Steve from England

This is a man who has been around all of my life, I grew up with him in my world. Many of his tracks I consider as classics. I didn't like everything, some I consider to be rubbish but others I have special memories associated with them. But, whether we like his music or not, whether we like his lifestyle choices or not, the man is a huge figure in the music industry. I also want to say, I think it is important, that none of the sex assault allegations against him were proven. Indeed, there is accurate evidence to inplicate claimants in fraud. Most likely the cases were fabrications to make money. Certainly one would have to acknowledge he was quite screwed up, clearly apart from the 'normal' world in which we live. Does that make him a bad person? No, not really. It is about his music anyway. His personal life is known by very few, his music is known by millions. That amount of people cannot be ignored, the man had to have 'something'. RIP Michael Jackson, thank yo

This is a man who has been around all of my life, I grew up with him in my world. Many of his tracks I consider as classics. I didn't like everything, some I consider to be rubbish but others I have special memories associated with them. But, whether we like his music or not, whether we like his lifestyle choices or not, the man is a huge figure in the music industry. I also want to say, I think it is important, that none of the sex assault allegations against him were proven. Indeed, there is accurate evidence to inplicate claimants in fraud. Most likely the cases were fabrications to make money. Certainly one would have to acknowledge he was quite screwed up, clearly apart from the 'normal' world in which we live. Does that make him a bad person? No, not really. It is about his music anyway. His personal life is known by very few, his music is known by millions. That amount of people cannot be ignored, the man had to have 'something'. RIP Michael Jackson, thank yo

My PC was running really badly, had been for some time now so I decided that a rebuild was in order. I had been backing things up in prep for some time so that side didn't take too long. Indeed, the whole process was quite pain free and the machine now runs as it should be. My main gripe would be when it gets around to the Microsoft update VISTA SERVICE PACK 2. I tried an install ot it before the rebuild and it crashed the system, glitches all over the place. I assumed the rebuild would resolve most or all of those issues but it didn't. On reboot and within moments and after several restarts of an apparent succesful install, I got the blue screen of death! Microsoft can go to hell with service pack 2, I think I will stick with a working PC The laptop too was sluggish and was running XP. I had a choice, rebuild XP or go radical, load Linux. That is what I have done and the machine positively flies now. True, it really is for basics. Forget hefty games, that is not what Linux is

My PC was running really badly, had been for some time now so I decided that a rebuild was in order. I had been backing things up in prep for some time so that side didn't take too long. Indeed, the whole process was quite pain free and the machine now runs as it should be. My main gripe would be when it gets around to the Microsoft update VISTA SERVICE PACK 2. I tried an install ot it before the rebuild and it crashed the system, glitches all over the place. I assumed the rebuild would resolve most or all of those issues but it didn't. On reboot and within moments and after several restarts of an apparent succesful install, I got the blue screen of death! Microsoft can go to hell with service pack 2, I think I will stick with a working PC The laptop too was sluggish and was running XP. I had a choice, rebuild XP or go radical, load Linux. That is what I have done and the machine positively flies now. True, it really is for basics. Forget hefty games, that is not what Linux is

I was doing one of those Facebook searches we probably all do when totally bored and seem to have found several family members. Most significant would be my sister of course ... we have not spoken in a decade or so, actually, maybe a couple of decades but who's counting! There were various first cousins there as well so I applied to have them add me ... I don't expect anyone to accept and, if they do, it is probably because they click yes to everything and have no idea who I am! I offered to James that I would help him to be a dad, if he wants me to. He doesn't have anyone up here that could or would do that in a friendly, actually gives a fuck kind of way and I don't want my grandchild growing up without his biological dad because I didn't do all I could do to create and maintain some sort of contact. This is not to say James will ever be a primary carer, that role will become and remain Daisy's and, of course, any guy she happens to make a commitment to in the

I was doing one of those Facebook searches we probably all do when totally bored and seem to have found several family members. Most significant would be my sister of course ... we have not spoken in a decade or so, actually, maybe a couple of decades but who's counting! There were various first cousins there as well so I applied to have them add me ... I don't expect anyone to accept and, if they do, it is probably because they click yes to everything and have no idea who I am! I offered to James that I would help him to be a dad, if he wants me to. He doesn't have anyone up here that could or would do that in a friendly, actually gives a fuck kind of way and I don't want my grandchild growing up without his biological dad because I didn't do all I could do to create and maintain some sort of contact. This is not to say James will ever be a primary carer, that role will become and remain Daisy's and, of course, any guy she happens to make a commitment to in the

I am British ... why do I find this threatening and offensive?

I am British ... why do I find this threatening and offensive?

Comments can now be left on my blog if you want ... they are all moderated though so no point posting anything daft!

Comments can now be left on my blog if you want ... they are all moderated though so no point posting anything daft!

First, and no shock here, Social Services have been in no rush to support Daisy. She had an assessment nearly 2 weeks ago and was promised a social worker allocated to get by the end of the week, she is still waiting. We have had Sean round this week. He has been part of our extended network for many years now having grown up with the kids and we have go to know him well, he's a really nice lad. He likes it here and we enjoy his company so he stayed for a few days. Nothing more to it than that. He also happens to be one of James friends. From the outset James treats Sean coming here as a method of information finding and passing messages on. We can live with that but it is rather unfair on Sean to be out in the position. However, he stepped things up this time involving Sean's family in being critical of the time Sean spent with Daisy and warning him 'not to go there' with her. Later, James himself contacted Sean threatening him not to do anything with Daisy and going o

First, and no shock here, Social Services have been in no rush to support Daisy. She had an assessment nearly 2 weeks ago and was promised a social worker allocated to get by the end of the week, she is still waiting. We have had Sean round this week. He has been part of our extended network for many years now having grown up with the kids and we have go to know him well, he's a really nice lad. He likes it here and we enjoy his company so he stayed for a few days. Nothing more to it than that. He also happens to be one of James friends. From the outset James treats Sean coming here as a method of information finding and passing messages on. We can live with that but it is rather unfair on Sean to be out in the position. However, he stepped things up this time involving Sean's family in being critical of the time Sean spent with Daisy and warning him 'not to go there' with her. Later, James himself contacted Sean threatening him not to do anything with Daisy and going o

Romanian family's window broken Another Romanian family in Belfast, this time in Ballyhackamore in the east of the city, has been attacked. The bathroom window of their home, on the Upper Newtownards Road, was smashed at about 2300 BST on Wednesday. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is where things are clearly out of balance. Don't get me wrong here, quite awful for the Romanian families involved and despicable behaviour from those causing the trouble but ... Where are the national news headlines about the countless gay people who have their windows broken and are taunted near daily? We still get it here, the second home in Northampton we have lived. In comparison to our Thorplands home things are a lot better here as we have had no smashed windows. But, as the weath

Romanian family's window broken Another Romanian family in Belfast, this time in Ballyhackamore in the east of the city, has been attacked. The bathroom window of their home, on the Upper Newtownards Road, was smashed at about 2300 BST on Wednesday. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is where things are clearly out of balance. Don't get me wrong here, quite awful for the Romanian families involved and despicable behaviour from those causing the trouble but ... Where are the national news headlines about the countless gay people who have their windows broken and are taunted near daily? We still get it here, the second home in Northampton we have lived. In comparison to our Thorplands home things are a lot better here as we have had no smashed windows. But, as the weath

Yes, a typo in the title ... not good!

Yes, a typo in the title ... not good!

Well, right now it is, nice weather but, as of Monday, it aint meant to be again and that's just a bummer to be honest! Our James has been sending text messages again. I am not going write here what he said in them but I do find it all really sad. Thing is, he has hit the bottom and just splashing around and telling himself it is all OK is not going to get him out of it. Indeed, if he follows his current path, the most likely outcome is that the bucket is likely to hit him on the head! When stuck down a well and with no clue what to do, it is nearly always a good idea to ask for help from someone who has a rope. At the moment he is using a combination of a pair of wellington boots and social services wading in with a shovel and a spoon. Both tools really useful in their own right but rather useless when trapped in a well! He could ask me for help, I know what he has to do to climb up. He could try his mum, or Sean but he's not doing that, he's just splashing around chatting

Well, right now it is, nice weather but, as of Monday, it aint meant to be again and that's just a bummer to be honest! Our James has been sending text messages again. I am not going write here what he said in them but I do find it all really sad. Thing is, he has hit the bottom and just splashing around and telling himself it is all OK is not going to get him out of it. Indeed, if he follows his current path, the most likely outcome is that the bucket is likely to hit him on the head! When stuck down a well and with no clue what to do, it is nearly always a good idea to ask for help from someone who has a rope. At the moment he is using a combination of a pair of wellington boots and social services wading in with a shovel and a spoon. Both tools really useful in their own right but rather useless when trapped in a well! He could ask me for help, I know what he has to do to climb up. He could try his mum, or Sean but he's not doing that, he's just splashing around chatting

You know the other day how I was saying James was doing himself no favours with Daisy? Well, I could see Daisy always being upset and that is clearly no way to have a pregnancy so I asked her what she wanted to do. She asked me if I could talk to James, get him to see sense, agree to a few things so they stood a chance of getting back together again. Daisy wrote out what she wanted to say and I typed it up for her. James was contacted and told what Daisy wanted to do. At first he refused to deal with me claiming it was just between them but Daisy insisted. I sent James some texts saying how it needed to be on Tuesday, incidentally, today. On Monday afternoon he sent me a text asking me to tell him what time. Off the top of my head I said 10:00. He wrote back and said he can't make that, he has an appointment. I replied that it was rather silly asking me what time if he wasn't going to agree to the time I chose ... he replied that he doesn't have to jump just because I say s

You know the other day how I was saying James was doing himself no favours with Daisy? Well, I could see Daisy always being upset and that is clearly no way to have a pregnancy so I asked her what she wanted to do. She asked me if I could talk to James, get him to see sense, agree to a few things so they stood a chance of getting back together again. Daisy wrote out what she wanted to say and I typed it up for her. James was contacted and told what Daisy wanted to do. At first he refused to deal with me claiming it was just between them but Daisy insisted. I sent James some texts saying how it needed to be on Tuesday, incidentally, today. On Monday afternoon he sent me a text asking me to tell him what time. Off the top of my head I said 10:00. He wrote back and said he can't make that, he has an appointment. I replied that it was rather silly asking me what time if he wasn't going to agree to the time I chose ... he replied that he doesn't have to jump just because I say s

I think, with one thing or another, my birthday got kind of over looked. Quite understandable and I wasn't overly bothered if I am honest. All the same it was OK. Matt & Anne came over as did Anna & Paul and Adam too ... quite a group of special people ... speaking of 'special' people in a different sense ... (I need to explain a little recent history) When James left he did so owing me rent. I told him that I would hold on to his TV until he paid what he owed. It would be fair to say he got quite off about that but then, I expected that but also expected that he'd ultimately agree and pay up. Back up to date again and last night ... Andy was on the phone to me saying happy birthday and apologising for not being at home personally to see me when André and Anastasia turned up. I was polite but André was rude as hell ... the opening line being ... "get the TV". I did tell him that this was my house, that if he wanted to talk to me then he'd best be d

I think, with one thing or another, my birthday got kind of over looked. Quite understandable and I wasn't overly bothered if I am honest. All the same it was OK. Matt & Anne came over as did Anna & Paul and Adam too ... quite a group of special people ... speaking of 'special' people in a different sense ... (I need to explain a little recent history) When James left he did so owing me rent. I told him that I would hold on to his TV until he paid what he owed. It would be fair to say he got quite off about that but then, I expected that but also expected that he'd ultimately agree and pay up. Back up to date again and last night ... Andy was on the phone to me saying happy birthday and apologising for not being at home personally to see me when André and Anastasia turned up. I was polite but André was rude as hell ... the opening line being ... "get the TV". I did tell him that this was my house, that if he wanted to talk to me then he'd best be d