10/30/2008

Bargain Hunters for Homes. By Uncle Monty.

Bargain Hunters for Homes.
Story By Uncle Monty.
Photos & Graphic By Alex Albion.
::
Orthodox Jews with their two curls of jet black hair
at the side of their heads along with them wearing
their Yarmulkes or Kippas. Traditional male Hindus
with their tightly-fitted white and maroon turbans
and Bindis or Tilaks on those of female foreheads.
Nationalistic African men with their native shammas
and antelope boots. Islamic woman wearing their dark
yashmaks or hijabs or khimars. And, stiffly married
English retirees with their plain hats and coy coats.
Such were among the motley crowd of Arabs,
Russians, Chinese, Eastern Europeans, and good-
ness knows who else, at the two property auctions
I have attended at the English capital to find out
what it was really all about for those
bargain hunters for homes.
::
At first, I was surprised at the number of women
bidders present over their male counterparts. And, I
was even more surprised at finding some of the property
bidders looking so sinister, so seedy and so unsavoury,
that I would be almost scared of having as my landlord.
Their suspected traits of Rachmanism (Peter Rachman,
1920-1962) seemed to be their evident
characteristic to me.
::
Most of the properties up for auction were hardly
grandiose. Many were located in the worst post codes
of inner and outer London and the Home Counties.
Some looked like derelict properties to me from the
photos I saw inside the two free property catalogues
containing 240+ pages between them. Others were
homes scattered largely out of town in other parts like
depressed Northern England, at far off flung hamlets
in Scotland, and at dreary former coal mining towns
of central Wales. Properties in other parts of Western
and Central Europe were also up for bids.
::
The Property Auctioneers.
::
A good many of the 500+ lots of dwellings or business
properties or open land among the two auctions I
observed were noticeably by Order of the Mortgagees.
While others came by order of various councils or housing
charities like The Peabody Trust. Some of the properties
I almost wouldn’t even want, even if they were free.
They were that bad to me. But those bargain hunters
for homes, nevertheless, soon snapped the up …
::
I wasn’t sure if such were “bargains” or not, since I
know so little about property buying or real estate.
But I’m sure bad economic times, like now, bring out
vicious sharks to the property market to rip-off
those poor devils who have lost their own
homes due to their financial hardship.
::
With thousands of mortgaged property owners in
Britain having their homes and businesses reposs-
essed at an ever rapid and alarming rate due to the
present all-embracing credit crunch and broken
financial markets, property auctions seem to be
booming for those who want or seek to buy cheap.
::
Personally, if I had a spare couple of hundred thousand
quid, I wouldn’t even think of buying any property in
the UK. Such property prices are truly outrageous
and totally mindless compared to buying the same
or better properties abroad or in North and South
America. You almost have to sell your soul to get
on the property ladder in England thesedays.
And, you’ll never get any spare change from such
investment unless you’re one of those in the pro-
perty Big League or simply very lucky. In fact,
the individual, non-professional, property owner
seems to be losing, and not gaining, profit on their
investment or long standing purchase of their own
home in Britain of today. Rather, many are now
in negative equity if they’re still making inflated
payments on their fixed mortgaged property.
Each day seems to get grimmer for them.
::
But those bargain hunters for homes may well
be at their hey and hay day, while rental pro-
perty is also booming because many folkz
have opted out, either by choice or force,
not to buy a house or business at
this time.
::
Some of the bargain hunters for homes.
::
Anybody who is a novice and planning to buy at
any property auction would be best to first attend
such auctions to get some clearer understanding
of the dangers and pitfalls inherent in bidding and
buying such property, like a house or a business
or land, by such a method.
::
Read very carefully all the written instructions and
obligated requirements needed to actually participate
in those public auctions before you even consider
participating. Learn the legal obligations and pro-
perty jargon and all the financial and tax impositions
on you when buying at property auctions. Beware
that you could quickly become unstuck if you
make a property mistake that you’ll pay for dearly.
::
Caution is the key word and property knowledge
is the best safeguard against making any future
error(s) when bidding and buying. Don’t, in other
words, become penny-wise and then pound foolish.
Auctions can gobble you up in no time, if you don’t
watch it. If you’re not in personal control, then
the auction will control you … The auctioneers
love those who they can control at their pro-
perty auctions above all else … It brings them
greater profits at the expense of such foolish
and ignorant bidders and buyers.
::
One last word or so, DON'T buy any property
unless you've actually seen it to inspect it before
the auction no matter how dirt cheap it is or how
appealing it may be. Would you wed someone
you've never actually seen or looked at? Of
course, not. The same applies, in my opinion, to
buying property, a business or land or any-
thing ... Make sure you've seen it with your
own eyes, first. Another simple lesson before
the auction of your property dreams is to go
and visit as many properties that you can that
may fall within or near the scope of your de-
sired home or business or land. And, above
all make sure you have enough money spare
to be one of those future bargain hunters for
homes. If you don't have the financial resources
or means, don't waste your time at property
auctions for they'll bring you no good happi-
ness along with a sense of compounded
jealousy and even perhaps anger. Wait for
another day. The sunshine always comes.
sooner or later. So don't fret ...
::
Perhaps then some rich unknown uncle or
aunt in America will pop-up from nowhere
and leave you in their will a nice homestead
at the Texas Panhandle or at the Prairieland
of the mid-West or perhaps even some
English cousin will leave you property in
the dulldrums of Dartmoor or Exmoor ...
Nice thought, yeeeeeeeeep?
::
So, happy property auction days are here
again for those with good, old-fashioned,
cash in hand ... to bid their way all day
to their own hearts content.
::
Cheers everybody, Uncle Monty.
+After Apostles Simon and Jude, 2oo8.
::

10/28/2008

No Longer Toothless. By Uncle Monty.

No Longer Toothless.
Story By Uncle Monty.
Photos By Alex Albion.
- - -
New dentures make you feel young again with a
set of gleaming white teeth after being toothless
perhaps for years or months on end. To suddenly
find you’re no longer toothless with your new
dentures displayed for all to see by your newly
founded broad smile impacts psychologically on
the mind and physically on the face, I do believe.
- - -
While on the flip side of the coin, however, new
dentures intrude on whatever make believe you
had that you’re not really getting old when in
fact dentures only confirms you are indeed and
like the practical reality confirms, too, you are.
Dentures sorrowfully denies that you’re
young or even middle-age, anymore ...
- - -
The use of dentures transcend race, creed, nationality
education and/or mental state. But economic status
may deprive many from access to getting needed
dentures at old age. Dentures, I suspect, is also a
Western invention. But who knows or cares?
I don’t …
- - -
New dentures can for sure play havoc with your
big mouth by creating a speech impediment that
you never before had. When you first go to speak,
the dentures impede your ability to speak in the
manner you usually and normally do. Instead,
your words, if you can get them out of your
mouth, come out sounding like some mumbo-
jumbo or an imbecile. I stopped for some moments
from speaking to others out of fear I'd be labelled
such an imbecile with dentures. Time, I am told,
will correct that as you get "acclimatized" to your
new-fangled teeth. Just twist your tongue and
then the words soon flow ... Maybe so, but I do
feel abit like an idiot if not a known imbecile
when I "denture speak."
- - -
And, taking the first bite of food to eat with den-
tures is frought with open embarrassment when
the dentures suddenly want to tumble right out
of your stupid mouth. Mine did, you know ...
- - -
Rarely do dentures first sit so comfortably inside
one’s old pitapat mouth. Nipping gums or rubbing
nerves, dentures can drive you up the wall trying
to get them to behave properly inside what was
once your toothless mouth.
- - -
So into my gob I put my first "trial" hard mint
humbugs, only to find my dentures soon crying
out loud inside my vivacious mouth. They wanted
it out of my mouth… and my new teeth started to
rattle, too, at my endeavour to suck on my
favourite mints. My Pascall’s sweet Rhubarb and
Custard hard drops did the same thing. Oh and forget
those English sticky toffees for my upper and lower
dentures screamed as they got stuck together
like I had now a pitiful mouthful of superglue.
- - -
The best thing about dentures is you can brag
a nice broad smile once again with such nice look-
ing false teeth. But beware, not to be too smiley.
Because there’s nothing more embarrassing than
finding one’s dentures slipping out place and making
your smile look like a real imbecile trying to sudden-
ly adjust them back into place. And for heaven sake,
don’t wear them at night under any circumstances
‘cause you’re liable to get them stuck in your throat
like finding a dead frog in your home-made soup.
Such isn’t nice, know is it? Stuck dentures aren't
good for the denture nor for your
throaty throat mind for you.
- - -
Whatever, my Creekside Dental Centre’s super-
dentist Dr. Abdul Salim-Said, and his professional
dental assistant Ruby, must be “blamed” for making
me no longer toothless. For months they’ve painstak-
ingly worked on my dental needs with the determination
of making me look alot more fearsome when I grit my teeth
and hold on now like a pitbull terrier to bite those who would
dare to upset me. What Abdul and Ruby, however, never
told me was that only a silly old foggey like me would ever
dare wear dentures to appear to be no longer toothless.
When in fact I am more toothless now than at any other
time in my life. Let me now grit my dentures at least ….
My bark is still bigger then my bite with or without
those nice Abdul and Ruby dentures of mine …
in my own now no longer toothless mouth.
...
This is my pretty set of dentures.
Smile, you're on camera, Uncle Monty.
The Day of the Jackal, 2oo8.
...
And, here's mum Fiona and Archie, who'll
be just 3 come Bonfire Night, 2oo8. Cheers.
...
New Logo for thebiggerissie.org
...

10/25/2008

Slamming The Homeless. By Uncle Monty.

Slamming The Homeless.
Story By Uncle Monty.
Photos and Graphics By Alex Albion.
:::
Screaming with its bold black headline of “£1.5M HOUSES
FOR HOMELESS,” London’s Friday edition of The Evening
Standard used twenty-two boldface black fonts of almost
1.5 inches each in size to ram home its sensational story
about how some of the homeless are being housed
in such very expensive London abodes.
:::
Reported by its chief reporter Robert Mendick, the
story highlighted how greedy landlords are being paid
as much as $1.800 a week by wealthy local councils,
like Kensington and Chelsea, to house a few of
London’s homeless, or would-be homeless, folks.
:::
To read the headline would imply that many of the
present homeless are being housed so comfortably in
private million-pound worth houses when such is far
from the daily grit and reality of the overwhelming
majority of the indigenous homeless in London.
:::
Thus, Mendick’s piece was also tanamount to slamming
the defenseless homeless who have little or no say at
where and when they might be housed by their local
councils. Indeed, many have been waiting years to be
housed in the cheapest council properties that would
make some people even cringe at how depressing
they really are.
:::
A fancy property perhaps for homeless rent?
:::
But when you have real estate agents like wealthy
Foxtons involved with wealthy landlords and wealthy
councils, the combination helps not the homeless per
se, but rather it helps first such wealthy operators
renting properties at rip-off prices under the guise
of housing the homeless. A London mews cottage, as
cited in Mendick’s report, costing £58,000 per year
for a homeless woman and her children is an outrage
to all the taxpayers who have no say on such careless
use and waste of money. The homeless aren’t to blame
for such rental prices or even being housed in £1.5
million houses, but rather housing and government
officials who agree to pay such outlandish prices in
the first place and at any cost in order to satisfy some
nebulous concept of reducing or containing the grow-
ing problem of Britain’s homeless population
across the whole country.
:::
Not quite so fancy, but fit for the homeless.
:::
Slamming the homeless who are housed in such expen-
sive properties is a cheap shot at all the other homeless at
wherever and however they are since most of them will
never see the front door, let alone be housed in such rich
properties. Slamming rich landlords, rich real estate
agents, and rich councils is certainly in order. But the
problem of homelessness, be it in London or elsewhere,
cannot be resolved by them for the problem stems from
deeper social causes and wider economic disparities
beyond their control or indeed the control
of the homeless themselves.
:::
And the British housing charities, I must say, seem
at a loss to truly resolve the depth of homelessness.
In fact, it seems they’d be out of business themselves
if they permanently solved the social housing crisis.
The more the homeless, the more housing charity
money comes to such charities it seems. In the
meantime more poor and marginalized folks are
still stranded on the cold and indifferent streets of
London and at other major cities around England.
:::
Slamming the homeless will not solve anything
and least of all giving them the chance to live like
a British lord or titled lady at some Chelsea and
Kensington mews cottage costing an arm and leg
to hide them from their homeless situation on
the mean city streets of choking London.
:::
Honestly, Uncle Monty.
+Eve of Alfred The Great, 2oo8.
:::
Coming shortly: “Bad Mouth British Bishop
Called Gordon Mursell.”
By Uncle Monty.
:::

10/23/2008

My New Week In Pictures. By Uncle Monty.

My New Week In Pictures.
Story By Uncle Monty.
Photos By Alex Albion.
...
Going to get my weekly stock of the latest edition of
The Big Issue at London’s Covent Garden, I quickly
noticed has I passed Fred Perry’s store the window
display of wooden figures (shown below) that I in-
stantly photographed for the start of my new week.
...
It was the 13th day of the month, which wasn’t lucky
for me as I then saw Big Issue staffer Tom Woolock
arrive with his usual sullen face and curt manner. I
think he was also late at the distribution spot that is
located, as usual, right outside next to Boots at St.
James Street. With his usual sneering and contemp-
tuous attitude, Tom hardly acknowledged me or any
of the other vendors with his typical surly demeanour.
...
Never expect a “good morning” or “thank you” or a
“please” from him because you won’t get such from
Tom, who is partnered with Sam. She's been with
The Big Issue for well over 10 years now after she
herself was homeless on the streets of London.
She also rough-sleeped with the late Dame Anita
Roddick, who wanted to experience first hand
the sights and sounds of homelessness herself
for at least a couple of nights. That she
did with hard-nosed Sam at her side.
...
Last time I saw Tom was about 10 days before
the 13th, has he then walked right by my Big Issue
pitch and uttered no a kind word of greetings or
anything. How cold? Instead, he just glared hard at
me and so mean at me as if I had done something
wrong has he continued to walk right by with his
6 or 7 year old son and 3 or 4 others with him only
feet away from me and my Long Acre pitch.
...
One of his buddies had a camera in his right hand.
After he'd passed me, Tom then made some re-
marks about me to his street companions and they
all turned around to look at me as they continued to
walk on towards Great Queen Street. Yes, I know
Tom and me don’t care much at all about one an-
other. When I give him my 35 quid for my maga-
zine stock, I can bet a $1.000 he’ll not trust me
like others do. He always insists on counting out
my money as if I’m going to cheat. Sam is also
the same. They trust none of the vendors even
though they are themselves Big Issue vendors,
too. The Big Issue, of course, wouldn’t give a
vendor a dime anyway. Nor would they ...
...
One redeeming grace that I particularly like
about Sam is her short pieces she ably writes in
The Big Issue from time to time. That's if she is
the same Sam I read under the name of "Sam"
at the magazine's Street Lights. Her piece on
"drawing the curtains at night," for instance,
was truly superb. I loved every word she
wrote and I was impressed at her writing
style and her savvy composition. I only
wish she and Tom were like others who are
so kind and nice to me because, among
other things, of my own unbending writings
on just about everything ... At The Big Issue
distribution spot, I might as well be dead for
all they care about me or anybody else who
may be a vendor or a victim of homelessness.
It's so sad, but so true from what I have seen.
So my starting day of Monday then had mixed
encounters of the good, the bad, and the in-
different for sure.
...
Fred Perry's Covent Garden store window display.
...
Then on Tuesday one of my truly favourite people
arrived called Bronwyn Curry of The Royal Ballet.
We only get to see each other for about five weeks
each year since Bronwyn literally travels the world
as a rare choreologist that she is to the world's ballet
companies from far and wide. She's just been at the
Salt Lake City's Utah Ballet doing her expert chore-
ology there and will no doubt soon be off to some-
where else in the world of classical ballet.
...
Don't confuse Bronwyn Curry (shown below) with
those folkz like the late noted choreographers Sir
Frederick Ashton and Gene Tetley, who Bronwyn
knew so well. Choreology and choregraphy are two
different aspects of ballet to those who know all
about the art and design of professional dance.
...
She herself was a ballet dancer of note in the
1970's and she now lives in Italy with paint artist
Franco Bennetti and with each other when they're
travelling around the world together. I am hoping
perhaps to stay with Bronwyn and Franco next year
when I plan to attend the 7th World Homeless Cup
at Italy's Milano in 2oo9 and after I travel in Novem-
ber of this year to Melbourne, Australia, to attend the
2oo8 Sixth World Homeless Cup that has been fully
underwritten by Contessa Maria for me to go to the
far side of the world. In the meantime, I am enjoy-
ing spending some time with Bronwyn and Franco
while they're still here in London for another three
weeks before they set sail to somewhere else. It is
really so nice to be treated so nicely by them as
opposed to when I'm "being served" so coldly
by Big Issue's Tom and Sam ...
...
World Choreologist Bronwyn Curry of The Royal Ballet.
...
On Wednesday another of my favourite people came
by that happens to be Pret's driver (shown below)
Nuno Sarmento of Mozambique's old Lourenco
Marques and that is now known by its relatively new
name of Maputo, the country's capital. I think Nuno,
who is Portuguese, Spanish and English speaking, sees
me as a kind of grandfatherly figure to him which is
just fine with me. Always warm and friendly to every-
body, Nuno is about 22 years old and undoubtedly
as plenty of nice girlfriends to occupy him. He loves to
joke and make wisecracks with me to share and throw
at each other both happily and avidly whenever we're
at my pitch. He's been at Pret's for around a couple of
years I guess. He regularly visits my pitch almost
daily and never fails to offer me Pret sandwiches
and fizzy drinkz. That's so good of him.
Thankz again, Nuno ...
....
Pret's electric van driver Nuno Sarmento at the wheel
...
Come then Thursday, I "visited" the mechanical
nurse (pictured below) at Guys Hospital after
undergoing my first "CatScanDoo," as I called it,
or more correctly my MRI scan to see what the
the heart doctors could detect that's wrong with
my old and weary heart. Not heard yet what the
results have been of the extraordinary scan, but
my great heart consultant Dr. Gerry Carr-White
seemed pleased that my heart condition hasn't
gotten any worse of late. Where there's life,
there's hope. Right?
...
The Mechanical Nurse at Guy's Hospital.
...
My "Girl Friday" is sexy Sophie McElligott,
(shown below) who seems to pop-up at my
pitch mostly on Fridays ... She always stops to
say "Hi" and from time to time she also buys
The Big Issue from me. She is with the London
Fashion Showrooms is Sophie. She always has
a broad smile on her pretty face and a lovely
kiss for me without failure. Bravo. When I
sent her a nice postcard from Casablanca last
time, she was thrilled. I, too, was thrilled that
she was thrilled after sending the card
to her from the wilds of Morocco.
...
She's so cute is Sophie and is my
own "Girl Friday," I like to think ...
...
Sophie McElligott of London Fashion Showrooms.
...
Saturday was filled with people I didn't person-
ally know among all the idiots lined up at The
New Connaught Rooms for open auditions for
the tacky "Britain's Got Talent" competition.
Except for my buddy Aussie Ryan Tucker with
pups Lulu and Poppy (shown below), I didn't like
much of what I saw of the long and loud queues of
"wanna-be" celebrities lined up like cattle on London's
Great Queen Street all day long on Saturday and also
earlier in the week with street security guards con-
trolling the growing and stupid crowds of people.
...
Freemasons Arms' Aussie Ryan Tucker and pups.

...
Here you'll see below one of the would-be "wanna be"

groups like the Latino dance group all competing

to be seen and heard above the other "artistic" folkz.

...
Streams of Afro-Masons came out of the Masonic Head-
quarters as they walked down the street in unison with
my cameras taking a few snapshots of them while they
then sidestepped the audition crowds blocking their
public passage. I saw dozens and dozens of black
masons that I never knew before existed in such
large numbers at the Masonic Lodge.
...
Some of London's Afro-Masons.
...
For Sunday, I was able to get away from London's
maddening crowds with dear Elizabeth Middleton
as we went to Chipping Onger for the day. So from
the start of my new week -- Monday 13th to
Sunday 19th of October, 2oo8 -- I had
encountered all manner of man and woman
with perhaps taking more than 60 various
photos to record my full week for you at
my ever-growing blog readership.
...
Quietly, England's Chipping Onger.
...
:: SIDEBAR ::
No big issue and no big fus(s). I’ve used abit of
distortion here below to make a point that I will
leave you with for all to figure out one way or an-
other. I didn’t add “FUS” to the car plate, but I did
add “NO BIG ISSUE” to the café sign for fun and the
two crosses of light blue and bright orange … Have
you now figured out the point of the photograph?
If you haven't then simply email me for an explan-
ation at thebiggerissue@k.st. There's no charge ...
...
Have yourself a good and kind day, Uncle Monty.
+Hills of the North Rejoice, 2oo8.
...

10/21/2008

Just Who In The Hell Is He? U.S. Election Notes By Uncle Monty.

Just Who In The Hell Is He?
U.S. Election Notes
By Uncle Monty.
***
By Michael Conlon,
Reuter Religion Writer.
CHICAGO (Reuters) - These are uneasy times for
America's Muslims, caught in a backwash from a presidential
election campaign where the false notion that Barack Obama is
Muslim has been seized on by some who link Islam with terrorism.
The Democratic White House candidate, who would be the first
black U.S. president and whose middle name is Hussein, is a
Christian. Son of a Kenyan father and white American mother,
he spent part of his childhood in largely Muslim Indonesia.
***
The idea that Obama is a Muslim has circulated on the
internet for months, by some as a fact to reinforce the
position that Obama is not a suitable candidate for the
White House.
***
Not since the election of John Kennedy as the first Catholic
U.S. president in 1960 has the faith of a White House hopeful
generated so much distortion, said about 100 "concerned
scholars" and others who have signed an October 7
proclamation aimed at countering Islamophobia
they say is on the rise.
***
In recent weeks:
-- More than 20 million video disc copies of a film called
"Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West" were
included as advertising supplements in newspapers across
the country, many in battleground states where Obama
is in a close fight with Republican candidate John McCain.
The film, distributed by a private group unaffiliated with
the McCain campaign, features suicide bombers, children
being trained with guns, and a Christian church said to
have been defiled by Muslims.
-- A city council candidate in Irvine, California, who
is a Muslim convert, said he got a telephone call saying
"I want to cut your head off just like all the other Muslims
deserve," the Los Angeles Times reported.
-- A mosque in a suburb of Chicago, Obama's home city,
was vandalized four times in less than two months, with
anti-Islamic messages left on its outer walls, and windows
and doors broken.
-- An account of an Ohio rally for McCain running mate
Sarah Palin, filed by Al Jazeera and posted on YouTube,
shows a woman saying "he is not Christian, and this is a
Christian nation," and a second woman saying she opposes
Obama because of "the whole Muslim thing. A lot of
people have forgotten about 9/11 (the September 11,
2001, attacks). It's a little unnerving."
***
It is frightening to see at this point the label 'Arab'
or 'Muslim' being used de facto as an insult," said
Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago office
of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (C.A.I.R).
There is a feeling, he said, that hate crimes increase as
Islamophobia rises in public discourse, including that
going on peripherally in this election campaign.
***
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, a Republican crossing
party lines to endorse Obama on Sunday, made a demand for
tolerance when he referred to Obama-is-a-Muslim rumors.
"Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this
country?" he asked on NBC's "Meet the Press."
"The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something
wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid be-
lieving that he or she could be president? Yet I have heard
senior members of my own party drop the suggestion
'he's a Muslim and he might be associated with terrorists.'
This is not the way we should be doing it in America,"
Powell said, while making clear such sentiment was
not coming from McCain himself.
***
Muslims make up less than 1 percent of the U.S. population
of 305 million, according to the Pew Forum on Religion and
Public Life, though some believe that number is low. About a
third of the world's population is Christian, another 21 percent
Muslim. Daniel Varisco, anthropology chair at Hofstra
University, said he wrote the "statement of concerned
scholars" after seeing Islamophobia on the rise.
***
"The attempts to label Senator Obama a terrorist or
rhyme his name with Osama (bin Laden) or accent his middle
name (Hussein), as well as false claims about his being sworn
into (U.S. Senate) office on a Koran, demonstrate how near
to the surface anti-Islamic sentiment is in the United
States," he said. Circulating such falsehoods "avoids
playing the race card directly but at the expense
of Muslims," he said.
***
The Clarion Fund, which distributed the film "Obsession,"
through a huge newspaper advertising buy, says it is an
independent education group focused "on the most urgent
threat of radical Islam" and that placing the film in the hands
of readers in battleground election states was an attempt
to grab attention. Spokesman Gregory Ross said, "we have
no political or religious affiliations to any group whatsoever."
***
The Islamic Circle of North America has meanwhile
opened an offensive of sorts -- a campaign promoting
Islam and seeking converts. It said it placed advertising
signs inside 1,000 cars in New York's subway network.
In Chicago the group had a number of city buses adorned
top to bottom with pro-Islam advertising, headlined
"Islam: The Way of Life of Noah, Abraham, Moses,
Jesus and Muhammad."
***
Rehab of the Chicago C.A.I.R. office said that kind of
approach may work to a limited degree, "but really the
crux of the issue is not learning about the details of a
religion but rather interacting with and understanding
that the average Muslim is no different than yourself."
(Reuter Editing by Andrew Stern and Frances Kerry)
***
U.S. Election Notes By Uncle Monty.
To me, there's something strangely wrong
when I see American Republican Colin Powell,
the former U.S. Secretary of State, coming out
to politically-back Obama. And then to see a
British Tory and Mayor of London like Boris
Johnson do the same, sounds to me like they're
gone bonkers about ultraliberal Obama. How
conservatives on either side of the pond can
unashamedly back any radical leftist like
Obama shows how politically unconservative
they really are. Yes, Obama is a charmer and
he's an handsome devil and very gifted, too.
But the caption cartoon above asks: Just Who
In The Hell Is He? Do you know? I really
don't, aside from all the media bowing and
swansong they're been giving Barack.
^^^
Obama's personal faith is his business and
I would not condemn him for whatever
faith or non-faith he may or may not hold.
As an avid Anglican, I believe strongly in
interfaith endeavours in order for us all to
be freer to practice whatever our faith or
creed may be. As for political Obama, my
concern is who is he really? Is he a political
wolf dressed like a lamb? And, I always
wonder, too, why no white man is elected
president in any majority black African
country? While an African-American black
can be elected to rule in basically a majority
white country like America, save for about
13% of her non-white population. Those who
may be opposed to Barack Obama on race
are dubbed 'racists.' But blacks in Africa
opposed to say a white candidate would
be viewed as politically correct by the
global news media and political pundits.
That's strange, too, to me.
^^^
With just a week and half to go before
the U.S. Presidential Election, all the
polls pretty well say Obama is already
the winner. But is he? I don't think so,
yet. Only after a very long Nov. 4th night,
will we then really know if Barack Obama
is the presidential winner that will rock
and impact America and the rest of the
world like nothing since America's 9/11.
^^^
That's if he should win. Talk of a landside
and/or an election tie between him and
John McCain has also been thrown about.
^^^
If there is a tie, then all bets are off that
Obama will win. Thousands of lawyers
have been hired by both candidates to
monitor the least little thing that may go
wrong on America's Election Day. Such was
also done at the 2000 and 2004 elections by
then candidates George Bush, Al Gore and
John Kerry. Bush won both times either by
fair or foul, depending on your own political
love for either candidates at that time.
^^^
What my fear is that the high expectations
that Obama will win could lead to street
violence or social unrest by leftist radicals,
Muslim believers, and/or street-wise
African-Americans if Obama should in
fact lose his race to become America's
first black president. Allegations of
election fraud, among other things, will
be rip raw and rife as the bloody streets
become the national arena for all
those disaffected voters of the
then loser Barack Obama.
***
And while he could well win
the popular vote, he could still lose to
to John McCain by electoral college votes.
That's what is the most important - not popular
votes per se, but rather those electoral votes
from key states - like California, Pennsylvannia,
Ohio, New York, Florida, etc -- that hold massive
electoral power on the night of the election. If
McCain can garnish more electoral votes than
Obama at the day's final reckoning, then John
McCain becomes the next President of the
United States. Obama will then be banished
as the would-be first African-American
President for at least the next four years
or until the next 2012 presidential race
in America.
^^^
My final 2oo8 election notes will come just
days before the actual votes take place. I will
also probably write a post-election story on
whoever wins after I've stayed up all night
on the internet to follow the results of the
2oo8 Presidential contest. It should be a
rivetting night for those who like Yankee
politics like I do ... After that, we'll ask again
"Just Who In The Hell Is He?" That's if he,
Barack Obama, should in fact win or lose.
I'm betting, however, that he won't win ...
Anxiously, Uncle Monty.
+Crispin and Crispinian, 2oo8.
^^^
The above caption poster of Obama is taken
from one of the many cartoons websites of him.
Many portray him rather negatively, I must say.
^^^

10/18/2008

ABOUT TIME ... Immigration Notes By Uncle Monty.

ABOUT TIME ... But Still Too Little, Too Late.
Immigration Notes By Uncle Monty.
.=.
Britain to cut immigration due to weak economy: says minister.
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain plans to reduce immigration in the
face of a weakening economy and rising unemployment, the Times
newspaper quoted Immigration Minister Phil Woolas as saying Sat-
urday. "If people are being made unemployed, the question of
immigration becomes extremely thorny ... It's been too easy to
get into this country in the past and it's going to get harder,"
Woolas told the paper in an interview. "This government isn't
going to allow the population to go up to 70 million," Woolas said.
"There has to be a balance between the number of people coming in
and the number of people leaving." At a time of economic difficulties,
employers should put British people first or they will risk fuelling
racism, Woolas said. Immigration has been high under the Labor
government which came to power in 1997, and the Times said
net immigration is estimated to be more than 200,000 a year
until 2012.
Woolas also said he opposed an amnesty for people who came to
Britain illegally because it would encourage more illegal immigrants.
The government recently adopted a system under which would-be
migrants are awarded points depending on their value to the British
economy, designed to encourage skilled immigrants and reduce the
number of unskilled economic migrants. Britain's population is
around 61 million.
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE49H0L420081018
Sat Oct 18, 2008 2:32am EDT
.=.
Notes on New Labour's Floodgate Immigration.
By Uncle Monty.
.=.
As soon as I read the above Reuter news report, I said to myself
“ABOUT TIME …” But then moments later I also said to myself,
"it’s too little, too late." And it is as far as the numbers already
swelling New Labour’s free-for-all immigration policy that
has placed the very essence of England as a nation in mortal
peril by the sheer numbers of useless Third World immigrants
that have been allowed to come like a tidal wave to our shores
under mindless New Labour. Every day, there seems to be
still more and more all over the place and there seems no end
in sight to the continuing onslaught of so many immigrants -
despite the clear fact and reality of all too many of them
here already.
.-.
The turndown of the economy will be exasperated even
further with the millions of demanding Third Worlders
now in the UK. They expect nothing less than that they be
taken care of, even if they once lived in shantytowns with
little or nothing to call their own before they came and bas-
ically took over the place with their fancy native dress,
their ever present cellphones, their rights greater than
those of us who aren't immigrants or foreigners in our
own country, their overwhelming intrusion at every
level of British society, and their fertility rate that is
part and parcel of their desire to stay put in the UK
because with each baby they get more free money
from free New Labour. We wouldn't have the curse
of mass immigration and all its social and economic
fallout, if New Labour itself had not first created it.
Which, of course, it did beginning more than a de-
cade ago and it just keeps getting worse and worse.
.=.
I suspect, too, that many of the immigrants who
are now employed as council traffic wardens, security
guards, and bus drivers, are illegal in the UK no matter
what. While I welcome some first tiny steps by the
recently-picked new British Immigration Minister Phil
Woolas to curb the excess, the immigrant population
in the country is already so totally imbalanced that
only a complete and fast moratorium on admitting
any further non-EU immigrants for the next decade
would help perhaps to restore some kind of balance.
And, the aggressive expansion of deportation and
the strict curtailment of so-called "asylum seekers,"
needs also to be enforced without any further ado
by New Labour.
.=.
If not, not only will the Tories see their political
future and fortune continue to increase, but
also those political entities like the British
National Party (BNP) that tap into the real deep
anger about New Labour's mindless immigration
policy that has decimated the inner core of many
London and urban boroughs beyond repair and
recognition. Such has added to the negative
realism that is today's "Broken New Britian."
It may be too late politically for Labour to
now survive since its immigration fiasco,
among other things, comes home to roost.
.=.
The tragedy is that the nation is now stuck
forever and day with New Labour's floodgate
of those already admitted as immigrants even
if British Labour is never re-elected for decades
and decades to come. Those masses of immigrants
with their masses of new babies will undoubtedly
vote New Labour whenever they are eligable to do
so. And that's one reason I believe why Labour
has deliberately flooded the country with so
many useless Third World immigrants so that
it can draw in future upon such masses of new
Third World-born voters to vote them back
into office above and beyond their numbers.
.=.
Beyond that, whatever Phil Woolas does is
essentially only political window dressing to help
placate the growing anger and dismay of what
New Labour has so recklessly wrought on this
once wonderful country that now looks and
feels more and more like The Darkest Africa.
.=.
Truly, Uncle Monty.
+Eve of the 23rd Sunday after Trintiy, 2oo8.
.=.
:: UPDATE ::
By the time Frank Field, M.P. and I had again
exchanged some friendly email between us on the
bigger issue of immigration and Phil Woolas' sudden
"tough stand" on future immigration under New
Labour, Phil had then changed his tune somewhat
by back pedalling on what he had said or proposed
just a day or so before. Typical always of New
Labour, they do u-turns like jumping monkeys
almost every day. Now Immigration Minister
Phil Woolas says we need to be "kinder" to
new immigrants. What? Kinder? Why should
I be kinder when I see they're taking over my
country like an invading army at the behest of
this hideous government that is so completely
mindless in its unbending aim to make Broken
Britain even more broke by its refusal to stop
the continuing onslaught of mass Third World
immigration to the UK. Who gave Blair/Brown
the right to rob us of our own country? That's
what they've already done and they seem
to be totally out of control on killing Britain
with their political agenda of mindless mass
immigration at the expense of our nationhood.
Please, stop them by voting them totally out of
office no matter who you vote for, but never
again vote for New Labour. Just "Stop The
Bastards" for good ... I say.
Angry, Uncle Monty.
+King Alfred The Great, 2oo8.
=-=

10/13/2008

Folkstone's "Dickens Room." By Uncle Monty.

Folkstone's "Dickens Room."
Story By Uncle Monty.
Photos By Alex Albion.
Part 2 of 2.
~~~
Over 550 years-old, The British Lion pub first opened
at Folkstone in the year of 1460. Outside at The Bayle
it looked like the place was quiet and deserted until I
openly ventured inside to find it packed and busy with
loads of locals enjoying a drink or two with plenty of
companionship and serving platefuls of good home
British cooking. Nick and Dee Gill from West Yorkshire
were the hosts and Dee did all the cooking that for me
was worth several encores. The menu was about as
British as they come with the usual Steak and Kid-
ney pie, Yorkshire pud, and spotted dick, among
other classic English food dishes to choose from.
~~~
My Trout.
~~~
But for me, I wanted their local catch of large
Folkstone fresh broiled Trout with lemon, green
peas, boiled new spuds, four vegs, and light fish
gravy. Plus, a hotpot of English tea along with a
nice bowl of deep green mint ice cream with thick
dark chocolate sauce to round off my mid-day
lunch at The British Lion’s own tiny "Dickens
Room." Adored with momentoes of Charles
Dickens himself on the walls, the dining room
was snug and warm and held only four or
five dining patrons at any one time.
~~~
Eight and half quid for the delicious trout.
A quid and twenty pence for my hotpot of
boiling tea. And, three and half quid for the
mint ice cream saw me spend less than 14
quid in all for my good lunch at the "Dickens
Room." The meal was big enough and healthy
enough for me not to worry about going back
later for evening dinner. I was full and my
English belly told me so: "Please, don't stuff
me anymore," it said. Okay ... The same lunch
at Folkstone's British Lion would have cost
me probably 25 to 35 quid in London or
New York or Paris for sure.
~~~
My Trout Gone ...
~~~
Other lunch patrons included four elderly and abit
snooty ballroom dancers who had come to Folkstone
from nearby Drellingore to spend the weekend ball-
room dancing to their old heart’s content. I was told
when I asked that they did not dress up in fancy
evening dress when they danced as non-professionals.
The wife of one of them looked like she was almost a
hospital case from the way she hobbled along. How
she could ballroom dance I don’t know unless she
was held up like a rag doll with her shaky legs and
ghost-like face that I wouldn't want to meet in
some dark Folkstone alleyway late at night. Talk
about Halloween, she was the part if you asked me.
Her skin looked like she’d spent days in a full
lavatory bucket of white bleach for she looked
whiter than the White Cliffs of Dover. And, when
she spoke she sounded like death warmed up …
Pooooooor woman. She also trembled like a leaf.
So much for glamorous ballroom dancing, I said
to myself as she left The British Lion moments
before me … I was glad I wasn’t going to the
ballroom dance after seeing her and after my
delightful British lunch at the "Dickens Room."
~~~
Folkstone's Sacred Grounds Since 630AD at St. Eanswythe.
~~~
At Folkstone’s St. Eanswythe (shown above),
Christian worship has taken place since the beginning
of the first religious nuns there in 360AD. Only an
heathen or an idiot wouldn’t recognise such sacred
burial grounds upon seeing such like I did. The anc-
ient design of the oval, oblong, graves was something
unusual to me. I cannot recall seeing the same style
and shape of such graves any where else other
than for the first at St. Eanswythe's.
~~~
Folkstone's Own "Guitar Man."
~~~
He was doing well as I tossed in a quid coin
for his guitar playing near Folkstone’s Parade
Steps. I immediately dubbed him as the sea-
side town’s own “Guitar Man.” His guitar
case was pretty full of tossed coins as he
stopped for a moment to be photographed,
as shown above, with my own black and white
graphic of him based on the image I originally
took of him in full pure colour. I then used my
Corel paint to add my dimension to the
original image of the "Guitar Man."
~~~
Preaching The Word Was He.
~~~
Here’s a fellow who is one of Folkstone’s
own seaside folks (shown above) preaching
the good word. His name is Eric, he told me.
With all the zeal of an American televangelist with
just myself and another one or two onlookers more
curious about him than of the word he spoke. He’s been
doing his preaching for years. One of his “followers”
– an elderly lady – told me she’d been bedridden for
20 years and thru the power of prayer she was
suddenly made whole again. How true her story
is I do not know, but I hope it wasn’t a figment
of her emotional imagination or perhaps of her
old age senility. Whatever, we did pray together
holding hands in a circle, while Eric-The-Preacher
earnestly invoked the fine name of our good Lord
just for me. Whoopi ... It was nice of him, I think …
As for the ex-bedridden lady, she begged not to
be photographed when I asked her if I could have
her stand posed next to Eric. Her false teeth
then came out like fangs at me. I think she'd
be better off bedridden, again, if I dare say.
~~~
A glorious view of Folkstone's waterfront.
~~~
The kidz had just made a "big" catch - one small crab.
~~~
Folkstone's Own "Blues Band" ready to play for charity.
~~~
Folkstone's Modern Grand Burstin.
~~~
Two young weekend beach surfers at Folkstone.
~~~
I've written snippets here, if you will, of my first visit to
British Folkstone having spent a long and an enjoyable
weekend there at what is its October tourist off-season.
"Folkstone's Seaside Folks" I've also written about in
my earlier short piece and again here in my more
detailed story with several more photos that I think
helps illustrate the variety I found as I ventured all
over the seaside and fishing town of Old Folkstone.
I do hope you've enjoyed my story as much as I
have enjoyed telling you about it ...
~~~
Kudos everybody, Uncle Monty.
+John Henry Newman, 2oo8.
~~~