Who Did I Vote For in the 2012 Local Elections

Well The local Elections are upon us today and I can declare that for the very first time in my life, since I became eligible to vote, I have NOT placed a cross on the ballot paper.

I did attend the voting station, I had an internal struggle with myself for about two minutes, I then folded the ballot paper and placed it in the box, without marking it!

There were four candidates on the ballot for South Ockendon, they are;

Barry Johnson
Conservative

David Paul Shirley
Liberal Democrats

Maggie O’Keeffe-Ray
UK Independence Party

Martin Christopher Kerin
Labour

One of the most striking things, for me has been the complete lack of electioneering by all of the candidates, where I live, or maybe they are just out and about when I am at work.  I visit Ockendon Market and Shops EVERY Saturday, without fail and even there I never came across any of the candidates out and about and engaging with the local populace, why is that, or is just that I am even more short sighted than I thought?

I have met Barry Johnson, once, during the last round of elections when he did turn up on my doorstep and we had a long conversation about a multitude of  issues and I was quite impressed with him, but he lost to a teenager from Labour Aaron Kiely, who as far as I was and am concerned was a complete waste of space and his head was so far up his ..... well never mind.  So, at least one good thing about this years election was that he didn't appear on the ballot paper. 

But, like the other three candidates Mr Johnson also displayed Scarlet Pimpernel like tendencies in that voters would seek them here and there, but never find them... not the best way to get people to vote for you....

Party literature through the letterbox.... In our house my wife doesn't deal with post, not something we have ever discussed, she picks it up from the floor and dumps it on my desk for me to deal with, even her own.  I don't mind, not really but it does irritate, slightly, that when picking up the stuff that has been pushed through the letterbox that she puts it all on my desk for me to sort, read, respond, bin or shred; even pamphlets and what is quite clearly crap such as pizza pamphlets and discount sale leaflets,  ISHBEL THESE GO STRAIGHT IN THE (RECYCLING) BIN for goodness sake woman....

So, if there was any electioneering literature IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ON MY DESK and I could at the very least have read these works of literary fantasy, but, the only one that found its way to me, and that was on TUESDAY OF THIS WEEK, was from the aforementioned Mr Nice Barry Johnson.  But, do you know what Barry, by then it was to late.  I didn't even read it.  If I had and I had questions would there have been enough time for us to enter into a debate, or would you have been to busy on the hustings, I have no idea but to my mind waiting two days before the polls open to put out something doesn't sit well with me, but I suppose at least you did, where the others seemingly did not......

So today has come and people up and down the country are having to make a decision, 'Will I vote' and if so, 'Who will I vote for and why?'

As I said, this is the first time I have not put a cross on the ballot. In one respect, I feel quite liberated.  In another I am full of disappointment!

I am disappointed that  I am living in a so called civilised 'democracy' where the people who want to be involved in politics, local and national, feel that they can do so little for me that I will continue to come back and vote for them, come what may.

I am disappointed that I am living in a civilised United Kingdom that Petty Politics and Prejudices and hurt, over things that happened hundreds of years ago  are leading to the break up of the UNITED KINGDOM

I am disappointed that I am living in a civilised United Kingdom that sees new FOOD BANKS opening up in every part of the Kingdom to help to feed the poor of our civilised country.

I am disappointed that I am living in a civilised United Kingdom where our Governments continue to sell of assets that should always remain in the public domain, such as utilities 

I am disappointed that our Government, the Coalition now AND Labour before them are dismantling our HEALTH SERVICE and selling it off to the highest bidders  

I am disappointed that the divide between the rich and the poor continues to grow and that those governing us will always be part of the former and therefore no matter what they say those at the poorer end of the spectrum will never see any relief to their plight.

I am disappointed that no one in politics seems to recognise or wants to admit that the days of mass employment are over. Technological advances in manufacturing and production have taken away the need for massive factories employing three shifts of workers round the clock, and so there will never be the jobs created to give all of the people of working age a job and so, the ranks of the poor will always increase - no one is saying that, why not? And why are we not now thinking of ways to make everyone equal in life as a result?

I am disappointed that the Coalition are still harping on about 'affordable housing' . If people haven't got jobs, affordable housing is a nonsense, social housing is needed now.

I could go on, but suffice to say  

I AM DISAPPOINTED 

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Book Review: Suite Assumptions by JW Manus

A Romantic Comedy

I know, I know, not what you expect from me.  Although, there was a glimmer of a gruesome murder that perked me up during the reading of this little number.....

So, what's it all about then.  Sandra Campbell was abandoned by her parents as a teenager and was taken in by her uncle Wally who operated a recycling plant.  Everything she does and says is aimed at one thing and one thing only, repaying Uncle Wally for his kindness, for taking her in, for putting her through school and college and for giving her a job in the plant.

She has become an obsessive compulsive within the plant alienating the workforce and colleagues with her demands for changes to systems that clearly would make the plant and life for the workforce much more difficult and the only person (other than uncle Wally) to support her is Martin Stonehouse, the plant engineer.

The only problem with Martin's support is that Sandra is unaware of it and believes that Martin, like the rest of the plant, hates her.  In her eyes he is a philanderer, goes out with a different girl every week and makes fun of her serious ways....

Sandra convinces her uncle that they need more business and that she is capable of taking on the role of 'salesperson' and so she and Martin are sent to Dallas for a pre-arranged meeting.  On arrival they find that the hotel they are booked into, in separate rooms,   can't accommodate them and then arranges for them to be transferred to the only hotel that has one single room left in the whole city, and so they end up in the Glass Garden Hotel's Honeymoon Suite.......

I have to confess I did nearly give up, as this is not my usual read, the last 'romantic novel' I read was by De-Ann Black entitled 'The Bitch Proof Suit' and I persevered with that one as I did with this one and found that I was thoroughly enjoying myself.  There are some funny moments, not laugh out loud moments but smiley moments and chuckle moments when the absurdity of the situations Sandra gets herself into because she keeps making Assumptions and jumping to the wrong conclusions.  It is difficult to tell you any of them here as they would all be spoilers, and, suffice to say that it was an 'assumption' by me that I would probably not like the book and all the misinterpretation that Sandra reads into situations that made this book an enjoyable break from the usual gruesome murder, mayhem, and action that I am used to reading:

The will they or wont they struggles between the two will keep you guessing and there are some sweet and tender moments in amongst the confusion .....

As I read more and more of this short book I kept thinking of Rock Hudson and Doris Day in 'Lover Come Back' where Hudson takes on the 'persona' of a Southern Cowboy' lost in the big city against know it all Day's advertising executive, and this made the book even funnier
 
You can find out more about Jaye here
You can purchase the book at Amazon UK here or at Amazon US here

Editing for Kindle: 5 out of 5
Reading Enjoyment: 5 out of 5
Plot: 5 out of 5
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Who Do I Turn To......

Who do I turn to when I’m feeling down

  Who do I turn to when I want to share

    Who do I turn to when the day isn’t going well

      Who do I turn to when I want a smile

        Who puts up with my grumpiness and moods

          Who never complains when I get it wrong

Life is tough for most people, and some have no one they can turn to  whether it’s a Mom, a Dad, or a Brother or a Sister, a Granny or a Granddad or even just a Friend......

Me, I’m lucky, I’ve got

ISHBEL

Another Reason Why I hate British Gas /Centrica (swear alert)

Received this letter in the post from British Gas, addressed to UNKNOWN, informing Unknown that electricity prices are going UP and the new prices are enclosed.

1. It is addressed to UNKNOWN
2. No NEW Prices were enclosed, and
3. It was sent in 'April 2012' *

* I want to see a frigging date on post, an actual day date, not a vague sometime in the month date.  

And let's not forget that the bloody thing was sent out to UNKNOWN in the first place, how can you send to a letter to unknown.  I accept that commercial properties may have changed hands and the previous tenant may have had an account with one utility company, but all of the utility companies and I deal with most of them, seem to have no trouble in tracking down the telephone Number of premises.  If it is a multi tenanted building the office suites either have their own metered supply or are re-billed from the landlord through a sub meter, the first option means that the tenant is billed direct and therefore the meter is attached to an individual address within the building, which they, the utility company must have had in the first place, don't you think? And if it was re-billed through the landlord and they had changed companies they wouldn't be unknown in the first place, now would they? Arrrrgggghhh     

And why can't someone phone and say something like, 

Hi, sorry to trouble you, but British Gas here, we previously supplied electricity to the property you are in to the previous tenant and to meter number so and so.  We don't seem to have your details on file and would like to get it sorted out for you ASAP, before you run up a big bill.  Can you give me your company details so that we can log you on to the system. Oh and by the way as you are a new customer, these are the types of deals we can offer you........

But no,  this is a letter to UNKNOWN, and Unknown does have an account Number!!!!! stating that you have a contract with us, but as you have not renegotiated it with us, so we are increasing your prices

OR IS IT JUST ME BEING FUCKING OBTUSE, AGAIN! 

Oh and by the way I do not have any electricity contracts with British Gas at this time or in recent past.......

It's a bit like the heating instructions on the back of a packet of hot cross buns I noticed the other day, which were also rather stupid, like the letter above, and the instructions were these:

Best enjoyed hot, for best results,  

To Toast: cut in half and place under grill until golden brown, remove and butter.
To Grill: cut in half and place under grill until golden brown, remove and butter.

I kid you not, those were the actual instructions on the packet, and so I ask,

IS IT ME?