2691 days ago
Here I am in Shipston with my father who enjoys bearcasts if they mention him so just for that reason I record again. His faux political correctness is exposed by the issue of coverage of women's cricket in The Guardian - the dreadful newspaper he has delivered to try to fool my family of public sector "working" lefties that he is one of them. In terms of the market I look at Carillion (CLLN) and 88 Energy (88E). Shares in both companies are collapsing today and I look at why and at what lessons folks should be learning. You could so easily have avoided losing money on both. Please note Malcolm Stacey and other Ocado (OCDO) bulls, lesson one on Carillion is for you. I also make it clear that while he may have some of the attributes of a Bulletin Board Moron as he showed HERE, Evil Knievil is not, in fact, a BBM, I was just joshing him when I suggested otherwise. En passant I look at MySquar (MYSQ) and explain why today's exposes HERE and HERE may refer to events a long time ago but are pertinent.
2812 days ago
My father was bracing himself all day and watched the rugby to the bitter end. Today he will be with the rest of Shipston's small Irish community in the Horseshoe drowning their sorrows and wishing Scotland the best of luck against the Old Enemy. I could not watch after half time such was my sense of foreboding and - to the delight of the Mrs - switched to watch a Miss Marple I had seen many times before. The Alzheimer's is still at bay, I knew the killer at once and even why he did it.
2865 days ago
At home with Joshua, the Mrs and i regale our son with the nursery rhymes we knew as children. I guess we both grew up in households that were, in many ways, small c conservative, whatever my mother's views on self sufficiency and other throw offs from the hippy world of the late sixties. To these rhymes we add my own creations. The first verse of yesterday's was:
2969 days ago
Please God, bring on the asteroid strike that ends humanity. Today's news that makes me despair for the way the West is falling apart is from a guide produced by James Madison University in the USA for group leaders to help first year students get used to life on campus. Here are 35 things they are not allowed to say. You will just cring and despair.
2984 days ago
I have had an on off battle with my weight for forty years. 2016 has not been my best year. The scores on the doors as we head through September are Fat 8 TW 1. Giving up smoking on February 15th was a great thing to do but I put on a few pounds in the Spring. In May and June I worked hard in the fields at the Greek hovel and managed to shed much of the post smoking gain. Since then, comfort eating, and the odd cider, with a bereaved father and with a pregnant wife has been bad news indeed. But enough is enough. The fight back is underway.
3050 days ago
The route from Shipston to the hospice in Myton takes you past Warwick School which I attended between eight and eighteen. As I headed back to my father yesterday, having picked up the effects of my step mother and a death certificate, curiosity got the better of me and I swung left into the Car Park of the Junior School which cares for you between 7 and 11.
The place has changed beyond all recognition. It is far smarter and more developed than in my day when three of the classrooms (those of Miss Jagger, Mr Wilkins and Mrs Birt) were portacabins. Some things remain. There are wickets painted in white on the wall of what was "the New Gym" but is now the Sports Centre which faces on the junior school playground. Or what is now the playground, we used to have two. The second, where the violent game of British Bulldog, now I am sure banned, was played is now a car park.
As I looked at the video display on the wall of another new building, I saw pictures of boys on ski trips and school trips to Russia and India. In my day it was Telford Gorge or the Museums in London or maybe just a short walk up to Warwick Castle.
The old outdoor pool has gone, replaced by an indoor facility. Political correctness
3051 days ago
Oh no, Wildes is going to have to report me to the FCA once again for market abuse in awarding the prize, a signed photo of Oakley, to myself. This contest was on my mind following news that once again a "foreign cat" has entered the house through Oakley's cat flap. What would Farage say? "These Bulgarian cats get everywhere, political correctness gone mad...mine's a pint." Anyhow the winning entry - from the many submitted HERE - to the photo below is from me and is:
3079 days ago
The Mrs is sitting in the room and thinks my analogy is a bit sexist. Fecking political correctness gone mad, that is what I say. In today's bearcast I cover, in some detail, African Potash (AFPO), Avanti Communications (AVN) and Fitbug (FITB).
3112 days ago
As ever, my friend Mark Slater provided one of the highlights of the UK Investor Show although I am starting to worry that as we approach fifty he is showing a few alarming signs of political correctness. You will really enjoy this presentation.
3164 days ago
It was less than 24 hours after the Brussels attacks when the Mrs and I arrived at Gawtck at 4.30 AM. Given the images we had seen on our TV screens for almost the entire previous day, being in the departure lounge of an international airport was not exactly our preferred location but needs must.
As we wandered towards the terminal a guy rushed past us in a real hurry shouting loudly down his cell phone in arabic. I gave a bit of a double take and was glad he was rushing away from me. Is that racist? I am terribly sorry
3672 days ago
I sense that this video will not go down well in all quarters. A woman talking total rot on Any Questions prompts me to outline views which will not win friends in all quarters.
The UK Muslim Community must not be demonised - nearly all British Muslims are good folks. But on the other hand the way that we have approached matters such as the child abuse scandals of Rotherham etc. and also ISIS recruitment do not assist. Political correctness has been highly counterproductive but the failure of the Muslim community to speak out has also been damaging. This must change. We cannot sweep such issues under the carpet any more.
Tom’s financial video postcard covers a different sort of denial. The state of mind of investors in a stock that is plunging, And yes Tom does refer to a well-known fraudulent solar panels to insurance come telematics come golf company beginning with Q, That video can be watched HERE
3911 days ago
My poor cats, they must be getting culturally confused. Tara & Oakley were born in the Isle of Man although like 99% of Manx Cats they have full tails. Rescued by me from the MSPCA they then came over to England with me but having to watch me heaping abuse on England whenever the rugby is on. So are we Irish daddy?
Of course on Sunday they will suffer extra confusion as this household stands shoulder to shoulder with our Celtic brothers in Wales. Come on the sheep shaggers please put the old enemy to the sword. Humiliate them!
But the confusion gets worse for in taking them to a new vet for their booster jabs the Mrs made the appointment. Being a deluded lefty, the Mrs is not Mrs Winnifrith but has retained her own (Indian) surname. What say you? Political correctness gone mad?
As such the cats have come back with a form showing that they too now have an Indian surname. Born Manx, naturalised English, adopted Anglo Irish and now finally Indian. Such is the melting pot that is Britain today but it is understandable if Tara and Oakley are this morning feeling a little culturally confused.
Incidentally the vet said both cats were in great nick although Oakley (the one with three legs) was a little on the plump side and could do with a bit more exercise. Plus ca change on that front.
4221 days ago
My partner is a lifelong deluded lefty. She has always voted for the People’s Party. But I can report a mini triumph of a shift away from the loons here in the Clifton Ward of Bristol.
Naturally my partner would rather drink her own urine than vote for the wicked Tories. The Lib Dem’s murdered a forest of trees in an attempt to win support for their ageing hippy of a candidate. But however many new park benches this old fool has managed to get set up around here my partner cannot forgive the Lib Dems for being in coalition with the wicked Tories so that was a non-starter.
And that left the People’s Party (no leaflet) and a nice young man with a Polish name standing for UKIP. He promised to end political correctness on the Council which I though sounded like a good idea although my partner was not so sure. And he also promised to end immigration from Eastern Europe. I guess he doesn’t like his relatives much.
4413 days ago
Another day and another daft PC missive from an organisation that you once respected. This time it is the Boy Scouts that makes one despair for Britain. The Scouts want to ban nicknames because that can lead to bullying. Oh please…
My brief foray into the Scouts saw some stern ex soldier take us for walks where we made “secret signs” with sticks so that only fellow Scouts could follow the trail. A few more years of that and I am sure that I too could have ended up like “Bear Grylls” who is apparently the Chief Scout today but must henceforth be known as Edward – for that is his real name. We would not want poor Bear to get put upon.
Apparently these days Scouts earn badges for things like recycling. All very twenty first century. And the Scouts now have a chief “safeguarding” officer Sam Marks who claims that
4532 days ago
At the start of the game I was supporting England. After 120 minutes I felt that it would have been a monstrous injustice had Italy not gone through. Over 90 minutes and 120 minutes they were by far the better side and deserved to win. They showed flair and were a pleasure to watch. Italian playmaker Andre Pirto was just a delight – his ultra-cool penalty kick completed a game which he dominated with a cool brilliance which was just inspiring. The commentators reaction was that England are only “average” – hmmm.
Italy are not a great side, not even a great Italian side. But they are very good. As are the other 3 semi-finalists. My heart wants Italy to defeat Germany and then Spain in the final. My head expects a Spain v Germany final and in that game I think Spain should win and I pray it does win as a) they are the best side in the tournament and b) they are not Germany.
4552 days ago
It seems as if my cats and I are going to relocate to Oxford. It is the City of my birth and I grew up in a series of villages within 40 miles of here and went to University here so I know the area well. And now I am back here. There are worse places. Cambridge obviously springs to mind. And so on this cold bank holiday a family trip was organised to the Pitt Rivers Museum.
