Going around London causing havoc and wrecking people's businesses without a thought about what you are putting people through... University must have been a fun time for David Cameron, Boris Johnson, George Osborne and the rest of the Bullingdon Club!

Right, I thought I would make another post about the riots.

First of all, let me once again state that the people who took part in them were wrong to do so.  But what I am getting annoyed with is the way people are stating that this is the fault of a lack of morality.  Worse, that people are blaming this on a lack of parenting.

BBC News: David Cameron "sickened" by mindless violence.
At least when him and Boris went around smashing up people's livelihoods for no apparent reason, they were civilised enough to do it in bow ties and tailcoats and call themselves the Bullingdon Club. 

You see as I stated earlier.  People are blaming race, they are blaming parenting, they are blaming the lack of morals but they do not realise, that such behaviour is part of what we, the human race, are.

In the past, experiments on human behaviour have been carried out.  One was the Stanford Prison Experiment.  In this situation, a group of twenty four students were used.  Some were used as guards and some as prisoners.  Very quickly, the prisoners were abused.  Yet these were people who many would consider to have a good background and they took part in immoral acts.

Another example of how moral people would act in an immoral manner was the Milgram Experiment.  In this, a person would be required to give a shock to someone on the other side of a screen.  (The person giving the shock did not know that they were not actually harming anyone, but did hear faked screams when they gave them a shock.)  Once again, moral people took part in acts that most (even them) would consider immoral.

And members of the Bullingdon Club have acted in ways to cause public disorder.  This has been something that has happened in the recent and more distant past.  And this is, well in my opinion, important because Boris Johnson, David Cameron and George Osborne were members.  While I can find no evidence that they were involved in the infamous behaviour of the club, the simple fact is that they joined an organisation that was and is notorious for causing damage to private property that is not their own.  The only thing is that the members can call upon the wealth of their parents to pay for the damage while those involved can not do so.

The following is copied and pasted from this article in the Telegraph from 2007.  The key is for the picture above, one which the BBC is not allowed to use, and that the Independent has withdrawn.

1. Sebastian Grigg, 41
• Son of Anthony Ulrick David Dundas Grigg, 3rd Baron Altrincham, and Eliane de Cassagne de Beaufort.
• Educated at Eton and Oriel College, Oxford, where he studied modern history. Studied for an MBA at the Insead business school in France and joined Lazards investment bank before joining Goldman Sachs.
• Married Rachel Kelly, a journalist, in 1993 and they have five children.
2. David Cameron, 40
• Educated at Eton and Brasenose College Oxford, where he gained a first in Politics, Philosophy and Economics.
• Worked at the Conservative Research Department and at the Treasury and Home Office before spending seven years as Head of Corporate Communications at Carlton Television.
• He was elected as Conservative MP for Witney in Oxfordshire in 2001 and became party leader in 2005.
• Married Samantha in 1996 and they live in Notting Hill, West London with their three children.
3. Ralph Perry-Robinson, 40
• Educated at Bryanston in Dorset and Oriel College, Oxford.
• He had a role as a teenager in the film Another Country.
• At Oxford he was renowned, not just for the strange sunglasses, but also for slashing the cork from a champagne bottle with a sword and running around a quad dressed as a monk.
• He is an architect and furniture designer and lives in Wiltshire.
• Married Amanda in 1999 and they have two daughters.
4. Ewen Fergusson, 41
• Son of Scottish rugby player and diplomat Sir Ewen Fergusson.
• Educated at Rugby and Oriel College, Oxford, where he studied modern history.
• Is said to have been responsible for throwing a plant pot through a restaurant window the night after this photograph was taken.
• He is a partner in the banking and finance division of the City law firm Herbert Smith.
• Lives in Kensington, west London.
5. Matthew Benson, 40
• Grandson of the Earl of Wemyss and March.
• Educated at Eton and Oriel College, Oxford, where he studied modern history.
• Spent three years in international finance with Morgan Stanley and later established a consultancy business. Now works for Scottish property agents Rettie & Co.
• He lives in central Edinburgh with his wife Lulu, and they have three children aged six, eight and 15.
6. Sebastian James, 40
• Son of Lord Northbourne, a Kentish landowner.
• Educated at Eton School and Magdalen College, Oxford
• He is described by friends as an "entrepreneur" who was involved in running a chain of DVD shops called Silverscreen.
• Lives with his wife, Anna in Notting Hill, west London, and Deal, Kent, and they have two daughters.
7. Jonathan Ford, 41
• Bullingdon club president.
• Educated at Westminster and Magdalen College, Oxford where he studied modern history.
• Worked for investment bank Morgan Grenfell before joining the Evening Standard as a financial reporter and then moving to the Financial Times.
• He is a co-founder and deputy editor of the financial website breakingviews.com.
• Married journalist Susannah Herbert in 1999 and they live in Holland Park, west London.
8. Boris Johnson, 42
• Educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford where he studied classics and became President of the Union.
• Went on to become a journalist and editor of the Spectator.
• Was elected Conservative MP for Henley in 2001 and is shadow minister for higher education.
• Marriage to Allegra Mostyn-Owen in 1987 lasted less than a year. He later married Marina Wheeler, a barrister, in 1993, and they have four children.
9. Harry Eastwood, 39
• Educated at Eton and Oxford.
• Worked for Storehouse before setting up Filmbox which aimed to rent videos through vending machines. In 2001 he joined Will Macdonald, an old Oxford friend, to set up TV production company Monkey Kingdom. He is also director of a film production company with Lord Wahid Alli and Rupert Murdoch's daughter, Elisabeth.
• Married Gillian in 1998 and they live in Holland Park, west London.
10. Marc Rowlands, 39
• Educated at Marlborough and Magdalen College Oxford.
• Works as a barrister in London specialising in construction and engineering.
• Married Amanda, a former solicitor, in 1995 and they have four children aged between nine and five.
• Lives in Bath, Somerset and West London.
• Was spotted lunching with golfer Colin Montgomerie's wife before her divorce, although the two denied having an affair.

Envy

It has been an interesting few nights in the UK.  Riots have broken out and spread.  Initially, it was felt that this was due to people protesting about the cuts that the government have imposed.  Only now it is apparent that it is the act of criminals.  That there are so many is shocking, though when you think about it, not really surprising.

We live in a consumer society, where we are encouraged to covet the latest goods and gadgets and yet they are priced beyond the reach of many.

What is sad is the way that people have turned upon each other. Yes, it is only a few, but those few have shamed our nation and shame themselves. A vicious stupid minority of our nation, of all colours and surprisingly, from loads of different backgrounds. While this may have started due to racial tensions and the death of a man who was armed at the hands of the police, this is no longer an issue about the way part of the community has been treated. Yes, I do think that there is an element of annoyance at the cuts, and to be fair, this has brought the cuts in the police to the fore. People had warned that reducing the numbers of the police would result in more crime. I was one of many who felt that cutting police numbers would be a good idea. But, apparently, the Home Secretary felt that a fall in the numbers in the police service would result in a fall in the amount of crime.  Well that worked out well eh?

The conservatives refuse to accept that they cuts that they have made may be to blame for these acts.  And they are right in that the cuts are no excuse for these actions, but I do think that for some, it may be a factor.  When you are young, you need hope and an alternative.  When the future is bleak, you look for alternatives.  And when there are no alternatives, if the opportunity arises, you make them.  These crimes, and they are that, are inexcusable.  But for some, some of the acts are understandable.  But there is no excuse for attacking family run businesses.  There is no excuse for arson.  And there is no excuse for violence towards others, be they members of the police force, the fire service, or just everyday people.

God willing, these riots will be brought under control, and I hope that the people who have taken part in the looting and organising them face the full force of the law.  Quite simply, they are scum and they deserve everything that they get when it comes to punishment.

Envy, anger, boredom, cuts, poor parenting, whatever these criminals say is the reason, there is no excuse for this. Greed is not good.

During the rioting in Tottenham, looters broke into the White Hart Lane trophy room, Unfortunately the only thing to steal was the carpet.

Afternoon all.  The post title is a reference to the violence in London last night, and the picture, to the way ManUre seem to have loads of time added on when they are behind.

It has been a while since my last post about the kids, and for that I am sorry.

Since I last posted, we have been enjoying me having two weeks off.  I have been moonlighting over this time, but only at times.  We have watched a few films, both on DVD and at the cinema.  We have been to the beach and today, to the Brightlingsea Music Festival.  The only downside is that it rained.  When I say rained, it poured down.  And even that did not put a down on my day as I got to enjoy it with my family.  All were soaked to the skin but it was a laugh in many ways.

Other news, my daughter has lost three of her front teeth.  They have been falling out over the last two weeks, the third one having to be pulled out by my wife this morning.  It had started to come out yesterday after her brother's head smashed into her.  Both screamed a bit, especially as she cut her lip, her screaming due to her blood, he screaming as he saw his sister was bleeding!  She even had to see the dentist today afterwards as she was in pain, but typically, but the time she saw the dentist, things had got better.

Anyway, time to go and i hope the jokes bring a smile to your face.

McDonalds. Helping young footballer's shine.

With sweat, after making them 15 stone. 

Man City have offered ex MP David Blunkett £20,000 a week for next season.
They hope he will show them how to hold on to a lead. 

Roberto Mancini is looking for a new house in Manchester, nothing too extravagent though.

Just a 2 up, 3 down 

In the 64th minute of the 5 added on Man Utd score the winner, shock. 

I walked into a library and asked, do you have a book on drugs? The lady said, yes, it's wandering around aisle three talking to itself.

Well, I thought that with the death of Amy Winehouse, this would be a good time to make a post about the evil of drugs.

Her death was a tragic event, someone so talented, but, and I am sorry if this was sounds cynical, it was only a matter of time before it happened.

The simple message is that drugs screw people up.  Yes, I know that with her, alcohol was an issue as well, but with her, it appeared that both were responsible for killing her.  I work in health-care and see the harm that both drugs and alcohol cause.  While alcohol in moderation is not a problem, so long as it is drunk in a responsible manner, people still have problems with addiction to it.  And the simple fact is that drugs have a much more addictive nature.  I have seen harm come to users, and I have seen the damage that it does to the family and friends of addicts, both of alcohol and narcotics.

Many argue that cannabis is not harmful, but they ignore the issue that it is a mind affecting drug.  And there is a concrete link between cannabis use and schizophrenia.  Mild use is deemed by many to be harmful.  Personally, I am not too bothered if someone smokes the occasional joint.  Not that I ever have (when in Amsterdam with friends, I went to a cafe and was the only person there drinking coffee, my friends all smoking a joint).  But people who state that it causes no problems are not aware of the risks it has.  I have seen people who have had problems after just one joint, and I have seen people who have become addicted to cannabis.

As for heroin, cocaine and other drugs, again I have seen the problems that they cause.  While cannabis is not a problem for most, and stronger drugs are not a problem for a few people, all these drugs ruin lives.

Drugs ruin lives.

Which makes my views on drug legalisation strange to some.  I am in favour of legalisation of drugs, but also regulation.  We are not winning the war on drugs.  When I was a child, in an inner city school, drugs were not a problem.  Go to my old school now, and you will find that it is more of an issue as it is affecting the young more than it has in the past.  I was aware about drugs, and living in inner city London, I of course was 'exposed' to drugs in that I have been in places were drugs have been taken (again, not by me), but it is far more of a problem now.

Drugs fund terrorism, they fund crime and they ruin the lives of many of those who use them, and those who care about them, innocents caught up in drug related crime, and of course, those who grow them and others in nations where they are grown and nearby.  The thing is that heroin and cocaine have medical uses.  When made legally, they cost the health service pennies.  But, due to them being illegal, people have to pay inflated costs to buy them.  And when you are addicted to drugs, you have to pay for them, which means that for many, you have to engage in crime to fund your habit.

The profit from drugs being illegal means that drug barons and others who profit from the drugs trade will make money, loads of money.  In order to get money, drug wars take place, which would not bother me if they only harmed those involved in the drugs trade, but they do not.  Make drugs legal, and regulate them and you take away the profit motive that drives the crime associated with the movement of drugs from one country to another.  And make them legal, and there will be far less of a profit for those who grow them.

I once had the chance to talk to Brian Paddick (an ex-senior police officer) and his view, despite his actions on drugs when he worked in London, was that drugs should not be legalised due to the harm they cause to the people who use them (and those around them).  And if legalisation is to take place, that is a very important message to keep telling people.

Either way, while addicts have to want to be treated, it would be of use if there was more help for those who do want to come off drugs.  That way, god willing, the deaths of other addicts may be prevented.

But the bottom line is that the current approach is not wining the war on drugs.  We need a new approach, to prevent lives being ruined by them.