john boehner pic

'Changing' the clocks is absolutely batty: it bugs me!

'Changing' the clocks is absolutely batty. There are so many hours of daylight - more in Summer, less in Winter - and that's it. As a farmer, I know that I and my farming friends are unaffected by the clock. We work as we can and as we need. What the clock 'says' is immaterial. What bugs me is the twice-yearly 'change': I suffer for about a week each time, rather in the manner of jet-lag.

Another British soldier shot dead in Afghanistan

"British soldier shot dead in Afghanistan" (Sunday Telegraph).

"A British soldier, from 101 (City of London) Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), has been shot dead in southern Afghanistan.

The soldier was killed by small arms fire in the Nahr-e Saraj North District of Helmand Province on Saturday morning.

He was serving with the Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Task Force and was attending the scene of a suspect device when he was killed.

His death takes the total number of UK military personnel fatalities since operations began in Afghanistan in 2001 to 342.

Lieutenant Colonel David Eastman, A spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: “It is my sad task to inform you that a soldier from the Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Task Force has died this morning.

“The soldier was part of a team responsible for clearing ground of explosive ordnance for coalition and Afghan forces, as well as ensuring the safety of the local Afghan people, when he was killed by small arms fire in the Nahr-e Saraj North District of Helmand Province.

“He sacrificed his life in the service of others, carrying out a hazardous but crucial task; he will live on in the memories of all who had the pleasure of knowing him.”

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the soldier’s next of kin have been informed."

Yet another loss on a pointless mission is in itself pointless. Bring all of our boys home now.

Prince - Welcome 2 America Tour

Tickets for Prince's "Welcome 2 America" tour were on sale today for five dates in New York and New Jersey. Anyone privileged enough to attend these concerts are sure to witness a show they will never forget. Hopefully, Prince will expand his tour in other locations in the United States and in Canada where he is much appreciated.

If you haven't bought your tickets yet, then make sure to do it now. Ticketmaster offers tickets for the following dates and venues:

IZOD Center, Rutherford New Jersey: December 14, 15, 17

Madison Square Garden: December 18, 29

Watch an introduction to the Welcome 2 America tour.

Also Tamanna Bhatia next top new

Also Tamanna Bhatia next

At last, some splendid news from the ConDems!

I love trees. Everywhere I have been and have had the opportunity, I have planted trees. I have planted trees at Chalk Farm, Bottisham, Spring Hall, Bottisham, at the sides of the Swaffham Bulbeck Heath Road, at Manor Farm, Swaffham Prior, and where Sue and I live now - Chapel Farm, River Bank. Some of those trees have been planted for my enjoyment and, eventually, my profit. Some have been planted for public enjoyment and for nobody's profit. But I have never believed in state-owned trees, no more than in state-owned farms and farm land. Therefore, a report in the Sunday Telegraph to the effect that the ConDem government is planning to sell off part of the state-owned Forestry Commission's estates is splendid news. For once, I commend the ConDem government and the relevant Secretary of State, Ms. Caroline Spelman.

Here is the nicest portrait of Ms. Spelman that I could find.

And here is the link to the report -

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/countryside/8082756/Ministers-plan-huge-sell-off-of-Britains-forests.html

I have left a comment on the Sunday Telegraph's website as follows:

"I'll believe this when it happens. But, if and when it happens, I'll be the first to praise Ms. Spelman. I have often said that a test for me is whether the government will authorise the privatization of the Forestry Commission, a darling of certain dyed-in-the-wool rural Tories, and/or whether County Councils will be ordered to sell, preferably to the farming tenants, their vast holdings of agricultural land. The latter will be resisted by the Liberals and by the self-same said dyed-in-the-wool rural Tories."

katrina kaif wallpapers best 1

katrina kaif wallpapers

"Taliban’s Elite, Aided by NATO, Join Talks for Afghan Peace" (from today's New York Times)

Maybe they could have talked somewhat sooner?

Anyway, here is the link to the New York Times story. Judge for yourself.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/20/world/asia/20afghan.html?_r=1&emc=na

"Angela Merkel: multicuturalism has failed"

The Daily Telegraph has reported a speech by Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor. I reproduce it here without comment because no comment is needed.

"Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that attempts to build a multicultural society in Germany have "utterly failed".

Speaking at a meeting of young members of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, Merkel said it had not proven possible for people from different cultural backgrounds to simply live side by side in Germany, which is home to some four million Muslims.

"This (multicultural) approach has failed, utterly failed," Merkel told a meeting of young members of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party at Potsdam near Berlin.

"We should not be a country either which gives the impression to the outside world that those who don't speak German immediately or who were not raised speaking German are not welcome here," she added.

"The demand for integration is one of our key tasks for the times to come. At the same time, it must be a trademark of Germany to be a country which gives people in our country an opportunity."

The debate comes against a backdrop of US and British concerns over the threat of terrorist attacks by militant Islamists living in Germany, with Berlin toning down such fears."

Here (below) is the link to the report and a video of Mrs Merkel's speech complete with English translation:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/8069434/Angela-Merkel-multicuturalism-has-failed.html