Thing with this Blogging lark is, you’re never short of something to discuss.
I’m in a dilemma today, but I couldn’t resist this ridiculous story from Argentina where ‘researchers’ are tying bloody great bags on to the backs of cattle to capture their farts. They discovered that cows account for over 30% of the country’s greenhouse gases, and methane is 23 times worse than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.
Now my conclusion would be... how insignificant is man compared to this onslaught of wind, but no, they decide they should change the cattle’s diet, which I can’t believe will make a blind bit of difference.On the other hand, I couldn’t resist a story about Brown shooting himself in the foot, (again).
Still content to stand up at the G8 summit and show the world how unfortunate we are to be blessed with him as our leader, he virtually declares war on the Nigerian rebel army.
You need to understand that Nigeria is the world’s 8th largest oil producer, so he probably thought he was onto a good scam. Unfortunately, his unilateral stance has provoked the collapse of the current ceasefire, threatened the lives of the 4,000 Britons who live there, and helped to further drive up crude oil prices on world markets.
Gee, thanks Gordon. We really needed that.
But finally, I just had to include this story, which proves beyond doubt that this country is drowning in Red Tape.
Alex Jones is 14-years-old, has cerebral palsy and is severely epileptic. Merthyr Tydfil Council commendably provide a taxi to take him to school, and his Mum has always gone with him – until recently.
Unbelievably, the Council now say she can’t accompany her son in the taxi unless she has had a CRB check – which could take up to 6 weeks to obtain.
How pathetically stupid can some people be?
I despair…
1 comment:
A mother needing a CRB check to accompany her own on to school? As Eric Morecambe would have said, my flabber has never been so gasted!Or was that Dick Emery?..I digress.
The great thing about this 'ere interweb is one can maintain anonymity, so I can relate this story freely. I am a secondary school teacher and have the privilege (and yes, I really do mean that) of teaching in a school where a) some of the most underprivileged kids in my city are taught and b) the head teacher is passionate about his staff taking a genuine concern and interest in the students over and above the expected professional commitment to the job.
We had an INSET (training day) today during which time he got pretty choked up about the fact that he cannot hear his late parents tell him how proud they are of him because Gordon Brown mentioned both the school and him by name recently because of the fantastic improvement in the achievement of our pupils from the time we get them to the time they leave us 5 years later. His point was this, 'If I, a man in my fifties who had great parents, feel like this, how much more must be lacking in the lives of so many of our pupils who have no father to tell them how proud he is of them, and in all too many cases not even a mother who can be relied upon to encourage and support.'
That is why I sometimes see our (ex-copper)attendance officer giving some lad who has been caught bunking off a bear-hug in the corridor, prior to having his detention set. It's why I and many of my colleagues eschew PC-mad diktats concerning no physical contact and often place a hand gently on a student's forearm or shoulder to consolidate our words of encouragement or when we're admonishing them.
We've all been CRB checked and none of us would be silly enough to do any of these things on our own in a room with a child. It is always done in plain view of others.
Don't misunderstand me, these kids get a good dose of 'tough love'. If they've done the crime they know to expect to do the time, but it never ceases to irritate me how bureaucracy suffocates human kindness. I'm thankful for my workplace, but saddened beyond belief that it stands as a shining beacon to other such institutions cast adrift and prevented from doing their jobs effectively due to a tide of fear and mistrust caused by the very legislation that was meant to protect vulnerable individuals.
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