True Conservatives

David Cameron doesn't care about you!

After what seems an eternity, it is time for the Conservative government and the poodles the Liberals to be put up scrutiny.

First of all let me explain where my political alligence lies, I like to think of myself as a left of centre leftie? Basically, I believe in sharing wealth amongst the people who work for it and if you work for it, you should get out of the system what you put in to it. I'm for the Common Market, but not a united Europe. I would like to see the return of capital punishment, tougher sentences and the return of Borstal's. Immigration, should not be an open door, but if you can come here legally, then I have no problem. If you are here illegally, then you should be sent back to country of origin straight away. The NHS and the social welfare scheme rule!

Unfortunately, this Government in the name of paying our national debt off have gone cut crazy! The armed forces are being cut to the bone, the police have really been cut back. To see a policeman on the street these days is a rare sight.

Local services from the fire brigade to services for the disabled are being cut or farmed out to private company's, which are probably owned by Tory chums.

Some employment laws are being messed with, making it easier to fire people.

The usual Tory mantra is holding true" The rich are getting richer". It always happens under a Tory Government.

I can't think of a single thing that the Tories have done which benefits a normal household. A raising of the Tax threshold was good, but soon got eaten up by higher petrol and power prices.

Enough of this moaning! this is what I would do:

Cut the deficit at a slower pace.
Stop pumping money into the money market, pump it into people trying to get a mortgage and help SME's.
Cut VAT on British made goods to 10%, this will help British goods and maybe get foreign companies to start making goods in this country.
Make every one pay a flat rate of 15-20% tax, this means EVERYONE! even billionaires...

I'm sure someone will give me a dozen reasons why this will never happen, but I'd like to give them a try.

London 2012

I was living in Thailand when the London won the Olympics, and to be quite honest, I've been dreading them. Mainly because of the security issuesw. Just to big a target too miss. Then I didn't manage to get any tickets.

However, after an outstanding opening ceremony and a performance to shout about from Team GB finishing third, I'm really pleased with how the event went.




Obviously British Cycling ruled the roost scooping seven gold medals. Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny, Vic Pendleton and the track team couldn't stop winning golds. In the TT, Brad Wiggins won Gold and became the countries favourite sportsman.


Track and field did well, with Jess Ennis winning a superb Heptahlon and Mo Farra won two golds at 5 and 10K. The pony club did excellent and the rowing squad did there usual sterling work, winning seven medals. The swimmers were a bit of a let down, doing well in themselves, but being beaten by a better performance from the rest of the world.

I watched the Olympics at every occassion. The BBC did an outstanding job of the coverage, I don't thnk any of the other channels got a look in.

The torch as been passed on to Rio, they will have a massive job trying to up stage London 2012.

First medal London 2012

At last, on day two GB have their first medal, a silver medal in surprise, surprise Cycling!

Lizzie Armisted broke away with two other riders with 50km to go and stayed away till the line.

Unfortunately, one of the other riders was Maria Van Boss, who is one of the best sprinters in the women cycling. lizzie gave it her all in shocking conditions and just missed out on gold.

Well done Lizzie.



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London Olympics 2012

The time as finally arrived, the 2012 London Olympic games have now started.

There have been a lot of negative press about the games, striking train drivers, passport staff and the army being called in for the lack of security.

However the opening ceremony was a true spectacle! Directed by Danny Boyle and a volunteer cast of 1000's and a true example of what the UK can do when we put our minds to it. The photos were taken at the ceremony.




I think our inept coalition government should take notice, give the people the tools and we'll use them...


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Tour de France 2012

I've been cycling since 1980. I remember when you used to get a five minute slot on ITV Sport on a saturday afternoon, usually telling you that Sean kelly was winning the Green Jersey and Bernard Hinault was dominating the event.

In to the 90's, Channel 4 revolutionised the coverage of the event, but even then a British win was celebrated with a good knee's up, sadly I rearely got drunk. We had victories for the likes of Robert Millar, Sean Yates and Chris Boardman.

In the following ten years, David millar and Bradley Wiggins kept the faith for the UK, but not until 2010 and the formation of the Sky Cycling team did Britian have a chance of winning the tour.

Que this year, Bradley Wiggins has won most of the warm up events before the Tour and the Team they have taken to the Tour is near perfection.

Wiggins got 2nd in the Prologue and went on to win the yellow Jersey at the end of first week and with the help of Chris froome from his Sky Team he held on in the mountains and secured the win with an outstanding victory in the last TT. Other stage winners for Britian included Dave Millar, Chris Froome and of course Mark Cavandish the World Champion..

When Bradley Wiggins stood on the podium at the end of the Tour in Paris, I was so happy and proud. My competetive cycling days are behind me now, but it doesn't stop me from being proud of a sport that as been my life.

Oh, and lets not forget the side burns!!!

iPad 3 Review

Last week I purchased a Apple iPad 3 tablet.

I seem to have fallen behind some what on the tablet technology front, I have been quite happy either using my phone, Netbook or PC to access the outside world.

My primary use for the tablet will be to access social media sites including Facebook and Twitter. I use the apps to get on sites such as eBay, Amazon and PayPal. I look at the Internet very rarely, most of my time spent on the BBC site.

The iPad itself is very easy to use, just like having a big phone! You just register it and sign in to iTunes. This is also my biggest bug bear, I can't abide iTunes! I much prefer the android OS. Drag and drop is the future. Also some apps I downloaded for my old iPhone, you cant use them on the iPad, so that's a bit of a rip.

The most positive thing about the tablet is the screen, the sharpness is excellent, the boast of better than eyesight is probably true.

Elizabeth loves it and as picked up like a duck in water. She thinks it is her tablet. Actually, it might as well be! I've just started a new job at work and guess what? The main avenue of reporting is an iPad! So now we have two in the house.





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

New Position

I have been with my current employer for only 18 months. It as been an up and down relationship, mostly up.

It is a large company with a large company mentality. Getting used to this was a trial and nearly cost me my job.

Recently the opportunity came to move up within the company, it is an a Auditor to our largest customer, going round their sites nationwide and audit the items we supply to them.

Amazingly after a 2 hour interview and a half day doing the actual job with one the guys who already do the job, I was given the position. A nice salary increase, car, phone, laptop and a iPad later, I'm off doing a new job.

Life is going good for a change.

Boardman Road Team 2012

I've had my Boardman Road Team for over 8 months now and feel that I should write a review on this bike.

When I first got the bike, I was staggered by the weight (or the lack of it). Coming in a around 8kg, its the lightest bike I have ever owned. Getting on it first time was akin to be on some sort of performance enhancing drug. Light and responsive and nearly a joy to go uphill.

I did have problems with the bike during the first couple of rides! The bottom bracket made a grinding noise during the first ride, I took it back to Halfords and they corrected it straight away, saying it was a common problem from the factory fit it China. Then the front wheel kept on getting loose spokes and going out of true. This was way past the skill of the Halfords staff, so I had to take it to a proper bike shop to be repaired. Since these problems the performance as been flawless.

The Shimano 105 gears are just what you would expect from Shimano, peform every time, never let you down and have a sweet change. The rear cassette as a 25T big sprocket, because of my fitness, a 27T would have been better. Not a fault of the bike, but me.....

After the initial true up, the wheel set is outstanding and the Vittoria Zaffir tyres have been more than a solid ride. In fact, I've nearly rode the tyres now for 1000 miles and they will be changed in the next few months.

The carbon forks have been very comfy, although I have noticed that the ride can get a little harsh over rough tarmac, but I guess thats aluminium for you.

Handlebars are perfect width and height, the stem is probably 15mm too long for me, but I have gotten used to it and will stick with it.

My verdict on the Road Team is a sound 10/10

Yingluck, 1 year as PM

Yingluck Shinawatra (Still pretty hot)

It was just over a year ago that Thailand changed Government. From the totally right wing establishment party "The Deomocrats" back to the populist Peau Thai party run by fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra. Well! The party is officially run by his sister Yingluck, but everyone knows who is calling the shots.

It as been a traumatic year with the biggest issue being the floods in December and January, sad to say for Thailand, same old rule came in to being. Protect the rich and flood the poor. From Auyutaya in the north to northern Bangkok the flooding hit like a tsunami in slow motion. The destruction caused was staggering.

On the political front, the old red and yellow confrontation is still taking place, although the yellow shirts are very much in decline, however they refuse to go the whole hogg and die. The red shirts have become inboldent and in some cases been at odds with the Yingluck Government. Graft is same same, maybe worse although a poll of Thai's say they have pretty much excepted it as a way of life.

The problems in the south have continued, just as barbaric and just as covered up from the rest of the world.

Populist policies have included, a Tablet for every school child is being rolled out and a fund to help people buy a new car for first time as gone down well. A new minimum wage as come in to effect, many boss's predicting an economic meltdown.

On the foreign policy side, the Yingluck Government as probably done better than the Democrats, maybe because of the lack of blood on their hands. Relations with Cambodia are alot more peaceful.

So in conclusion, I'll give Yingluck a strong 6/10, it would have been better if she had helped the people more during the floods.

That time of year again

It must be the end of May/start of June, because there is more unrest in Thailand.

This year it's PAD (Peoples Alliance (against) for Democracy)who seem to be aggrieved about something. Namely a Reconciliation bill that is being debated and if passed could see the return of the Fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

PAD have such an hatred for Thaksin, and any Bill that may mean seeing him on Thai soil will be opposed to.

So instead of the usual ways of opposing a block, PAD just surround Parliament and refuse to let any ruling party MP's into the chamber. Simple!

The Thai Police were their usual inept and pathetic body of men, their non confrontational stance emboldens protesters of all persuasion and in the end makes things even worse.

Anyway, these protests are always look good in the international press, gives some people alot to laugh at.

Thai Police take it easy