Well, New Zealand won the rugby union world cup, and so in celebration I have changed my name back to Captain Haddock, but it was sad to hear of the death of the great all black - Jonah Lomu.
However, this week has been overshadowed by the terrorist attacks in Paris, and as I write this now in Bamako, Mali. The attacks in Paris were shocking, horrific and completely unjustifiable on any level. It is though important to remember that nearly all muslims do not believe or support this warped toxic view of the world, also that Syrian refugees do not equal terrorists, whatever Sky news or the Daily Mail claim - the evidence of their propaganda is flimsy at best. It's sad to see how the right wing media, alongside this Tory government have jumped at the opportunity to put forward an argument to bomb Syria. I cannot see how dropping more bombs on a country already devastated is going to help the situation, apart from radicalising more young people throughout Europe. You defeat an ideology like IS through argument and debate, showing what a lot of shit it is, alongside trying to stabilise the whole region of north Africa, Iraq and Syria, and stopping Israel from pouring petrol on the burning flames of Palastine - a mess Israel has created with the tacit support of the West.
It is interesting how Saudi Arabia (the West's so called friend) sits silently, as it allegedly funds IS, an organisation supposedly full of Saadam Hussein's former Ba'th Party members!
UTM,
Captain Haddock
Sunday, 22 November 2015
Saturday, 24 October 2015
After last weekend's exciting and entertaining but ultimately fruitless rugby union, the real news isn't that the southern hemisphere countries on paper dominated the rugby world cup, but the sad demise of a once proud industry. Over the last few weeks we have seen the steel industry closed down in Redcar, and now Scotland. The town of Scunthorpe (a town we all know well) will be decimated with the loss of 900 jobs, let's face it, there isn't much in the town to start with, so this will have a massive impact. The Tory Government have just watched all of this happen with little if any interest. Cameron blames cheap Chinese imports of steel, while Osborne offers the Chinese any major construction contract it wants! A communist country devoid of human rights and freedom, a country that occupies Tibet and executes more people than any other country in the world. If this was the banking industry or Cameron's posh mates he would throw money at the problem to help them, but it's industrial workers who he couldn't care less about; or if this occurred in the south east like when the Thames flooded last year he was quick to help, but this is in the north. He knows Scunthorpe though, because his in-laws are from Normanby Hall - shame on you Cameron!! Once the industry closes there is no going back, and under this and previous Conservative Governments there is a shameful record of destroying Britain's manufacturing base.
Scotland came so close to knocking out Australia in the rugby world cup - there were two disgraceful decisions in the match. The first one was the yellow card awarded against Sean Maitland for deliberate knock on, when he clearly was trying to intercept a pass, you can see this when you look at his other hand. It should have been a scrum to Australia, instead Australia scored a try from the subsequent line out. The second decision was the penalty near the end when again it should have been a scrum to Australia. It seemed to me that the southern hemisphere referee ensured another southern hemisphere team progressed - the question is, would he have given a penalty if it had been the other way round? I doubt it!! The Mariners have a break from the league this weekend with a tricky trip to John McDermott's Harrogate Town in the FA Cup, but hopefully we can keep the unbeaten run going.
UTM
Captain New Zealand
Scotland came so close to knocking out Australia in the rugby world cup - there were two disgraceful decisions in the match. The first one was the yellow card awarded against Sean Maitland for deliberate knock on, when he clearly was trying to intercept a pass, you can see this when you look at his other hand. It should have been a scrum to Australia, instead Australia scored a try from the subsequent line out. The second decision was the penalty near the end when again it should have been a scrum to Australia. It seemed to me that the southern hemisphere referee ensured another southern hemisphere team progressed - the question is, would he have given a penalty if it had been the other way round? I doubt it!! The Mariners have a break from the league this weekend with a tricky trip to John McDermott's Harrogate Town in the FA Cup, but hopefully we can keep the unbeaten run going.
UTM
Captain New Zealand
Saturday, 17 October 2015
The rugby world cup moves forward now the final group games have been played, with Wales, Ireland and Scotland having qualified for the knock out stages - Scotland appear to have the hardest task against Australia, who put the team of posh southerners out of their misery relatively easily. However, New Zealand march onwards in their defence of the trophy, but after South Africa's shock defeat to Japan they have bounced back impressively.
The Mariners unbeaten run continues with good victories at home to Gateshead and Halifax, and draws with Forest Green Rovers (which was an improvement on last season) and Braintree. They have an awkward trip to Torquay today, but another three points and we would really be getting into a position to seriously challenge for the title.
It was good to see Grimsby feature in the final episode of 'This is England 90', a really powerful scene set in a post-industrial apocalyptic landscape with the dock tower in the background. It was nice to see local actor Thomas Turgoose getting some good recognition for his performance. However, it won't be too long until that idiot Sasha Baron Cohen puts out his film, 'Grimsby', which isn't even set in Grimsby at all - unlike Shane Meadows, Cohen is just another posh southerner taking the piss out of the north - what a wanker.
Finally, I feel sad for our neighbours Scunthorpe and the impending job losses in the steel industry, it will have a major impact on the town. It's typical that our government are quite happy to support the banking industry but couldn't care less about ordinary working people - under Conservative governments we have seen the majority of our major industries destroyed! The evidence of their contempt for hard working people is the reduction in working tax credits - it's the posh bastards in the Conservative party who are lazy and live off the efforts of hard working normal people!!
UTM
Captain New Zealand
The Mariners unbeaten run continues with good victories at home to Gateshead and Halifax, and draws with Forest Green Rovers (which was an improvement on last season) and Braintree. They have an awkward trip to Torquay today, but another three points and we would really be getting into a position to seriously challenge for the title.
It was good to see Grimsby feature in the final episode of 'This is England 90', a really powerful scene set in a post-industrial apocalyptic landscape with the dock tower in the background. It was nice to see local actor Thomas Turgoose getting some good recognition for his performance. However, it won't be too long until that idiot Sasha Baron Cohen puts out his film, 'Grimsby', which isn't even set in Grimsby at all - unlike Shane Meadows, Cohen is just another posh southerner taking the piss out of the north - what a wanker.
Finally, I feel sad for our neighbours Scunthorpe and the impending job losses in the steel industry, it will have a major impact on the town. It's typical that our government are quite happy to support the banking industry but couldn't care less about ordinary working people - under Conservative governments we have seen the majority of our major industries destroyed! The evidence of their contempt for hard working people is the reduction in working tax credits - it's the posh bastards in the Conservative party who are lazy and live off the efforts of hard working normal people!!
UTM
Captain New Zealand
Monday, 28 September 2015
It's been an interesting week here at Garibaldi House - a news report on the BBC stating how these flats are no longer fashionable and that's why they're being demolished, instead of the fact that to maintain them is not cost effective. Not sure what that was all about! Then, shock horror we find out that the country is being run by a deviant who puts his penis into the mouth of a dead pig - am I the only person who actually isn't really surprised that we have an alleged pig fucker as Prime Minister!! The Bullingdon Club are made up of a bunch of upper class rich wankers (which also included Osborne and Johnson) who used to allegedly burn £50 notes in front of homeless people as an initiation ceremony, perhaps a smack in the mouth would be the appropriate riposte! After the allegations of drug abuse and pig fucking, all the press want to do is attack Jeremy Corbyn - a normal person!
This week is the Labour Party Conference and the beginning of a new political reality - the media don't seem to have grasped it, the old political process has changed, and we are entering a new era. It will be interesting to see Jeremy Corbyn's conference speech and the fight back against the Tories with his anti-austerity agenda - why should ordinary people suffer while the alleged pig fucker and his mates do exactly what they want. I would rather have a country run by normal people for normal people, than one that is only run for the benefit of a small minority at the top.
Just another quick message to Assam Allam, the Labour Party is not your party, you do not own it! If you don't like what has happened to the Labour Party then fuck off and join the Tories. Stick to trying to change the name of Hull City and leave the Labour Party and trade union movement alone!!
This leads on nicely to the rugby union world cup, which after South Africa lost to Japan seems to have caught the medias imagination - rugby union traditionally the sport of the posh of the south of England, unlike football - I always support Scotland! It was rather amusing to see the royal brothers both sat there at the England vs. Wales game, both English - one supporting England, and the other Wales - just because you've made up your own surname and called yourself Wales doesn't make you Welsh! Anyway, from now on until the end of the tournament I shall be known as Captain New Zealand! However, it was good to see that the Mariners managed an away win at Southport, never the easiest place to go and get three points, but a 4 - nil win and the unbeaten run goes on. It'll be a big game at Blundell Park on Saturday against Forest Green Rovers.
UTM,
Captain New Zealand
This week is the Labour Party Conference and the beginning of a new political reality - the media don't seem to have grasped it, the old political process has changed, and we are entering a new era. It will be interesting to see Jeremy Corbyn's conference speech and the fight back against the Tories with his anti-austerity agenda - why should ordinary people suffer while the alleged pig fucker and his mates do exactly what they want. I would rather have a country run by normal people for normal people, than one that is only run for the benefit of a small minority at the top.
Just another quick message to Assam Allam, the Labour Party is not your party, you do not own it! If you don't like what has happened to the Labour Party then fuck off and join the Tories. Stick to trying to change the name of Hull City and leave the Labour Party and trade union movement alone!!
This leads on nicely to the rugby union world cup, which after South Africa lost to Japan seems to have caught the medias imagination - rugby union traditionally the sport of the posh of the south of England, unlike football - I always support Scotland! It was rather amusing to see the royal brothers both sat there at the England vs. Wales game, both English - one supporting England, and the other Wales - just because you've made up your own surname and called yourself Wales doesn't make you Welsh! Anyway, from now on until the end of the tournament I shall be known as Captain New Zealand! However, it was good to see that the Mariners managed an away win at Southport, never the easiest place to go and get three points, but a 4 - nil win and the unbeaten run goes on. It'll be a big game at Blundell Park on Saturday against Forest Green Rovers.
UTM,
Captain New Zealand
Sunday, 20 September 2015
Well congratulations to Jeremy Corbyn the new Labour leader, and Tom Watson the deputy leader. It was a landslide victory for Jeremy Corbyn with nearly 60% of the vote, and Watson won relatively easily. However, if you listen to the London based media you would think otherwise, the usual suspects - The Sun; Daily Mail; Daily Express etc have all been an utter disgrace. They talk of a divided party but with nearly 60% of the membership supporting him it is not divided, and those Labour MP's like Simon Danczuk need to remember this - it's MP's that are out of line with party thinking.
Then we had the attacks on Jeremy Corbyn for not singing the national anthem, which is nothing but a pro-royalist dirge anyway - even Scotland and Wales have their own! He stood in respectful silence to honour those ordinary men and women who fought and helped to defeat Nazism, while some of the British ruling class and royalty were cosying up to Hitler and Mussolini, and as we now know even the queen was doing her Nazi salute!! At least Jeremy Corbyn now has time to get used to being in charge and prepare for the future as we enter the conference season, and it should be a united Labour conference behind him. The good thing though is less and less people read the right wing press, especially the younger population who now use social media, and many of these will be able to vote in 2020, and hopefully 'generation rent' will sweep middle england away for good! And Assam Allam can just fuck off!!
The refugee scenes from Hungary look more hopeless by the day, not helped by a right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister, even though ordinary Hungarians are trying to help. It was good to see Corbyn heading to a rally about the refugee crisis immediately after being elected Labour leader, but typical of David Cameron that he flew out a few days later to a refugee camp - going doesn't mean you actually care!
It was good to see the Mariners keeping their unbeaten run going with a late equaliser at Chester, and then another draw (they should have won) in Friday's televised clash with Tranmere. I expect both Tranmere and us, along with Forest Green battling it out for the title come next April. Finally, hats off to the Japanese rugby team for beating South Africa!!!
UTM
Captain Haddock
Then we had the attacks on Jeremy Corbyn for not singing the national anthem, which is nothing but a pro-royalist dirge anyway - even Scotland and Wales have their own! He stood in respectful silence to honour those ordinary men and women who fought and helped to defeat Nazism, while some of the British ruling class and royalty were cosying up to Hitler and Mussolini, and as we now know even the queen was doing her Nazi salute!! At least Jeremy Corbyn now has time to get used to being in charge and prepare for the future as we enter the conference season, and it should be a united Labour conference behind him. The good thing though is less and less people read the right wing press, especially the younger population who now use social media, and many of these will be able to vote in 2020, and hopefully 'generation rent' will sweep middle england away for good! And Assam Allam can just fuck off!!
The refugee scenes from Hungary look more hopeless by the day, not helped by a right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister, even though ordinary Hungarians are trying to help. It was good to see Corbyn heading to a rally about the refugee crisis immediately after being elected Labour leader, but typical of David Cameron that he flew out a few days later to a refugee camp - going doesn't mean you actually care!
It was good to see the Mariners keeping their unbeaten run going with a late equaliser at Chester, and then another draw (they should have won) in Friday's televised clash with Tranmere. I expect both Tranmere and us, along with Forest Green battling it out for the title come next April. Finally, hats off to the Japanese rugby team for beating South Africa!!!
UTM
Captain Haddock
Friday, 11 September 2015
It could be a very interesting weekend, with the winner of the Labour leadership election being announced tomorrow morning; if it's Jeremy Corbyn that is elected, as I hope, then potentially there will be a leader of the Labour Party with the majority of Labour MP's not supporting him but massive support amongst the membership (a membership that will never forgive or forget those MP's if they bring down his leadership), or a Labour leader with the majority of MP's supporting them, but massive numbers of ordinary supporters opposing them!
It's always a strange time of the year when summer is coming to an end and we start to move into autumn - we are in the last days of the cricket season, and it seems a longtime ago now since England regained the Ashes. We are now well into the football season, and that initial optimism around the Mariners has begun to disappear but the reality is there's plenty of time. However, Grimsby Town need to win tomorrow against Aldershot and improve their level of consistency and build on last week's victory at Boreham Wood.
This time of year is when our television screens are bombarded with mass produced rubbish - from X-factor to Strictly. However, local actor and Town supporter, Thomas Turgoose returns to our screens on Sunday evening on Channel 4 in 'This is England 1990'.
The main issue in recent days and weeks though has been the refugee crisis across Europe, which has been shocking, especially the way David Cameron has done everything he can to avoid doing anything to help until being shamed into it! There are many people doing what they can to help, such as those taking aid to Calais - if you want to help you can pledge money at crowdfunding.justgiving.com/humankinduk.
Finally, today is the anniversary of 9/11, and as someone who lives in aa high-rise, Garibaldi House my sympathises go out to them as usual.
Captain Haddock
It's always a strange time of the year when summer is coming to an end and we start to move into autumn - we are in the last days of the cricket season, and it seems a longtime ago now since England regained the Ashes. We are now well into the football season, and that initial optimism around the Mariners has begun to disappear but the reality is there's plenty of time. However, Grimsby Town need to win tomorrow against Aldershot and improve their level of consistency and build on last week's victory at Boreham Wood.
This time of year is when our television screens are bombarded with mass produced rubbish - from X-factor to Strictly. However, local actor and Town supporter, Thomas Turgoose returns to our screens on Sunday evening on Channel 4 in 'This is England 1990'.
The main issue in recent days and weeks though has been the refugee crisis across Europe, which has been shocking, especially the way David Cameron has done everything he can to avoid doing anything to help until being shamed into it! There are many people doing what they can to help, such as those taking aid to Calais - if you want to help you can pledge money at crowdfunding.justgiving.com/humankinduk.
Finally, today is the anniversary of 9/11, and as someone who lives in aa high-rise, Garibaldi House my sympathises go out to them as usual.
Captain Haddock
Friday, 31 July 2015
The Captain's back in the East Marsh
The Captain is back, after a combination of copious amounts of beer and a few weeks at sea! It looks like most of my neighbours have been moved out of the flats - hope they don't demolish them after I've had a night on the booze. There's been a lot happening since I've been away; the Mariners having signed what appear to look like some decent players and then having a good pre-season, so far; the Labour leadership battle in full swing with Jeremy Corbyn appearing to be in the lead; and England having a good day on the opening day in the third ashes test.
There seems to be a lot of genuine optimism around Grimsby Town FC, after some interesting signings to back up the majority of good players who re-signed after the play-off defeat. It was disappointing to lose Lenell John-Lewis and Carl Magnay - good luck to them both, but they might well live to regret their decisions by the end of the season. Omar Bogle, apart from having the best name in football, looks an excellent prospect, and poaching Andy Monkhouse from Bristol Rovers was a definite up yours to Darrell Clarke! I hope you have all recovered from the pain and heartache of Wembley and are full of optimism for the season ahead. It's the hope that gets me every time - at my age you'd have thought I'd have learnt by now! However, after our all conquering pre-season (nearly), excellent purchases, and operation promotion (£110K), what could go wrong!!!
After Labour's general election defeat, and Ed Miliband's attempt to introduce 'austerity-light' instead of the Tories nasty vengeful dismantling of the public sector and attacks on the poor, we are now faced with a choice - Jeremy Corbyn; Andy Burnham; Yvette Cooper; or Liz Kendall? There now appears to be an anti-austerity surge (at last) within the labour movement towards Jeremy Corbyn, which reflects what is going on in the rest of Europe, with Alexis Tsipras and Syria in Greece, and the rise of Podemos in Spain. I would rather have a Labour party led by Jeremy Corbyn than the one led by Tony Blair who was only interested in his own bank balance! I will therefore be voting for Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader.
As for the cricket, by the time you are reading this, who knows who will be winning!
Captain Haddock
The Captain is back, after a combination of copious amounts of beer and a few weeks at sea! It looks like most of my neighbours have been moved out of the flats - hope they don't demolish them after I've had a night on the booze. There's been a lot happening since I've been away; the Mariners having signed what appear to look like some decent players and then having a good pre-season, so far; the Labour leadership battle in full swing with Jeremy Corbyn appearing to be in the lead; and England having a good day on the opening day in the third ashes test.
There seems to be a lot of genuine optimism around Grimsby Town FC, after some interesting signings to back up the majority of good players who re-signed after the play-off defeat. It was disappointing to lose Lenell John-Lewis and Carl Magnay - good luck to them both, but they might well live to regret their decisions by the end of the season. Omar Bogle, apart from having the best name in football, looks an excellent prospect, and poaching Andy Monkhouse from Bristol Rovers was a definite up yours to Darrell Clarke! I hope you have all recovered from the pain and heartache of Wembley and are full of optimism for the season ahead. It's the hope that gets me every time - at my age you'd have thought I'd have learnt by now! However, after our all conquering pre-season (nearly), excellent purchases, and operation promotion (£110K), what could go wrong!!!
After Labour's general election defeat, and Ed Miliband's attempt to introduce 'austerity-light' instead of the Tories nasty vengeful dismantling of the public sector and attacks on the poor, we are now faced with a choice - Jeremy Corbyn; Andy Burnham; Yvette Cooper; or Liz Kendall? There now appears to be an anti-austerity surge (at last) within the labour movement towards Jeremy Corbyn, which reflects what is going on in the rest of Europe, with Alexis Tsipras and Syria in Greece, and the rise of Podemos in Spain. I would rather have a Labour party led by Jeremy Corbyn than the one led by Tony Blair who was only interested in his own bank balance! I will therefore be voting for Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader.
As for the cricket, by the time you are reading this, who knows who will be winning!
Captain Haddock
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