Forget your poncey global warming, famine, war, tsunami, hurricane and asteriod collisions. In fact, lump them all together and it still wouldn't touch this.
If the methane bubble—a bubble that could be as big as 20 miles wide—erupts with titanic force from the seabed into the Gulf, every ship, drilling rig and structure within the region of the bubble will immediately sink. All the workers, engineers, Coast Guard personnel and marine biologists participating in the salvage operation will die instantly.
Better cash in your investments and enjoy them while you can!
A peaceful anti racist shouting and screaming abuse in Kilmarnock railway station. (whilst hiding behind the police, a camera and a misunderstanding of what hypocrisy actually means)
ANTI-FASCIST campaigners have lodged an official complaint over the policing of the Scottish Defence League demonstration in Kilmarnock last month.
In their letter to Chief Constable Stephen House, the Scottish Anti-Fascist Alliance claim the police decision to escort the far-right demonstrators from Kilmarnock Cross to their meeting place at the Portmann Hotel amounted to them facilitating “an illegal march by a racist organisation”.
They state: “There were many activists present with the intention of making sure that the SDL would be unable to cause disruption and spread hatred.
“In the event, the priority of the police on the day was the containment of anti-racists, allowing the fascist SDL space to chant racist abuse, which clearly breached equality legislation and constituted incitement to racial hatred.
“There were also many clear incidents where SDL member made threats of violence.”
The group say that the police could not have been unaware of the presence in Kilmarnock on June 19 of “serious and organised far-right thugs ... such as members of the ‘British Freedom Fighters’, a hardcore Nazi organisation”.
There had also been threats of violence made by the same people since the demonstration.
The SAFA letter states; “There is copious evidence online and, if police intelligence gathering on these thugs is so woefully inadequate on the threat they pose, we can provide links to publicly available material.”
They also complain of “heavy handed” policing of anti-fascist campaigners, whose freedom of movement had been “severely curtailed”.
The letter continues: “In at least one incident the police focused all their attention on the harassment of non-violent anti-fascists, allowing a group of violent fascist thugs to come dangerously close to those they had pledged to physically attack.”
SAFA also express concern that the ‘official’ Kilmarnock and Loudoun United counter-demonstration was denied the use of Kilmarnock Cross.
They point out that the SDL had no permission to hold a march and ask: “Why then did the police see fit to facilitate them in holding an illegal march whilst shouting racial abuse and making Nazi salutes?
“Until the police can provide us with a coherent alternative narrative, we are forced to conclude that your priority on the day was protecting fascists and racists, whilst controlling the actions of non-violent anti-racists.”
They contrast the police action in Kilmarnock with that of the police at previous SDL demonstrations in Glasgow and Edinburgh where the group had been contained before being bussed out of town.
Although the letter of complaint has already been sent to the chief constable, anti-fascist campaigners hope to present it at Kilmarnock police station over the next few days.
Strathclyde Police made no arrests on the day and there was no obvious signs of trouble or violence. The Force said the operation was a success.
A Strathclyde Police spokeswoman said on Tuesday that the force had not yet received the complaint so would be unable to comment.
Every time a story like this gets a bit of coverage I'm always surprised at the, umm, surprise from various people.
It's certainly not news to me, nor I suppose your good self, that the less you earn the more the state will give you and the more you earn the more the state will take from you. (Note, I said the less you earn the more the state will give you).
So where is the incentive?
Incentive for what? No, not the incentive to earn a decent crust, there is none. Only a fool, (ie, me and probably you), would.
I mean the incentive to deal with the madness that is the welfare system? The ConDem Abomination are making some noises on the issue but we all know that nothing of substance will happen. Yeah, one or two 'reforms' to certain parts of the system will be introduced to appease the Daily Hate brigade and to ensure that they can say that they have 'done something'.
The bare fact is, any attempt by any political party to properly reform the welfare system is political suicide. Too many battles for votes are waged on the welfare battlefield.
So what to do?
Yes, it's a tough one. Only workers earning over X amount should be allowed to vote? The votes of those on benefits/tax credits only count as a half? Very draconian stuff.
When Liebore were pulled away, kicking and screaming, from the levers of power my heart skipped a little beat. I hoped that things would change for the better.
Well, after a lot of meaningless words it would seem that things are not going to change for the better after all
So, I declare that the honeymoon period amnesty is over. Fuck Cameron. Fuck Clegg. Fuck the ConDem Abomination. Fuck them all.
With thanks to Subrosa for spotting this earlier today, (I've been struck down with manflu and have barely looked at the news).
From the Sunday Herald,
Two businessmen who have given former council leader Steven Purcell a post with their charity are at the centre of a row over a £1.7 million land deal.
It emerged yesterday Allan Stewart and Stephen McKenna have given Purcell the role.
They denied this was “payback” for the council paying one of their firms for land needed for the Commonwealth Games.
However the Sunday Herald can reveal that after the council backed the deal a Stewart & McKenna company gave £5000 to the Labour party.
Stewart also donated £4100 to his local Labour branch in East Kilbride.
According to the Electoral Commission, the pair made no donations before the land sale.
On November 10, 2006, Glasgow’s Executive Committee approved a £1.7m payment to Stewart & McKenna (Dalmarnock) Ltd for a plot of land in the East End, £350,000 more than the firm had paid for it a year earlier.
It was “not originally considered to be required,” a council report said. But after advice from Games consultants, it was deemed “central” to the event.
On 30 November 2006, the East Kilbride Labour party accepted £4,100 from Allan Stewart.
Five months later, Scottish Labour took £5,000 from Stewart & McKenna Ltd.
Stephen McKenna told the Sunday Herald Purcell would not be paid for his work for the pair’s charity, the Stewart & McKenna Foundation, and denied any connection between the land deal and donations to Labour.
Once again, it would seem that the way to get things done in my neck of the woods is to make sure that you have a friend in high places. As these 'high places' are the dozen or so local authorities that cluster around Glasgow the 'friends' you need will be of the councillor variety and, to narrow it down, a Labour councillor.
Readers, it is my pleasure to present to you another in a long line of 'controversial' local politicians of the socialist variety. Councillor Jim Docherty of South Lanarkshire council.
Sunny Jim, ( he does have a cheery grin. I would too if my house was worth £320,000), appears to be very friendly with a local property developer chappie called James Kean. Councillor Docherty was most anxious to ensure that any planning applications submitted by Mr Kean's business connections sailed through unchallenged.
It is perhaps prudent to mention at this point that Councillor Docherty is a 'long standing and influential member of the planning committee' as well as chairman of the estates committee.
SNP councillors eventually complained about his behaviour at planning meetings. Some of the allegations against him are as follows -
3. The persons complaining (“the complainants”) alleged that, when a particular planning application came before the meeting of East Kilbride Area Committee on 30 January 2008 for consideration, the respondent tried to lobby support from other councillors and conducted himself in a manner that was aggressive, bullying and disrespectful to other councillors and to staff. The first and third complainants pointed out that the Labour Councillors on the Area Committee all voted as a block in support of the application and questioned whether the party whip had been used for this purpose.
4. The complainants’ specific allegations were that the respondent did not speak through the Chair that he interrupted and spoke over other councillors and that he behaved like a bully.
5. The complainants’ allegations were supported in some measure by Councillor Gordon Simpson who took an opposing view to the respondent and proposed the successful amendment to refuse the application. He stated that the respondent interrupted the discussion, failed to respect other councillors and acted in an aggressive manner, although he added that the respondent’s conduct was of no consequence to him (Councillor Simpson).
There are now calls for him to resign. Personally I would think a police investigation is in order. There is numerous comparisons to what is happening in South Lanarkshire to what happened in Glasgow under Stephen Purcell's watch.
The scary thing about all of this is, how much more of this is still to be uncovered?
A gay and lesbian centre is facing closure over financial irregularities.
An audit at Glasgow’s Castro Centre revealed non-payment of staff tax and national insurance, excessive mobile phone bills and bills to a gaming firm.
The centre, headed by an ally of former council chief Steven Purcell, is on the brink of closure over financial irregularities.
The Castro Centre in Bell Street, Glasgow, headed by councillor Ruth Black, is expected to shut within a week over concerns that staff wages have been deducted yet no tax paid. It follows information passed to Glasgow City Council by a whistleblower.
Ruth Black? That name rings a bell. Let me think....
A group pulled together by Black – who left Tommy Sheridan’s Solidarity to join Labour – secured £50,000 to run the centre last October, despite not being a fully set-up organisation. She had run a previous incarnation of the centre, but quit in December 2007.
The centre went bust at the end of last year with outstanding debts of more than £300,000.
Fifty grand? Of tax payers money? Lovely Jubbly.
Last night, asked about the new allegations, Ms Black said: “There are no irregularities.”
