hintofsarcasm
am i still ill?
Archive for News
February 20, 2008 at 13:07 · Filed under News
To cement my position in the league of Welsh bloggers, I would like to offer a quick round-up of the news coming out of Wales in the first half of this week, flanked of course by a bit of my own banter.
Traffic ban to stay in force despite appeals
Cardiff’s St Mary Street will remain closed to private cars for at least another year – despite calls for the link to Cardiff Bay to be reopened.
With work about to start to demolish the old terminal building at Cardiff Bus station it would be foolish to re-open any part of St Mary Street to private traffic. The bus network has had to be re-jigged to move buses away from Wood Street, where demolition work is to start imminently, congestion around Westgate Street and Castle Street is eased by the fact that buses have free-run of St Mary Street. If cars are allowed back on it, buses will be held up, causing more congestion on the aforementioned streets; Castle, Westgate and Wood, making it counterproductive in the long term.
Logo aims to ditch ’sterotype’
Promoters say a new logo to market Cardiff marks a departure from the stereotype of daffodils and dragons.
Stereotypical daffodils and dragons? Are “Cardiff & Co” (who came up with this name?) worried that when people think of visiting Cardiff, they will picture it as one huge field with daffodils and roaming dragons? Instead, we get this new logo which is indistinguishable from that of a company or even web 2.0 site. Perhaps they should rename the city too, in line with current trends, CardiffR beta, perhaps? In fact, it’s also a complete rip-off of the Greek tourist board logo.
Call to limit anti-terror control orders
Terror suspects should only be placed on control orders for up to two years unless there are exceptional circumstances – and some should be given Asbos instead – the Welsh peer in charge of monitoring the Government’s terror legislation said last night.
Well, in a way he is right, terrorist plotting is anti-social, but surely Lord Carlile is not so imbecilic as to suggest that we hand out ASBO’s to vandals, drunks, abusive teens and suicide bombers?
Dilapidated shed on market at £150,000
It’s partially covered in plastic sheeting and even the estate agent trying to sell it admits it’s “dilapidated”.
And who said that Wales’ housing market was on the verge of crashing? Ideal student accomodation perhaps?
Cardiff club is bought for £700,000
A watering hole opposite the Millennium Stadium has netted four South Wales councils £700,000.
Exactly what Cardiff city centre needs, another faceless chain pub for the drunken masses to congregate.
Criminals rewarded with free rail tickets
Commuters have voiced their outrage after young offenders were given free rail travel by a train company.
Money saving tip: Spend your weekends causing criminal damage to get free rail travel to work in the week.
Assembly staff tell of workplace bullying
National Assembly staff have made an average of one complaint a month of bullying or harassment to their bosses in the last three years.
Just more fuel to fire the argument that the NAfW really is just ‘jobs for the boys’.
How can the Assembly Government be involved in promoting equality and bullying schemes to private companies when they have not even got their own staff under control?
Their next step should be to launch an initiative within the organisation and publicise this, to prove that they are taking steps to clear out the chauvanists, racists, bullies et al. Every large company that I know of has a policy and/or scheme to counter or take action in situations involving sexism and bullying, does the Assembly Government have these facilities to their staff? If so, they could deflect criticism by making light of this, they need to lead by example.
Mum may sue cinema after her daughter falls 14ft
A mum has said she is considering legal action against a cinema operator after her daughter fell 14ft from a balcony.
I’d love to get the inside info on this case, where she fell from etc.
The Vue Cinema complex is ultra-modern, only completed in 2002, and the barriers over the fantastic drops are chest height for me. So for a 14-year old girl, let’s assume she is average height, to be able to ‘fall’ over one of these, she would have to have been very stupidly climbing over it.
If the case does come to court, it would be interesting to see if what the cinema company says is true, that the injured girl refused treatment. Of course, they would have the upper hand in any case, assuming they’re innocent, as the building is covered with CCTV cameras.
January 17, 2008 at 14:16 · Filed under News
This is a screenshot from the Heathrow airport website this afternoon, shortly after the incident described here. I think that the status ‘landed’ is an overstatement. They should use ‘It’s over there, somewhere’.
September 4, 2006 at 10:05 · Filed under News
Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter, has been killed in an encounter with a Stingray off the coast of Queensland, Australia whilst filming a documentary. News reports say he was stung either through his heart or through the left side of his chest causing heart failure.
Irwin is survived by his wife and colleague, Terri and their two young children, Bindi, 8 and Robert (Bob), 3.
More than just an outlandish stuntman, Steve was a true environmentalist and wildlife conservationist. Ever an ambassador for Australia, the Australian Tourism Export Council says the industry is in a state of shock.
Steve, you will be sorely missed, not just for the entertainment you provided, but also the enlightenment you gave to many thousands of people.
February 13, 2006 at 16:58 · Filed under News
So, with the news that American Vice-President Dick Cheney has now to add ’shot man in head and torso’ to his long list of debaucheries, how sure are we that he was out hunting Quail and not former Vice-President Dan Quayle?
I mean, c’mon, who hasn’t thought about shooting that smug bastard?
In his own words;
‘I am not part of the problem. I am a Republican’
Surely this is just another one for the anti-gun people to add to their list?
I mean, seriously, if your Vice-President can’t handle a shotgun, what chance has the average Joe Bloggs living in their fancy trailer park?
January 16, 2006 at 15:47 · Filed under News
A report has emerged that court summons will be delivered to Michael Barrymore, whilst he is in the Celebrity Big Brother house.
I haven’t been watching the series, simply because it doesn’t deserve any of my attention.
But, I cannot seem to go one day without something cropping up on one of my subscribed RSS feeds about it.
Since I haven’t been watching it, I haven’t felt the need to post about it. But this story has really made me sit up and shake my head in disbelief.
Stuart Lubbock was found dead in quiz show host Michael Barrymore’s swimming pool in 2001.
Not enough evidence was ever found to convict Barrymore of any involvement in his death.
In 2004, Lubbocks father, Terry, sued Barrymore for £100,000. Apparently they had come to this sum based on Stuarts earnings.
Fair enough, he did leave behind two young daughters.
Today, Terry Lubbock & his solicitor have been back to court to a private prosecution against Mr Barrymore.
Surely whilst the proposed defendant is participating in a national television program is not the best time to bring a prosecution against him?
I fail to see how this will do the Lubbocks’ case any good at all.
The channel running the programme, Channel4 will lap this up. It’ll push their ratings up, thus increasing their adverstising revenues and Barrymore will be synonymous with being ‘the guy who got endicted on live television’.
You really couldn’t make some of this stuff up. It’s getting like an episode of Eastenders.
- MP acts like cat, makes fool out of self, should resign.
- Rock star wears Gorilla hair coat, could be jailed.
- Anti-bullying ambassador bullied by housemates.
However disbelieving I am over these revalations, I still shan’t be watching the programme on television, still it is not worthy of my time.
December 20, 2005 at 11:40 · Filed under Comment, News
The Metropolitan Transit Authority has called a strike, effectively halting all bus and subway transit throughout New York and neighbouring areas (Queens, Brooklyn, etc.).
The whole system carries over 7million people a day, the city is going to be totally gridlocked.
People won’t be able to get to work, others wont be able to make appointments, tourists will find it hard getting around, it will be absolutely terrible. I could not imagine being unable to use the subway whilst I was there. Both Laura & I were totally dependent on it, the subway is the easiest and cheapest way to get around, as anyone who has been to New York, or any other city with a subway or metro system will know.
A familiar sight around NYC today
Originally uploaded by beemo.
Mayor Bloomberg had this to say,
Tonight, Roger Toussaint and the TWU have taken the illegal and morally reprehensible action of ordering a citywide strike of our mass transit system.
So it sounds as though he isn’t so pleased about it.
Reuters also points out;
As dawn approached, police set up checkpoints as part of a plan to ban cars carrying fewer than four people from midtown Manhattan. The city has contingency plans such as strict car pool rules to help avoid gridlock.
Yep. Minimum 4 persons per car in Manhattan. That’s quite a bitch, but, nonetheless necessary.
Manhattan gets pretty gridlocked on a normal day, can you imagine what is going to happen on a day where 7million people have been forced onto the streets in cars and taxis? Yeesh.
As I write this, rush hour will be preparing to start in the big apple, it’s 6:30am.
Good luck to all you New Yorkers, have a great day regardless.
December 12, 2005 at 10:52 · Filed under News
With the news being dominated yesterday by the oil depot fire in Hertfordshire, news of the death of a comic great and one of my heroes, Richard Pryor was almost totally drowned out
Pryor had been suffering with multiple sclerosis for many years, the dibilatating illness forced him to retire from comedy almost completly which was a crying shame as I’m sure that many people have the same view of him as me.
His standup routines were some of the greatest ever performed by any artist and set the path for the many black comedians that came after him.
Chris Rock has recycled his material and cites Pryor as an inspiration, as does Eddie Murphy and Dave Chappelle, some of the best black comedians on the scene today.
Eddie Murphy has even gone as far as to say that Richard Pryor was the person that made him go into comedy, heres a snippet from the transcript of ‘RAW’;
When I was little, I wanted to be Richard so bad, I used to go out on-stage and talk and act and walk and do everything like Richard.
My mother would sit there and watch her 10-year-old son on-stage saying some outlandish shit.
Richard currently has two DVD’s out, and I can tell you, they are definitely worth getting, if you don’t already have them.
The first is ‘Richard Pryor - Live in Concert’; recorded in 1979, this is undoubtedly the most brilliant piece of comedy ever performed on stage. Richard demonstrates an ability to make even the most mundane topics, such as walking through the woods, pant-wettingly funny.
The second is ‘Richard Pryor - Live & Smokin’; recorded in 1971 is Richard at his most raw, the act is unfinished, a lot of the stuff is unrehearsed, it’s being performed in a small comedy club in New York city as opposed to the huge Terrace Theater in Long Beach, California that ‘Live in Concert’ was at. Here you can see some of Richards more controversial stuff, things that you really had to be quite brave, as a black man in 1971 to say. Absolutely amazing, it just goes to show what kind of man he really was.
We’ll miss you Richard.
November 24, 2005 at 13:24 · Filed under Comment, News
Well, today is the day. Judgement day, if you will.
Today is the day that society begins a fast descent into unmitigated decline.
Don’t expect anybody to turn up to work tomorrow.
Doctors, Nurses, Politicians or Bus Drivers, all will resign their posts in favour of being at the pub.
Or so the Daily Mail would have you think.
Yes, that’s right, as of today, we, as Brits can buy booze any time of day or night.
Pubs & Clubs, licenses permitting, can open longer, some even 24-hours if they like.
Selected supermarkets, mainly Tesco, which already have large amounts of 24-hour stores, will be able to sell you a bottle of whatever tickles your fancy at any time.
I for one will welcome the change in the law.
So much so that I and my friends will be out tonight celebrating the fact we can now drink with less barriers to overcome, actually being able to go out on a weekday night without being forcibly removed from our seats by burly bouncers at 11pm sharp will be a welcome change.
Contrary to popular belief, there are people out there, many people in fact that enjoy a drink, like to go out and do not cause trouble.
I have been drinking in Cardiff city centre no less than two nights a week for almost 5 years now.
In that time, I have never had to speak to a police officer1, never been in a fight, never robbed anybody, not stolen a car, not even indecently exposed myself.
OK, I’ve been a little loud at times. But who cares when you’re walking down a street that is 100% shops and thus, there is nobody there to hear you?
I stand firm. The new licensing act is a very good idea and, as with anything, it is the minority that spoil it.
1Except for one time that my mate Ricky & I got stopped and searched by the police whilst walking home from a house party, simply for the fact that ‘two guys walking down a street at 5:30am is a bit odd’
May 31, 2005 at 16:21 · Filed under News
In Pakistan it will.
Four employees burned to death in the KFC restaurant. Two others died in a cold storage room they had hidden in after riots broke out at a Shia mosque next door. The restaurant was attacked because of its proximity to the mosque. KFC outlets, closely identified with the US, are frequently targeted during anti-American riots in Pakistan.
As if it’s not bad enough to be doing slave labour anyway, it must be more than a kick in the nuts to be killed doing your crappy job.
I’m doing some investigative journalism right now, I’m about to call KFC’s corporate headquarters in Louisville to see what that have to say about this..more on that later..
Update: KFC corporate headquarters advised me that they had no comment at this time. Typical.
March 31, 2005 at 15:17 · Filed under Comment, News
Jamies School Dinners. Never watched it, but it seems as though it is making some difference. How much? Well it’s left to be seen.
The government has pledged, in England, £280m to improve school meals. Now, we all know what school meals are like, we all had them, we all did our best to make it look as though we had eaten more than we actually had by putting the mashed potato in your pocket and as many peas as possible underneath a slice of bread.
But, was I surprised to see in a BBC News report that Cardiff council spend the least in Wales, per pupil, than anywhere else in Wales? No.
A whopping 40p per child per meal.
On the high street today, what can you buy for 40p?
A mars bar, just about..
A packet of crisps, with 5p change.
Just what do they make these meals out of is what I would like to know.
Also, will the Welsh Assembly follow suit in driving to give the children of Wales the nutrition they need in these days of Big Mac’s and Coca-Cola by the bucket?
After all, school is a place of learning, why can health not be a part of that education in the classroom and at break times?
