Recession is Almost Over - Who are they Kidding?

I see the BBC and our wretched Government are still peddling the myth that the recession is just about over.  They were gutted when the economy contracted again last quarter, after constantly blowing smoke up our arse for weeks beforehand that it would grow.

So much for that bastard Brown's "best placed country to beat the recession" bullshit.  We're now the only major Global Economy still in recession and yet the State Broadcaster hardly raises a peep in protest.  Of course, the recession only hits one part of the population - the wealth creating, heavy tax paying private sector. 

No wonder the BBC, Government and Public Sector think it hasn't been too bad out there.  But you watch them squeal like piggies at the abattoir when they don't get their usual inflation busting pay rises next year.  We'll have the power mad Union Barrons all over the airwaves demanding a 1970s "everyone out" scotched earth policy.  I'm sure the rest of us will get by if the Romany Travellers Equality Diversity Yoghurt Knitting Breast Feeding Street Football Co-Ordinators go off on strike for a couple of days.

Back in the real world and working in recruitment I think I'm well positioned to judge, let me tell you the bad news.  It's not getting any better.  There's still a lot of people being made redundant.  Every day we have desperate people phoning and emailing looking for work, applying for jobs they don't have any experience for, but I can understand why they do it.  It's because they are desperate to work.  Fancy that eh - people in this country with the ethics and dignity to want to work.  They are becoming a minority that's for sure. 

Just to keep the downbeat mood going, I can't see an improvement in the first half of next year.  With a General Election on its way and up here the oil price still all over the shop, nothing will settle down till Q3 2010 at the earliest.  If they don't get their own way Unison and their ilk will be out on the streets by then, especially if we have a Tory Government.  What fun.  By the way, anyone know when a Recession becomes a Depression?

Music tonight is from Indie Icons James - "Laid".  Requested by an avid reader of the blog because of the "awesome drums".  And I have to say I agree.

Sports Fans = Neanderathals

Donal Og Cusack, the goalkeeper of the Cork hurling team has "came out" in the Irish Media today and it has sparked fierce debate in the Emerald Isle. Reporting about it on the BBC website, BBC Ireland correspondent Mark Simpson ends his screed with the following:

"Apart from some homophobic text messages sent to radio stations, the overwhelming reaction to Cusack's announcement has been positive.

However, in some ways, the biggest test could be the opposition crowd's reaction the next time he runs out on the pitch for Cork.

In most sports across the world, rival fans are not renowned for their open-mindedness. "

This really reinforced a discussion I had at the Aberdeen match yesterday with two of the followers to this blog. At Scottish Football matches you are bombarded with messages on bigotry, racism, homophobia, in fact an "ism" or "phobia" you can think of.

The media and administrator's label for sports fans and in particular football fans, is they are all narrow minded brain dead scum who require to be battered into submission by "on message" information to show them how thick and bigoted they are.

The people who "run" football in our country have a simple maxim for the average football fan: "you are stupid and gullible, we will treat you with utter contempt, now give us your money and keep quiet."

In these people's minds sport's fans read the Sun and Sport, watch "celebrity Jordan and Peter Big Brother can't cook on ice" and go out and batter pensioners and ethnic minorities of a weekend, whilst "binge drinking"..........

It really is an insult to the vast majority of football fans. Of course there are people who watch football who you can label as above, but it's the same for all sectors of society.

Here's hoping the fans of one of the oldest sports in the world confound the media's perceptions and give Donal a rousing reception when he minds the net again for Cork, give him a ribbing if he makes a mistake and then have a pint of the black stuff at the end of the game with him and discuss the merits of Joyce, Shaw and Beckett. Mark Simpson might be aghast to know this thick as pig shit football fan has read Ulysses - didn't understand a word of it........... :o)

Music tonight is You're the Devil in Disguise by Elvis. A less well known track, it's one of the few 7" singles my mum and dad had from the King. I played it to death as a kid. Still love it now. Listen to the drums in the backing track to the chorus, sublime.

Playing into the Hands of the BNP

So, did you watch Question Time last night? Predictably, the "mainstream" parties (and the 'neutral' chairman of the panel Dimbleby) walked straight into the BNP's hands by attacking Griffin in the style of a lynch mob.

Griffin is an unsavoury character. In amongst the platitudes of 'moderating' his party last night there was a nod towards Holocaust denial. He is a politician all right.

So the way to neutralise him and his party is to engage them in a debate about their policies. Last night was the perfect chance to do so. Instead the BBC loaded their panel and audience with people whose hatred for the BNP clouded their judgement and ability to debate. Instead it became an all out attack on Griffin. He wasn't allowed to talk without interruption, so in effect got away scot-free.

Many viewers will have had sympathy for him because of the "performance" of the other panellists and therefore his reputation was wrongly enhanced. Jack Straw in particular was a disgrace, waffling and pontificating at every turn.

The liberal elite in this country of all political hues really do not have a clue. They sit in their ivory towers and multi-million pound houses in Notting Hill, pontificating over a Grande Latte about the disgrace the "extreme right wing" are.

Meanwhile in many working class areas (especially in England) there are genuine concerns over where this country is heading. Many of these people aged 50 and above have seen such fundamental change in the demographic of the country it is understandable they are worried. However if any of them try and speak about their concerns they are pilloried as "racists".

The BNP prey on this and the way the "establishment" act over immigration and multiculturalism only exacerbates the situation. And then they wonder why almost a million people voted for the BNP at the Euro Elections - many of whom I have no doubt do not know exactly what the party stands for.

It's hard to believe I know but we've seen the BNP in action here in rural Deeside! There was a local council election not long ago and I had the misfortune to be walking down to the local shop for the Sunday paper. A clapped out Transit van was sitting in the car park with a BNP sticker on the window. 4 or 5 middle aged denim clad men (jean suits are soooooooo 80s) were standing outside the van. I have to admit they intimidated me, so goodness knows how it would be for a pensioner answering their door to them.

This is the side of the BNP you don't see. But if the mainstream parties don't get a grip and tackle the BNP about their POLICIES, instead of writing them off as racist loonies, the foothold they've already got will become an irreversible base camp.

My song choice today embraces multicultural Britain as this band were suggested to me by my American follower! She is working in this country until at least the end of the year and it's nice to see us giving the colonials some work experience!! The band are called Wilco and they do a darned good blend of country/rock. Check out I Must be High and then Impossible Germany and you'll see these guys are no one trick ponies though. Cheers Terri!

Rejoice! Only 90,000 More Unemployed!

Reading the BBC website today you might be forgiven for thinking we are living in a land of milk and honey.

In accounting the first adage you're told is "every debit must have a credit".....the BBC have used that very well today, with the following quotes:

"Unemployment figure has risen once again, but the rate of increase has slowed" (my emphasis on the but)

"The rise in the number of unemployed was the lowest since July 2008"

"While the number of people claiming benefit is now the highest since 1997, the rise compared with the previous month was the least since May 2008"

So that's all right then. Now I could let them off with this kind of "reporting" if the jobless figure went up 800. 8,000 even. But 88,000! That's around the population of Hartlepool (Peter "Fighter not a Quitter" Mandleson's old constituency).

To try and paint a picture that almost 90,000 people losing their job is some sort of positive news is an absolute disgrace. It is a shocking statistic which should have Government talking heads being taken to task by the State Broadcaster.

However you get the feeling that the BBC is very much a mouthpiece for the incumbent government. I think they fear a Conservative Government and what they might do to try and change the BBC. To be honest I don't think they should worry unduly, I can't see the Tories changing anything much, they seem a pretty spineless bunch.

But the Beeb can't take any chances and I think the next few months will see them becoming more and more like Pravda.

We'll be hearing the good news about increased tractor production in Siberia and hourly speeches from the Dear Leader before the year is out.

Music tonight comes from a left wing firebrand which Auntie Beeb would thoroughly approve of - Between the Wars by Billy Bragg.