happy big GAY christmas!!!

Happy big GAY christmas!

 

Hopefully, by the time you're reading this, some of you will have already been down to see what santa has given to you, while other's reading of this will be keeping the christmas dreams and traditions alive.

You know, it's this time of year that i love, everyone for one reason or another, get's a little something in them which makes them act kind to each other. It's a time of the year that some of the nicest things happen, all be it seeing the exitement on kids faces as they open their presents from the parents and santa (Which for some reason in my past, santa used to have the same wrapping paper as my mother did.... ), or seeing how some agony aunt tv show's take a break from their usual routine of telling people how awful they are, to bringing hope and joy to those who most need it.

So, as you're reading this, maybe early on christmas morning, let's see if we can't get you into the christmas mood, by showing you some of my fave christmas video's.

Let's start with the Youtube channel DepFox.

As we all know by now, i love 'em. This year i did what i could to make sure their film was shown over here in the uk (The right to love : An american family) and i think things went as well as could be expected.

For some time now, you have been able to treat yourself with a little sneeky peak of what life is like in the Leffew family home once christmas has arrived. Here's my first video of their's to show you, a song sang by their daughter Selina, about how she saw daddy kissing santa.....

You've just gotta love that right?

Has that not gotten you in the mood already?

Hmmm.... Well, tell you what, have a look at how things are on christmas morning at the Leffews and see how you feel then....

Now be honest with yourself, You feel more in the mood for christmas after that don't you?

I sure do after watching them video's! There's 3 or 4 of them up to now and all of them just make you sit back and go "Awww".

So, are you STILL not in the mood for christmas?

Hmmm, let's see, shall we have a christmas song or two maybe?

Ok, let me dig through my records and see what are my fave christmas tracks.... Aha!!! Here we go, i love this one.... SING ALONG!!! :)

Well? Feeling more in the christmas mood now?

Ha! Yeeey!

Well, if you are, then brilliant, i hope you all have a brilliant christmas with your loved ones, get all the presents you want and most importantly, enjoy yourself!

If however, them previous video's have not done the trick, then you can join me in singing along to a song which is about the stress of christmas and, well, Let's see if we can't give it a miss this year.

Better?

Ha!

Well even if not, slap on a smile!!

But really everyone, Have a brilliant day and enjoy it!!! 

The EDL, My take.

For several years now the UK has had a problem.

Loud mouthed, miss-informed people, who take to the streets to cause disruption and mayhem over a fear which is based on lies and rumours.

Welcome, to the EDL.

What is the EDL?

The English Defense League to give them their full title, is a "British" run group, who's leader going under the name Tommy Robinson, take to the streets whenever they can to protest the sharia law fear, which is the fear that the UK may one day be under Sharia law.

But shall we look abit closer at the EDL?

You see, MY problem with the EDL is that it's main core of supporters are actually just racist, homophobic middle aged men, who are either looking for a fight or, in truth, are just afraid of anything thats different to them.

Tommy Robinson, although not his real name, has connections with the KKK, who we all know about and what they stand for.

Here's some of what the EDL is like in action.

Attractive aint it?

So what is MY take on it all?

We, as in, the majority of people here in the UK, wouldn't lose any sleep if the EDL fell apart tomorrow for the simple reason that it's just causing trouble.

Video after video, photo after photo could be posted here, showing you that they just cause trouble and disruption, while their movement gains no progress or extra support. The UK will never fall into sharian law, it simply wouldn't work unless there was some sort of war taken place first. In which case, we all have the option of moving to another country, so even if it did, no biggy!

For as long as the borders have been open to the UK, some people have always said that the UK would be much better under sharian law. Some parts of it, actually, yes it would. Like i say though, this simply wouldn't happen. Yet in debates you can have with the members there seems to be more to this group than you'd first think.

In debates with the official twitter account for the EDL, i've managed to find out first hand that they believe there's an epedemic of muslim men, sexually assaulting and murdering teenage girls between the age of 11-16. While it is true that some muslim men do carry out such acts, men from all religions do this, infact, more men from other religions carry out these sorts of acts, so statistically speaking, it's not a muslim epademic.

We also get told of how the islamic religion teaches all men that they are above others and that all other religions are wrong. Because that's exclusive to the islamic holy books? Erm. No.

Long story short, the EDL base alot of their anger towards people purley on the colour of their skin, then hide behind a religion excuse, even if that person isn't of that faith. They protest often on these lies and feel that they have a very valid point, infact, they don't.

The EDL will eventually die out and be replaced by another extremeist group as history has taught us, but until that point in time, sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

They hate and they are hated.

http://edlnews.co.uk

What a year did

It's odd to me, that this time last year, i was coming in to my new place, nothing was in it, just me, yet it made me smile. In one way or another, it has done every day i've had it.

Let me take you back to over a year ago.

I was back living with my mother, we were getting on each others nerves because when she wanted an early night, i wanted to have friends around for drinks, when i wanted party's, she wanted to have a quiet night in etc etc etc.

I'd been applying for my own place for something like 9 months through the council's bidding system. I was pretty beaten down by it and thinking of giving up on the idea of me ever being able to have a place of my own.

All of a sudden, on the website, there was a surge one week of bedsit's and 1 bedroom flats. I applied for as many as i could (3 i think was the limit). Thinking that i wouldn't hear back from any of them, on the sunday night, before bidding closed on the tuesday, i was still first in the bidding line for a flat.... wtf?

On the tuesday, i received a phone call from an unknown number. It was the council. Calling to congradulate me, i'd won the bid and they'd love to show me the flat. I think it was on the thursday me and my mother came down to see the flat. This is what we found....

The "Round the corner" bit of the flat.

The other part to the living room.

Kitchen had undergone a refit with a new kitchen sink, cubards, plumbing, electrics etc. Only thing they'd not done was the walls.

As you can tell, that wallpaper was going to have to come off.

A little hidden closet stood at the end of the kitchen, loads of pipes and such, but loads of space in there for storage etc...

I couldn't fit the whole of the bedroom into one picture, but here's most of it....

Bathroom, again, not up to much, but all new plumbing, bathtub, sink, toilet etc...

So after seeing it, infact, while still in the flat, we set up a meeting for me to go and sign up for it to become mine.

On 11.11.11 i signed the contract and got the keys, the place was mine.

As soon as i left the office, i walked up to the flat to let myself in and take a walk around. Nothing could take the smile off my face for the rest of the day. I think i spent the rest of the night with thought's spinning in my head about what i could do with the place, where i would place things.... I was just too happy, my first ever place alone!

Over the next few weeks, me and literally, everyone i knew, all picked up tools and they helped me to paint it into a masterpeice.

 

 

Once we had the place painted, it was then amazing to me at how many people got in touch, through all sorts of ways, saying "Oh i've got _____ you can have". Here's just some of the things we did to decorate at first. Keep in mind, most of these were free....

 

 

 

 

Ok granted, Tilly wasn't donated to me, but as you can see, she supervised the whole decoration and move in process.

 

 

I don't think these people may ever be able to understand just how greatful i really am to them.

 

 

I didn't have all the money in the world to make this move in as easy as others made it. Without them offering me help when i needed it and items when they were going spare, the flat certainly wouldn't be what it is today.

 

After a while, i moved in, which was great! Finally, a place of my own!

 

It still wasn't right though, the floors were bare. I faced two options at this time (and sometimes during some very heated debates, i knew what i wanted). Option one was to sand the floors right down and then varnish them, or, carpet them.

 

Guess which option i chose?

 

 

 

That's right, i wanted carpets and i think i chose wisely!

 

 

So a whole year on and why do i still love it?

 

It for me, is my lifestyle, sometimes un-tidy but it's able to offer me what i need sometimes which is an escape from the world. If i want to have people around, i can open the door, if not, then i can do my own thing and really get to know myself.

 

I don't feel scared or unsafe, i don't get lonely nor do i wish things had been different in the moving in.

 

So, going from a shell, i think this place is pretty good up to now. A year on and yes, theres still things that im missing and things that keep changing, but for now, it is mine. My home. Just a year older.

 

 







We got the marriage crazy's!

Above is an image that some of you are going to be looking at and thinking "Why on earth has he posted that?"

Truth of the matter is, back in the 1960's, black people were pushing for equality, they wanted to be treated exactly the same, that's what is shown on the left. On the right, you can see that the LGBT community are currently calling for marriage equality, in a number of places now too. This is called, marriage equality.

Why do i compare the two?

Back when black people were kept apart from white people, based purley on the colour of their skin (Let's not forget, they can't choose the colour of their skin) it of course meant that some people were going to call for equality, at one point or another. The amount of hate which these people recieved was un-believeable. For year's and even to this day (by some crazy people), people with a skin colour other than white, can still find themselves told that "god" does not like them, basically.

And there's the key to this, god. You remember that guy who said to love thy neighbour as thyself, who forgives people of their sin, who... in truth, couldn't care less what you look like or what you do, just as long as you follow the ten commandments then you're good to go. Well, according to his crazy's, they think it does matter, all of it, and how you will be condemmed to hell if you dare to do something that said person does not like.

But if you want to believe in heaven and hell, then you also have to believe in a talking snake actually existing too, so... yeah think about that.

But, back to the point here....

You see, equality was almost gotten by the black community, it of course, will never be at 100% because there's always going to be those few people who treat other's differently because of the colour of their skin.

Why do i mention this at all, i hear you cry? (Well, i don't, im not one of those crazy's).

Well, there's a massive similarity in between the two movements. Back when the black community started pushing for equality, is around about the same time as the LGBT community started pushing for equality too, although we were kind of late with our major push. These days though we push forward for marriage equality, we are told that god, does not want marriage re-defined, that he does not approve of gay people, that we're doomed to burn in hell etc etc etc.

You know, next time you hear a person saying that sort of thing, just think in your head....

Replace the words "gay rights" with "black rights" and "gays" with "blacks". All of sudden you can be transported back to the same arguments all those years ago. It's the same thing being said over and over again, yet what happens? Religion's and people get proven wrong. It was quoted by people that should black people be given the same rights as white people, that the world would end... has it? NO! Will it? NO!!!!

Exactly the same is said these days, how the world is going to end because of gay people, how marriage equality right's in new york, actually cause hurricane sandy.... yes! did you know that? Us gays, we caused that? EXACTLY, of course we did it, so bow down to our powerfulness, or were sending a tornado to your house.... or something...

Look, i know that was alot of text but i'm getting close to the point of this.... just have a watch of this video below....

Very cleaverly wrote! I LOVE this speech...

But in truth, he was a minority of speakers at this event.

What was happening? Well, a bill was being put forward to say that gay people shouldn't be refused employment because of their sexuality. This wasn't actually do with marriage equality, but it still shows you just how close the hatred is from outsiders.

So who are the marriage crazy's i reffer to?

Well, for a while now, i've been able to sit and watch, as america battles out the marriage equality debate. Watching the LGBT and supporters side speak of how it isn't right to be treating others differently, to the other side which seem to use either religion or nature as an argument that it's perfectly find to treat others differently, deny them rights etc.

Marriage equality is now something that is going through the UK's houses of parliment (about time). But when it comes to politics, the UK is rarely the ones to have crazy's, when it comes to equality. Sure there's hatefilled groups which can't stand the fact that theres immigration, or people with different skin colours etc, but they don't have alot of support tbh...

However, marriage equality is bringing people out of their shells! The uk government infact, had their first anti-marriage equality rally held outside one of their events.... Wait, thats worded wrong, the government didn't organise it.... But, it seems this is going to be one topic which is going to split the country.

Here's the two sides and what they're saying and why....

Ok so, the LGBT community and it's supporters call for marriage equality. That is for people of the same sex to be able to marry, should they want to.

IT DOES

• Ensure that LGBT couples can marry and have equal protection under the law, same as heterosexual married couples.
• Ensure that civil partnerships are defined as such and is not confused with marriage equality.

IT DOES NOT

• Signal the end of the world.
• Force places of worship to change their faith in order to accom same-sex couples who want to be married.
• Allow human beings to marry animals.
• Promote pedophillia.
• End religion.
• Re-define marriage.
• Force people to change their points of view on the LGBT community
• Change the text of books of worship.
• Push for places of worship to be closed down.

All of the "Does not" part, is in response to just some of the arguments against marriage equality.

So, why am i happy about seeing the marriage crazy's?

Well, as un-popular as the idea of two people getting married might be to others, it's equality. People who argue against equality are always the one's stood on the wrong side of the argument, as is proven world over, equality win's, eventually.

To see the marriage crazy's out, with their weird and wonderful excuses against marriage equality, mean's they feel under threat. When they feel under threat, it signal's that they're not on the popular side as much, so try to get people to think the same way that they do, which mean's getting themselves out there at these rally's and talking to others, making their own voice heard etc.

I on the other hand, know that we will have marriage equality soon in this country. Should it even go to a public vote (It won't, but if it did) recent survey's show that marriage equality has more people for it, than against it.... yey!

Finally, i'd just like to point out something here, for those who didn't notice this....

Remember a while back, that guy called mitt romney?

Well, he was another one of the opinion, that marriage is defined as being between 1 man and 1 woman. It's not, but he thought it was. Now, his argument against it was that it would re-define marriage.... again, it wouldn't.

But he wanted to change the constitution of america, to say that marriage is between 1 man and 1 woman. So ask yourself, who really wanted to make the change there?

If you can't make up your mind as to where you stand on the marriage equality issue, then take a look at the depfox channel on youtube. They're a family, which hold onto your hats here.... Are a gay married couple (Dammit lost my hat) AND have adopted kids too (Dammit, now my toupee flew off too).

There's a post coming on christmas day, on this blog, which include some of the depfox channel video's of them celebrating christmas. But let me show you one of their other video's to start you off and remember, if you want to know about a gay family, what they look like, what they do as a family etc, then look at the rest of the video's on this channel.

Finally, there's something to be said :O shocking right?

Well, just remember, if someone ever turns around to you and says that you can't do something, because of your sex, sexuality, race, appearance etc and their excuse is "that's the way it is" don't believe it.  You can make change happen.

Homophobic attacks

See, this is a topic that even for me has a fine line about what is acceptable and what isn't, lesser the fact i could well, and will, piss off a number of people in the LGBT community by saying this, but when have i ever been one to care about who gets it told straight?

Below, is a video of an apparent homophobic attack, i invite you to watch what happens in the video and make up your own mind. Pay close attention to what happens, verbally AND body language....

Think it's shocking right?

To a point, you'd be right, but here is where i draw the line.... Let's go through my point's here.

Failure's

Train Guard - If i remember rightly, this train service is carried out by First trains. During staff training they do include alot about what to do with customers confronting each other etc, However, some of the slur's used on both sides, should have been picked up on and condemmed by the guard himself. While you may think that the days are long gone of a train stopping in the middle of no where to throw someone off, you'd be shocked that they can remove you from a train at any time, any where.... Only the bad press it would generate means that companies no longer do this.

However, he didn't manage the situation at all, he didn't do anything other than ask the apparent victims to move away, which yes, they could move which they refused to do so, but we'll go onto that later. What would i have done if i was him? The service could easily make an unshed'd stop, police called and involved to sort this situation out. While yes it would add a delay onto the service, it would stop the threats of violence which can be heard towards the end of the video.

The Victims - This is why i said look at the body language. Sure, the man might well have been saying things, but when has homophobia ever been stopped by leaning over a train seat shouting the odd's? Never, that's when. What would i have done? Well, i'll go more into this later on, but i would have ignored him.... that's right, why take him on? His mind will not be changed by words, but by action's, what he can see, will change his mind if his mind is to ever be changed.


Ok, so what else?

Well, not so much a failure or a win, but here's my view on the situation....

In the video's description, they mention that this has been carrying on since the journey started at it's platform in Blackpool. Now, WHY would you go and sit near someone like that if they have been giving you any sort of hate? Surely if this started on the platform, then you could easily go and sit somewhere else and not near him.

Secondly, is this a homophobic attack? Because the only attack i see is a man trying to read his paper, being bugged by a screaming queen leaning over a train seat giving him abuse back. I honestly do believe that this man was provoked into such an attack by people who were desperate for youtube video hits and abit of drama.

I know, you must be thinking that im crazy, as a gay man, saying that, but im honestly not. Read this below....

"A TEENAGER was left with two broken ribs in what police suspect was a homophobic attack. Plymouth UK.

The 19-year-old student has told police he was near the Dog and Duck public house in Mutley Plain at around 3.10am on October 6 when he heard a man shouting "fag" and "batty boy" just before he was struck violently around the head.

One of the pair was understood to have shouted out: "We live he...

re, we know people" as they continued their assault.

Det Con Louise Steele, of the Plymouth Diverse Communities Team said "We know there were around 15 other people nearby at the time and at one stage a woman and a man raced over to help protect the victim from this assault."

"We believe one of the suspects even went on to attack another person further up the street immediately after this incident."

Police have released CCTV stills of two men they would like to hear from in connection with their investigation.

If you recognise either man, contact police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111"

 

Now THAT is a homophobic attack, which was not provoked!

 

The pictures of the two men are below....

 

Now do you see the difference?

 

The top video is where you can easily tell that other than abit of an argument / heated debate, nothing much happend. It could have been easily avoided, but hey-ho, when's the last time you saw a drama queen walk away while the drama gettin' is good?

 

The story and pictures are of an actual homophobic attack, which couldn't have been walked away from, it wasn't a debate or an argument, it was an actual attack.

 

It's thing's like this which do make me angry about the LGBT community because the genuine attacks and the attackers stories, get over shaddowed by abit of drama where nothing much happend. But people get sucked into it on social media because it craves drama.

 

That is all!

100 facts about me....

Wanted to know something random about me?

Here's me answering 100 random questions for you to enjoy!

1. Are you ready for 100 questions? ~ I presume so yes.

2. Do you watch college football? ~ I don't really watch any football.

3. Who will fill this survey out after you? ~ Erm.... Jesus? I dunno....

4. Who was the last person to send you a text message? ~ Errrr.... I think Sian....

5. Do you love anyone? ~ Not love, but i certainly have a crush.....

6. Are you happy? ~ Yes.

7. Where was the last place you went shopping? ~ Erm, the conni on tuesday :)

8. How do you feel about your hair? ~ with my hands.

9. Where do you work? ~ I don't....

10. Last thing you ate/drank? ~ Ate was a chicken tikka in a garlic naan bread, drinking summer fruits juice :)

11. Do you wish you were somewhere else right now? ~ Yes.

12. Do you have any pet peeves? ~ Oh my god yes....

13. Do you have any expensive jewellery? ~ No.

14. AIM or Yahoo? ~ None.

15. Do you like maths? Does anyone? No, exactly. Math is old enough to solve its own damn problems....

16. How many hours on average do you work a week: Errr.... Zero....

18. Favourite baseball team? ~ I don't think i've ever watched a full match of baseball tbf....

19. Favourite NBA team? ~ What's NBA?

20. Do you watch the Olympics? ~ Sometimes....

21. Last restaurant you went to? ~ Weatherspoons on walton vale :)

22. Who was the last person to call you? ~ My nana

23. What’s your sign? Gemini, and yes that bit about the twins is true....

24. Do you have a favourite number? I can't say i do really...

25. Last time you did volunteer work or made any donations? ~ Ho god.... about a week ago?

26. What do you spend the majority of your money on? ~ Food, Electric, water, toilet roll and bleach :)

27. Where does your family live? ~ In various locations....

28. Are you an only child or do you have siblings? ~ An older brother

29. Ever been called a bitch? ~ All the time....

30. Got any guilty pleasures? ~ Yes, lots :)

31. Do you drink beer? ~ Yes! I have developed abit of a liking for it's taste :)

32. What's your favourite colour? ~ Blue

33. Did you ever collect Beanie Babies? ~ No

34. Ever bought anything on line? ~ Yes, loads of stuff....

35. Myspace or Facebook? ~ Facebook, since nobody knows what myspace is anymore....

36. Do you have T-Mobile? ~ Erm, no....

38. Do you sometimes wish you were someone else? ~ Yes.

41. Last time you saw your parents? ~ Err.... monday night....

42. Do you have any talents? ~ Yes, but i shan't be listing them here :)

43. Ever been in a wedding? ~ It depends how you mean "In a wedding"

44. Do you have any children? ~ No

45. Last movie you watched? ~ Last movie? Errrr.... american pie the reuinion....

46. Are you missing anyone at the moment? ~ Yes

47. Did you take a nap today? ~ Yes.

49. Ever been on a cruise? ~ Haha, not one that sails in the water, but yes....

50. Did you notice number 40 was missing? ~ that and 39, but no, i'm too busy filling in retarded questions tbf....

52. Do you have any wealthy friends? ~ Apparently, although i don't feel their wealth....

53. Ever met anyone famous before? ~ Yes, rather a few :)

54. Favourite actor? ~ Erm, Robin Willians....

55. Favourite actress? ~ Cher.

56. Are you multi-tasking right now? ~ Well i'm typing and breathing so yes!

57. Could you handle being in the military? ~ No.

58. Are you hungry or thirsty? ~ Abit of both, but diet for me, so only water from now on :)

59. Favourite fast food restaurant? ~ Subway because i gets the points :)

61. What is your average cell phone bill? ~ Nothing, since im on PAYG :)

62. Do you own a camera phone? ~ Yes

63. Ever had to take a sobriety test? ~ Errr.... no....

64. Do you believe in Karma? ~ Yes

65. Can you speak any other languages? ~ Yes, Shite and crap aswel as english....

66. Last time you went to the gym or worked out? ~ Hahaha, too far back to mention....

67. How many pairs of shoes do you own? ~ I think it's like 9, but usable pairs is like.... 3

68. Do you have a photo hosting site that you use? ~ Photobucket on twitter

69. Last place you were? ~ On the internet.

70. What is your college mascot? ~ I don't go to college sooooo.....

71. Ever been to Las Vegas? ~ No

76. Have you ever been gambling? ~ Yes

77. How old are your parents? ~ My mother is 54 i think, my father must be pushing 60....

78. When is the last time you updated your blog? ~ In about 5 mins when i finish these questions....

79. Do you have your wisdom teeth? ~ No that i know of....

80. Favourite place to be? ~ Canada

81. Have you been to New York City? ~ No

82 Favourite sit down restaurant? ~ Pizzahut. It combines my fave things, overly priced food and chairs.

83. Ever been to Disney Land? ~ Yes

84. Do you have a favourite cartoon character? ~ Yes, Peter Griffin.

85. Last thing you cooked? ~ Erm, if i pushed the buttons on the microwave does that class me as having cooked?

86. How is the weather today? ~ Rain, sunshine.... nice sunset....

87. Do you email? ~ Yes

88. Last letter/piece of mail you received besides junk or a bill? ~ Oh god... Not sure :S

89. Last missed call? ~ Errr, yesterday?

91. Last voicemail you received? ~ I don't remember, not had a voicemail in years....

92. Do you drunk dial/text? ~ My mum :)

93. Stupidest thing you ever did with your cell phone? ~ Get drunk.....

94. What is the best city in the state that you live in? ~ Liverpool

96. Did you just die? ~ Slightly yes....

97. Are you bored right now ? ~ Yes.

98. Last concert you went to? ~ Last concert? Fleetwood mac about 2 months ago... ish....

99. What do you think about before you go to bed? ~ "How long am i going to sleep for this time"

100. What are your plans for tomorrow? ~ Cleaning and washing, same as every other day....


So there you go!

The more you know....

Hillsborough.

On the 12/09/2012 David Cameron the UK prime minister, made this speech....

Now of course yes, his full speech did go into alot more depth about what had come to light in the wake of this current investigation. This whole event and the times after has led to what can only be called a massive failure on all accounts. Why? Well, lets take a look at some of the facts we have here.

On the 15th of april, 1989, thousands of people arrived to see a football match. Liverpool vs Nottingham forest. Nobody quite knew how things were going to turn out, thing's were done a little different back then, but how things were to change after that day....

You see, back in them days, it was legal for a stadium of that size to have what can only be called a penn, in which people stand to observe the match. While these did work for sometime, what happend on that day ended up with it being illigal for a stadium to have a standing area. These days all football match attendee's must have a seat allocated to them, even if they are stood infront of that seat.

The match was due to start at 3:00pm. Before the match started outside there was a crush of people, nothing new to this sort of event, only how it was being handled. People came flooding into the area inside the stadium and it looked as if it was going to be a good football match for all involved.

The chanting was taking place and at 3pm, the whistle was blown and the game begun, as did something else.

It is currently unclear as to what time exactly the crush begun, but here is how it started.

The entrance to the area was from the rear of the stadium, down rather narrow passages, which follow on from turnstyles which people couldn't have gotten through without a ticket at the time. It is believed that there was road works nearby which resulted in a large number of fans being late to the match, so of course when 3pm comes, people want to get in. Here's where it went wrong though.

To deal with the numbers of people still turning up it is believed that the police officer in charge orderd that all turnstyles be opend up to people, ticket or not. As a result people were hearded from the outside in, presumeably by the police. This of course puts pressure onto the people inside the stadium, who were already in a rather full area, which is now being force fed more and more people.

At 3:06pm, the whistle is blown and the match play suspended, trouble is happening at the liverpool supporters end of the feild and something isn't right. Police charge over and see that people are being crushed. Due to the large barriers between the penn and the field, police are limited as to what they can do at the front, other than try to assist people as they climb up and over it in order to escape.

Moments later, the football player's are called off the field and the match is left abandoned, due to scene's like this....

The death toll took a while to filter through to everyone as to how many people were injured and had passed. Yes, people did die in the crowed as a result of the crushing.

Here is some rather interesting news clips taken from news items after the event. Pay close attention to what the police officer in charge has to say.... his story changed several times and we shall go into this a little later on....

While yes, that is a long bit of footage, it's important to try and watch as much of it as you can to hear what different people are starting to say about it.... Particually the police.

You'd presume after an event like this, the police would be most upset about what has happend and the people at the top would look honestly and fairly into what happend and bring to justice those who were responsable for the worst tragedy event in footballing history.

THIS is why i'm blogging about this 23 years later, because what happend next split liverpool away from alot of people, companies and has ensured that those 96 who died as a result never saw justice, until now it would seem....

The report after explained of how people had gained access to the stadium because they had gotten through the turnstyles without permission and the police couldn't stop these un-controlable people. It claimed that people were robbing the dead as they lay on the field, it claimed that police officer's were urinated on..... Utter rubbish. As if that wasn't bad enough The Sun newspaper published an artical in which it claimed these were all true and basically, pointed the finger of blame purely on the "Drunken liverpool hooligans".

To this day, stickers, posters and word of mouth in and around liverpool, still speaks and promotes a campaign of "Don't buy the sun". Although i'm not there everyday, i can hand on heart say, i've never seen the sun newspaper available in liverpool.

Anyway.... What has happend in those 23 years?

Well, literally, nothing.

As much as people have called for this to be honestly looked into, it hasn't been. The cheif of the operation i believe has since passed away, so he will never be brought to any kind of justice, even though if you ask me and many others, the blame lies with him for ordering the gates to be opend and the crushing allowed to begin.

Government after government may have all called for justice, but still, nothing got done, infact even on the 20th annaversary of the event happening, a government member was there, he said NOTHING about an investigation, which is why you'll hear the crowed chant, Justice for the 96.

A few point's id like to finish on here as this chapter draws to a close.

The events that took place on that day showed people around the world that safety is nothing to be messed around with, it taught us that we should sometimes take infomation from those we trust with a pinch of salt as is the case with the orig police report.

It really did unite people in a way that you very rarely see.

When hillsborough took place afterwards at Anfield (Liverpool football club's home stadium) saw a sea of scarf's, left there by people who wanted to show a sign of respect for those who had lost their life.

Liverpool's colours are red, but scarf's of almost every colour was left, because no matter what team people supported they all saw what had happend and how nobody should have had to have gone through that.

It does actually make me happy to think that after all these years, we are on the edge of the truth finally coming out and the finger of blame being pointed at those who created this problem in the first place.

Thank you for reading.

The trouble with the Northern Ireland riots....

Today, i found the very disturbing news that 47 police officers were injured in riots which took place in NI.

I have a problem with that. Not only the fact that these police officers are only trying to do their job, to get paid and try and lead a normal life, but that these are people who need controlling.

Now before ya'll try and jump down my throat on this, of course the disturbances all over ireland, DO NOT represent the people who live in the country. Irish people (Yes, i know a few of them now) are exactly the same as everyone else and are just stereotyped as the drunk on guiness violent people.... which is simply not true to the 99.9% of people who live there.

On the 2/9/12, trouble started around lunch time, when (You'll laugh at this bit, i did) a simple parade was walking through an area. The exact route would have taken the parade

Duncairn Parade

Newlodge Road

Antrim Road

Churchill Street

Lepper Street

Newlodge Road

North Queen Street

Clifton Street

Henry Place

So where has it all gone wrong then?

WELL, this does go back a fair few years, so hold on to dr who's tardis, it's time for a breif history lesson....

Upon the partition of Ireland in 1921, six of the nine counties in the province of Ulster were excluded from the independent Irish Free State (later the Republic of Ireland).
These counties, two of which had slim Protestant majorities, remained a part of the United Kingdom. Two other Ulster counties also remained part of the UK, despite having Irish nationalist (pro-independence) majorities. Academically cited records from 1926 indicate that at that stage 33.5% of the Northern Ireland population was Roman Catholic, with 62.2% belonging to the three major Protestant denominations (Presbyterian 31.3%, Church of Ireland 27%, Methodist 3.0%).
Tensions between Northern Ireland's Irish nationalist/Catholic population (which mostly supports Irish reunification) and its Protestant/unionist population (which mostly supports remaining part of the UK) led to a long-running bloody conflict known as The Troubles (late 1960s to late 1990s).

Trouble has never strayed too far away to this day to be fair, this is why it does not effect every irish person, you see the irish people who i know, are happy to live in northern ireland, wether it's a part of the uk or not, it's a slightly different way of life, culture.... experiance!

These riots which i'm reffering to of course are no different to "The Troubles".

Have a look at the past years events when these sides have clashed....

Now of course, dearest reader, we're all well aware that religion's CAN live happily near to each other, it is THE PEOPLE who cause the problems.... but how to solve this kind of problem?

See, many have tried and failed, some thought that people at the top of the political ladder's signing things would work, but it's harder than that to stop these people from causing the trouble they do. It's almost been built into some of these rioters that this kind of action is acceptable and to honor their fore-fathers who have been fighting for years, they must go out and trash the place, even though... pardon my french here.... but fuck all has changed.

What would i do?

It needs to be shown to people that religion does not matter here, these rioters need to be afraid of what happens if they take part in these riots.

Sure, the police have in most cases, got it nailed, bringing out the water cannons, armoured vans and trucks, makes for some very good viewing and of course, crowed control. But what after? What happens to those arrested? IF they get sent to prison (More than likely, they wouldn't, they would simply be given a fine or some community service or... blah blah blah) then they would be given 3 meals a day, an education, rehab facilites.... everything, given to them. Know what we need to do? We need to make prison a place to be afraid of. Human rights? Pfft, no, if you're in prison you have done wrong and do not deserve human rights.

So make the punishment more tougher and i don't just mean by making prisons scary, i mean tougher sentencing, no longer a slap on the wrist, i'm talking the whole slap on the face pushed down a hole kinda punishment, get these people off the streets.

I'd love to say the way to bring about the change would be to protest against it, but i've no doubt the cause would be hi-jacked and the trouble starts all over again.

In essense, NI does have some nasty people on it's streets and it's about time someone higher up turned around and said that enough is enough, take these people off the streets and dont let them back out until they can behave in a normal society....

But we all know, i can be cruel like that and thus, am never given any power at all....

My final way of summing this up, after decades of riots has the message still not gotten through that it is the people causing the problems not the religion? Has the message not gotten through that if you don't like living in an area, move out of it?

Too long and not enough is being done, until someone heavy handed comes in and takes control, NI will continue to be a scary place to be at times.

..... When it comes to agression, ceaser millan ( That dog training guy) always says that if a dog is showing aggression at a level 6, you need to come in at an 8 or 9 and show that animal who is in control. So why, do we not do this to these rioters?

Pha!

Whatever....

Where channel 4 went wrong with the opening show to the Paralympics 2012.

For starters on this topic, i would like to make the point that i do believe the Paralympics shoudn't exist. The people who take part in them are just as good if not better than the able bodied people in the main Olympics and thus, should be included in the Olympics.

C'mon it's the 21st century ffs....

Anyway....

Today, Channel 4 - which is owned by the Channel Four Television Corporation, a public body established in 1990, coming into operation in 1993....

.... Showed us all that yet again, they can't do live stuff anymore.

You see, here's the BIG flaw with channel 4, a lack of well known faces which are loved. Years ago they used to have celebs on the network, like Graham Norton, who was loved by many for his shows "So Graham Norton" and "Very Graham Norton" and alike....

He was later signed up by the BBC and to this day, is still there presenting a few different shows and seems to still be loved by alot of people in the uk.

So of course when it came to the coverage of the Olympics, the BBC won the contract. When it came to the Paralympics, Channel 4 won the contract to broadcast the games within the uk.

The BBC's coverage was... meh, it had alot of tech problems aswel as the annoying people talking over the opening and closing ceremony's. Infact, in the opening ceremony i still remember one presenter being that short of something to say, that he ended up saying "My cousin is down there taking part in all this".... Like i needed to know that!!!

When it came to the Paralympics, i kind of thought that channel 4 would have seen the criticizm that the BBC came under from the public online and would have changed their ways to better suit the outcries of most of the nation.... No.

So who did they choose to present it? Errr.... The two news readers of the channel, from a studio that looked VERY like a re-furbished newsroom i've seen before on that channel....

Anyway, so these guys who are more than capable of presenting these sorts of events are told what to do, and PLEASE be aware, i am NOT criticizing the presenters, they are simply paid to do what they're told to do, it's the people who told them not to STFU while people are trying to watch the opening ceremony that i have taken issue with.

You see, the opening show was amazing, but unfortuantly, i had to watch it with the mute button activated, because the presenters were even talking over some of the performing artists AND the official voice over which introduces each country as they come into the stadium.

Not only that, but every 20 mins or so, adverts would randomly start to appear.... Errrr hello, the main ceremony wasn't stopping for advert breaks, so why did you? YES some of you might be screaming, that it's their way of paying the bills, but here we have a channel that only a few nights before, played 6 hours none stop music video's... WITH NO ADVERTS, So WHY did they feel the need to ruin the event by putting adverts on?

Now here's the technical bit, but stay with me here.....

Each broadcaster can use the official images which are filmed by an independant company and are the same world over, they can also use the official sound feed, again, independant company, same world over....

So why on earth did channel 4 leave all of their microphones on ASWEL as the feed from the paralympic team? It created a MASSIVE problem while trying to listen to the music (In the breif moments the presenters did shut up) because the sound is delayed on the official feed (So any bad language can be bleeped out) but you can hear it about 3 seconds earlyer through the presenters microphones because they were kept on.... It sounded awful!!!!


I, for one, am through with channel 4 after this. I didn't watch alot of their content anyway, but their lack of skills to listen to what people had been complaining about for weeks, followed by the worst coverage of any paralympic ceremony i have ever seen, is enough for me to turn around and say, "Im done with you guys".

It really is an issue, but they won't apologise for it, nor will they change their ways for the closing ceremony....

Don't even know why i'm complaining, they won't care, they're too busy rolling in that money which they made from all them adverts shown during the ceremony.

Pathetic.