recoil at the very thought of it! However, the UK Police's Child Protection Chief thinks otherwise. He reckons that child sex offenders should be encouraged to seek treatment rather than be threatened with jail. Jim Gamble, of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), said it was a practical way of dealing with the scale of the problem. He believes that treating some paedophiles in the community is a sensible way of reducing harm.

This is just more bleeding heart liberal claptrap. Those wretches who would prey on our kids MUST be locked up, so they cannot access children for their wicked ways. Gamble seems to suggest that those who are caught looking at images of kids on the internet for their sexual gratification would do better with a community service rather than a penal sentence. Wrong. The intent is there, and if they are treated with the traditional kid gloves, one day they will come for our kids in 3D, not just on a computer screen. Sorry, but locking them up - in a harsh prison environment is the right thing to do. Gamble should resign, his views are out of synch with what people want, I believe.

ANOTHER TEST

Can readers advise if this site loads more quickly than squarespace one please, it's a work in progress!

NEW TEST

Just wondering about typepad again..

WE'VE MOVED!

JUST CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE NEW HOME FOR A TANGLED WEB!

Please bookmark the new site in your favourites as this location is now moth-balled!

Criminal Assets

Stop press: 

'Today, the Surbiton Evening Telegraph has discovered that a group of paedophiles who had occupied a house in Hampton Court Way, and were driven out by the locals, are set to make a return.  In spite of repeated promises made to the locals the landlord, Mr Arbuthnot Jessopcake, had come to a secret arrangement with the child molesters whereby they could return if they promised to pay additional rent and make any contributions towards damage inflicted by angry residents.  One of the paedophiles, Arnold Plasticmac, said he was looking forward to returning to number 54.  'We've missed the comfort of our living room', he said.  'Me and the boys would chat for hours about the children we molested.  Oh, they were such happy times.' 

When confronted by neighbours, some of whom had know the victims of these men, Jessopcake was unapologetic: 'The men have been punished for what they did.  Every person is entitled to a home he or she can call his own.'  Local residents are now seeking to appeal to the Tenants' Ombudsman.'

In reality there is no Surbiton Evening Telegraph.  There are, thankfully , no true characters in the above piece.  I am simply trying to illustrate how evil and despicable people are indulged by those who think they are abiding by a certain moral code, but who actually do not give a toss about the lives of people affected by the actions of those same evil people.  For Arbuthnot Jessopcake read Peter Hain.  After explicitly promising that IRA terrorists on the run would not be facilitated with an amnesty, he is currently ameliorating certain individuals in the United States with suggestions that the issue will need to be resolved.

Come to think of it, Hain is worse than the fictional Jessopcake.  Whereas the latter is driven by a misguided conscience into thinking he is doing right, Hain is acutely aware that thousands of victims and their loved ones across Ulster will recoil with repulsion at the prospect of IRA terrorists returning to the Province without having to answer for their crimes - but doesn't give a damn.  And if you think the flippant mention of child abuse is abhorrent (which it is), I am doing nothing other than putting into context the sort of evil deeds these real-life scumbags would be chatting and laughing about if, as Hain and 'Dave' Cameron want, they transmogrify into an 'old boys association'.

One of the terrorists wishing to avail of Hain's comfort blanket was responsible for the murder of 11 innocent people, including a parent of one of the regular contributors to ATW.  Imagine how that person feels, knowing in all probability that a germ like Caulfield will live a life of certain ease compared to the pain of those who continue to suffer as a consequence of his actions.  Does Hain care?  Does he hell!!  Unless you're 'politically green' or 'epidermalogically black', you've got zero chance of ever currying Hain's sympathy.

Go Away!!

There is goes again: the front door bell!  Every Halloween I ask my parents or friends, that should they wish to visit me on this evening, to telephone me in advance.  That way, I know when the bell rings it is just another gaggle of irritating little t**ds attempting to screw my hard-earned money out of me.  And for what?  For placing a plastic 10 pence stupid mask over their impudent faces and crying 'trick or treat'.

Occasionally I drop my guard (like I did last night) and answer the door.  My standard response is 'not tonight, thank you'.  Usually they turn on their heels and go away.  If they come back and start their anti-social nonsense (again, like they did last night), I have a small bucket of water by the door.  Some pre-pubescent pillock came back and gave my front door a mighty kick at around 8pm last night after I had refused him money.  Only lightning speed saved him from being drenched in tap water.  That's what you get in a society where horrible children won't be thrashed for bad behaviour: a continuation of the bad behaviour.  Now it has got to the point where people who object to giving money away to a brat in an ensemble of threadbare mockeries and a pointed hat have to keep an eye on their house in case there are any repercussions.

Radical Muslims and Irish separatists jointly top my loathing league.  However, most people under the age of 16 in this country come a close second.  I happen to think a clear majority of children these days are eminently vile: brought up by parents who themselves were not sufficiently subjected to a good hiding when it was warranted.  Add in a contemporary society where everybody has rights EXCEPT for the silent majority, and you have kids who think they can rule neighbourhoods; more than pleased to demonstrate that fact if they can't hold you to ransom of All Hallows Eve.

My message to brats who want to knock at my door is 'don't waste your breath'.  When I was a kid, I had to tramp streets and strain my voice with Christmas carols to earn a few pence. These days they expect munificence for sewing together a few rags from a bin and painting their faces green.  Green faces and black eyes: wouldn't they go together well!?

On This Day...

1915 - British soldiers wear steel helmets for the first time in battle.

1940 - Official end of the Battle of Britain.  During six months of airborne battle for control of the skies, the RAF lost 915 aircraft.  The Luftwaffe lost 1,733.

1956 - Britain and France bomb Egypt in retaliation for the barring of their ships from the Suez Canal. The attack came two days after Israel invaded Egypt, seizing the Gaza Strip and driving through the Sinai to the Canal. After joining Israel in the hostilities, Britain and France deployed troops to the Canal Zone and demanded the immediate evacuation of Egyptian forces.

1971 - A terrorist bomb explodes at the top of the Post Office Tower in London.

1984 - Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, is assassinated by a Sikh member of her bodyguard in New Delhi.

1995 - By a narrow margin in a referendum, the people of Quebec vote to remain part of Canada.

WE'RE MOVING OUT TODAY...

Well folks, the big day has arrived. ATW is moving from Typepad to a new platform and this is will be our final day on Typepad.

I was reviewing some of the statistics since ATW left blogger and moved onto this typepad location back in the Autumn of 2004. Since that date we have posted 7981 blogs for your edification. You have responded with an overwhelming 98,117 comments! (We almost made the 100,000th!) We were also approaching 1.4 Million visits...so it's been a real adventure over the past few years.

As the site has been growing I have found Typepad to be irritatingly unreliable from time to time, with far too many instances where I could not post a story due to alleged "maintenance" issues. Similarly, there have been glitches that create regular multiple postings and basically slow down the site. I will keep the Typepad site visible for a while, and plan to migrate all the posts and comments over to the new site shortly.

So - from first thing tomorrow morning, we will all move to our new home. I will re-direct you to it when you visit tomorrow - just unpacking the crates over there at the moment. We've mostly finished the decorating but you may have to forgive the smell of fresh paint when you come over tomorrow.

A sincere thanks for all your support on this platform over the years - but here's to the new tangled location - unveiled first thing tomorrow morning!

FIVE GEARS IN REVERSE!

DID you read that less than one week after he urged the German Army to play a more active role in resolving regional conflicts and fighting terrorism, Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung has said Germany would begin as early as December.....to withdraw troops from Bosnia and Herzegovina, a former republic of Yugoslavia that was ravaged by civil war from 1992 to 1995! That's the way to do it - forward but only in reverse gear!

NOSES IN THE TROUGH...

Anyone who doubts that the political class are akin to pigs with their snouts in the financial trough of taxpayer largesse should reflect on the news that  Jack Straw, the Leader of the Commons, will propose handing every MP a communications allowance - which could be worth around £10,000 a year. MPs are expected to approve the plans, which are set to cost taxpayer's more than £6.5m a year and then agree how much to pay themselves in meetings behind closed doors.

I fully agree with th observation that  Straw's proposals are an admission of failure by Commons authorities who have seen postage expenses serially abused by Labour MPs in marginal constituencies - who have been accused of spending taxpayers' money on party propaganda.

Eighteen Labour MPs spent more than £10,000 on postage last year and 11 of them were fighting to save their seats. Under the plans, all MPs will get the 'communication allowance' for newsletters and other political information on top of the existing postage allowance.The amount they can spend on postage will then be capped at £7,000. However most MPs will just claim the maximum allowance, meaning the total bill could rise to around £17,000 for each MP, rather than saving money.

And of the 20 MPs who claimed more than £10,000 in postage costs, who are the WORST offenders?

1. Andrew Dismore, Labour, Hendon, £25,146 -

2. Siobhain McDonagh, Labour, Mitcham & Morden, £22,339.

3. Bill Rammell, Labour, Harlow, £18,267.

4. Liam Byrne, Labour, Birmingham Hodge Hill, £18,212.

5. Jacqui Smith, Labour, Redditch, £16,458,

Socialism in action - spend spend spend - just so long as it is someone else's money.