Interesting News Snippets

Hardly with about 11% of the population being Muslim numbers of whom, like my newsagent, do not practice in the conventional sense. About 65% count themselves Christian although large numbers do not practice in the conventional sense.

With regards to the above, I would say that the UK is already an Islamic state. From my travels around the country, I would suspect that there are a greater number of practicing Muslims in the UK than there are Christians now.

Perhaps our saving grace will be the LBGT community, as it is completely incompatible with Islam.

A report in yesterday’s news, features a person named as Abu Waleed. He is described as a ‘jihadist’ which term implies an enthusiasm and support for Islamix revolutionary zeal.

Mr. Waleed – evidently speaking in this country; from Cardiff no less, is an ardent advocate for the establishment of an Islamic government in this country, otherwise known as a Caliphate. Mr. Waleed enthuses about the time, not so far in the future when a black Islamic flag is flying over 10, Downing St. and the Palace of Westminster and all the people enjoy the benefits of Sharia governance.

He makes plain and in some detail exactly what the imposition od Sharia will entail. It is not all good news. Reading the report put me in mind of a similar situation back in the early part of the last century. Then a certain Adolf Hitler made no secret of his political ambitions for the rest of the world revealing all in his tome; Mein Kampf. Not much notice was taken at the time or subsequently. Which was a pity.

Forewarned is still forearmed. We ignore Mr. Waleed at our future peril. His prophecies are not the ravings of some demented lunatic but rather more a sign post, clearly marked: ‘To the future’. If we connect all that is currently happening around the world; the political turmoil and upheaval in almost too many countries to list, then, we are left with a clear and unequivocal picture of fundamentalist Islam on the march.

The potency of the threat is enhanced by the mythology or perhaps it was the reality of the ‘Trojan horse’ concept. Much of Europe is home to large populations of Muslims, some pacific, some not so pacific. How radicalised they are or, how radicalised they will become is not known, although there are suspicions, based on recent terrorist attacks in London.

Was there ever; has there ever been, a more significantly compulsive law than; “The Law of Unintended Consequences” ?

I know little and care less about soccer. However a simple statistic belies any theory about today’s players and today’s management. Apart from an aberration when England won at home in 1966, the national team has rarely reached the last games of the tournament since our first appearance.

Year Round
– – – – – – –
Brazil 1950 Group Stages
Switzerland 1954 Quarter-finals
Sweden 1958 Group Stages
Chile 1962 Quarter-finals
England 1966 Champions
Mexico 1970 Quarter-finals
West Germany 1974 Did not Qualify
Argentina 1978 Did not Qualify
Spain 1982 Round 2 6
Mexico 1986 Quarter-Finals
Italy 1990 Semi-Finals
United States 1994 Did not Qualify – – – – – – –
France 1998 Round 2 9
South KoreaJapan 2002 Quarter-finals
Germany 2006 Quarter-finals
South Africa 2010 Round 2
Brazil 2014 Group Stages

Every newspaper I pick up is full of comment about the England manager Roy Hodgson’s future prospects. I admit that I’m not a fan of soccer. The mendacity, greed and duplicity that is so much a part of this game, starting with those who run FIFA, downwards to the players, present as repellant a picture as is possible to imagine.

As the chief architect of an underperforming national side Hodgson has to resign, there is no alternative. What incentive is there for a player receiving two or so million pounds per year, whose heritage connection with England is slight, to perform to a level that demonstrates excellence ?

Things might change if pay was related to performance.

Some cheer, yes and good to see some of the support squad given an airing. But it’s the Tests which matter and although we have performed well there is still some distance between us and NZ. Another close loss on Saturday will not be good enough. We need a win to be confident of a win at Twickenham in November. And then we are set up nicely for 2015.

Sorry, I thought the World Cup was next year…..!!

News to give some cheer !

England beat a watered down version of the Alll Blacks. England 38 – Crusaders (topical name) 7. Let us hope for more ‘cheer’ next Saturday.

Beats watching all the ‘nancies’ in something called the ‘World Cup’.

My newspaper confirms unwelcome news; I am delusional. I thought I remembered some short while ago, that Britain and America plus a few others took military action in Iraq, the purpose of which was to depose a rather rancid dictator and his equally rancid family and usher in a new beginning of genuine democracy plus a bounty in oil with most of it going to the Yanks.

Seems it never happened. Iraq is currently in turmoil with open warfare involving Islamic jihadists and their threatened take over of the country with their Islamic neighbour Iran holding out the prospect of joining forces with the Americans to throttle the jihadists in their tracks.

Now let me see (strokes chin) how much exactly in blood and tribute did that last little exercise cost the British taxpayer – for what exactly ?

Will we ever learn ?

The literally minded thrill me to bits ! Edgar, for your benefit, let me tighten it up slightly. Like you, I was educated during the time you mention. I attended both boys only and co-ed. The expansion of co-ed became fashionable and rapidly became the majority system during the 60s.

I well remember the scale of the arguments for and against, that were aired by educationalsts. Or, perhaps I dreamt it.

Tory MP asks watchdog to probe Oxfam food bank campaign

The Charity Commission is assessing whether an advertising campaign by Oxfam broke its rules by criticising the government’s austerity programme.

The charity put out a tweet speaking of a “perfect storm” caused by “zero hours contracts, high prices, benefit cuts, unemployment and childcare costs”.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27783331

Is it just me, or does this campaign have the foul stench of the Labour party all over it? :confused:

It is still a good and workable idea to segregate boys from girls during education.

That really wouldn’t work these days. Some of my ‘best times’ (:D) as a teenager were spent meeting up with girls from a local all girls private secondary school, they were far more promiscuous than the girls at my mixed school. And with social networking, it is next to impossible.

. Co-educational ideas began with the left wing take over in the 60s..

No, they didn’t; from 1945 to 1951, I was taught in classes that comprised boys and girls; at the 11-plus boys and girls, who passed, were sent to separate schools, while those who remained behind stayed in mixed classes until they left school.

Educate boys alongside girls and they become more interested in each other rather than learning to read and write – with the now so predictable consequences

Not until puberty sets in; prior to that they largely hate each other.

It is still a good and workable idea to segregate boys from girls during education. When I was young it was commonplace. Co-educational ideas began with the left wing take over in the 60s.

Educate boys alongside girls and they become more interested in each other rather than learning to read and write – with the now so predictable consequences.

I don’t think stroking “faith” schools with such a broad brush is helpful. I have some experience of both C of E as well as Catholic Primary schools and the last aspect of them which would occur to me was that they were doctrinal. Religion seemed to be gently dealt wirh and certainly lessons embraced other faiths in a general sense. I am not sure that a Muslim school is so liberally minded, is it?

Two lads interviewed at the same time in the same school,
Lad 1 [a muslim ] stated that they weren’t allowed to mix with females at the school, Lad 2 then says yes but thats wrong it’s an academy NOT a faith school –so they ARE imposing their ways.

We’re in an age where religion is increasingly taking a back seat, so of course people find it alarming when their children are being exposed to hardline religious practices.

I hope this is the start of a process that will result in all schools being secular by law. The indoctrination of children into any religion, whether at home or at school, is highly immoral IMO.

All my favourite and not so favourite newspapers have something to write about with regard to Birmingham, education and Moslems.

I’m not too sure what all the fuss is about. I was educated at a number of faith schools (Catholic) as were my Protestant and Jewish friends at their faith schools. No one paid any attention. We were each educated in the values and ideals of our respective faiths which, in some cases, differed markedly from each other.

I don’t think that we came to any great harm as a consequence of our different training. We played together, made friends and religeous differences were not high or indeed, anywhere on our list of priorities.

Perhaps there are serious concerns about which the general public are unaware.

Delighted. Enjoy the match. I am away so will miss it but as we will be below strength thanks to the vagaries of the IRB’s scheduling I am more interested in the next two tests where at least one win is not beyond the bounds of probability. And that would set up the home match in November nicely.

Tried it and it works !! Fingers crossed for Sat. Looks like I might owe you a pint or ten.

I am 99% certain the other two Tests also kick off same time on the 14th and 21st. So looks like you could be doing just that!!

Pssst, anyone looking? – look at this……http://www.wiziwig.tv/competition.php?&part=sports&discipline=rugby&archive=no&allowedDays=7

Look at the second item. The link doesn’t always work but put it this way I have seen a fair bit of Aviva Premiership this season as well as some Top 14 ….and quite a bit of cricket……ssshhh!