Please support this Private Eye “campaign”…

Meanwhile, this is taken from the PM Newsletter :

Hello.

In the programme tonight: will Heather Mills go to work for the Daily Express? What would Diana think of the McCann judgement? Will washout Easter affect Express sales? What will judgement do to value of McCann house? Was Maddy taken by asylum seekers?

Also in the programme: (Continues…)

I can’t help but smile…

Odd isn’t it how this Daily Express front page reads MUSLIM PLOT TO BEHEAD BRITON without mentioning (until paragraph seven anyway) that the headline could (should?) have read MUSLIM PLOT TO BEHEAD MUSLIM? Doesn’t have quite the same potential to stir up hatred does it?

And stir it up it does…if you can bear it have a look at the 61 (at time of writing) comments and witness the kind of debate the editors of the Express get their kicks from stirring up.

World’s Greatest Newspaper? Hmmm…

I originally heard about this story on Radio 4’s PM, but after a bit of News Googling I found this version of the story from the Daily Bigot which goes into a bit more detail about the Southampton Catnapper.

There is also a post about the story on the PM Blog. I’ve commented on the feature but in case it doesn’t get approved (as I fear a pro-cat bias in the reporting of this story) I’ve copied my views here :

I am sick to death of selfish cat owners telling me it’s my problem that I object to having to clear up their cat’s excrement before I can mow my lawn, weed my plants or let children play in the garden.

Listening on PM to the cat owner whose cat had been taken I was appalled that she thought that having her animal’s excrement fouling other people’s gardens was fine. And then she pointed out that there were deterrents that could be bought to discourage cats from gardens – is she going to buy them for her neighbours? Why should they pay out their money and spend their time deterring animals which other people choose to have.

I wasn’t surprised by her comments however because 99% of cat owners show the same shocking arrogance. Dog owners can be prosecuted if they leave their dog’s excrement on pavements and other people’s gardens – it’s about time that cat owners were treated in the same way.

The person who relocated these cats has no doubt been driven to this act by the smug superiority of cat owners who believe that non-cat owners are in the wrong for not wanting disease ridden and stinking cat excrement in their gardens.

I will support the cat-napper wholeheartedly until cat owners start taking responsibility for their own animals’ mess. Sadly I expect it to be a long wait.

For the record I’d like to point out that despite the above, and being badly allergic to them, I don’t dislike cats per se. I just don’t see why I should have to clear up their excrement from my garden, and be treated with disdainful arrogance by cat owners when I mention this.

Articles such as this one, which highlight benefit fraud by immigrant Polish workers, really annoy me.

Apparently the piece accompanies a 5Live broadcast tonight which highlights the issue.

Why are there no such programs about the number of UK-citizens ripping off the system, because I’m sure they cost the system at least as much money each year. All this does is play into the hands of The Daily Bigot and their ilk.

I suppose “Some people claim illegal benefits” doesn’t make such an impact in the headlines, but that shouldn’t be a reason for writing a story.

Mr. Brigstocke is a funny man, and his monologues on The Now Show are always worth listening to again. Helen brought this particular monologue to my attention, and so much of it could have come out of my mouth. If only I was as clever and witty…

I’m astonished that it’s taken me so long to find the Daily Mail-o-matic Daily Mail headline generator. I was alerted to it by a friend yesterday after I told him about a despicably vile woman in the restaurant we went to for lunch. It was the nearest I’ve come to walking up to someone in public and pouring water over them – if you’re going to spend the entire meal spouting racial hatred don’t drag your grandchildren into it, and don’t make the others diners hear it too by using your loudest voice. My ‘favourite’ quote, directed at her grandchildren, was this :

“Don’t repeat anything I’ve said at the table, people don’t like it.”

Because it’s hateful & wrong, so stop saying it! Arggahh!

I’m sure she’s like this headline :

COULD ASYLUM SEEKERS KILL THE BRITISH PEOPLE?

Whilst I like these…

DO TEACHERS STRIP YOUR MORTGAGE OF ALL DIGNITY?

WILL GAYS LEAD THE ELDERLY ASTRAY?

COULD GYPSIES GIVE BRITAIN’S SWANS CANCER?

There’s also the odd mention of the People’s Arse. Which is funny, if bordering on the Di-ly Express’s territory.

Have a play if you’ve not before…

Even though I’m a cynical soul, I do love days like today. It’s witnessing history which, even when it’s seen through TV, the internet and radio, is so exciting. We have a new Prime Minister, and I am alive to see it as people were alive to see Pitt, Disraeli, Gladstone, Churchill & co. take office. People will be reading about today in history books one day, and I am here right now. I like that…