Ab Fab

Ghurkas 267

NuLab 241

"When it came through, we saw it on the screen and I can't tell you the sense of elation, the sense of pride – pride in our country, pride in the democratic system and pride in our Parliament,"

Johanna Lumley

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Swine Flu - A Damien McBride Conspiracy?

This thought has entered my head.

On a day that the Government was humiliated over the Gurkha vote, is about to lose ( has already lost) the MPs expenses vote, and Brown has had a car crash of a performance at PMQs, what do all the networks lead and bleed on? " About thirty people have flu", or "Mexican girl dies in Texas of swine flu" - as opposed to the hundreds of Mexican that die in Texas ever year of general neglect and discrimination.

I know Swine flu is potentially serious, but is this media hype in anyway helping - other than spreading unnecessary panic? And what is the practical advice on offer other than "don't go to Mexico"

I could say all this was one big NuLab conspiracy, especially as Damien McBride has this week astonishingly been spotted in the Commons chatting to journalists - apparently still with his Downing Street issued parliamentary pass! But I wont. Instead I'll say this feels like one big pharmaceutical industry conspiracy.

Meanwhile, GB goes from bad to worse, with that "Resign" e-petition now topping his own website's petitions page, and pulling away rapidly from its rivals. I now don't even know if Brown can hang on until his planned execution day - the day after Euro Election results.

Here though is an alternative exit strategy: He could feign illness and resign on health grounds - swine flu - caught off a Gurkha in Iraq. How appropriate?

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For the Gurkhas

Thanks to Lord Elvis of Paisley's blog

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Gordon Brown is Number 1 - In His Own Chart!

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/

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Homage to Catalunya - And Chelsea No More!

. More Than A Song......

"Barca!" was written in 1974 to celebrate FC Barcelona's 75th anniversary. A great song for sure, but penned under the rule of a Spanish dictatorship on its last legs, after 40 years of power. And whilst the corrupt Franco regime had done lots of bad things to the entire population of Spain, nowhere had its vengeance against those who had stood, fought and died for democracy and freedom been harsher than in Catalunya, and its capital city, Barcelona.

But despite the oppression - including the bricking up of the Catalan Parliament, the execution and exiling of its leaders, and the banning of the Catalan language and the the Catalan flag - throughout, a safe haven for the people had been the terraces of FC Barcelona. Even attempts by the dictatorship to crush the club on the field through direct funding of its main rival, Real Madrid, plus the bribery and intimidation of officials and more had failed.

So listen the words of this rousing tune in this context. Yes a celebration of 75, now over a century of a fantastic football club, but more than this. More than a club. Mes.

That is just one - but the big - reason I will be supporting Barcelona tonight against Chelsea, and I hope beyond in the Champions League final in Rome next month. And the contrast between the fast flowing expansive football of a club owned and ran by its own members - its "Socis" 160,000 strong - and the grinding dull output of the personal plaything of a foreign billionaire could not be greater.

And whilst most Chelsea fans have thankfully moved on, amongst them will be a not insignificant band of racists and neo-fascists, who would have been well at home in the Falange of General Franco - they still even use his salute.

So Samsung or UNICEF? Democracy or dictatorship? Football from the community or bought in football - bought in with dodgy money.?

........I'm with the original, and forever, Peoples' Club!

- Et Viva la Quinte Brigada!

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A Legend Speaks!

"During my time at Everton, Goodison Park came to feel like a second home, with the supporters of the club, and the people of the city becoming a second family to me. If you were to take Everton out of the City, I firmly believe the club could no longer call itself the ‘People’s Club’ and I give my whole-hearted support to the campaign to keep Everton in the City."

Duncan Ferguson

Join Duncan in the Campaign

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God is a Wee Bald Guy from Ayrshire - if you work at Scotland on Sunday

Scotland on Sunday is this morning leading with an article in which tycoon billionare, Sir Tom Hunter mumbles something about the Scottish Goverment cutting income tax by 3p. "It has got to be good", he answers to a question from an SoS reporter.

This has sent SoS's editors and top scribes into overdrive - the scoop of the century? Certainly compared with Guido's hyped-up blog expose of a little bit of high jinks in high places, ( that's the one SoS totally missed) Here though the authoritve, real journalistic community - the voice of the nation ( well the EH1 bit) - hits back with this fine stuff.

SoS.... "say no to drugs" - please stop taking those mind altering chemicals.

Lets start with basic facts: A a cut of 3p would lose the Scottich Government about £1,000m per year in lost revenue. So where will these billion pound worth of cuts now required come from?. And how could Eck then still bleat on about the "viscious" £500 million ( near non existant) "cut" impossed by Darling?

And the idea that the UK Treasury, any Treasury, would sit back and allow rich English folks to move their tax base to Scotland to take advantage of our lower rate is a fantasy. Pure fantasy - stuff so unrealist JK Rowling would not put in her next Harry Potter book, if there ever is one, An internal tax haven? When they, ( and the entire G20!) are at last trying to clamp down on the offshore ones.

Sir Tom Hunter blows his nose and SoS would run it as a lead story.

But Tax cuts? Even the Tories in the face of the UK's £175bn fiscal deficit and rising, have all but admited any tax cuts for the forseeable future are an impoosibilty

But here is SoS peddling it a a realistic Scottish only policy choice. Desperate stuff journalistically. "Rio Ferdinand shagged three hookers" would be a more newsworty headline - and he probably did. Yet it's us Bloggers that make things up, hype, publish tripe!

Thsi Blogger preducts, guarantees, there will be no Tartan Tax cut.

When Tavish Scott and his Scot Lib Dem panto sidekick Jeremy Purvis raised this very same issue at Holyrood during the Scottish Budget Debate in February, other MSPs did not know whether to laugh or cry, Fellow Lib Dem MSPs headed for those hills. And the whole infantile idea was quickly buried by Tavish in round two of the Budget Bill negotiations. But the SoS has revived THE BIG IDEA !

I say SoS , because look at what Tom Hunter actually told them on their promting - "It has got top be good,," Of couse it would be - in a theoetical bubble. But then examine the consequences, the reality. Did your sleauth journo not think to ask Sir Tom, about the consequenses, as every political party - SNP, Lab, Conservatce and Green had done relentlessly the Lib Dems, to the point of demolition, only a few weeks back at Holyrood?

Why not? Probably as the repoorter feared, - all but knew - what Sir Tom would have said; Near exactly what I've just said above. What Alex Salmond, Ian Gray, Anabell Goldie, Partick Harvie near every MSP, left, right and centre said a few weeks back, and said so effectivey that even Tavish has belatedly began to agree with them.

But that would have gotten in the way of this "scoop"

And, oh to be a billionaire. I could say anything and be on the front page of SoS. and half of the rest of them every week. An end to this tiresome blogging, thinking. Retire and let these trained, professional, investigative journalists Margo so admires get on with it.

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Ma Dull Day at Hampden

Dissappointing to say the least - a goal down in 70 secomds and beaten three nil, going on five. Enough said.

Well almost enough. I could not but contrast the lacklustre athmosphere in a third empty Hampden compared with Wembley last weekend.

Was it just that my team lost this time? I think not - even Rangers fans, who I sat amongst, seemed bored, as interested in the half time pies than the match. And they only got aggitated when Pedro Mendes was victim of a clumsy tackle and had to be streachered off. The extent of The Saints challenge.

Driving back from this non event I concluded an Old Firm move to the Premiership, in the news once more this week, could not come soon enough. Beacuse the radio post match chat told listeners that was the 21st semi- final in a row Rangers had won. So, whilst some rightly complain at the "predicatabilty" of the Premiership, it ain't remotely as predictable as this. And that's only the "unpredictable" Cups. The Scottish Premier League Champions? Rangers or Celtic this year, and next, and next, and next, and next........

And whislt the Old Firm -take your pick - are inevitable Champions, they aint even good - unlike Jock Stein's nine in a row Celtic team of the 60 and 70s, who won the equivilant of the Champions League in 1967, and therafter cut it with the very besy of them - Inter, Ajax, Bayern. all comers for over a decade, Or even the Souness-Smith Rangers of the 80s and 90s, one that poavched a good few stars from Everton and other top English sides - even tricky Trev and the then England first choice centre back, Terry Butcher. Gazza before he became a circus act. And not a bad side - only narrowly denied a Champions League final place by the subsequently proven corrupt Marseilles.

But the Rangers team that comfortably saw off the Saint today? - not a single "star" amongst them , not one who would be guaranteed a start in even a bottom six Premiership side, or most of the Championship ones. Honest, decent, pros but "jobbers" - and every Rangers fan in that stadium knew it.

But Rangers and Celtic are great clubs, have massive support, and are global "brands" that still rival the Man U's and Real Madrids. But for how much longer in the set up they now find thmesleves? They are now drawing massively on historical pedigree, not footballing reality.

And next time, I'd like to go to a cup semi-final where my team has a higher than 21 to 1 chance of progressing. So win win I reckon, from whatver Scottish perspective you see it. And the Premiership, fab though it is, would benefit too from Rangers and Celtic being in it - in time, at the very least a big 6 would emerge, and with this some genuine world class players based in Scotland for us all and the world to see. Some Baxters, Johnstones or Laws would be magic - but Ashavins, Cahills or Yakubus not bad either .

And with them, a jammed packed Hampden with its roar back. Not not just for Celtic v Arsenal. The Saints' gtreatest ever triumph came atHampden in 1959, when we beat Aberdeen 3-1 in the Scottish Cup Final. The crowd - over 100,00. You could apparently hear it at Paisley Cross when the thrid goal went in!

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St Mirren Win The Scottish Cup - Exactly 50 Years Ago Today

.........Find out how they did it - and in front of over 100,000 fans, not an Old Firm one in sight.

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For The Saints - And the Toffees !!

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Jagielka Took a Notion

Tune: Z Cars

Hear Audio

Jagielka took a notion
To errupt that sea of blue
So we left old Fergie’s boys behind us
On a sunny Wembley day

Timmy Howard he was brilliant
Pulling off two magic saves
In a team of Toffee heroes
On a sunny Wembley day

Hibbert, Lescott, Cahill, Feliani
Neville, Osman, Saha, Pinar, Baines - Leighton Baines!
And a subs bench of more than fifty thousand
On a sunny Wembley day

Davy Moyes he has a notion
to lift high the FA cup
That Chelsea boss he does not even want them
He rather smoke some hash than join tht bankers' club

Some billionaire and mafia money
Cockney wide boys no one cares
We’ll have a subs bench of more than 50 million
On a sunny Wembley Day

Jagielka took a notion
To errupt that sea of blue
So we’re off again down to that London
For a sunny Wembley day

© Alan Smart, 20th April 2009

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AYE WE DID!

.... For Lyrics go Here

AudioMP3? - e-mail me at ayewecan@gmail.com and I'll e-mail you one back for free. (Cup semi weekend service only) Other times - go to my MySpace site and download it there, still for free.

And want to "rip" (download) the video? Do so with my blessing - try this guide http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fok3lcUMdzE There are plenty other guides - tricky, but once youve done it once, easy. Like winning The Cup!

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World Champions!

Congratulations to Scotland's Men's National Curling Team who late last night triumphed over hosts Canada to win the World Championship. Aye We Did!

And a big congratulations also to Argentina's Angel Cabrera who last night clinched The Masters title in golf after a tense play-off in Augusta, Georgia. Cabrera is no box standard golfer. Born into poverty, and abandoned by his parents, he started from the bottom up , making ends meet by caddying his way around golf course from the age of ten to become South America greatest ever golfer. And did you see these Celtic fans in kilts on that final green, as Angel holed the winning put? I don't know who they were or how they got there, but I'd like to think via the Calton. How approriate!

And a final thought for Master's runner-up, the USA's Kenny Perry, who had he won, aged 48, would have been the oldest ever winner of a Major. He just missed out, but showed the world how to lose with dignity. Kenny, I hope your day will come, but you were a winner in my eyes anyway.

Now to Wembley with the Toffees!

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Fred Goodwin, my Chauffer!

Welcome Readers of the Scottish Sunday Express. The blog entry refered to in today's paper can be viewed here . The Sunday Express article here.

But take a look around my blog- find out how Everton are going to win the FA Cup, Obama is Scottish and Gordon Brown is a waste of space.

There are some nice videos set to original songs here too - including to one about our former First Minister being the best wee numpty in the world

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Britain's Worst Prime Minister

As a student of history, I am of the firm opinion that Gordon Brown is destined to be judged the worst Prime Minister of the democratic age.

His achievements?

Getting elected? - nope, not even by his own party, A vote? - can't have that!

Ending sleaze ?- nope, its got worse, can't even sack the likes of McNulty, Smith or Hoon now as they are no worse than the rest of them - they just got caught

Economic prudence? , - nope. Brown has presided over the most wreckless credit fueled boom in history that has brought near every major financial institution in the UK to its knees - and now the Treasury as well. All on Brown's brief, his unique brief. He set up the FSA, made all the appointments, wrote all the rules

Peacemaker? Nope. war criminal. It's taken Obama to end an illegal war Gordy help plan, finance. An he is still planning Trident2, putting scarce public funds into this dangerous and expensive vanity project. But he was once in CND - it helped his career at the time.

And now the revelations about Damien McBride, Brown's Head of Strategy and Policy, until his resignation caused by the expose of his plans to smear senior Consrevatives. And paid over £100k per year of taxpayers money on Brown's recommendation that he was the best man for the job. Brown hand picked, groomed, brought McBride with him from the Treasury, consciously allowing him to bief and spin against Labour MPs, journalists, and now her majesty's opposition .

This comes as no surprise to me. Because this is Brown - an amoral hypcritical schemer, who has wormed his way into high office by always having a Damien McBride, an official smearer, close to hand, and always paid for by public funds.

There of course was Charlie Wheelen, caught up in this latest scandal, that everyone in his office appears to have known about - execpt poor innocent Gordy. But Charlie Wheelan is just one of a long line of official smearers going back decades. I remember John Rafferty, the unctuous head of the Glasgow based Volunteer Centre who helped Brown smear his way up the greasy pole in the 1980's on the backs of cash syphoned off from projects designed to help the young unemployed. And then there was the legendary Tommy Graham MP - a buffoon and an embarrassment, who survived for a decade as an MP for one reason only - Gordy. Brown needed him to spy and blackmail dissident members of the Scottish Parliamentary Labour group. And in the end Tommy could have buried Brown with what he knew, why he held on so long - (try going to Tommy with a big cheque Daily Telegraph or News of the World, that payoff money must be running out) .

And then the Alexanders - his official vote riggers

So as this pious Presbyterian hypocrite deploys the full government spin machine in an attempt to persuade us that Damien McBride's smear project, despite being orchestrated from 10 Downing Street, was a freelance operation he knew nothing about, I have one word to say. Shite.

Normally Labour, or any party, would just remove so useless and hopelessly compromised leader - but Brown is such a schemer he has even planned against this eventuality, made sure it can't happen. It will be down to the people to vote him out - the people this great democrat has so meticulously avoided asking about anything.

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Wembley Here We Come!

Go here for Audio track download (MySpace)

The Leaving of Goodison

We were born in the City of Liverpool
It seems a long time gone
But in our soul runs the rhythm of the Merseybeat
We hate Bill Shankley and we hate St John

We first kicked a ball across the Stanley Park
Then the landlord he put up our fees
So me moved down the road to play at Goodison
We were first and we will always be

Chorus

So its fare thee well to Dixie Dean
To the Winslow and those Cavern days
Its not the leaving of Goodison that grieves me
But our Peter living far away

Lets’ remember the team of Harry Catterick
Wright, Wilson Gabriel, Labone and Young
Harris, Scott, Temple Trebilcock, and Harvie too
Like Alan Ball they are forever young

So its fare thee well to Dixie Dean
To the Golden Vision and those Cavern days
Its not the leaving of Goodison that grieves me
But big Our Peter living far away

Let’s raise a glass to Howard Kendall now
Our greatest living boss
He had us Champions, in Europe and at Rotterdam
We showed those red shite who was really boss

So its fare thee well to Graeme Sharp
Kevin Sheedy and to Andy Gray
Its not the leaving of Goodison that grieves me
But big Our Peter living far away

I look back to Wembley 95, my greatest ever day
Where we beat Sir Alex and his millionaires
We kicked those Roy Kean so hard
He couldnae play

So its fare thee well to Barry Horne
To Neville Southall and to King Joe Royle
Its not the leaving of Goodison that grieves me
But when the dogs of war went off the boil

Now we gonna have to leave old Goodison
Were off to Kirkby and to Tesco’s ground
But were from Toxteth, From Bootle and from Wavertree
And see that Kirkby it’s another town

So think again the People's Club
Please don’t take us for a bunch of fools
It’s not the leaving of Goodsion that grieves me
But the leaving of dear Liverpool

Now we beat‘ burgh in the quarters of FA cup
And beat the Villa, the red shite too
Next up United, as easy as they come they say
And then the Arsenal or those Russian blues

Because we’re Wembley bound with Davy Moyes
With Phil Neville and the toffee blues
Its not the leaving of Goodison that grieves me
But the prices of that London booze

But well calling out to Duncan Ferguson
Now sunning it in Spain
Dust down those Puma football boot
We need a striker so forget you weans

Please, please stay fit Louis Saha
Cause were heading down that Wembley way
Its not the leaving of Goodison that grieves me
But those red buses on the motorway

So its fare thee well to Dixie Dean
The Golden Vision and those Cavern days
Its not the leaving of Goodison that grieves me
But our Peter living far away

© Alan Smart, 8 March 2009

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Obama is Scottish ! - and in more ways than one

No April fool, but because he is in town.

And for Tartan Day 2009 - 6th April.

To fully get this you need to watch the original Irish version

Yes, and I wrote and sang the Scottish version. Have a go singing it yourself - here are the words, and even the guitar chords

Go here for audio track download (MySpace)

View non sub-titled and other related videos here

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