UK ARMY -- WHAT ARMY?

If ever proof were needed that Britain should not be involved in the Iraq or Afghani conflicts then todays announcement by the British Government that there will be major cuts in the armed forces merely to pay for more helicopters in Afghanistan must surely be it. Not only should we never have sent our troops into these conflicts at the behest of the notorious liar Tony Blair, we now know that we could not afford it anyway. Undoubtedly the credit crunch has hastened this realisation but for the last two or three years the armed forces have complained bitterly that lives are being lost because of an acute shortage of helicopters. Now we lear that we will at last get the choppers but to do so, bases will be closed, non front line jobs will be axed, a couple of Navy ships will go and one of our two aircraft carriers will not even have aircraft to carry other than the helicopters of course. Even training exercises will be be reduced.

For far too long the UK has tried to Punch above its weight but now this can be seen to be little short of posturing and for no good reason. We have been selling our own troops and airmen short for far too long as it is. Now we will at last get the choppers that our troops need but so much more will be lost. What a total disgrace and most of this can be laid at the door of our totally discredited ex-prime minister. To make a mistake is human but to follow an asshole like George W Bush into battle must top the lot. In the Iraq conflict the UK component was little more than a stocking filler and now the enquiry currently underway into the Iraq blunder shows how we were totally ignored by the US President. Presumably Blair held on to W Bushes trouser legs hoping for favours in the future. What an indiot he was, we didnt even get any thanks or respect. Not in our name please, not in our name.

RECORD INDUSTRY GREED HITS CHARITY SHOPS

I learned today from BBC Radio Fours program You and Yours that the greedy bastards in the Music Biz are at it againl this time its the charity shops who are being nailed. Currently, if a couple of people who are unpaid volunteers have the audacity to listen to the radio in the shop whist sorting through old clothes, books and bric-a-brac. the shop has to pay the Performing Rights Society £100 per annum for the privalage. Now we learn that the PPL the Phonographic Protection are also set to demand another £100 per annum. Those of you who would like to send hate mail can contact them at this address. PPL, 1 Upper James Street, London, W1F 9DE

ANYONE FOR COMPULSORY NUCLEAR POWER ?

As a long time campaigner against nuclear energy and "that monstrosity in Cumbria known to many as Sellafield" I can strongly endorse much of the atatement from Andy Atkins, Friends of the Earth's Exec Director who said....


" building new nuclear reactors is not the answer to the challenges of climate change and energy security.

"Nuclear power leaves a deadly legacy of radioactive waste that remains highly dangerous for tens of thousands of years and costs tens of billions of pounds to manage. And building new plants would divert precious resources from developing safe renewable power, while doing little to bring about the urgent emissions reductions that are desperately needed within the next decade."

"Ministers must develop the UK's huge renewable energy potential and embark on a massive national programme to cut energy waste. This will create tens of thousands of jobs, reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, cut emissions and make Britain a world leader in developing a green economy."


Sadly of course anything of even the slightest use from Gordon Browns continuing New Labour Project, soon to disappear under the fast rising waters of Political Climate Change comes with a sting in the tail and of course a reduction in democracy. This will be felt most notably in the changes the Gov have made to the planning process which allow them to fast track major projects such as Nuke Power Plants, Airports etc etc.

The previous planning system may have had some weaknesses or been a little slow but surely its better that all interested parties should have a say in the decision making when health and safety of the public are concerned and surely, few things can have a more disasterous effect on the environment than a new Nuke Plant or the "safe" (sic ) disposal of Nuclear waste.

Daily this appalling government are becoming more authoritarian and use any excuse to increase their powers and reduce our freedoms. If we vote this appalling bunch of shits, then we sure are like Turkeys voting for Christmas. Unfortunately the other bunch of nonentities show little sign of being an improvement. Nuclear Power No thanks, Not in Anyones Back Yard.

NEW LABOUR LIES NOW NEW TORY LIES

After nearly 12 years of New Labour porkies, involving WMDs, War mongering, the NHS, and finally a referendum on Europe, we have become accostomed to what we all really knew already, ie; our Government cannot be trusted and any promises made are just hollow posturing. Now we find that Camerons New Tory project is coming apart at the seams even before they get to Government.

At least New Labour waited till they got in power to begin breaking their promises to the electorate, but now, not to be outdone, Cameron has already broke his promise for a referendum even before he gets in. There will now be no referendum on the Lisbon treaty. Of course he must have known this before he made the promise, after all its easy to make promises when you know you wont be able to keep them. At least we now know that we definately cannot trust either New Labour or Camerons Conservatives and will have to look elsewhere for someone we can vote for.

Obviously Griffins bunch of thickos are beyond the pale and other than a small handful of worthy independents, we are really left with either the Lib Dems or the Greens. Both of these are unknown commodities other than at the local level but I am fairly sure that neither of the above will lead us into another senseless and unwinnable war which is at least a step in the right direction. And, they are also much more likely to approach Green issues with a bit of practicality and common sense rather than the "do as your told, not as we do approach of the two major parties.

Common sense is needed most of all at this time because not voting is not an option if you believe in any kind of democracy and want to see it realised for a change. The internet is playing an important and growing part in the electoral process. Face book and its childlike offspring Twitter are being taken seriously by politicians because of the damage the can do to political reputations in no time at all. but in the case of Twitter i am not sure that rule by text message is a step forward rather than merely another example of the dumbing down of the population.

Certainly bloggers can do a lot of damage to old myths and misconceptions and some of them are actually very good although my own efforts are probably below average except in my areas of expertise. Even if i cannot be a mover or shaker of governments and a catalyst for regime change, at least i can get a lot of my chest and clear my psyche for more ennervating matters.

MUSIC INDUSTRY SCORES OWN GOAL OVER ILLEGAL DOWNLOADING

Research published by Demos today shows that the Music Biz has got the wrong end of the stick yet again over people who are allegedly illegally downloading. It turns out that those who admit to illegally downloading are actually spending much more money on music than those who claim they dont download music illegally

.

People who illegally download music spend more on official releases than those who obey download laws, a survey suggested.
The think-tank Demos said it found illegal downloaders spent an average of £77 a year on genuine music, £33 more than those who claim never to have wrongly accessed music for free.
Nearly two thirds of people who admit to downloading music illegally also said that new and cheaper music services would encourage them to stop accessing illegal services.

The results come amid warnings from the Government that people who persistently download illegally face being disconnected from the internet.

The average "spend" on music by normal Joes and Josephines, is around £44 per ye

ar whilst those who admit to illegally downloading spend and average of £77 per year

Lets hope that this is not yet another bit of expert advice which our no nothing government ignores.

LOW ENERGY STREET LIGHTING SPREADS

A few months ago I talked with several local and County Councillors about low energy street lighting. The reasons were fairly obvious. not only does the Sodium glare rob us of the glory of the Night Sky its public money down the drain and a major component of CO2 emissions which helps to fuel climate change.
I put the case for low energy lighting, not the types using the traditional mercury filled orange bulbs so common on British Streets, but the even newer and lower energy LED lights we are so familiar with in our electronics in the home. LED lights have become much more efficient in producing light of virtually any colour and higher intensity. A standard lighting unit as seen on your street would probably be using 40 or 50 watts of energy but the new LED units being developed use as little as ten watts, a considerable saving for the council and our council tax bills. They also last up to ten years, Illuminate the street or pathway rather than your house or nearby fields and the blue white colour is much less strain on the eye and is more aesthetically pleasing.
The really good news is that work has been going on behind the scenes to help meet the UKs energy and CO2 emissions reduction plans. Here in Pendle i have already noticed some of the new lights appearing on our lanes and when i contacted Lancashire County Council for more details i was told there is now a plan to roll out 30,000 of these new lights ASAP. I also discovered that there is a similar plan being hatched in West Yorkshire.
Its nice to get a bit of good news for a change and it could get better. As newer and higher intensity bulbs are developed we could see them spreading to our major dual carriageways or motorways and as the technology developes, truly interactive lighting which turns itself off when there is no traffic or people on the roads. If security lighting can work this way then why not the majority of our unneeded lighting. Who knows, we may soon be able to see the stars again. I for one look forward to that.

DANDELION RADIO

Thanks to the On the Wire Blog for the following information about Dandelion Radio. Its an Internet Radio Station for those who like me stayed a loyal listener to John Peel and his shows no matter where or when the BBC suits dumped him.

His programs were and still are unique, he inspired and encouraged thousands of new bands and artists and played music which just could not be found anywhere else on the BBC schedules. The most notable and honourable exception being On the Wire itself, which John Peel himself listened to and enjoyed.


He even gave his name to the campaign to save On the Wire when the Birtistas at the BBC parachuted in a new manager to destroy the stations individuality. On the Wire listeners wont forget Johns help, energy and enthusiasm and it therefore gives us great pleasure to honour him and Dandelion Radio which is a part of his legacy.

As Andrew Morrison says on the Dandelion web site....
"Dandelion Radio marks the 5th anniversary of John Peel's death with "Peel Legends" month in October. Andy's 3-hour show features brand new sessions from past session guests on John's BBC Radio 1 show. You'll hear exclusive material from Eat Static, Davey MacManus (of The Crimea), The Aphrodisiacs, Decoration and Martin Carr, as well as some classic tracks from Extreme Noise Terror. On top of all this is a "New Legends" session from Atomizer, whom Andy feels John would've approved of. You'll also hear a New Order jukebox track from their 1998 Peel session; Teresa and Scott's monthly selections; and details of the 2009 Festive Fifty."