Christmas 2008

This snap was taken on the walk home from midnight mass at St Mary’s (the “new” church) on Stoke Newington Church Street.

It’s nights like this where one really appreciates Stoke Newington’s village-ness. All the people in the photo are walking home from the church service. There will be more later, breathing community life into the street, from the Rose & Crown Christmas Eve lock in.

Later this morning, Clissold Park will be busy with kids riding their new bikes and later today, the Rose & Crown will be packed with friends having a pre-Christmas lunch drink.

I’ll be missing out a bit on my usual Stoke Newington Christmas as I am meeting friends at the Victory. Maybe we should do a fly-by of the Punchbowl too.

UPDATE

LOL. You’ll never guess who I saw at the Victory, yes – The Victory, for lunch today. Too bad I wasn’t sat at his table. I might of asked him about his latest suspension / compo claim over a chipolata.

All I want to know is which member of the Armed Forces invited that asshat.

Speaking of delusional whack-jobs with a persecution complex, wot in the world is Channel 4 thinking of by inviting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to give it’s “alternative Christmas speech“. I suppose if it were WWII, these idiots would be giving equal time to Lord Haw Haw.

The Queen’s Christmas Message here.

Jihadi Jumps Bail or Why House Arrest Doesn’t Work

Here’s another heartwarmer for you that’s being buried (and may I just ask, why isn’t there a “Wanted” poster of this nut plastered all over the press? They’ll do it for a missing child, but not THIS?) : -

A terrorist suspect on bail for charges linked to an alleged major suicide plot involving mass casualties has gone on the run, Scotland Yard has disclosed.

The 23-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is understood to have fled during Friday prayers and left a suicide note at his home.

The suspect was due to stand trial later this year charged with conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit explosions, amongst other alleged offences.

“Suicide” my arse: he lives (probably now in a foreign jurisdiction) to self-detonate another day.

Why oh why are judges bailing people charged with conspiracy to commit murder and explosions? Thank Labour.

When will this Government wake up to the fact that this country’s under attack and stop dealing with terrorists under a criminal paradigm? Just because islamo-terrorists don’t wear a state’s uniform doesn’t mean they aren’t soldiers: Listen to MSK, he told you himself .

Even if you disagree and do consider them mere criminals, I would note that we already have a place where terror plotters need to be placed before trial: Not their homes, a-holes, it’s called Belmarsh. Regrettably, it’s bursting at the seams.

Why Do We Bother?

Today’s, “You couldn’t make this shit up” award goes to Mr Justice Mitting of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac).

And what exactly did Mr Justice Mitting do to earn our august honour? He granted Abu Qatada, one of the world’s most dangerous terrorists, Osama Bin Laden’s right hand man in Europe, bail on Tuesday on the condition that, inter alia, (wait for it…)

He is banned from meeting al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in London.

A big “thank you” to Mr Justice Mitting for his concern for little Abu’s human rights.

Thanks, Mitting. All you did was put men’s lives at risk and weaken a country.

NB
Who IS Mr Justice Mitting, you ask? Why the same man who brought you free NHS treatment for FAILED asylum seekers. Cheers, big ears. Shall I just hand over the contents of my wallet and the keys to my house now?

The End of the Line for the UN?

Is there anything the UN does well at the moment? At best, it’s like the Eurovision Contest; we foot the bill while everyone else takes the piss. At worst, corruption and sexual abuse corrode everything and everyone it touches.

I am sick unto death of “UN Peacekeepers“. The UN is a talking shop which cannot even control its own personnel.

Spring Snow On The TS Stoke

Click on the above to see some Stoke Newington Easter snow. It also is a reminder that the TS Stoke on Church Street used to be home to the Stoke Newington Sea Cadets.

In one of their top-ten idiotic moves, the friend of children and “the people”, Jules & Co’s Hackney Labour pulled the rug out from under the cadets and tried to sell the TS Stoke to developers in 2005.

The cadets moved to Islington. And the TS Stoke? It sits abandoned and presumably still owned by Hackney Council.

Courage Under Fire

Congratulations and thank you to Flight Lt Michelle Goodman DFC for her act of supreme bravery under fire in Iraq. Her CO commented thus: -

“Flight Lieutenant Michelle Goodman showed great gallantry in flying her helicopter into a restricted area of Basra under enemy fire to rescue a wounded soldier and speed him straight to our field hospital”.

Welcome home Lieutenant and allow me to salute you, as well as the other 180 military men and women honoured yesterday for their courage and professionalism on operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and around the world.

Regrettably, while you’ve been away, your seniors have banned the wearing military uniforms off base as a lame PC attempt to placate “minorities” and UCL’s Student Union couldn’t wait to get in on the troop bashing act by attempting to ban Officer Training Corps units from campus.

But don’t worry Lt, perhaps you will take some small comfort in the fact that we’re not the only ungrateful, spoiled brat of a nation.

Let’s Get Real Indeed

Maybe it’s the Col Nathan R Jessop clips: -

but I love it.

Who do I trust? It damn sure isn’t Obama.

We Do Bad Things To Bad People

Honest to God, the kid rocks.

Bring back national service. The Army’s made a man out of Harry.

Matt Drudge, you are an asshat.

UPDATE
I see Harry’s deployment has pissed off the jihadis. When will these guys get the message that we will not submit?

PC Bitseach Is On A Roll

 Friends, the PC does not stand for “politically correct”.

I quote Ferris, she quotes Col Nathan R Jessop: -

“…we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who’s gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. [...] And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives.You don’t want the truth because deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honour, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline.I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post”.

Read more about service and gratitude and the state of this Godforsaken nation here.

We Remember