Sunday Dinner

Theres a tradition in my family that started when I met my wife. Its nothing fancy or difficult but just something that has happened every Sunday for years. My In-laws and myself along with my wife and her brother would have Sunday dinner togther. Over the years my Brother-in-law would bring his girlfriends to this meal and eventually his wife. Other parts of the family would pop by every now and then but at the root of it all was us.

During the summer months we would progress to a BBQ outside and sit in the sun drinking cold beers enjoying each others company. With time my kids appeared and we would watch them run around the garden. During the winter it was roast potatos and meat huddled in the front room telling stories about how our weeks had been, the good and the bad. It was something too look forward to.

If anyone wanted us they knew where to find us, an open door policy operated, if you wanted to come you could and if there wasnt enough chairs then you ate it on your lap on the settee. I dont know how she did it but she always made sure that there was enough. My mother in law was brilliant at it.

This has carried on now into my new home. It wasnt something I intended to do if Im honest but after cooking everyone Christmas dinner two months ago, which I enjoyed more than I thought I would, I guess its my turn now to carry it on for years to come. Every Sunday since then its been all round mine. I start cooking the meat then its all over to the fields to work up an appetite which allows me to share precious moments with my kids and also allows me to hopefully make memories for them as well. 

This weekend the world and his wifes cousin decided to descend on my humble abode. My daughter invited two of her friends, without telling me, my sister arrived with my nephews and their mate as well. They are good kids, polite, pleasant and fun to be around. There was a dynamic change this weekend though, as I sat in my chair at the top of the table I watched them as they tried to be comfortable around each other. The boys awkward and embarrassed, the girls all giggly and nervous as it was clear that there was perhaps the first flutterings of feelings coming through.

I was never a great one with the girls as a kid, I could make friends with them easily no problem at all but I would have needed to be hit in the face with a shovel to pick up on any 'signals' and I guess I missed a few oppoutunitys with it. I did okay as I got older, although Im convinced that had more to do with dutch courage than any sudden change in my social skills.

I watched the looks the girls gave each other, a look only the female of the species would undertsand that 'I like him' that my duaghter is so good at picking up on. I watched as my nephew not quite old enough to understand what was going on (his mother hopes anyway, as my daughter is a few years older as are her mates) but embarrassed all the same. His friend turning red everytime one of them laughed or said something to him and us, the grown ups, well that would exclude my brother in law and I, making it worse by making kissing noises at them.

I didnt always want to go for dinner to my In-laws truth be told. There were numerous times I could have done without it, but sitting there Sunday I realised why they put so much emphasis on it. Your friends will come and go but the one constant you have in life is your family. My family dynamic has changed massively over the years and it will continue to change further as my kids grow up. Friends for dinner will be replaced by partners, the laughter of my youngest, that high pitched giggle they all seem to have, will hopefully be replaced by grandkids.

The one thing that I hope to create though is a sense of belonging. That no matter what your week has been like, no matter who youve argued with within the family, that come Sunday there is a place waiting for you at my table for dinner. The same way my In-laws did for me for all those years.

A little naive perhaps but something I will cling onto dearly until my last breath or Im not able to do the dinners anymore. Family to me means everything, and Im proud of mine.

It's Time For Us All To Take A Stand

As I walked to work this morning to get the tube there was an atmosphere in the air. The like of which I haven't ever felt around where I live before. It was on of fear and anxiety, palpable in the air flowing around me. Looters and scum came to my town last night. I saw sights I never thought I would see, sights that will stay with me for as long as I live.

Riot police standing in a line outside of The Kenneth Moore theatre in Ilford High Road, ready to face the onslaught of what was coming their way. Looters smashing in the doors of Debenhams in Romford Market, hooded scum getting off the bus and smashing Greggs to pieces in Barkingside high street. These are not inner city streets, these are small towns on the edge of Essex/East London, unfortunately though there was an air of inveatabilty about the whole scenario.

What ever your political want, this has been coming for many years now, the traditional areas around where I live which were once focal points of Jews, Sikhs, and Irish have been over ran with bad parents who don't give a shit about what their kids get up to and do. Does it surprise you I'm not blaming the immigrants, the asylum seekers or the Muslims?. Why should I? It doesn't matter what colour or creed you are if you have children and you don't bring them up to respect the people they live around you could be yellow with pink spots, a bad parent is a bad parent.

People have hidden behind the Human rights act as a reason for not parenting their children. They take from the state and then expect the state to clear up after them. Communities that once bonded together are now split down the middle, fratured beyond repair, because the children who are respectful and work for a living are being targeted by the kids that don't. There is no easy fix to tis situation it will take many years to correct and successive governments have swept the problem under the carpet.

I was on twitter for most of the night and saw the call from numerous people, even myself at one stage, to send the army in. That wouldn't have solved the problem it would have escalated it. The army do a brilliant job, but they are trained to kill, and they have no place on the streets of this country. I have an enormous amount of respect for them and the job they do, but we need a strong police force with the powers to act rather than tanks rolling down the streets.

This government has one chance, and only one chance, to change this country back into the great country it once was. It won't be easy, but they need our help and not our condemnation. I agree they could have returned from holiday earlier, but they can only act on the information they are given. I would bet my house on the fact that David Cameron was being told the police had it under control, by senior policeman who don't have a clue, clearly they didn't, by the way I'm not blaming the police in any way they are exstremley brave men and women and do a job I couldn't so they won't be criticised by me, but it became evident that it was out of control completely.

David Cameron now has to do the following in my opinion if he wants to win back the trust of the country

1. Anyone found to be in procession of items that were looted needs to be sent to prison, they are criminals end of.
2. Anyone who caused damage last night must be sent to clear it up, the cost of repairing the damage be removed from their benefits and then be sent to prison. If they are working for a living then their employers to dock their wages accordingly and sack them for bringing their company into disrepute.
3. Any child found to be under 16 and proven to have taken part last night to be sent to a young offenders institue
4. Any parent of said child to be convicted of willful neglect and their benefits to be docked to repay the damage, if that parent is working then again their employers needs to dock the money from their wages.
5. Rip up and rewrite the human rights act, stop people hiding behind it and let the police do their job without fear of being sued.

If you are old enough to participate in looting, rioting, destruction of property, and putting fear into ordinary citizens then you are old enough to face the full force of the law. It's time this country stopped pussy footing around with group hugs and play stations and made people accountable for their actions before its too late.

It worries me that tonight voilence could once again erupt on our streets, that once again our streets could be a mass of destruction but anyone that is reading this I ask this I ask this of you. Please don't take to the streets and confront these yobs, we don't need groups of vigilantes running a mock, attacking people with bats and other such objects. I fully understand the feeling of wanting to do this I really do, but there are other ways of doing this.

We all have to stop hiding behind our curtains and fearing our neighbours because of the colour of their skin or their religion. We need to get know them, and yes they must be far more open and honest with us as well, the laws of this land need to change, we know that. Immigration is at saturation point and has been for a few years now, we need to be toghter with it, but we also need to be able to deport criminals, fake asylum seekers and unlawful immigrants than we are no matter how much money it costs us in the short term.

The time now though isn't about scoring cheap political points, it's about making sure that laws are changed and that people feel safe where they live. It's about making parents responsible for the children they bring up and educate, it's about politicians being held far more accountable than they have ever been before. Mostly though it's about doing the right thing, making sure that we lead with our heads and not our hearts, as difficult as that might be, because in the end if we lead with our hearts then the scum win and we all lose.

Follow me on twitter @ahodgson72

Annoyed

There are certain things that annoy me, I try not to let them take over my day as that then means I walk around like a bear who has his hand stuck in a honey pot and can't get it out all day. There are however some instances of stupidity that are so bad, so annoying, so damn right infuriating that they need slapping in the face with a huge wet cod. So for your enjoyment and my own sanity I am about to go on a rant of nuclear proportions. You have been warned.

DVLA

How bloody hard can it be? You pay £33.50 to renew your driving license, the lovely people in the post office tell you it will be with you within 10 working days. You explain that you need it to complete your house move and they smile sweetly and say 'you will have it within the required time' you thank them and go home waiting for the postman to drop it through your letter box.......and three weeks later you are still waiting.

So you call the DVLA and get through to a person on the end of the phone ( we shall them Jessie, I have no idea if that's their real name but what the hell I don't care and to be honest he could have been a transvestite who recently buried his mother and is now sitting at work in her clothes for all the use he was). Anyway Jessie tells you that because it isn't on his computer screen he can't tell you where it is. You explain that the post office said it would be 10 days and you paid the exspress delivery for it. Jessie sighs and says that he cannot help you until it has been three weeks exactly as he cannot access the system until then. When he can access the system he won't be able to tell you where it is, just if it's been processed or not. You again explain the need for it but hey Jessis is programmed to read a script and cannot deviate from it as the seems on his mothers ball gown will burst and everyone will see his pink bra doesn't match with the green g-string he's wearing. 'call back in a few day's he says. You enquire how that will help and Jessie now with his five o'clock shadow showing says hat he will then chase it up and get back to you in two weeks. Fearing an anurisam you hang up, feeling like someone has just dumped in your toilet and left the skid marks on the pan for you to clean.

Estate Agents

Oh my old favourite the much abused and downtrodden estate agent. Oh shucks I know some of you are not as bad as the one I'm going to tell you about and you do a great job, so go on then give each other a hug and say well done to each other, yeah go on you deserve it after all your not a service industry or making a shit load of money out of people selling their houses are you? I mean you get such a bad press, well I think we should all have a bank holiday in your honour just so as we can say, oh my god it's sticking in my throat, 'thank you, you bunch of money grabbing manipulative bastards'. The estate agent who I am buying my house from is the lowest, worst kind of estate agent there is. She doesn't listen to anything I tell her, she lies on a regular basis, and rings me EVERY SINGLE DAY to ask me the same bloody question.

She plays a great game as well, are you ready you may want to try it with some of your mates, here are the rules.

1. Ring purchaser and tell them you need some information as their client is getting worried and may pull out

2. This will send you into a panic as you think you are going to lose the house you and your family have set your heart on, the kids are excited and planning bedrooms, the wife's excited about new carpets, curtains and settee's, you are excited about finally getting the 50 inch plasma you've always wanted as well, so you do as they say and ring the mortgage broker/solicitor/DVLA.

3. After spending your lunch break making the necessary calls, after all you don't want to be the reason the house falls through do you? Imagine the sad little faces and tear stained cheeks, you ring back the estate agent armed with the information they so desperately needed only to be told they are on the phone and will call you back shortly.

4. This is the key moment, DON'T call back the person who you've scared the shit out of even when they ring you three, to four times and you say you are on the phone. No make them wait, oh I don't know, let's say 24hrs and then ring them, as if nothing has happened and say you don't need the information anymore.

This estate agant has done this 9 times to me now. Yes 9 times, she has me by the short and curlies, she is cupping me like a tight jockstrap, I know it and she knows it, so being the man that I am what do I do? Do I decide to speak to her boss? Do I storm in there and tell her exactly what I think of her? Do I ignore her calls and see how she likes it? No I do what any right minded married man would do. I send in the wife. That fearsome creature who has you even tighter by the balls than the estate agent and who doesn't like anyone cupping her husband unless it's her. You wind her up, this normally takes a few days of moaning about the estate agent but tell her you'll sort it knowing your getting nowhere, you watch as she sees you trying to keep a lid on it and then only then do you ask for her help.

If you have planned this correctly you will launch a 5ft 2" mother of four ball of fury at the estate agent who will then become a quivering wreck as she is told in no uncertain terms that you will by pass her and deal directly with the home owner, thus losing her, her commission in the process, if she ever calls your husband again.

Some may see this as a sign of weakness, me? Nope I see it as playing to my strengths. You do not what to get on the wrong side of my wife, oh she may look all cute and cuddly but beating deep inside her chest is a block of ice so cold that every now and then I have to turn the penguins away from the door as their ice caps are melting. When she feels someone is playing her, well it ain't pretty and my sons ain't going to know what's hit them when they are older and getting up to what all teenage boys do believe me, but I love her for it even more. She is the go to person and by god my way would have seen me arrested, her way? Well let's just say I got an apology from the estate agent. Brilliant wasn't it.

So ranting over for a while, but go on tell me what's annoying you and I'll put a top ten together for the absolute best ones.

Twitter

Social networking is taking over the world. It allows you to have conversations with people you have never met or are likely to ever meet. You have a small glimpse into their lives for a few moments, you either comment or you move on to the next comment that's been posted. Twitter is a great example of this.

I love twitter, it took some getting used to at first but now I check it all the time, I don't always comment but I do enjoy reading it. It allows me to read what others are thinking, what's annoying them, what's making them happy, or what is making them sad. I don't know these people, well some of them I've actually met, but others well, I wouldn't be able to spot them in the street.

There are people that are funny, there are people who use language you wouldn't see in a bar full of seamen who have been at sea for 6 months. There are people, like me, who write blogs, there are authors, there are the just plain crazy(thank you block button), then there are normal people as well. All of us tweeting about our lives, hopes and dreams. It's is utterly brilliant.

What does annoy me though is the way that people 'follow' celebrities to abuse them, why?. Most of the people that do this are in their late twenties or older. Is their life that shallow?. Take for instance a footballer I follow, he posted something last night that to me seemed to be letting of a bit of steam, yet someone posted it on a forum and then loads of people had their 10 pounds worth commenting on what it meant. There was no hidden message, something had annoyed him, he started to tweet about it then stopped, end of story, yet it has grown into a situation where he feels he has to explain what that tweet was about. Absolutely crazy and unnessaccary.

I know the argument is that 'if you don't want someone to read it don't post it on a public forum' but surely if we wish too interact with these people we should allow them some space sometimes to say what they are thinking. If it had been me that wrote what he did would anyone question it? No of course not, so why just because he plays football do we feel we have the right to know the ins and outs of everything that he says. In all honesty we don't and should mind our own bloody business.

If a celebrity wants to post, oh I don't know, 'I hate it when people talk about me' why do we feel the need to ask them who, what and where?. Why can't we just see that perhaps something has pissed them off and leave it at that. If you want to send a message supporting them then feel free to do so, but to ask for details, well would you go up to the man at the bus stop and ask him if he had sex with a horse last night? No you wouldn't, would you. So why is a famous person any different?

If we want them too continue interacting with us, to retweet us, to perhaps read things we've written, to answer a question, or even wish happy birthday to your mum's third cousin three times removed then sometimes, just sometimes, we have to let them be human and get on with their lives. We need to not dissect everything they say looking for hidden messages in everything they write, to accept that perhaps they need too get it out of their system before they can move on. Perhaps just like we do when we post things on Twitter.

Saturdays Protests In London

If this loses me followers then so be it but I feel so strongly about this that it would be against my integrity and beliefs if I didn't write a blog about this, after all that's why I started it in the first place.

We don't decide where or who are born to. We don't decide where we grow up, some of us are lucky enough to be born in a country that has democracy and some of us are unfortunate to be born into a country that is ravaged by famine and war. The only thing we control are the choices we make, the people we become friends with, the people that we work with, the people who we marry. Those are the choices that we make as human beings.

We are responsible for our own actions at all times, the decisions we make about how much we eat, how much we spend, whether what we do is against the law or whether it will change our lives. Some of the decisions we make seem right at the time others we regret with hindsight. To blame others for the choices we make when things go wrong is moving the blame and guilt from ourselves onto others.

We are lucky we live in a democratic country, we are allowed to vote for people who we feel will do the best for us at the time. It doesn't always work out this way but at least we have the choice. This weekend I have had a  discussion with a number of people about the actions of the minority in London over the weekend. I feel its important to remember that this was a minority and that the majority were peaceful people marching against what they feel are unfair and unjustified cuts by the coalition government. I'm not going to get all political here but I feel some of what has been said is so wrong it needs addressing.

A couple of people that I spoke too commented that what was happening in this country was similar to what was going on in the Middle East. No it isn't and that's an insult too them. I'm not condoning the bombing of Libya, I have my own opinion on that matter and I wont address it here. What I will say is that these people are taking their lives into their hands as dictators tell them how to spend their lives and if they go against them then they know they will probably pay with their lives. They cant go and protest on the streets in a peaceful manner, if they did what these thugs did in London yesterday they would have been killed.

The minority in  London yesterday as in previous marches are nothing but thugs. They are normally, but not always, rich spoilt little bastards who think they have the right to smash up property because they can. They then feel they can attack police officers with paint, taunt them with vile abuse and when the police retaliate then we should feel sorry for them. I have no sympathy for them at all, the faces of innocent people caught up in doing nothing more than shopping with their families on a Saturday afternoon means that the police have my full support in battering them into submission.

We as a country are in a bloody mess, yes the cuts may be too deep too fast but unless someone does something about it its going too get a whole lot worse. Should the banks be hammered? Of course they should they caused this issue by gambling on stock markets, but you cant have it both ways. If you live in prosperity and spend money you don't have, which the majority of people in this country have done in the past few years, you cant complain when its pay back time.

Is that too simple and not deep enough as to what the root causes are? Perhaps I don't profess to know everything or have all the answers, life is after all about making decisions we may not want to make but being happy with the ones we do. So to end my first rant in months let me just finish this blog with this.

It is every citizens right of the country we live in to have freedom of speech and to convey that anyway that does not contravene the laws of this land. To liken what those thugs did yesterday in London and those before them, to the troubles in the middle east is both idiotic, patronising and down right bloody ignorant. No one was going too die yesterday, the people in the middle east do every day. They are not the same they are very, very different.

Perhaps remember that the next time you take to the streets in this country to protest about something that you don't agree with and realise that by some quirk of fate you were born here and not there, and then realise how bloody lucky you really are.

That your freedom of speech isn't suppressed by a regime that will kill you if you ever say anything that they don't agree with. That you don't have to starve to death or walk miles for clean water, that at the end of the day the not matter how painful it is right now that's how its got to be. Its not fair on those that didn't overreach themselves but hey get over it life isn't fair. Its not about what you think is right for you as a person its about whats right for the country at this time.

By all means protest and march but if you break the laws of this land, or partake in behaviour deemed unacceptable to us the law abiding citizens of this country, then don't be surprised if we cheer when the weight of the law is brought down upon you. Most importantly though don't you bloody dare compare what you did on Saturday to those poor bastards in the Middle East, because that my friend is a bloody insult to them and their families and you should be ashamed for thinking it.

The Dreaded Call Center

Me and money have a strange relationship Like a seven pinter at the end of a drunken night which seems a good idea at the time, it betrays me, like my good judgement on a regular basis. I get it and its gone. Ive had some great experiences with it down the years, the Midland giving me a cheque book and a £100 cheque guarantee card at 16, earning £35 a week working full-time. It was great I was writing cheque's like they were going out of fashion and didn't understand the consequences, which resulted in a bail out by the parents and a visit to the bank manager, to the fact that I cant refuse my kids anything when I get paid if they ask me.

It seems like they have a radar, or more probably they look at a calender and work out when I get paid and then ask me for loads of stuff, mainly Moshi Monster cards or sweets, and like a kid in a sweet shop I spend it on them thus leaving myself with about £40 to nurse through to the next pay day. Don't get me wrong I love spending it on them, its great fun.

I have bills to pay, like everyone does, and due to a huge cock-up by Santander, who I have been with since the Midland incident, I don't have direct debits unless I absolutely have too. I remember the days when Santander was Abbey, the people under the umbrella, they looked really romantic to me, but now they are a nightmare. I wont go into the fraud on my account a few years ago which saw them pay out three quarters of my wages to a Portuguese poker site and then spent 3 months proving I was not in Portugal at the time, but suffice to say I hate them with a passion.

I could change my bank but with the mortgage and other essentials coming out its too difficult and I cant be arsed. Anyway on to the point of this blog. Call centers. I hate them as much as the bank to be honest. I go through this ritual every month where I spend a few hours ringing them up to pay them. A simple enough task you would think wouldn't you? Oh no it isn't.

Take today for example. I ring up Barclaycard to pay the bill. I ring an 0844 number and then spend 5 minutes entering all my details including the inside leg measurement of an ant. I then get put on hold as the call is transferred to Bombay. I hate this part the most. Purely for the reason that these poor sods on the other end of the phone are a reading a script. The call went like this:

"Good Morning Mr Hodgson can I take your card number please?"

"No"

"I'm sorry Mr Hodgson can I take your card number please?"

"No"

"I'm sorry Mr Hodgson can I take your card number please?"

"Okay hold on a minute Ive just entered my card number, date of birth, expiry date and postcode too get through to you, why do you need it now?"

"Its for security sir"

"But Ive just entered it on a premium phone number which Ive been on for 5 minutes why do you need it again?"

"Mr Hodgson that number is in London, we need you to answer the questions here this end"

"Why?"

"Mr Hodgson, can I call you Anthony?, it is for security"

So it went on and on. In the end I gave in. Why? Well partly because I was losing the will to live but also because she wouldn't deviate from the script in front of her. Its not her fault this is the way she is told to do the job. I'm not blaming her I work in retail, I'm a store manager, and the amount of people that come into the shop have to go through this. I get asked the same question time and time again.

"Surely you must have a direct number you work for them?"

"No madam I don't, I'm sorry, I can put you through on my phone if you wish to use that?"

"But you must have?" They demand voice raising and temper fraying

"Yes Madam I do I decided when I got up this morning that I was going to come to work just to piss you off by not giving you a direct number so as you can stand here for the next 20 minutes ranting at me because, and its important you understand this, I have nothing better to do with my day"

Why oh why do big company's think that its okay to have call centres with premium rate numbers, 15 different options to get through to someone, when us, the staff in the shops have to put up with people irate that we cant deal with them. Its a stupid crazy system that has got worse and worse. With all the people unemployed in this country why cant they move the call centers back over here?

Then we can go back to the good old days where you went into a shop and they did it all for you. Or how about this for a brain stormer of an idea, you ring a local number and someone picks up the bloody phone and
answers your call then they help you?. Crazy idea isn't it? Customer service that doesn't annoy the hell out of you by doing what it says on the tin. Wow that idea is well out there isn't it?

I know I am probably my own worst enemy by not doing most of it on-line, or setting up direct debits, its just after the fraud on my account I do not trust it. What I want as a manager in a shop is to be able to call a number and help the people who pay my wages, the customer. To deliver a level of service that seems almost unfashionable nowadays, to go back to the level of service that would make us the market leader in dealing with people.

What I do not want is the system we have now, where I have to call a number the same as the customer, which is pressing buttons until I get put on hold as much as they do. It needs to change, will it? No chance the big companies now do not care about you, you are a statistic who they tie into the longest contracts possible.

It has to change and it has to change now. Good old fashioned customer service. Wheres Jamie Oliver when you need him?..

Valentines Day Why?

Marc's having a break for a few weeks due to moving house, so Ill be covering for him until he is ready to come back and do his Monday postings. The rest of the week will be my short stories which I thank you all for the very kind comments. So are you ready for a rant? Hold on people here it comes.

Okay this is going to sound a little strange coming from me as you all know I'm a huge fan of Christmas, but can someone tell me what is the point of Valentine's Day?. Personally I think its a load of overrated, commercialised crap to be honest. A chance for shops to make another killing, just after Christmas and before Easter. It has no religious significance and is, in my humble opinion a waste of time and money.

I don't need some executive to tell me to tell my wife I love her, I do that every day. I don't need some shop assistant to sell me flowers that the day after, or any other time of year will be half the price they are in the run up to Valentines Day. I also don't need to buy a cuddly toy or chocolates because someone tells me I have to. I do these things during the year at sporadic moments for my wife because I want to, NOT because someone decides its a great idea to make people spend another shed load of money that they don't have.

Not only that what about the people who are single on Valentines Day, through choice or circumstance, is this the chance for them to feel even more lonely?. To feel that the rest of the world is laughing at them due to their circumstance?. It really does get on my nerves the way that card shops, flower shops, and sweet shops, ram it down my throat that unless I get something for my wife today then I am obviously not in love with her.

Really? So what about when shes not well and I look after her? Or when I come home from work and tell her Ive arranged a baby sitter for the night and we are going out? When I kiss her goodnight and tell her I love her EVERY night?. Because I don't buy in to your stupid money making exercise that makes me a bad husband does it?. Get over yourself. I know this will upset some people and I make no apologies for what I'm saying, but remember this before you cast that first stone, or as in the most recent case press that send button.

Loving someone is a full-time job. Its about making them feel better when they have had a crap day, its about not cheating on them with the latest bit of fluff that took your eye, its about giving them your last penny to allow them to get the thing that they want the most, its about turning off the football and listening to them when they need to talk, its about unplugging the toilet when the kids have dropped Batman down it again, its about bathing the kids when she needs five minutes to herself, its about getting up in the night when one of them has been sick and letting her sleep because she has a harder day at work than you do, its about surprising her with gifts and cuddles on the sofa when the kids are asleep. ALL of that and more is what tells someone you love them, NOT going out and buying a card for a fiver and flowers for £20 quid because a marketing man makes you feel bad if you don't.

Valentine's Day is a special day for some people and I hope you have a fantastic time, I really do, I hope the cards you have bought, the flowers, presents and such forth are well received and cherished. For those of you proposing today? Well good luck, I proposed to my wife on Valentines Day 1996, on one knee listening to Unchained Melody from the film Ghost that we had seen on our first date. She said yes by the way in case you were wondering. Unfortunaltey the old cynic in me doesn't buy into it anymore. Now then I wonder if that all night petrol station is still open?.

Happy Valentines Day one and all.

Moral High Ground.

There used to be a saying that whatever happened in America would eventually come over here. This mainly meant things like electronics and fashion. That was the old days. What we have inherited from America in the past 10 years is obesity and the talk show. Now I'm not going to address obesity but what I am going to address is the talk show. When I was younger I used to watch Jerry Springer with my jaw open at the way that Americans went about airing their dirty laundry in public and thankful that we were perhaps a little more reserved. How wrong I was!

Being off sick means daytime telly. This means Jeremy Kyle. My god people get a grip will. Where on earth do these people come from? Where on earth have they been dragged up from? Have they no shame? More inportantly for the young kids on there were the hell are the parents?. Some of the stuff, the things they have done and allowed themselves to become should have them hanging their heads in shame. It is truly unbelievable stuff. The young girls that go on there that have no idea who the father of their child is!. How the hell can you not know? Do you hold yourself in such low regard that you cant remember who's been putting what in you?.

They never seem to have a job all they do is drink, smoke dope and then hump anything that moves under their nose for longer than 30 seconds. They then sit there as if its some sort of badge of honour as they air every detail of their private lives on national TV. Sometimes the crowd will boo them sometimes they wont but what runs through this everyday is that there will be either a lie dectecor test or a DNA test at the end of it. We wonder why society is in such a mess when there are programmes like this on the telly?, Its like watching a fight net ween who has the mist brain cells and that way they will be declared the moral victors. Morals? These people have none. Its ridiculous. Where are there parents for god sake? Who has taken responsibility for bringing these people up?

Then there is the 'host' Jeremy Kyle who sits there like judge and jury shouting and embarrassing people and taking the moral high ground. At least Jerry Springer had the grace to laugh at them. Oh no not Jeremy he sits there and tells them what he thinks. He prods and pokes until he gets a reaction and then offers them aftercare as a responsible TV show. Hello? They shouldnt be on the telly in the first place!. These people have serious social issues and they need to be addressed not used as bait on a TV show where the host sits there on a moral pedestal shouting at them.

This country is in a mess. Everyone knows that. I could earn more money by going on the dole than I do working. That is crazy. The work ethic installed in me as a kid means I cant do that, I wont do that. I had four kids, yes money is tight and I'm not rolling in it like some of the idiots I used to know think I am. I go without, not a lot granted but when things need paying or buying for the kids then I do without. That's my responsibility as their father. What I don't do is stick my hand out and expect people to give me something for nothing. I don't go on Jeremy Kyle and try and get an endorsement and I don't sell my story to a cheap trashy mag for a few hundred quid. I get of my arse and go and earn the money.

Its about time that the feral and the reckless had a hard lesson in life that we the moral majority wont put up with them popping out kids they cant afford, take drugs that cant afford, get drunk on drink that cant afford and then appear on Jeremy Kyle to get a DNA test because they couldn't keep their pants or knickers on long enough and now need a DNA test to prove who the father of their child is. We have taken some wonderful things from America, unfortunately this really isn't one of them.

Is Sexism Back?

Ive been shocked over the last few days at what rationale people have had to say on this subject. Ive read some pretty outdated views and also seen some very disturbing things as well. People that I thought were rational have shown themselves to be so out of touch with the modern world it beggars belief. Its time for a little rant I'm afraid.

Over the weekend a female lines woman officiated at a Premier League game. Fair play to her she has obviously worked hard to get to that position and deserves credit for it. Well you would think so apart from the fact that Richard Keys and Andy Gray decided to have a pop at her. The beauty of this was that they didn't realise their microphones were on and the whole world heard what they had to say. Can someone tell me the difference between what they said and what Ron Atkinson said?. Yes the obvious answer was Atkinson's was racist, but I believe what these two idiots have done is just as bad. So why are they still employed? Why hasn't The Sun, apparently the moral compass of the nation , reported it?. Could it be that their employers also own Sky Sports as well?. They have been suspended but this doesn't go far enough I'm afraid. They should be fired. The views were said of camera but to me this just shows their true feelings and they should be fired. Anyone else would be so why shouldn't they be?

The attitude of some of the things I have read is shocking. Ive read things like 'women should stay in the home' or 'who does she thinks she is running a line at a Premier League game' how about this beauty 'The problem with the country today is that women don't know their place anymore'. When the hell did we go back to the 1950's?. Have I missed a time warp at some stage?. These attitudes need to be dealt with straight away as they are totally unacceptable.

I have two girls aged 10 and 7. They are brought up believing they can be whatever they want to be, with hard work and courage. If they want to be a doctor they can, if they want to be a lawyer they can be, however if they want to be a housewife they can be that as well. The reason they can be any of these things is because they have the freedom of choice. They wont though be told to stay at home by any future husband. Not whilst Ive got breath in my body. For that matter as well my boys are being brought up to respect women and treat them in the right way the same way I was by my dad.

Men with these attitudes in my opinion have serious self esteem issues. Rant at me all you want but what you have said, written and spoken over the last few days has no place in the society that we live in. If you cant handle that then you need to get help. Women are equal to us and do you know what? No matter how much it may annoy you, without them we are nothing but a bunch of knuckle draggers. They teach us compassion, they show us how to love, they let us make mistakes and are always there to make us feel better. Get over yourselves gents its time to grow up and stop being so childish. Its time to be a real man.

Do I regret the open letter?

In the last 48hrs Ive been called a bigot, uneducated, racist, a joke, a paedophile? (nope me neither), a product of this country's education system, had abuse sent to me on here and to my email account as well as my Facebook account, been called a troll?, been asked too support the BNP and go on a demo, and those are things I can tell you as my mum reads this blog. My crime? I wrote an open letter and mentioned the Human Rights Act. So let me clear a few things up.

I wrote that letter because I was disgusted by what a group of extremists did. I wrote that letter because no one stopped them. I wrote that letter because there are many, many people in this country who break the law and then hide behind the Human Rights Act to get away with it. I am well aware that there was another group of extremists there and I in no way condone what they did either. They disgust me as well.

I am not naive enough to believe that all Muslims are racist and suicide bombers, just as all white people are not in the BNP or any other racist or fascist group. The world isn't like it. People are allowed their right too protest but when THEY BREAK THE LAW they need to be dealt with whatever race, colour or creed they are. They need then to be prosecuted and NOT allowed to hide behind the Human Rights Act. That's not what it is there for.

Ive thought long and hard about this blog, about whether I carry it on and address some of the issues that I do. I write for pleasure nothing more and those that read this blog I thank you. However to those that disagree with me that's fine, you are entitled to have your opinion, but some of what you have written and said about me these past few days makes you no better than the people you are against. You have turned on me because you disagree with me, and then used some of the most cruel and nasty phrases Ive ever been subjected too. The reason you disagree with me. YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW ME.

I had a person tonight who I disagreed with on a wall post. Fair enough not a problem. However that person then looked me up on Facebook and sent me an insulting message. I replied and then for the next 2 HOURS this person kept doing it until I looked them up and blocked them. Why? Ive also blocked at least 20 other people for the same thing. I'm not scared of a debate as Ive said before in previous blogs but allow my opinions to be my opinions and I will respect yours. That is what a civilised country and society is about. When you start the name calling you lose the argument.

The one thing that has kept me going is the amount of people that have said they agree with me. I thank YOU for that. I have been genuinely touched by the way that sane people understand that not all Muslims are racist and that they agree with what I'm saying. There have also been emails from people that have served our country or have people serving this country and I feel honoured to have had a small correspondence with you. You have my full respect.

Part of me regretted posting this blog on Thursday. I did it for me and the people that follow it. It then went around facebook like wildfire. Its been looked at by 4,500 people since Thursday and that's blown me away. I never expected that. Ive not posted my usual Friday story or finished what was supposed to be my week of gaming blogs either. The reason was because I didn't want those that hate me too win.

This blog isn't about me feeling sorry for myself , whatever some may think, its about the fact that for all the abuse I have received, you will not beat me. The letter I wrote was about an act that should have been dealt with by the police and wasn't. My disgust at that act and the fact that the Human Rights Act is abused on a regular basis. It was too show support for our service men and woman past and present and tell them that THEY have my support. I wonder how many of my so called 'FANS' I seemed to have gained would put THEIR lives on the line like they do day in day out. In a war they didn't ask for but will fight to the end. They gave you the freedom to have your opinion, as they did me, and for that I thank them every time I write this blog. I think perhaps you should remember that the next time you send me or anyone else abusive messages because you disagree with them.

Today is Remembrance sunday. I will be laying a wreath as I always do for the fallen. Will you my 'FANS' who call me all the names you have these past few days? I doubt it.

An Open Letter To This Spineless Goverment

Dear Prime Minister

Today was Remembrance Day where we remember the fallen and those that are still fighting wars that you and previous Prime Ministers have sent them too. I feel the need to remind you because what I have seen on the streets of my country has disgusted and upset me beyond belief. I am attached to no party I vote for who I think can do the best job for the country at the time. At the last election I decided that was you.

Due to the social experiment of the last government and the fact that his wife wanted to line her pockets, we had something forced upon us called the Human Rights Act. We then had an open gate policy with regards to immigration as well to contend with. I believe that most of the people that come here do so for the right reasons. To build a better life for themselves and they should be welcomed. However there are those that come here for the benefits because we are an easy target.

Today, your government, your police force, let down the people of this country badly. You also let down those that have fought and died for this country, those that continue to do so and their families. I am a huge supporter of our Armed Forces, I hate war, but I support them for the job they do and will continue to do so. Your government and police force though today allowed a small minority, and I mean small, to protest and carry banners with the most disgusting things written on them. You allowed them to do this on this day, you allowed them to break the two minute silence as well. YOU Prime Minister and YOUR Government and YOUR Police Force should be ashamed of THEIR and YOUR  actions. This is not the first time this has happened either. It happen in a town where I live close by in the summer and it happened in a court case recently as well.

Why do you allow these people to do this? Why do you allow these people to STAY in this country. They obviously don't want to be here so arrest them and deport them. This is the biggest risk to this country in my living memory. The IRA were not allowed to protest on English soil so why are these people? I feel you need to answer these questions and take serious action. If the police officers in command refuse to arrest these people or order their officers too arrest them then sack them. This isn't about taking back the streets, this isn't about taking away peoples rights to protest, this about saying to people that they cannot do what they did today ever again.

Let me ask you this Prime Minister if you will allow me. Would they have been allowed to do this in America, France, Germany, Australia, Holland to name a few? Ill tell you the answer shall I? No they wouldn't have been. So why do you allow them to do it in THIS country?. Your lack of action will fester peoples hatred of these people and believe me the feeling is so strong among people I know that if they do this again people WILL take the law into their own hands. You can prevent this. YOU CAN STOP this by doing what is right.

So to end Prime Minister I shall say this. I have tried very hard to control my temper when I have written this too you. I shall be posting this on my Facebook page and will encourage people to pass this onto their MP. I shall also post this on my blog as well and any response I get from you (which I doubt but if you don't try you don't get do you?).

To end then I have one request. If you want MY vote at the next election you need to do something to make sure this doesn't happen again. Let them protest by all means but inciting hatred and racial hatred which this was, I believe is against the law in this country isn't it? How about ENFORCING that law for once.

Kind Regards

Anthony Hodgson

p.s. I have also attached a blog I wrote today about our soldiers. Its called Lest We Forget, I hope you haven't. anthonyhodgson.blogspot.com

What A Waste.

Why do we do it? Why do we brush aside people that are older than us in all walks of life? We ignore them or treat with them with very little respect. Not all of us I agree, but most of society as a whole does doesn't it?. It seems when you get to a certain age that you are no longer of use to society as a whole. What an absolute disgrace that is.

These people were young once and they have more life experience than any of us. They have been through more, learnt more, and experienced more than any of us. I have covered a place I used to work called Harrison and Gibson lately and I addressed the waste of knowledge that was thrown away when that place closed down.

It isn't just there though is it? Its all walks of life. We have bred a generation that thinks it knows best and treats our pensioners with so much disrespect it annoys the hell out of me. Have you ever taken the time to listen to someone older than you? Whether it be your Nan or Grandad or even a neighbour? I find them fascinating I really do. I could listen to them for hours.

My eldest daughter is doing evacuation in the Second World War at school at the moment. My Dad is old enough to have been part of the evacuation at the time and is very pleased that he has been asked to go into the school and talk about it. That is what I mean by using their experience. He will be able to tell them about things they wont read in a book or see on the telly.

It isn't just in the schools though is it? Its all walks of life. Be it marriage guidance or work experience. They have been there seen it and bought the t-shirt. They have lived so many lives that they could help us make better choices in our own. If only we would let them. Every generation thinks it knows more than the previous one. If that was the case then how come we keep making the same mistakes time and time again. We never learn do we? We think we know best because we are younger, we don't though do we? We need to let go of this arrogance because that is what it is and make a real effort to listen to the older generation. They may not always be right but if we don't listen then how the hell are we going too ever find out?.

They may not be able to use the latest mobile phones, the latest computers or the latest t.v.'s. So what? They can teach us so much more if we just gave them a chance and didn't write them off or treat them like idiots because they cant do these things. It really is time for there to be a change in the way they are treated.

We need to use this before it dies out and is lost forever. We need to take this information that they have and store it in our heads so as we can pass it on to our children. We need to stop and talk to them before its too late. When its gone its gone forever. We cant get it back. So as I said at the start lets start doing it now before all that experience and knowledge is lost and the only way we can get it back is through books and the Internet.

What a waste? No WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY!.

Respect and Manners

I'm in quite a good place at the moment. There hasn't been a lot that has annoyed the hell out me, hence the lack of ranting blogs lately. Ive decided to chill out and let others destroy their own lives whilst I stand and smile at them knowing I will never sink to their level. I'm happier for it as well. It was an extremely tough 4 weeks, I wont say it wasn't but its their loss not mine. I seem to have blocked and deleted more people on Facebook than Ive added recently as well.

 There is one thing though that Ive noticed more and more recently. The complete lack of manners and respect that people have for each other these days. Whether its on Facebook, football forums, television shows or  life in general. When did we become such an aggressive nation? When did we forget the basic premise of  good manners and accepting that our opinions are not always those that others agree with?

Its getting worse and worse and only we can change it. This week alone I have seen 4 pregnant women on the tube having too stand up because more able bodied people, male and female, pretend they cant see them and carry on reading their papers/books. It is just basic good manners surely?. How about when we are walking down the street and someone bumps into us, do they apologise to stop to see if we are okay? Not many do I bet.

How about when your standing in a que and someone just stands right in front of you knowing you were there first? Do we ignore it or say something? It happened to me today and I said to the bloke " Sorry mate I was next" he looked me straight in the eye and said "Didn't see you fella". How the hell did he miss me? I'm 6ft 4in for gods sake and built like an out house. It ain't like I'm a little fella is it. It really annoyed me to be fair.

Then there was the shift station manager who decided I was a fair game for his arrogant attitude. I was coming out of the toilets (we cant have one in store due to it not being bomb proof, nope me neither) when he stood in front of me looked me up and down and said "Who are you?" I said "I work for Orange" he said "Wheres your badge?" I said "In my shop why?" he then proceed to tell me he didn't believe me and he would come and see my manager. He comes to the shop and says "Right drop the attitude, where is the manager" to which I replied "Your looking at him mate" His face was a picture. I then let him have it both barrels and told him I would be reporting him to his supervisor for the way he thought he could talk to me. There was absolutely no need for it at all. The lack of manners annoyed me more than anything he had said. I also told him if I had spoken to one of my staff in the way he had me I would be disciplined for it and rightly so. Its getting beyond a joke now. I run my stores with a friendly atmosphere not like a dictatorship. I have to work with these guys 5 days a week, its better if we all try and get on. Don't get me wrong we do have arguments, some of them quite heated, but at the end of the day we respect each other enough to stand back and agree too disagree. It works and everyone is far happier for it.

Then there is the way that people cant have a debate about anything on the forum I use or Facebook at the moment without it turning personal or offensive, Whats that about? Have we lost the art of conversation? Or are we so caught up in a Me,Me,Me society that no-one else matters?. Ive had some cracking late night debates down the years over a few beers. I may not have agreed with them and they may not have agreed with me but we have respected each other enough to shake hands at the end of it and accept each others position.

We do seem to have got a far more aggressive nation and that disappoints me hugely. The lack of manners and respect we show each other in life makes us unhappy deep down whatever people say. So take a second to think before you write that sentence, a few moments too look at what you have written, a few seconds to look at the people around you, a few moments to judge a situation before you act. Its not that hard really is it? Its all about Respect and Manners.

The Final One - The Stag Weekend

"Guys there's a tiger in the bathroom" I love that film its one of the best comedies ever. The Hangover is about a Stag do that goes horrifically wrong. Mine wasn't quite as bad but it came close.
Okay Ive reminisced quite a lot lately so I'm going to round it off with a blog about my Stag Weekend. The same crazy nutters Id grown up with and they make up the highlights of this blog. It was decided to do it over the weekend no idea who thought of this but it seemed like a good idea at the time if I'm honest. I didn't want all the stripper lark, not interested to be fair so it was agreed we would do a pub crawl around Ilford then head off to the West End on the Saturday.

It started of quietly, a few pubs a few drinks, then it started to go a bit wrong. I got absolutely bladdered so I'm relying on what happened next from other peoples memories and the wife to be plus the sister. Apparently I disappeared in one of the last pubs we went in. I was found after about an hour, yeah thanks guys you were that worried about me, sitting in the bog sweating and with my trousers round my ankles!. I have no idea how, why or what happened. I was truly mashed so cant remember a thing. Anyway I was duly re-dressed and carried outside of the club. This I also have no recollection of but here goes.

Apparently I was placed against a car where, well you know in those cartoons they slide down things really slowly? Yep I did but into the middle of the road. At this point my future brother-in-law Ian ( yes they was back on again) decided to call my wife to be and ask her if he could come and get the car and drive us home. He was more pissed than I was but better at hiding it. She said no so apparently we got a cab. Nope don't remember a thing. Anyway we got home and I was put to bed where the fun continued. My other brother-in-law Paul said he was going home, nope didn't want a cab and walked out the back door and then fell over and asleep in the garden where he was left. Ian was then having a ciggie in the front room with Nicky and Sarah when he lent forward and well I cant believe he did this, I did laugh when I found out but that didn't help, Sarah all concerned said to Ian "Do you want the ashtray" Ian nods, Sarah leans forward to give it to him and throws up all over her. Priceless, a quiet night in then we turn up.

The next night we met at the George in Gants Hill, yep theres that place again, there was me, Gary, Ian, Paul, Terry ( the father-in-law), Mark, Gary L and a few others. We had a few beers well hair of the dogs and headed up West. We had decided to get something to eat in a place called Break For The Border it ain't there now another victim of the recession unfortunately. We started of with a few buckets of beer and some shots and were slowly getting tanked again.

There was a Hen party in this place with a few ropey women which some of the guys beer goggles kicked in for and of they went. Me and Ian were standing by the dance floor when a fight started, Now this place had one bouncer that was it. It was a crap fight between two blokes, all slaps and handbags when another bloke started. It was then getting out of hand so me and Ian decided to break it up. We were big enough and could handle ourselves so decided to sort it. Id like to say we did but all hell then broke loose. This place was done out like a cowboy bar and it then looked like one of those cowboy films were you have a mass brawl.

The other numptys hadn't seen us try and stop it they thought we started it so joined in. I watched as my Father-In-Law was telling the bouncer to leave it as we would sort it. It was so surreal. I grabbed a bloke and went to hit him then realised it was my brother-in-law, one of our mates who fancied himself a bit ran in and ended up on the floor a quick kick to the nuts sorting that out. We managed to calm it all down and the hen party started to cheer. Gary L thought they were cheering for him as he was copping off with one of the old birds and raised his hands to take the applause, not realising that the whole place had been in chaos, so there he was expecting us all to congratulate him when all we did was laugh at him.

The owner came over and thanked us and said the bill and beer was free for the rest of the night. So we then carried on getting bladdered, along with the blokes we had just been fighting with. Well no hard feeling there then. We then got the night bus home as wed missed the train and went up to the top deck. Terry had heard a song on KISS FM he liked but couldn't remember it so he started singing about my pony, he ain't got the best of voices anyway but this was bad, Ian then sat opposite him nodding his head saying "Ive heard this Tel " and continued repeating the words all over again. This went on all the way home, much to the amusement of everyone else.

It was in the end the final chapter of my time with the Gants Hill Mob. I was the first to marry so I left it all behind. A few of them stayed single for a few more years but it we never kept in touch like we did. We had different priorities. It was like having one last hurrah before we all finally accepted we had to grow up and move on with our lives. But what a way to end it all. Great memories from great friends. I wouldn't change it for anything and I suppose for a lot of it you had to be there.

My Kind Of Town

A really strange thing happened today. I was annoyed like others with the tube strike and the mission it was going to be to get to and from work. Ive always said I wanted to move away from London, to the seaside preferably, I have this romantic notion of taking walks along the beach on late summer nights with the family, I'm not so sure though now after tonight.

Tonight I caught a bus from Paddington Station to Liverpool Street so as I could get the train home. I was sitting there reading the paper minding my own business when I overheard a conversation in front of me. It was an old man talking to a young American couple and as the bus was going through Piccadilly Circus he was talking to them about the sights and the history. I looked out of the window and saw London for the first time in a long time.

Ive worked in London all my life, East, West and North, but Ive never looked at it before. Ive gone to work head down getting to point A from point B as quickly as possible, not paying much attention to what is going on around me. I suppose like everyone does, don't look at me stranger, don't talk to me, I must get to where I'm going as fast as possible. As we passed Trafalgar Square tonight and I saw it all lit up, I watched as group of tourists took pictures of each other on the lions. I did this as a kid myself, Ive got the photo somewhere. The thing was it felt like I was seeing London for the first time and I suddenly realised what a great city it is.

The history of the buildings, the architecture of St Paul's for example, the famous landmarks and how they all look so different at night. It really was something special. I know its got its faults, its dirty, the people aren't the friendliest in the world, the crime rate is appalling, everything is expensive, but what it has can only be described as character. Its amazing sometimes where my blogs come from, Ill be doing nothing then BANG an idea pops into my head and off I go, this one being an example of that.

There are some amazing things to see in London and I think we knock it too much. We look for the bad things instead of lifting our heads up and seeing, actually looking at what is around us. This is true of many things in life and we are all guilty of that. I really enjoyed my journey home tonight, we live in a great city with character, with history, and that's what separates us from other city's in the world. The Tower of London, The Thames, Buckingham Palace, the small narrow streets in the square mile each and everyone of them steeped in centuries of stories waiting to be told and discovered by a new generation.

Its just not the center of London though we have other places as well. Brick Lane for one, the best curries this side of Birmingham, Mile End and all the food shops in a row where you can get a Kebab, Chips, Chicken Wings and a Coke for £3.50 ( its was bloody good as well). City's change when the lights go down. Don't get me wrong there are places in London where I wouldn't go in the day let alone the night but sometimes things look different at night, the character of a place comes through. Ive stumbled around the City the worse for wear many times at night and never come to any harm.

Convent Garden is another example of this, there is always something going on there. From mime artists to people signing opera, its a great place to spend a summers evening. There are countless examples of places to go and see in London Ive mentioned but a few. We look at New York, Paris and Rome and envy them, why? They are just as dirty, rude and expensive as London but the one thing they don't have is our character, our history and our culture. New York has the Statute of Liberty, Paris has the Eiffel Tower and Rome has the Colosseum. Amazing things to see but they don't have the amount of different things we do. I bet you'd be surprised at what you actually walk past every day, what you didn't even realise what was there, I know I was.

Its a fascinating place,.you have just got to lift your head every now and then and have a look. If you want to see bad things then this is what you will see, if though you want to be amazed then you will. Lift your head and look at your surroundings for once. Get a coffee and drink it at the table outside looking at the buildings, the people that are around you. Trust me the next chance you get, stop and have a look at London, it really is an amazing city that we live in.

The Cat In The Bin

This is going to upset people I'm aware of that. The beauty of a blog though is that it shouldn't be afraid to challenge the way people discuss things, you are never going to agree with me 100%, all I ask is that you read what I have to say and if you disagree then say so and we will have a mature debate about it. I posted a comment on my Facebook page a few days ago and it had 40 comments the last time I looked. It has caused huge debate about what should or shouldn't happen to a lady called Mary Blake.

For those of you that don't know she is the lady who placed the cat in the wheelie bin. Was it a stupid thing to do? Absolutely and I bet she regrets it now massively. However the reaction of some people has in my opinion been totally out of order. She has had death threats, Facebook campaigns set up against her and could now potentially lose her job. Did the cat die? No. Was it hurt? There was no physical damage to the cat. Should she be prosecuted? Possibly. I cannot believe the way that the press have gone after this woman and yet have ignored other stories that in my opinion are far more serious.

I have been told by some that they cannot see my point when I point to other far more serious news stories and the lack of coverage they have gotten. I believe we have a fundamental flaw in our society when we care more about the welfare of a cat than a child, that we care more about the welfare of a cat than the people sponging off of us with their benefits. That to me is wrong. Where are the press chasing these people? Where are the death threats to them? Nowhere. So why is it okay to send death threats to her and not to the Lifeguards?. I'm not condoning the use of death threats or the use of Facebook groups in anyway shape or form. What I am saying is that it is wrong and needs to be stopped.

A child drowned in a swimming pool with FOUR lifeguards on duty. The coverage was on page 12 of the paper. The cat lady was on page 4 and 5. How the hell is that right?. Why are the press not chasing these lifeguards? Why are they not having death threats? Why has this story not been flashed around the world?. Its utter nonsense. She did a stupid and cruel thing but the cat never died. Due to the utter negligence of these lifeguards a child DIED. Do we not care enough about this to react? Do we value the rights of a cat more than the loss of a child?.

If a cat is ill and in pain we put it down. If its a human we make them suffer. This cannot carry on people. We cannot continue to put the rights of the animal above those of human beings. Animal cruelty is an enormous issue and in a civilised society should be addressed and the guilty people punished. However the suffering of a human is far worse and in my opinion should be addressed above any other. How can it be right that we put an animal down that cant speak yet allow a human who can voice pain and their wish to die not be able to do so with dignity and continue to let them suffer an intolerable pain? Utter nonsense in my opinion.

I'm sorry if I have offended anyone with this blog, but you know what I cannot tolerate the hunting down of a woman who made a mistake, I agree she should be punished, when we have other issues that don't even get mentioned in the same breath as this. The cat never died, a child DID. Lets get that one solved first before we persecute and ruin a woman's life for an animal that didn't even die. I'm not by any means condoning what she did and I abhor animal cruelty but this has gone far enough and the reaction of the press and the people chasing her is wrong. Let the courts deal with her and let her face her punishment. She did wrong and needs to be punished, she should however not have to live her life in fear and people threatening her in her place of work. Its all about priorities and at this moment we have them all wrong.

The Right To Die

I wrote this nearly a month ago now but havent posted it due to not wanting to be morbid. However after watching Casualty and the very excellent and sensitive way this subject was handled perhaps now the time is right for this post to be published.

Is it time we had a proper open debate about when we chose to die? I believe it is. At the moment assisted suicide is illegal in this country. I think that's wrong. People are forced to leave the country to get the help they need to end their pain. Why do the laws state we need to prolong peoples suffering?

People shouldn't be made to suffer when their quality of life becomes intolerable. The pain they feel is more than any of us who have not been there can possibly start to comprehend. Why do we do this?. Its not humane. We have huge double standards when it comes to this as a society. If an animal is in pain we end its suffering but a human, no you have to go on until your body gives out. Ravaged with pain and kept alive by drugs and machines.

I understand there are people that chose to do this for personal and religious reasons and that's fine, but why do those that want to die with dignity not allowed to do so. If you are to weak to do this yourself the person that helps you is charged with your murder. That cant be right can it?

Personally if I'm brain dead I don't want to be kept alive by a machine. That isn't me laying there its my shell as my soul has long gone. If I get a terminal illness and I cant fight it I want to chose when I die. I want to be able to spare my family the heartache of watching me die. Its my body, my choice, I should be allowed to leave this mortal coil as and when I see fit. Shouldn't I?

I understand there are people that feel this will be abused and people will use it for personal gain. If that's then proven then prosecute them. I also understand that their are people with religious views that will strongly disagree with this argument. I take those views on board. However we were given a will for a reason. To be able to decide ourselves what is right for us at any certain time. If you are in pain why prolong it if you don't wish to do so. Having a law in place that makes you do this is wrong in my opinion.

I have told my family, well my wife at least what my wishes are if the worst happens. I want any usable organs,apart from my eyes to be used. I also don't want to be kept alive by a machine. I want to be able to choose when I go if illness strikes me down. Its my life so it should be my choice, not a politician or a lawyer to tell me I'm not allowed to do this. If we allow humans to put down animals when they are in pain then why cant we do this to ourselves?

Suicide carries a stigma that needs to be addressed. Its seen as a selfish act. If you are terminally ill and take your life to end your suffering you are recorded as a suicide. That's wrong. That's just a way for insurance companies to not pay out the life insurance. That's a criminal act. When there is clear medical evidence that you are dying then you shouldn't be treated as a suicide to stop a company paying your life insurance to your family when they need it the most.

So as I said at the start lets put our own prejudices aside for once and have a real adult debate, so that people with very poor quality of life don't have to spend those final few days in court challenging their right to chose how they die. That's got to be stopped.

Death for those are left behind is a terrible experience and can take people many years to get over. Lets have a law that states if you wish to die because your illness leaves you in pain, you can chose when and where you do this. Lets leave this place with happy memories for our family, knowing we went in peace when we wanted to. Not that they prolonged our life because they felt obliged to.

Lets start by having an open and adult debate.

Cheats Always Prosper

When are the sporting bodies going to crack down on blatant cheating by actually banning someone or team?
When are they actually going to take proper action against cheating?Its happening more and more and yet the punishments are getting weaker and weaker or they take no action at all. Its utterly disgraceful.

The latest instantce was at the German Grand Prix. Team orders are banned yet there is blatant radio evidence that Massa was told to move over for Alonso. What did the FIA do? They fined them £100,000 dollars. To Ferrari that's what they spend on catering at a Grand Prix its a joke. It cheapens the sport massively and treats the fans who pay with their hard earned money like mugs. They should ban them but they wont as all Ferrari would do is go to court. Ridiculous.

They banned Briatorre for encouraging a driver to attempt suicide and endanger other drivers lives by crashing into a wall. The FIA banned him for life. He went to court and got it overturned. Crazy. If I endangered life in my job Id be finished with no way back, so why do sports people think they are above the law?

Formula 1 isn't the only sport though. Dwain Chambers is a drug cheat. He got caught and was banned from the Olympics for life. However he can still race throughout the world and earn money at the sport. That makes the other athletes look like fools who do things the right way. Why is this blatant cheat allowed to earn a living from a sport he cheated in? He used drugs to make his performance better, so he cheated.

Football is another sport rotten to its core. Uruguay at the World Cup cheated their way into the World Cup Semi-Final. Suarez stopped a certain goal by hand balling it on the line. Then Ghana missed the penalty and then lost the subsequent penalty-shoot out. It should never have got that far. When Suarez stopped the penalty they should have awarded the goal. End off.

It doesn't stop there though. There are clubs spending money they don't have all through the divisions ans what do the FA do about it? Nothing. They allow these clubs to keep going with points deductions or a slap on the wrist. Why? They are cheating so relegate them. Then see how many keep doing it.

The only sport that has any honour left is Rugby. Dean Richards cheated and encouraged a player to cheat by biting on a blood capsule to get a substitute on and was banned for 5 years. Did he appeal or bleat about everyone doing it? No he took his punishment and walked away.

Young children look up to sportsmen and women in all sports and what the authorities are saying is, okay you have the talent but don't worry you can cheat if you want and we wont ban you. What kind of message does that send out.

Money rules all sport to its utter detriment. We wonder why kids today are so lacking in respect when these are the role models that advertisers think they should look up to? People that cheat at their sport and don't even get me started on the way they live their lives.

Sport needs a huge shake up from top to bottom. Cheats need to be banned for life if they take drugs no matter what sport it is. If F1 teams break the rules then they need to be banned for at least 2 races so as they wont do it ever again. Football clubs need to be relegated 2 divisions if they spend what they don't have I don't care who they are. If you stop a certain goal to make sure you don't win a match then you get banned for 4 matches.

How many of these sports will do any of this? None.
Why? Because money rules and until we as the public start saying enough is enough and start voting with our wallets they will continue to break their own rules and treat us like idiots.

Id rather have a sport where I know the best man, woman, or team won because they were good enough. That they had put their blood sweat and tears into it for many years. That they had used all of their talent they were born with to overcome other athletes and teams.

Until this happens I will not believe a sport is won by a true champion.

That's an enormously sad thing to say............but its so true.

Is It Time For Eastenders To Finish?

Ill own up to this. Ive watched Eastenders since it started. Since Ali, Arthur and Den kicked in the door of Reg's flat and found him dead. Yes every time its been on for the last 25 years. Well 23 to be precise because if I'm honest its started too annoy me and Ive lost faith with it. Is it time for it to end?

Big question isn't it. Some of you will have never watched it, some of you will have hated it, some of you will watch it religiously every time its on. Well I used to, but not anymore.

I gave up on Eastenders when they killed of Danielle. Absolutely pointless. This soap opera has degenerated into a mess of misery. Look at Emmerdale and Coronation Street. I don't watch either that much but when I do they manage to blend humour and drama in the same episode. Eastenders doesn't and hasn't for years.

They have forgotten the core values of what made the soap so successful. Family. Where are The Watts, The Beale's, The Fowler's. They are not there anymore are they?. I watched enthralled as Den and Angie went at it, as Arthur had a break down, Michelle got pregnant, Mark got Aids and Kathy was raped. Nick trying to kill Dot, Pat and Frank and the kids as well as the Mitchell's when they first arrived.

Now what have we got? A Muslim who is gay, Denise coming back from the dead after being killed by her preacher husband, Archie Mitchell's storyline still going on even though hes been dead for 6 months, Phil becoming a crack addict and Fat boy and his stupid unbelievable, annoying mates. To top the lot we then had Darren, not a bad looking boy by any means, fathering Heather's baby. For crying out loud people have you completely lost the plot?

The writing is lazy and the ideas uninspired. The soap looks tired and worn out. Its time for the BBC to look long and hard at what has been created and decide what they are going to do. Its losing ratings by the bucket load at the moment and they seem surprised by this. Their ignorance is beyond belief.

It can be turned around but they need to start from scratch. It needs to get back to family's and stories that people can relate to. Stop going for the sensational storyline. The show can be saved but they need to get rid of the kids that are writing the soap, bring in new characters and let them grow, hire people that can write and develop story line's that are what we want to see.

If they don't want to do this then end it on a high. It wouldn't be the first soap to go would it? To let it die the slow painful death its dying at the moment is in bad taste and clear mismanagement by the producers and the writers. There isn't a family I can relate to, there isn't a character I like, so stop being so politically minded and stop trying to be rash and daring you don't you look stupid.

Until this changes Eastenders in my house wont be must see television.

Taking Responsibility

What have we done? How did it come to this? How have we allowed this to happen? Not sure what I'm talking about. I'm talking about society as a whole. The lack of respect, the attitude and the violence. Why haven't we done something about this before? Are we happy about what society has become? I know I'm not.

When did it become acceptable for teenagers to carry weapons? When did it become acceptable for old people to be beaten up for their pension? When did it become acceptable for us to be afraid of where we walk at night? When did it become acceptable for us to allow kids to get smashed out of their brain's on cheap alcohol? This has crept up on us and we have stood by and let it happen. The kids have control of the streets and we have let them. We are all too blame.

I was brought up to respect my elders. I was brought up to have manners. Why are these issues so sparse now? Its quite simple really, lazy parenting. Its too easy to plonk your kid in front of the telly, or buy them the latest video game and show no interest in them. To allow them to roam the streets at any hour and take no interest in them.

Kids need real role models not footballers or music artists. Look in the mirror I'm talking about you. Parenting isn't an option its a lifestyle choice. You had them now teach them right from wrong. Tell them no, get them to earn rewards. Praise them when they do well, talk to them to find out how their day has been. Spend some time with them.

Being a parent, Ill be generous, isn't about 5 minutes of fun. Its about taking that child in your arms and watching them grow. Its the greatest gift on Earth, so don't abuse it. There are thousands of people out there who cant have kids, who would give anything to have what you have, yet people out there abuse it. They have the child then don't take a blind bit of interest in them.

It saddens me when I see a parent on TV or in the papers mourning their lost child. Dig a little deeper though and in 6 out of 10 cases that child was no angel. I'm not saying for one moment that all kids are bad, Ive met some fantastic kids down the years. What I'm saying is that when your child is left to their own devices and you show no interest in them don't cry tears of pain when they become the next statistic of a knife crime. Where were you? Did you look after them?.

I am well aware of the fact that many single parents have to work and childcare is difficult. I get that. I'm not attacking you. The people I'm attacking are the ones that go out and leave their kids all the time. Or are so drunk they couldn't care less. You reap what you sow in this life. We turn our heads when we see people in trouble. We ignore the child with the bruises or the dirty clothes in the playground. We ignore the child we see clearly underage out on the street at night. We do this not because we are ignorant or don't care, we are worried about what the repercussions of our actions may be.

We hear stories from our parents of what it was like when they were kids, of how people in their street would look out for each other. Where has this gone? Are we so rapped up in our lives that we cant even take a moment to check on our old neighbour to see if they are okay? We have to have advertising now to tell us to do this. Why? We never had that when we were kids. Our parents did it so why did we stop doing it ourselves?

We need to take a step back and look at what is going on around us and decide  if we are prepared to accept this any longer. We need to start changing the way we conduct ourselves and the way we interact with each other. We need to start teaching our children right from wrong. We need to start parenting again the way we were taught and a way that is acceptable to society as a whole.

We must start this now because if we don't the future is not something that we may enjoy. We will have reaped what we sowed and we will be the only ones to blame. Not the politicians, us the parents who gave birth to them and helped to nurture them, then when it got a little difficult we bailed on them. We cut them adrift and told them to get on with it, then cried for them when it went wrong.

Its time to take back our society and say enough is enough. Before its too late.