Sovereign Debt

Sure I do not know what all the fuss and talk of billions and trillions is about.
A sovereign debt is a sovereign debt. The man from the IMF wants his pound of flesh. It is only a bob or two or twenty. Herself always said I was a whiz with the money.

Talking about a sack of potatoes perhaps we could help things with a sack of me Ma's finest; perhaps a wee note -

Best wishes from Fianna Fail.
Brian and Brian XXX.

There that should do it!

Stop Whingeing

According to a report on Her Gracious Majesty's Imperial Wireless Broadcasting Website Lord Young of Graffham stated that Britons 'never had it so good'. Up to a point, Lord Young, up to a point. He was, of course, reprimanded by the ever lovely Dave MacCameroon our boyish prime minister. I believe Lord Young was in trade before putting on the ermine!

Another little gem from Her Gracious Majesty's Imperial Wireless Broadcasting Home Service.

Who on earth would have a loyalty card to Hades?
Buddhists!

From Bleak Expectations - a suitably titled comment on our situation.

Later
The noble Lord Young
Stuck his trotter in the dung
He claimed they’ve never had it so good
Now he’s roast pork, period!

A Good Time Had By All

These are interesting times.
These are momentous times.
These times will be remembered.
I hope that the incident here, in which Paul Farelly MP allegedly defends his honour, integrity and physical person in the PoW , passes into the language.

The altercation is described as taking place at a karaoke party at Parliament's Sports and Social club. It sounds like a real doozie. I can see the excuses flying:

How did you get that black eye?
At a karaoke party at the PoW Sports and Social club!

Where did you meet such a slapper, he(she) is just so not your type?
At a karaoke party at the PoW Sports and Social club!

Where did you say the minister stood on the table, hitched her skirt into her knickers, danced in the Cossack style and sang the red flag?
At a karaoke party at the PoW Sports and Social club!

Snuff will no longer be kicked about at wakes it will head straight for - a karaoke party at the PoW Sports and Social club!

Well, in Hard Times it's good to know someone is having fun - and where would that be?
All together now...

Caps for All!

I had a thought the other day, yes I know get the wisecracks out of the way now.

If they are going to cap housing benefit which will take us back to the 1960's, Rackmanism, real suffering, families in bed and breakfast and another generation of .....
Well. you've heard it all before and you still did b****r all.

Why don't we cap tax allowances. Now I'm a wishy washy liberal and would not want to see anyone suffer so would peg this at the personal allowance, as it is, plus very specific allowances related to age, and health. But I suppose some ejit in the treasury is going to say such a move would cause untold suffering to those with grouse moors to support, lots of sprogs to put money in trust for and the creators of wealth..... They would go elsewhere to create wealth. So why don't we say £100k to begin with, just to give us a peg to hang this on. You can use it to claim on superannuation, sprogs or spread it around. Just a thought!

Made in Dagenham

We stumbled into our local flea pit to see this film. I had mistakenly taken it to be a tribute to our glorious, past and now failing leaderette, (one stop beyond Barking). That mistake aside I sat down to a very inspiring little film. There were glorious ironies all the way through from the titles - supported by the (late) film council. (Thank god says Dave and Gideon, we don't want any ideas about solidarity and what the right people in the right place at the right time can accomplish.) I'm sure the Mrs O'Gradys etc were not quite as Sally Hawkins, for all her gawk, and her mates appeared. Toby Ziegler(Richard Schiff the token lefty of the West Wing) appearing as the ball breaking Ford's fixer. He barks -break the strike- at the oleaginous union representative who obediently goes off to shaft the women who's union dues pay for his constipated, apparatchik lifestyle.

Barbara Cartland, the erstwhile Secretary of State for Employment, chuckling at the fact that Mrs O'Grady has (borrowed) the Biba while our Babs cuts a dash with C&A.

Interesting, while we wallow, debating with the forces of darkness about fair and fairness it was the Equal Pay Act. Even so, some are still more equal than others.

Came home to slump in front of Newsnight and the delicious ironies continued like sweets flying off an abandoned dessert trolley in a playground. Paxoid was grilling a number of lefties about solidarity, unionisation and where we will go in the current round of anarchy. You can just see him wobbling his wattles as he says that word. Tariq Ali who had been soothed with the sobriquet firebrand was mumbling something about class and I thought you're past it the Terry Kelly(try saying Tariq Ali in a scouse accent!) I knew would have asked Paxoid if he was a member of the NUJ, if he intended to strike in support of BBC Journos today, and if he was scabbing would he consider a pay cut in these difficult times? And he would have kept asking those questions until Paxoid did a Sweeny on him!
Heigh Ho.

Still did enjoy the film, right down to the closing title and 'you can get it if you really want it!'

Must keep an eye out what's on next at the flea pit.
Probably some Mike Leigh shoot 'em up sex romp!