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Why have we not seen this coming? ....and I'm not just talking about the Islamic variety! Britain has a strong tradition of being a relatively liberal and secular society. It could be better but it is better than some. Religious Fundamentalism now threaten this. Hopefully this is just temporary state of affairs. Bush & Blair/Brown are as just to blame for effectively eroding our civil liberties and our secular society. We have them on one side and Islamic fundamentlists on the other. If it is not ID cards, it might be the removal to the right to an abortion or being detained with out being charged under Terror Laws.
It is not surprising in view of the public's insatiable appetite for the next Celebrity; "reality" TV show or some other meaningless activity which doesn't require much intellect or thought. We don't need and should not tolerate BIG BROTHER!
Politicians at all levels need to be held to account by the public at the ballot box. This means everyone's vote counts.
Rant over....
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Added on: 02/21/06 09:02
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I have just returned from a weekend away in Milano, Italia. It is some time since I have been to this part of the country. The last time was only a year or so ago when I went to see the opera Carmen in Verona. That was a very enjoyable weekend with friends.
This time I couldn't help but notice the graffitti which seems to be absolutely EVERWHERE! It is pretty disgusting and makes everywhere look very unclean and uncared for.
I had flown into Orio near Bergamo with Ryanair. Absolutely no complaints. On arrival I had to buy a bus ticket to take me to Milano Centrale railway station. There are two bus companies that operate this service. They even stagger their times. However the tickets are not interchangeable. It is like the Tour buses that operate in Britain where a ticket "tout" sells you a ticket for his bus.
On the way to Milano the bus takes the quickest route via the motorway. This sounds good in theory, i.e. if you are trying to go between Glasgow & Edinburgh on a Friday night at about 8pm. However the motorway between Bergamo & Milano is at a standstill at 8pm on a Friday night!! What should take 45 minutes takes around 2 hours. Ironically there is a bus to Bergamo from the airport which takes 10 minutes and there is a railway station in Bergamo which has a railway line which goes to Milano. However this is not an option. The trains are infrequent and the journey takes hours.
Milano Centrale railway station was built by Mussolini and is in the style of most Fascist architecture.. its BIG and tells you how powerful the state is under their control. It truly is a magnificent building, albeit now in disrepair. It is how stations in the UK were about 10 - 15 years ago.
So I buy a ticket for my train to my final destination Monza which is only 15 minutes by train from Milano. The train ticket price is only 1.50 euros (just over 1.00). I must have just missed one as the next one is not for an hour. The time passes relatively quickly. There are so many new people to watch and new things to see.
About ten minutes before the train is about to go the platform is put on the departure board. Just to make it more sporting there are two trains leaving at the same time. The departure board only provides the final destination not the stations in-between. So I rush around trying to find someone to ask. There is no one to be found. I ask a passenger who tells me that this is not the correct train. I am beginning to panic as the train is about to depart in a few minutes. I decide to interrupt a couple of policemen who are trying to evict a homeless drunk. They are fighting a losing battle as there are more drunk homeless people in the station than transport police. They merely look at the departure board and see a later train to Monza which leaves in more than an hours time. This is not what I want to hear.
I decide to follow my own hunch and revert back to the original train. I ask someone else who confirms that this IS the correct train. I jump on with seconds to spare. 15 minutes later it stops at Monza and I get off. I am so pleased to have finally arrived. I has taken close to 4 hours to cover about 35 miles. This is the time it takes to travel by train between Edinburgh & London.
People complain about how bad public transport is in the UK. I use it to travel all over the country and it generally works and is relatively joined up. There are plenty of staff and they are generally helpful. The stations useually provide useful train information. The trains are modern and generally run on time or relatively on time. Unless you are unlucky and are on the last train somewhere with a crowd of drunks it is relatively safe.
The next time someone complains about the fact that there is no public transport in Britain or how bad it is, I will suggest they try Italy as a model of efficiency and let them see how that turns out.
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Added on: 02/14/06 12:21
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I have taken steps recently to meet someone new towards the end of the month. This will be a relatively new experience. Over the last few years I have been lucky to have some experiences with a beautiful but strict pro-Domme and also with a very keen, experienced and very slutty amateur sub. The latter not as physically attractive but more than willing and able to make up for this in her wants & actions. Both experiences were very enjoyable but for some reason I can't quite put my finger on, neither quite fulfilled all my wants.
This time it is also different. This is my first time with a kinky escort. On paper it all sounds good but obviously that is often not how it pans out in reality. Will the venue match the occasion? Will she listen to my wants & desires and be able to satisfy them? Only time will tell.
I am already experiencing a sense of mounting excitement. This in itself is part of the whole experience. I am really looking forward to meeting her and already anticipating the sexual frisson.
There are the ever present doubts about whether I will be able to perform suitably and not disappoint. In addition will we be mentally compatible or be physically attracted to each other? Again only time will tell.
With any luck my escort will see this and understand what is going on in my mind. I hope she's a good listener and willing to really satify my wants. Fingers crossed.
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Added on: 02/08/06 07:54
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