Wednesday, December 23, 2009

23rd of December 2009 - Why No Job For The Boy?

7 Spey Terrace
Edinburgh
EH7 4PX

Telephone: 0131-550 0895
E-mail: JohnEDouglas@gmail.com
Blog: http://johneoindouglas.blogspot.com/


23rd of December 2009


Dear Sir/Madam,

WHY NO JOB FOR THE BOY?

Whilst I have long been of the view that once somebody has been released from a prison sentence, we should consider the matter at an end and accept them back into society, I have been surprised at the double standards of the entertainment industry.

Mr Justice Bean's decision upholding the Probation Service's refusal to allow Boy George to appear in Celebrity Big Brother has stymied Channel 4's attempt to go against the conventional wisdom that popular entertainers who have been convicted of serious criminal acts (especially those of a sexual nature) should be permanently excluded from our TV screens.

Whereas the popular Mr O'Dowd may be restricted by the terms of the licence under which he was released after serving only four months of a 15 month sentence for assaulting a male prostitute, no such restriction would apply to Channel 4 in booking the equally popular disgraced paedophile Gary Glitter. However, I see no trace of him in our Xmas schedules.

Sincerely,



John Eoin Douglas

Sunday, December 20, 2009

20th of December 2009 - Not Chuffed With Eurostar

7 Spey Terrace
Edinburgh
EH7 4PX

Telephone: 0131-550 0895
E-mail: JohnEDouglas@gmail.com
Blog: http://johneoindouglas.blogspot.com/


20th of December 2009


Dear Sir/Madam,

NOT CHUFFED WITH EUROSTAR

None of the problems with the Eurostar trains would have occured this weekend had the railway company decided to stick with reliable and proven-in-service steam traction instead of this new fangled electric nonsense!

Sincerely,



John Eoin Douglas

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

9th of December 2009 - New And Old Tracks

7 Spey Terrace
Edinburgh
EH7 4PX

Telephone: 0131-550 0895
E-mail: JohnEDouglas@gmail.com
Blog: http://johneoindouglas.blogspot.com/


9th of December 2009


Dear Sir/Madam,

NEW AND OLD TRACKS

I must admit to having been rather disappointed by the newly laid tramway in Princes Street. For our money, I would have expected that the very least we could have expected in a "Heritage Area" was the reproduction in modern materials of the original cast iron overhead wire supports. Instead, TIE has erected some rather boring poles which may well be sufficient for Leith Walk but are hardly adequate to grace our main thoroughfare.

In passing, whilst all their contractors are twiddling their thumbs during the festive hiatus to construction work, has TIE given any consideration to asking a few of them to carry out a bit of care and maintenance on the short stretch of "original" track in Waterloo Place which includes a slotted rail for the moving cable which once propelled Edinburgh's trams. Having been relaid over half a century ago, the rails are getting somewhat rusty and could do with a polish whilst the slot would benefit from being jetted out. I doubt if cyclists could claim to be inconvenienced as the track ends at a traffic bollard.


Sincerely,



John Eoin Douglas

Monday, December 7, 2009

7th of December 2009 - Bishop Should Discuss Uganda

7 Spey Terrace
Edinburgh
EH7 4PX

Telephone: 0131-550 0895
E-mail: JohnEDouglas@gmail.com
Blog: http://johneoindouglas.blogspot.com/


7th of December 2009


Dear Sir/Madam,

BISHOP SHOULD DISCUSS UGANDA

It has been most gratifying to see the alacrity with which the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has criticised the election of Rev Mary Glasspool as the second openly gay bishop in the global Anglican Church. Quite apart from the vexed issue of women serving in this role, the appointment of a lesbian opens the Church to public ridicule not to mention the displeasure of God.

However, I am surprised that he has so far had nothing to say about the backing of many senior church people in Uganda for legislation which will introduce the death penalty for homosexuals. Whilst I would be the first to discourage such immorality, execution is surely going too far and chemical castration might be kinder and certainly more Christian.


Sincerely,



John Eoin Douglas

Thursday, December 3, 2009

3rd of December 2009 - Strong Drink

7 Spey Terrace
Edinburgh
EH7 4PX

Telephone: 0131-550 0895
E-mail: JohnEDouglas@gmail.com
Blog: http://johneoindouglas.blogspot.com/


3rd of December 2009


Dear Sir/Madam,

STRONG DRINK

The Portman Group is absolutely right but totally hypocritical in calling for Fraserburgh-based BrewDog's Tokyo Beer to be banned. Portman claims that excessive drinking is being encouraged because the labelling for this 18.2% ABV libation states that people must, from time to time, have excess, and adds: "This beer is for those times."

But when will we hear Portman attack the major players in the industry who make far stronger alcoholic beverages than this small brewery? Portman is financed by massive alcohol companies the sheer scale of whose manufacture of this toxic and harmful drug causes more misery than a tiny production run of some tar flavoured beverage sold to a small handful of incorrigible beardie weardie real ale addicts will ever do.

Sincerely,



John Eoin Douglas

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

1st of December 2009 - Swiss Cheesed Off

7 Spey Terrace
Edinburgh
EH7 4PX

Telephone: 0131-550 0895
E-mail: JohnEDouglas@gmail.com
Blog: http://johneoindouglas.blogspot.com/


1st of December 2009


Dear Sir/Madam,

SWISS CHEESED OFF

It is most unfair that the people of Switzerland have been characterised as racist and/or Islamophobic following their vote to ban any further erection of minarets in their country.

My Swiss friends tell me that the decision (notwithstanding the regretable remarks made by a few of their more bigoted and ignorant politicians) has nothing to do with any animus towards Islam. Rather, it is a result of the deeply conservative views that many of the Swiss hold on the subject of architecture.

Sincerely,



John Eoin Douglas