Eurovision…POP!

There have been a number of accusations levelled in the UK and elsewhere of the former Soviet-Bloc love-in that propelled Russia to the top of the voting charts in the Eurovision song contest in Serbia at the weekend. While its obvious that neighbouring countries voted for each other (better than Bombing each other which is usually the case) and that I can understand the notion that its not a level playing field when it comes to voting, I really need to say this:

IT’S A SINGING COMPETITION.

It’s not serious, it’s not like were voting in a president or something(not being serious and voting for a president I leave in the clearly capable hands of US voters), I mean look at the guy the Spanish got to do their entry(Pic Right).

Bring back Lordi I say.

Can you show me some ID please…

Have a little read of this.

This was left on the windscreen of someones car in London. I have to say to those who are trying to turn the notion of intelligent design into Science, proof of a creators existence…you really are getting desperate.

But then again God could well be our builder as it looks like he behaves like a builder. Tells you he’s coming back, but doesn’t get round to telling you when.

Can you tell what it is yet?

As the title says, what does this monument represent? This year marks the 60th Anniversary of the Berlin airlift. What piqued my interest in this was that I spoke to someone who had no idea this had happened. I thought to myself either we aren’t teaching history very well anymore or I spend too much time watching the History channel on Cable TV. Go figure.

A little history:

The airlift started on June 24th 1948 and the soviet blockade finished on May 11th 1949, with the airlift officially ending on 30th September 1949.

The amount of Supplies shifted: 2,326,406 tons of food and supplies on 278,228 total flights to Berlin to supply over two million people in the Western allied sectors of Berlin.

The Reasons?

Simply put, the Russians blocked all road, rail and canal routes into Berlin in an attempt to force the US, UK and France to relinquish west Berlin. This was in response to the Marshall plan; which was to revitalise the economy in the Allied sectors of Germany, while the Russians preferred that Germany remain as economically depressed as it was, however it was realised how important the German economy was to the rest of Europe which was suffering decline and so the Marshall plan replaced the Morgenthau plan. It really was the start of the cold war.

More information can be found here.

The monument? It is the Berlin Airlift Monument in Berlin-Tempelhof, displaying the names of the 39 British and 31 American pilots who lost their lives during the operation. Similar monuments can be found at the military airfield Wietzenbruch near the former RAF Celle and at Rhein-Main Air Base.

Mayor to end Venezuelan oil deal.

Boris Johnson will not renew an oil deal with Venezuela which provides cheap fuel for London’s buses once the agreement ends later this year. The mayor of London said half-price bus and tram fares for 250,000 Londoners on income support, which were also funded by the deal, would still be honoured.

Mr Johnson said he thought many Londoners were uncomfortable with how the scheme was funded. Former mayor Ken Livingstone signed the deal at City Hall in February 2007. In return, a team of officials from the Greater London Authority agreed to work in Venezuela advising on recycling, waste management, traffic and on reducing carbon emissions.

Mr Johnson said: “I think many Londoners felt uncomfortable about the bus operation of one of the world’s financial powerhouses being funded by the people of a country where many people live in extreme poverty. “I simply think there are better ways of benefiting Londoners and better ways of benefiting Venezuelans.” He added: “We will continue to offer the half-priced travel concession to Londoners on income support for the duration for which the deal was originally planned, and will continue to improve the capital’s transport system and ensure that it is accessible and able to meet the needs of all those who rely on it.”

The current deal is due to conclude on 20 August. Mr Livingstone attacked the decision not to renew the deal.

He said: “It shows that he is more interested in pursuing his right-wing ideological agenda than improving the living standards of the most deprived people in the capital.

“The fact that the first significant action by Johnson’s Tory regime is against the poorest people in the capital is highly significant as is the cowardly way he has made the announcement on bank holiday Sunday without any consultation with the organisations representing the thousands of carers, single parents and others affected.”

Mr Livingstone added: “The suggestion that Johnson is motivated by any concern about the people of Venezuela is just a lie shown by the fact that he is withdrawing all technical support and advice provided by London under this agreement.”

Whether some people in London don’t like the oil deal with Venezuela is not entirely known, but what is certain is its more to do with Mr Johnson and his new cronies feeling uncomfortable in dealing with Socialist Chavez.

So how come the places like the US state of Massachusetts signed a deal Venezuela to provide cheap heating oil to poor households and that Similar deals were also signed in Boston and New York? They are comfortable with it. Why not Johnson?

Buy One, Get Gun Free.

A car dealership in the United States is offering a free handgun with every vehicle sold.

Max Motors in Butler, Missouri, says sales have quadrupled since the start of the offer. Customers can choose between a gun or a $250 (£125) gas card, but most so far have chosen the gun. Owner Mark Muller said: “We’re just damn glad to live in a free country where you can have a gun if you want to.”

He recommends a Kel-Tec .380 pistol, which he describes as “a nice little handgun that fits in your pocket”.

He added that the promotion was inspired by recent comments from one of the Democratic nominees for the presidential election, saying: “We did it because of Barack Obama. “He said all those people in the Midwest, you’ve got to have compassion for them because they’re clinging to their guns and their Bibles. I found that quite offensive. We all go to church on Sunday and we all carry guns.”

I’m quite glad I live in a country where Gun ownership is illegal. What I find unsurprising but amusing is the Guns and Church business. They haven’t quite got peaceful religion bit, but then again I suppose these people from the “fly-over states” have to have guns in case the Federal Government tries something to their disliking.

I don’t care what the likes of the NRA says, Guns in the hands of good or bad people gives that person the capability to kill easily.

Consequences.

In the UK, a cross-party attempt to ban hybrid human animal embryos was defeated on a free vote, by 336 to 176 in the house of Commons on Monday. I know there is a moral issue with some of the more religious MP’s, but the only moral here for me is that the research could potentially lead to cures for a number of diseases.

But onto the next point. The vote on the abortion limit being cut down was defeated. The trouble with reducing the limit for example is that the vote could have suceeded for reducing the limit to twenty two weeks, then a few years later a vote could be for reducing it more and so on until one day an outright ban would be up for voting on. Of course this is what “pro-life” campaigners want, the give them an inch scenario…

My sympathies lie with the rights of Women. I must point out that I am not Pro or Anti-abortion, but I would say that it is the right of the Woman to make that kind of choice and it is no one else’s.

The MP that has been most vocal on the abortion issue is Nadine Dorries and her 20 weeks campaign. What has been noticed most of all regarding her campaign is firstly the flimsy science she has used to promote the agenda and secondly the people behind the agenda she is promoting, a group called Christian Concern For Our Nation. CCFON are what is best described as Christian Fundamentalists and groups like them have been working their way into the Conservative party and reaching the upper echelons of the party.

So was the 20 weeks campaign really about abortion, or does it show a glimpse of wider implications?

We may think that the UK is a liberal, secular country, but the fundamentalists aim to embed themselves into the political establishment and over the longer term, push through piecemeal changes to roll back equal rights for gays and women. I would say that the fundamentalists may not have that kind of influence over a possible incoming Tory Government, but what has happened with the 20 weeks campaign could be seen as the shape of things to come.

With the very real possibility of the Conservative party winning the next election, the next round of rights reduction could be around the corner, so when you mark X on the voting slip will you only be thinking of Health, education and crime or will you notice what else the cat may drag in?