The Week in Nonsense

Sometimes whilst perusing the news media to see what has been spouted off and legislated for by the stupid and incompetent, you stumble across something that truly belies belief. Something that if it wasn't so idiotic it would be funny. But this time I have come across a new ruling, that didn't require a Parliamentary vote, but was pushed through by one of the most vile and stupid people ever to grace the front benches, one Harriet Harman. It seems from now on, when out in a pub or restaurant, referring to a member of staff as "Love" or "Sweetheart", etc. can be construed as sexual discrimination. If not dealt with by Landlords and other small business owners, this could lead to them being brought before a tribunal on sexual discrimination charges. I kid you not. Does this mean that clientele bothered by a member of the opposite sex can also claim the same rights? Is this the end of chatting birds up? Lawyers are already recommending that alongside "No Smoking" signs, there be placed "harassment is not tolerated" warnings as well. Don't believe me? Check out the story here. One of the best quotes is from Stuart Chamberlain, an employment law specialist at Consult GEE, said: "Employers may feel uncomfortable about confronting clients but they need to be aware that failing to take action could result in a claim for compensation, including for injury to feelings." Injury to feelings? Does this mean the Elster can sue me on a daily basis? Or the next time a work colleague jokingly refers to me a "poofter", I can storm into my managers office demanding retribution? I suppose I could, but being a rational person, I wouldn't dream of it. Harassment is not something to be taken lightly, but referring to someone as "pet" or "gorgeous" is not harassment. It denigrates the term, and sets people against the folk who have truly been on the receiving end of such actions. And what about the pub trade? If you were to ask most rational people what the greatest British institution was, they wouldn't say the Houses of Parliament, Oxbridge or the MCC. No it is the Great British Pub, something this set of money grubbing, busy body half wits seem Hellbent on destroying. Next time you are out and about, count up how many boozers are up for lease, been turned into private residences or simply bulldozed into oblivion. It was in these very establishments that the Labour party was given life, before it was Shanghaied, by self serving career politico's who have in most cases never done an honest days graft in their arrogant little lifes. They stick duty on alcohol, to stem binge drinking they claim, yet all the supermarkets, where the binge drinker stocks up on his insipid alcopops, drop prices to entice the Neanderthal through their automatic doors. That's right, all major Supermarkets have actually dropped their prices on booze since the budget. When I first started drinking, the pub was where folk took you home if you had to much to drink, or sorted you out if you got out of line. They ran football teams and pub leagues to keep folk off the street, but they are now being driven to the wall by a Tax hungry Government, and corporate breweries who nail the landlords to the wall on beer prices. At this rate the only place you will find a traditional British pub in twenty years will be at Disneyland.

On a different subject, before my blood pressure explodes, there is Britain's new gateway for the 21st century, Terminal 5 at Heathrow. Only in the UK, could something so high profile, be fucked up so bad. 28,000 bags not put on flights, 250 flights cancelled to cope with the backlog and nobody taking the blame. Roll on the Olympics.(ironically, the Olympic torch was supposed to arrive at T5's VIP suite, but they didn't want o lose it, so it is going via another suite now)

Waste of money of the week goes to Adam Applegarth, former CEO of Northern Rock. His reward for running this bank into the ground, ending with its nationalisation and the loss of 2,00 jobs, is an estimated £760,000. Nice work if you can get it.

To wrap up this weeks report on the Week in Nonsense is the news that Gordon Brown wants to show voters that Labour is on their side, and that theirs is the only party with "Big ideas for the future of the UK" Well I've got news for you Gordon, we just want to get on with our lives as we see fit, without interference, and it would be nice if we could spend our own money, without watching you and your clown minions flush it down the drain. So take your big ideas and shove them up your arse mate, and whilst your at it feel free to Fuck Off.

Stop The Nonsense