FEBRUARY 2003
The saga of Norfolk farmer Tony Martin has taken a new and sinister twist. Friends of the young burgler he shot has issued death threats against him once he gets out of jail. And what is the police response in the face of such threats you may ask? Extra patrols at his farms? A guarantee of protection? A word in the ears of the young criminals at least? If you believe this, you don't understand 21st Century Britain. They have suggested that he should sell his farm and go into hiding in Australia under a new identity. In other words, Martin is forbidden to defend himself, and the police have no intention of defending him either. As recent polls have shown that a large proportion of British people would leave the country if they could, maybe the advice of the police is a good one; obviously society has surrendered completely to the criminal element.
We finally got the lease from the Council to sign on the Community Centre after they decided we had to put up parking frames for bicycles. Looking through it we noticed that apart from the cycle frames the lease also stated that we were prohibited from putting up anything that would cause an obstruction. Asking for clarification, as one stipulation would seem to cancel out the other, it seems that someone down there has blown a casket; this was obviously too taxing a question for the collective brains of the powers that be. So back to the drawing board, it seems.
It seems we're not having much luck so far this year. We were set to start work on The Swinemoor Youth Project last month only to find that the contractor has gone bust. So we now have to put everything out to tender again, and if we can't begin digging before 1st of April we will lose the funding as a new financial year will start.
We're in a funny situation in this country; the government is now concreting over the countryside in the South to build more houses after developers complained that the so-called brownfield sites didn't generate enough profit. At the same time thousands of houses are being bulldozed in the North as there aren't enough people willing to live there.
As some of you may remember the resident hedgehog here at Heimbu blundered into Bronwen's perch last year. Having caught it she didn't quite know what to do with a walking pin cushion, and we were able to exchange it for a chick, so it could wander off unharmed. Yesterday, however, it finally managed to cop the Darwin Award by trying to eat one of Arthur's chicks. Eagle owls have no problems dealing with hedgehogs.
Moggy, the Heimbu cat, has gone missing for more than a month now.
They marched in their millions opposing war with Iraq, after Blair and. Bush did did not get the right report from Hans Blix. As it is getting clear to everyone that Iraq is not in a position to threaten anyone except itself, the Dear Leader suddenly has changed tack. We are now told that it is our moral duty to free the poor Iraqis from a terrible tyrant even if we have to kill off most of them in the process.
In the meantime the modern version of the Great Game is in full swing. The French are being awkward as they are afraid they will be locked out from the future exploitation of Saddam's oil; the Russians who already have deals in place with Iraq, are worried about their share, though the link-up between BP and Tyumen Oil (which incidently seems to be fully owned and run by the Russian Mafia) have steadied nerves somewhat. However, it seems clear that ChevronTexaco and ExxonMobil are poised to get the lion's share of an estimated 250 billion barrels of crude oil. At the current price of $33.50 a barrel the cost of a war is just chickenfeed in comparison.
Requiescat in Pace.
Kiyokos's father died peacefully in bed this morning. He was one of nature's true gentlemen, whose only possible fault was that he somtimes cared too much.
For 44 years come snow, rain or shine, the farmer had tended his sheep deep in the Yorkshire Dales, while his mother had taken care of the massive amount of paper work, that the Government demand from anyone trying to make a living in the countryside. But when the 87 year old woman died from cancer last year papers concerning payment for fallen livestock was missing and DEFRA told the farmer to hand back £30,000.- something which would be rather difficult when the profit from the farm is only around £4,000.- a year. In any case he found the papers a few days later and presumed that everything would be OK, but Government officials don't think like ordinary mortals. The deadline for sending in the ducumentation was 2 weeks ago, so they still want the money back stating that "If we don't apply the regulations correctly there are finacncial penalties to be paid by the UK tax-payer" Funny that they never seem to worry about the tax-payer when Govermental salaries and pensions go through the roof.
One of the farmer's neighbours on the other hand has also had a spot of bother
recently. She runs a small shop that has been burglared countless times, and
as the police disappear from the Dales after 6pm, they will have to travel 45
miles to deal with any incident. The shop was broken into again last month,
but it was noticed, and the young burglar, who was recognized, was chased away.
According to the police it was his 10th break-in that week, but they refused
to prosecute, as he has never paid any fine or turned up for community service,
it would just be a waste of their time.
The shopkeeper, however, has just received a letter from the burglar's solicitor,
claiming £50,000.- in damages because the young man claims to have injured
his elbow slipping on the front path of the shop as he was running away.
Doesn't anyone or anything work around here?
Written on an "Out of Order" sign on the local Post Office stamp machine.
Added next day: Yes, I do. I put up "Out of Order" signs.
The property prices are really going through the roof these days. Around here they have gone upp 50% in the last year and people are desperate to try to get on the property ladder. We are being told that houses is still quite affordable as the interest rates on mortgages are low, but as usual we are not gien the whole picture. Have a look at these figures. You buy a house with a 100% mortgage for £100,000.- payable over 30 years at 8% which means that you will pay the bank £8,000 a year in interest. Over 30 years this comes out at £240,000 plus you also have to pay back the original loan which means that your little house has cost you £340,000.- But we are of course told that this is a sound investment as house prices usually go up (though we have seen them go down, too. Anyone out there remember negative equity in the early nineties?) But let's say that you after 30 years of graft the title to your property is finally yours to enjoy. Do you believe in the tooth fairy, too? If you want to find out who really owns your house try to stop paying your council tax. Do you know why it is called Real Estate? In modern English this translates as Royal property with the state having taken over the title from the Crown. In other words you is still living in rented accomodations even after having been conned out of your life savings. And we still haven't discussed cute little things like 40% inheritance tax, and confiscation of all you own if you have to go into care.
Rich people don't own anything, they just control wealth.
Poor people pay tax, then they can spend what's left. Rich people spend first, then pay tax on what's left.
An asset will earn you money; if it doesn't it is a liability.
Never work for money, let money work for you.
Never accept handouts from the Government; they always take more than they give.
Why do you think you get tax breaks for going into debt?
Never study to get a god job; study to learn.
Never stop learning.
I'm off to Germany next week to see what Graham's has been up to over there. Hopefully I will find time to visit my sister who I haven't seen for 17 years.