Bride of Cain

With thanks to Robert Tressell's work, 'The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists', I repeat the question he posed and request an answer from those who profess to believe in the literal word of God in the Bible: from whence came the bride of Cain?
The story so far. God created Adam from clay and Eve from one of his ribs. They had two sons (presumably naturally), Cain and Abel. Now, in a fit of jealousy, Cain murdered Abel and was expelled from the Garden of Eden to farm some land in Nod whilst, so the Bible says, God favoured Adam and Eve and replaced the lost son with another, Seth.
Meanwhile, in Nod, 'Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch'. But from whence came the wife of Cain?
Answers please.

Blair's resignation

Tony Blair has resigned from his post as Middle-East envoy representing the quartet composed of the US, UN, EU and Russia. It's about time; as in everything he does, the Middle East has deteriorated into hell on earth under Blair.
Why do people listen to him? It's a question many people are asking in much the same way that people are asking why FIFA is allowed to prosper under leaders that more resemble charlatans  and shysters rather than statesmen.

Could it be that Blair is clearing his desk in the full knowledge that when the much delayed Chilcot report is published, he will be found responsible for much of the blood that has been spilled. Could it be that Blair is headed for a fate even his appalling wife cannot deflect with her Human Rights brief?
Could it be that he is securing his property, hiding his money ahead of possible prosecution?

Corruption in FIFA

Walter de Gregorio, the communications officer of FIFA defended his organisation as best he could against the US Attorney General's assertion that corruption was rampant, systemic, and deep rooted. Indeed to listen to de Gregorio was to believe that it was business as usual for Blatter and the other executives confirming that the venues for the next two World Cups will remain Russia and Qatar.
Scandal has followed Blatter for years but nothing is ever done despite his arrogant denials; the stench of corruption must be overwhelming.
The surprise was that it took the US FBI to bring charges, not any of the big European FAs, an idea shared with Declan Hill a Canadian journalist who has written about corruption in football.
This blog, as early as 2010, suggested that the English FA took matters into their own hands and organised a new World Cup, inviting teams from around the world, leaving Russia and Qatar to contend both finals in 2018 and 2022. See here

Thought for the day.

With thanks to Robert Tressel, author of 'The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists'.

Imagine a shipwreck close by a barren desert island. There are two survivors, one who has reached shore with a chest containing a thousand gold sovereigns. The other survivor lands with some bottles of fresh water and some cans of baked beans. The question is: which of the two is the wealthier?

First election thoughts

Phew; what an election!
The result went some way to restoring one's faith in the collective sense of the general public to get it right when electing a government. It demonstrates that in politics, as in life, no one should count their chickens before they are hatched.
Much has been made of the dramatic rise of the Scottish Nationalist Party, winning in all but three seats north of the border. They will try to exercise some muscle in Parliament putting Cameron on the tightrope. He will implement the conclusions of the Smith report for DevoMax but must surely insist that the SNP represent only a small percentage of the population of the UK. After all, 15% of the Scottish electorate voted Conservative a fact that Alex Salmond, leader of the SNP in Westminster, seems to have forgotten when he claimed, ramping up the rhetoric, that Cameron had 'no legitimacy' in Scotland.
It is also worth remembering that UKIP with 4 million votes won one seat, polling more than the Lib Democrats and the SNP together who garnered 64 seats between them. Hardly Democracy, is it!!

When a member of the audience in the pre-election BBC programme, Question Time, suggested that the Lib-Dems could become an irrelevancy, Clegg replied; 'charming'. However, that's what his Party has become, not charming but irrelevant, but why? Most people point to their failed promise to peg tuition fees in the coalition but for me, it was another pledge that they failed to honour that wrankles most. Clegg promised to support electoral boundary revision but in a fit of pique renaged on this commitment. He would never be forgiven and during the election, the Conservatives lost no opportunity to stick the knife in.

Will the Labour Party attempt to bring back Ed Balls from the political wasteland? They could get him elected to the Lords in the next New Year honours and from there, back into opposition, but I doubt it. He and Miliband were too close to the toxic treasury team of Gordon Brown, too close to the whiff of financial ruin to be ever trusted again.

Who will replace Miliband? The choice could lie with either Yvette Cooper, tying with Caroline Flint as the most odious women in Westminster, or Andy Burnham, the angel of Mid Staffs. With candidates such as these, Labour could join Balls in the political wasteland.

However, the most galvanising aspect of the new Parliament will be the presence in Westminster of two charismatic performers, Alex Salmond and Boris Johnson. With the prospect of a referendum on Europe to come, politics in the UK will never be boring. Bring it on!

Qualification for standing

UKIP candidate, Mr Robert Blay, has been suspended from the Party by threatening to shoot a Conservative rival if he (the rival) ever became Prime Minister. It seems that Mr Blay was outraged by the fact that Mr Ranil Jawardena's father came from Sri Lanka.
Whilst having reservations about the shooting, in the main thrust of his argument I believe he is absolutely right. Mr Blay argued that he could trace his families British heritage over 400 years whilst the Jawardenas arrived in 1970. It should not be possible for a first generation immigrant to hold any position of power over the British people and that includes Baroness Warsi and Ed Miliband. I have spoken of this before: here,   here,  & here

There should be a minimum of two generations living in the UK as residents before a person qualifies to hold Council or Parliamentary positions. No ifs; no buts.

BBc promotion of US actors and actresses

I know it's irrelevant at this time in the electoral cycle but I must express my indignation if not my hateful detestation of the BBC's fawning over US actors and actresses on the 'One Show'. Tonight, 5th May, they are interviewing somebody from a program that might or might not be called 'Friends'. Are there no British of Northern Irish actors to profile? Are there no home grown programmes to promote? What is it with the BBC that they give air to these nobodies when there are hundreds and thousands of British and N Irish talent waiting for the oxygen of publicity. Could it be that the BBC fat cats get some reciprocal deal with US tv production companies?
By the way, don't you just loathe those so called comedy shows with 'canned laughter'?

Brand endorses Miliband

You may have seen Brand's recent video exhorting Miliband and Labour. If not you can see it here:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3067485/PIERS-MORGAN-let-hypocritical-clowns-like-Brand-Coogan-tell-vote-Don-t-make-laugh.html#v-4214866930001

Russell Brand has a reputed worldwide following of one million people. His pronouncements influence people which is why he should be careful what he says. Fortunately the people he most touches are the very young and the very stupid; unfortunately, some of these have the vote.
In an election where statistics are bandied about like confetti, we should stick to facts. Socialism NEVER works. It sounds good and ethical but the reality is we are not born equal and the strong (clever) will always prevail. That is not to say that social justice is dead in the water but the populace must treat promises of equality as a falsehood.
Democracy also sounds good and ethical, but it too is flawed because it allows the (many) weak to dilute the vote of those who can make informed decisions in the National interest. Democracy allows one man, one vote without weighting for intelligence. The insane are denied the vote but why are Socialists who suffer the same problem allowed their say? 'Insane' you protest!. Who else would vote for a Party that in 1976 brought the UK economically to the brink and had to be rescued by the IMF. Only the mad or stupid. Who else would vote for a Party that so overspent the budget in 2010 that Liam Byrne, the Labour Treasury Minister admitted that no money was left, leaving the Country effectively bankrupt.  Only the mad or stupid.
I'm not advocating that people should vote for the Tories; only that people should not vote for Left wing parties and that includes the Greens and SNP.  Far better to vote for Nigel Farage and  shake the whole system up with the long term aim that the people who lead the country do not represent factions within the community but only act in the interest of the NATION.

It's a princess

CONGRATULATIONS to the Duchess and Duke of Cambridge on the birth of their daughter. May she have a life of joy.

Where are the Unions?

Have you noticed that nobody seems to be talking about the Unions this election?
With just five days to go, the news surrounding the Labour Party is all about the SNP and a possible pact with the Socialists with the sole intention of keeping the Conservatives out of power. No matter that the Labour Party brought the Nation to its knees through imprudent economic policy; no matter that the Conservatives (with the Liberals) have recovered the situation, the Scottish National Party dogma demands common sense be abandoned in their single-minded determination to lead their proud country to ruin. Indeed, such has been the level of hate filled vitriol  we have heard from the leader of the SNP, Nicola Sturgeon, I would be surprised if relations with the Scots can be recovered in a generation.
But where are the Unions? Could their quiescence be due to their harmful influence on voter's intentions? It is well known that Miliband  and half the Parliamentary Party are sponsored by the Unite Union, itching to implement their left wing policies, regardless of the well-being of the Nation. Instead of leaders of industry advising policy, we will have beer and sandwiches at No 10 as Len McCluskey calls in his favours, dictating his terms for ruining the country.
Not once did Miliband have to field questions about the Unions in the Leaders debate on the BBC. I have heard nothing in the media leading me to think that a pact has been agreed for the duration of the election. Don't rock the boat must have been the message; no strikes, no inflammatory rhetoric.
This will all change if Labour gain power. I fear that with their determination to hold on to power, they will adopt measures that will effectively make it impossible to dislodge them.