Akmal Shaikh - mentally ill man facing death penalty in China.

 

Gordon Brown is pulling out the stops to stop the sentence.

 

Gary McKinnon - mentally ill man facing extradition & 20 year prison sentence (a virtual death sentence?) in the USA.

 

Gordon Browns government is pulling out all the stops to effect the extradition.

 

Am I alone in thinking this is just a tad inconsistent?

Greg Lakes 1975 hit "I believe in Father Christmas" (reached no 2 in the Christmas Chart) is just about my favourite seasonal song.

 

I think it works on several levels.

 

Lake intended it as a protest against the commercialisation of Christmas which gives a certain irony to it being a Christmas hit.

 

The images of the Vietnam war create quite a contrast to what is ostensibly a peaceful song.

 

Finally the use of the "Troika" piece from Prokofiev between the verses is, I think, inspired.

 

Enjoy

 

 

This appeared on You Tube & Iain Dale's website & made me smile...........

 

 

Listening to the radio over the last 24 hours it seems people in Hertfordshire have had a very mixed experience with the County Councils road gritting exercise.

 

This morning the traffic reports advised that great stretches of the A41 near Kings Langley and Tring were closed and this evening various callers into Radio 5 Live were asking where the Hertfordshire gritters were?

 

Last night I experienced a tricky journey home from Hoddesdon - the A10 had blizzard conditions with settling snow & Brookfield Lane West near Tesco's was like a skating rink - even our 4x4 was wobbling around on the ice, snow & slush.

 

However, this morning the gritting lorries had clearly been out and about and the drive from Cheshunt to Hoddesdon was absolutely trouble free.

 

This evening the main roads again seemed to be in good condition in our little corner of South East Herts.

 

Overall I haven't too much to complain about with the County Councils efforts - the bus routes and main roads in the Broxbourne District seem more or less OK and I have seen several gritting lorries in Hoddesdon, Broxbourne and Cheshunt.

 

I am sure that other people will have other views and have had other experiences but from my seat I have to give a (tentative) thumbs up to the Highways Department at County Hall.

 

 

H'mmmm we shall see.

 

Am I being slightly cynical in thinking that the excuse of "national security" will see much of B Liars "evidence" never seeing the light of day?