emchi.co.uk

I’ve reduced my posting about politics, becuase, it gets me rather annoyed these days.  Still, I can’t but help post something about how utterly useless this government is. 

All they’ve ever done is take away tax rebates and tax everyone more.  I thought that was supposed to be what the *bad* Torries were supposed to do all the time?  Now they strip the 10p tax rate, say they won’t back down and now they announce that they’re going to give it back to those worse off by it? 

Then there’s inflation, which is rigged because they don’t include petrol.  If they did then we’d be looking at inflation rising alarmingly.  Basic food items are costing more, fuel is costing more, housing costs more… all the government are doing is taking money off of us to line, their own personal pockets.  Shame on them!

This government has to go, the fat moron in charge has no concept of what he’s doing, didn’t get there by being voted into power and should not be running this country.  I say it’s time for an election.  Get these stealing, incompetent swines out of power.

My body seems to attract illness like it’s going out of fashion.  Anyway, can I just say that the medical experience in Wiltshire is about a hundred times better than the experience in London.  For starters the drive to the surgery is through lovely winding country roads to the next village over, then the practice building is a big newly built place with a chemist on site.  The doctor was, dare I say this for fear of vilification, English… He took a lengthy medical history and was very pleasant.  Oh and he even used that alcohol gel on his hands before examining my stomach, something that they never did in London.  Asked about my asthma and said that I could make an appointment to have a review even if it was less than the recommended time between my last appointments.  I was very impressed with the level of service.  They seemed to have more time for people and are less harried.

I’m not about to get into a massive diatribe about the politics of NHS doctors, nor to the point where I had to complain about the treatment by one in London.  Everything about the surgery in London seemed over-stretched.  No time for appointments, no time to see anyone when you do get one, no communication, rude receptionists that sit behind glass partitions.  It was like a war zone.  I’m sure from the kinds of people sitting in the waiting area at the surgery in London the staff were tired of what they were seeing and the treatment they got from people.  The new surgery is a polar opposite. No glass on the receptionists desk, polite and friendly staff who had a smile for you, and more time with your doctor.  OK so the surgery did seem to be filled with more affluent people but why should that make any difference?  Why people feel it’s acceptable to treat someone who’s trying to help you badly is beyond me. 

Anyway, I’m now on the sofa, having done my shopping (online), emailed a couple of people and now going in search of my sheepskin boots to keep my tootsies nice and warm.

Why am I more interested in the American primaries than the politics in this country? I couldn’t honestly say, perhaps because whatever happens it’ll have a knock-on effect for us in this country.  I just don’t know.

I can’t quite see the way it’s going to go in regards of who will be selected as the relevant candidates.  I know who I would vote for if I were American.

… Didn’t ask me if they could hold the sodding election on my birthday. I think that’s most impolite.

A judge gets community service for downloading kiddy pr0n, The Blair Witch Project get the report into the Iraq war before everyone else does (cover up and conjecture coming up mest thinks), doing away with the honours system, ah things are getting bad, so they are.

So now here’s our chance to get our own back. After looking at sky news this morning, I’ve found an interesting way to end that Big Bova nonsense. A stupid amount of people are up for eviction this week. If everyone voting placed a vote for each person, then they’d all have the same percentage of votes to they’d all have to leave. wouldn’t that be nice.

I’m also feeling rather grumpy (thanks to a cold), so I’m thinking about starting a petition that stops Sky from showing those really icky Fear Factor adverts around the time that everyone is eating their dinner. It’s bad enough people watch the stupid program but to show us the stuff they do in the trailers, to people who don’t want to watch it is rather below the belt.

I missed Restoration last night because I wanted to watch Tru Calling, I won’t be making that mistake next week. I only saw the final last year and wished that I’d seen the whole thing. I think it’s really important to protect this country’s heritage sites. Some of the architecture of the past is truly breath taking and to a degree everything should be done to protect it. Well with the exception of concrete structures, I don’t like them, they always end up looking manky and covered in slime or falling to pieces. Hand carved stone work, now that is a sight to behold.

Just got this sent to me by my cousin… it made me smile on a Friday afternoon…

Gardening Rule: When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are two kinds of pedestrians — the quick and the dead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Life is sexually transmitted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An unbreakable toy is useful for breaking other toys.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If quitters never win, and winners never quit, then who is the fool who said, “Quit while you’re ahead?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Get the last word in: Apologize.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach that person to use the Internet and they won’t bother you for weeks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some people are like Slinkies . . . not really good for anything, but you still can’t help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have you noticed since everyone has a camcorder these days no one talks about seeing UFOs like they use to?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars and a substantial tax cut saves you thirty cents?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the 60’s, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AND THE # 1 THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
You read about all these terrorists — most of them came here legally, but they hung around on these expired visas, some for as long as 10-15 years.
Now, compare that to Blockbuster; you are two days late with a video and those people are all over you.
Let’s put Blockbuster in charge of immigration.

Morning all… Was musing around amongst the various places I check things on from time to time and I came across the following below (got it from a poster on empireonline forums although it original came from the independent Newspaper). I’m shocked is all I can say. I know I’ve hated the pompous twat since he got into power and disagreed with his dictatorship of America but these facts are just unbelievable, the guy is going to end up as bad as the dictator he’s just forced out of power if he’s not careful. Anyway, have a read for yourself.

George W Bush and the real state of the Union
Today the President gives his annual address. As the election battle begins, how does his first term add up?
20 January 2004

232: Number of American combat deaths in Iraq between May 2003 and January 2004

501: Number of American servicemen to die in Iraq from the beginning of the war - so far

0: Number of American combat deaths in Germany after the Nazi surrender to the Allies in May 1945

0: Number of coffins of dead soldiers returning home from Iraq that the Bush administration has allowed to be photographed

0: Number of funerals or memorials that President Bush has attended for soldiers killed in Iraq

100: Number of fund-raisers attended by Bush or Vice-President Dick Cheney in 2003

13: Number of meetings between Bush and Tony Blair since he became President

10 million: Estimated number of people worldwide who took to the streets in opposition to the invasion of Iraq, setting an all-time record for simultaneous protest

2: Number of nations that Bush has attacked and taken over since coming into the White House

9.2: Average number of American soldiers wounded in Iraq each day since the invasion in March last year

1.6: Average number of American soldiers killed in Iraq per day since hostilities began

16,000: Approximate number of Iraqis killed since the start of war

10,000: Approximate number of Iraqi civilians killed since the beginning of the conflict

$100 billion: Estimated cost of the war in Iraq to American citizens by the end of 2003

$13 billion: Amount other countries have committed towards rebuilding Iraq (much of it in loans) as of 24 October

36%: Increase in the number of desertions from the US army since 1999

92%: Percentage of Iraq’s urban areas that had access to drinkable water a year ago

60%: Percentage of Iraq’s urban areas that have access to drinkable water today

32%: Percentage of the bombs dropped on Iraq this year that were not precision-guided

1983: The year in which Donald Rumsfeld gave Saddam Hussein a pair of golden spurs

45%: Percentage of Americans who believed in early March 2003 that Saddam Hussein was involved in the 11 September attacks on the US

$127 billion: Amount of US budget surplus in the year that Bush became President in 2001

$374 billion: Amount of US budget deficit in the fiscal year for 2003

1st: This year’s deficit is on course to be the biggest in United States history

$1.58 billion: Average amount by which the US national debt increases each day

$23,920: Amount of each US citizen’s share of the national debt as of 19 January 2004

1st: The record for the most bankruptcies filed in a single year (1.57 million) was set in 2002

10: Number of solo press conferences that Bush has held since beginning his term. His father had managed 61 at this point in his administration, and Bill Clinton 33

1st: Rank of the US worldwide in terms of greenhouse gas emissions per capita

$113 million: Total sum raised by the Bush-Cheney 2000 campaign, setting a record in American electoral history

$130 million: Amount raised for Bush’s re-election campaign so far

$200m: Amount that the Bush-Cheney campaign is expected to raise in 2004

$40m: Amount that Howard Dean, the top fund-raiser among the nine Democratic presidential hopefuls, amassed in 2003

28: Number of days holiday that Bush took last August, the second longest holiday of any president in US history (Recordholder: Richard Nixon)

13: Number of vacation days the average American worker receives each year

3: Number of children convicted of capital offences executed in the US in 2002. America is only country openly to acknowledge executing children

1st: As Governor of Texas, George Bush executed more prisoners (152) than any governor in modern US history

2.4 million: Number of Americans who have lost their jobs during the three years of the Bush administration

221,000: Number of jobs per month created since Bush’s tax cuts took effect. He promised the measure would add 306,000

1,000: Number of new jobs created in the entire country in December. Analysts had expected a gain of 130,000

1st: This administration is on its way to becoming the first since 1929 (Herbert Hoover) to preside over an overall loss of jobs during its complete term in office

9 million: Number of US workers unemployed in September 2003

80%: Percentage of the Iraqi workforce now unemployed

55%: Percentage of the Iraqi workforce unemployed before the war

43.6 million: Number of Americans without health insurance in 2002

130: Number of countries (out of total of 191 recognised by the United Nations) with an American military presence

40%: Percentage of the world’s military spending for which the US is responsible

$10.9 million: Average wealth of the members of Bush’s original 16-person cabinet

88%: Percentage of American citizens who will save less than $100 on their 2006 federal taxes as a result of 2003 cut in capital gains and dividends taxes

$42,000: Average savings members of Bush’s cabinet are expected to enjoy this year as a result in the cuts in capital gains and dividends taxes

$42,228: Median household income in the US in 2001

$116,000: Amount Vice-President Cheney is expected to save each year in taxes

44%: Percentage of Americans who believe the President’s economic growth plan will mostly benefit the wealthy

700: Number of people from around the world the US has incarcerated in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

1st: George W Bush became the first American president to ignore the Geneva Conventions by refusing to allow inspectors access to US-held prisoners of war

+6%: Percentage change since 2001 in the number of US families in poverty

1951: Last year in which a quarterly rise in US military spending was greater than the one the previous spring

54%: Percentage of US citizens who believe Bush was legitimately elected to his post

1st: First president to execute a federal prisoner in the past 40 years. Executions are typically ordered by separate states and not at federal level

9: Number of members of Bush’s defence policy board who also sit on the corporate board of, or advise, at least one defence contractor

35: Number of countries to which US has suspended military assistance after they failed to sign agreements giving Americans immunity from prosecution before the International Criminal Court

$300 million: Amount cut from the federal programme that provides subsidies to poor families so they can heat their homes

$1 billion: Amount of new US military aid promised Israel in April 2003 to offset the “burdens” of the US war on Iraq

58 million: Number of acres of public lands Bush has opened to road building, logging and drilling

200: Number of public-health and environmental laws Bush has attempted to downgrade or weaken

29,000: Number of American troops - which is close to the total of a whole army division - to have either been killed, wounded, injured or become so ill as to require evacuation from Iraq, according to the Pentagon

90%: Percentage of American citizens who said they approved of the way George Bush was handling his job as president when asked on 26 September, 2001

53%: Percentage of American citizens who approved of the way Bush was handling his job as president when asked on 16 January, 2004

Sources: Vanity Fair magazine, Harper’s Index, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, US Army (Washington), US Department of Defence, Iraqbodycount.net, Citizens for Tax Justice, Bureau of Economic Analysis (Washington), New York Times/CBS News Poll (NYC), US Department of Commerce, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (NYC), Coalition Provisional Authority (Baghdad), World Health Organisation (Geneva), Office of Management and Budget (Washington), Centre for Responsive Politics (Washington), Bush-Cheney ‘04, Inc (Arlington, Va), Election Systems & Software (Omaha), United States Central Command (Tampa)