A couple of points relating to disability discrimination.
First of all many congratulations to David Allen a 17 year old Shefield man who lives with Muscular Dystrophy on winning a legal challenge against the Royal Bank of Scotland for failing to provide access at one of their Branches in the city. The bank had argued that by providing access to other branches and providing internet and telephone options that it had fulfilled its obligations to provide access for customers with a disability. Sheffield County Court disagreed and awarded Mr Allen £6,500 in damages and has instructed the bank to rectify matters at the branch in question before next September.
The bank is to appeal, but whatever the outcome of the appeal it will help businesses and people with disabilities to understand what obligations businesses have to meet the "reasonable adjustments" provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act. Definitely a landmark case, so well done and thank you David!
The second point relates to Gordon Brown. Mr Brown is totally blind in one eye and has poor sight in the other. Given this, is it really appropriate for leading Tories to make fun of his eye hand co-ordination whilst attempting to hit a ping pong ball? Whatever political differences exist between those of us of different political persuasions surely none of us need to stoop so low as to take the P out of our opponents physical afflictions.
16/01/2009
The School Assembly and the Welsh Assembly
It is very rarely that I find myself siding with the High Priest of the Fundamentalist Atheist Religion and disagreeing with my former fellow-student at Theological Collage The Rev Geraint Tudur. But on the subject of school Assemblies I am with Prof Dawkins.
When I was in school many moons ago, as a young committed Christian, I thought that the Morning Assembly ridiculed the very meaning of an Act of Christian Worship.
The Headmaster could go from praising the Lord to praising the achievements of the First Rugby XV without batting an eyelid; and he could go from a hymn about Christian forgiveness into a threat of six of the best for those who's hair was too long without any sense of hypocrisy!
My headmaster was a deacon and a lay preacher in a local chapel. If he, a person used to leading Christian worship outside school, could make such a mockery of Christian worship in the School Assembly, how much more harm can the majority of headteachers today, who don't have a personal faith in Christ, do to the institution of Christian Worship?
If anything Jane Davidson hasn't gone far enough. Personally I believe that the School Assembly should be abolished as an act of Christian Worship.
I have nothing against getting the whole school together (with no right of opting out) in order to praise the achievements of school heroes or in order to give a communal bollocking to those who spit gum in the yard - but confusing such a meeting with worship verges on the heretical!
Marcus will, no doubt, tell me that it is not a good enough reason; but one of the reasons why I want a Welsh Parliament rather than a Welsh Assembly, is because the title Welsh Assembly always reminds me of Tuesdays and Thursdays in school when the hymns, the readings, the prayers, the football praise and the castigation's were delivered in Cymraeg!
When I was in school many moons ago, as a young committed Christian, I thought that the Morning Assembly ridiculed the very meaning of an Act of Christian Worship.
The Headmaster could go from praising the Lord to praising the achievements of the First Rugby XV without batting an eyelid; and he could go from a hymn about Christian forgiveness into a threat of six of the best for those who's hair was too long without any sense of hypocrisy!
My headmaster was a deacon and a lay preacher in a local chapel. If he, a person used to leading Christian worship outside school, could make such a mockery of Christian worship in the School Assembly, how much more harm can the majority of headteachers today, who don't have a personal faith in Christ, do to the institution of Christian Worship?
If anything Jane Davidson hasn't gone far enough. Personally I believe that the School Assembly should be abolished as an act of Christian Worship.
I have nothing against getting the whole school together (with no right of opting out) in order to praise the achievements of school heroes or in order to give a communal bollocking to those who spit gum in the yard - but confusing such a meeting with worship verges on the heretical!
Marcus will, no doubt, tell me that it is not a good enough reason; but one of the reasons why I want a Welsh Parliament rather than a Welsh Assembly, is because the title Welsh Assembly always reminds me of Tuesdays and Thursdays in school when the hymns, the readings, the prayers, the football praise and the castigation's were delivered in Cymraeg!
14/01/2009
How many MPs does Wales need?
It will come as no surprise to regular readers of this blog that my answer to the question how many Westminster MP's does Wales need? is none, nil, zero, zilch, nix etc.
Since the 1930's Wales has always been at the bottom of the list of every economic and social indicator. The reasons for this are quite simple. When times are bad the London economy, being the powerhouse of Great Britain, needs shoring up. As Eddie George admitted in the 1980's allowing other parts of the UK to suffer in order to support the London economy is a price worth paying. When times get better the last places to benefit from recovery are places like Wales and Cornwall, but because of economic cycles when Wales starts to recover London goes into another economic downturn and Wales is smacked in the teeth again, in order to save London.
Gordon Brown promised the end of Boom and Bust, the truth is, that as part of the UK, Wales has never had a Boom and Bust problem; being part of the UK has made us suffer from a Bust and Bust again economy for the past eighty years.
Edward VIII, as Prince of Wales, memorably said Something must be done, as he observed the grinding poverty and desperate queues of the unemployed in south Wales during the 1930's. The fact is that sod all has been done to change Wales since those days, and sod all will be be done unless and until Wales has control over its own economy and it's own destiny as an independent nation!
Since the 1930's Wales has always been at the bottom of the list of every economic and social indicator. The reasons for this are quite simple. When times are bad the London economy, being the powerhouse of Great Britain, needs shoring up. As Eddie George admitted in the 1980's allowing other parts of the UK to suffer in order to support the London economy is a price worth paying. When times get better the last places to benefit from recovery are places like Wales and Cornwall, but because of economic cycles when Wales starts to recover London goes into another economic downturn and Wales is smacked in the teeth again, in order to save London.
Gordon Brown promised the end of Boom and Bust, the truth is, that as part of the UK, Wales has never had a Boom and Bust problem; being part of the UK has made us suffer from a Bust and Bust again economy for the past eighty years.
Edward VIII, as Prince of Wales, memorably said Something must be done, as he observed the grinding poverty and desperate queues of the unemployed in south Wales during the 1930's. The fact is that sod all has been done to change Wales since those days, and sod all will be be done unless and until Wales has control over its own economy and it's own destiny as an independent nation!
13/01/2009
The Maths of Family History
This is post has nothing to do with Welsh Politics - it is a response to Cherry and James' comments re family history.
Have you ever watched the programme Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
The premise of the programme is that for every correct answer given the prize amount doubles. It only takes 15 questions from a prize being worth £100 to a prize of £1,000,000.
The Man who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo used a similar system!
Put 10p to win on the third favourite in the first race at a racecourse tomorrow. If it loses put 20p to win the next day on the third favourite. If it loses put 40p to win on the third favourite the following day and double up each time you lose.
If the odds are more than 2/1, when you win, you will be in profit over every other bet laid. But remember that it only takes 15 steps to double up from sod all to one million! Can you afford to bet a million to get all your money back and more?
The mathematics of family history are similar. I have 2 parents, 4 grand parents, 8 great grandparents etc. Every generation doubles, so playing the long terms odds game must eventually enable me to to hit pay dirt in proving that I am descended from importance, somewhere along the line - and it has!
The funny thing is though, the more one researches family history, the great and the good become less important. When one learns about the miner, the shepherd and the whore, the common folk who have fought adversity to enable me to be me, they become my real ancestral heroes. They are much more than the Kings, the Princes, the Lords or others from whom I can prove grand descent
Have you ever watched the programme Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
The premise of the programme is that for every correct answer given the prize amount doubles. It only takes 15 questions from a prize being worth £100 to a prize of £1,000,000.
The Man who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo used a similar system!
Put 10p to win on the third favourite in the first race at a racecourse tomorrow. If it loses put 20p to win the next day on the third favourite. If it loses put 40p to win on the third favourite the following day and double up each time you lose.
If the odds are more than 2/1, when you win, you will be in profit over every other bet laid. But remember that it only takes 15 steps to double up from sod all to one million! Can you afford to bet a million to get all your money back and more?
The mathematics of family history are similar. I have 2 parents, 4 grand parents, 8 great grandparents etc. Every generation doubles, so playing the long terms odds game must eventually enable me to to hit pay dirt in proving that I am descended from importance, somewhere along the line - and it has!
The funny thing is though, the more one researches family history, the great and the good become less important. When one learns about the miner, the shepherd and the whore, the common folk who have fought adversity to enable me to be me, they become my real ancestral heroes. They are much more than the Kings, the Princes, the Lords or others from whom I can prove grand descent
09/01/2009
The Children of Gomer
In my last post I made the comment that I can trace my family back to Gomer. I have had four e-mails, from people who didn't wish to make comments in the comments section of the blog, asking me to explain the significance of this comment. To encourage comments in their proper place I will not answer those e-mails but will explain the significance of Gomer here!
If a pub quiz question was asked According to be Bible who is the nearest common ancestor of all people? Most teams would answer Adam, but they would be wrong! In Chapter 6 of the book of Genesis every man woman and child is wiped off the face of the earth apart from Noah, his wife and kids. So we are all, most recently, descended from Noah - not Adam!
And this is where Gomer comes in. Noah had three named boys, Ham, Shem and Japheth, and tribal names for the old world are based on myths about the descent of Noah. Notably in recent current affairs the protagonists in Gaza are called Hamas, being the descendant of Ham. Those who don't like what the the Jews are doing are called anti-semitic - people who don't like the descendants of Shem.
Japheph had a son called Gomer, and Gomer's descendants are called Gomri, or to use the modern spelling Cymru - the Welsh word for Wales! And yes I can find old genealogies that prove that I am descended from Gomer!
The descent from Gomer myth also leads to two other myths that are still heard today. One being that Welsh is the oldest spoken language in Europe and the other being that Welsh is the language of Heaven.
Hebrew is, obviously, the language of Heaven, and being the language used by Adam and Eve the oldest language in the world. But before the Ben-Yehuda led revival in the last century, the language of Shem had died out as a spoken language centuries ago.
The descendants of Ham had turned Muslim - there was no way that any good Christian could accept that THEY spoke the language of Heaven.
So we are left with the descent of Japheph and the Gomeri. William Salesbury, the earliest Welsh author proved a relationship between Welsh and Hebrew, which showed that Welsh was the nearest spoken language still in existence to that spoken by Adam and Eve and that Welsh was both the oldest spoken language and the nearest spoken language to the language of Heaven.
People like Mathew Arnold subsequently used Darwin to debunk the heavenly antecedents of the Welsh language, and to make the continuation of the use of the language unpopular in the 19th century, which is one of the reasons why I have never warmed to Darwinism - despite the fact that I have a closer family connection to Charles Darwin than I have to Gomer ap Japheth
So now you know! Please make comments in the comments section in future. The e-mail address is there for legal reasons and not for private debates!!!
If a pub quiz question was asked According to be Bible who is the nearest common ancestor of all people? Most teams would answer Adam, but they would be wrong! In Chapter 6 of the book of Genesis every man woman and child is wiped off the face of the earth apart from Noah, his wife and kids. So we are all, most recently, descended from Noah - not Adam!
And this is where Gomer comes in. Noah had three named boys, Ham, Shem and Japheth, and tribal names for the old world are based on myths about the descent of Noah. Notably in recent current affairs the protagonists in Gaza are called Hamas, being the descendant of Ham. Those who don't like what the the Jews are doing are called anti-semitic - people who don't like the descendants of Shem.
Japheph had a son called Gomer, and Gomer's descendants are called Gomri, or to use the modern spelling Cymru - the Welsh word for Wales! And yes I can find old genealogies that prove that I am descended from Gomer!
The descent from Gomer myth also leads to two other myths that are still heard today. One being that Welsh is the oldest spoken language in Europe and the other being that Welsh is the language of Heaven.
Hebrew is, obviously, the language of Heaven, and being the language used by Adam and Eve the oldest language in the world. But before the Ben-Yehuda led revival in the last century, the language of Shem had died out as a spoken language centuries ago.
The descendants of Ham had turned Muslim - there was no way that any good Christian could accept that THEY spoke the language of Heaven.
So we are left with the descent of Japheph and the Gomeri. William Salesbury, the earliest Welsh author proved a relationship between Welsh and Hebrew, which showed that Welsh was the nearest spoken language still in existence to that spoken by Adam and Eve and that Welsh was both the oldest spoken language and the nearest spoken language to the language of Heaven.
People like Mathew Arnold subsequently used Darwin to debunk the heavenly antecedents of the Welsh language, and to make the continuation of the use of the language unpopular in the 19th century, which is one of the reasons why I have never warmed to Darwinism - despite the fact that I have a closer family connection to Charles Darwin than I have to Gomer ap Japheth
So now you know! Please make comments in the comments section in future. The e-mail address is there for legal reasons and not for private debates!!!
08/01/2009
Unionist desperation
A quite enjoy the blog A pint of Unionist Lite. As I said in my last post - to be important, issues need to be discussed! O'Neill is one of the few Unionists who discuses the Unionist v Nationalist argument with a passion and with a smidgen of intelligence from the Union's side.
Unfortunately the lad let himself down with this anti Welsh post. O'Neill seems to think that this quote is proof of the dark side of devolution to Wales:
Despite the fact that I can trace my family back to Gomer I find the statement My own father can trace his Welsh heritage farther than many a nationalist quite offensive. I love family history, but I don't believe that my antecedents give any authority to my political opinion! My opinion is my opinion, and I don't give a bugger whether my own dad agrees with me or not, never mind what my ancestors with a Welsh heritage farther than many a nationalist may or may not have opined.
No example of why Scotland or Wales are more unfriendly now than they were before devolution is given to support the dark argument. Probably because no real examples exist.
I was an unfriendly old git before devolution, I am an unfriendly old git now, and I will still be an unfriendly old git when Wales becomes independent. The friendly element of Welsh society will remain as welcoming as ever, whatever the constitutional arrangement.
The truth is that all nations contain nice people and all nations contain nasty people, constitutional changes don't make the nasty nice or the nice nasty. So as a defence of the Union O'Neill's post on this occasion is A Load of Unionist Shite
Unfortunately the lad let himself down with this anti Welsh post. O'Neill seems to think that this quote is proof of the dark side of devolution to Wales:
Yet, to others, post-devolution Wales and Scotland seem less friendly places. My own father can trace his Welsh heritage farther than many a nationalist. Since devolution (which he devoutly opposed) he has commented that for the first time in his life he feels unwelcome in Wales. He has even contemplated moving over the border. It seems ludicrous to me that people with so much in common, so much shared history and culture, should be in such a position.
Despite the fact that I can trace my family back to Gomer I find the statement My own father can trace his Welsh heritage farther than many a nationalist quite offensive. I love family history, but I don't believe that my antecedents give any authority to my political opinion! My opinion is my opinion, and I don't give a bugger whether my own dad agrees with me or not, never mind what my ancestors with a Welsh heritage farther than many a nationalist may or may not have opined.
No example of why Scotland or Wales are more unfriendly now than they were before devolution is given to support the dark argument. Probably because no real examples exist.
I was an unfriendly old git before devolution, I am an unfriendly old git now, and I will still be an unfriendly old git when Wales becomes independent. The friendly element of Welsh society will remain as welcoming as ever, whatever the constitutional arrangement.
The truth is that all nations contain nice people and all nations contain nasty people, constitutional changes don't make the nasty nice or the nice nasty. So as a defence of the Union O'Neill's post on this occasion is A Load of Unionist Shite
Satan to get Welsh Bus pass?
According to a story in the Daily Post (which I can't find online) the atheist advertising campaign on London buses was so successful that it it is to be expanded to include buses that travel in north Wales.
The usual suspects have moaned about this development, of course; but I feel the need to welcome it.
There is an old saying that the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about. To some extent this has been the Christian cause's biggest problem over the past 20 years or so in Wales. It's not that people are bitterly opposed to the Christian message, just that they are either unaware of its existence or don't care about its existence - they just don't talk about it!
When these anti-Christian messages appear on north Wales buses I share the hope of the organisers that they will get people talking about the issue!
I can't see many people who know Jesus Christ as their personal saviour being turned away from their faith as a result of the ads, but it is possible that the discussion that the ads might create will lead some to a personal knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (As has happened in London).
Therefore I look forward to the first appearance of the adverts on the Arriva 25 service that goes through my village and I look forward to the chance to profess my faith and discuss it with others that this advertising campaign will create.
Cymraeg
The usual suspects have moaned about this development, of course; but I feel the need to welcome it.
There is an old saying that the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about. To some extent this has been the Christian cause's biggest problem over the past 20 years or so in Wales. It's not that people are bitterly opposed to the Christian message, just that they are either unaware of its existence or don't care about its existence - they just don't talk about it!
When these anti-Christian messages appear on north Wales buses I share the hope of the organisers that they will get people talking about the issue!
I can't see many people who know Jesus Christ as their personal saviour being turned away from their faith as a result of the ads, but it is possible that the discussion that the ads might create will lead some to a personal knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (As has happened in London).
Therefore I look forward to the first appearance of the adverts on the Arriva 25 service that goes through my village and I look forward to the chance to profess my faith and discuss it with others that this advertising campaign will create.
Cymraeg
07/01/2009
Cold Weather payments
Older people may be eligible for a Cold Weather Payment for each week of very cold weather if they get Pension Credits.
Cold Weather Payment are also available to those getting Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance who have a child under five years old or get one of the following:
a pensioner premium, higher pensioner premium or enhanced pensioner premium
a disability premium or severe disability premium
a disabled child premium
Child Tax Credit that includes an individual element for a child or qualifying young person who is disabled or severely disabled.
Given how bitterly cold it has been over the past week, older people, disabled people and the parents of very young or disabled children might expect to receive the £25 Cold Weather payment this week. But they may be disappointed.
Before the payment is made the average temperature where you live has to be recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days during the period from 1 November to 31 March.
Specified Meteorological Office weather stations are used to obtain this information.
The specified station for north Wales is in RAF Valley. RAF Valley is not in a frost trap, and is not on a hill, it is close to the sea and is subject to quite a lot of heat creating traffic. Temperatures plummeted to -12 on Monday night in Dolwyddelan, Capel Curig and Henllan, they didn't get close to that in RAF Valley. So despite the bitter cold over the past seven days older people, the disabled, and parents with very young or disabled children in north Wales are very unlikely to get the cold weather payment.
Most specified stations in Britain are in places least likely to suffer the worst extremities of the cold weather.
It seems a bit silly to me, to make a benefit available "on paper" but then to skew it in a way that makes it unlikely that it will ever be paid by using the least likely places to suffer seven days bellow freezing as the weather stations for activating the payment.
Indeed it would be better to abolish the cold weather payment benefit all together, rather than to continue to con the vulnerable into thinking that they can risk putting the heating up on the strength of a benefit that, in effect, is non existent.
Cold Weather Payment are also available to those getting Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance who have a child under five years old or get one of the following:
a pensioner premium, higher pensioner premium or enhanced pensioner premium
a disability premium or severe disability premium
a disabled child premium
Child Tax Credit that includes an individual element for a child or qualifying young person who is disabled or severely disabled.
Given how bitterly cold it has been over the past week, older people, disabled people and the parents of very young or disabled children might expect to receive the £25 Cold Weather payment this week. But they may be disappointed.
Before the payment is made the average temperature where you live has to be recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days during the period from 1 November to 31 March.
Specified Meteorological Office weather stations are used to obtain this information.
The specified station for north Wales is in RAF Valley. RAF Valley is not in a frost trap, and is not on a hill, it is close to the sea and is subject to quite a lot of heat creating traffic. Temperatures plummeted to -12 on Monday night in Dolwyddelan, Capel Curig and Henllan, they didn't get close to that in RAF Valley. So despite the bitter cold over the past seven days older people, the disabled, and parents with very young or disabled children in north Wales are very unlikely to get the cold weather payment.
Most specified stations in Britain are in places least likely to suffer the worst extremities of the cold weather.
It seems a bit silly to me, to make a benefit available "on paper" but then to skew it in a way that makes it unlikely that it will ever be paid by using the least likely places to suffer seven days bellow freezing as the weather stations for activating the payment.
Indeed it would be better to abolish the cold weather payment benefit all together, rather than to continue to con the vulnerable into thinking that they can risk putting the heating up on the strength of a benefit that, in effect, is non existent.
05/01/2009
DLlG From the Neck Up
When he was heckled in a meeting because of his short stature David Lloyd George is claimed to have retorted In Wales men are measured from the neck up, and not from the neck down!.
Not any more Dai!
Not any more Dai!
30/12/2008
Rules of engagement
In a recent exchange of opinion on another blog I was accused of building a Straw Man, but I stuck one up my opponent by proving that he had used arguments Ad Hominem. Touche!
(This proves that both me and my opponent are very clever chaps and that we both understand the classical laws of logic - see!)
Regardless of the merits of what He said or what I said or what He said I said which I didn't say and vice verca, are these classical rules of engagement important in the modern political arena?
If a fallacy of argument helps you to get one over on your political opponent and helps to kick him square in the goolies - what's wrong with using it?
And isn't appealing to the rules itself a fallacy of argument? - In being a diversion from the issue in question to an issue of the rules of engagement!
Do other bloggers, writers of letters to the editor or commentators on politics in general really rate these rules?
Should they be obeyed?
Or should they be abused, with a passion, in order to advance the cause?
(NB This post is not an admission that I have used fallacies of argument against anybody! As if I would! It is just a general question!)
(This proves that both me and my opponent are very clever chaps and that we both understand the classical laws of logic - see!)
Regardless of the merits of what He said or what I said or what He said I said which I didn't say and vice verca, are these classical rules of engagement important in the modern political arena?
If a fallacy of argument helps you to get one over on your political opponent and helps to kick him square in the goolies - what's wrong with using it?
And isn't appealing to the rules itself a fallacy of argument? - In being a diversion from the issue in question to an issue of the rules of engagement!
Do other bloggers, writers of letters to the editor or commentators on politics in general really rate these rules?
Should they be obeyed?
Or should they be abused, with a passion, in order to advance the cause?
(NB This post is not an admission that I have used fallacies of argument against anybody! As if I would! It is just a general question!)
29/12/2008
Not a Happy New Year for Plaid in Gwynedd?
It appears that the Plaid Cymru ruling group in Gwynedd County Council is about to implode during the New Year.
Cllr Gwylym Euros Roberts has already noted on his blog that Cllr Linda Wyn Jones has resigned from the Plaid Group and that another two Plaid Councilors are considering their position and are having discussions about their futures with the group leaders over the holiday period.
Another Plaid Cymru councillor has told me that he is one of at least seven group members who are awaiting the outcome of the two's discussions - and that if they jump ship then the other seven are likely to jump with them.
If Plaid loses another 10 councillors in addition to those it lost to Llais Gwynedd in May's elections the party in Gwynedd will be in total disarray. Considering that one of the two Westminster seats that Plaid holds in Gwynedd is considered as "Labour" under boundary changes, the party can't afford this sort of rift.
Earlier this year I predicted that it might, just, be possible for Plaid to gain as many as 9 seats in the next General Election, I also thought that Plaid was on course to gain a second Euro seat next June. But if Plaid can't sort out the infighting in its own heartland with a big announcement that will please traditionalists and show that it has learned its lessons from the May fiasco in Gwynedd, then Adam Price might be a very lonely man in Westminster after the next election, and Jill might be on the dole by July.
Is that what Plaid's ignorant tendancy wants?
Cllr Gwylym Euros Roberts has already noted on his blog that Cllr Linda Wyn Jones has resigned from the Plaid Group and that another two Plaid Councilors are considering their position and are having discussions about their futures with the group leaders over the holiday period.
Another Plaid Cymru councillor has told me that he is one of at least seven group members who are awaiting the outcome of the two's discussions - and that if they jump ship then the other seven are likely to jump with them.
If Plaid loses another 10 councillors in addition to those it lost to Llais Gwynedd in May's elections the party in Gwynedd will be in total disarray. Considering that one of the two Westminster seats that Plaid holds in Gwynedd is considered as "Labour" under boundary changes, the party can't afford this sort of rift.
Earlier this year I predicted that it might, just, be possible for Plaid to gain as many as 9 seats in the next General Election, I also thought that Plaid was on course to gain a second Euro seat next June. But if Plaid can't sort out the infighting in its own heartland with a big announcement that will please traditionalists and show that it has learned its lessons from the May fiasco in Gwynedd, then Adam Price might be a very lonely man in Westminster after the next election, and Jill might be on the dole by July.
Is that what Plaid's ignorant tendancy wants?
24/12/2008
Christmas greetings
I have taken on board criticism that my seasonal posting last year showed that I hadn't quite grasped the spirit of Christmas. This year I am a reformed character, to prove it I have even invested in some Christmas lights to decorate my house during the festive season:
A Merry Christmas to all who read my musings. Nadolig llawen iawn.
A Merry Christmas to all who read my musings. Nadolig llawen iawn.
23/12/2008
What is Plaid Cymru For?
There use to be a time when Plaid Cymru was the party that one could expect to defend local communities. Now it is a party that closes local facilities such as schools and public conveniences and shouts down and swears at those who offer solutions that might help save services.
It use to be a party that supported the Welsh Language, but since being in government they have renegade on some promises made to support the language and failed to deliver on others. They even voted against a proposal to establish a Welsh Language Commissioner.
Plaid use to be a party that supported self government for Wales, but according to the Western Mail Speaking as a Plaid Assembly Member and a former leader of the party Dafydd Elis Thomas says that he is opposed to a referendum on further powers for the Assembly untill well after 2011. Indeed this mam who vociferously opposed the 40% threshold imposed by Labour in 1979 is now opposed to further self government unless it is clear that at least 60% of voters support further powers.
If Plaid doesn't defend local communities, doesn't deliver on the language and doesn't campaign for further self government is there any reason for the party's continuing existence?
It use to be a party that supported the Welsh Language, but since being in government they have renegade on some promises made to support the language and failed to deliver on others. They even voted against a proposal to establish a Welsh Language Commissioner.
Plaid use to be a party that supported self government for Wales, but according to the Western Mail Speaking as a Plaid Assembly Member and a former leader of the party Dafydd Elis Thomas says that he is opposed to a referendum on further powers for the Assembly untill well after 2011. Indeed this mam who vociferously opposed the 40% threshold imposed by Labour in 1979 is now opposed to further self government unless it is clear that at least 60% of voters support further powers.
If Plaid doesn't defend local communities, doesn't deliver on the language and doesn't campaign for further self government is there any reason for the party's continuing existence?
Fast trains and faster trains
On Monday last week a new fast train service between north and south Wales was launched, taking just under 4 hours to travel from Holyhead to Cardiff (180 miles for crows) - brilliant (or it would be brilliant if the service hadn't failed the day after its launch).
Yesterday the SNP announced* support for a fast train service from Glasgow to London (414 miles) that would take just two and a half hours!
If the same type of train was used to link north and south Wales as is being mooted to link Glasgow and London (335 mph top speed) it would take less than three quarters of an hour to go between Cardiff and Holyhead nonstop - that would be fast!
*HT Jeff @ SNP-TV
Yesterday the SNP announced* support for a fast train service from Glasgow to London (414 miles) that would take just two and a half hours!
If the same type of train was used to link north and south Wales as is being mooted to link Glasgow and London (335 mph top speed) it would take less than three quarters of an hour to go between Cardiff and Holyhead nonstop - that would be fast!
*HT Jeff @ SNP-TV
22/12/2008
Fishy Come Dancing
I am not a fan of TV shows where one has to phone in and vote. I tend to get cross every time I get a phone bill that shows that the wife and kids have sometimes cost me more than a months licence fee in call charges to Last Choir Standing, Big Brother, X Factor or other subliminal pay per view programmes.
When one pays for these sort of programmes (twice) one hopes that at least the voting is fair and nothing is fixed but there was something very fishy about the latest series of Strictly Come Dancing, something that just doesn't add up.
In week 10 John Sergeant dropped out of the programme voluntarily, he was not voted off. Despite the fact that he had gone a vote was held on November 24th and Jodi Kidd was knocked out of the competition too. With two celebrities leaving in week 10, rather than the expected one, the scheduling should have left the series one episode short. But the series continued on schedule without losing an episode.
In week 13 we are told that an unforeseen difficulty in the way the votes were calculated meant that the vote off was canceled so three contestants made it to the final rather than two.
As there was no change to the schedule and no episode was lost there can only be two possible explanations:
1) The John Sergent controversy was a fix contrived to boost ratings
2) The show intended to have three in the final all along and the excuse for voting difficulties last week was a lie.
Which ever of these two explanations is the correct one the BBC has broken trust with viewers who pay for these phone in programmes yet again. Despite all the controversy and criticism and promises to clean up their act it appears that nothing has changed!
When one pays for these sort of programmes (twice) one hopes that at least the voting is fair and nothing is fixed but there was something very fishy about the latest series of Strictly Come Dancing, something that just doesn't add up.
In week 10 John Sergeant dropped out of the programme voluntarily, he was not voted off. Despite the fact that he had gone a vote was held on November 24th and Jodi Kidd was knocked out of the competition too. With two celebrities leaving in week 10, rather than the expected one, the scheduling should have left the series one episode short. But the series continued on schedule without losing an episode.
In week 13 we are told that an unforeseen difficulty in the way the votes were calculated meant that the vote off was canceled so three contestants made it to the final rather than two.
As there was no change to the schedule and no episode was lost there can only be two possible explanations:
1) The John Sergent controversy was a fix contrived to boost ratings
2) The show intended to have three in the final all along and the excuse for voting difficulties last week was a lie.
Which ever of these two explanations is the correct one the BBC has broken trust with viewers who pay for these phone in programmes yet again. Despite all the controversy and criticism and promises to clean up their act it appears that nothing has changed!
19/12/2008
Annie, The Beeb and Me
Last night I attended a performance of my children's school's annual Christmas show. A performance of the musical Annie. It was a brilliant performance, all of the children showed what a wealth of talent we have in Wales. A couple of the older performers showed that they have the ability to go far if they choose to follow a performing career.
A huge amount of extra curricular work and dedication from both pupils and teachers went into the performance and all involved deserve a vast amount of praise for their effort. Of course my boy's part made me a very, very proud Dad and made the show ten times better than anything that the West End or Broadway could ever offer.
A couple of days ago I made a post on my Welsh language blog Hen Rhech Flin entitled Anabl i Fwynhau Sioe'r Nadolig (Unable to Enjoy the Christmas Show). The post noted the difficulty that I, and other people who are hard of hearing, have at this time of the year because few school halls in Wales provide loop systems for hearing aid users. As school halls are public buildings and are subject to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, all of them should have such basic "access" equipment as standard.
My post was picked up by the BBC. I was phoned and asked if I would be willing to be interviewed about the subject of my post during the school show.
I said no!
It would be unfair to the individual school to be picked on for a problem that exists in all schools and it would be unfair to my boy to hear his Dad making a complaint about the school play that he was taking part in and had put so much effort into.
I did offer to be interviewed on the general point and to complain about the local authorities who have failed to provide the necessary equipment in all schools - but that wasn't good enough. The story was dropped.
I think that the Beebs attitude stinks. The fact that local authorities have failed to comply with their legal obligation; the fact that they have failed miserably to provide basic access for hard of hearing people to public buildings under their control, should be a good enough story, in its own right, for their journalists to investigate. The fact that they don't believe that the story is good enough unless it is sexed up by a complaint by a father criticising his own son's show just proves how dumbed down to gutter level the BBC's reporting has become of late.
A huge amount of extra curricular work and dedication from both pupils and teachers went into the performance and all involved deserve a vast amount of praise for their effort. Of course my boy's part made me a very, very proud Dad and made the show ten times better than anything that the West End or Broadway could ever offer.
A couple of days ago I made a post on my Welsh language blog Hen Rhech Flin entitled Anabl i Fwynhau Sioe'r Nadolig (Unable to Enjoy the Christmas Show). The post noted the difficulty that I, and other people who are hard of hearing, have at this time of the year because few school halls in Wales provide loop systems for hearing aid users. As school halls are public buildings and are subject to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, all of them should have such basic "access" equipment as standard.
My post was picked up by the BBC. I was phoned and asked if I would be willing to be interviewed about the subject of my post during the school show.
I said no!
It would be unfair to the individual school to be picked on for a problem that exists in all schools and it would be unfair to my boy to hear his Dad making a complaint about the school play that he was taking part in and had put so much effort into.
I did offer to be interviewed on the general point and to complain about the local authorities who have failed to provide the necessary equipment in all schools - but that wasn't good enough. The story was dropped.
I think that the Beebs attitude stinks. The fact that local authorities have failed to comply with their legal obligation; the fact that they have failed miserably to provide basic access for hard of hearing people to public buildings under their control, should be a good enough story, in its own right, for their journalists to investigate. The fact that they don't believe that the story is good enough unless it is sexed up by a complaint by a father criticising his own son's show just proves how dumbed down to gutter level the BBC's reporting has become of late.
Blogger links oddity
Anybody got any idea what is happening to the "Links to this post" bit of Blogger? My last post has well over a dozen claimed links - none of which contain links to the post! The one post that does link to it, isn't mentioned though. Very odd!
18/12/2008
The Bourne Conspiracy
I have never rated Nick Bourne as a party leader, he's too nice, too diplomatic; he doesn't have the killer instinct he's written books about justice and fair play whilst his colleagues have been reading The Prince by Machiavelli.
But I don't understand the fuss about the iPod! Apparently he bought the iPod in order to download Welsh Language lessons. If this is the case then he has my heartiest support. I think that it is absolutely brilliant that the leader of the Conservatives takes Welsh lessons so seriously and I look forward to him using his new found language skills in the chamber.
Like Blog Menai, I am more intrigued by his need for a £5,000 bathroom make over, never having seen a £5000 bathroom myself. But the journalists who see Mr Bourne as this week's meat probably don't appreciate the extravagance, as they probably have £6,000 bathrooms themselves courtesy of the BBC and Trinity Mirror!
The odd thing about the Sack Nick campaign is that it appears to be a campaign lead by reporters rather than by Conservative party members, or Conservative AM's. I find this worrying. The fourth estate has its role in a democracy, but that role shouldn't include campaigning to topple the leader of a political party.
Love Nick or loath him the leadership of the Conservative Party in Wales is the Conservative Party in Wales' prerogative, it must never be put into the hands of either the BBC or the Western Mail.
This is a matter for supporters of other parties too. If the Beeb and the Mule succeed in deciding who will be the Tory leader in Wales, they wont stop there - they will be going for another scalp soon too! As Rhodri is going and Mike has gone, the most likely next victim will be Ieuan Wyn!
But I don't understand the fuss about the iPod! Apparently he bought the iPod in order to download Welsh Language lessons. If this is the case then he has my heartiest support. I think that it is absolutely brilliant that the leader of the Conservatives takes Welsh lessons so seriously and I look forward to him using his new found language skills in the chamber.
Like Blog Menai, I am more intrigued by his need for a £5,000 bathroom make over, never having seen a £5000 bathroom myself. But the journalists who see Mr Bourne as this week's meat probably don't appreciate the extravagance, as they probably have £6,000 bathrooms themselves courtesy of the BBC and Trinity Mirror!
The odd thing about the Sack Nick campaign is that it appears to be a campaign lead by reporters rather than by Conservative party members, or Conservative AM's. I find this worrying. The fourth estate has its role in a democracy, but that role shouldn't include campaigning to topple the leader of a political party.
Love Nick or loath him the leadership of the Conservative Party in Wales is the Conservative Party in Wales' prerogative, it must never be put into the hands of either the BBC or the Western Mail.
This is a matter for supporters of other parties too. If the Beeb and the Mule succeed in deciding who will be the Tory leader in Wales, they wont stop there - they will be going for another scalp soon too! As Rhodri is going and Mike has gone, the most likely next victim will be Ieuan Wyn!
12/12/2008
Victory!
Last week I noted that I wouldn't be posting much before Christmas because I was bogged down by, amongst other things, preparing a case that I was to present to a War Pensions Appeal Tribunal.
The tribunal was heard today and I am overjoyed to announce that we won!
Today's decision is a landmark one which will be of significance to hundreds of non-deployed Gulf War Veterans who have been fighting for almost 18 years to have their condition recognised by the Service Personnel and Veterans' Agency.
I will post further details latter, for now I'm going to pop a few champagne corks with my "client" (who also happens to be my little sister) - so I will probably be unfit to blog until tomorrow!
The tribunal was heard today and I am overjoyed to announce that we won!
Today's decision is a landmark one which will be of significance to hundreds of non-deployed Gulf War Veterans who have been fighting for almost 18 years to have their condition recognised by the Service Personnel and Veterans' Agency.
I will post further details latter, for now I'm going to pop a few champagne corks with my "client" (who also happens to be my little sister) - so I will probably be unfit to blog until tomorrow!
06/12/2008
Poems and Politics - Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien
Those of you who eagerly await my pearls of wisdom are going to be disappointed until after Christmas. Apart from Christmas being a busy time for parents and apart from the MOF suffering from a stinking cold, I have a lot on my plate at the moment. The most interesting task being a War Pensions Appeal Tribunal next week that I am the rep for, which should prove significant to the Gulf War Syndrome debate whatever the outcome - details will be posted after the verdict!
The other thing that I am trying to fit in around my blogging time is a course on revising schooldays French. When I learned French at school I learned a lot of songs - Sur la Pont d'Avignon and Frere Jacques in class and - Mademoiselle from Armentieres in the school yard! Here is a French song that fits in with my Poems and Politics thread on the blog as it was used as an exit quote by Norman Lamont a long time ago - so it is political!
No! No regrets
No! I will have no regrets
All the things
That went wrong
For at last I have learned to be strong
No! No regrets
No! I will have no regrets
For the grief doesn't last
It is gone
I've forgotten the past
And the memories I had
I no longer desire
Both the good and the bad
I have flung in a fire
And I feel in my heart
That the seed has been sown
It is something quite new
It's like nothing I've known
No! No regrets
No! I will have no regrets
All the things that went wrong
For at last I have learned to be strong
No! No regrets
No! I will have no regrets
For the seed that is new
It's the love that is growing for you
The other thing that I am trying to fit in around my blogging time is a course on revising schooldays French. When I learned French at school I learned a lot of songs - Sur la Pont d'Avignon and Frere Jacques in class and - Mademoiselle from Armentieres in the school yard! Here is a French song that fits in with my Poems and Politics thread on the blog as it was used as an exit quote by Norman Lamont a long time ago - so it is political!
No! No regrets
No! I will have no regrets
All the things
That went wrong
For at last I have learned to be strong
No! No regrets
No! I will have no regrets
For the grief doesn't last
It is gone
I've forgotten the past
And the memories I had
I no longer desire
Both the good and the bad
I have flung in a fire
And I feel in my heart
That the seed has been sown
It is something quite new
It's like nothing I've known
No! No regrets
No! I will have no regrets
All the things that went wrong
For at last I have learned to be strong
No! No regrets
No! I will have no regrets
For the seed that is new
It's the love that is growing for you
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