Motorised Zimmers

Was driving home today, and got stuck in a slow moving lane of traffick. Increasingly getting frustrated, as each of the cars in front took turns to gradually overtake something, i eventually saw what was causing the hold-up.

It was some wrinkly old man driving along the road on one of those motorised carts that old people zoom around the town-centre (when cycling is not allowed there) on, driving over peoples toes and barging into small children.

Now i already hate old people (thats another UP YOURS™ blog in itself!) but what makes guys like him think they have the right to drive around in the middle of the road!? Especially when it's dark! It didn't have break-lights or indicators, and i'm certain that he has not paid road tax or has subjected the motorised zimmer to an MoT inspection. Nor would he have insurance. All things that road vehichles are subject to.

So what made him feel that he could do this!? I should have run him over.

Oi, Old Giffer, UP YOURS™!

TV License

The TV License. You are under a legal requirement to pay an annual fee (continually rising) for the 'unique way in which the BBC is funded', even tho you may not even watch the actual BBC channels, nor have any intention to watch them. Simply for owning a TV that is able to receive them.

From the moment you buy a TV, you will start receiving 'official letters' stating that you have purchased a TV and must buy a TV License as they have no record of one for your address. However they check the records by name and not by address, so if you live with your spouse or a parent with a differing surname who have the TV license, you will still be listed as 'owning a TV without a TV license' and will thus continue to receive these 'helpful reminders'.

I dont see why i should be forced to pay a TV license for 'one' channel that does not even offer any programming that i am interested in, when i already paid for the TV and have the option of watching the other channels who do not charge me for doing so. Especially not when you pay for Sky or Cable, and have the option of hundreds of alternative channels. Yet you still have to, are forced, to pay the TV License.

It especially angered me when i saw that the BBC has launched an advertising campaign targeting students and 'informing' them that they must have a TV license. As if the government hasn't already been shitting on students yearly, in all manner of ways, since the abolishment of student grants in the late 1990's.

Here's a helpful hint. Why not set it up so that you have to 'activate' the channel, using some kind of authentication system (it's all digital now and has interactive features available in almost all households) made available to you after paying the TV License? That way, you don't watch, and thus dont pay. But obviously this is not what it's about. It's just another form of 'hidden' tax.

The BBC, UP YOURS!

Previews & intros

OK. You buy a DVD as you really like a film or want to watch it. It's yours now. Or is it?

Put the DVD in. Do you come to the menu straight away? no. If you are lucky you get some crappy intro scence first about the prodcuers etc and then get to the menu after maybe some anti-pirate message? (unskippable). If you are unlucky you have not only the intros to deal with, but also adverts and previews. I recently bought a DVD which contains adverts & previews. Not only this, the DVD was created so you can't skip through these. Why does MY property have forced advertising on it? Im the only one watching it (if I follow the F.A.C.T anti-pirate unskippable message). I found however if I make copies of the DVD I can make the lot skippable so I can get straight to the menu. Then i distribute it to my friends for free because im pissed off. Hmm. Anti pirate F.A.C.T people and mr advertisers listen to your own messages. Reduce piracy by fecking off and letting me have just a film. I'd not need to copy it and remove the anti skip in the first place, therefore it would not also get distributed among other people!

Up yours!

It Beggars Belief

We've all seen it, in most cases, many times...

Before you start to feel sorry for the poor, scruffy, down on his luck chap though, who approaches cap in hand, asking if you can spare 30 pence for a cup of tea / sandwich / hot dog / bus fair , consider the fact that he will likely have been asking everyone he's seen this very same question all day long.

Lets work on the assumption that in a town centre, likely close to a bus/train/tram/underground station, your beggar has probably asked for 30 pence from anything up to 1000 strangers today. Based on the rough rule of 25% return on his begging (which is about the national average according to my reading material), and assuming only 20 pence per "donation", your beggar has likely received somewhere in the region of £50 per day.

Assuming this £50 per day return, and assuming a 5 day week, your beggar has an annual income of over £13,000! This is more than enough for them to get off their arse, get themselves a place to live, clean themselves up and get a job paying something like a similar amount of money to that which they make on the streets, begging for change from strangers.

National minimum wage, for a typical office job doing 40 hours per week will get you in the region of £10,000 per year!! This means, that if you work hard in an office 40 hours per week, you could still be coming out up to £3000 per year worse off than the beggar who you are confronted by on your way home at night, and worse than this, their income is tax free!

Beggars, you sicken me! If you are genuinely "down on your luck" that's fine, I wont be giving you any of my cash, you have a handful of my sympathy though - but you should at least have the decency to get off your arse and try to do something about it, acceptance is not a strategy! Deciding that you're onto a nice cushy little number and becoming a career beggar is not an acceptible source of income.

Beggars, UP YOURS!

Fat People

Ok I dont mind slightly overweight people, but why should we have to put up with the vast amound of fatties in this country? It's on the increase and is showing no signs of slowing.

I simply cannot understand the reason for them. Why do they not realise their situation? At this point please do not simpathise with them when they come out with reasons like "its medical" or "it is comfort food". At the end of the day if they stopped eating cake and burgers they WILL lose weight so wont need comfort food. If you say you cannot do it, on average a person can survive a month without food. You fatties can do probably 6 weeks or so missing lunch is NOT a big thing. If you eat healthily confidence will increase and you will generally feel better.

I hear about surgery to rectify this. Erm NO. This will put you back to square one so you can put it all on again. The source of the problem needs addressing.

I go to the gym twice a week, play 2 hours of badminton a week and play football (thats real football i.e. soccer to all you americans. Not some girl version of rugby) once every two weeks. You dont need to do this much, but I am certainly not a health freak. My weakness is lager as I admit I drink more than I should. I like red meat and pie and am not a fan of veg. However I eat veg solely to stay in shape. Its all about moderation. Now I'm a bit of a hipocrite here as I dont always drink in moderation, but I make up for it.

I love seeing these signs at the side of the road about weight loss "want to lose weight? ring 0890 XXXXXX" now wouldn't "want to lose weight, stop eating cake" be better advice? It may be harsh, but it is certainly better for you and your bank balance.

If you fatties get hungry, try drinking water NOT cake, as 65% of hunger feelings are actually de-hydration. Water is far better than tea or coffee.

What gets me is this whole new IVF treatment for fatties in the UK. In generaly it is FACT (so dont try to argue) that fatties are generally less likely to concieve than "normal" (lol thats very non PC) people. IMO they NEED to do something before they can get IVF. In fact I'm against everyone here. IVF shouldn't be avaliable to ANYONE on NHS. Why is the population full of weak people? Its because survival of the fittest no longer exists.

So to conclude: When I start to lose my shape, I do something about it. Why can't you?

Fatties - Up YOURS!

Conflict in Israel

So then. Israel I hear you say. Hmm controversial. I see myself as neutral I hope. I dislike the Jews influence on US politics that is based of their faith (but not on human, common sence) but I also dislike the minority Muslim view of suiside bombers being the way to portray their views.

Where to start?
I'd like to point out that the US news is unreliable. It drastically changes news reports. This is documented fact. All you US citizens (spelt citisens in "proper" English) what you hear is not true. The "Attacks on US patrols" are usually based in non Israeli land. What you actually hear is mostly editd by three stages of screening before it hits your televisions. My point here is please keep an open view. To Muslims - Please also keep an open view here, I'd like not to judge, just weigh the points. Your news is also quite bias.

Facts:
In 1967 Israel occupied the west bank & co.
That year the UN passed resolution 242 to condone this and call for the withdrawl of Israeli forces.
They are still there.
Fatah and Hamas constitutions still call for the destruction of Israel.
There are continuous bombings in Israel that kill innocent people. Yes the are innocent. They alone do not decide government policy and their deaths will not change it. They will in fact enforce it. Israel HAS to react to this.

There are so many facts for and against each side I could list but i get bored. I myself dont have a religion so you all probably consider me as a threat. I cannot see how any religion can cause such outrage. This IS all it boils down to. A religion should be a guide or template for life, it should not be a word for word ruling. Please ALL of you become enlightened enough to see this. What about the people who dont believe on either side?

I need to bring in a statment here, but I have to be careful. "UP YOURS" to non tollerent people.

Baby boomers?

Babyboomers - you've used up all the oil, grown rich on massive house price rises, enjoyed final salary pension schemes, your shares have gone through the roof, gave yourselves double digit pay rises in the 70's whilst the real value of your mortgage debt went through the floor, you've polluted the environment and when it all hits the fan, you'll be dead. Great, thanks.
Baby boomers- UP YOURS!