Fly on the wall

Back in the days when things were far more simpler and people were trusted to play safe with all sorts of dangerous machines and chemicals there was a simple solution to killing flies, it was known as fly spray. It worked pretty well with a small spray capable of taking out the entire room of flies whilst creating a bit of a stink and if you weren't careful killing the goldfish. Much easier than a swatter and far more aesthetic than fly paper, it even worked pretty well on wasps and other insects.
Then along came health and safety and the number of things we were trusted to do for ourselves came under increasing state legislation until everything became so safe (and expensive) as to be almost to the point of being useless. (Look up the great DDT scandal if you want a prime example) Today we have weedkillers that only work after almost a week and not as I remember being able to see the results after a couple of hours tops with plants almost going deformed before your eyes.
We also come to the nub of my problem, we've had superfly buzzing around the house for a couple of days now, bugger is fast and quite resilient to current chemical toxins, means I can't get close to swat the little sod and a whole tin of today's useless flyspray has failed to even faze the bastard, I honestly think I'd have done better throwing the tin at it rather than waste my time trying to spray it.
I'm halfway tempted to buy one of those uv bug zappers just to see if like Frankenstein's monster it is resilient to large doses of electricity too.
Anyone know of a fly spray that actually works pretty much instantly any more without seeming to kill them by kindness? I know Raid works after a fashion, but I seem to remember spraying a fly and watching it go into paroxysms almost immediately not half an hour later.
Any ways I'm off hunting with a rolled up newspaper and hoping for a bit more luck.
Normal blogging will resume tomorrow.

Update morning of the 6th of August. Bastard thing is still alive, gone to work and left Lady QM to deal with the little git.
Update morning of the 7th of August. Superfly is no more, despite surviving everything I and Lady QM could throw at him/her (literally at times) it was unable to survive being digested by the dog.
I love my dog.

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The perils of humour

I wonder what The Birmingham Conservative councillor Gareth Compton thinks about having his DNA taken and put on a national database having been arrested for "an offence under section 127 (1a) of the Communications Act of 2003 on suspicion of sending an offensive or indecent message." Especially now that the charges have been dropped. His real offence was of course the folly of crossing the "professionally offended" with an attempt at humour.

Birmingham Post.

The Birmingham Conservative councillor who was suspended from his party after he called for the stoning of a Muslim journalist on Twitter has had all charges against him dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Birmingham City councillor Gareth Compton was arrested last November after joking on the social media site: “Can someone please stone Yasmin Alibhai-Brown to death? I shan’t tell Amnesty if you don’t. It would be a blessing, really.”

Despite a swift apology for his ‘ill-conceived attempt at humour’ the barrister, who lives in Harborne, was arrested by police and immediately suspended from the Conservative Party while investigations took place.

The CPS confirmed it has now dropped the case due to insufficient evidence. His political future is now in the hands of Conservative Party chairwoman Baroness Warsi, who is currently overseeing the party’s inquiry into the matter.

It is thought that he has the backing of influential Cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell, Birmingham’s only Conservative MP, and colleagues are hopeful he will be allowed to resume his membership. Councillor Compton was not available for comment.

Timing is crucial as his term of office as Erdington ward councillor ends in May and Conservative Party colleagues say he is keen to stand for election.

A party colleague said: “We thought the police investigation would not go anywhere and are relieved the CPS has officially dropped the case.

“Most Birmingham Tories would welcome him back. Timing is not yet critical, but if this time next month he is still not back in the fold we will need to find another candidate for Erdington.”

A CPS spokesman said: “Mr Compton posted a message on his Twitter page. A member of the public, who read this message, made a complaint to the police who then instigated an investigation.

“Ms Alibhai-Brown has refused to make any complaint to the police on the matter and the member of the public, who initially reported this matter, has also refused to provide the prosecution with a statement.

“A file was then submitted to the reviewing lawyer who has carefully reviewed all of the evidence, as well as the fact that we have no statement of complaint, and they have decided there is insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction.”

Coun Compton kept a low profile since the scandal and deleted his online Twitter account. On Tuesday this week he was back on the Tory benches at a full council meeting and refused to comment.

The Twitter row occurred when he tweeted a comment on Independent newspaper columnist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown’s contribution to a Radio Five debate on human rights in China.

After the storm broke he wrote: “I made an ill-conceived attempt at humour in response to YAB saying no politician had the right to comment on human rights abuses, even the stoning of women in Iran.”

Ms Alibhai-Brown said: “I think it is unacceptable to use that kind of language.”

 Ok at least the Yazmonster (©Julia @ Ambush Predator) didn't press charges though her distinct lack of humour and ill grace shines through quite clearly, nor it seems was the original complainant willing to have their name exposed to the probable disapprobation of people like me. Not that I believe the councillor should have been arrested, it was obviously a joke, the "I shan’t tell Amnesty if you don’t" is a bit of a giveaway, though doing it on a public forum like twitter was always a risk, people get offended so easily for others these days, though in my opinion, the police should not have acted unless the Yazmonster herself had asked them too. Then again, hate crime is clearly the new black when it comes to police time, it ticks a lot of politically correct boxes though is not as lucrative as fleecing motorists. Not so long ago before the days of new labour the police would have turned around and told the bleating complainant to stop wasting their time, they had that discretion then, these days their hands are a bit tied by the legislation and they have to act if a complaint is made and so waste a lot of money and time doing so when a simple caution would have been far more than sufficient.
As it is, poor Gareth Compton's fate is now in the hands of Baroness Warsi another one of the professionally offended, still at least he didn't mention the "M" word or the "I" word he merely made a joke about the quaint Islamic habit of stoning women... oh dear.

Update, seems humour is dead as Ben Donnelly got the sack for an equally "unfunny" joke about Islam.

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Doing my bit for climate change

Well, having experienced the coldest winter since the last coldest winter (yonks ago) and having struggled to get my car out of the street in the snow I have decided to do my bit for global warming climate change. My old car is being traded in for a (used) Hyundai Santa Fé  4 x 4. (not the one showing, but close)

Hopefully this little beauty will help warm up the planet and hold off the ensuing ice age that is nearly upon us, at least according to those of us who grew up in the 70's when such a possibility was being discussed.
Yes it's big, but it's still only a 2 litre engine and only 38,000 on the clock, though it's electric everything inside including air con (very necessary at the minute) auto-cruise and heated seats and mirrors, plus a 10 cd auto changer for those long trips to drive the enviroloons wild, pretty much a top of the range model. Bit expensive on the car tax, but 1 year warranty, 6 months tax and an MOT thrown in, plus my old car as part ex.
Even better, Lady QM loves it too. Hopefully we'll be able to pick it up next Friday.

As for the trip to London, yet another all clear, so happiness all round.

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It's ok, he's English not Scottish ;-)

Scotsman Andy Murray crashed out of Wimbledon yesterday in the Semi's 6-4 7-6 (8/6) 6-4 to Rafael Nadal. However there was some good news for Scottish sports fans in that the Daily Mirror has unearthed the fact that Murray is actually English, so national pride can be restored and the entire incident of his defeat explained away at least until the next time he looks like he might win something.

Mirror.

Flower of England! Finally revealed... Andy Murray ancestral roots

Andy Murray may support "anyone but England" in the football but new research reveals his roots lie south of the border.

As the Scots tennis ace powered into the Wimbledon semi-final, genealogy experts traced his roots to England.

Website TheGenealogist.co.uk has discovered Andy's maternal grandmother was born to English parents from York and Berwick-upon-Tweed.

One Englishman already supporting Murray was Sir Michael Caine, who watched his centre court victory with Ben Stiller and his wife Christine.

Murray, 23, screamed with delight after finishing off Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in a four-set match.

And he said last night winning his first Grand Slam at Wimbledon would be "extra special". But he warned: "I'm a long, long way from doing that.

I'm sure all Scots are now relieved and can go about their business with a sense of national pride restored with another "Anyone But England" moment in their lives. ;-)

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