Who wants tickets to Glastonbury?

The festival is sold up at the minute.

However. You could win one if you really want.

 Quiz to win a ticket or six

It's a facebook quiz with five rounds. All different.

Lynn Rival. The latest

A British couple kidnapped by pirates more than six months ago have appealed to the new government for help.

Paul and Rachel Chandler, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, were seized by Somali pirates in October while sailing from the Seychelles towards Tanzania.

In an interview with a Somali journalist filmed last weekend for ITV and Channel 4 News, Mr Chandler called on the new coalition Government to make a statement on whether or not it will assist the couple.

He said: "I would like to say 'congratulations' to David Cameron first. As the new Prime Minister we desperately need him to make a definitive public statement of the Government's attitude to us.

"As I said, we are two British citizens, we have been kidnapped in the Seychelles (Editors Note: Sorry, but the RFA Wave Knight was not operating in that area. Therefore they were not in the Seychelles) which was a perfectly safe place to be.

"If the Government is not prepared to help then they must say so because the gangsters' expectations and hopes have been raised by the thought of a new Government. There might be a different approach.

"If the Government can help, and I think they should, then we would welcome that and would they please do so.

"But either way they must make a statement so that we know where we stand."

The government can't help. It would destroy years of work done in denying terrorists a reward for their acts.

Could he be upset?

I think that Counting cats is a trifle miffed.

Jeremy Irons Is A Complete Arsehole.

Oh dear. But he does put it very well.

Cats I mean.

Stress warning.

They say that selling a house is one of the most stressful moments in your life.

Well. I'm in the process of selling a luxury apartment in an old Mill house. It has everything going for it. Complete with gently turning mill wheel outside the sitting room windows.

I actually had a buyer interested before the property went on the market. however he couldn't anywhere near match the asking price. Oh well.

A week after the apartment went on the market a buyer popped up, made a reasonable offer, and wanted a very, very, quick completion. Oh good.

No. Not so good. His survey has just come back with a tale of woes. Subsidence, rising damp (I would expect that, as the mill stream runs under the dining area floor!), and various minor other niggles.

Where the problem lies is that I am managing the sale for two executors, as I live close by. Trying to tie up with the executors, the estate agent, the resident's association, and the conveyancing solicitor, is becoming a real headache.

Am I stressed out? Well actually, no.

I stand to gain nothing from the sale and the recipients of the money from the sale have not lifted a finger to help. Why should I hurry?

Ho Hum. Time for a drink. I wonder if I can claim that as a legitimate expense?

Fears over 'child neglect' cases

More than one in three social workers and police officers have felt powerless to intervene in cases of suspected child neglect, a survey has found.

Half said earlier intervention was needed to ensure cases of possible neglect are dealt with more effectively, according to research for the charity Action for Children.

Some 41% of the professionals said they were under greater pressure now to intervene when children are being neglected than five years ago and 16% reported encountering more cases than last year.

  More....

Those damn pigs.

They're always bleating oinking on about health and safety.

Please stop.

Another bloody E mail from Call me Dave has just fallen into my inbox. I've reported it as spam.

Sunny Jamaica

 

If you do go there, steer clear of the capital, Kingston.

Jamaican police say at least 26 civilians and four members of the security forces have died as police and soldiers battle defenders of a powerful Jamaican gang leader sought by the US.

Thousands of heavily armed forces are raiding the capital's most violent down town slums in a hunt for underworld boss Christopher Coke, known as "Dudus."

Now I've had experience with the southern end of this Idyllic Isle. I was there many years ago as Officer in charge of a combined Royal Naval and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, hurricane relief team. Well, I can tell you that Kingston was just as bad then, as it is now.

The first day ashore we were tasked to try and put the roof of the Kingston General Hospital back on. Bearing in mind that we were all seafarers, not a roofer among us, this was going to be a tad daunting.

However what we were not prepared for was being attacked by the hopped up locals on our way to the project.

Needless to say on the second day we went out armed.

If you do go there stay on the North end of the Island.

At least one Government has a set of balls.

The Bulgarian Parliament passed Tuesday, at second read, the more liberal rules for smoking in public spaces and abolished for good the full smoking ban.

The smoking ban was voted by the previous Parliament and was supposed to become effective on June 1, but the current Members of the Parliament approved the amendments of the Health Care Act, proposed by the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party.

Smoking will now be allowed in separate smoking spaces inside restaurants, bars, coffee shops, railroad stations, airports, ports, and bus stations. In restaurants with less than 50 square meters, the owner is to decide it the establishment will be smoking or non-smoking. In office buildings, employers have the right to designate special smoking spaces. In night clubs smoking will be allowed without the requirement to have separate non-smoking places.

I can't see it happening over here. The Government is too enthralled with every bogus scientific claim made.

Global warming (Sorry,climate change now), Ash clouds, Obesity, Mobile phones, Alcohol, etc, etc.

Still. We have the great repeal bill to look forward to. Although I fear that it will tinker around the edges of our liberty.

It would be a pity.

Frank Field is threatening to refuse to become David Cameron’s ‘poverty tsar’ after a row over whether he is being used as a ‘token’ Labour supporter of the coalition Government.

I don't know how it started but a few months ago I was in Email discussion with Mr Field over his plans for social reforms to the benefits system. in my mind he came across as one of the few politicians who actually wanted to make a difference. I quite see his position in that he can't seem to be the "Token" labour MP to be in government.

But in my eyes he would be eminently suitable for the job.

I wish you well Frank.

(And I've just carried out the Libertarian survey of my political leanings. I'm a right leaning Libertarian.)