To Bedlam or Belmarsh and throw the key away

Success and distress

Sometimes rather serious events highlight difficult to explain situations where the law has to intervene for the safety of all concerned.

In this case, a man of 36 has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983 for some very disturbing domestic events.

The said man is a director of Swiss Re, the world's largest reinsurer with revenues of over $28 billion and as the head of life and health products would have serious responsibilities.

Now, I have worked in the City years ago and I have seen the kind of pressure that people can be under to perform, to excel and to get ahead - people should however find ways of relaxing so as not to carry the travails of work back home.

Kids do it all the time

So Sunday morning the man and his wife seem to have a lie-in then little daughter gets up early to visit mum and dad, she ends up seriously battered, with life threatening injuries, lying conscious bleeding from the mouth, nose and ears.

One might now wonder if this serious act of child abuse was a first offence or just one of those many where this time it just went too far - the girl was only 2 years old.

She might have been warned or even threatened with menace if she ever came in to disturb mummy and daddy whilst they were still asleep; in any case, it is still unforgivable.

One law for children

If an adult had suffered this kind of beating, the culprit would have been done for Grievous Bodily Harm, maybe attempted murder and definitely would have been in a police cell awaiting arraignment, however, because it is a child, the culprit is mercifully granted hospitalisation for what is presumably a mental health issue.

Mental illness is agreed by most psychiatrists to cover schizophrenia, anorexia nervosa, major depression, bipolar disorder and other similar illnesses, "(severe) mental impairment" to cover mental retardation (learning disability) and "psychopathic disorder" to cover the personality disorders.

I might agree that there is a mental health issue here though this might be closer to a personality disorder than a mental illness because no one beats up a child to unconsciousness for any purpose and definitely not your own child as a parent or guardian.

It would be expedient of the police to dispense with this case with the utmost alacrity and remove the mental health safeguards to treat this man as a heinous psychopathic criminal who is also a danger to society at large.

Closing this case

His career must now end at Swiss Re whilst hopefully the company having reposed such confidence in the man so as not to have people question his sanity should bequeath a largesse to ensure the welfare of this little girl is comprehensively assured to adulthood.

I am not sure the woman involved who might also be the girl's mother is of adequate capability to continue to exercise the lien of parentage over the girl; she might have to be fostered by extended family that might help accelerate the healing of her trauma.

I do pray God that the girl does survive and recover fully; meanwhile, the charge of attempted murder should not be far from the hearts, minds and lips of prosecutors.

Regardless of the pressures we have at work, it is no excuse to return home and take our frustrations out on our families, there are just no mitigating circumstances for that kind of behaviour apart from the fact that it shows how less of a man the "so-called" successful businessman really is.

Whether to Bedlam or to Belmarsh lock him up and throw away the key - this is completely unforgivable.

Beyoncé: Her thighs could throttle a buffalo

Dressed up as naked

I am no fan of Beyoncé, in fact, when she came to perform in Amsterdam a few years ago, there was a big poster just outside my block and she was clothed in the most expensive non-dress I have ever seen, a string of diamonds - the Emperor's New Clothes would have given her more covering than what she had on.

It transpires Beyoncé is on a UK tour and her first date was at the NEC Birmingham on the 1^st of June 2007.

Michael Deacon - he would be quoted liberally in this piece and I acknowledge his inspiration for this piece - lets the ink flow from supposing hip-hop is being replaced by a musical genre called Indie - "the Texan bravely battles obsolescence the only way pop knows how: by spending stupendous sums of money", he says, and goes on the describe the dress as a glittering silver gown and the background is a Niagara of lights.

The performance extraordinaire

She starts off with Crazy In Love as every song is brash, ballsy, brassy - amazing how she gallops about the stage - "given that her stilettos are so tall, she must need a stepladder to climb into them" - You tell me.

These two paragraphs had me giggling into the paper as I read -

She changes clothes every five songs. The changes don't take long, presumably because none of the outfits features much material. But then, it would take a fair amount of material to encase a body as curvaceous as Beyoncé's.

She's at least 65 per cent bottom. Her thighs could throttle a buffalo.

He faults Beyoncé's pronunciation of Birmingham as sounding like a brand of sliced meat, and as the show ends, the credits roll on for eternity to include the names of the 20 bus and truck drivers.

I suppose that is all you can get for a courtesy ticket to a Beyoncé concert, as the reviewer convinces himself that Indie does have a big fight on its hands.

As for me, a free ticket with VIP trimmings might help me find time to feast my eyes on the thang that would out-vibrate any adult toy, no matter the speed - I'm all Crazy in Love so suddenly - NOT!

Nigeria: The Disgraceful backlash gathers a storm

Bare-faced shamelessness

One wonders if Nigerians do not have a fatalistic approach to matters of honesty, integrity and propriety without due consideration of consequence and possible negative retribution.

Two issues bring this to the fore as the complacency with the April 2007 elections begin to yield unintended repercussions and shameful reactions which could so well have been avoided. By rights, the erstwhile President of Nigeria should be a welcome new addition to the forum of ex-Presidents - the Inter Action Council - which was formed in 1983 by Takeo Fukuda, former Japanese Prime Minister and Helmut Schmidt formerly of Western Germany. His handover in 1979 from a military regime to a civilian regime was enough to keep him a member of this August forum for life.

It would for all intents and purposes include people like Nelson Mandela (South Africa), Jimmy Carter & Bill Clinton (USA), John Major (UK), John Jerry Rawlings (Ghana), Valery Giscard d'Estaing (France) and Mary Robinson (Ireland)

Resigning is the only option

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo would presumably make his excuses by indicating his wants to spend more time on domestic issues having had his membership in abeyance whilst to took on a second tenure as the head of government on Nigeria for 8 years from 1999 to 2007. Basically, it appears he would be tending his resignation from the council to avoid the continued embarrassment of more eminent persons taking apart the debacle of an election he presided over.

Olusegun as wrecked the great wonderful house that Olusegun built - a personal legacy destroyed by ones own hands and actions.

In my book, it is shameful and disgraceful that we cannot have an ex-ruler of Nigeria participate in such a distinguished forum where Africa is only represented by two other leaders because our "so-called" democratic credentials have been tarnished beyond acceptable limits of fairness and justice. We cannot have acquiesced to this dishonest disenfranchisement in the name of a smooth transition to a new civilian government and expect to hold our heads high in the international community.

The need to mature our democracy

We might not have come to that realisation as we excuse ourselves of the responsibility to maturing our democracy and condone the corrupting infrastructure that allows for elections to be conducted in a shambolic and chaotic manner, it does not wash with the International community at all, they see Nigeria as the biggest black African democracy and expect that we do right in terms of these issues rather than fall back on the flimsy derisive excuse of being a young democracy.

Indeed, democracy is a process, but it is arguable that the conduct of the 2007 elections was considerably worse than that of 2003, 1983 or 1979, we are in a process no doubt, but were moving backwards, the international community in that sense was not going to confer any mitigating respite on accepting the purveyor of an illegitimate process - he definitely does not belong in that forum and we Nigerian are no better for that situation.

The backlash begins

The backlash is gathering into a storm, as Wole Soyinka, the Nobel Laureate has been invited by the US Congress to give his impressions about the Nigerian elections, we can safely say he would not be signing praises of this event - some might say he is doing a hatchet job on Nigeria - I say, until somebody somewhere begins to see the right to elect our leaders and ensure that what we have decided is what is reflected as a fundamental human right, we would be the poorer for it and never develop the little flicker of potential that sometimes emanates from Nigeria.

Beyond that, other aspects of projecting Nigeria's influence and power are being compromised; for instance, the long overdue recognition of the might and status of Nigeria to be considered as a member of the UN Security Council cannot have been enhanced.

We can also see where the US Congress has been quite miffed with the White House for sending a high-level delegation to the inauguration of the new president, well, in fact, it was hardly high-level, it was the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs - we could easily have had the Vice-President of the United States and quite a few other heads of state of great stature attending what might have been a moment of great Nigerian pride to the world.

Whilst the new president has been invited as an observer to the G8 Summit in Germany, I would not think it is to heap praise on his success or plans for Nigeria and I would not be surprised if some of the speech makers do not make a pointed critique of Nigeria - Europeans are not ones to let this go unmentioned, imagine how much aggro President Putin of Russia has already been having from Angela Merkel about democratic issues in Russia.

If Yar'Adua does get a serious telling off, it would be for the good, if Nigerians at home cannot instigate and implement the right thing, like the Yoruba saying of old - If a child does not exhibit the signs of good breeding, the child would get taught in the streets.

Nigeria losing credibility

Tony Blair in his farewell tour of Africa called at Libya, Sierra Leone and South Africa, he could easily have called at Nigeria, our countries have a history too long to detail in this message.

But, the so very optimistic Nigerians who seem to be able to get by with bluster and bravado would not read anything into this systematic isolation of Nigeria of decent international forums where we now sit within a global economy.

The issues in the Delta region would always keep Nigeria in the news, every abduction or unrest immediately reflects in the global oil markets whilst starting with the US Congress they are drumming up support so as not to confer "undeserved legitimacy" on a government that needs credibility having arisen from flawed mandate.

Even I have been inspired to consider doing business in Nigeria, but the overriding condition of partnership would include ascertaining the honest and truthful assessment of those elections in April 2007 - it is a matter of the utmost integrity and anyone who gives the slightest credence to that exercise is not a lady nor a gentlemen - I will not go into business with crooked dishonest people.

By God, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua does have his work cut out, him to deal with fundamental issues in Nigeria and him against the world fighting from a position of moral weakness.

Reference

IAC Member List - Microsoft Excel document

Justice must not be denied through refusal

Piqued, but who cares?

Charles Taylor the former despotic and tyrannical president of Liberia who is being tried for crimes against humanity in The Hague, The Netherlands has refused to make an appearance at his trial.

I would spare a thought for those who could not refuse to be raped, those who could not refuse to lose their limbs and those who could not refuse to have their youth stolen from them in a war so savage and primitive, the world had to move.

The litany of crimes reads like the Spanish Inquisition was a joyride.

Acts of terrorism (WC)

Murder (CAH)

Violence to life, in particular murder (WC)

Rape (CAH)

Sexual slavery and violence (CAH)

Outrages upon personal dignity (WC)

Violence to life, in particular cruel treatment (WC)

Other inhumane acts (CAH)

Use of child soldiers (VIHL)

Enslavement (CAH)

Pillage (WC)

CAH: Crime against humanity

WC: War crime

VIHL: Violation of international humanitarian law

He must see justice

It would appear Charles Taylor wants to play the system such that his prosecution fails on technicalities - the presiding judge should brook none of this nonsense.

If he would not take representation, the more fool of a man who is being condemned and stays tongue-tied when his mission is in no way messianic.

What bothers me more is than The Daily Telegraph reports that court might not be adequately financed to see this case through - well, I think they are not being inspired and resourceful on this matter; where best would conflict diamonds be to any good if the moneys from selling those bloody jewels can be used to judge and punish a man with so much blood on his hands, the man who brought conscience to the diamond trade.

Charles Taylor must see justice and the decent world must ensure that his example is properly relayed to the Grand Despot of Africa - Robert Mugabe.

A class struggle disguised as news

The facts lost to the story

Having advised the newsagents on my way to work to have a copy of the Daily Telegraph available, I am still surprised that the tillers, two ladies and a gentleman still do not know the cover price of the paper which is 3 Euros and conveniently down from 3.60 Euros when I was a more regular reader of the paper, years ago.

I do like the way the paper is edited and the writing style, and though it is a paper that leans quite to the right; if not the organ of the Conservative Party in some ways.

Sometimes, it does take on a rather sensationalist tone as it delves into the kind of muck that tabloids wallow in, and when it appears to take up a cause, be assured that it is probably for the privileged or some interesting publicity seeking people pretending to be up with the Jones'.

One typical example comes to mind, years ago when a developer in London's Mayfair - a rather exclusive real estate location - wanted to redevelop some old property. They had persuaded, enticed or threatened all the occupying tenants off the property but one who stubbornly refused to play ball.

The Telegraph launched into a sob story of a old-aged pensioner being turfed out of her residence having stayed there for almost 25 years, she was 71.

Reading further, we find that she was once a stock broker, she drove a red Ferrari and had been offered quite generous alternatives which she stubbornly refused.

Old-aged she was, pensioner quite probably, but not your common pensioner once you peer into the detail.

Big, bluff and full of fun

So, today, a news story appears with a young happy family - husband, wife, 14-year daughter and toddler - typical happy family in the English countryside. Ah! There is a land dispute; in fact, a boundary dispute covering the whole expanse of 6 feet by 2 feet - 12 square feet - that equates to a humongous 1.11483 square metres.

There are greater disputes in the world, but this little piece of England has had the police interviewing the father-in-law of the Leader of the Opposition - David Cameron - for attempted assault as he tried to get the neighbour off his property.

The principal in this matter is Sir Reginald, 8th Baronet Sheffield (61) who sports a bow-tie with a most eccentric appearance - one record says he is big, bluff and full of fun - the archetypical English country baronet [I think that says just about enough in a very nuanced way] - he has had his press, no doubt.

The neighbour however is Mr. Kilmartin a 45-year old man with who has a pacemaker and serious blood pressure problems. He had his blood pressure taken the day after the event and it was through the roof - he should know to take things a bit easy and not get too worked up.

Too inferior, so inferior

Sir Reginald in his first encounter with the Mr. Kilmartin had advised him to speak to the Estate Manager and walked away, then later returned probably a bit annoyed that he was still chatting to the secretary, grabbed Mr. Kilmartin by the shoulder demanded that he get off the property.

Mr. Kilmartin recalls that he was in a state of shock, that is understandable if you also have a ticker, and then one thing Sir Reginald would not get away with was the fact that he made Mr. Kilmartin feel like an inferior citizen - in his words - "He was so degrading, that's what hurts the most".

It would appear Mr. Kilmartin was not aware of the baronet's eccentricity or how to approach an old school baronet - part of the intemperate exchange involved a retort by Mr. Kilmartin - "What's your problem?" - Hardly toff talk.

Now tell me class is not ingrained in the English society, not to talk of the fact that the baronetcy was created for the illegitimate son of the John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby in 1755 - such is the colourful, vibrant and interesting history of aristocracy - adultery, infidelity, illegitimate children and sometimes in-breeding - Shocking!

Even though Lady Diana Spencer was born into an aristocratic family, as HRH Princess of Wales she never really got into appreciating the aristocratic encumbrance of sharing your husband with courtesans - in this case, it was Camilla Parker-Bowles, then married and with children too, something Camilla's husband - Brigadier Andrew Parker-Bolwes handled with integrity (as an officer) and dignity (as a loyal subject) to the common saying - The man who gave life and wife to king and country.

Utter waste of resources and time

But how did the police get involved so much so that the Crown Prosecution Service had to expend taxpayers' money to come to the conclusion that no further action is required? Mr. Kilmartin must have felt all the more degraded that he had to make a public show of this; so a bit of an embarrassment is necessary to teach Sir Reginald a lesson - he is the father-in-law of the Leader of the Opposition who is busy having to wade through the storm of ditching the building of new grammar schools for the a more contemporary infrastructure spearheaded by Tony Blair's Labour Party.

Sneaky, surreptitious and unsportly

In fact, the Daily Telegraph has been giving so much oxygen to opponents of this new Conservative policy that this event in the English Countryside just presented another rotten opportunity to paint David Cameron and now his extended family in very bad light.

They might think it is newsworthy - come on - grown up men cannot resolve a dispute on a matter that is hardly half the size of my bed and this takes up over a quarter of a broadsheet newspaper page?

So, the Kilmartin family presents themselves for a photo opportunity to accompany a finely placed pique of a story that the Telegraph has surreptitiously exploited for ulterior purposes, even I cannot imagine rags like the Sun or the News of the World playing this kind of game. Suffice it to say; even the sophisticated can descend to the basest instincts.

One is definitely not impressed, no, not at all. Though this is not enough to ditch the Daily Telegraph, at least for now.

The Big Sickening Hoax

All for new donors

Well, what can one say? It transpired that The Big Sickening Show (de Grote Donor Show) was a hoax after all, or was it?

The show did take place the only difference the horribly expected and what occurred was that the supposed terminally ill kidney donor was just an actress and the kidney patients were in on the act.

It would appear there was a studio audience of the unshockable who participated in this charade before they learnt that not much of this was reality as pseudo-reality.

Interviews with the producer of the show indicated that 12,000 prospective organ donors had applied for a donor card - the net gain of this event is that they brought a serious issue to public awareness and this is a positive.

Some have already rationalised saying that the non-appearance of the so-called terminally ill donor means no harm was done - in fact, Endemol promised never to cross the limits of acceptable decency by making such a show.

It was a bad kite

It still leaves me unimpressed, hoax or not, there was intent and a possible attempt to completely outrage public decency - they flew a kite (they assessed reaction by being suggestive) and what is to say if there was not such uproar from sections of the public and politicians, that reality would not have been visited upon our screens?

In my book, the end just does not justify the means and in this case, if the intention was to bring more awareness to the organ donor issue, other ways of doing this might have been involved and difficult, but this shock tactic method is beyond the pale and patently unacceptable.

As an almost "vibrant" democracy, the freedom of expression is upheld and protected, but if we give the impression that there are no bounds of decency and sensibility in the exercise of this freedom, what great surprises would we be preparing ourselves for in the near future?

I can assure you, this is not the last we would hear of another edition of The Big Sickening Show genre. But if this is the evolution reality television; to stimulate debate by threatening unethical, reprehensible, atrocious and morally bankrupt human depictions on television, we have arrived a new stage of human de-civilisation and it is as far from nirvana as the East is from the West.

A male bird is a cock

Enter the silly cow

Going back to the fundamentals of gender differentiation, the male of the homo-sapiens sapiens species is called man and the female is called woman. I do recall from the creation story that inference - male and female, made He them.

The male of the bovine species is bull, the female cow - maybe that is skirting the limits of decent conversation, we might lose the ability to use the gender differentiator just in case someone gets offended with the use of the word cow. I have heard "silly cow", but this would never be uttered by your respectable gentleman here.

However, I am about to become a raging bull for the fact that the avian species might be afforded the choice of hen for the female but not again cock for the male.

This is no joke and it comes from no less an authority on birds than the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, one might just surmise they have been mixing bird guano in their teas and coffees and have gone quack-quack.

Protect the cock

Any sensible person would think such an organisation would protect the basic gender identity of the species they have full remit to protect and conserve from extinction, but a somewhat unfortunate if not incipient fixation and obsession with the human phallic symbol has attacked the functioning elements of their sanity that this stupidity is now evident.

Obviously, we are told that it is their word processor or Internet filters that mark cock as sensitive and obscene such that a male blackbird becomes a **** blackbird.

If only one can get a parrot to recite without respite "A male bird is a cock", their bird brains - Ooops! Sorry birds - might just see that they have chosen to better be sorry than safe.

Would we eventually lose the word bird because it could be used to refer to the female species of the human race? Too wit to woo!

Beyond plume and wattle, I hope that respectable ornithologists would ensure that this idiocy receives enough derisive commentary even if faces go redder than a robin's breast, this must not thrive, all the more for making this an unpleasant and less gay day.

This is political correctness gone mad - Internet filters - my foot! Awk! Awk!