Bad winter expected for London A&E departments

The BBC reports that Londoners are likely to be facing long waits for treatment in A&E departments this winter.

Funnily enough, it doesn't mention something I seem to notice whenever I happen to enter a London hospital.

They're absolutely heaving with people who don't seem to be speaking English. Perhaps that could be adding a burden to an over-stretched system?

Epping Forest fire in shape of an elephant

The Sun ran this photo of a policeman ushering people away from a fire in Epping Forest.

The flames look like an elephant (or a mammoth).

Maybe it is a mystic mammoth returned to its old hunting grounds and unhappy to find they've turned into east London.

Is this the secret of the Yeti?

Ted Terry charged with assault

Ted Terry, father of John Terry the Chelsea footballer, has been charged with racially aggravated assault.

It's not the first time Ted’s had a spot of bother with the Old Bill. In 2010 he was charged with drug dealing. He mum and mother in law were also cautioned recently for shoplifting from M&S.

Biggest crime of all, though, is that Terry was ever England captain. Surely that was meant to be a job for a tactician, a leader and, er, a gentleman?

Not any more, I'm afraid.

Terry is - in my humble opinion – one of the most uncouth louts in football. And a donkey, to boot.

Chicks with guns

I always thought that title would work as a magazine. Certainly in Texas.

Dog eats dog in Warrington

Elvis in the days when he had a head

I am shocked but not surprised to see the widespread reports related to a Pomeranian (the dog) having its head bitten off by a bull terrier.

The sordid event happened in Warrington (where else, I'm tempted to add) and the press has run images of a chubby chavette hauling away the bloodthirsty terrier as the pair drip with freshly spilt Pomeranian blood.

The victim was called Elvis and was playing happily in his garden when the bulldog ran through the gate and decapitated him with one bite. It then spat out the bloodied remains in the gutter muttering: ‘That’s for the Blitz, you Fritz b**tard.’

Elvis’ owner, Gemma Antell, from (where else?) Warrington, said: ‘If it was capable of doing that to another dog, then you would have to be afraid of what it could potentially do to a child's arm, or worse.

‘People were screaming at her [the fat chavette] but apparently she just said: “It's not his fault – he's only a baby’.”

Abu Klea. A bad business

General Stewart’s force was about fifteen hundred all told,
A brave little band, but, like lions bold,
They fought under their brave and heroic commander,
As gallant and as skilful as the great Alexander.

And the nation has every reason to be proud,
And in praise of his little band we cannot speak too loud,
Because that gallant fifteen hundred soon put to flight
Ten thousand Arabs, which was a most beautiful sight.

A hint of the Prussian about this

Winston Churchill on the 'curses' of Islam

'How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries, improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live. A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement, the next of its dignity and sanctity.

'The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property, either as a child, a wife, or a concubine, must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men. Individual Muslims may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world.

Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome.'

Sir Winston Churchill; (Source: The River War, first edition, Vol. II, pages 248-50 London).

Holly Willoughby and her impressive breasts

Am feeling a bit shaken up.

Just returning home on the bus, minding my own business, when I overheard two youngish men talking.

Man 1: 'That Holly Willoughby. She'd be a good tit f*ck.'

Man 2: 'Too right. Massive pair of hangers on her.'

It wasn't even very late. Shocking effort.

Then I thought. 'Who the hell is Holly Willoughby?'

Operation Bullfinch and the Oxford sex ring

The trial in the Oxford paedophillia case (aka Operation Bullfinch) began today.

I have to confess I had only vaguely followed it until now. Clearly some aspects of the media (that means you, The Daily Mail) are whipping themselves into a frenzy about it.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2262723/Gang-men-groomed-young-girls-sex-drove-terrified-victim-14-woods-night-threatened-cut-head-off.html

I find it rather off-putting – siding with the Mail, but on this occasion I can feel it happening. And that is despite the fact that the paper features a video with a BNP protest.

Nine defendants – all God-fearing Muslims who’d want to chop off hands and heads if they thought you'd looked at their sister in a lecherous manner – brutally abusing young girls in Oxford.

As has been shown in recent years, this is by no means an isolated episode and is evidence of the howling double standards of Islam.

The accused are listed as Kamar Jamil, 27, Akthtar Dogar, 32, Anjum Dogar, 30, Assad Hussain, 32, Mohammed Karrar, 38, Bassam Karrar, 26, Mohammed Hussain, 24, Zeeshan Ahmed, 27, and Bilal Ahmed, 26.

But who are they and where do they come from? Are they all British born or are there some asylum seekers in there? No doubt all will be revealed.

Either way, this is another disgraceful episode and one that again shows how the pussy-footing politicians seem to be missing the point.

If this was the other way round – and it was Muslim girls being abused – the offenders would not have had chance to come to court.

They would have no doubt been dragged around the back-streets of Oxford, Bradford, Oldham or wherever tied to the back bumper of a car with their genitals stuffed in their mouths.

Islam is nothing if not medieval (OK, put the car to one side for now and imagine it's a horse or a cow or something) and its adherents like nothing more than a good old bit of genitals-in-your-mouth vengeance.

Max Clifford knows where the bodies are buried

One wonders how many celebs have confided in Max Clifford about their goings-on.

He seems to have given more than one interview in recent weeks on the subject of anxious celebs.

And then he’s being questioned himself.

In the wake of Stuart Hall and DLT you wonder who will be next.

Who else was big in TV and radio in the 1970s and 1980s?

Could be the whole lot of them.

Autumn Budget Statement: what it means for you

London, December 1876.

From our parliamentary reporter

Sir Gideon Osborne today revealed his latest financial plans to a packed House of Commons.

‘These workshy paupers need to take their medicine,’ he said – to widespread applause from the government benches.

‘For too long, the unworthy poor have been too eager to shirk their responsibilities.

‘All they do is moan on about rickets, drink Porter, grub about on the banks of the Thames looking for scraps of coal and get disemboweled by serial killers.

‘Frankly, it’s just not good enough.’

Sir Gideon went on to say: ‘When I was at Eton I didn’t get to be a member of Pop by hiding in the toilets and playing with my Old Chap. I knuckled down, got myself down to double Greek and learned how to play the cover drive – even when De Lancy (Major) was coming in off his full run-up.

There were general murmurs of agreement at this point and several members nodded approvingly at the mention of Bernard De Lancy (Sussex and England) and showed off scars gained while playing cricket against him at Eton.

Warming to his theme Sir Gideon added: ‘Let’s stop beating about the bush. The poor smell, they’re covered in pus-filled sores, their teeth are revolting and they couldn’t tell Theseus from Perseus in a million years.’

To rapturous applause he climaxed: ‘Of course, though, we’re all in this together.’

Duchess Kate is pregnant. Rejoice, people of Britain

So Princess Katie is pregnant.

The tabloid press (and the Daily Telegraph) has its lead story and all is well with the world.

Or not.

While congratulations are no doubt in order on a personal basis, should we really care about Katie being up the royal duff?

No. Absolutely not. This isn’t 1335. If the monarch to be doesn't have an heir it isn't going to throw the nation into civil war. And this grovelling fixation with the royals is, frankly, grotesque.

Britain needs to start looking forward a bit more. The last thing it needs is to have another class-system-confirming obsession with Princess Katie’s morning vomiting.

Let's have a bit more focusing on schools, opportunities and competing in the modern world and a bit less medieval claptrap about the activities of the royal pizzle.

David Cameron fed up by Qatada release

Prime Minister David Cameron says he is ‘completely fed up’ about the release on bail of Abu Qatada after the Muslim cleric won his deportation appeal, reports the BBC.

Abu Qatada was freed from prison after a UK court ruled he might not get a fair trial if deported to Jordan to face bomb plot charges.

Mr Cameron said ministers had ‘moved heaven and earth’ to try to deport him.

He said: ‘I am completely fed up with the fact this man is still at large in our country, he has no right to be there, we believe he’s a threat to our country.

‘It’s extremely frustrating and I share the British people's frustration at the situation we find ourselves in.’

He said that, as well an appeal, the government would ‘do everything we can to make sure that we do have the power to expel and deport people from our country who have no right to be there and mean us harm’.

Judges say there is a real risk that the preacher's retrial in Jordan would be unfair because it would include incriminating statements made by men who were tortured by the secret police.

As the toothless judiciary shows its spinelessness, it comes as no surprise to know Qatada’s release will come at a price tag of around £100,000 per week. That’ll be picked up by the good old taxpayer, of course.

Andrew Strauss could be Tory candidate for Corby

Former England cricket captain Andrew Strauss has barely pulled off his pads for the last time and speculation is flying around concerning him becoming the Tory candidate for Corby.

A report on the Northampton Chronicle's website suggests the former England skipper could be the man to fill Louise Mensch’s shoes (metaphorically, clearly) at the upcoming by-election in the constituency.

The newspaper reports that Paul Staines, posting under his Guido Fawkes pseudonym on his OrderOrder blog, suggested: ‘Many have been wondering why England captain Andrew Strauss has quit international cricket. While it’s probably has more to do with his bad couple of years at the crease and major dramas in the dressing room, it’s well known that Andrew is a Tory and rumoured that he has an interest in moving into politics. He raised £25,000 for the party at a 2011 fund-raiser.'

Corby borough councillor Rob McKellar told the Chronicle: ‘I couldn’t rule out voting for Andrew Strauss as a Conservative candidate if the rumours were to be true. I would like our next MP to be somebody who lives in the constituency and who has Corby and East Northamptonshire at heart.

‘But that is not to say a high-profile candidate couldn’t achieve this, while raising the profile of the area at the same time.’

China forces abortion of seven-month-old baby

More evidence of what a ghastly dictatorship China is comes from today’s Daily Mail newspaper in the UK.

The Mail examines the case of Feng Jianmei, who was forceably injected with a chemical to induce the abortion of her seven-month-old child.

This sounds like the sort of thing the Nazis got up to. The reason Feng was thus brutalized was because she already had a child.

Local birth-control authorities ordered her to pay a fine of £4,000 as a punishment for becoming pregnant again.

She didn't have the money, she said, so a team from the local family planning authority in Shannxi province came to collect her from her home and take her to hospital for the forced abortion.

Recounting the horror, Feng said she told the family planning department she could not pay the fine because her mother-in-law needed money for cancer treatment.

At the hospital she was restrained and given an injection that would be lethal to the foetus. None of her family was allowed to be present during the traumatic time, she said.

Feng said that her father-in-law heard about her being taken away but when he rushed to the hospital he was prevented from entering the obstetrics ward.

Local media said it was most likely that Feng had been injected with a chemical commonly known as Lifannuo – a powerful bactericide used in the late 1980s and early 1990s when China’s one-child policy was strongly pursued by authorities.

Human rights in China? Not likely.

Chloe Green defends ultra-rich lifestyle

Chloe Green, daughter of multi-millionaire Topshop boss Sir Philip Green has been accused by The Daily Mail of being out of touch with reality. 

Just a little bit smug, perhaps?

As evidence, The Mail points to a recent Elle magazine interview in which 21-year-old Ms Green attempts to defend her privileged lifestyle. 

Talking ahead of the launch of her forthcoming shoe range, CJG – wonder how she got that gig? – she reveals that, contrary to popular opinion, she doesn’t insist on a private jet when she travels. 

In fact, she is perfectly happy to fly BA, she adds. Though not, one suspects, at the back of the bus. 

‘At no point in my life have I ever taken anything for granted,’ she told Elle. ‘I'm not saying to my dad, “Because we have a jet can I borrow it and fly down to France?”. If my dad says, “Would you like the plane?” then I'll say, “Sure, if you don't mind.” But if not, BA is fine. 

Speaking of the Belgravia flat her father bought her, she says: ‘I spent a year or two finding something that I liked and then said to my dad, “I think this is a great flat, a great investment, whether I live there or not. Let's buy something”. That's how the conversation went, it wasn’t like I went, “please buy this for me”.’ 

The Mail also points out Ms Green has a housekeeper who comes in to hoover the flat three times a week, but the rest of the time she is ‘very independent’ and even fills up her own car.

The comments of Mail readers suggest they’re not convinced. ‘She looks like a horse,’ suggests one.
  

Alex Salmond, Tom Harris and Downfall

I have to confess I feel ever so slightly sorry for Tom Harris, the Labour MP, who has resigned from his post as the Labour Party’s new media adviser.

Harris posted a Downfall-spoof on YouTube, depicting the Scottish Nationalist leader Alex Salmond as Hitler.

It appears to have caused a bit of a stir, and not only among the legendarily humorless Scots. Media outlets everywhere are currently wheeling out the big guns (or not) to tell us all why this is so inappropriate.

Well, yes and no. I personally thought Harris’ video was quite amusing and probably made a fair point about Salmond. Though it wasn't as funny as the one with Gordon Brown as Hitler...

TV's experts seem keen to go further than just slapping Harris for Salmond baiting, suggesting that making jokes about Hitler is in some way mocking the Holocaust.

I wonder what they make of The Great Dictator, then?

Charlie Chaplin's film mocked Hitler and dictators generally, to an extent in the same way that the Downfall clips do.

Chaplin made the Nazis look ridiculous, as far as he could defusing the aggression of all the goostepping, saluting and bullying and making it appear deranged.

Those getting irate about those Downfall clips should bear that in mind.

Iranian scientist killed in Tehran 'by Mossad'

Dangerous job being an Iranian nuclear scientist these days.

Israel and the US appear to have decided that Iran having nuclear weapons would be really bad news (and they've probably got a point).

Mossad has allegedly recruited Iranian dissidents to help carry out sabotage and assassination activities and it may have been one of them who clamped the magnetic bomb to Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan’s car.

The bomb duly exploded killing Mostafa and his driver, Mustafa.

The car, the BBC reports, was barely damaged, suffering just slight scratches to the paintwork, a dented door and broken glass.

The Iranians are blaming Mossad and the CIA for the attack (and they've probably got a point).