THE EVENING CHRONIC

Today is Donna's birthday. Let's all wish her Many Happy Returns and hope she has a good day. XXX

Often when teenagers feel repressed they are compelled to make a huge statement, like having their heads pierced or tattooing their genitals. The more dramatic and controversial they are, the greater the impact. In essence they’re trying to show their family and friends that they are grown up enough to do their own thing.
By releasing the Lockerbie bomber, Scotland is saying to the world, and in particular to the rest of Britain “Look at me, I can make my own decisions, and if you don’t like it you can lump it”.
I’m all for self-determination, but a degree of restraint is called for when your actions can have a detrimental effect on other people.
By letting the bomber go free, Scotland has provided terrorists with a hero figure that can be used to incite further acts of terrorism.
If your teenager goes too far then you have to draw a line for the sake of family unity, and if they go over that line then they have to suffer the consequences. Scotland has crossed the line with this action and will no doubt feel the repercussions.

Have you checked your tread lately?

The recent increase in spammers and non-blog publishers is causing many genuine bloggers to leave this site. At any given time the browser can be 80% full of cheapskates trying for free advertising and the only way to stop them is to flag their sites as spam. They will eventually be pushed out if enough people flag them.
Sadly it is an indication of how marketing is taking over all corners of our lives. You can't move without being bombarded from all corners by someone trying to get hold of your hard earned cash. The radio is not entertaining anymore unless you like advertising jingles, the TV is getting worse and the commercial breaks are getting longer. Even government websites are running promotions to separate you from your money. Is it just me or are we fast becoming slaves to the marketing industry?

I was invited to a fancy dress party, and went on eBay to look for a Mickey Mouse outfit. I almost ended up buying the England cricket team. Fortunately I was outbid at the last minute by Ricky Ponting who said he wanted them for his toy collection.

A man was acquitted by a jury of stealing a banana worth 25p. The trial cost the taxpayer £20,000 and the CPS defended there decision to prosecute the case saying that they had enough evidence to secure a conviction. My friend Norman was once hospitalised in a vicious attack at his shop. After providing CCTV footage of the incident which was the second time he had been attacked by the same person, the CPS decided they didn't have enough evidence to secure a conviction.
"In order to respect any form of law, people must respect those who enforce that law." (N. McGreevy 2009)

Compensation = recompense = reimbursement = reparation = money for loss

Could someone explain to me how a soldier can lose a limb and have to fight for compensation yet an MP can travel to work and claim compensation without any problems.

Something wrong there.

Injustice = unfairness = prejudice = inequality = bias = discrimination

I’ll tell you a story of hunger and greed
of people who always take more than they need
Who grab what they can when there’s no-one about
and fill up their pockets while some go without

They think their importance is justification
for sucking the blood from a poor population
Then hiding their guilt under lies and excuses
to cover the truth of their greedy mis-uses

When some lowly pauper has stolen a crust
he’s hung from the yardarm for breaking their trust
Yet those who condemn him are gorging themselves
on the loaves they have stolen from our meagre shelves

They thought they could carry on eating their fill
but they finally got caught with their hands in the till
Now the voters can tell them how they really feel
that the moment has come for their ultimate meal

They think we’re all stupid but we know the score
The next chance we get we are bolting the door
And kicking them out of their affluent trough
So the next bunch of conmen can rip us all off

The boy stood on the burning deck
When all but he had fled
Financial crisis round his neck
No answer in his head

The country was in quite a mess
His pals had all resigned
A tangled web of naughtiness
Had started to unwind

His empire lay in disarray
The party lacked support
And all his friends said ‘We’re okay
We’ll let you hold the fort’

Then off they crept to hide away
Until the heat died down
They would return another day
To stalk their leaders crown

So Gordon sat and scratched his head
And heaved a little sigh
Then in the end he went to bed
And had a damn good cry

A police officer needs to exercise restraint otherwise he is nothing but a thug. Punching a victim around the head whilst he is under the effects of a taser and restrained by other officers is not the type of gangster behaviour we expect from officers of the law.
Doormen used to do this until they were licensed and trained correctly.
Hooligans do this usually when they’re drunk.
Savages do this for no other reason than it makes them feel good.
Policemen should set an example, not give in to the yobbish behaviour that they are employed to control.
Many officers feel that the law doesn’t apply to them, maybe because PACE provides them with too many escape clauses.
Soldiers, who face far greater threats, are taught to handle it correctly. If they don’t they are punished, even discharged.
It’s a sad day when people start to fear the police for reasons other than those associated with the law.