Roy Tomkinson: Novel, "Anger Child"

The cover from my Novel "Anger Child," notice the two images of ghosts, The person shackled is Tom, read the story.

THE LANGUAGE OF YOUTH

TEENAGE ACRONYMS, PHONES, CONFUSION

You buy your teenage daughter a mobile phone, and it makes you feel a responsible parent. Now, wherever she is, you are able to call her, and of course, she can always contact you. Then you hear the constant beep – beep – beep of her text messages.

One message follows another without as much as a pause. She tells you her friends are texting and will call round later, good you think, at least I know she will be safe, no danger with all her girl friends being in the house, studying or doing their school homework.

Her friends arrive; and what is the first thing they do? They hardly talk to each other. Out comes the phones, and you have it: text, text, text, buzz – buzz – buzz, and it never stops.

What can they possibly be saying? Her friends are all with her, but they are doing the same, texting. You wonder if they are texting each other! Don’t kids talk face to face any longer?

Your daughter, with her friends, leave the lounge to go to her bedroom, but inadvertently she leaves her phone on the arm of the chair, now is your chance to glance. You take a quick surreptitious look at all the text messages, and wish you hadn’t bothered. Now you are even more confused.

To you it’s just gobbledygook, no harm there you think, and you place the phone back on the arm of the chair, feeling a little guilty that you have looked at the messages on her phone, but not overly. You want to know your daughter is not meeting with the wrong type of people, and now you feel a little more contented.

Then you start to think about the acronyms, TDTM - RUH - PIR – P911. There were loads more acronyms, in fact, every message was an acronym and made no sense whatsoever. You peek at the messages, and write down a few on a scrap of paper.

Your mind now is in overdrive, and you start to believe your child is somewhat dyslexic, and wondering why hadn’t you noticed. Then you sigh, her school grades were always good, not even a hint that there were learning difficulties.

Relieved, you put the kettle on to make yourself a cup of tea and, as you just sit down to start to drink it the phone on the armchair goes into overdrive, text message follows text message, and before you have finished placing your empty tea cup back on the saucer, you count thirty buzzes. The old grey sells start to bubble, you think perhaps her whole school is texting her, she must be a very popular girl.

You are quite relaxed about the whole thing, and give a knowing smile thinking, innocence of the youth, my daughter is a well liked girl, and always in demand by her friends. Nothing to worry about over her, you smile to yourself, a little bit of harmless texting. But something niggles at the back of your mind.

What could it be?

You look at your scrap of paper; your daughter comes into the room, smiles at you, as you turn the scrap of paper over not for her to see. She picks up her phone and leave again without saying a word. You turn the scrap of paper over and look at your scribbling – POS – NIFOC – MOS – KPC – IWSN – IAYM – GNOC – GYPO – IMESRU – DUM - DUSL – IF/IB - Kitty - SorG – RU/18 - MPFB – ILF/MD – FMLTWIA - ASL – Pron – Banana - 420 – 143 – 182 – 8 – 1174, and so the mystery goes on.

A few of these acronyms were in the same text. Still none the wiser, but rather smug, you rip up the paper, and throw the bits into the wastepaper bin, and decide to go for a walk, after all, they are only a few letters and numbers.

If only he knew!

TDTM----------Talk Dirty To Me!
RUH------------Are You Horny?
PIR-------------Parent In Room.
P911------------Parent Alert

Let’s see what the first four acronyms mean:
The others:

POS-----------Parent Over Shoulder or/ Piece Of Sh**
NIFOC--------Nude In Front Of The Computer.
MOS----------Mum Over Shoulder
KPC---------- Keeping Parents Clueless
IWSN---------I Want Sex Now
IAYM---------I Am Your Master
GNOC-------- Get Naked ON Cam
GYPO-------- Get Your Pants Off
IMESRU------I Am Easy, Are You?
DUM----------Do You Masturbate?
DUSL---------Do You Scream Loud?
IF/IB---------In The Front Or In The Back?
Kitty----------Vagina
SorG----------Straight Or Gay?
RU/18--------Are You Over Eighteen?
MPFB-------- My Personal Fu** Buddy
ILFM/MD--- I Love Male Dominance
FMLTWIA--- F*** Me Like The Whore I Am
ASL---------- Age, Sex, Location
Pron----------Porn
Banana-------Penis-------------(no need to be a genius to work that one out!)
420---------- Marijuana
143-----------I Love You!
182-----------I Hate You!
8-------------Oral Sex
1174--------- Nude Club
Don't choke, you were young once!

RAPE OF THE INNOCENT. WHERE IS THE JUSTICE?

RAPE!

THERE IS ANONYMITY FOR THE VICTIM, BUT THE SAME RIGHT IS NOT ACCORDED TO THE ALLEGED PERPETRATOR: WHY ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER? THE PRESUMPTION IS INNOCENCE UNTIL CONVICTION!

Should people charged with a sexual offence retain anonymity until after conviction?
A murder suspect who is arrested does not retain anonymity, so why should a person accused of rape be treated any differently, the argument concludes.
The reason; the sexual act only becomes criminalised if there is no consent. The act of having sex is a natural biological function. Now the water starts to get murky; exactly what constitutes consent?

Let’s look at what the law says.

The Sexual Offences Act 2003 (the Act) came into force on the 1 May 2004. It swept before it most of the existing statute law in relation to sexual offences. The provisions in the Act strengthened and modernised the law on sexual offences, improving substantially the protection of individuals from sexual offenders, and sexually predatory persons.

Important provisions of the Act include, but not exclusively, what follows:

• Definition is widened to include oral penetration
• Sweeping changes to what constitutes consent
• Abolition of the Morgan defence
• Clarity in relation to children under 13, 16 and 18
• Offences to protect vulnerable persons with a mental disorder
• Other miscellaneous offences
• Notification requirements and new civil preventative orders

What is the definition of consent?

The Act (2003) has three important requirements recounting consent.

• A statutory definition of consent
• The test of reasonable belief in consent
• The defendant's belief in consent

Consent means, a person, "...agrees by choice, and has the freedom and capacity to make that choice." Without consent, a person (male or female) is guilty of the offence of unlawfully having sex without the other party’s consent. Thus, the sexual act becomes criminalised.
Belief of consent is determined with regard to all the circumstances, and that consent must be given freely without coercion. The Act takes into account a defendant's attributes, such as disability, mental capacity, naivety, or extreme youth, any of which could exclude consent.
There is an important change in the law, the Act abolishes the Morgan Defence, whereby the defence can claim there was a genuine, though unreasonably mistaken belief that the complainant consented to having sex. This means the onus is clearly on the defendant and there is a statuary responsibility to ensure that consent was unqualified at the time in question.
It will be imperative for the police to ask the offender in interview what steps were taken to ensure the complainant had consented. The onus of proof is then on the defendant to prove that sexual consent was explicitly agreed. Until then, the Morgan ruling in the mid 1970s stated, ‘to convict a person of rape, the prosecution had to convince the jury, to prove beyond reasonable doubt that a woman had not consented to having sex.’
Further, guilt depended on whether or not he thought she had consented. The crunch here, the deciding factor, is thought: what had gone on in the defendant’s mind at the time the sexual act took place, and not, what had happening to the complainant's body. This was the "Morgan Rule,” which says that a man is not guilty of rape, if he genuinely believed there had been consent, no matter how unreasonable that belief.
Deciding whether consent is reasonable, is now evaluated by considering any steps taken by the defendant in ascertaining whether there had been consent to the sexual act before it actual had taken place. Belief in consent is no longer a valid defence plea. The defendant must prove reasonableness to the jury on every account.
For the victims, it is argued, there must be anonymity. Most of the women who contact rape crisis centres have never been inside a Police Station, and it is important that their courage be respected. It is not easy or pleasant going through all the police interviews and the courts. But for all its flaws, it is argued in numerous quarters, that anonymity must be retained. Thankfully, the law is clear on this point in defending the injured party.
Victims of rape and other sex crimes, including minors, are automatically guaranteed anonymity for life from the moment they make a complaint of a sex crime in England and Wales. In Scotland, the law differs slightly, but the practice regarding anonymity is generally universal.
The treatment of the accused in rape cases must be no different from murder or child abuse, or any other crime. You cannot have special rules for the accused in rape cases. The argument to make an exception will feed the myth that women who report rape are lying, and that it is easy to report rape. And perpetuate the belief, that often rape is reported for revenge against a person already known to them, as a punishment for something else.
Equally, anyone accused of rape should not be named until charged with the offence, that is very much the stance. Sometimes, police forces do not adhere to the subscribed practice. Other times, there is a “leak,” or it is in considered in the public interest to release the information, arguing that the public have a right to know, and need to be protected.
On being charged, the name of an accused is published. The argument runs, other women, who have been raped by the same person in the past, can identify the same modus operandi from the description, and be encouraged to report the incident to the police. Even after years have passed, having seen others already come forward will give them added confidence.
Rape victims in the majority of cases are female, with males usually the perpetrators. But let us remember, eight per cent of rapes recorded last years were against men or boys. Moreover, males don’t have to have had an experience of personal rape to suffer from its after-math. Men have mothers, wives, daughters and friends, who have experienced rape, and its repercussions are far reaching, which often destroy marriages and relationships.
The way a society protects its victims of crime is a measure of the civilization of that society, and of its humanization and decency towards its citizens. The vulnerable need protection, and it is universally accepted as such.

John Yates from the Metropolitan Police once said.

“Rape is not a “women’s issue”; rape is an attempt to overpower, to weaken and to violate human dignity. It is an issue that should concern all of us.”

Men have a responsibility to speak out and to challenge the myths and stereotypes, which still surrounds the issue of rape and sexual assault. To show masculinity and strength does not involve dominating others. It is the opposite, to show respect for the individual.
Over the last decade, there has been an increase in the reporting of rape, which indicates that victims are more confident in coming forward than was previously the case. The proportion of cases, which go to court that result in a conviction stands around 34%, the highest it has been for ten years. But, and this is the Cruz, 66% were found not guilty, in other words, they were innocent of all indictable charges.
So what about these people, do they just leave court, say thank you, and just get on with life? No, of course they don’t, society has ostracised them, found them guilty before conviction. The press has reported on them, their pictures are in the papers. They are branded. As clearly as any criminal of old was branded on the forehead, and the scar stays, and still, they carry the tail of a rapist for the rest of their lives and are looked at askance.
What about the false accuser, what happens there? Nothing, they retain the cloak of anonymity, unless they are charged and convicted, but how often does that happen? The answer is rarely. The accuser walks away unscathed, as far as exposure in the media is concerned, and can carry on as normal, but the accused, with a life in tatters, has no such luxury. Despite being proven innocent, the turmoil still goes on, and in many cases the mental anguish actually increases, not diminishes over time.
Rape is a very serious accusation to make, one of the most serious after murder. Why, would anyone wish to argue for anonymity for a person accused of rape, and not for murder? Simply stated, a false accusation of rape is easy to make if someone is that way inclined, and wishes revenge for whatever reason, what better way of getting back at that person.
Rape is different to any other crime; every part of the act is legal, providing it is done with consent. Rape, as a crime, therefore, revolves around the sole issue of consent. The complainant, and the accused, can both agree that they have had sex. The only fact in contention: whether consent was given, or, if the act was one of compulsion, providing (this point is within the meaning of the 2003 legislative Act) that both parties were cognizant to the fact, at the time the sexual act took place.
This does not refer to child abuse, individuals of impaired mental ability, or of individuals who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Obviously, that can never be a legal act, because there is no facility for consent, and this is allowed for in the legislation. But even here, there should be scope, due to the nature of the crime, for anonymity until proven by conviction for the accused.
A false accusation of rape by a drunken woman should remain anonymous against the alleged perpetrator until the accuser’s guilt is proven in a court of law, and not before. In a recent court case, it took a jury 45 minutes to throw out an accusation made by a woman in her forties, who had legal training, and cannot be named because she is automatically guaranteed anonymity, against Peter Bacon, a 26-year-old student from Kent who didn’t have such safeguards.
After the case, his life was in tatters, he even lost a year at university. Where is the fairness or justice there? The woman walked away with anonymity, reputation unscathed. Perhaps it was little more than a game to her.
Another example is Clive Bishop, five police officers in three cars, lights blaring, turned up in the middle of the night outside his front door. One of the officers wore surgical gloves. He was arrested, in full view of the neighbours, and placed in a cell for several hours, photographed, fingerprinted, before undergoing a number of humiliating medical examinations, and his mouth swabbed for a DNA sample. (See my other article of how long DNA of an innocent person can be kept)
The rape allegation was made by 17 year Kristy Palmer, a passenger whom he had picked up in his taxi the previous night. Even though Clive knew he was innocent, the police didn’t believe him. Later, when he was due to appear in court his solicitor rang to say the charges had been dropped, not even a smell of an apology from the police. Not until he had made a formal complaint to the Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police, did they deem to send someone round to apologize.
His red Nissan car was seized by the police making it impossible for him to work with his taxi, and he became immobile with stress and worry, and had to undergo counselling for several months.
In April of last year, mother of two Kirsty Palmer pleaded guilty to the false rape allegation, and was jailed for ten months (should have been ten years). A man’s life is in ruins, his business in bankruptcy, he needed to undergo counselling, and on the word of a drunken, no-good, chit of a girl.
How refreshing it is that a Tribunal in Taunton last week stated that Clive was eligible to apply for compensation for his financial loss, distress and the humiliation, which he had suffered. At last, there is to be an acknowledgment of the wrong done to him, but there is a sting in the tail. It could take up to 5 years for an amount to be actually granted; even a million pounds would be inadequate for what Clive has been forced to endure.
While Kirstly Palmer will be long out of prison by then, and perhaps, plying her trade of deception on some other innocent bystander. As Clive states, “Women who make up stories like these should be put on the sex offenders’ register. Lies like these ruin people’s lives.”
Again, and now I speak from personal experience, a person whom I know, spent eighteen months courting a Thai woman, married her and brought her to his home, where they both intended to live, spending a fortune in the process. Even to the extent that his business suffered, he was in love, needed her, wanted her with him, and prepared to go to great lengths to make it so.
In the beginning, everything seemed to go well, but he had spent a lot of time and money, and needed to work long hours to get back onto his feet. But something niggled at him, his felt his wife wasn’t happy, she spent most of the day on the internet, not even trying to integrate into his culture. He had made the effort to integrate himself into her life when in Thailand, and felt it only fair that she should reciprocate.
Indeed, each month he would send a few hundred pounds over to his sister-in-law, who still lived in Thailand, and her brother, money he could ill afford. But he did it with good grace. He considered himself as part of the family, intending ultimately to spend time there himself with his wife, and to build a little house, and eventually, to spend a few months there each year, and the rest of the time in the United Kingdom working and earning. The reason he constantly needed to work such long hours was to build back his finances for his family.
He found his wife a little job selling ice cream, it wasn’t a lot, but it was something to help her integrate, and an opportunity for her to meet other people, and to get involved, so she could improve her grasp of the English language.
Still the niggle prevailed, something he felt was wrong. He couldn’t sleep, always he felt down, and he could not put his finger on why he felt this way. She said she loved him, and knew he loved her. Initially, he thought she found the different cultures debilitating, sometimes he thought he was going mad, indeed, his behaviour became irrational.
His wife seemed happy, what was wrong with him? Occasionally, she stayed over at her friend’s house, another Thai woman, saying she needed a little space, and needed someone to talk to in her own language. He tried to understood, didn’t like it, but felt if she needed to do that and it helped her to integrate into her new country, so be it, he would put up no protest.
One day he returned early from work, and waited near his house. Eventually, his wife emerged through the front door on her way to work in Cardiff, his pangs towards his disloyalty to his wife intensified. He had to stop himself from approaching her, but he held his ground and stayed hidden, and caught the same train as her to Cardiff, to see where she was going. His mind needed to be cleansed on the negativity, which constantly hounded him.
She alighted off the train, but not to sell ice cream, but to a house in a not so salubrious part of the City. If a knife had pierced his stomach, the pain would have been less. His wife, who he cherished, he discovered, was working in a brothel, and sending the money home to Thailand for her sister to keep for her.
He waited, wondering what to do next, decided to confront her head on at her place of work. He entered the brothel pretending to be a customer, the madam, full with smiles offered him a coffee, and told him to take a seat.
He asked her if she had any Thai girls available.
She knowing smiled at him. “I have just the one, been working here for a while. Would you like to see her?
Out came his wife wearing the clothes of her trade. He went mad, kicked at a door, and ran out, for him to stay, he felt sure he would hit her. Later, she had to return home and face him.
She brazened it out, telling him she could earn more there in a night than she ever could in vending ice cream for a month, and she needed the money to buy a house in Thailand, and he should rejoice in her good fortune.
He felt used, abused, a fool, and placed his hand around her neck. One squeeze and it would be all over. He felt like doing it, he phoned his friend, said he would, his mind was not his own. But instead, he just left and marched out of the house.
He returned a few hours later and she was gone, a little later the police turned up and arrested him, he was charged with physically hitting his wife, and with raping her. He was already on bail for another trumped up charge and taken into custody.
A girl from years past, who had been caught driving a car with no tax and insurance when caught by the police, made us a story that he molested her in a swimming pool when she was fourteen, and had her two friends to say the same. He had only ever met this one person, the other two he didn’t even know that they existed, but the three made statements to the police, and he was arrested, charged, and bailed to await trial. This other charge meant he had broken his bail conditions and incarcerated, where he spent seven weeks behind bars.
The charge was for molestation of three wayward women, which they alleged happened over ten years ago. The other charge consisted of violence and rape towards his wife, whom he still loved. He was on the verge on a nervous breakdown, everyone knew who he was, but no one knew who the three women were, they of course had anonymity.
The first case went to trial and he was found not guilty by his peers on every account, the statements from the three women were so inconsistent, to make the case laughable, and yet, they still retained their anonymity for telling lies, with the police stating there was not enough evidence to prosecute them for perjury.
He was so incensed, that he intended to sue them for damages, but the three women were financially destitute, female chancers, out to make a few pounds from the Criminal Compensation Fund, and he was forced to swallow his pride.
The charges against him levied by his wife, when the facts became fully known, were also dropped by the Public Prosecution Office. His wife wanted him incarcerated. She just didn't care what happened to him, as long as she could carry on plying her trade, which is all that mattered to her – money – money – money.
She had been caught, she knew her game was up and the marriage was over. Now, she wished only to make money before her deportation. There was no way he would renew her visa, and she wanted her husband tucked away safely in prison not for him to get in the way of her nocturnal gyrations.
Her claim against her husband meant she was given a place to stay, “a safe house,” by the authorities at the taxpayers’ expense. What was even more galling to him, the police believed her, and not him, her deceived husband! They jailed him until the case was thrown out by the Public Persecutor’s Office.
In the interim, he lost his house. Upon release from prison, he was forced to take refuge with a friend, and left to pick up the pieces of his shattered life. To my knowledge, his wife is still plying her trade while awaiting extradition back to Thailand, and he, an innocent man, who is slowly, under counselling, now trying to rebuild his shattered life.
Where is the fairness there, any views?
And.
Should those charged with rape also have anonymity, similar to the victim, until guilt is actually proven?

Roy Tomkinson: Has Egypt gone Mad?

from: Roy Tomkinson, Novelist

Of Boys, Men and Mountains ---------------------ISBN:0-86243-868-3
Anger Child -----------------------------------------ISBN: 97895597360-4
The Tour ---------------------------------------------ISBN: 978-1-60693-682-5
Blog site: http://roytomkinson.blogspot.com/

Has Egypt gone mad?

You’d have to be living on another planet not to have noticed that we are being warned to expect a pandemic, and if you listen to the authorities, on a scale similar to the Bubonic Plague which ravaged Europe in the Middle Ages. I’m not saying we should ignore the situation, but neither should we believe we are standing on the edge of a cliff waiting to be pushed off into the sea where angry sharks await to devour us.
An example to that behaviour, which I’ll refer to as “Mad Human Disease,” is presently happening in Egypt. It’s not the disease we should fear, but the reaction towards it, based on ignorance, or perhaps there is full knowledge, and the disease is used as justification to intimidate minorities, an excuse to force a principle into some of its people, which in normal circumstances would otherwise be difficult, if not impossible, to justify.
Let’s look at this a little closer. A recent YOU TUBE video clip, which brutally shows pigs being culled to protect the population against swine flu in Egypt is being watched around the world. The images, posted by the Al-Masri Al-Yom newspaper, includes gory images of helpless pigs and piglets, being beaten with sticks and steel bars, kicked, stabbed, spat at, and placed into the buckets of bulldozers. From the clip, it’s obvious some are still alive, writhing in agony as they are transported in large wagons, which takes them into the desert to be buried.
These images have caused outrage around the world, and justifiably so, from many Muslims, and from the Christian Copt community, who are the main breeders of pigs in Egypt. What is even stranger, no cases of the (A) HIN1 swine flu have yet been detected inside the country.
Indeed, the World Health Organisation has categorically stated the draconian measure is not scientifically justified. The deputy mayor of Kashkus near Cairo, Mahamed el-Mugarbil, describes how chemicals are dispensed over the animals, which are caged, resulting is a slow agonised death.
This way of killing the pigs, have also been confirmed by Ai Shaaban, who is responsible for administering the site where the pigs are buried, and he stated.
“The pigs are covered with chemical products and left for 30 or 40 minutes until they are dead, then we throw them into the ditch.”
It gets worse, other pictures show pigs which have been disembowelled, but they are still alive, which is strictly forbidden by Islam.
Of course, the Agricultural Minister denied that animals are killed with chemicals, and he insisted that they are already dead, and what is seen are the dead carcases being disinfected before burial. He is insistent that the throats of the animals are slit before they are buried. But according to the journalist, Heba Nasreddin, only some of the male pigs are killed according to the rules, while the sows and piglets are hit with iron bars, left to bleed to death, and buried when alive.
The slaughter has sparked violence inside Egypt, when riot police clashed with pig farmers in Moqattam, the slum district of Cairo, where mostly Coptic scrap merchants raise pigs. They hurled stones at the police to try to prevent their animals from being taken and slaughtered, denying them of a major source of income for their families.
The farmers are the victims of bigotry and many believe the government is acting under pressure from Islamlists, the real reason why the cull was ordered, and not because of any danger to the community from the pigs,. The threat is clearly just not there, and defiantly cannot be justified. Countless people believe this is just the ammunition the authorities needed to rid the county of all the pigs, around 300,000.
Indeed, it is reported in certain quarters that Muslims, who consider pigs unclean, and will not eat pork, are attacking Christians who mainly breed the pigs, and who accuse the government of duplicity. The authorities deny the accusation, and justify the slaughter on long running hygiene problems that the pigs, which are raised on garbage, pose to the general community.
Despite the furore, most of the eighty million Egyptians are comforted by the decision. Muslims detest pigs as ritually contaminated and carriers of disease, as do many of the Copts.. And with the panic over swine flu increasing, Egypt intends to act decisively, and to take no risk, however small. Already, the country has suffered at least 26 deaths from avian flu since 2006, the highest outside Asia, believing the draconian action against the pigs justified.
The pigs live in crowed pens, surrounded by mounds of combustible biodegradable slime from the bins of Cairo, and live cheek to jowl next to heavily populated areas, and are a stinking eyesore to many, who will be glad to see the back of them.
In my opinion, that still does not justify the cruelty, or the way the pigs are disposed of, they are living, feeling animals, and should be treated as such. And I believe the authorities are using the swine flu excuse, which to my knowledge we cannot catch directly from pigs, as an excuse to rid themselves on a long-standing problem with the Christian Copt community, and the rest of the world should make its displeasure known to the Egyptian Government.
What are your views?

Roy Tomkinson: Politics and the Pig Trough - Where to from here?

Chris Bryant, the openly gay Labour MP for Rhondda, has said the reason he 'flipped' his second home was to escape homophobic thugs who daubed lewd messages on his main constituency property.

Let’s look closely at this reason.

To be forced to move house because of this type of behaviour by a few thugs, yes, thugs, is despicable. Frankly, these are the type of people who would be happy to stand on a BNP picket line, and shout abuse at anyone who dares to be different. There is no excuse for this type of behaviour, none whatsoever. These people should be caught and an example made of them. This is not politics, but a perversion, the politics of hatred against someone who is gay, someone who is different from the norm.
Homophobia is an irrational fear of what they don’t understand. I’m not homosexual, but I know people who are, and who are quite open about it, and good on them; my daughter has two good friends who are homosexuals, the nicest, most respected two people you would ever wish to meet. People should be taken for what they are, and not because they are homosexual, or lesbian or whatever.
I abhor what is happening in politics today, politicians are at an all time low, pigs in the trough comes to mind. But that should be handled by the ballet box and not by the fist, or by attacking people, irrespective of who they are. I used to be a Labour voter, but after what has happened, frankly, I just don’t know any more.
Chris Bryan, Rhondda MP, stated he flipped house because of “homophobic thugs” that may be true, and if he is challenged, I hope he has informed the police so the perpetrators can be arrested, and punished, whereby part of that punishment should also be counselling.
But that is no excuse, or reason to abuse the system. I’m not saying he did, but I think the reason given should be looked into, politicians of all denominations, when they stand for Parliament, take out a notional contract with the people they represent, and it is no excuse saying they were only following the rules.
That is rubbish, they are supposed to be “Honourable Member,” and expenses should be, “wholly and exclusively related to the administration of their work as an MP.” We trust them with our money to do the right thing.
I agree they should be paid a wage for the job, and there may well be an argument that their salaries have not kept pace with other sectors in the community. But who is to blame for that?
They are of course, they should have bitten the bullet and implemented recommendations by independent assessors, and not have forgone rises pretending to be “holier than thou,” and then behind the publics’ back, to pile on the expenses as if it’s just a tax perk instead of having a salary increase. With the attitude of: “what the public don’t know can’t harm them.”
That is disgraceful behaviour by people who should have known better. And what do they do? Apologize, as if that makes it all right. These are some of the excuses, which I’ve heard over the last few weeks.

I was too busy working for my constituents to pay attention to my expenses.
I made a mistake with my receipts.
I was only following the rules. I need the allowance because I need to be in Parliament on time by 9.30, and I can't be late. (This was said by an MP whose main residence was less than 30 miles from Parliament.)
If we are not allowed to claim these expenses, only the rich could stand for Parliament.

Granted, it’s expensive to live in London, and legitimate expenses should be paid, they are our public servants and deserve to be looked after, but from what I see, the only people they serve are themselves.
Lock once said, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely” not much has changed since his days. Do these people think they stand above the law of the land?
The public have a right to be angry, especially when we have almost 2.5 million people who are out of work, and where Bankers, who in the past made grave mistakes, walk away with enough money to live in luxury for the rest of their lives.
Emotions are running high on this, and the Speaker, Michael Martin, MP for Glasgow North East, could well be forced to resign, but is it really his fault? He was feeding from the same trough, and are they now to brush the smell off them and trying to throw the slops at him?

A rum question: any comments?

WHAT SHOULD PRESIDENT OBAMA DO?

A decision maker with a Problem: President Obama!
Freedom to know, versus Life, values and democracy.
Where is the Balance?

President Obama came to the people of the United States with his palms open, voicing a new type of OPENNESS, and yet, he has suppressed hundreds of photos showing the abuse and torture of Iraq and Afghanistan prisoners in Abu Ghraib, on the ground they would become a sensation, and endanger American Citizens in America and around the world. The new pictures, the president voiced, would act as a catalyst, and it is in the National Interest that they are best kept unpublished.

The American Court Ordered the Pentagon to expose hundreds of photographs, which show the abuse and torture by American service personnel, and were used in the investigation from 2001 to 2006 into the criminal activity of some staff, when prisoners were held in captivity.

Obama, in the first month of his office, declared torture must not be used against international terrorism, there were to be no exceptions, and he even signed a law to ban torture as a method of interrogation with terrorist suspects. Also, he upheld a decision to publish classified documents that the US Justice Department signed under the Bush administration. But now, he does not consider it necessary to expose these pictures to public scrutiny, and he instructed his lawyers to appeal against the court ruling.

The US President, while admitting the public have a right to know, reluctantly made the decision after talks with Gen. Ray Odierno, the commander of US troops in Iraq. Pentagon spokesperson, Geoff Morrell advised publication of the pictures would inflame the situation in Afghanistan, especially now, as battles become increasingly fierce as winter subsides.

Obama stating, that the interest of American Servicemen and people must be paramount, and on this occasion, he felt his decision was justified. Service personnel in Afghanistan are fighting in a complicated environment in the war-torn country, and anything, which increases that risk, should overrule public interest for information.

Despite the fact, that the decision overpoweringly conflicts with his promise of transparency and open government, which was a main plank in his election campaign. This decision has angered the American Civil Liberties Union, which angrily stated, that the decision to block the publication of the unpublished photographs totally conflicts with Obama's promise, which he made regarding transparency and accountability before he was elected.

The anger is understandable, since Obama, has now clearly stated he is to revive military trials for some Guantanamo Bay detainees, whereby, he denounced the Bush Judicial System, but citing in his defence, that new safeguards would be strictly adhered to, and insists suspects would get a fairer hearing than was previously the case. One of Obama’s first acts in taking office was to halt the controversial military commissions in January, stating that American had entered a new era of human rights.

On his campaign trail, Obama branded the military commissions, "an enormous failure.” But in a recent statement, he said he had supported their use as one avenue to try detainees, and in 2006, he cites in his defence, had voted in favour of them.

He said he had opposed the tribunals used by George W Bush's administration because they had failed to establish a legitimate legal framework, and further, they undermined swift and certain justice. The extra safeguards for detainees will include a ban on evidence obtained by harsh interrogation; restrictions on hearsay intelligence; and to give them more power to choose their own lawyers.

But is that enough, and what constitutes harsh interrogation?

Indeed, Kenneth Roth, from the Human Rights Watch is adamant about what has happened, and stated.

"By resurrecting this failed Bush administration idea, President Obama is backtracking dangerously on his reform agenda."

I think this U-turn by Obama is summed up succinctly by Salon's Glenn Greenwald, who stated.

“President Obama, and the country at large, is finding out that George W. Bush's most controversial policies were not born of ideological delusion, American arrogance, or missionary zeal. They were imperfect but sound responses to complicated threats... And it would be helpful if the American public finally dropped moral outrage as the preferred mode of political argumentation.”

Now, the main question:

Is Obama correct on those two issues?

It was once posed to me, if my children were in the Twin Towers, and the criminal disaster could have been prevented by using torture to obtain intelligence information from terrorists, would I use it on detainees as a means of protecting my children?

A question I have given a lot of thought to, it has now become personal to me!

I think I would try to obtain the information, irrespective, but, but... my conscience tells me it’s wrong, very wrong indeed, but my love for my children bites me the other way like an angry dog, and I am torn.

It is a decision I hope I will never have to make, but someone must, and I think Obama is the right man to trust.

James Coomarasamy writes from the BBC in Washington.

“That although some are disappointed, for others it is further evidence of Mr Obama's pragmatic style of leadership, one that recognises the need to balance the change he has promised with the reality he has inherited.”

What are you views?

Roy Tomkinson: LATELY THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF SCUBA DIVING FATALITIES AROUND OUR COAST, AND ESPECIALLY NEAR MULL, IN SCOTLAND

What is happening around Mull?
Lately there has been a number diving fatalities.
Why?
What is going on there?
These people are experienced divers; many have been diving for years. So how could this have happened?
That I suspect, no one will ever really know, the only people who are able to tell us are the divers who drowned.
So, what could be the reason?
The obvious answer is lack of training, but many of these divers have dived in Scotland and the surrounding area for years, they know the currents, and are confident when under the water.
That is my first premise, it could be they are over confident in the water, and even though safety checks are conducted before a dive how can you check for over-confidence? You can’t of course. I know this from experience. I had been diving off Martin’s Haven in Wales, it’s was only a shore dive, I had no worries, easy; the deepest I’d go would be no more than 18 metres.
I’d done the same dive many times with no problem; confidently I entered the water and swam downwards following the bottom and weaving in and out of the kelp with not a care in the world. I was with my son who I was training. At around 10 metres, without warning, my demand value was pulled out of my mouth and my facemask came off my face. I had snagged on something. I still don’t know what it was to this day, but suddenly, with no mask, no demand value; I was stuck at the bottom. My son was to my left and initially he failed to notice, visibility is never that good in West Wales, and this day was no exception.
After a few seconds, he did notice, and he handed me his spare demand value. It took me several breaths before I become calm, and the experience did rattle me somewhat. Without his presence of mind, I dread to think what could have happened. When something goes wrong, you have but seconds to correct before panic sets in and then the simplest task becomes beyond you, no matter how good or experienced, or how well trained a scuba diver you happen to consider yourself. I could have gone to the surface; I was only in 10 metres of water, but for those few seconds I just didn’t think. The only thing I could think about was my demand value, I must find my demand value; precious seconds were ticking by, and I needed air.
A simple mishap will be compounded without air, and in my case, it could well have proven fatal. Any diver needs to keep in mind that learning to dive in warm tropical waters is not the same as diving in cold seawater with poor visibility and strong currents. Treat it as a completely new experience; caution, caution, and yet further caution, must always be the motto of the scuba diver, for example, get you gear regularly checked, at least yearly.
If you don’t feel right before a dive, abort, diving is as much about having the right mental attitude as about the training, but remember, the better trained you are, and the greater precautions you take, the greater you are able to meet an unforeseen circumstance head on and survive.
I learned from the experience and I did something about it.
The obvious precaution is to always scuba dive with a buddy, who carries a spare demand value, which hangs loosely in the water from his tank. Standard practice, and to make sure you both stay in close proximity to one another. But that is not always possible, poor visibility is often the order of the day, and frequently you lose each other.
It shouldn’t happen, but to pretend otherwise is silly. It does habitually happen, more so around the UK coast than when diving in warmer clearer water. You could dive with two bottles with separate regulators, as an added safety precaution, but to rely solely upon these measures, especially the latter, it’s not always practicable or even feasible, most dive with only one bottle
In my case, I purchased a small hand held self-contained bottle, and I used to fill in from my main tank every time I dived, and strapped it to the front of my buoyancy aid, and I made sure it was always within easy reach. Every tenth dive I used to practice using it, until it became instinctive and soon it gave me an added layer of confidence.
Some of you are thinking the cost. Yes, this piece of apparatus can be expensive, but against your life! Do I need say more? I never once had to use it in an emergency, but it was there should I ever have needed it.
Again, the distinction between diving in warm clear water, and diving in cold water with poor visibility should not be underestimated, the distinction is profound, more so when a diver is used to wearing a wet suit and switches to using a dry suit without adequate training.
Disorientation is another factor, a sense of foreboding another, colour becomes grey, water gets colder the deeper you descend, visibility closes around you like a blanket, and you start to wonder what is beyond the visibility.
Your mind starts to imagine things that are not there. These factors have a habit of coming upon you simultaneously, often when you cannot see your diving buddy. Suddenly, you feel alone, a sense of finality comes over you, which triggers something deep inside your psyche, and you experience a deep premonition that you are not safe: something feels wrong. It may, or it may not be the case, but that is irrespective. It is how you feel that matters and how you react to this feeling.
This has happened to me once, I was diving Scapa Flow, it was early summer. The water was cold. I was down just over 30 metres, meandering over the top of one of the wrecks. I descended a few metres further, instantaneously, visibility become non existent. A dogfish suddenly darted past me. The water felt cold, grey, and dark, I turned to look for my buddy, but I failed to see him, impossible anyway, the visibility had gone, my heart started to pound my breathing became heavier.
Instinctively, I reached for my little bottle strapped to my front and held it tight with my right hand, and turned in the water. The bleakness of where I was entered into my consciousness, and I’d become acutely aware I was in danger of acting irrationally.
You may laugh at this, but I gave myself a great big hug and placed my both arms around my body. I forced myself to smile, and slowly the feeling subsided. I kicked my fins, and I headed for the surface. It is so easy to be caught out when in an alien environment, and in that split second to make the wrong decision could have dire consequences. But I’ll tell you this, that little bottle strapped to my front was enough to give me the assurance I needed and to calm my frail nerves, in other words, it tilted the balance in my favour.

What I said in the article is basic stuff, but it is often the basics we take for granted, and that is when accidents happen. Please, let us enjoy our sport, and be safe in the doing. It grieves us all deeply when one of our own suffers a fatality, so stay safe and enjoy the sport.
Regards, to all,
Roy.

See web sites linked you myself:

1. “The Tour” ISBN: 978-1-60693-682-5 www.strategicbookpublishing.com/TheTour.html

2. My blog page: http://roytomkinson.blogspot.com/

3. Web page: “Of Boys, Men and Mountains” BN: 0862438683

ttp://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2lFm86R3YRQC&dq=roy+tomkinson&printsec=frontcover&source=

bl&ots=JqWUXfVvA2&sig=5BuFZcHGwpVBp0j8_QL03yOyWQw&hl=en&ei=5FMISsTjGKDUjAe91uDQBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2#PPP1,M1

4.“Anger Child”: 978095597360-4 http://www.gwales.com/rating/?isbn=9780955973604&tsid=3

Roy Tomkinson: PORNOGRAPHY - WHAT EXACTLY IS IT?

Pornography: What exactly is it?
The question is straight forward, but defining it is altogether another matter.

Most think it’s a dirty word, and will not even say the word, without really knowing what it actually means.
Let’s explore this further. Is it showing the naked body or a couple having sexual intercourse together?

Some would say, yes, that could well be the case, but what is wrong with showing the human form and the way we procreate? I would argue that there is nothing wrong with showing our bodies or in having sex or showing the sex act in picture or on film, our bodies are but the house we live in, and there are only two types, male and female. Please, if you find a third let me know.

Our bodies were around long before clothes ever showed on the scene, and when we did start to clothes ourselves, it had nothing to do with covering up our nakedness, and more to do with keeping us warm, later still, to mark us out as different, similar to painting our bodies or tattooing ourselves. It was simply for adornment, and no one looked twice at a naked man or woman before then, frankly, it was the norm, no excitement there.

Let’s look at how the Collins dictionary defines it:

Pornography: noun, 1. writing, pictures, films designed to stimulate sexual excitement.
2. The production of such material [that causes, can cause offence] shortened to porn or porno. The word is Greek “pornographos” writing of harlot from pornē + graphein, to write.

Not a lot there, writing, pictures, films, what is excitement to one can be distasteful to another. We are down here to personal preference, some foods we like, other, we can’t stand, even the smell of some foods are enough to make one retch.

A few people I know hate the smell of fish, but personally, I find the smell makes me feel hungry. So what you read into a photo or film is purely in your own mind, and even if it stimulates, is it wrong to have that feeling? It is after all, what keep our species alive, if male and female were no longer attractive to each other, then where would the human race be? To procreate is a basic human, animal function. We all do it, and if a photo or film gives us a little help, is not that a good thing?

I argue, to look upon a naked man or woman cannot be wrong. The human body is beautiful, it shows us in our natural state, it shows us for what are, all equals. Or again, to see a picture of two people making love, everyone does it, where is the harm? Perhaps we should talk about this at lot more to our kids, and show them pictures, more so, before they become sexually active and resort to covert activity because... you can guess the rest.

Films which shows the naked body, so what? I’m not talking here, masochistic photos, where sexual pleasure is derived from pain, humiliation, or domination. Neither rape, children included, who are shown in various sexual poses, which is exploitation of the vilest kind.

That is not pornography, but a delight in torture, an enjoyment in the suffering of others, and paedophilia which is the exploitation and deprivation of gaining delight in destroying innocent children, robbing them of their childhood, scarring them for life. No one can argue that case, and who would wish to defend these vile people?

(Coming shortly, I will be blogging about: “Should those people, rapists, child abusers, forcefully be castrated and the sexual urges with drives these acts removed before they are allowed back into society. Join me as a "Follower" and watch for this blog!)

I’m discussing here about showing consenting adults making love together on film or in photos, tell me where the harm is, I’m all ears. The prudes will state: “It still excites and gives the wrong impression.” In Victorian times, many believed that the open naked legs of a table could excite, and it is in good taste that the legs should be covered.

The point I am making, it is down to what you think, or what society thinks, and it has nothing to do with photos or films. It’s what the great majority believe, because in many cases, society is told it is wrong, and yes, you got it, they believe and accept it to be the case, without giving it enough thought. Advertise a lie enough, and as George Orwell believed, it becomes the truth.

Let me have your views on the subject, and what you believe constitutes Pornography, let the debate begin and watch for my next blog on, forceful castration of rapists and child abusers. Should we or should we not castrate?

Additional information
See web sites linked you myself:

1. “The Tour” ISBN: 978-1-60693-682-5
www.strategicbookpublishing.com/TheTour.html

2. My blog page: “roytomkinson.blogspot.com” CHECK IT OUT ON GOOGLE.

3. Web page: “Of Boys, Men and Mountains” ISBN: 0862438683

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2lFm86R3YRQC&dq=roy+tomkinson&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=JqWUXfVvA2&sig=5BuFZcHGwpVBp0j8_QL03yOyWQw&hl=en&ei=5FMISsTjGKDUjAe91uDQBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2#PPP1,M1

4. “Anger Child”: 978095597360-4
http://www.gwales.com/rating/?isbn=9780955973604&tsid=3

Also, you’ll see a number of blogs and articles on the web if you search my name “Roy Tomkinson” on the web, please feel free to email me, and to comment on any one of them.

THE GOVERNMENT, THE STATE AND THE PERSON. ARE THEY COMPATABLE?

Should we, or should we not, have our DNA on a database if we are innocent of a crime?
Both arguments are convincingly compelling.

The pro DNA protagonists argue, that because of the database, crimes are now being solved that went undetected for years, and if you are innocent, well, why worry, only the guilty should be concerned? On the face of it, this argument is powerful.
If it means rapists are caught before they are able to commit other crimes, surly, that must be a good thing! What sane civilised person could argue against that? For a slight erosion of our civil liberties, if it was your mother, wife, daughter who was raped, and it could have been avoided if DNA was available the argument becomes stronger. It becomes personal to you, and it is then inside your front door, and it becomes even more difficult to argue against. This is what the consenters would place before you.
Now what would you say? The only answer will be - yes - yes, yes - with bells on. Are you convinced yet that everyone should give a DNA sample?
Let’s look at the other viewpoint. You are arrested, a DNA sample is taken, standard procedure, you are cautioned, charged, but later acquitted. You have been tried and found innocent by your peers. Do you have the right to ask the police to destroy your sample? It seems reasonable. Not many could argue against that. After all, you’ve done nothing wrong. Or a sample of DNA is taken from your baby and you have no right to object.
Of course, you want the right to say no, but you can’t refuse, if the police had their way they would wish to keep your DNA in perpetuity. In fact, many make this very argument, that there should be a national DNA database, and everyone should be on it. A swab taken at birth, and kept until death, and beyond, and the database checked whenever the police are able to take a sample from a crime scene.
That is, the police inform us, how many of the rapes and murders over the last few years have been solved. Cold case files are being opened, and to the police’s credit, quite a number have been solved. Notwithstanding, many miscarriages of Justices have become known, solely, I would add, due to DNA analysis. Where it is proven that the person convicted of the crime could not have possibly committed the offence they were incarcerated for, look at the high profile cases of recent origin in the US and the UK.
Both viewpoints are valid, the second more so than the first, that there should be a nationally held DNA data base, if it saves just one life or stops one woman from being raped, or proves the innocence of an individual wrongly convicted of a crime. Should we not run with it? If you are a law-abiding citizen, it will make not a bit of difference to you.
Or will it?
Frankly, I think not, it will mean nothing to you whether your DNA is on file or not on file.
"So, I am for it then," you might think.
Wrong!
I am all for protecting the public, and in a perfect world – yes - I would have no objection, even applaud it as a good thing. But we don’t; civil liberties are important. We cannot risk further erosion of our individual rights, each chip taken of the block, moves us closer towards the totalitarian state.
Indeed, a recent ruling from the Court of Human Rights have rejected the UK government’s stance against keeping the DNA of innocent people, stating the Scottish Parliament has got it about right.
Scotland keeps the DNA for three years and then destroys it, but why should this even be the case to keep an innocent person’s DNA for even one day? Remember, we are talking about innocent people, guilty of no crime. You or I could be stopped, taken to a Police Station, and a DNA sample taken for committing the most basic of offences, speeding for example.
And what does the UK government do? It tried to circumvent the European ruling, and states it proposes to keep the DNA on file for up to 12 years, 12 years, and for innocent people. What is happening here?
A person guilty of a crime needs to be caught and punished by society, there is no doubt about that. The law should apply equally to everyone, but please, let’s get some proportionality here. Good intention falls by the wayside when it comes to power, and politics. Individuals are prone to self-interest, and we need law with liberty to protect us again our politicians and ourselves.
As John Locke (1632-1704) stated:

“All men are liable to error; and most men are, in many points by passion or interest, under temptation to it.”

Ah! I hear you say, but he lived a few centuries ago, not relevant today. Totalitarianism is paved with good intentions I would reply. A law is brought in to protect, and immediately it is abused. Prove it you say!
Bins, dustbins, remember them! It’s still happening, Councils are using Terrorist Legislation to snoop, to convict people who place wrong recycling waste in waste-bins, and spy on people who have the audacity of putting their waste-bins out too early for collection, and yes, you guessed it. By using that piece of legislation, which was designed exclusively, so they lead us to believe, to protect us again terrorists. A fine shower of lies I must say.
Where is the proportionality there? There is none, none whatsoever, only puffed up minor bureaucrats, flexing muscles, and puffing out their chests in righteous indignation towards the rest of us.

"Look, look at me, I am here, I can, I will, I am in charge."

with no sense of abuse against our liberties.
Again, another example of self-interest, MP expenses. Locke’s quote is as relevant today as it was then. I could go further, but by now, you get the picture. So please, let your voice be heard, stand up, shout if need be, but keep the power of the state in check. It’s not a perfect answer, but we’re not in a perfect world, but it’s better than the alternative.
It takes only a few psychotic people to tread on the many, and for the majority to do nothing. So don’t give individual power away, bite back. Say enough is enough, the power of the state encroaches on our lives already far too much, please, don’t give it more power by default. We can change decisions; Joanna Lumley had proved that with the Ghurkhas.

Let me have your view on this important subject, which in some way affects every last one of us.

Cover of The Tour

Th
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Cover of The Tour

ROY TOMKINSON: RHONDDA'S REFLECTION ON THE WEB

REFLECTIONS OF RHONDDA
THE PAGE TITLE FROM THE WEB IS:
RHONDDA’S REFLECTIONS – WANDERING AROUND THE WEB

I just wish to share with you a web site I found, and what I wrote there regarding the Rhondda, the place where I was born. It's quite short, but if you have time please check out the link.
The link is:

http://rhondda.wordpress.com/literature-and-reading/

Please take a look, the Rhondda Valley is truly known throughout the world, my comments are short, the link you need to see.

Hi there,
From a Valley’s Boy,
Rhondda, a place where I was born and raised, what a place, at one time, space for space, it was one the most heavily populated places in Europe. Collieries were everywhere you cared to look, a hive of activity in every corner, black faces, smiling coming home from work.
Not today, the collieries are long gone, but the people, well the children and grandchildren of miners, still have their traditional warmth and kindness, and long may it last.

I have written a book about the people of Rhondda, as they were in the 50 and 1960s, I know many people have read the book, continually, I get comments. It’s about how it really was, about real people who worked, lived and died in my Rhondda.

So yes, you could say it’s about Reflections of the Rhondda, please, get hold of a copy and read it. The story really shows how it was, and how the people handled the hardship. Rhondda’s resilience was legionary, and what is more, that tenacity is still there to this day. Please, if you haven’t already read this book, you must, really must got hold of a copy and read it.

The book is: “Of Boys, Men and Mountains”
PUBLISHED BY YLOLFA/ ISBN: 0862438683
Regards,
Roy.
RHONDDA’S REFLECTIONS – WANDERING AROUND THE WEB

Roy Tomkinson: A LITTLE GOLD: PERHAPS?

A LITTLE GOLD: PERHAPS?

I’m looking to go to Mull later this year to scuba dive for 10 days, and wondered if anyone had heard any buzzes about a Galleon called the Florencia. It went down in the Sound of Mull about a year after the battle between Elizabeth Ist, and King Philip of Spain in 1588.

The Spanish were the most powerful, and by far the best organised and equipped army in the whole of Europe. The Spanish Army of Flanders had crushed the Dutch revolt in the northern provinces of the Spanish Netherlands and their commander, the Duke of Parma, was ready to embark with his troops to cross the narrow north sea to teach the heathen English a lesson, and to class Elizabeth as an heretic, and almost certain execution if captured.

Many contemporary recorders at the time gave little chance of the English surviving the coming Spanish. British troops were quickly recruited to counter the threat, but England’s land defences were poor. The fortification undertaken at the time of Henry the VIII were fifty years old, and in poor condition. His old coastal castles were already vulnerable to modern guns, and would pose little threat to the pernicious Spanish Army.

It was a forgone conclusion that the battle hardened Spanish troops, with their state of the art artillery would have little difficulty in sweeping through Kent, overwhelm all opposition, and capture London within the week.
We know the history, but now to the crux: one prestigious Galleon, the Florencia, fled the carnage and executed its escape by going around Scotland, and ended up in the Sound of Mull.

The crew were captured and taken to Duart Castle where it is believed they were either executed, or left in the dungeon to starve to death by the MacLeans, who then occupied the fortified castle.

Now the excitement, this ship, many believed, was filled with treasure. Some are of the opinion all valuables were taken off it by the MacLeans before they blew it up, and the only thing that went to the bottom in Mull was a blown up ship. Others think the opposite, and believe this was not the case, but the ship’s crew fought off the MacLeans, and in the battle the ship was lost, treasure included, and only the survivors taken to Duart Castle and incarcerated.

My own opinion, when I researched the history of that period on Mull for my novel, “The Tour,” which is based in Mull, about a group of divers going up from Wales to dive Mull, and finding the Florencia, is that, somewhere around the Sound of Mull that Galleon is still there, gold included, and yet to be found.

I say this because, if the gold was taken off, where has it gone? Surely some pieces would come to light. Even without the treasure, finding the Galleon would still be a coup d'état for any diver, WELL ANYONE REALLY!

Have any of you divers or anyone, any comments on this, or for that matter, ever come across a likely dive site where the Galleon could be. It is hidden there somewhere off Mull. There is little doubt about that, AND EVENTUALLY IT WILL BE FOUND,I'm convinced of it.

Look how Henry VIII’s battle ship was discovered, and brought to the surface, and that went down years before the Florencia met its fate in the Sound of Mull.

So my fellow divers, it’s there somewhere, just, just, waiting to be found. When I’m on Mull diving, I won’t be particularly looking for it, but if I did come across it, so to speak, well… it would close a great chapter in Mull history… or… would it? It could open up another Pandora’s box, which would lead us in yet another direction. But whatever the outcome, one thing is certain, excitements there will be – would you not agree?

If you have a chance check out my story in “The Tour”

ISBN: 978-1-60693-682-5/SKU: 1-60693-682-4

And if you have a comment, let me have them, yes please, let me have them, all and every one.
Regards,
Roy.

A little bit of Whisky by Roy Tomkinson

A LITTLE BIT OF WHISKY GOES A LONG WAY.

The most northern whisky distillery in the British Isles is in Orkney. Before the whiskey, I must tell you something about the place. First the pictures, the link:
http://www.highlandpark.co.uk/orkney/slideShow.asp?g=l
Well, what did I tell you?
Stunning! (The cottages from the above photos: WESTRAY RUIN and RACKWICK BOTHY, are how I envisaged it would look, when my four intrepid time travellers go back to 1526 in my novel “The Tour,” check it out, the link:
http://strategicbookpublishing.com/TheTour.html
There is a raw wildness about Orkney, which no man can tame, indeed, and who would want to tame such wild beauty. The island is abundantly rich in heritage. The Islands have been inhabited for over 5,500 years, the exact date of occupation has long been lost into the annals of history, and each and every successive culture has added to the legacy we know today as Orkney.
This legacy takes in remarkable Neolithic sites, unforgettable ancient remains, many listed buildings. And in addition to this: the Islands offers an unspoilt environment of breathtaking beauty, which makes you cry out with delight.
The Orcadians, and rightly so, are justifiably proud of their history, dialect and traditions. The place boasts some remarkable Neolithic treasures, and includes the oldest stone house still standing in northern Europe: (the Knap at Howar, which was occupied from 3,500 BC. to 3,100 BC).
There is a village dating from around 3,000 BC, remarkably preserved at Skara Brae, and the Ring of Brodgar, which has for many years been a feature on the label of Highland Park 18 year old whisky, (my lips are clapping just thinking about the smell and taste).
Little wonder then, that Orkney was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. But what really sets Orkney apart is the Viking influence, which became one of their important trading routes, and set up camp there, without which, they could not have had, and sustained a permanent foothold on mainland Britain.
Barbarians! Not at all: the Vikings were a people of their time, in their time, for their time, and eventually, they settled and form a part of our heritage to this very day. Norsemen began to colonise Orkney in the eighth century, and soon the island became a vital link for these great opportunists, allowing them to stop off on their pillaging expeditions into the western sea-routes. By the end of the following century, a Norwegian settlement was firmly established on the island, and the way of life on Orkney was exactly that of a Norse earldom. The islands remained under the rule of Norwegian earls until 1231, when the line of the Jarls became extinct.
Since 1798 Highland Park Whiskey has formed a part of the heritage of the Orkneys; the Orcadians are as proud of their whisky as they are of their history. Believe me when I tell you, I’m also glad I found it, I admit by accident, but since that time, it has been by far my favourite whisky.
I was on a diving trip to Orkney, on the ferry, and as you do, seated near the bar and noticed an advertisement. Well, what could I do: going to Orkney, they had a distillery there, so I order a measure. The first sip brought a smile to my face. I was delighted. The second sip I was ecstatic, by the third sip I was hooked, and the glass was empty, so I ordered another.
Thank goodness I wasn’t driving or diving that day. Don’t get me wrong, I would never drive or dive after alcohol, only a fool would do that, a stupid silly fool, and I’m no fool. When there, I even took a day out from diving in Scapa Flow to go and visit the distillery, and what a place. And of course, I came away with a few bottles of their famous whiskey.
Hooray!
The distillery is near Kirkwall, the capital of the Orkneys, Highland Park is the northernmost of the Scottish distilleries and founded around 1790. It has its own floor maltings, and uses peat which is sourced and dug locally from shallow beds, which retains a “young” rooty, heathery character.
Right, right, enough of history: you must be thinking taste, the taste, get to the taste. What’s it like?
Well, I prefer the 12 year malt, for me that is the best, but of course that is my preference, you may prefer an older malt, or perhaps a younger one. But the character of the whiskey stays somewhat consistent, very much so, irrespective of age. But I say again, for me the twelve years malt is the best, of the best, of the best.

Here goes: HIGHLAND PARK 12 YEARS OLD WHISKY
Colour: Amber
Nose: smoky, “garden bonfire” sweetness, heathery, malty, with just the hint of sherry.
Body: Medium, but exceptionally smooth, very much so.
Palate: Succulent, with a smoky dryness, heather-honey sweetness, and maltiness, I can’t leave that out.
Finish: Teasing, heathery, delicious.
Over Taste: Peat, a strong earthy taste fragrance of fresh peat.
Wow!

What more can I say, try it, you must try it to believe in it, this for me is the best whiskey in the world, from a country which produces the best whiskies in the world, and Highland Park 12 Malt, is the best of the best.
Let me have your comment. But be warned, don’t get too drunk. A glass or two, perhaps 3 is about the maximum.
Enjoy. I do.
Regards,
Roy.

TEETH WITH A LITTLE BIT OF SHAKESPEARE

NOW!
ARE YOU READY!
DO NOT GET OVER EXCITED.
BEFORE I START, I MUST DAMPEN YOUR ENTHUSIASM.
OVER EXCITEMENT CAN LEAD TO PILES.
YOU KNOW, THEM HORRIBLE THINGS THAT COMES FOR YOUR…
ENOUGH ROY: GET ON WITH IT.
OK
SHAKESPEARE!
STAY, STAY, WITH ME, FIRST IT’S TEETH, MY TEETH.
GOOD: STILL THERE?
CRUNCH YOUR TEETH.
HERE GOES.

First, before Shakespeare, I must dampen your enthusiasm for real teeth, a most dangerous practice, to have a fixation with teeth, especially your own, to fix on others YOUR obsession, (by fixation I mean to stare) is even worse. The excitement could lead to overeating, or, even worse, a permanent fixation on teeth.
And further, it could turn into an passion, then where would you be? Tramping around all day long looking at people’s teeth. A sure way to get a black eye.
My teeth over the years have been drilled, plugged, screwed, polished and poked. Indeed, one of my wisdom teeth is missing, yanked out, a pusy postulated abscess underneath, not a pretty sight, and lost to me forever. And I have a hole there to prove it.
Ah!
But I have a surprise! I have one gold tooth. Those of you that feel prone to fixation, or think I am bragging about my wealth, don’t, please don’t go into fixation, or be jealous of the gold tooth. It was done before Gordon Brown sold off the country’s gold reserves, when the price was very low, and of course, I can never sell it, not when I’m alive anyway. That reminds me, I need to make a will and mention that.
That last bit is for information only. It is real gold, mind you, not some gauze and plug, a real gold cap. And it shines; it could blind you if you look at it the wrong way, but alas, I still have my teeth, and they are well brushed, except where that darn wisdom molar used to reside. A big hole inhabits the spot now, it’s good for putting your tongue into though, my tongue not yours silly!
I think you are excited enough now so…
And now to Shakespeare:
Before you get too excited.
I still have a passion for life despite the loss of the tooth. So there! Lump it with sugar on: it's definitely Shakespeare now, so let’s get serious.

The following passage is from, “AS YOU LIKE IT” sounds quite rude doesn’t it? If it does, get your mind back into the right gear and stop thinking of all those positions.
What is to follow is quite a serious bit of writing by the bard.
By the way, its called the SEVEN AGES OF MAN. And I reside between the 4th and 5th stages of life.
What is that you say? Nothing ! Carry on reading.
Here goes: Jaques is in The Forest of Arden Act II Scene VII, in As You Like it.
I have numbered the seven ages, jokes aside, please, read it a few times. I think this passage is quite profound, and somewhere along it, you will find yourself. And it’s quite funny, even if it is, as I just said, somewhat profound.

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the (1) infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
(2) And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel,
And shining morning face, creeping like snail,
Unwillingly to school. (3) And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad,
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. (4) Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. (5) And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. (6) The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. (7)Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

Have a good day, and remember my motto, If you can’t have a good day, stay away from a bad one.

Regards,
Roy.

The Tour

"THE TOUR"

An enthralling voyage to Scotland takes a dive deep into the Island of Mull and unfolds an epic saga of lust, greed, revenge and murderous intentions in—The Tour, by Roy Tomkinson.

When four members from the Coral Diving Club take a trip to Mull and discover a Galleon, nothing can prepare them for what is about to unfold…

The course of history is at stake when they are thrown back in time to 1526 amidst the warring Scottish Clans where they must fight their way back to their own time.

Their existence becomes threatened when they realize they have unwittingly started a chain of events which seems unstoppable and it is down to Lanky and Jane to reverse the catastrophe of a time rift that is pulling time itself into the past.

For one member of the party, who finds gold on the Galleon, lust, greed, and murderous intentions are the only way forward, and the stage is set for the drama to be played to its dramatic conclusion.

Reflections on George Orwell: "A Hanging" by Roy Tomkinson

Reflections on George Orwell
Novels published to date:
By Roy Tomkinson
Of Boys, Men and Mountains ISBN: 0862438683
Anger Child ISBN:978095597360-4
The Tour. ISBN:978-1-60693-682-5

I would like to share with you an essay, it’s less than 2000 words long, yet, when I first read it its effect on me was quite startling, and the feeling has stayed with me, despite having read this essay many times over the years.

The author is well know:
George Orwell, his better known novels are:
Nineteen Eighty Four,
Animal Farm
Down and Out in Paris and London
The Road to Wigan Pier
And quite a few more.
He was a man tortured by his upbringing, a rebel in many ways; he fought against Fascism in the Spanish Civil War and became disillusioned with mankind in the relentless pursuit of war.
His one constant in all this mayhem is that he was always against the Totalitarian State.
If you get a chance read some of his Essays.
They are a treasure trove into his mind.
But today, I wish to share only one of his essays with you, which as I said earlier, had a profound effect upon me:

Reflections by Roy Tomkinson from, A Hanging, an essay by George Orwell

Orwell as a Police Officer in Burma: “sodden morning of the rains. A sickly light, like yellow tinfoil… We were waiting outside the condemned cells…”
You are taken straight in, the scene is set for a hanging. Already, in this first paragraph you can feel death’s icy grip.
“Six tall Indian wardens were guarding him…” the condemned.
Two held guns with bayonets fixed. Already, you feel his plight is hopeless as they, “close about him.”
The impatient Superintendent, wished to get it over with so he can have his breakfast.
To him, it is just another day at the office, hang a few and then breakfast, an ordinary day. Quicker the better, no compassion, remorse, nothing, but hurry up, we can’t delay breakfast.
A dog appears in the yards, happy, wagging his tail and jumps and tried to lick the prisoner’s face.
And the Superintendent, well, he’s annoyed, this dog – how dare it delay his breakfast.
Suddenly, the realisation with Orwell sets in:
“It is curious, but till that moment I had never realized what it means to destroy a healthy, conscious man. When I saw the prisoner step aside to avoid the puddle I saw the mystery, the unspeakable wrongness, of cutting a life short when it is in full tide.”
Then a picture of the gallows floods into your mind, erected in a small yard overgrown with weeds.
The prisoner was “half pushed… clumsily up the ladder.” And a rope placed around his neck. The prisoner cried out: Ram! Ram! Ram! Ram! Not urgent and fearful like a prayer or cry for help… rhythmical, almost like the tolling of a bell.”
The dog replied.
Barked.
Minutes passed.
Blank faces.
A clanging noise.
“Chalo!” Shouted the Superintendent.
Silence.
Prisoner gone.
Rope twisting.
The dog was let loose: “it galloped…to the back of the gallows… stopped… barked, and then retreated into a corner… looking timorously out at us.”
The Superintendent poked the body with a stick.
“He’s all right… Eight minutes past eight. Well, that’s all for this morning…”
An enormous relief came over everyone.
“One felt an impulse to sing, to break into a run, to snigger. All at once everyone began chattering gaily.”
Now it was time to eat.
The comment:
“Do you know, sir, our friend (he meant the dead man) when he heard his appeal had been dismissed, he pissed on the floor of his cell. From fright. Kindly take one of my cigarettes, sir. Do you not admire my new silver case, sir?”
Fright, cigarettes, a silver case: What is happening here? How the extraordinary is made to feel ordinary.
"Several people laughed… I found that I was laughing quite loudly. Everyone was laughing.”
How forced death can be so trivialised, see it enough in its raw state, and yes, I suppose it does become ordinary. I think the German concentration camps proved that. You become anaesthetised, and it ceases to even seem wrong. Indeed, it even grows into a kind of rightness. Somehow, you seem to wriggle out of its reality.
And then what did they do?
“We all had a drink together, native and European alike, quite amicably. The dead man was a hundred yards away.

Read the full essay yourself here is the link:
http://www.vidyaonline.net/arvindgupta/orwellburma.pdf

And let me know what you think.
Roy.

Roy Tomkinson: Transhumanism

Hi Everyone,
I´m doing research into Transhumanism,
any ideas?
In my novel "The Tour" I deal partly with time travel and the concept of star dust. It´s not just about time travel, but an action thriller where a group of people leave Wales to dive on Mull in Scotland, and travel back in time.
Nevertheless, I wish to take the concept of time travel further, and expand it for my next book, so all, AND every idea, would be MUCH APPRECIATED. You can write your comments at the end of this article.
The subject really fascinates me, and the idea of a dual world and the concept of Matter and Antimatter! (WWWhhh).
Regards,
Roy.