It's bad enough that two televison football pundits, one of them a former world-class player, are nationally reviled and whose behaviour is gravely described as "unacceptable", "loutish" and "explosive" for simply saying a female "lineswoman" didn't understand the Off-Side rule, I mean, she wasn't raped, or mugged or murdered!.
But even worse - instead of these two so-called "Men" telling everyone to get stuffed, they prostrate themselves before the Altar of aggressive Feminism and Political Correctness in abject contrition and can't stop apologising for their terrible Sin!
But then, as you are probably aware by now, that's all par for the course in today's Fantasy Island.
Then we have a woman judge on the Supreme Court (could she be a Lesbian by any chance?) who's just decreed that shouting at your partner from now on constitutes violence, for which you can be sent to gaol. And if by some error you are not sent to gaol, then your partner or spouse can jump the queue and get a new Council House because of your "Violence."
This ruling has been compared to Alice In Wonderland, where Humpty Dumpty says words (like "Violence) can mean whatever you want them to mean. But I'm not too sure. Sounds more like George Orwell's sinister Doublethink and Ingsoc to me.
But then, again what do you expect in Fantasy Island where two plus two already makes five!
AND WHAT ABOUT THE ISLAND'S GOVERNMENT'S LATEST BRAINWAVE. THEY ONLY WANT TO SELL OFF TO PRIVATE COMPANIES, THE NEW FOREST, THE FOREST OF DEAN, AND - BELIEVE IT OR NOT- SHERWOOD FOREST!!
I KNOW THATCHER FLOGGED OFF THE FAMILY SILVER. BUT THE ACTUAL LAND OF FANTASY ISLAND?!
I CAN JUST SEE ROBIN HOOD SPINNING IN HIS GRAVE.
AND TO THINK HE ALWAYS THOUGHT THE SHERIFF OF NOTTINGHAM WAS THE BAD GUY!
By the way, The Island, which under it's old name of Great Britain defeated Germany in 1945 (with the help of America, Canada, the Soviet Union, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, India, Kenya, Uganda, Tibet, Burma and uncle Tom Cobleigh and all) now has two million young people out of work and with no prospects of ever getting a job. Drugs and gun crime are everywhere. For most, that's all they have, or will ever have going for them.
Well, you don't really expect the 16 millionaires who make up the Condom Government to do anything about it do you?
Don't forget, this is Fantasy Island we're talking about!
Whilst this is going on in the Island, the above-mentioned "defeated" Germany's economy is booming, with thousands of young people doing engineering apprenticeships to fulfill it's order books for cars, trucks,wagons and heavy agricultural machinery.
They're' working very hard those young people, just like their parents. And they're willing to forego pay rises and perks. You see, they are not like the Fantasy Islanders, who every time they're interviewed at Election time on TV can only talk about themselves and what the government can do for them and, "What's in it for ME"?!
No, these German workers are all pulling together and willing to make personal material sacrifices for the good of their country and their self respect - which they know in the end will benefit all.
What's really funny about all this, is that the Fantasy Islanders either don't know or don't care that it was one of their own great poets, John Donne in the 16 Century, who said, "No man is an island", and "Every man's death diminishes me." And that it takes those naughty Germans to adopt this attitude and follow his lead!
Wednesday 26 January 2011
Thursday 20 January 2011
THE VAMPIRES OF FANTASY ISLAND
"Those ungrateful drones who would,
drink your sweat and suck your blood".
- Percy Byshe Shelley.
Whilst I've been doling out my Tea and Sympathy to Lou Santangeli (quite rightly I might say ) over the ingratitude shown to him after his tremendous feat in clearing the names of Kelly and Connolly, I had a blind spot about my own efforts in that direction.
Well, that is until I met an old old friend in town the other night and after a good few drinks, he reminded me of some of them.
"Remember", he said, "when you were home on leave from Ruskin, and represented Mick so-and-so- who was a neighbour, and you won his DSS Appeal against having his Dole stopped?"
Yes, I remembered all right. I didn't expect nor did I get anything off him because he was out of work and had young kids. But I regretted it afterwards when I was told he was an enforcer for a Loan Shark on a Huyton estate.
Then there was the Halewood pensioner, a former market trader
my family had known for years from the city centre. He was only on a pension, topped up with Income Support. And theChild Support Agency was taking pounds off him every week because he'd been foolish enough to marry a much younger woman and have two kids to her.
I took his case to a DSS Tribunal and won him all his money back.
Again I didn't expect any reward, and I didn't get any. Afterwards, outside the Tribunal in Dale Street, he promised me a bottle of single malt 14 year-old Scotch.
I'm still waiting for that whisky, which must now be at least 30 years-old!
Then there was the case of the 36 year-old foreman on a Work Experience gardening project in Kirkby, who was unfairly made redundant.
Kenny was a nice lad and a hard worker. Being skint he couldn't get a lawyer to take his case (you couldn't get legal aid for tribunals) so he literally begged me to represent him at an Industrial Tribunal - which I did.
The case took weeks of hard preparation. But I took great delight in defeating the Government's barrister by winning the case for Kenny and getting him £3,000 compensation.
I got no fees or costs of my own but got great satisfaction from putting one over on the Government and rubbing the snobbish barrister's nose in it!
When I handed the three grand in notes to Kenny and suggested celebrating by going out for a meal and a drink, his girlfriend - who was counting the money - advised him not to. Instead he offered me some of his own home-made "Tea-Wine" and ten Russian ciggies!! Needless to say, I made my apologies and quickly left!!
But I didnt learn any lessons from these episodes.
The next Vampire hovering above for more blood (they must have all known I was a Night Owl myself) was a West Derby guy who contacted me after reading my book about injustice -The Cameo Conspiracy.
But his was a different kind of injustice: his son had been the victim of an horrendous stabbing by two thugs who had been let off because they were also police informers.
Well. after about 8 years of continual advice, telephone calls and numerous letters and reports on his behalf, he didn't get in touch for a few months. When he finally did so it was to tell me he'd written a book about his son's case and would I look at it.
I readily obliged and corrected all of the grammar, syntax, punctuation etc. I also gave him some literary advice, suggested an eye-catching title and actually wrote a Foreword for him.
A few more months went by then he got in touch again, handing me a copy of the book which he had published himself.
He had not used my suggested title or my Foreword. And for my years of hard work dvice and support there was no acknowledgement worth speaking of.
Like my pensioner friend, he told me that as a gesture of thanks for my nine years work, he had intended buying me a bottle of Scotch.. He didn't so because - as he told me with a straight face -he didn't know what brand I drank!!
Haven't seen or heard of him since.
I believe his book sold 50 copies.
But the most recent case of serious abuse of my good nature has determined me, Never again! No more Mr Nice Guy!
This was a working-class guy from the slums of Toxteth who made a fortune in the rag trade through his own industriousness and hard work but he lost it all in 1992 on Black Wednesday. But I admired his grit and still admire grafters like that.
So when he wrote a book about his life of rags to riches it was obvious that, like most people who are very good with figures, he was hopeless with words. In other words, he was no writer.But I felt he had a great story to tell so I decided to help him.
Over several weeks I went through the book with him - which was overlong and repetitive - proof-reading, painstakingly correcting and editing it until the whole 450 pages were knocked into shape and fit for publication.
At the time he was so effusively "grateful" he promised me a percentage if it became a best-seller, promised to praise me in the acknowledgements, and that once he had a publisher he would open doors for me for the book I was writing.
Well, as with all the other vampires, I heard nothing more for several months until he contacted me to tell me he had acquired a literary agent and a national publisher for his book who had given him a £5,000 advance.
His re-titled book is out now. I don't get a mention in the acknowledgements. And I'm still waiting for my percentage and my introduction to his publisher!!
No, I told my old friend, I hadn't forgotten all of these vampires. But, let's face it, such mean, ignoble and ungrateful parasites quite simply are not worth remembering, are they?
drink your sweat and suck your blood".
- Percy Byshe Shelley.
Whilst I've been doling out my Tea and Sympathy to Lou Santangeli (quite rightly I might say ) over the ingratitude shown to him after his tremendous feat in clearing the names of Kelly and Connolly, I had a blind spot about my own efforts in that direction.
Well, that is until I met an old old friend in town the other night and after a good few drinks, he reminded me of some of them.
"Remember", he said, "when you were home on leave from Ruskin, and represented Mick so-and-so- who was a neighbour, and you won his DSS Appeal against having his Dole stopped?"
Yes, I remembered all right. I didn't expect nor did I get anything off him because he was out of work and had young kids. But I regretted it afterwards when I was told he was an enforcer for a Loan Shark on a Huyton estate.
Then there was the Halewood pensioner, a former market trader
my family had known for years from the city centre. He was only on a pension, topped up with Income Support. And theChild Support Agency was taking pounds off him every week because he'd been foolish enough to marry a much younger woman and have two kids to her.
I took his case to a DSS Tribunal and won him all his money back.
Again I didn't expect any reward, and I didn't get any. Afterwards, outside the Tribunal in Dale Street, he promised me a bottle of single malt 14 year-old Scotch.
I'm still waiting for that whisky, which must now be at least 30 years-old!
Then there was the case of the 36 year-old foreman on a Work Experience gardening project in Kirkby, who was unfairly made redundant.
Kenny was a nice lad and a hard worker. Being skint he couldn't get a lawyer to take his case (you couldn't get legal aid for tribunals) so he literally begged me to represent him at an Industrial Tribunal - which I did.
The case took weeks of hard preparation. But I took great delight in defeating the Government's barrister by winning the case for Kenny and getting him £3,000 compensation.
I got no fees or costs of my own but got great satisfaction from putting one over on the Government and rubbing the snobbish barrister's nose in it!
When I handed the three grand in notes to Kenny and suggested celebrating by going out for a meal and a drink, his girlfriend - who was counting the money - advised him not to. Instead he offered me some of his own home-made "Tea-Wine" and ten Russian ciggies!! Needless to say, I made my apologies and quickly left!!
But I didnt learn any lessons from these episodes.
The next Vampire hovering above for more blood (they must have all known I was a Night Owl myself) was a West Derby guy who contacted me after reading my book about injustice -The Cameo Conspiracy.
But his was a different kind of injustice: his son had been the victim of an horrendous stabbing by two thugs who had been let off because they were also police informers.
Well. after about 8 years of continual advice, telephone calls and numerous letters and reports on his behalf, he didn't get in touch for a few months. When he finally did so it was to tell me he'd written a book about his son's case and would I look at it.
I readily obliged and corrected all of the grammar, syntax, punctuation etc. I also gave him some literary advice, suggested an eye-catching title and actually wrote a Foreword for him.
A few more months went by then he got in touch again, handing me a copy of the book which he had published himself.
He had not used my suggested title or my Foreword. And for my years of hard work dvice and support there was no acknowledgement worth speaking of.
Like my pensioner friend, he told me that as a gesture of thanks for my nine years work, he had intended buying me a bottle of Scotch.. He didn't so because - as he told me with a straight face -he didn't know what brand I drank!!
Haven't seen or heard of him since.
I believe his book sold 50 copies.
But the most recent case of serious abuse of my good nature has determined me, Never again! No more Mr Nice Guy!
This was a working-class guy from the slums of Toxteth who made a fortune in the rag trade through his own industriousness and hard work but he lost it all in 1992 on Black Wednesday. But I admired his grit and still admire grafters like that.
So when he wrote a book about his life of rags to riches it was obvious that, like most people who are very good with figures, he was hopeless with words. In other words, he was no writer.But I felt he had a great story to tell so I decided to help him.
Over several weeks I went through the book with him - which was overlong and repetitive - proof-reading, painstakingly correcting and editing it until the whole 450 pages were knocked into shape and fit for publication.
At the time he was so effusively "grateful" he promised me a percentage if it became a best-seller, promised to praise me in the acknowledgements, and that once he had a publisher he would open doors for me for the book I was writing.
Well, as with all the other vampires, I heard nothing more for several months until he contacted me to tell me he had acquired a literary agent and a national publisher for his book who had given him a £5,000 advance.
His re-titled book is out now. I don't get a mention in the acknowledgements. And I'm still waiting for my percentage and my introduction to his publisher!!
No, I told my old friend, I hadn't forgotten all of these vampires. But, let's face it, such mean, ignoble and ungrateful parasites quite simply are not worth remembering, are they?
Tuesday 4 January 2011
THE CAMEO CASE REVISITED
I am of course grateful to the two "anonymous" correspondents who favourably commented on my Cameo Appeal piece.
But can I just say that although I did indeed reveal the crucial appeal-winning statement in 1998 in my book, it was Lou Santangeli, who also discovered it and successfully pursued the case through the legal channels.
He ploughed his own furrow at his own expense for years, only for the lawyers and the Kelly Family to wrongly be given all the praise.
I do not wish to castigate the Kelly family. I simply believe that the man responsible for such a monumental victory, which vindicated their uncle and removed the decades-old stain from their family name, deserved a simple Thank You.
As for the comment about Kelly's brothers being blinded by their brothers fate. Firstly his brothers are long dead. Nobody, certainly not me, is criticising them. But there is no justification for the remaining members of his family not expressing gratitude to Mr Santangeli.
I myself have not been given any recognition for my efforts nor do I expect any. On the contrary I have been criticised as someone who has exploited the case and the Kelly family's grief for mercenary gain. But I can assure you this feeling is not shared by the Connolly family. And I can say with the utmost authority that the supposed financial gain is no more than an ill-informed figment of these critics imagination.
My motivation like Mr Santangeli's - even though we were working seperately at the time - was simply to expose a terrible miscarriage of justice. And despite the lack of recognition and thanks, I think Mr Santangeli, like myself, will be quite content that we both succeeded in our different ways.
But can I just say that although I did indeed reveal the crucial appeal-winning statement in 1998 in my book, it was Lou Santangeli, who also discovered it and successfully pursued the case through the legal channels.
He ploughed his own furrow at his own expense for years, only for the lawyers and the Kelly Family to wrongly be given all the praise.
I do not wish to castigate the Kelly family. I simply believe that the man responsible for such a monumental victory, which vindicated their uncle and removed the decades-old stain from their family name, deserved a simple Thank You.
As for the comment about Kelly's brothers being blinded by their brothers fate. Firstly his brothers are long dead. Nobody, certainly not me, is criticising them. But there is no justification for the remaining members of his family not expressing gratitude to Mr Santangeli.
I myself have not been given any recognition for my efforts nor do I expect any. On the contrary I have been criticised as someone who has exploited the case and the Kelly family's grief for mercenary gain. But I can assure you this feeling is not shared by the Connolly family. And I can say with the utmost authority that the supposed financial gain is no more than an ill-informed figment of these critics imagination.
My motivation like Mr Santangeli's - even though we were working seperately at the time - was simply to expose a terrible miscarriage of justice. And despite the lack of recognition and thanks, I think Mr Santangeli, like myself, will be quite content that we both succeeded in our different ways.
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