Another New 2010 General Election Campaign Poster.

This is not an official Conservative poster.

More Posters HERE and HERE

New 2010 General Election Campaign Poster.

More HERE.

These are not an official Conservative posters.>

Poll: Should China have executed drug smuggler Akmal Shaikh?

Akmal Shaikh, a British citizen, was executed today in China after being found guilty of drug smuggling. These things are never straight forward, and this case was complicated by claims that Akmal Shaikh was suffering from a mental illness (Bipolar Disorder). The Chinese dismissed these claims, saying that no evidence of mental illness could be found in the man's medical records. Since Akmal Shaikh's death, statements of condemnation have been made by the government and opposition leaders. They express their dismay that Akmal did not receive an independent mental health assessment whilst in custody.

Philip Alston, a UN special rapporteur, said the execution amounted to a violation of Chinese and international law. "International law points very strongly in the direction of the principle that the death penalty should only be used for crimes which result directly in the death of others". However, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy said: "The amount of heroin he brought into China was 4,030g, enough to cause 26,800 deaths, threatening numerous families."

Leo McKinstry of the Daily Mail says: "In contrast to New Labour's policy of appeasement and surrender, the Chinese Government acts vigorously to defend its people from the misery caused by the drugs trade. My regret is not over tough action by Beijing, but the fact that we in this country do not possess the moral clarity or strength of purpose to deal ruthlessly with drug peddlers and other enemies of our society."

So are we in the West too soft? Is China guilty of not giving Akmal Shaikh a fair trial, and of passing an excessive sentence? Should the death sentence ever be used?

Should China have executed drug smuggler Akmal Shaikh?
	Yes
	No
	Don't Know
pollcode.com free polls

My Labour/Lib Dem election campaign posters.

My perfect Hot Dog.

And now for something completely different: My perfect hot dog. Homemade hot dogs in this country tend to be pathetic efforts when compared to the American standard. I've even had some great hot dogs whilst travelling around Europe. The only place that you can get an half decent hot dog in this country seems to be cinema. So I've been on a quest of heroic proportions to find the ingredients to make my perfect hot dog.

First of all there is the hot dog sausage itself. After literally minutes of research, I've found that Ye Olde Oaks Giant Hot Dogs taste like the real thing, and they are also the right size.
Next is the bun. Asda large finger rolls are the perfect size for these large hot dogs, and they have the bonus of being fresh baked.

And so on the those all important toppings. The obvious must have is Heinz tomato ketchup, but make sure it is the squirty type so that you can get a nice squiggly line of it down your sausage. And for that authentic American taste get hold of some French's American classic mustard.

Now normally I would have said fry up some finely chopped onions and stick them on top, but I've managed to find fried dried onions. I've had these on some great hot dogs in Germany and fell in love with them. Give them a whirl, you won't be disappointed (They're crunchy).


And so that's it, my perfect hot dog (for now). Enjoy.

Do you have any suggestions for a great hot dog?

Climate Change - Copenhagen Accord - More like Copenfaken.

So after all those millions have been spent - and all that extra CO2 pumped into the atmosphere - what exactly has been achieved? The answer, unsurprisingly, is bugger all. Apart from of course, the fact that it is now apparent that there will never be a legally binding treaty that will reduce CO2 by an amount that could make any kind of difference.

Even if we are to believe our increasingly discredited scientists, the billions mentioned won't even stop the global temperature rising by at least 2 degrees Celsius. Countries won't bankrupt themselves, or restrict their economic growth in a vain attempt to merely slow down global warming just a little. World leaders have been able to grandstand to their heart's content, safe in the knowledge that their headline grabbing promises would evaporate along with their jet contrails leaving Copenfaken. Job done.

Here are just some of the reactions from the non-governmental attendees:

OXFAM: Copenhagen verdict: Historic moment, historic gathering, historic cop out.

We’re at the end of a two year UN process that has culminated in two weeks of wrangling, posturing and displays of political self-interest by rich nations in Copenhagen. World leaders have produced a hollow deal that has let down people around the world.

FRIENDS OF THE EARTH INTERNATIONAL:

Copenhagen has been an abject failure. Justice has not been done. By delaying action, rich countries have condemned millions of the world's poorest people to hunger, suffering and loss of life as climate change accelerates. The blame for this disastrous outcome is squarely on the developed nations.

GREENPEACE UK:

The city of Copenhagen is a crime scene tonight, with the guilty men and women fleeing to the airport. There are no targets for carbon cuts and no agreement on a legally binding treaty. It seems there are too few politicians in this world capable of looking beyond the horizon of their own narrow self-interest, let alone caring much for the millions of people who are facing down the threat of climate change.

After reading that, it's hard to believe that Gordon Brown has been sporting that fake (and cringe worthy) smile of his on TV telling everyone how great this deal is, and how he is going to save the world all over again.

Gordon Incapability Brown's City Tax Exodus.

Well done Gordon Brown, you bloody great plum. You were warned about taxing the rich in an attempt to pander to your socialist core vote. Now your ruin of our economy looks to be in its final stage - a city tax exodus. Sky are reporting that one of the City's largest trading firms, Tullett Prebon, is allowing staff to relocate abroad to offices "with more certain taxation regimes". They are are also considering moving their headquarters to Singapore. Tullet Prebon employ 12000 staff and pump millions of pounds into the economy.

Sky News City editor Mark Kleinman said:

"This could have serious long-term consequences for the City of London.

"This represents the most potent signal to date of an imminent exodus from the City amid growing government hostility towards the financial services sector."

Chief executive Terry Smith, said the decision had been taken after staff raised concerns over the government's "explicit refusal to guarantee that similar 'one-off' taxes will not be imposed next year".

Just great. Good one Gordon, your legacy is coming along nicely. What a tit.

Climate Change - David Bellamy exposes the myth.

I've always liked David Bellamy. I grew up with him on my TV screen, enjoying like millions of other kids, his informative and fun explanation of the environment we all share. I'm a climate change sceptic, but thanks to people like David, I have grown into a man who wants to save energy and protect our environment. My house has the latest energy saving double glazing, extra insulation, a condensing boiler and I've been using energy saving light bulbs for years. I moan about doors being left open, lights being left on, the kettle being too full, my daughter's long showers and the TV playing to itself.

I've grown up thanks to David, and others like him, to be an anally retentive, environmentally aware, energy saver. And I'm glad, because I do believe we must conserve energy and protect our environment. But I am far from convinced that CO2 is causing global warming. When asked why, I usually ramble on about stuff I've read lately that puts that doubt into my head. It's not always easy to get the point across in a coherent manner.

Those who support Global Warming have no such problem, all they have to say is that "it's the consensus, the data is undeniable, the debate is over, and anyone who disagrees is a idiotic denier". But we know from recent events that it's not the consensus, the data is not reliable and the debate is far from over. The data has been destroyed/manipulated/hidden, and those idiotic deniers have been silenced by those setting their own lucrative agenda. Wherever you look in the climate change camp, you will find people with something to gain from maintaining the CO2 myth. I truly believe that when our ancestors look back, they will judge us as bloody idiots for spending billions fighting a life giving gas, whilst people are dying from disease, war and famine.

Anyway, the following is what David Bellamy has to say on the matter. I like it because he achieves what I so often fail to do - he gives a coherent explanation of why the debate is a long way from over:

There is no evidence of carbon dioxide being a poison, or that it is capable of causing a warming Armageddon. What follows is a summary of the proof — straight from real science, peer-reviewed over the past 232 years by legions of physicists, thanks to Newton’s Principia.

Remember the famous picture of Miss Marilyn Monroe with her skirt blown high? Even at the age of 76, when I see this picture my temperature goes up — followed by the amount of carbon dioxide I exhale. Never the other way ’round. Now, thanks to the study of a series of ice cores, this appears to be an inconvenient truth for the global warming industry.

Al Gore used this ice core data to claim that carbon dioxide made the temperature of the world rise, threatening life on earth, because there was a correlation between atmospheric CO2 levels and the world’s average temperature. Yet the data from the much-celebrated Vostok ice cores paints a very different picture: Up goes the temperature, followed by a rise in carbon dioxide.

Effectively flattening Gore’s dreams of hedging his funds. Continue reading...

Climate Change - Climategate Poster.

The climate change consensus has stood on a pillar of "scientific facts" produced by the University of East Anglia. That pillar - thanks to the climategate emails - is crumbling.

Alistair Darling gives PBR from "Position of Strength" - Poster.

Climate Change - Brown to sell Corus Carbon Permits.

From Reuters:

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain on Wednesday said it would auction off rather than cancel millions of carbon permits to come from a closed steel plant, equal to one percent of UK greenhouse gas emissions.

The government said cancelling the permits, allocated to a plant owned by Europe's second largest steelmaker Corus in northeast England, would be a "lengthy process" so it would instead sell the rights to emit nearly 7 million tonnes of greenhouse gases back to industry.

The Teesside plant is scheduled to be mothballed in late January and if the facility is to be closed for more than 50 days, Corus, owned by India's Tata Steel, is not entitled to receive the permits, worth around 100 million euros ($147.5 million) per year at current market rates.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will next week push rich and poor nations to accept deep emissions cuts under a new climate change deal at United Nations talks in Copenhagen.

I'm a bit confused here. Surely if Gordon Brown really wants to reduce the amount of CO2 pumped into our atmosphere - then he should cancel these permits - no matter how lengthy the process.

He could, in a stroke, cut our emissions by 7m tonnes a year. Of course that would mean he wouldn't get his hands on that 100 million Euros.

Climate Change Ad Petition hits 1000 signatures.

Some people believe that No10 Petitions don't work, or are a waste of time. I think that is true in many cases, but sometimes you just have to try to let the government know when they are getting something drastically wrong. My petition to "Stop wasting taxpayer's money on climate change propaganda designed to frighten our children" is worth signing because it backs up the opinion of over 350 people who have written to the Advertising Standards Agency to complain about the puppy drowning climate change ad. The ad has been called many things: Indoctrination, propaganda, brainwashing, non-factual and frightening to name just a few.

All the major papers and news channels have ran articles questioning the government's judgement for not only showing this ad during prime time TV, but for also spending six million pounds of taxpayers' money on it. For example, today the Daily Mail is running the article: It's YOUR fault the kittens and puppies will drown, Daddy!. My petition has been successful in that it has surpassed the 500 signatures required to warrant a response from the government. At the time of writing 1000 people have signed the petition, but many more are needed to drive the message home - so please spread the word.

There could be massive ramifications if the ASA find that the claims made in the ad about climate change cannot be substantiated. It will at least open the debate for a while and stop governments forcing man made climate change down our throats as if it was a fact.

You can complain to the ASA by clicking HERE.

Please sign the petition by clicking HERE, or on the drowning puppy.

Copenhagen - Climate change summit.

From the Telegraph's Andrew Gilligan:

The airport says it is expecting up to 140 extra private jets during the peak period alone, so far over its capacity that the planes will have to fly off to regional airports – or to Sweden – to park, returning to Copenhagen to pick up their VIP passengers.

As well 15,000 delegates and officials, 5,000 journalists and 98 world leaders, the Danish capital will be blessed by the presence of Leonardo DiCaprio, Daryl Hannah, Helena Christensen, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Prince Charles. A Republican US senator, Jim Inhofe, is jetting in at the head of an anti-climate-change "Truth Squad." The top hotels – all fully booked at £650 a night – are readying their Climate Convention menus of (no doubt sustainable) scallops, foie gras and sculpted caviar wedges.

According to the organisers, the eleven-day conference, including the participants' travel, will create a total of 41,000 tonnes of "carbon dioxide equivalent", equal to the amount produced over the same period by a city the size of Middlesbrough.

Full story HERE.

The General consensus seems to be that no deal will be made, and if by some slim chance a watered down agreement can be found, none of the major countries attending will feel any real obligation to make good on their promises (like Kyoto). It is in fact one massive waste of bloody fuel, time and taxpayers money. But who can really blame them? They've got to show willing even though a growing number of their voters don't believe that man has any influence on the climate. And now that we have discovered that the data has been fudged/destroyed/hidden/manipulated - then things can only get worse for the anti-CO2 religion.

How much money will they spend on talking about climate change whilst people are starving and dying from disease and war right now?

Google Climategate Censorship?

I noticed something quite strange when I did a Google search for "Climategate" earlier today. The Auto fill search function (see below) does not for some very strange reason include either "Climategate" or "Climate gate". I say this is strange, because surely this must be one of (if not) the most popular search queries over the past week or so.

I'm not the only one to notice some funny going-ons with Google and Climategate searches - The Telegraph's James Delingpole writes: Climategate: Googlegate? What is going on at Google? Richard North over at the EU Referendum blog also has some questions.

This may all be very innocent, and there may be a very simple explanation, but it does seem strange that such a popular word does not appear in Google's auto fill search function.

Click to enlarge.

Update: I've looked further into to this and it seems that others have already noticed this anomaly. What's going on?

No10 Petition: Suspend the Climate Research Unit, University of East Anglia

A reader (Joe Moran) has asked me to direct you the following No10 Climategate Petition:

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to suspend the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia from preparation of any Government Climate Statistics until the various allegations have been fully investigated by an independent body.

The petition has 2,395 signatures at the moment and could do with many more if we are to stop so called "scientists" from distorting/hiding/destroying climate data to suit their agenda.

While you are at it could you please sign my No10 Petition if you haven't already:

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Stop wasting taxpayers' money on climate change propaganda designed to frighten our children.

This is a petition to get the puppy drowning advert pulled from our screens. There are currently 986 signatures, you could make it a thousand.

Cheers

Steve