Well, guess wot?

I have just been nominated!

No, no, not for twat of the year.

Anybody who has read my blogs will know what I'm talking about.


I have been nominated to become a labour councillor for Hagley.

It is a dominate conservative area.

So I wasn't surprised when we struggled to get the ten nominees I needed to sign that piece of paper!

So really, I am a paper candidate.

However, never be put off, I will spend April going around canvassing and try to get some more votes.

If you don't go around introducing yourself no-one will vote for you, they will never vote for someone they have never seen or spoken to.

My husband geoff is a councillor and I must admit I love his work.

So, although I don't stand much of a chance, I said I would stand as an councillor.

It will be fun.

Actually, to be honest, I am quite enjoying all the attention I'm getting!!!

Will let you know the result.

The election is on May 3rd.

Have any of you ever tried the monkey business game on sky t.v.?
If you go to documentaries, page 524.Animal planet programme. They do occasionally have the meerkats on as well.

Please try it.

It is fantastic.
We cannot leave it alone!

It's great fun.

Of all the the seasons we have, I must admit that spring is my favourite.

I have just been outside and the smell of that fresh air is something I look forward to every year.

The flowers are just begining to show their heads and the wintry leaves have gone.
The nights are getting lighter and the whole atmosphere is fresher.

I love the spring.

GOD OR SCIENCE VOL 2.

I have always watched Horizon as I find it very informative and interesting. On this occasion I was not disappointed. I could not understand why anyone could question the ethics of Darwin.
However some people do.
In Dover U.S.A. Atlanta Cobb County School board, the second largest board in Georgia, was taken to court, by the parents, for that reason.

A suburban American school found itself in court after it tried to placate Christian fundamentalist parents by placing a sticker on its science textbooks saying evolution was "a theory, not a fact."

Some parents wanted creationism-the theory that god created humans according to the bible version-to be taught alongside evolution.

"God created earth and man in his image." One parent says. "Leave this garbage out of the textbooks. I don't want anybody taking care of me in a nursing home some day to think I came from a monkey."

Cobb county achieved what it believed to be a compromise by addibg stickers to the books which read:
"this textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically consisdered."

But secular parents believed the board had been browbeaten.

In 1987, the supreme court ruled that creationism was a religious belief that could NOT be taught in public schools along with EVOLUTION.

However, since then, the parents won the case and both religion and evolution is being taught at the school.

Well after watching that fascinating programme it really made me sit back and think, religion, evolution or both.

Some may think you can not teach both as they do contradict each other.

For example, in the Bible it states that god made this earth in 6 days and rested on the 7th.

Or was it the "big bang" that started this earth and all the other planets?

I do think that both should be taught in schools, but, Personally, I tend to lean towards evolution, although I mean no offence to anyone that is religious.
I just cannot except that a "god" made us.

GOD OR SCIENCE?

This is a very interesting question.
Do you believe in religion or science?
Did God create this earth or was evolution?

Let us start with the easiest questions....

Did God create this earth in 6 days and then rested on the seventh?
Was Adam and Eve the first persons on this earth.
Was there three wise men and what was the star they followed?

It is a well known fact that the sun is five billion years old and the earth is four and a half billion years old. It took half a billion years for the sun to warm us up and start "life" on this planet.
As for whether A dam and Eve were the first people on this earth, I can only repeat what we all know, that dinosaurs roamed this earth for millions of years and then they became extinct, were they mentioned in the bible?
The first "humans" were from the Neanderthal species. Which related to the "ape" species.

The three wise men? There may have been three wise men following the star, but what star was it? What star shone so brightly in the sky for them to follow?

The question could go on forever, and I find it so interesting. I would be delighted to hear your opoint of view.

Last Thursday I did a Dickiebo.

Feeling very angry at something that had happened at work (with another checkout girl I mean), I sat here and wrote the most awful blog.
I went on and on about this girl at work who is not exactly the most hardest working person you could meet. In fact she is one of the most laziest people I have known.
I blogged and blogged for hours. Letting off some of my anger and frustration.
My language was disgusting...every four letter word you have heard and probably some you haven't.

When I had finished I went to publish it, and guess what, it wouldn't publish!

I couldn't believe it. I thought of Dickiebo straight away, he also had a problem with publishing a blog he did. His computer crashed.

But it made me wonder, was it someone, somewhere not allowing me to publish that blog?
I am in fact glad that none of you ever saw it, it was really awfull.

But as you know this is our only outlet, and sometimes you just need to say what you are feeling.

Sometimes happy, sometimes sad,
Sometimes dappy, sometimes mad.

Perhaps when I've calmed down a bit and can write in a more reasonable mood, I'll tell you about it.

New World pay at Asda.

I have spoken to my union official concerning the new pay measures Asda will be bringing in by August, and he was not as disgruntled about the situation as I was.
When I explained about the loss of overtime pay I would lose, he said that I should work out what it will mean over the year.

So I did.

My new wage per hour will be £5.88 x 20hrs per week x 4= £470.00 x 12=£5644.8

My wage now per hour is £5.35 x 20hrs per week x 4=£428.00 x 12=£5136.oo

So, in fact, I will be gaining £508.00 per year, and I would not need to do any overtime.

It's funny how we all said we would lose out, but now we have sat down and worked it out over the year we are all saying we will actually gain. This is because the new rate of pay is 53p an hour more.

For once Asda has done something good for their employees.

well, yet another blonde moment....only this time not just me.

I had an appointment at the Opticians at 1.30 p.m. today, so geoff decided he would come along to.

We arranged that geoff would meet me at Asda at 1.15p.m. after he had done some shopping.
Sure enough, he was waiting and we got into his car to drive to the town centre to go to the opticians.

After choosing new glasses which I desperately needed, we left the opticians and got into geoff's car and drove home.

Arriving home I suddenly had a thought (Now, that is dangerous!!)
I turned to geoff and said:

"GEOFF, MY CAR!"

Geoff looked at me and said:

"What about it?"

I looked at him and said in a rather disbelieving voice:

I've done it again, MY CAR IS IN THE TOWN!"

With that, we both burst out laughing and turned the car round to drive straight back into town to retrieve my car!!!

How can we both forget my car?

Yet again it was left.

I can't get over it. Twice I have left my car.

Can't wait to tell the girls at work.

I don't think they would believe me.......do you?

I have never wanted to use this blog site as a "Have a go at Asda" page, but I must admit that something has happened at work which has made my blood boil!

I have been at Asda now for 16 years, not a lot has happened in those years but now it has.

They brought in a new pay structure about 5 years ago. This is called the "New World." pay structure.

This meant that any new employees would be put on this New World pay structor.
The new employees would have to work Sundays and every bank holiday.

For working Sundays you are paid time and a half.
Bank Holidays you are paid time and a half.

However they are paid 53p an hour more than the "Old World" employees.

I am one of the "old world" employees....we are paid the minimum wage of £5.35 per hour and we get paid double time for sundays.


Employees like myself who have been there a number of years, could choose whether to go on to the new world pay. If you worked Mondays it wasn't really worth it because you would also have to Bank Holidays. If you did Sundays as overtime you would be paid time and a half.


I did not change over because I do work Mondays and although I have done Bank Holidays, as overtime, I admit that stopped some years ago, I prefer to spend some time with my family on these days.
I do work sundays mornings as overtime.

I have now received a letter from Asda informing me that I, along with everybody else who is on old world, will from 5-8-07 be transferred to the New World pay structure.

We will be paid the standard rate of £5.88

There will be no overtime rate for sundays, just the flat rate of £5.88

We will now have to work Bank Holidays.

I worked it out that although my hourly rate is slightly higher (by 53p) the biggest loss will be the overtime at the standard rate.

It will mean a loss of £34.00 per month.

How can Asda do this to their employees?

I do not want to except this offer.

I will be talking to my union official about this matter.

I will let you know what happens.

We decided that our bedroom needed decorating after looking at the same wallpaper year after year. We could not decide which wallpaper to choose so after a while we decided to paint it.
Actually, geoff did all the painting as I am useless with that sort of thing.

We now have got a lovely bedroom with pink walls (has to be doesn't it?) and a blue ceiling.

Lovely.

Looks so warm.

Now,we had a built-in wardrobe but the doors where tatty and hanging off their hinges! So we decided to buy a new one,so off we go to all the shops and eventually we saw one we both liked and then waited for it to be delivered. Sure enough it came. God it was huge........and it was in boxes.

Have you ever tried to assembly a wardrobe?

Well, we looked at the instructions and ?!?!?

Have they sent the right ones I wondered. What is all these things in a packet? What are those nuts and bolts for?

I quickly explained to Geoff that I had to go to work and left him to it. I came home expecting the wardrobe to be built and walked into the bedroom to find Geoff still looking at the instructions, so I knew it wasn't going to be a quick job.

Three weeks later,(yes, three weeks!) with some help from me, the wardrobe was built and as you can expect the bedroom was in a bit of a mess.

So armed with the old pledge and hoover up I went to clean it. Then I saw it.......the old record player we had hidden in a corner. Geoff had got it out and dusted it down, and put it in a corner of the bedroom.

Wow.

I got out all the old L.P.s, and picked my old ,old favourites.

T.Rex. Electric Warrior.

What a band.

I think a lot of people would agree that It was the lead singer,Marc Bolan, who made that group.
I loved him.

Unfortunately, on september 16th 1977 he died. He was involved in a car accident which skidded and his car hit a tree. He was killed instantly. He was 30 years old.

Music has never been the same since.


It took me back 20 years or more. I remember when I first heard them, 1974 I believe and I was at school.I went out and bought the first T.Rex album, and played it till my parents asked me to give them a rest from it. I could not understand why anyone could not like their music.

When it came to christmas I, of course, asked for another T.Rex album. Which my parents brought for me on the condition I would only play it when they were out.

I'm glad I kept those albums and I would never throw them away.

What albums do you have which you are glad you never threw away?

Is it just me? Why do I always have to have a blonde moment?

Having worked in Asda for many years, 16, to be precise, and knowing how busy we get at christmas time, the one thing we all do is book a weeks hols in Jan or Feb so we can have a rest.
Well, yes I booked last week off and I had a lovely week at home. We went out and about and isn't it nice not to have to watch the clock all the time.

Anyway, I returned to work on Monday and as we were quite busy I wasn't surprised when they didn't send me for my break at my normal time, approx.10.00 a.m.

Suddenly my manager came up to me and she said:

"Annette, I noticed you haven't had your break, do you know why?"

I looked at her and said:

"Well, probably because we are busy, you know I don't mind if I go a bit later."

She smiled and said:

"Well, actually, I couldn't find you on the break list, so I looked at the list of checkouts that was in this morning and did you know you are still on holiday?"

"On holiday!" I said. "I had last week off, so what do you mean?"

She looked at me and smiled.

"Don't you remember you booked a floating day off today?"

"Oh, no I don't remember that." I said.

"Well," she said. "You did......but that's alright you can book another day instead. I'll let the wages dept know."

Well at this, everybody just burst out laughing and pointing at me they said something like:

"Oh Annette, can't you remember your own hols?"

I turned to them and laughing I said:

"Listen guys, if I can leave my car outside spar all night I can easily forget my hols."

Needless to say I never heard the end of this all day.

It was hilarious.

But I admit I was rather embarrased!

R.I.P. Common Sense

R.I.P.

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, as his birth records were long lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies ( adults, not children, are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.

Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Panadol, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a student but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realise that a steaming hot cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, his wife, Discretion, his daughter, Responsibility; his son, Reason.
He is survived by three stepbrothers; I know my rights, Someone else is to blame and I'm a Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realised he was gone.
If you still remember him, pass this on.
If not, join the majority and do nothing.

I have now deleted my last blog.

The reason I wrote it in the first place was just to let off some of that anger.

I thought (which isn't a good thing for me) that I could get rid of this anger by sharing it with all of you.



you know the saying......a problem shared is a problem halved.

But I didn't feel any better for writing it down anyway.

However, I would like to thank you for your comments....they were very kind. (tupc shone through as always) But I really thought you were going to say something in the region of:

annette, you need a doctor!

I won't mention it again.

Let it be.

Thanks again.....you've been very kind to me.

Political Police

I have just been through all the police bloggs and I must admit there was one that really hit me.

P.C. South west's blogg:

R.I.P. Common Sense

"Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, common Sense, who has been with us for many years..........."

That friend of ours slowly disappeared over a number of years, we could see it slipping away through our fingers and although we tried to grip it and hang on to it, it slipped away quietly, into the unknown, probably never to be seen again.

I doubt if it will return, as things have changed and it no longer belongs in this world.


If you haven't read this then please, go and read it. It says everything that you and I have been thinking and fearing for years.

O.K. I will admit it. I did let my imagination run a little riot with my last post.

I was going to do a serious blog about the panorama programme I watched the night before.
The one about helping people in need when they are being attacked, but , I truly could not decide what I would do.
Would I be too scared to intervene, have they got weapons etc.?

So, sitting here debating what I would do if that situation occured I thought

" well I probably would if I had a weapon to defend myself."

Well you saw the result!

First I was Clint Eastwood with a colt .45, then I was the incredible hulk, turning green when I was angry and then to top the lot I turned into Uma Thurman with a samurai sword, as in Kill Bill, the best film ever.

We all like to think we are all super human beings.......don't we?

panorama...........would you help someone being attacked?

I'm walking slowly out of the pub,not really wanting to go home.As I walked outside the bitter cold air hit me.I turned up my collar against the bitter cold wind.
My hands deep in my pockets thank god I put my big winter coat on.

"Well, see you then." I said to my friends, pauline and gill.
"yes goodnight. see you next week."They replied.
I smiled and turned to walk down the high street. It was 10.30 p.m.very dark and very quite.
We always went for a drink on friday nights,it was only round the corner from where I live so it was nice to walk home.

Suddenly I hear a scream, from across the road I see three lads attacking a young girl.They are pushing and shoving her and shes screaming.
I stand there for a few seconds and look around, theres no-one around so I have to go and help her.
I run up to them shouting.
"LEAVE HER ALONE." The young girl was petrified. "RUN, RUN, GO HOME!" I shouted at her.
She turned and ran as fast as she could.

They turn and loook surprised, wondering where I had come from.
As I reached them one of the lads grabbed my coat and tried to push me to the floor, but I reach out and get hold of his arm and twist it. He yells in pain. Then I bring my leg up and kick him in the stomach. He falls to the floor wounded. He lays there trying to get his breathe back.
I turn and look at the other two, one had run away but the other grabs me again and pushes me hard and I fall to the ground. Laying on the cold hard floor,
I put my hand in my pocket and pull out a colt 45,pointing it straight at him, he freezes and I shoot. Blood splattering, he slowly falls to the floor, he's dead.
Suddenly I feel a hand on my wrist, the other lad had recovered and was trying to get my gun of me.
I struggled but he was too strong for me, he grabbed my gun and pointed it to my head.
"my god," I thought "I'm going to die."
At this point my anger got the better of me and I felt the muscles in my arms swell so large,I easily got hold of his body and rolled him away from me.After he stopped rolling he quickly turned towards me and pointed my gun at me again. I got up and with an almighty whack I kicked his hand away. The gun flew off into the air and landed on the pavement.
I ran over and picked it up.
Turning to the lad on the floor I could see fear in his eyes,he knew I was going to kill him.
He reached out his hands and waved them in front of me.
"NO, NO," He screamed."YOUR, YOUR G..G..GREEN!"

I nodded and I peered down at him, my eyes blazing.
"Yes, I always go green when I'm angry." I said. "Now your going to go blue!"
He looked up at me, eyes wide , fear in his face.
I point the gun to his head and shoot.
Another one dead.

I stood there looking around, I wipe the sweat of my face with the back of my hand.
Blood everywhere. What a bloody mess.I could only walk away and I turned and slipped my gun into my pocket.I hoped I wouldn't need that again.

Suddenly I hear footsteps behind me, I turn and could just see a fist coming towards my face.

"WHACK"

I ducked my head down and he fell over my body.As he landed on the pavement I heard an "ooff" from him. He was winded.
He got straight up and faced me. Anger shone in his eyes.
"YOU KILLED MY FRIENDS!" He yelled.
"YES, AND I WILL KILL YOU TO." I yelled back.
He stood there shaking his head.
"No ,no, you won't" I could hear him thinking.
"Oh yes I will." I thought back.

He lent towards me and bought his arm up as if to stab me. I raised my hands to my face and then with a whoooosh and a whaaaaack I hit him with all my might. Time stood still for a few seconds, then he slowly slumped down onto the floor. His eyes closed, he fell in to a heap.He was dead.

Looking down at him I could see something glittering in the moonlight.
It was a carving knife.
I picked it up and threw it away.

I raised my hand and gripping it tightly, I held it to the moonlight. I could see the blade glittering. It was very large, and very heavy.

You see, no-one could beat my samurai sword.


I slipped my sword back into the shield, and sighing quietly, turned and walked away.

Maybe one day, there will be no bad guys.

***Your Personality Cluster is Introverted Sensing***
If you like to do these quizzies and find out what your about please go to noddys blog

This is what it said about me:

You are:

Responsible, ethical, and trustworthy
Loyal, with a sense of roots in your community
Someone who treasures and remembers the past
Adverse to surprises and the unknown

Taser guns.

Thames Valley was one of the five forces in the U.K. which were initially involved in a 12 month trial of laser guns.
The initial trial which ended 2004, has now been extended and any force can now apply to the Home office for permission to have Tasers. Thames Vally is continuing to take part in the evaluation of the device.

What is a Taser?
A taser is an electrical weapon which administers an electric current which causes muscle dysfunction, temporarily incapacitating a person.

What does it do to someone?
The effects are instantaneous and only lasts for as long as the charge is applied.

Will beat officers use the taser?
No, the taser will only be used by highly- trained, authorised firearms officers.

I recently read a blog by big fella in blue about the taser gun. Now, not knowing anything about this particular weapon I went on the internet and found a lot of information about the gun.

But I am disappointed that only firearms officers are allowed to use this weapon.

I think that now is the time when ALL police officers should be armed and using the taser gun would be perfect.They would, of course, be trained how to use this weapon.

It would only be used in defence and not for attack.

How many times have you heard of an incident when police officers are chasing someone and they pull out a gun or knife to attack the officers? What have they got to defend themselves?

It's time this country woke up and gave our police a gun that they could use in defence.

Police officers in many other countries have got them, so why not us?

she's won

So she's won. Shilpa Shetty is who I am refering to. But I don't think anyone is surprised, do you?

Of course, she let out a scream of surprise when they announced she was the winner, but were you convinced she was surprised? I wasn't.

It was a complete fiasco from the begining, yes Jade can be loud and overbearing but I'm still not convinced that the criticism was racially intended.
Shilpa came across as thinking she was better than anybody else, that alone will cause bad feeling.

Now she is all forgiving to Jade and the others.

I only hope this awful programme is now banished for ever.

Why do we have wednesdays?

I don't know about you but is there one day in the week that you hate?
For me it's got to be wednesdays.

I really don't know why but I just hate wednesdays.
Every week it's the same,I get up and then it dawns on me what day it is:

Wednesday.

Yuk.

It's not that something bad has happened on that particular day. Nothing happens on that day.

It's so boring.
It's not the begining of the week, nor is it the end of the week.

It's a no day, nothing.

If it was possible I would delete wednesdays forever. We would skip from tuesday to thursday.

It doesn't make any sense really does it?

But then wednesday doesn't make any sense either.

Is there a day you don't like?