“I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an ass of yourself.”
Oscar Wilde
A newspaper in one of Britain’s most racially diverse cities has stopped readers commenting on its website amid claims that extremists were using them to “sow the seeds of division”.
So began this piece in The Guardian with the following picture which just about sums up the external view of Bradford, especially in London.
As the piece suggests, the local rag is not alone and has followed the example of The Yorkshire Post by switching to Facebook that ever reliable source of all that is righteous and true.
Sadly, the bed-ridden trolls have simply set-up bogus Facebook accounts to continue spouting all manner of bile unchecked. But there is hope, or at least if you believe the following.
James Mitchinson, the Yorkshire Evening Post’s editor, tweeted in response to the T&A’s decision: “Comments sections ruined for the many by a few anonymous cowards. Readers’ letters will rise again.”
Whilst that would be wonderful, most people are unable to complete a sentence these days. And you cannot use LOL in a letter. Finally, it takes effort to write a letter; for many far easier to huff, puff and turn the page.
Living Proof?
In defiance of all modern thought related to healthy lifestyles, Big Al turns sixty this week. And tomorrow night the Villas Hippodrome will be rammed to the rafters with tales of former glories back in another age.
Unbelievably, this article suggests that Big Al and his fellow ale carts may well actually have just what women want?
It turns out women prefer men with more stomach, as opposed to those who are well defined or muscly.
Just when the long suffering Luckless Linda thought she had her man, it turns out that he may well be in demand by more than the local pubs and bookies.
However, the study also concludes that more body fat means a man will focus more on his family. As a direct result of this combination, the chances of him finding another woman and subsequently leaving is lowered. Especially if he never leaves the pub.
Truth or Opportunism?
Much has been said, largely on social media, relating to a fatal car crash last week. I was reading this piece and was struck by the differing approaches of Imam Muhammed Asim and local MP Imran Hussain.
The Imam spoke for much of the funeral, summing up sentiments that many share, regardless of race.
“When are we going to realise, it’s life, the way they live it, we’ll keep losing them. As a community, we should step up – the truth is, we’ve failed. This life is nothing but a playground of deception. Open your eyes, wake up Muslims of Bradford, we can’t let this happen again.”
In direct contrast our showboating, opportunistic MP offered the following:
“Investigations continue to go on and answers to serious questions need answering and I will continue to pursue this through the relevant channels. But right now, we’re coming together to provide support.”
The bloke is an embarrassment and I find it wholly depressing that he is my MP. Our streets are filled daily with idiots driving without regard to anybody. Challenge them and you are likely to be confronted with a baseball bat.
The thugs know that they act without fear of retribution created in no small part by decades of appeasement politics on a local level. Shame on those that run our city that driving around Kabul is probably safer.
This will happen again no matter how the opportunistic one blusters on.
One Hundred Years Ago
WW1 was thankfully approaching the end but the extracts here show no end to the carnage. A fascinating look at another world.
And Finally – Pedantry Corner
Cricket is a game with more rules than any sane man would ever try to comprehend. We also have administration processes that would shame a Government Dept so baffling can they be. It is probably easier to request asylum than register a junior cricketer.
Now we have to contend with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This is another exercise in job creation for the unemployable and the biggest threat to the rainforests yet.
It is defined as EU law on data protection and privacy for all individuals within the European Union and the European Economic Area. In short, justification for Brexit in a nutshell.
So imagine this hard-pressed treasurer’s reaction to a £10 fine this week because we submitted the match result for our Stiffs X1 forty-four minutes late?
How the mass audience sat in bed with their Horlicks last Saturday night coped without knowing how a bunch of geriatrics and kids went on a few hours earlier I cannot imagine. Stop the world!
I realise we live in the world of twenty-four hour news and instant gratification via social media but when it comes down to a game of club cricket ascending such “importance” the world really has gone mad.
At that time of night, given the average age of most Stiffs, the target audience is tucked up awaiting nightmares of another crap shot whilst ageing muscles scream in silence.
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