Yes, I know Izzard is a bit of a Europhile, but this sketch animated by a 15 year old kid in America is one of the best YouTube moments of the year....
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Rosie Cooper: my evasive MP.....
Question: Just how hard is it to try and make a surgery appointment with Rosie Cooper, my local Labour MP to discuss the amount of prescription charges I am paying?
Answer: Well, after her secretary found out who I am, bloody nigh on impossible!
Two weeks ago, I had a very unhealthy few days. Not only was my physical wellbeing suffering, but my wallet took a hell of a beating also. In the space of little more than 72 hours, I had to buy 4 lots of prescription drugs and was charged £3 to exit a hospital car park.
All told, it cost me over 30 quid in medical Celtgelt taxation.
I thought I would try to speak with Rosie Cooper, my local MP to complain - to vent my spleen so to speak - and to get her to fight my corner.
I clicked onto her web site. The home page screams -
Yeah, well that's the spin, the reality is somewhat different. Troublemakers like me and issues like Celtgelt taxation and West Lothian are to be kicked into the long grass and forgotten about whenever possible. So far, I've made 5 phone calls. Each time her secretary has told me that they are arranging surgery appointment times - and that they will contact me by phone 'that day', 'the next day', 'the end of the week', and by 'Monday, 8th December, definitely'....
Needless to say, I have rung again this morning...... they are going to get back to me.... definitely today.
"Now, when you say you'll 'definitely' get back to me today, this time you really do mean 'definitely', don't you?
"Definitely...... definitely"
Well, they'd better. Because if they don't I am turning up regardless, in person, all high-blood pressured, 20 stoned, 6ft2 of me. And I will not be happy.
My MP next to Big Ben. One is two faced, the other is four faced... Democracy, England style.
Answer: Well, after her secretary found out who I am, bloody nigh on impossible!
Two weeks ago, I had a very unhealthy few days. Not only was my physical wellbeing suffering, but my wallet took a hell of a beating also. In the space of little more than 72 hours, I had to buy 4 lots of prescription drugs and was charged £3 to exit a hospital car park.
All told, it cost me over 30 quid in medical Celtgelt taxation.
I thought I would try to speak with Rosie Cooper, my local MP to complain - to vent my spleen so to speak - and to get her to fight my corner.
I clicked onto her web site. The home page screams -
'As your local Labour MP I am committed to working hard for you, the people of West Lancashire, and to fighting to get the best deal for every single local person.....
I am here to be YOUR voice on the issues that matter to YOU!.....
As your Member of Parliament, I trust you will contact me on the matters that are important to you, your family and your community.
Best wishes,
Rosie Cooper MP'.
Yeah, well that's the spin, the reality is somewhat different. Troublemakers like me and issues like Celtgelt taxation and West Lothian are to be kicked into the long grass and forgotten about whenever possible. So far, I've made 5 phone calls. Each time her secretary has told me that they are arranging surgery appointment times - and that they will contact me by phone 'that day', 'the next day', 'the end of the week', and by 'Monday, 8th December, definitely'....
Needless to say, I have rung again this morning...... they are going to get back to me.... definitely today.
"Now, when you say you'll 'definitely' get back to me today, this time you really do mean 'definitely', don't you?
"Definitely...... definitely"
Well, they'd better. Because if they don't I am turning up regardless, in person, all high-blood pressured, 20 stoned, 6ft2 of me. And I will not be happy.
My MP next to Big Ben. One is two faced, the other is four faced... Democracy, England style.
Monday, December 08, 2008
To: Editor, Simon Mayo radio show....
The 'phone-in' with Gordon Brown on Thursday's FiveLive Simon Mayo Show was an utter waste of time. It was nothing but a vehicle for our glorious leader to repeat his propagandist mantras of 'hard working families', 'global downturn' 'not our fault mate' and 'I'm getting on with the job'...
WHY was it advertised as a 'Q&A session between public and Premier' when in reality, it was a Simon Mayo interview? When Mayo introduced Brown at 1 o'clock, he kept telling people to phone in with their questions. Some hope! - The phones just rang out and were then disconnected - I should know, I was trying to get through for nearly an hour. Mayo interviewed Brown at the beginning of the session for about 15 minutes, then took a couple of telephone calls and a couple of emails from the public. More Mayo questioning followed until the 1.30 news bulletin.
After that bulletin, Mayo invited phone calls and emails because as he said himself "We've only got the PM for another 15 minutes - so come on, get your questions in"....
Mayo then proceeded to Brown-nose for Brittttain without bothering to read any more questions out or take any more calls from the public.
WHAT WAS THE POINT?
For the whole 45 minutes, Brown only had to field 3 phone calls and a couple of emails. The content of which were credit crunchingly bland. The rest of the time was taken by Mayo interviewing and toadying. For those of us who bothered to put a question together - it was an utter insult.
I mean, Brown can field friendly full toss questions all day from the likes of Mayo. It is the public who are much more likely to hold him to account - but they were comsumately ignored - as per usual (apart from the very few dullards allowed to put their friendly questions to their party leader). I wouldn't have minded not having my question read out - if it had been because there were loads of other questions from the public being tackled by Brown. They weren't.
Mayo is basically a NuLabour luvvie anyway - hasn't he had grand weekends at Chequers as a guest of Tony Blair... (something else the public pays for). Why bother to advertise it as a public/PM Q&A when all along it was only ever going to be Simon Mayo honing his interviewing skills - is he going for the Jonathan Ross spot?
Pathetic.
WHY was it advertised as a 'Q&A session between public and Premier' when in reality, it was a Simon Mayo interview? When Mayo introduced Brown at 1 o'clock, he kept telling people to phone in with their questions. Some hope! - The phones just rang out and were then disconnected - I should know, I was trying to get through for nearly an hour. Mayo interviewed Brown at the beginning of the session for about 15 minutes, then took a couple of telephone calls and a couple of emails from the public. More Mayo questioning followed until the 1.30 news bulletin.
After that bulletin, Mayo invited phone calls and emails because as he said himself "We've only got the PM for another 15 minutes - so come on, get your questions in"....
Mayo then proceeded to Brown-nose for Brittttain without bothering to read any more questions out or take any more calls from the public.
WHAT WAS THE POINT?
For the whole 45 minutes, Brown only had to field 3 phone calls and a couple of emails. The content of which were credit crunchingly bland. The rest of the time was taken by Mayo interviewing and toadying. For those of us who bothered to put a question together - it was an utter insult.
I mean, Brown can field friendly full toss questions all day from the likes of Mayo. It is the public who are much more likely to hold him to account - but they were comsumately ignored - as per usual (apart from the very few dullards allowed to put their friendly questions to their party leader). I wouldn't have minded not having my question read out - if it had been because there were loads of other questions from the public being tackled by Brown. They weren't.
Mayo is basically a NuLabour luvvie anyway - hasn't he had grand weekends at Chequers as a guest of Tony Blair... (something else the public pays for). Why bother to advertise it as a public/PM Q&A when all along it was only ever going to be Simon Mayo honing his interviewing skills - is he going for the Jonathan Ross spot?
Pathetic.
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