Dale Farm

Hot topic of the day, so I thought I would have my say on the matter. I will try and keep it as unbiased as possible, but my level or should I say lack of respect for the residents there might show thorough, so here goes.

Firstly.... 99% of the people there at this time, up on the scaffolding, tied off to gates and in other ridiculous situations to try and hinder the operation, are NOTHING to do with this situation. They are just travelling 'professional protesters' who seem to find a topic, sympathise with it, and then just attach themselves to it, causing disruption, costing the tax payer more and just being a pain in the arse really.

That's not to say that supporting a cause you believe in is not noble, of course it is. But there is supporting a cause because you fully understand it and consider it worthy, and then there is hearing about a high profile case and just showing up there to get involved, antagonise the police and make the situation as awkward as possible. The latter can be said of this bunch of clowns. The ambition of a slug, the hygiene of something feral, the brain power of a jellyfish, and the respect of a charging bull. Add to that the acting of a premiership football player and suddenly we begin to see what these people are like.

As I watch live one woman was escorted out, and as she reached the camera's she suddenly started clutching and protecting her face, writhing like she was sporting some sort of injury... They are there for publicity and fun, nothing else, and like most other high profile cases, rather than adding to the support for the people who truly believe they have a case, these people take the spotlight off the true cause and make a mockery of it. Student protests, London riots, Occupy London and so on, the true trouble makers are unwashed idiots who travel from one hotspot to another just wasting everyones time.

So the true cause, well I guess its hard to gauge really. Illegal use of a piece of land, illegal occupation of another piece of land, once you know you have started to do wrong I guess you know it isn't gonna last forever. However in this case I think the period of time this has happened over is the big problem. Many years have passed, and the camp,has got bigger and more established, making people feel like this is an illegal land clearance, almost as if the council are retaking the land illegally. However in the eyes of the law, this is not the case. And for that matter I agree that the clearance is legal also.

It must indeed be heartbreaking to have your home taken away, especially for the young ones who don't understand what's going on there. You can't knock the older residents for putting up such a fight either, credit where its due. But the mixture of the arrogance of the settlers, and the stupidity of the travelling protesters just makes a recipe for disaster. Barricades, high platforms, people chained to structures, added to this people setting fire to caravans etc, and this could get really bad, and do the actual case no good whatesoever.

At the end of the day, the fight is over, the legal bodies have granted permission, the police are well equipped and determined, and for however long it takes, the site will be cleared.
Somewhat ironic that for the smelly people joining in occupy London pretending to support the cause of opposing the spending cuts and waste of money by the government, this is the second event in five days that has cost a HUGE sum of money to police it! Into the millions, to police things that could be done in other ways, especially without the involvement of these irritating little people.

At the end of the day, they are there illegally, they built illegally, and if were allowed to remain it would make a mockery of the legal system, the planning system, and all other rules that civilised people live by.
Dale Farm has so far cost roughly £18m... I wonder how that breaks down per head of genuine resident of the site. However you look at it, its a disgusting sum of money to have to throw at something like this.

One final warning, hundreds of people will soon be on the move.... Will they be YOUR new neighbour? I hope not!
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Feeling better, feeling positive.... But watch out !

The last thing from me really was me moaning about being ill, feeling tired and saying I had glandular fever, prognosis was wide open.
I am glad to say that over the past couple of weeks, determination, hard work, and not giving in has paid off. I am rising above it, with very little effects of it left now. Very little discomfort except for the pain in my lower left abdomen which still loiters. Tiredness during the morning and daytime has improved no end, it is only the end part of the day now that leaves me lacking energy and enthusiasm.

With regards to work, I think it is fair to say that since my return, my attendance has been faultless, however there are other aspects of that which I will come back to in a bit. Not missed a day, and I truly think that it has (as expected) played a significant role in my recovery from both the illness, and moving on from mums passing. So I am glad that the issues I faced at work were overcome on my return, and things have been put back to normal. Again I will come back to this part soon. Main thing to me is, I'm back to being Michael Snasdell again, and not some messed up empty shell of a man who is struggling by day to day.

That might sound a little harsh, but the further I move away from the event horizon of mum passing, and me returning to work after so long, the more I realise how messed up things were getting for me. I lost my identity, direction and drive in life, and just hung in there for the sake of others, which is not healthy for anyone I have to say. And if you are in this situation, I would strongly recommend asking how others are perceiving you and your state of health and mind. Many commented on me, and I listened to...... none!

However.... moving on. We are in a different place these days, so lets be positive here and look forwards and not back. I'm making a comeback here, and am determined to make things different this time around. Almost like an alcoholic getting sober. This is me getting sober so to speak.

So, lets backtrack a little shall we, and cover off a few areas that I have previously touched on in this entry. Firstly, the fiery return to work. It wasn't so much about slipping back into my role, but more about being dragged through a bush backwards and baring my heart and soul to prove I deserved to keep my role in the company. I should add, so there is no hard feeling, that none of this was brought on by management so to speak, obviously they play a role in the matter, but the rest was instigated by 'others' who felt differently about what I deserved. Going to extraordinary lengths to make life hard for me. Screen prints of Facebook, photos of Blackberry Messenger status's all used in an attempt to prove me dishonest, and unworthy. Well...... it didn't work, so quite frankly bollox to you, and f**k you for trying that.

However, there is a little twist. It would appear that the infighting didn't end there, and there is now another issue within the machine. Timekeeping!
Now having finally received the summaries and official closure of my own disciplinary, it is truly refreshing to know that I am in NO WAY involved in the current issues here. I know from my own opinion, and from speaking with my manager that there is NO issue with my timekeeping or recording of my activities at work. I swipe in, swipe out, complete timecards honestly, and record what I do daily.
Sadly the same cannot be said for all. With some taking breaks without recording them, slipping in late and claiming they were on time, or failing to work their scheduled hours, but claiming a later finish time than actual. The dumb part about all this is that there is comprehensive CCTV here, remotely monitored and reported on, a swipe system which records people in and out of the building, although it is obvious that some have decided to bypass this by using unauthorised access points to avoid being seen leaving and entering, as well as trying not to leave a record.
Once again, sadly due to 'persons' constantly discussing other staff members with their management, a storm is coming.

I guess I'm saying too much really, so should be careful, but at the end of the day, a line has been drawn in the sand, and a warning shot has been fired over EVERYONES head. So anyone one not seeing their part in this, and not realising their wrong doing deserves everything coming to them. Its either ignorance or arrogance, more likely arrogance if I'm honest, but we shall see. 3 days after the warning shot was fired, nothing seems to have changed for some... And that's REALLY all I'm saying on it now, other than 'watch this space'.

Phew I am really going on today, but it feels like a massive release I have to say. Things building up inside of me, annoying me, winding me up, and in the latter case, amusing me somewhat.

OK, I will leave it there for now or I might wear this keyboard out. So I will end with, with everything happening around me, the motivation within me to achieve, and the new lease of life... I'm finally enjoying looking forwards to what lays ahead. A smoother road for me for now, and possibly a pretty rough one for others.

Watch your back people.... instead of mine for once ;)