Rants

I see that the president of Tanzania has announced that in future, the rangers who attempt to protect the wild life in Tanzania's national parks will be operating a "shoot-to-kill" policy with regard to the numerous poachers that are operating there.  I fully applaud this announcement: these poachers have killed and indeed are killing, a vast number of elephants for the Chinese ivory trade.  Recently these vermin went so far as to poison a water-hole with cyanide; disgusting.

Even more disgusting some booby announced that such a policy would "infringe" the human rights of the poaching scum.  What utter bollocks!  What "human rights?"  It's so simple: DON'T POACH AND DON'T GET SHOT.  The Chinese government could (but won't) do something about this distressing business; in fact the Chinese government is generally very consistent in being unhelpful - e.g. as in the case of Syria or its support for the repellent "Dr" Robert Mugabe.

Next, the Advertising Standards Authority has decided to ban the Home Office campaign which warned illegal imigrants that they should clear out.  Why?  Just as with the poachers it's simple: DON'T ARRIVE HERE ILLEGALLY - WE DO NOT WANT YOU.

Until the next time

A Bit More of 9th September

WOMAN'S CONSTANCY.
by John Donne


NOW thou hast loved me one whole day,
To-morrow when thou leavest, what wilt thou say ?
Wilt thou then antedate some new-made vow ?
            Or say that now
We are not just those persons which we were ?
Or that oaths made in reverential fear
Of Love, and his wrath, any may forswear ?
Or, as true deaths true marriages untie,
So lovers' contracts, images of those,
Bind but till sleep, death's image, them unloose ?
            Or, your own end to justify,
For having purposed change and falsehood, you
Can have no way but falsehood to be true ?
Vain lunatic, against these 'scapes I could
            Dispute, and conquer, if I would ;
            Which I abstain to do,
For by to-morrow I may think so too.

************************************

Until the next time.

9th September 2013

THE HILL



Breathless, we flung us on the windy hill,
Laughed in the sun, and kissed the lovely grass.
You said, "Though glory and ecstasy we pass;
Wind, sun and earth remain, the birds sing still,
When we are old, are old...." And when we die
All's over that is ours; and life burns on
Through other lovers, other lips," said I,
-- "Heart of my heart, our heaven is now, is won."

"We are earth's best, that learnt her lesson here.
Life is our cry. We have kept the faith!" we said;
"We shall go down with unreluctant tread
Rose-crowned into the darkness!" ... Proud we were,
And laughed, that had such brave true things to say.
-- And then suddenly you cried, and turned away.

Until the next time

Syria

On reflection, I consider that a military strike - even a so-called surgical strike (if at all possible) - against Bashar al-Assad's horrible regime would not be a good idea.  I believe that the Syrian government, or at least elements of the Syrian military are responsible for the awful chemical attacks carried out last week since I am convinced that rebels do not have the means for such attacks.

Nevertheless, there are it seems, terrible people on both sides, and given the likelihood of collateral damage and deaths possibly of innocents, I can see that all an attack would do would be further to entrench opinions there, and were such attacks to result in the substantial weakening or even removal of al-Assad, in no time at all there would be another bunch of medieval extremists in charge with their stupid Sharia Laws, who would continue to wage war - as they have done for 1300 years - on their ideological opponents - Sunni or Shia, take your pick.

As for Mr Miliband's performance in the House of Commons yesterday, I see him as a nasty little opportunist turncoat and appeaser.

And the people of Syria will continue to suffer, victims of an ideology that is a 1000 years out of date.

Until the next time

30.viii.2011 - 30.viii.2013

Oh frabjous day,
Calloo callay!


Until the next time

The Ashes 2013

I'm very disappointed to see the final Ashes match called off for bad light with just four overs remaining, with England having every chance to win - albeit with an effort.  Surely the ICC must now review the absurd light laws which it has instituted.

But I offer my compliments to Australian captain Michael Clarke for his very sporting declaration at tea today, which in my view was in the best spirit of the Game.

Until the next time.