Talk about the bunker mentality!

Saif al-Islam, one of fugitive Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s sons, says his father is fine and he will fight to the end.

Good. Let’s hope the end comes soon for Gaddafi and the rest of the gang who helped arm the IRA and caused so much misery and pain to so many people.

Worth a listen!

A recent proposal to cull large sectors of the West of England’s farmlands and countryside of badgers, so as to help eradicate TB in cattle met with the usual response. Wild-eyed animal activists threatening to chain themselves to each and every badger was one of the milder proposals. But middle England, as usual, looked on with less than mild interest, and then turned away to the X-factor, or the X-box, or even re-runs of the X-files; anything rather than become interested about the arguments regarding the spread of a dangerous and deadly infection within the bodies of animals which we, as a nation, get our milk, butter and cheese from, as well as meat for the table.

Statements from the Food Standards Agency seem to indicate that there is a high probability of TB-infected meat getting into the human food chain, as the present tuberculin ‘reactor’ test is grossly inadequate in allowing observable results apart from measuring the size of the ‘reactor’ lesions. The use of gamma-interferon testing is now accepted by DEFRA, but only on ‘prescribed circumstances’, presumably because the DEFRA ‘tuberculin fans’ have not yet been bribed sufficiently to move over to the more exacting ‘gamma-interferon’ testing.

But the ‘cull’ fans seem to be gaining ground, and hopefully we shall see decisive action at long last to rid our countryside of these noisome pests who spread disease so readily to our national cattle herd.

Some might ask why I write about a problem which is strictly the purview of animal husbandry specialists? I am now arriving at my point, which is to suggest that we organise a second cull, but not of ‘Old Brock’ along with all his families; no, I reckon we ought to have a cull with meaning! Why do we not cull all the Heads and officers of the Quangos which leach off the national treasure? Can we add my personal non-favourite, Trevor Philips and all his EHRC mates? Should we not add to the cull by listing all the fat-cats of the County Councils, some of whom ‘earn’ more than twice what is ‘earned’ by our beloved millionaire Prime Minister? Can the bloated M.O.D. crowd be added en-masse to that list, along with 13th Century Fox?Should we not extend the ‘culling’ list to include all those grossly-overpaid Chief-and Senior executives of the Strategic Health Authorities, especially the murdering bastards of the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust who, despite presiding over the deaths of hundreds of patients, walked away with millions?

Now I am not suggesting for one second that we should kill these dregs of our ‘Me-Me-Me Society’, no, I have something a lot more long-lasting in store for my list of the truly idle scum who inhabit all those plush offices, with their carpets and air-conditioning; I reckon about a ten-year stint of farming should do the trick. Farming? Have I gone mad? Nope, because the place where the ever-growing list of  named scum would be shuttled to would be my favourite place in all the world; Gruinard Island.

Fast and Furious a true act of high crime and misdemeanors continues to grow. Today ATF Head Melson was demoted, he was reassigned to a lesser post in the Justice Department. This reassignment is directly due to his sealed testimony before the Issa Oversight committee. Two weeks ago Attorney General Erick Holder demanded Issa to turn over his testimony to the Justice Department, which is supposed to be operating their own investigation, into ATF and themselves the Justice Dept. Issa refused and told Holder to question himself. Melson refused, due to advice from his Attorneys.

Also US Attorney for Arizona Dennis Burke, resigned today. one week after being grilled by congressional investigators, where he got physically sick during questioning. Burke was the US Attorney assigned to oversee Fast and Furious. Prior to being appointed US Attorney, Burke served as Chief adviser to head of Homeland Security Janet Notalentano. Before that he was Notalentano’s Chief of Staff when she was Governor of Arizona. She was the one who recommended Burke for the position of US Attorney.  The question that now needs to be asked is Madam Secretary, what did you know, and when did you know it?

Fast and Furious had one purpose, to sell guns to Drug Cartels so that they would show up at crime scenes. No effort was ever made to track guns across the border ordered by the Obama Regime to be sold to Drug Dealers, only to report when they showed up at crime scenes. You draw  your own conclusions why.  The problem is Two American Law Officers have been killed by these guns, not to mention 100s of Mexican Civilians, Cops, and Government Officials.

It has been about 25 years since my last confession.  As a relaxed Catholic I was never a fan of it as a sacrament (though I suppose I prefer it to last rites). 

Government conflict the confessional privilege is not new.  St. John Nepomucene was tortured and drowned in 1393 for refusing to violate the confessional by King Wenceslaus (not Good King Wenceslus mind you).   I am not familar with the confessional privilege outside of the US (where it differs a bit state to state).  But I presume in Ireland, where the issue has been raised,  it is pretty much a long-established law.   

I am interested in th ecurrent  debate over the proposal in Ireland to compel priests to break the seal of the confessional in cases of child abuse.  I don’t think any person could not have been outraged by the unfortunate and often criminal cover-up of abuse by members of the clergy there and in other places.   Truly evil people were allowed to escape justice and in fact, the victims were doubly victimized by their own Church Heirarchy which at best ignored them and at worst  conspired with the rotten apples.  I would seek criminal proecution of the abusers and criminal   conspiracy charges against any who covered up for them, to the extent such crimes could be prosecuted.  And I would think the Church should defrock any priest convicted of such a crime as well as any who engaged in any criminal cover-up.

But  I don’t agree with compelling a priest (or clergy of another faith) to have to tell the police what has been said in a confessional.  I think the privilege is proper and consistent with other privileges (attorney-client, husband-wife) and should remain in place.  A Catholic priest would be excommunicated for doing so, even if he was breaking the confessional to save his own life.   Hitchcock’s “I Confess” was an interesting exploration of this ethical dilema where a priest is framed for a murder by the murderer who had confessed to him.  Given the longstanding exclusion I don’t see a need to remove it now.  

I also don’t think it is necessary, normal investigation and reporting of complaints would not require this source of information.  In other words, things said in the confessiona lare not necessary to investigate or for proseuction.  It would be cumulative.

In addition, it creates a rallying point for the Church Hierarchy and shifts the focus from their deplorable record on this issue (when they are reeling) to a defensible religious freedom argument (where they have stronger ground).   

Certainly for other faiths who don’t have anything like confessional, and for atheists or agnostics who obviously have no such practice, it may seem more difficult to accept the exception.  But I don’t think it is beyond the bounds of reason to maintain it.   And I don’t see how it could be enforced.  To me it appears to be a bad idea generated by righteous indignation.

About two decades ago, I was working in Central London, and like many others, parked up on the outskirts, catching a Tube train to the centre, as even then it was death on parking. The trains I caught were inevitably crowded, with no, or little extra space; but strange to relate, when I boarded there was a circular space, about two feet wide, kept free around this one bloke. He was just another ordinary youngish man, dark hair worn short, medium height, dressed not in outlandish fashion but a serviceable pair of jeans, trainers, sweatshirt and thin travel top; but the reason why he was given such rare distinction of space in an otherwise overcrowded Tube carriage was quite simple. He had no arms. Hands, yes, but on the end of grossly-foreshortened arms, complete with elbows, about six-seven inches long. He was of course a child of the Thalidomide generation, when deformities were produced almost on a production line as the direct result of the mothers taking a ‘morning-sickness’ pill named Thalidomide.

I nodded to him, receiving a slightly surprised nod in return, and prepared to read my morning paper until the train arrived at my change station. I got off the Tube, followed by the stranger, walked along to reach the escalator, ascended to the exchange level, and prepared to re-enter another line, when this bloke spoke, “Erm, sorry to ask, mate, but can you reach my wallet? My wife’s put it in the wrong pocket, and the Underground staff are useless when someone like me asks for help!”

“No worries, friend; which side?”

He nodded to his right, so I slid my hand into his top pocket, found the wallet; located the season ticket in its case, and handed it back to this man, whose face held a wide smile. “I knew you would help without asking too many silly questions.” I raised one eyebrow. He continued, “You nodded at me when you got on board the train; which tells me that you see me as an ordinary man with a bit of a problem. As opposed to all the other bloody sheep who see me, then try and read every bloody advert on the carriage tops rather than embarrass themselves by seeing what is right in front of them!” I nodded in farewell as this giant man in a medium body walked steadily toward the exit, and then disappeared into the London morning.

I mention this tiny cameo of life because I watched a Mozart concert which had been recorded in Berlin, and the featured baritone was Thomas Quasthoff, a magnificent singer. His voice was truly superb, and the audience reacted accordingly. He has a vast repertoire, has also studied law, and has set views on much of German political life. The fact that his body is stunted, and his arms are virtually non-existent due to the same tragic use of Thalidomide by his mother, is, once you get past the visual impact, irrelevant.

The Climate Kooks have just released a report that inaction on Climate Change is causing and will cause a dramatic rise in Mental Illness. I do believe they need to look in the Mirror….LOL

Mental illness rise linked to climate

Erik Jensen Health

August 29, 2011

RATES of mental illnesses including depression and post-traumatic stress will increase as a result of climate change, a report to be released today says.

The paper, prepared for the Climate Institute, says loss of social cohesion in the wake of severe weather events related to climate change could be linked to increased rates of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and substance abuse.

As many as one in five people reported ”emotional injury, stress and despair” in the wake of these events.

The report, A Climate of Suffering: The Real Cost of Living with Inaction on Climate Change, called the past 15 years a ”preview of life under unrestrained global warming”.

”While cyclones, drought, bushfires and floods are all a normal part of Australian life, there is no doubt our climate is changing,” the report says.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/mental-illness-rise-linked-to-climate-20110828-1jger.html#ixzz1WVka2suH

The country’s slow growth means that in less than 20 years it will have the same living standards as Korea, Poland and Turkey, which are rapidly catching up with Scotland.

The result is that the country will be “merely a third world tourist destination” by 2030, said Mr McWilliams. “Edinburgh at festival time looks vibrant… but looking underneath, things are not so rosy,” he said.

I see that a new national survey is further proof that Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s entrance earlier this month into the race for the White House has dramatically altered the battle for the Republican presidential nomination.

According to a CNN/ORC International Poll of Republicans and independent voters who lean towards the GOP, Perry now sits atop the list of Republican presidential candidates, with strong support from most demographic groups.

The survey, released Monday, indicates that 27 percent of Republicans nationwide support Perry for their party’s nomination, with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who’s making his second bid for the White House, at 14 percent. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin follows at ten percent, with Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani at nine percent, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who’s making his third bid for the presidency, at six percent. Every one else listed on the questionnaire registered in the low single digits.

So, Perry streaks ahead of Romney. Good news, I think. It’s also fascinating to see Palin only 4 points BEHIND Romney, and she is not even IN the contest, yet. Furthermore, she is ahead of Bachmann.

I was wondering if the Libyan “rebels” now demanding the extradition of those members of Gadaffi’s family from Algeria are in any way related to the Libyan “rebels” who have refused point-blank to extradite the Lockerbie bomber and the killer of PC Yvonne Fletcher? The MSM seems prepared to look the other way as the new Libya starts to look every bad as grotesque as that which it is replacing.