Only one thing really worth posting about this week
If you really care about the most vulnerable people in the United Kingdom and what is being done to them by the current government then you need to read this report.
It is by turns, tragic, frightening that this could be allowed to happen and annoying that the mainstream media are more bothered by the latest contestant on some reality TV show than in covering the greatest cover-up and scandal in the last 20 years
ONE SIMPLE FACT .. more people have DIED as a direct consequence of this policy IN ONE YEAR! .. than soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq COMBINED in the LAST 10 YEARS !!!
Please take the time to read the report and if it angers you as much as it should as a decent human being, then print it out and take it to your MP,
STOP THE COVER UP, expose these practises.
While the government commissions reports and more reports on this ...PEOPLE ARE DYING
here are the links please take the time to read them
here is the introduction
and here is the report itself ...
please feel free to pass on these links ...lets stop the slaughter of our most vulnerable part of society
And REMEMBER ....YOU are just ONE ACCIDENT away from being at the mercy of these nasty bastards...
Monday 19 November 2012
Tuesday 6 November 2012
DANGER DANGER -see what the buggers are up to now ...
This week instead of a humorous post I want to draw your attention to what the bastards in Westminster have in store for you .. this could be the most BLATANT piece of Tory nest feathering I have ever seen and its sneaking through as we speak ... as always my comments are in Yellow.This abortion of a bill is called the Growth and Infrastructure Bill and you should all know and be warned of its consequences .....
The government will "remove excessive red tape" in a bid to boost economic growth, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has said.
Opening debate on the Growth and Infrastructure Bill at second readingon 5 November 2012, Mr Pickles said England's planning laws would become less bureaucratic, energy firms would find it easier to build new power stations, and faster internet connections would spread across rural England.
Sounds good so far doesn't it ...now read on
The legislation also sets out a scheme, announced by Chancellor George Osborne at the Conservative Party conference, for workers at small businesses to trade employment rights for shares in their companies.
"Only enemies of aspiration will oppose this modern embrace of co-operative values," Mr Pickles said.
Say that again..because I cant believe what I'm reading, small business owners (who are traditionally MORE likely to bully employees than large organisations) will be given the LEGAL right to bully their employees into giving up their PROTECTED LEGAL RIGHTS !!!
But shadow communities secretary Hilary Benn said the proposal was "absolutely astonishing", arguing that participation in the scheme would soon be compulsory for new employees at some firms even if it were voluntary for current ones.
At least someone is speaking sense (and the truth) ..well said that man. not that it will do any good - keep reading ....
"For the first time that I can recall, employers will be allowed to buy their way out of legislation that protects their workers," he said.
"What on earth is the connection between giving an employee shares, and taking away their fundamental rights in the workplace?"
Bravo .. but you are a lone voice of reason my friend and this bill will pass because the Tories employers (read rich backers) have not made enough money in this term of parliament yet
He argued that changes to the planning system would not improve the economy while ministers persisted with their "failed economic policies".
The legislation also betrayed Mr Pickes's lack of trust in local politics, giving him "the ability to nationalise planning decisions in respect of as many authorities as he likes", the Labour frontbencher claimed.
So ... in plain English ... and for an example ..they want to build a massive rubbish tip at the bottom of your road serviced by 300 bin lorries daily, naturally there is a large outcry and you and your neighbours get up a petition and exercise your democratic right to protest.. and it works !! and the local council stops the development of the tip ....UNFORTUNATELY FOR YOU, this is a pet project of one of the Tory backers (to fund his new diamond crusted cigar clipper maybe) this bill gives central government (read those Tory bastards) the right to REVERSE that decision and you get the tip next to your house ANYWAY ...and there's NOTHING you can do about it, you have NO LEGAL RECOURSE ...enjoy your tip .....
"In no time at all he has gone from claiming to be the friend of localism, to taking a hammer and a sickle to local democratic decision-making," Mr Benn said.
"This is not a growth bill, it's not going to get the economy moving, it's not going to build infrastructure; it's a must-be-seen-to-be-doing-something bill," he concluded.
No I think it is far more dangerous than that .. its the beginning of the end for your rights as a citizen ..Orwell was just a few years out when he wrote 1984
Under the legislation, some infrastructure projects would be referred to the secretary of state, rather than local planning authorities, to be determined within a 12 month timetable.
The bill would allow for planning obligations (section 106 agreements) relating to affordable housing to be renegotiated with the aim of making development economically viable again.
Section 106 agreements allow a local planning authority to enter into a legally-binding agreement or obligation with a land developer over a related issue, such as a requirement to build affordable social housing.
OH MY GOD ... could you get a more blatant example of nest feathering than this ? ..... mr big business Tory backer gives a promise that if he is allowed to buy this land (at a knockdown "here's your backhander" price probably) he will construct social (read cheap) housing on part of it in return for his shiny new warehouse (cant be a factory anymore - we don't have the skills left in this country thanks to the shambles of an education system left by successive governments - but that's another argument)
This section 106 agreement (as its called) can now be declared NULL AND VOID ..and the rich bastard gets his warehouse and we the poor sheep get to live in a cardboard box if we're lucky ...
The bill also makes provision for a planned revaluation of business rates in England to be postponed.
AND THEY ARE GONNA PAY LESS TAX as well ! - or at minimum no increase while the rest of us absorb ever increasing tax bills for everything ....
I would say write or phone your MP to stop this bill before it becomes law if I thought it would do any good .... if you still believe in the democratic process do it today..get your petitions going ... me .. from long experience I dont think it will make any difference ..welcome to Orwells vision for the UK enacted by a small group of money grabbing bastards that we voluntarily gave the power too .. poor misguided sheep that we are ... the last time this happened was about 1936 in a country called Germany ...remember what happened next ?
I wish you all well ...
JD :(
Thursday 25 October 2012
Finally! Exposed! The Deficit Myth! So, David Cameron When are you Going to Apologise?
What you say, A politician lying - surely not ?
Here is the article .. with my little explanations in Yellow
"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on"
- Winston Churchill
- Winston Churchill
As a Conservative (I'm not by the way - the writer is ) I have no pleasure in exposing David Cameron's deficit claims. However, as long as the party continues to talk down the economy via the blame game, confidence will not be given an opportunity to return. For it is an undeniable and inescapable economic fact: without confidence and certainty there can be no real growth.
OK this is a simple one, they are lying to you about how bad the mess is via TV and Newspapers that their cronies control... and to justify the cuts they are imposing everywhere in order to line their own nests
Below are the 3 deficit claims - the mess. The evidence comes from the IMF, OECD, OBR, HM Treasury, ONS and even George Osborne. The claims put into context are:
CLAIM 1 The last government left the biggest debt in the developed world.
After continuously stating the UK had the biggest debt in the world George Osborne admits to the Treasury Select Committee that he did not know the UK had the lowest debt in the G7? Watch: Also, confirmed by the OECD Those who use cash terms (instead of percentages) do so to scare, mislead and give half the story.
OK this shows that the chancellor either flat out lied to parliament or to be fair was misinformed by his advisors ..
Its common sense, in cash terms a millionaire's debt would be greater than most people. Therefore, the UK would have a higher debt and deficit than most countries because, we are the sixth largest economy. Hence, its laughable to compare UK's debt and deficit with Tuvalu's who only have a GDP/Income of £24 million whilst, the UK's income is £1.7 Trillion.
This is fairly straightforward .. if you earn £100 per week and your loan payment is £50 per month and your neighbour earns £25 per week and his loan is £10 per week ..who has the largest debt ? ... if you took the Governments way of looking at it ...YOU HAVE as you owe £50p/m whereas your neighbour only owes £40p/m
Finally, Labour in 1997 inherited a debt of 42% of GDP. By the start of the global banking crises 2008 the debt had fallen to 35% - a near 22% reduction page 6 ONS Surprisingly, a debt of 42% was not seen as a major problem and yet at 35% the sky was falling down?
Finally, Labour in 1997 inherited a debt of 42% of GDP. By the start of the global banking crises 2008 the debt had fallen to 35% - a near 22% reduction page 6 ONS Surprisingly, a debt of 42% was not seen as a major problem and yet at 35% the sky was falling down?
CLAIM 2 Labour created the biggest deficit in the developed world by overspending.
Firstly, the much banded about 2010 deficit of over 11% is false. This is the PSNB (total borrowings) and not the actual budget deficit which was -7.7% - OBR Economic and Fiscal Outlook March 2012 page 19 table 1.2
Secondly, in 1997 Labour inherited a deficit of 3.9% of GDP (not a balanced budget ) and by 2008 it had fallen to 2.1% - a reduction of a near 50% - Impressive! Hence, it's implausible and ludicrous to claim there was overspending. The deficit was then exacerbated by the global banking crises after 2008. See HM Treasury. Note, the 1994 deficit of near 8% haaaaaah!
Thirdly, the IMF have also concluded the same. They reveal the UK experienced an increase in the deficit as result of a large loss in output/GDP caused by the global banking crisis and not even as result of the bank bailouts, fiscal stimulus and bringing forward of capital spending. It's basic economics: when output falls the deficit increases.
Finally, the large loss in output occurred because the UK like the US have the biggest financial centres and as this was a global banking crises we suffered the most. Hence, the UK had the 2nd highest deficit in the G7 (Not The World) after the US and not as a result of overspending prior to and after 2008- as the IMF concur.
If you read all of the above passage, its fairly straightforward .. it shows that the previous government far from being the bumbling fools that the Tories would have you believe were actually doing a good job in keeping the books balanced, and it was only the banking crisis that upset the economy here, as it did everywhere.
Claim 3 Our borrowing costs are low because the markets have confidence in George Osborne's austerity plan and without it the UK will end up like Greece.
Hows that for a scare tactic headline ? are you worried yet ;) - read on
Yes, the markets have confidence in our austerity plan and that's why PIMCO the worlds largest bond holder have been warning against buying UK debt.
Oops ..so that would be a LIE then ?
The real reason why our borrowing costs have fallen and remained low since 2008 is because, savings have increased. As a result, the demand and price for bonds have increased and as there is inverse relationship between the price of bonds and its yield (interest rate) the rates have fallen. Also, the markets expect the economy to remain stagnate. Which means the price for bonds will remain high and hence, our borrowing costs will also remain low.
Secondly, the UK is considered a safe heaven because, investors are reassured the Bank of England will buy up bonds in an event of any sell off - which increases the price of bonds and reduces the effective rate. Note, how rates fell across the EU recently when the ECB announced its bond buying program. Thirdly, because, we are not in the Euro we can devalue our currency to increase exports. Moreover, UK bonds are attractive because, we haven't defaulted on its debt for over 300 yrs.
In other words we are regarded as a safe buy..because we are honorable and always pay our debts
David Cameron would like people to believe the markets lend in the same way as retail banks lend to you and I.
Overall, when the facts and figures are put into context these juvenile deficit narratives and sound bites ("mere words and no evidence") simply fail to stand up to the actual facts. The deficit myth is the grosses lie ever enforced upon the people and it has been sold by exploiting people's economic illiteracy.
Are you tired of being lied to yet ?
JD :)
Thursday 11 October 2012
More New Shows
2 Updates in 2 weeks ...wow.aren't you lot lucky ?
as promised more new show reviews for ya and we got 3 new shows to look at this week, a superhero show, firefighter drama and a ...country and western themed show? ...yeah you read that right..but lets get started
Arrow a show based on the DC comics character has an intriguing pilot episode which succeeds on many levels, it successfully introduces all the characters, doesn't skimp on the action and sets up the premise nicely.
those are the plus points, there are a couple of minus ones but at this point I'm nitpicking, so here goes .. the main character is OK to good in his regular persona, Stephen Amell is pretty to look at for the ladies and has that brooding intensity that a tortured superhero requires. as an aside why are superheroes always tortured, or have a mission passed down from Father/Uncle/insert dead character here, could it be lazy writing on the part of the original comic book creators?
my main nitpick is the costume, how does a hood and some green eyeliner disguise your identity even in the dark ?... Where did he acquire said get-up? maybe these questions will be addressed in the following episodes (one can hope)
Now don't get me wrong this is not a bad pilot, it just carries the baggage of all the superhero shows that came before it and that it will inevitably be compared to, it shows promise and the action is handled nicely and just enough of the main plot is revealed to make you want to check out more episodes.
in conclusion ... shows promise and is light years better than some of the offerings this year (Last Resort anyone still watching that shite?) a solid 7/10 lets hope they can keep the quality or even improve on it.
Chicago Fire a series based on ... do I even need to explain the premise, its Hill Street Blues/Chicago Hope/The West Wing in a fire station...
Before. I start on a review..here's a quick idea for Hollywood screenwriters, when you are gonna kill off #expendable character 1# in order to further the plot why do it in the pilot after only a few set up scenes? The audience would relate better to the characters sense of loss if we had a chance to get to know the "red shirt" first before you kill them off so give them a few episodes then kill them, it would have far more impact and we the audience would feel a part of the loss and grieving the characters are going through... just a thought :)
("RED SHIRT" - Star Trek parlance - the red shirts were the expendable security officers who you just knew were gonna die in that episode)
Anyway on with the review, as you can tell the old maguffin of killing off a expendable character to introduce the characters and some conflict is dragged out again ..lazy screenwriting 101 but I'll overlook it for now, Jesse Spencer attempting to break away from his House character does a reasonable job of setting his character and the others are more than acceptable in their intros.
This is another promising series which if it can get over the lazy screenwriting shown in the pilot has potential and given the photogenic properties of it leads should have legs.
Above Average 6/10
Now onto the biggest surprise of the season so far ...
this is a series I downloaded for the wife as shes a big fan of Dolly and Shania, and the premise for this series showed it may be treading the same ground.
and boy is the pilot good .....
Britton and Panettiere are excellent in their respective roles as fading older star and up and coming manipulative teen starlet. Britton gets to enjoy herself in a more glamourous role than her FNL mom figure and Panettiere is a revelation stretching her acting chops away from her usual fluff fare.
The initial meeting of the 2 stars backstage before the titles even role is laden with undercurrents and nuance and you immediately relate to both characters and the fun and manipulations that follow as the rest of the cast are introduced just flesh out the promising storyline.
The sequence when Panettiere's character Juliet Barnes is cutting a song in the studic and the comment about "auto-tune" ring true in todays "X-pop stars got talent" culture and the loyalty that Brittons character Reyna James shows to her band and crew also ring true, and as we learn more about both of them as the pilot runs its course you find yourself drawn in, this is acting of the highest calibre and the screenwriters have done a good job.
Very good , engaging leads and great supporting cast this show will go far if the quality is kept up to the high standard they set in the pilot.
Excellent Show so far 9/10 ... oh and I predict it will be one of the first cancelled as all quality shows seems to be nowadays ....I hope I'm wrong
JD :)
as promised more new show reviews for ya and we got 3 new shows to look at this week, a superhero show, firefighter drama and a ...country and western themed show? ...yeah you read that right..but lets get started
Arrow a show based on the DC comics character has an intriguing pilot episode which succeeds on many levels, it successfully introduces all the characters, doesn't skimp on the action and sets up the premise nicely.those are the plus points, there are a couple of minus ones but at this point I'm nitpicking, so here goes .. the main character is OK to good in his regular persona, Stephen Amell is pretty to look at for the ladies and has that brooding intensity that a tortured superhero requires. as an aside why are superheroes always tortured, or have a mission passed down from Father/Uncle/insert dead character here, could it be lazy writing on the part of the original comic book creators?
my main nitpick is the costume, how does a hood and some green eyeliner disguise your identity even in the dark ?... Where did he acquire said get-up? maybe these questions will be addressed in the following episodes (one can hope)
Now don't get me wrong this is not a bad pilot, it just carries the baggage of all the superhero shows that came before it and that it will inevitably be compared to, it shows promise and the action is handled nicely and just enough of the main plot is revealed to make you want to check out more episodes.
in conclusion ... shows promise and is light years better than some of the offerings this year (Last Resort anyone still watching that shite?) a solid 7/10 lets hope they can keep the quality or even improve on it.
Chicago Fire a series based on ... do I even need to explain the premise, its Hill Street Blues/Chicago Hope/The West Wing in a fire station...
Before. I start on a review..here's a quick idea for Hollywood screenwriters, when you are gonna kill off #expendable character 1# in order to further the plot why do it in the pilot after only a few set up scenes? The audience would relate better to the characters sense of loss if we had a chance to get to know the "red shirt" first before you kill them off so give them a few episodes then kill them, it would have far more impact and we the audience would feel a part of the loss and grieving the characters are going through... just a thought :)
("RED SHIRT" - Star Trek parlance - the red shirts were the expendable security officers who you just knew were gonna die in that episode)
Anyway on with the review, as you can tell the old maguffin of killing off a expendable character to introduce the characters and some conflict is dragged out again ..lazy screenwriting 101 but I'll overlook it for now, Jesse Spencer attempting to break away from his House character does a reasonable job of setting his character and the others are more than acceptable in their intros.
This is another promising series which if it can get over the lazy screenwriting shown in the pilot has potential and given the photogenic properties of it leads should have legs.
Above Average 6/10
this is a series I downloaded for the wife as shes a big fan of Dolly and Shania, and the premise for this series showed it may be treading the same ground.
and boy is the pilot good .....
Britton and Panettiere are excellent in their respective roles as fading older star and up and coming manipulative teen starlet. Britton gets to enjoy herself in a more glamourous role than her FNL mom figure and Panettiere is a revelation stretching her acting chops away from her usual fluff fare.
The initial meeting of the 2 stars backstage before the titles even role is laden with undercurrents and nuance and you immediately relate to both characters and the fun and manipulations that follow as the rest of the cast are introduced just flesh out the promising storyline.
The sequence when Panettiere's character Juliet Barnes is cutting a song in the studic and the comment about "auto-tune" ring true in todays "X-pop stars got talent" culture and the loyalty that Brittons character Reyna James shows to her band and crew also ring true, and as we learn more about both of them as the pilot runs its course you find yourself drawn in, this is acting of the highest calibre and the screenwriters have done a good job.
Very good , engaging leads and great supporting cast this show will go far if the quality is kept up to the high standard they set in the pilot.
Excellent Show so far 9/10 ... oh and I predict it will be one of the first cancelled as all quality shows seems to be nowadays ....I hope I'm wrong
JD :)
Tuesday 2 October 2012
Worlds Laziest Blogger updates finally :)
Okies, Hi everyone (if anyones left), I'm gonna make a determined effort to update this blog more often from now on, so stay tuned and see if I can manage it ;)
Firstly ..lets start with the crap ... heres the scenario, a US nuclear sub is given a launch order over a secondary command route, it is authenticated and then ... they request a confirmation over the normal channel .. ok I can just about buy this in the interest of moving the story along, then without warning ONE OF THEIR OWN SHIPS FIRES AT THEM?
Sounds exciting doesn't it ? here are the many problems with this series so far,
1. They not only have female officers aboard, but female MARINES as well ? - oh and one of the females appears to be 3rd in command of the boat !
2. They also have on board a secret prototype device that makes the sub harder to detect
3. once the above transpires, they make a run for an island that conveniently appears to be very close to their location and has a NATO monitoring station on it ...and by this time I'm losing the will to live
this is not to mention that this island is run by a criminal syndicate which takes offence at the marines landing and kidnaps 2 of them (one female - yeah couldn't see THAT coming)
to sum up ... this is crap of the highest order, lazy plotting that wouldn;t be out of place in a 70s soap opera, acting so wooden the entire cast could have been bought at Ikea, I could go on but I think you get the picture ...avoid this like the plague unless you think Pop Idol is the height of intellectual entertainment, in which case you'll love this series ;)
RED ALERT ..this one should be left to sink 2/10 and one point of that is the effects work
To rinse my mouth out after that shite, here's 2 that ARE worth a look....
Interesting premise, a surgeon whos brother gets into a liitle bit of bother with the Chcago mob offers to work off his debt...
opening sequence ... vets office, a mob member (we assume) is lay on the operating table with a screwdriver embedded in his temple and making a lot of noise (as you would , I suppose) ..enter the doc and the fun begins ... I wont spoil it for you but its a memorable opening scene..
Unlike the last pile of shite above, this is a well written pacy series, with a largely unknown cast who play their roles with gusto,
The balancing act that Grace (the doctor in question) must perform between her medical life saving duties and the demands of the mob are the main focus of the series so far, but the supporting characters are beginning to flesh out and the stories move along at a nice pace, the scripts are tight and believable ...
highly recommended 8/10
Ooh look its another Mob series .. (is this the flavour of the year with the US networks ?)
2 things ... this is a very very good series so far and just take a look at the 2 lead actors
OK .. premise time, its Las Vegas about 5-10 years after the mob moved in, some of the Casinos are built and the town is starting to grow, with the inevitable frictions between the locals and the new arrivals. Corruption is rife the DA is on the take and theres been a murder ...
Enter Quaid a retired MP back on his ranch with his 2 (or maybe 3) sons who is enraged by a low flying aircraft scaring his herd who sets off on horseback to remonstrate with the air traffic controller much to the amusement of Chiklis the mob boss who has just arrived on said plane to take over running of some of the casinos ..
This is another well written series that has a stellar cast and an intruiging premise that should have some durability, the pilot succeeds in introducing the main characters and does a reasonable job of fleshing out the supporting cast.
again highly recommended 8/10
I will continue to review the new series that caught my attention as they launch in the US
Now onto some returning favourites.. and its a mixed reaction from me
Lets start with the most consistently entertaining series of the past few years
Sons of Anarchy for those of you unfamiliar with the series is the story of a motorcycle gang based in the town of Charming and its brushes with the law and other rival organisations.
Written by Kurt Sutter, a showrunner who really cares about his material and his audience (see the extensive presence of behind the scenes and Q&A sessions on You Tube - sutterink) this is a show that goes beyond what you would expect from network television and to date (3 episodes into season 5) has yet to have a bad episode.
The cast are excellent from Charlie Hunnams portrayal of Jax - the main protagonist of the story to Ron Pearlmans superb portrayal of Clay, the aging leader of the gang and lets not forget Katey Sagal stretching her acting chops as Gemma the matriach of the gang ...and I can go on and on there is just no bad casting on this show, every actor pulls at your emotions, enraging you (when Clay does "nasty shit") making you laugh (see Juice in a nappy) and envoking sympathy ....
The praise for this show is widespread and deserved, if you haven't given it a chance yet ..then start with season 1 episode 1 and enjoy the ride (pun intended)
Cannot recommend this show highly enough 10/10
Another returning favourite just starting season 6 in the US is this show, if you haven't heard of it by now, you must be living inside a box on a remote island somewhere, so I wont bother you with having to read a plot summary and instead just comment on the opening episode of season 6 for you ...
and it was ... DISAPPOINTING on many levels, yes the cast are all back and the characters are still there, but the show seems to be retreading old ground and slipping away from the geeky references and culture clash occurrences that made this show so entertaining for its first few seasons, it is becoming a formulaic american sitcom and that is a waste of a great cast and intruiging premise ... here's hoping that the season improves and returns to its best.
4/10 for the season 6 opener ... the show generally hits a 7-8 its not as funny as its thinks it is but its still an enjoyable way to waste 30 minutes
Boss now just into its second season is an interesting show, Kelsey Grammer stars as the ruthless Mayor of Chicago Thomas Kane in a role thats a million miles away from the affable, pompous Frasier Crane.
with a fabulous supporting cast, great scripts and a nice gritty realism the first season barrelled along nicely right up to the final episode bombshells that spoke of a series about to be cancelled, to my (and I suspect the producers) surprise Starz picked up the series for a second run and this season if anything is better than the first.
if you are a fan of behind the scenes machinations and plots then this is the series for you ,,,recommended 7/10
and finally heres a series that has just finished its first run in the states and had deservedly been picked up for a second season ....
What can I say about this series that hasn't already been said ?
accolades and award nominations have been flying in to HBO for this series and for once its not hype, they are well deserved.
Jeff Daniels leads an all-star cast in one of the most well written, acted and directed shows to surface on american television for the last 5 years
now dont tune in expecting a take your brain out easy ride, this is a series that makes you consider whats going on in the world and how its reported to you in your living room, I'm not gonna give away any spoilers on this show, just give your brain some exercise and tune into this show.
From Daniels to occasional guest star Jane Fonda, the cast are on the top of their form and the nuances that Daniels brings to the lead gives lie to the people that thought he was a one dimensional actor.
Like Sons this show does not have a bad episode yet and i fervently hope they can maintain the quality in season 2
superb show 10/10
Right hope you all enjoyed this update and I promise to be more diligent in updating in future.. if your REALLY good I might even update you on the great garage build :) (and yes its STILL not finished after 3 years of delays)
have fun and take care til we meet again
JD :)
The New Season on TV
Sounds exciting doesn't it ? here are the many problems with this series so far,
1. They not only have female officers aboard, but female MARINES as well ? - oh and one of the females appears to be 3rd in command of the boat !
2. They also have on board a secret prototype device that makes the sub harder to detect
3. once the above transpires, they make a run for an island that conveniently appears to be very close to their location and has a NATO monitoring station on it ...and by this time I'm losing the will to live
this is not to mention that this island is run by a criminal syndicate which takes offence at the marines landing and kidnaps 2 of them (one female - yeah couldn't see THAT coming)
to sum up ... this is crap of the highest order, lazy plotting that wouldn;t be out of place in a 70s soap opera, acting so wooden the entire cast could have been bought at Ikea, I could go on but I think you get the picture ...avoid this like the plague unless you think Pop Idol is the height of intellectual entertainment, in which case you'll love this series ;)
RED ALERT ..this one should be left to sink 2/10 and one point of that is the effects work
To rinse my mouth out after that shite, here's 2 that ARE worth a look....
opening sequence ... vets office, a mob member (we assume) is lay on the operating table with a screwdriver embedded in his temple and making a lot of noise (as you would , I suppose) ..enter the doc and the fun begins ... I wont spoil it for you but its a memorable opening scene..
Unlike the last pile of shite above, this is a well written pacy series, with a largely unknown cast who play their roles with gusto,
The balancing act that Grace (the doctor in question) must perform between her medical life saving duties and the demands of the mob are the main focus of the series so far, but the supporting characters are beginning to flesh out and the stories move along at a nice pace, the scripts are tight and believable ...
highly recommended 8/10
2 things ... this is a very very good series so far and just take a look at the 2 lead actors
OK .. premise time, its Las Vegas about 5-10 years after the mob moved in, some of the Casinos are built and the town is starting to grow, with the inevitable frictions between the locals and the new arrivals. Corruption is rife the DA is on the take and theres been a murder ...
Enter Quaid a retired MP back on his ranch with his 2 (or maybe 3) sons who is enraged by a low flying aircraft scaring his herd who sets off on horseback to remonstrate with the air traffic controller much to the amusement of Chiklis the mob boss who has just arrived on said plane to take over running of some of the casinos ..
This is another well written series that has a stellar cast and an intruiging premise that should have some durability, the pilot succeeds in introducing the main characters and does a reasonable job of fleshing out the supporting cast.
again highly recommended 8/10
I will continue to review the new series that caught my attention as they launch in the US
Now onto some returning favourites.. and its a mixed reaction from me
Sons of Anarchy for those of you unfamiliar with the series is the story of a motorcycle gang based in the town of Charming and its brushes with the law and other rival organisations.
Written by Kurt Sutter, a showrunner who really cares about his material and his audience (see the extensive presence of behind the scenes and Q&A sessions on You Tube - sutterink) this is a show that goes beyond what you would expect from network television and to date (3 episodes into season 5) has yet to have a bad episode.
The cast are excellent from Charlie Hunnams portrayal of Jax - the main protagonist of the story to Ron Pearlmans superb portrayal of Clay, the aging leader of the gang and lets not forget Katey Sagal stretching her acting chops as Gemma the matriach of the gang ...and I can go on and on there is just no bad casting on this show, every actor pulls at your emotions, enraging you (when Clay does "nasty shit") making you laugh (see Juice in a nappy) and envoking sympathy ....
The praise for this show is widespread and deserved, if you haven't given it a chance yet ..then start with season 1 episode 1 and enjoy the ride (pun intended)
Cannot recommend this show highly enough 10/10
Another returning favourite just starting season 6 in the US is this show, if you haven't heard of it by now, you must be living inside a box on a remote island somewhere, so I wont bother you with having to read a plot summary and instead just comment on the opening episode of season 6 for you ...
and it was ... DISAPPOINTING on many levels, yes the cast are all back and the characters are still there, but the show seems to be retreading old ground and slipping away from the geeky references and culture clash occurrences that made this show so entertaining for its first few seasons, it is becoming a formulaic american sitcom and that is a waste of a great cast and intruiging premise ... here's hoping that the season improves and returns to its best.
4/10 for the season 6 opener ... the show generally hits a 7-8 its not as funny as its thinks it is but its still an enjoyable way to waste 30 minutes
with a fabulous supporting cast, great scripts and a nice gritty realism the first season barrelled along nicely right up to the final episode bombshells that spoke of a series about to be cancelled, to my (and I suspect the producers) surprise Starz picked up the series for a second run and this season if anything is better than the first.
if you are a fan of behind the scenes machinations and plots then this is the series for you ,,,recommended 7/10
and finally heres a series that has just finished its first run in the states and had deservedly been picked up for a second season ....
accolades and award nominations have been flying in to HBO for this series and for once its not hype, they are well deserved.
Jeff Daniels leads an all-star cast in one of the most well written, acted and directed shows to surface on american television for the last 5 years
now dont tune in expecting a take your brain out easy ride, this is a series that makes you consider whats going on in the world and how its reported to you in your living room, I'm not gonna give away any spoilers on this show, just give your brain some exercise and tune into this show.
From Daniels to occasional guest star Jane Fonda, the cast are on the top of their form and the nuances that Daniels brings to the lead gives lie to the people that thought he was a one dimensional actor.
Like Sons this show does not have a bad episode yet and i fervently hope they can maintain the quality in season 2
superb show 10/10
Right hope you all enjoyed this update and I promise to be more diligent in updating in future.. if your REALLY good I might even update you on the great garage build :) (and yes its STILL not finished after 3 years of delays)
have fun and take care til we meet again
JD :)
Thursday 12 April 2012
From the BBC Website ....
First the Tory Propoganda piece ....
UK job vacancies 'rose in March'
The REC said the report indicated increasing confidence among employers
The
number of job vacancies in March grew at its fastest rate for eight
months, led by the IT and computing sector, a report has said.
The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) report
also said that permanent staff placements rose for the third month in a
row.But there was a drop in the number of temporary appointments in March.
The REC said many firms had converted temps into permanent staff due to the effect of Agency Worker Regulations.
The regulations, which came into force at the end of last year, gave agency workers equal rights with directly employed staff after 12 weeks in a job.
Although, there were more jobs on offer in March, starting salaries for new permanent staff "stagnated".
Tom Hadley from the REC said the rise in permanent appointments and vacancy growth was a "positive indication of increasing employer confidence".
Then on the same page ..... The truth
Related Stories
Thursday 9 February 2012
'Europe is poor so should live within its means'
Now the emerging economies of Asia look like models of steady, consistent policy and sustained growth while Europe, America and Japan are mired in debt and are growing achingly slowly, if at all.
So what can the West learn from the East?
According to former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, the message is simple but devastating: Europe must face up to the new economic reality.
"Europe... has lost a lot of money and therefore you must be poor now relative to the past," he reasons in an interview with BBC World Service's Business Daily.
"And in Asia we live within our means. So when we are poor, we live as poor people. I think that is a lesson that Europe can learn from Asia."
State of denial Dr Mahathir is well qualified to pass judgement.
If any Asian leader can make claim to having laid the groundwork for his country's economic expansion, it is he.
During his two decades in power, Dr Mahathir helped transform Malaysia from a sleepy former colony into an economic tiger.
Dr Mahathir believes European leaders are in a state of denial.
"You refuse to acknowledge you have lost money and therefore you are poor," he says.
"And you can't remedy that by printing money. Money is not
something you just print. It must be backed by something, either good
economy or gold." Well Said that man
In particular, he believes Europe and the West must begin the long slow process of restructuring their economies to reduce their dependence on the financial sector.
"I think you should go back to doing what I call real
business - producing goods, providing services, trading - not just
moving figures in bank books, which is what you are doing." Yep could not agree more
"Currency is not a commodity", he says.
"You sell coffee. Coffee… can be ground and made into a cup of coffee.
"But currency, you cannot grind it and make it into anything.
It is just figures in the books of the banks and you can trade with
figures in the books of banks only.
"There must be something solid to trade, then you can legitimately make money."
WOW .. Common Sense ...where have you been for the last 15 years old friend ...
"To recover your wealth you have to work over many years to rebuild your capacities, to produce goods and services to sell to the world, to compete with the eastern countries," he says.
European workers are overpaid and unproductive, Dr Mahathir believes.
"I think you have paid your workers far too much money for much less work," he says.
"So you cannot expect to live at this level of wealth when you are not producing anything that is marketable."
"And now, what is the result? Sometimes you undermined our
currency and we became very poor. Well, we learn from each other. We
were Euro-centric before. I think it should be a little bit Asia-centric
now."
A tough message indeed.
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