The referendum... The loose ends!

Just thought I would type out some of the things about the whole event I really don't understand. Obviously this is partly due to me having my own views on things, which are clearly not on par with others. After all, that IS what makes us individuals, so I am kinda glad that we don't all feel the same way.

So first up, the count / majority.
Those voting remain - 16,141,241
Those voting leave - 17,410,742

Majority of 1,269,501 (One and a quarter million)

Now, I know that things were close (51.9% / 48.1%) Pretty darn close for 33 million votes, but it is also fair to say that 1.25 million people is quite a chunk of people too. I have seen calls to say that at least a 60% majority would have been considered "democratic" and that this majority is not substantial enough to consider it a win. I disagree. Where was the call for this sized majority before the vote. When there was greater confidence in the remain camp, these things were not raised, when the result went the other way, suddenly the rules and regulations were touted about and the vote called invalid.

Now from where I stand, this was a chance for me to have my say on something. However the vote went, I would be happy to carry on living the way I do. I have no interest in protesting, calling foul play, or getting into a name calling battle with anyone who voted the other way to me. So to me, it is very sad to see the utterly childish behaviour of people from both camps. Trying to discredit the other and damage the reputations of the people who stood on both sides. But more seriously for me, is the fighting between the public and groups who believe this is the beginning of the end.

The amount of stupidity I have seen posted on social media has resulted in me doing some unfollowing, as I am sick and tired of seeing the campaigns against others. Calling people stupid, racist, uneducated, blind, careless and so many other names... For having an opinion on something?! That is truly pathetic, and if you are one of the people pressing share share share on every piece of social media hatred against "the others" that you see, I will be unfollowing you very soon too.

In short, the people of the country were asked to make a decision. Lots of information was provided, most of which was hype and bullshit of course. Emphasis on promises which were badly worded and untrue, scaremongering about collapsing economies, bans on trade, eviction of immigrants etc. Both sides should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves, as should anyone who propagated this BS. Most of it was written in such a way that it was nothing more than click-bait but filled with hatred.
How many people were actually in any way impressed upon by this, or voted according to what they heard and believed is a mystery, and I really do hope that the number is small. There are plenty of things out there to read up on that can help the average Joe make a mildly informed decision.

Sadly of course, the media were VERY quick to highlight some people they had interviewed who said had they known the Brexit vote would win, they would have voted the other way, and are now wishing they had voted remain. Well, all I can say to that is, maybe we need to have an intelligence test before allowing people to vote. People making statements like that just goes to show the number of people who vote without thinking, and have an effect either way on the outcome of something important.... Then whinge and whine about it for years to come.

This reaction of course has been seized by the media, and thrown out there as wide spread discontent throughout the UK. As have speeches from Remain MP's , saying they will fight for fairness, and wont let this change happen.

First thing worth noting. The vote is a notice of intention at best, and not a full blown exit movement. No one has won or lost a thing yet. The plan for the road ahead is vastly under reported, and is very much unclear. But somehow, some fortune tellers seem to have the whole thing written out in a mystical book, and can tell you without any doubt that Britain is done for! Amazingly, the guaranteed vision for the future is pretty word for word what the Remain propaganda was. Such visionaries, these people are amazing.

Sadly, as these visionaries share their dread for the future, another group of people think they too have seen the future, a future they have dreamed of for many years now, and one they believe is about to begin. The mass eviction of immigrants, the closing of the borders, and the reclamation of the "English way" even though it was BRITAIN that voted, and that includes 3 other countries within it.
Yes of course the extreme right were always going to get their knickers in a twist. Remain would have triggered immediate protest and hatred, and it seems that Leave has done the exact same reaction.
Complete lunatics running around, showing their true racist colours (ironic term maybe) and openly abusing people who appear to be from a different background to the classic demographic of "white British"
Just to clarify at this point, anyone displaying this kind of attitude or behaviour can quite simply fuck off somewhere else themselves. The EU Referendum was NEVER about throwing people out of the country, hatred towards other races and religions, nor a way to get across the message of the tiny minded, racist bigots out there who believe they stand for the masses, but really just irritate the hell out of people with their thug like "Ugg, me man" like caveman behaviour.
If anyone needs deporting, or putting away somewhere, it is you lot, not "them lot" as you would say.

Now the big problem.... YOU!
OK not all of you, but I bet someone will read this blog, and be the same sort of person who reads a shock headline like "Facebook will make your profile and all your posts public at midnight tonight" , then not only believe it, but share it wildly, panicking at its implications, and wanting to warn other small minded people to do the same.
That said, to be reading this part of the blog entry, they would have had to go through quite a few paragraphs, which is not the way of the thicko. They just read the headline and make all their decisions based on that. Much like the winning whiners who regret their vote being the majority.

The future.
There are many opinions on the vision of the future, from the more grounded people out there, not the doomsday bunch. Anything ranging from the UK becoming a completely independent nation, and the EU dying a slow and painful death, to the UK invoking Article 50, and spending the next two years working out a way to remain, but under an entirely new agreement, with more freedom and control for the areas which the masses in the UK object to the EU having a hold over. The opinions range wildly.
It seems at the moment though that the future is trying to be decided by one man on his own, Jean Claude Juncker.
This man seems to speak with pure hatred in his mind. Demanding that the UK immediately start the exit process. To be honest, the way I have seen the man speak, with his sulky behaviour and fits of rage about the UK daring to decide they don't like the EU, it reminded me of this video clip.

Unhappy with what was being said to him, he spat his dummy and had a childish rant about the outcome. Even other EU members are saying he needs to calm down, and talk about this sensibly. I am sure that deep within his mind, the thought that other EU member states are now considering their own referendum, and the fear is growing that the EU will start to crumble faster and faster. The slightest sniff of Germany wishing to hold a similar referendum would provisionally mark the end of the EU as we know it.

What I take from all this, even with the other states only talking of referendums, is that the EU is finally being held to account, and feels vulnerable. Maybe time to have more open and diplomatic talks about restructuring are upon us. Maybe the results of the UK referendum do NOT mark the end of our membership of the after all. But instead give the government more clout and leverage to work with. Maybe this is the point where individual countries can fully negotiate their own terms of being a part of the EU, rather than the all in or all out approach which seems to be preferred.

Seeing the mass of support for the UK MEP's in the European Parliament is hardly surprising. A room filled with highly paid MEP's, most of which still believe in a unified Europe. Strange that most seem to clap loudly at those UK MEP's promising to fight for the UK to remain. But it makes a great story, and fantastic viewing on TV, so let us let the media once again propagate their own beliefs as facts, and put fear into the minds of those who have chosen to take a chance on the future of the UK.

Don't get me wrong. I am not calling the masses on either side right or wrong. We all had a say, and the majority of the 33 million who voted, did so with a clear enough mind of their own, to decide which way they wished to see the vote go. In my eyes, that is a democracy. In fact, letting the racist and moronic individuals have a say too, is also a clear sign of an unbiased democracy. To then try and redefine the word to best suit your cause is just sad really. Finding a translation or definition which suits the message you want to spread amongst others.... Well that to me is comparable to something else we see a lot of. Those radicals who retranslate any religious writings to those of hatred, to justify their beliefs and causes. Sad really, but true.

Right now we have a few issues. Mass hysteria being spread by the genuinely concerned expressing their educated guesses, and then the media who just want to see protests, riots and widespread unrest. Of course, the media are supported by a whole bunch of mindless thugs who think they have just been given a free pass to be an arsehole.
Dear thugs, the majority of 17 million did not vote Leave because you are a racist idiot. In fact, the majority voted with non of that in mind whatsoever. Please don't take the UK's vote as a sign that you are supported in being a small minded, ignorant, racist twat. It really wasn't

Then there is the EU itself. Clearly wriggling and writhing from the blow of the UK's vote. But instead of acting like the mature voices of the nations they serve, they are acting like spoiled brats. Throwing stones because the UK took its ball home. It might come back out to play later, but for now there is anger and frustration, and a whole load of feet stomping. Sadly the loudest and most outspoken of them is Juncker. Protesting, demanding, and waiving his hands furiously, ushering the UK  away, demanding Article 50 is invoked ASAP, and promising that the split will NOT be a happy one. Is this really the right man to head a union of nations. Representing so many different cultures with a voice of such childish hatred? I wonder how many other nations are cringing at the message that is being sent to the UK on their behalf.

Anyway, that is me for now.
I really do sincerely hope that all this "justified" racism, and petty squabbling amongst people ends soon. I know I have managed to have civilised conversations with many people about this subject, even with opposing views, and the outcome has been one of a respectful disagreement on the matter. Now if only the people who are paid and in a position to do this could do the same. Oh and if the racist twats could just go away somewhere, like a quarry!

Mood bombs

It's amazing just how fast a mood can bomb when you are of fragile mind and easily influenced. From a dull but positive morning and afternoon,  to a relaxing evening,  all seemed on track for an OK day.

Hoping to end the day on a positive note,  I went to bed earlyish to avoid being over tired. However on my way to bed events started to unravel,  and by the time I made it to bed,  within 5 minutes the day was destined to end on a pretty shitty low.

Don't ask why,  thats just too complicated to explain right now,  and more to the point I don't get it myself. But either way it sucks right now.

Fingers crossed I wake tomorrow in a better mood. I have an increased dose of medication to look forward to tomorrow,  so that's a bonus eh.

Wish I could explain how it feels to have the bottom drop out of your mood in a flash. And once it's gone,  you are left struggling to climb back out of the hole you fall into. For anyone who does actually understand the feeling,  you have my sympathies.

Right,  I better lay back down and stare at the ceiling for a bit,  then be restless for another hour or so.

Night.

I advocate free speech.... Now shut up!

The irony involved in the recent events with one Catriona Stewart and the editor at The Herald Scotland, is nigh on unbelievable.

I will start my latest rant with the news that in response to the ridiculous article written by Ms Stewart, and subsequently published by The Herald, being ridiculed by the public in mass, the editor made a statement saying, while he didn't agree with the article, he advocates free speech. This ironically was around the time that comments on the original article were deleted, and all future comments prevented. If that's not a good show of free speech, I don't know what it.

And by free speech I mean, free speech for the media, who feel they have the right to make outrageous comments about certain categories of society, incite acts of vandalism towards owners of expensive cars, and defend themselves with vague off point comments. And of course when it all gets a little too real world for them, they just block you from the conversation, be it on Twitter, or by turning off comments to an article.

In a twist of irony, it would seem a few months back Ms Stewart herself was the victim to her car being damaged in a supermarket car park. This of course was different, it was a car being driven at breakneck speeds, dangerously reversed in the car park. When the damage occurred, the driver of the other recklessly driven vehicle got out and said "its OK" or words to that effect. This alone would suggest the damage was minimal. Being that it was a car reversing would limit the speed somewhat too. But no, not according to the victim of the episode, Ms Stewart. No you had to be there to see it. It was dangerous driving, it was bad, it was wrong, she was a victim. Amazing how things change when the boot is on the other foot, eh!

A number of replies and tweets from the paper all indicate that there is little support for the piece within the upper echelons of the organisation. With most comments saying how it is not a shared opinion. One even commenting that as the editor he does not agree with the piece, but it wasn't on his watch, so its nothing to do with him. Sod responsibility and morals right, "ain't my fault" works every time.

Further questioning on the piece has lead to another gem, this time Ms Stewart passing the buck. You see the original seemed to have a gripe with Audi. In fact it was name dropped a few times in a couple of sentences. I can almost see her punching the four letters on the keyboard each time she typed it. Such focused hatred. Maybe you should speak to someone about that.

I often feel like keying swanky cars. I particularly feel like keying Audis.
One day someone will buy an Audi and decide to be the one person to change the reputation of Audi drivers. They'll drive their Audi and they'll be a decent guy.

That's right, get it off your chest now.
Now the problem was, Audi is quite a big company, and writing hateful things about a company the size of VAG is likely to quite quickly land you in trouble. So a copy reader was kind enough to look the article over, find the bit that would land them in deep do-do, and leave in the remainder of the nutty mindless rant. Of course, Ms Stewart is quick to point out that it wasn't her, it was the copy reader who made the changes from Audi to performance-car. I wonder how much more she would suggest was re-written, and how little is actually her doing. Hey I bet she doesn't even have an issue with people of better means than her own.

Following my first blog on this matter, which I would like to thank people for taking the time to read and share, I have actively been using Twitter to try and get some answers on her deluded approach to vandalism of cars. This, along with a little mocking of her car park accident, and re tweeting of other insightful tweets, landed me.... SILENCED ! That's right people, I have been not only muted but blocked from her Twitter now. As I believe have a whole host of other people who have also tried to engage with her about the matter.

All the while, as comments are disabled, twitter feed blocked, and comments on other mediums (like this one) ignored. The story remains front and centre. Editors disagree with the story, public figures in the motoring world have questioned the intentions of the piece, hell even Hackney Police have commented with a very simple "Wow, speechless" about the matter.
But we forget (OK some have pointed it out already on forums), this is the media we are talking about, and even more importantly the online media. For every person who clicks on the story, which I might add is close to going viral now, its a click through, a hit on their website, and looks amazing when they sell their next advertising spot.
So what was an outrageous story, written by an attention seeking, Hopkins wannabee nut job, has turned into something as simple as click bait now.

Anyone who works in the public eye knows they are only as good as their last piece or act. A massive history of great reporting can be destroyed by a single mindless piece with an agenda (like this one). I have no doubt Ms Stewart was employed based on fantastic qualifications and reporting abilities. None of which would appear to have been present when this last piece was written.
Attention is attention right, any press is good press, and all that. A name not to be forgotten. But its the title that goes next to the name that is important, not just having one. And when it is Catriona Steward - Imbecile Reporter, I would not consider it a great one.
There are plenty of examples in history to relate to.

In short, dear Herald, you have had your fun, five minutes of fame, now its time for the story to go. It's hate filled, its immoral, and its glorifying illegal activities.

I would of course love to see a full, official response to the article, hey maybe even reply on here. I promise not to turn off comments ;)

That's me for now. Only other thing to say is I really do hope the owner of the Aston who was the victim of a crime, and has been made out to be some arrogant, dangerous driving, idiot here, pursues a complaint against the writer and organisation for deformation of character, and somehow making out that he deserved the damage, just for owning a car.

One more thing Ms Stewart... Just an idea. If you feel so strongly  that his actions deserve a medal, and you really believe that keying expensive cars is the right way to go. When the man you admire so much, dear Gary, is next in court, why don't you offer yourself as a character witness, and tell a judge how you feel. I dare ya!

If bullets were reusable....

We are all soldiers in a war, it's true, we are. While sitting on our phones and tablets, or behind our PC's, each time we share, like, or air an opinion in any matter, be it war, immigration, or other political causes, we all fire a shot.
A single shot in a propaganda war which is raging across social media.

Of course we are all entitled to have opinions, and of course social media is there, so why the hell not share it. I know I do. But just for a second, take a breath, and think about this.

Wars are fought on propaganda, they have been for decades, and will continue to be for decades to come. Its a big and sometimes complex word, and really not as simple as one government telling their people how well they are doing, and forcing the message onto the people of the opposition.
Instead, these days it is done through hatred, confusion, and lies. Most of it which finds its way into our minds through the media and social media.

Posts reporting one side of a complex story, or taking a single snapshot of something that has been happening for 2 years, and using its powerful image or story to impress on others how serious the situation is. Why it takes ONE thing to make the whole of society to burst into action, I don't know. And quite frankly it pisses me off. If we are that high and mighty, that interested in humanity and the good of our country... What exactly have YOU been doing for the past 20 years to support that ethos? For many, I will hazard a guess and say naff all! (me included)

Look at 9/11 for example. There we were, rolling into a new millennium, not a care in the world. Then an organisation who most had never heard of struck with horrific force, taking the western world by surprise. This followed on with 7/7 in London, and with that the scene was set. All brown people are Muslims, Muslims are evil, Muslims want to kill the West. Clearly no doubt about it, 2 acts, (with a few more after) and a whole load of hype by the media and extremists on both sides, and it was job done. A religion resigned to the history books as one who reigned terror on the West. (A little like the Christians of centuries before, but we won't talk about that as it was for the greater good and all eh!)

And now here we are again. Syria.
There are two parts here, which I will try and separate, but I apologise in advance for any cross overs.
Firstly there is the refugee situation. I say refugee and NOT immigration for a reason. Let me explain for those who don't get it. The media have done a number on you, so it's ok, you are forgiven.
Immigration is the act of someone who has decided to move from the country of their residence, to another country. Hoops are jumped through, papers are complete. Requirements are usually met, in order to be accepted and integrated into the country of their choice.
Refugee is a person who is fleeing violence or threat of harm or violence in their current country of residence. Not through choice, but through necessity and persecution. The move is sudden, undesired, and usually involves dropping everything and running.

Now, I am not for one second saying the issue is not clouded or taken advantage of. Lets be honest, its perfectly clear in most refugee situations, that some of it is fuelled by greed and the want of a better life. Countries endless decisions to make travel between countries easier, encourage freedom of movement, and welcome migrants into their countries with arms maybe a little too wide open clearly doesn't help. But I'm not going into detail about the whole EU freedom of movement thing, as that's a whole other bone to chew on. That is migration, carried out by immigrants, seeking economic migration to better themselves.

The part I will comment on however are those from outside the EU, who are not part of the freedom of movement agreement, but still want to seek a better life and settle within certain choice parts of the EU. Travelling from their country of origin, way across Europe, before presenting themselves to the officials of their country of choice and applying for asylum. Falsely claiming asylum, straining many systems from border control, to transport, right through to the actual immigration and asylum systems.  The problem is, we are so fed up of seeing people trying to get onto lorries to get across the Channel, that we have become intolerant to genuine asylum seekers.
Now again, I am not saying every person trying to get across the Channel is a fake, but there are plenty of questionables.

Fitting then don't you think, that the media, one of the group of instigators for hatred and anger towards whatever their target is for the current week or month, started showing huge interest in Calais, getting the UK wound up tightly about how it would affect everyone as more and more immigrants and asylum seekers bled into the country. Even taking the time to berate the government for using words such as a swarm. How despicable..... Or is it.
Well, there is an algorithm used when planning evacuations and people flow through buildings when they are at their design stage. It predicts movement behaviours in certain situations. The algorithm is called Distributed Swarm Evacuation Planning . How dare they indeed!

Anyway, getting back to Calais, or moving on from it at least, we have Syria. Clearly currently undergoing a devastating war, people terrorised, and genuinely fleeing violence. Again, most of them are anyway. I am sure there is a small percentage, like in any walk of life, taking advantage of it. Given the opportunity, most would. So now that the media have stirred the pot, built up intolerance and hatred towards anyone helping anyone else from another country, transferred that to social media, and built up a load of support for it. Now we have Syria, a genuine cause, which now no one has any time for and is blinkered by past events.

So as things in Syria unravel, and their world falls apart, we in the Western world continue with the important stuff. Bigotry, propaganda, and our faithful belief in anything we read in the media or social media. Very rarely do people ever bother to find things out. Instead we read something, go through the "its on the internet, so must be true" verification process, and immediately share, with a strong worded opinion of our own. Shot fired!

The funny thing is, each time we fire a shot of ignorance onto the internet, two things happen. One group take our comments, and use it to show others how fed up of the situation we all are. Waving it in the face of the undecided, screaming how many people have liked their status, and its proof, all the proof we need that its all a scam.
The other group take our negativity, and hatred, and show it to the other side. Showing their supporters and again the undecided, how much hatred and anger is directed at them. Their race, religion, or beliefs, and justifying why they should make a stand against you. Its always so easy to see one side of a story, and once we have our beliefs, it is almost impossible to open your eyes wide enough again to take a second, better look.
Think of it this way, if bullets were reusable, would you think more carefully about how many shots you fired at the enemy, knowing they could fire them back at you?

Now, the latest twist in the story is a message from ISIS (apparently) A threat that 500,000 would flood across Europe, claiming asylum, but in fact they will ALL be terrorists, and will destroy us all. Holy shit! Is this for real?
No, its propaganda at its finest. Like I said, most wars are fought with propaganda. Take a section of the world which is not paying much attention to the other. Put in place an all out assault which will displace tens of thousands, maybe millions. In the meantime, tell the country which isn't paying any attention that you will send an army to destroy them. Now launch your attack, drive the people from their homes and seeking refuge, and crank up the propaganda, media hysteria, social media assault vehicle.

Let me explain it simply.
IF, and I mean IF, this is all part of the plan to "destroy" Europe, its working well, and we are all playing our part.
Just like someone splitting from their cheating ex, hitting someone where it hurts (the pocket) is always the way to go.
Without weapons, without firing a shot or detonating any bombs, ISIS can cause serious damage to the UK and most of Europe.
Firstly by displacing the people of its country, it places strain on a country and its economy, let alone its resources and manpower, as well as infrastructure to cope with the sudden influx. Then in turn the influx causes stress, anger, hatred, and instability in society. This alone is powerful, and as I said before, is fed back to the extremists to fuel their cause. But also while all this is going on, the economy of any country involved in the whole matter, be it armed forces, taking refugees, or just part of the situation, takes a battering. Shares drop in price, currencies devalue, stability turns to instability.
Like I say, the crazy part about this, is its warfare at its finest, but without any fighting (between the counties at least)

So right now, as I look in my social feeds, I see fear, distrust, anger, and a call to push back. Social instability. How long before there is a high profile, mass attended protest march. One planned as a peaceful one, but joined by the extremists on the West side (so they believe), and one which will turn into a violent, expensive, distraction, and cause even more instability.
The cycle is endless, and not about to lose momentum any time soon. I don't expect this post to make any difference whatsoever. I did however want to go on the record, put my thoughts out there, and get it off my chest.

If you have read this far, kudos to you, and thank you for reading. I would also hazard a guess that there is hope for you yet.

Whatever your belief, whichever side you support. I'm not saying stop posting, I'm not saying stop caring. I am simply asking that you put a pause between the seeing and sharing routine. A pause just to see if it's true, believable and not just hateful bullshit.

This what the Snopes website was built for, but on steroids.
Snopes made it's name from disproving stories posted on the internet. Gang initiations, celebrity stories, scams, police alerts etc. Think about this for a moment. Snopes made its name for one reason, and one reason alone. There are SO many gullible people on the internet who follow the belief that if you read it on the internet its true. It still to this day continues to make fools of people stupid enough to read any old bullshit they see on the internet, and then not content with being dumb enough to believe it themselves, they share that shit, and perpetuate it!

You got to admit, it's a fair point.!

Right, I'm done here for now, thanks again for reading.

Formula 1, Nico Rosberg, and Lewis Hamilton

Its been a while since I have written a blog, certainly a long time since I have felt compelled to air my views on something so strongly. Not that my voice matters, but its boiling up inside of me so here goes.

My feelings on Lewis Hamilton have changed back and forth over the years. In times of frustration he has been known to sulk a little and seems to have gained a reputation with the negative media for being childish and a dummy spitter.
That said, time after time Lewis has shown himself to be an amazing driver, a great personality, and a deserving winner of both races and championships. As time has gone on I have realised that all in all he is a good guy, great at what he does, but just a little complex to read at times. Emotions show through and he is being a baby, hide them and he is being arrogant.

Then there is Nico. For me I have always seen Nico as a genuine guy, heart on his sleeve and saying it as he sees it. Happy times, sad times, whatever he is feeling is what is shown on the front. Rarely bitter in defeat, but not unheard of, Nico strikes me as someone who strives to have a good PR game, and tries to perform with grace. He has shown he has the spirit to win at times. However over recent times he seems to have been a little down trodden and settle for #2.

So Monaco..... Last year we had the lock up and over shoot scandal. Forcing his way to pole, ruining Lewis's chances of the position, and therefore stealing the race. A year later, the jury is still out on the matter, with different "experts" batting their feelings on the matter around again on the build up to this years race. Sky F1 for example, Johnny Herbert did 5 mins on the surface and approach to the corner this year, showing undulations in the surface, suspension bouncing, body flexing, and explaining how some favour the right to avoid uneven loads. This was followed by OvershootGate with all the theories once again resurfacing. Even though it had just been explained.

This year, pretty clear cut quali, Nico locking up a couple of times, but no impeding anyone in doing so. Lewis takes pole. Phew!
Or so we thought!

Half way through a rather dull race, I decided to go and wash my cars, so knew nothing of what would happen in the last 12 laps or so. Reading a comment on Facebook I realised that positions had changed, and looking at social media, could see it was getting messy already. Watching the highlights a short while later, there it was, Max having a huge crash (glad he is ok), safety car, and with so little time left, a strange decision by the team and Hamilton to pit.... Was passing at Monaco ever really that much of a threat.
In post race interviews, both the team and Lewis took part of the blame for the decision, and agreed it was a very badly thought out one, with dire consequences. How communication could have been so bad I don't know, but shit happens, and mistakes are made. That's just how it goes. You win some, you lose some. At times you take a gamble and it blows up in your face.

So post race, interviews with the media showed a rather disappointed Lewis Hamilton, and rightly so, and a very happy, and somewhat gracious (or I saw it that way) Nico Rosberg. From the first interview he sung Lewis praises, empathised as he is able to do, and said Lewis deserved the win.

So, so far, its a race, with an unexpected outcome, a disappointed driver, a happy driver, and a team in conflict with itself. All as expected there then really.

Now lets look at the fans....WOW !

As I have said I am all for backing someone and supporting them, even defending them (even though they don't know me, and probably don't care about my thoughts)
But some people take it all a little too far.. No scratch that, some people take it WAY too far. With personal attacks on the drivers (people they know little about), spiteful comments, and I would think that they even make the person they are supporting cringe a little with some of the comments made.

Lets take a look at a few of the comments posted on Nico Rosberg's Facebook page...

Henry Felix Mwesigwa Shame upon you Nico for the celebrations you made to day in Monaco as if u had won the race when actually u were just cheated into winning the race. Total shame and embarrassment to Mercedes team. U can cheat into winning but can't break Lewis Hamilton's fighting spirit and talent.

Mark Jones Learn to win with grace , you did not deserve to win , so why celebrate like that , I'm sorry but you came across as smug , when really you hould have been more humble and realise the situation you were in , that's why your not a champion

Christina Justice Gillardo Thank Mercedes for handing you the win that you absolutely DID NOT deserve!!! Lewis is a better person and driver than you will ever be.

There are many more where these came from.

One of the biggest complaints, from what I assume are the Hamilton fans is how Nico behaved on the podium. Huge celebrations.
Lets be honest for a second here about a couple of things.
Firstly, this is Monaco, EVERYTHING is big and overdone in Monaco, its the F1 showcase, its the fashion show, the catwalk of Formula 1. The race itself is generally a huge parade, with little overtaking or position changing, unless there is some bad luck.
Secondly, a win IS a win, you can't deny that. Gifted or fought for, crossing the line first is what matters. In the rules, a mistake was made by a team, no one cheated or broke rules. Nico crossed the line first, so celebrate. I imagine there would be even more fury if Nico had "stolen" the win, then refused to show any excitement or celebration in doing so.

At this point I would hazard a guess that Lewis and all other drivers would love to distance themselves from the true haters out there. We all have cheeky snipes, and comments about the ones we don't want to win, god only knows how many jabs I have taken at Hamilton over time, especially when he has acted like a child, or that play the race card moment he had.

I just don't understand where so much anger and hatred comes from in these people, especially given that 99.9% have never met and probably never will meet both their idol and their adversary. Having an opinion on something is all well and good, I mean, look at me typing away. But going to town, assassinating someone's character, judging them far beyond the limitations of the track and sport, and in some peoples cases, obsessing to the extend of hunting out every piece of positive media on someone, and airing an opinion on it, shooting them down with hatred and contempt. That's is borderline worrying.

For me, sadly, this has all become part of modern day sport. Social media is a wonderful thing, self expression, joining a global conversation, airing an opinion. All welcome for sure. But them some take it to a whole other level.

For me, Monaco, Mercedes, Lewis and Nico...
Merc brought a great package to the race, and gave themselves the best possible start. Lewis drove away from the start and controlled the race, as he does so well. Nico stayed close enough to take advantage of any mistakes by driver or team. The mistake was made, Nico was in the right place, gained from the error, and took the flag.
Nico's post race comments were very generous to Lewis, humble in the win, praise for his team mate who he said deserved the win.
Lewis was pretty restrained, not much he could say about the situation, but was nice not to see a hissy fit.
Mercedes admitted an error.
Nico celebrated Monaco style, and as any winner of an F1 race should.

Then sadly the people who call themselves fans destroyed the whole thing with a barrage of hatred and abuse.

Fair play to Mercedes to trying to calm things down a little.

So my message to you 'fans' out there.
Get a grip, its a sport, there will always be winners and losers. Celebrate wins, and take defeat with dignity. The drivers managed it, why can't you?
Here's to Canada, when the on track fight starts all over again, hopefully with a little less off track, on-line immaturity and pathetic behaviour from all the fans.

Profiling and pigeon holing....

Its something we are all guilty of to an extent, just part of human nature, and  a sub concious part of our predator vs prey defence system. Regardless of if you are trying to make judgements or decision, or its just happening all on its own, your brain is constantly assessing people and things around you. Now, most of those results are very simple. Scanning for danger, threats, or warning signs around us. Its how we cross roads, drive cars, and even just walk down the street. They are quick, sub-concious decisions, made in less than the blink of an eye. Like the decision in a flow diagram, each response triggers an action and so on.

So all perfectly natural up until this point.

However, sometimes we allow our decision making process to become a very concious thing, and that's where it takes a turn, sometimes for the worst. When we profile a situation, say walking past a group outside a shop. The average person listens for raised voices, checking for anger and aggression, looks for body language, very visible arm and hand gestures, lots of jumping around, or calm... We make that decision very quickly and act accordingly. Some people however allow another influence in to their decision making process. Stereotypes and pigeon holing.

For these people, the answers to the first questions were all safe, calm, relaxed, no shouting... But hang on, what's their ethnic origin.. Once we know that then surely the decision rests on that and that alone. Are they from a nation stereotyped for thefts, violence, harassment? Well then clearly the situation is dangerous. Turn back before all hope is lost!

Statistics bare some of the blame for this, as well as negative reporting from all aspects of mainstream and social media. Each group claiming the other is to blame, each group stereotyped for certain behaviours.  Just like all Chelsea and Millwall fans are mindless violent thugs, all Romanians are deemed thieves, or Nigerians are scammers. Its this kind of pigeon holing of groups in society, both official and public that cause most of today's problems. This isn't to say of course that there is NO truth in the statistics, of course there is. But how it is reported, and how it is interpreted by society is what really makes the difference.

If a headline read "20 black men detained in street brawl" certain groups in society would role their eyes and draw conclusions about how violent they are, and it must be a gang. If the sub headline then read. "100 armed white men descended on a Jamaican club this evening, starting a racially motivated attack. Police detained the victims in a police carrier for their safety" then some clarity would appear. However the choice of headline is what gets the ball rolling on how we perceive a story, and from that point on, we have already drawn a preliminary conclusion to the matter. Its all about getting the whole story, and not relying on a single line or statement to make our decisions on.

Sadly this darker side of profiling is present in all walks of society. Hatred and anger towards the armed forces, politicians, and the police. Obviously I am going to focus on the police here.

Now, starting with me experience of the police, something I can describe accurately and openly.
In trouble with the police in 1990 for the first time in my life, having encountered them on many occasions as a kid, just from being a little scallywag. In 1990 I did something wrong, and was dealt with for it. I was dealt with quite firmly, but maintained my respect for the police officers I was in communication with. Needless to say it was a different force back then. Mainly because people respected them. And not because they behaved differently as such, not because they were nicer people and fairer or anything. But because encountering the police in an official capacity meant you were busted, and there were no political correctness groups, hate groups, human rights groups or other 'its not fair' lobbyists telling them what you deserved.

One thing that has become SO very apparent over recent years is grading. And by that I mean of offences. Why is it every time someone is stopped or arrested for something, the line "do some real work, go catch some "insert here whatever crime the arrestee considers worse than theirs".Its a funny old world, where the criminal of whatever degree now has a say in what's right and wrong. Well if their feelings on right and wrong are so strong now... What happened during the offence?

In later years of my life I have experienced the changes in how the force works. From the difference in stance needed when making a simple traffic stop, to the paper mountain that now consumes the police. Most of which is necessary because of the onslaught of do gooders and PC activists who think they know best.
Example. Years ago I was stopped in Epsom, late at night, driving a modified car. Friendly stop, and soon became apparent that the motive for the stop was to ask questions about the car, as one of the officers was about to buy one. After a long chat, the officer in question apologised and said he was going to have to issue me a producer as there was a record of the stop, so all the boxes needed ticking. As he wrote it he continued to apologise, and we joked about how things had changed and they were not even able to stop me for a chat without paperwork.

It fair to say that not all encounters are as smooth, and I recall another stop, in the same car in Victoria. Again late at night, a car on blues wove its way through the one way system, came in behind me, flashed once, I indicated and slowed looking for a safe place to stop. This was followed by frantic headlight flashing, so I stopped immediately, sadly on zig-zags. The officer raced from the car, greeted me as I exited my car, and opened with "well that's a stupid place to stop". I responded by questioning his decision to become over excited with his headlights at this exact point, and offered to move the car a little further to a safer location and was told "don't bother, you are stopped now!"
So, its not all positive I have to say.

So lets go back to the beginning, profiling, snap decisions, and our reactions.
Many believe that officers of all nationalities and races have issues with the black community, and have no tolerance towards them. Fairness goes out of the window, and all are met with aggression and harsh treatment.
Having worked on housing estates for many years in an official capacity, I have seen many such encounters start, around the Notting Hill area, it was not uncommon for the police to sweep into an estate in the evening and do stop and searches. ANY group not making a fuss was dealt with quickly, as informally as possible, and with a happy ending (unless of course anything was found). However other groups who displayed frustration or anger, were indeed met with hostility and a very different approach. From the EXACT same group of officers who had just stopped the last group.

It goes back to pigeon holes and profiling. Groups of society learn from others, from past generations, we are taught what each group is, and somehow allow ourselves to be drawn into the mind of the hive. Reacting towards our first encounter with a group, with the lessons we were taught about them. If you grow up in a group or area with bad experiences, or just bad feeling towards another, it is going to be hard to shake those teachings. When the real encounter is made, we revert to instinct and behave accordingly.

When groups of people with historic bad experiences meet, a chain reaction begins. And as it continues, it snowballs, creating more memories and generating more bad blood. Somewhere along the line someone , somehow needs to stop the perpetuation of this. But the end is nowhere in sight.

So, to add to our pigeon holing exercise, all police are mindless thugs! A statement some would happily endorse. The media happily gloats at the continuation of bad feeling between social groups and the police, but like the headline, only tells you the information which will insight bad feeling, perpetuate the story, and give them a great story.

For the record I do NOT believe, nor endorse the above statements of pigeon holes. I feel that each member of society is an individual and starts out deserving respect and consideration of others. I do however believe also that our actions have consequences. Sometimes severe ones, and ones some find unfair and harsh. In this day and age I consider myself law abiding, and a decent member of society. I don't walk by on the other side, nor turn a blind eye. I expect all encounters with the police to be civil, unless I have behaved otherwise.
My final example, Sydenham High Street a few months back. Following a large brawl which I was not aware of at the time, the high street was shut. This had followed a big road traffic accident. Being nosey I made my way up the road to see, on crossing the road I was beeped by a bus who had decided to move off. Angered by his sudden action, and shocked due to being unable to move fast at the time due to ill health, I shouted at the driver. He stopped a few yards later and I made my way to the door to express my anger and frustration. I was greeted very quickly by two pumped up officers, telling me to back up, leave it, and giving me a good talking to. Now further angered and frustrated, I bowed my way from the situation and took to Twitter with some strong words.
Later than night I became aware of the mass brawl earlier, and realised that my actions followed those of the others, and in behaving in the same unruly manner, I had provoked, what I considered at the time, an over board reaction. Realising I was thoroughly in the wrong to have given the officers a hard time, I wrote a formal apology to Lewisham Police. Had I NOT toned down my anger at the time of the incident, I would have expected to have been strong armed to the ground, cuffed and led away. Thankfully having some respect for the officers, and indeed having been greeted in such a high energy manner, the situation calmed very quickly.

Sometimes the strong armed approach is the right approach, other times the gentle approach works better. What you have to consider here is, its training, drilled into the officers, self preservation kicks in and they will react to what they are confronted with. Batoning an 11 year old shoplifter would be excessive. But then believing you have a right to punch, kick, and bite an officer while they try and cuff you, is also very wrong.

Not all officers get it right, a tiny minority allow society to form negative opinions about them. The same way as the minorities in all walks of society create bad statistics and bad feelings about the majority of their groups. Two wrongs don't make a right, but put two groups together which are immediately defensive, and its a recipe for disaster, over and over again.
Then hype these encounters enough, make it seem like its the right thing, and society will believe you and the hatred and anger perpetuates.

This blog was written based on a sweeping statement made by someone, in this case towards and about the police. Using language which would be deemed offensive and inappropriate towards ANY minority group in society. Written media is a powerful and dangerous force. Just as this blog can be too. The written word is only as good as the choices the word-smith makes, and indeed the perception and interpretation of the reader. With no form of immediate discussion, its as simple as the black and white its written in.

There is no one group in society, official or public responsible for the world we live in, we have all played a part somewhere. Anyone who thinks otherwise, I simply disagree.

I could go on forever with this entry, but will end with the following.

Never judge a book by its cover. Colour , nationality, and background tell you nothing about what is inside. Take a second look, take a moment to think rationally, and give EVERYONE an equal chance. Everyone deserves one.

Steven Emerson...WTF !

First off, Fox News, where the hell did you find this idiot? And secondly, why the hell would you allow a man who clearly makes stupid uneducated statements a TV platform to do it from?

Shamefully I have to share his idiotic comments to make this make sense to anyone who has not seen it.

I have only seen just a short clip of the idiot on YouTube, and have to say I am shocked. In an open and free world, where travel and news between our countries is free flowing, where in the hell does a grown man get information like this from. And wherever it is, doesn't it even cross his tiny empty mind to double check it?

To go on television in front of however many viewers you had for the show, then to be seen by the growing masses as the #FoxNewsFacts hashtag begins to trend, and make statements suggesting Birmingham is 'Muslim ONLY' and that London somehow has some form of policing purely based on a single religion is offensive.

As someone from the UK, a country who apparently has a 'special relationship' with the USA, I am offended by this mans comments. The reason for my anger is a simple one, which is probably a good thing as you seem quite simple Mr Emerson.

While you parade yourself as some kind of expert, there are gullible people out there who will actually believe you. While to the educated among us scoff at your stupidity and ignorance, sadly there is a minority out there who will believe the UK is a segregated and hateful country. Somehow intolerant of the Muslim faith, and one which divides itself city by city.

Your ignorance feeds the anger which in turn causes the violence and hatred we see on a growing basis now. The media seems to thrive on spreading only the negative stories about such events, and brings religion, especially Islam, into every negative story it can. Then when the violence subsides for a while, the media switches to reporting on how religion and hatred for Muslims is causing unsettled societies.

So putting such a stupid man on screen, spouting such utter rubbish, just goes to show the true source of the hatred in society. No SOCIAL media..... NEWS media.. Drip feeding people daily on stories of fear and anger. Building walls, not bridges between the different races and religions in society. Black, unemployed, Muslim, broken home..... Where are the positive stories?

I don't need to say much more, the world of social media looks on with shock, shame and disappointment at both Fox News, and their supposed 'expert'. I have heard more believable stories from a naughty five year old trying to explain who broke the vase. Stop day dreaming, stop making stuff up and tell the truth.

In the light of recent events, and in the knowledge that this is far from over, I beg you news channels... Please please please stop insighting hatred  among people. Build bridges not walls, and stop thriving from the violence and suffering the misleading stories generate.

Lots of love...

Angry Londo

Fanatical, radical, extremist....

So obviously the next two words are 'muslim terrorist'... Or are they?
Actually no, they are not the next words, but they are the words that you would expect a child in today's society to associate with the first 3 words, or indeed the words that some people in society would like you to  think of every time you hear those words.
The current generation of kids and young people are bombarded with this word association game all the time, in conversation, on the TV, and in the newspapers. Everywhere we look we are being told that fanatical, radical or extremist is just another word for 'muslim' Just as past generations have dropped 'vacuum cleaner' for Hoover, or other items and activities for a brand name, so today's generation are fast believing that all radical fanatics will obviously be Muslims too. This is a serious issue, and one which anyone who cares truly about their country and younger generations should care about also.

First off, lets see what the words REALLY mean.

Fanatical...
describes someone whose admiration for something is considered to be extreme or unreasonable:His enthusiasm for aerobics was almost fanatical.Gary's fanatical about football.

Radical
believing or expressing the belief that there should be great or extreme social or political change:He was known as a radical reformer/thinker/politician.These people have very radical views.

Extremist
someone who has beliefs that most people think are unreasonable and unacceptable:a group of extremists (= people with extreme opinions)

OK, so none of the above cite a particular race, religion, nationality or anything else specific for that matters. What it DOES describe is a group of people who's views are NOT shared by the majority. People driven by  beliefs not shared by the mainstream, and groups who are seen as outsiders so to speak by the majority of society.

I can totally understand where the anger towards sick people who carry out vile actions against other humans comes from. It makes me as angry as the next person, and I don't want to share my society with people like this. But the key here is 'people' like this, not races or religions like this. We all have many tags and live under many banners in life, from our support of sports, to our choices of foods. Clothes we wear, brands we buy, hair colour and style, but we rarely find ourselves branded by these things.
Its only when groups or individuals start to categorise people, start to group them together, and make associations that things start to go wrong. But of course, depending which group you belong to, the beliefs can be very right or very wrong.

In the 80's and 90's in the UK, the country was FULL of groups like these, groups we seem to have forgotten about quite conveniently in order to focus our attention and in some case, our hatred, towards Muslims.
Growing up in those times I don't ever recall hearing chants of 'go home you pale white Irish terrorist wanker' to every Irishman who walked the streets. I refer of course to the long forgotten and seemingly forgiven IRA, who carried out dozens more attacks on British people and British soldiers. Allow me to draw your minds back to this event... See who can actually remember it for starters..

The corporals killings was the killing of corporals David Robert Howes and Derek Tony Wood, two British Army soldiers of the Royal Corps of Signals, on 19 March 1988 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The out-of-uniform soldiers were shot by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), after they drove into the funeral procession of an IRA volunteer. Three days beforehand, loyalist volunteer Michael Stone had attacked an IRA funeral and killed three people. Believing it to be another loyalist attack, dozens of mourners attacked the soldiers' car. During this, Corporal Wood drew his service pistol and fired a shot in the air. The soldiers were then dragged from their vehicle, beaten, driven to nearby waste ground, stripped and shot dead. Because it was fully captured by television cameras, the incident has been described as one of the "most dramatic and harrowing images" of the conflict in Northern Ireland.

This is one simple example of a whole host of actions carried out by a terrorist group who came long before Al Qaeda, by Christians, possibly against other Christians, but all clearly justifiable right? Do we go on today preaching how Christianity is an evil and vicious religion, and that Christians should be driven 'back home' to where they came from. Or worry about 'radicalised Christians' ? Why ever not?

The fact of the matter is, people choose to use religion as a tool or terror for one simple reason. Mass belief. Not in their causes, but of their apparent faith. And by the media and hate groups constantly associating hatred towards people of the UK with Muslims, the ignorant hate groups, the nationalist groups who believe they are somehow representing the people of the UK, this whole cycle is perpetuated until its a violent, hate filled., bloody mess that it is right now.

Lets take a step back to the nationalist groups for a second.
Lets flip things here shall we. The media and bigots would have you believe that Islamist and Muslims are evil and violent, and filled with hatred towards the people of the UK.
HOWEVER...
The EDL, and other nationalist groups would like all foreign nations to believe that the whole of the UK follows the beliefs of the EDL, and that their ideal are shared by the masses..... Well they are not!
And for that reason alone, you find yourself in an awkward position. Let me recall now, 'a person or group with radical views considered by the majority to be extreme'... This actually almost puts the hate groups in the same leagues as those carrying out hate crimes against the UK.

My point here is, ANYONE trying to force and extreme view into the mainstream. Anyone who uses hate and lies against another group of people, makes threats of violence, and demands the removal of another group from society simply for having a religion, or being born into another race, in my eyes is an extremist, and should be treated the same way all other extreme groups are. With contempt of a civilised manner.

I could go on all day, but those who believe they have a cause to fight for will never agree, and those who are open minded enough to form their own opinions, live by decent morals, and respect the masses will do just that. For that reason, we should agree to disagree, and leave it at that.

I have no religion or faith, I am familiar with losing loved ones to illness, accident and hate. I have experienced quite a few cruel and sickening things in life, and consider myself to be just another member of the human race. A race which has no place for gangs, thugs, or hatred without cause. Just for one second, take a few deep breaths, take a few steps back, and take society in general for what it is. The masses go about their daily life without issue, interacting with people of all colours, races, beliefs and both sexes without thinking twice. Its not hard to treat people as individuals, and 99.9999% of the worlds population just want to live a long and healthy life.

Stop with the media hysteria and sensationalism of these stories, stop the sheep like following people have believing everything they are told, and form your own opinions, don't be fed it by others.

2 men brutally murdered another man in the streets of Woolwich this week. They CLAIM it was in the name of Islam, they CLAIM it was revenge for treatment of Muslims. They were also born and raised right here in the UK, educated in the UK, socialised in the UK. But wait, they were black, so that's a bad sign right? And they claim to be of the Muslim faith, so they are terrorists of course.... So many associations with so many groups, but does not detract from the truth, that 2 men killed another man. It happens around the world daily. Maybe not as brutally and blatantly, but evil killings occur daily. But for some ideological reason, it is not until the words Muslim or Islam are uttered that anyone pays the slightest bit of attention.

I'm going to stop now, as thinking about the ignorance that surround us is really quite frustrating and upsetting.

Simple message.... Be your OWN person, your own leader, and not the follower of someone else.