via SanookKrub
Friday, 31 May 2013
Thai Passport Office to open in Pattaya
The Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced that they will open a Passport Office in Pattaya on June 3 at the 1st floor of the Avenue Pattaya on Pattaya 2nd Road.
Office hours will be Monday - Friday from 8.30 - 15.30.
Rag - this is great news. You will no longer have to drive to Central Bangna to apply for or renew Thai passports.
via Pattaya Mail
via Pattaya Mail
Crystal Club A Go Go in lights
Andy gets his groove on..... well he gets his sign up in LK Metro and it's looking good......
All we need now is an invitation to the soft opening..........
All we need now is an invitation to the soft opening..........
Thursday, 30 May 2013
Current requirements for notification of 90 days at Pattaya Immigration
I went to the Thai Immigration Dept in Jomtien this morning for my 90 day check up and was advised of the following requirements for my next visit:
Be prepared......
Be prepared......
New Pattaya City Hospital now open
The new Pattaya City Hospital with multistory car park is now open on Soi Buakhaow.
The hospital has moved from the building next door, (on right of above picture) and you have to drive between the old and new buildings to access the car park - follow the white chevrons.
More like a hotel reception than an hospital, the new building is impressive and a considerable improvement over the old building.
Very handy if you miss the top step coming out the i-Rovers after a night on the juice..........
More like a hotel reception than an hospital, the new building is impressive and a considerable improvement over the old building.
Very handy if you miss the top step coming out the i-Rovers after a night on the juice..........
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
US issues travel alert for Philippines
The United States has advised its citizens against travelling to Zamboanga province in the southern Philippines due to the "credible threat" of a terrorist kidnapping plot against foreigners.
Read the full article at the Bangkok Post.
Sonic Bang Bangkok - 30 Artists, 6 Stages, 1 Day
Sonic Bang, Saturday, 24th August 2013 at Muang Thong Thani.
Artists appearing include: Stamp-Apiwat; Gale-Sophicha; Scrubb; Flure; Tor+Saksit; Love Me Butch; Pitbull; Jason Mraz; Scandal; Slot Machine; Owl City; Sheppard; Ash; Pet Shop Boys and more...
Artists appearing include: Stamp-Apiwat; Gale-Sophicha; Scrubb; Flure; Tor+Saksit; Love Me Butch; Pitbull; Jason Mraz; Scandal; Slot Machine; Owl City; Sheppard; Ash; Pet Shop Boys and more...
For full details go to the Sonic Bang website.
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
Monday, 27 May 2013
Sexy dancers from Billboard Go Go, Bangkok
A bunch of sexy girls have a dance off in Billboard Go-Go in Bangkok.
According to Dave The Rave, Billboard has one of the best line ups of any bar in Bangkok.
What do you think? How does Billboard stack up against Sensations, Baccara or Crystals?
According to Dave The Rave, Billboard has one of the best line ups of any bar in Bangkok.
What do you think? How does Billboard stack up against Sensations, Baccara or Crystals?
Woman arrested in Oldham for peaceful demo with Union flag
A pregnant woman was arrested in Oldham today for carrying the Union flag with the words on it, "No more mosques." A Muslim objected and the police did the rest.
The vid gets going around 1min 30secs and look at the number of police involved. FFS. You could be getting murdered and you wouldn't see that many........ World's gone mad......
Read the comments at the following Facebook page.
The vid gets going around 1min 30secs and look at the number of police involved. FFS. You could be getting murdered and you wouldn't see that many........ World's gone mad......
Read the comments at the following Facebook page.
History teaches the silent majority are irrelevant
A man, whose family was German aristocracy prior to World War II, owned a number of large industries and estates. When asked how many German people were true Nazis, the answer he gave can guide our attitude toward fanaticism.
'Very few people were true Nazis,' he said, 'but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories.'
History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason, we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points: peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence. Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don't speak up, because like my friend from Germany , they will awaken one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun.
Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late.
Wise words from Dr. Emanuel Tanya, a well-known and well-respected psychiatrist.
'Very few people were true Nazis,' he said, 'but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories.'
History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason, we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points: peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence. Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don't speak up, because like my friend from Germany , they will awaken one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun.
Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late.
Wise words from Dr. Emanuel Tanya, a well-known and well-respected psychiatrist.
via Colin Jockster Mcgregor.
Sunday, 26 May 2013
The world's highest swing ride takes thrill-seekers up to 400 FEET in the air
This has absolutely nothing to do with Thailand but could we see one here?
The world’s tallest tower swing ride, which sends those foolhardy enough to get on-board a whopping 400 feet up in the air, was officially opened on Saturday at the Six Flags Over Texas amusement park in Arlington.
The Texas SkyScreamer allows up to twenty-four riders to sit in open-air swings while spinning in a 124-foot circle at speeds up to 35mph at a height equivalent to the 40th floor of a building.
If you want to see how scary this ride is check out the video at the Daily Mail. It takes your breath away.........
The world’s tallest tower swing ride, which sends those foolhardy enough to get on-board a whopping 400 feet up in the air, was officially opened on Saturday at the Six Flags Over Texas amusement park in Arlington.
The Texas SkyScreamer allows up to twenty-four riders to sit in open-air swings while spinning in a 124-foot circle at speeds up to 35mph at a height equivalent to the 40th floor of a building.
If you want to see how scary this ride is check out the video at the Daily Mail. It takes your breath away.........
Hotels in Thailand - get the best rates
I was checking out rates for island hotels in June and stumbled across Hotels Combined, a one stop shop for searching multiple travel sites like lastminute.com, expedia and laterooms.com from one site.
Their search includes over 500 hotels in Pattaya alone so you get plenty of choice.
Worth checking out for Thailand and beyond...... Hotels Combined
Their search includes over 500 hotels in Pattaya alone so you get plenty of choice.
Worth checking out for Thailand and beyond...... Hotels Combined
Saturday, 25 May 2013
EPIC smackdown of Boston bombers Mother
You definitely want to watch this one all the way to the end. Judge Jeanine doesn't leave anyone guessing as to how she feels about statements that have been made by the mother of the Boston jihadid bombers:
via John Mayes and rightscoop.
Rag - British politicians need to grow some balls like this lady. She speaks truth to terror and I'm sure she's eloquently voiced the sentiments of many in Britain and America.
As Lee Rigby's murderer said, 'eye for an eye', well I hope it's our turn now. Sadly, I think our politicians are more likely to offer the other P.C. cheek.
via John Mayes and rightscoop.
Rag - British politicians need to grow some balls like this lady. She speaks truth to terror and I'm sure she's eloquently voiced the sentiments of many in Britain and America.
As Lee Rigby's murderer said, 'eye for an eye', well I hope it's our turn now. Sadly, I think our politicians are more likely to offer the other P.C. cheek.
Question - Since peace was struck with the IRA, when was the last time a white, Anglo Saxon, protestant/catholic carried out a terrorist attack in Britain? So why is it that after a terrorist attack the civil liberties of all British nationals are compromised?
If all the attackers are all from the Muslim community then the lock down should be on the Muslim community. This is not about equality of misery or trying not to appear racially biased. It's unfortunate that law abiding Muslims will get caught up in the mix but better them than all British nationals. Maybe if pressure of this type is applied to just to the Muslim community then they might be encouraged to do something about the cancer in their midst. Might.......
Friday, 24 May 2013
Thursday, 23 May 2013
Sexy Asian Lady #81
The lady on the right from the Philippines pushes all the right buttons.....
via Bhaby Red
via Bhaby Red
Thailand 3G - quirky set up process and slow performance
On Monday, I called in at the AIS counter in Tukcom and signed up for a post paid 3G contract. When I say I signed, it's a bit of a lie. I have no work permit so I have to get a Thai to sponsor me, (sign docs and hand over copy of ID card). The lady at the AIS counter said I should receive an SMS from AIS in the next 14 days advising me of my application approval and at that time, I should return to AIS Tukcom to complete the 3G account set up.
After 2 days, (yesterday), I received the SMS confirmation message Problem is, I'd been reading bad reports of poor 3G performance in Thailand so I decided to hold off switching from 2G until things had improved.
This morning, (Thursday), I was on a call, (incoming), when I lost the signal. I couldn't receive or make calls. It remained that way for the remainder of the morning which had me suspecting AIS had cut off my 2G link to encourage me to move to 3G.
So this afternoon, back to Tukcom. My contacts were transferred from old to a new Sim, (same #, free), and after 30mins of AIS working on my phone, I was told everything was done but I'd have to wait a further 2 or 3 hours for my new 3G account to be activated... Return home, do not pass Go, do not collect $200... After 4 hours my phone was still off so on the grounds I'd nothing better to do, I powered my phone off and on. Presto, new 3G account active.
First impressions.
It's the first time I've switched from 2G to 3G so I have no reference point for the process involved. That said, two visits to Tukcom, possible 14 day wait, a 2 to 3 hour wait with dead phone are all part of a process that I reckon would excite Heath Robinson
For Internet browsing, AIS 3G is as fast as the slow Wi-Fi connection I had with 3BB. It's not a radical improvement but it works and seems stable around central Pattaya.
It's hard to distinguish any difference on phone calls between the 2G and 3G services. Friends will tell you that's because of my crap phone........
Apps that were dormant with a wi-fi connection are beavering away like mad with an open data connection. Apps guilty of covert data usage are Google Play Store; YouTube; Drippler and Line. If you don't get a grip of these apps you could pretty quickly exceed your monthly data usage limit and run up penalty fees. For Android users, check out Onavo, a quality data usage monitor. For IOS users, who cares...... if you can pay over the odds for a fashion item, you can pay penalty fees..... you've probably paid for an unlimited plan anyway......
Conclusion
It's early days but I'm no worse off than I was on 2G and things can only get better.... right? Who's laughing?????
This morning, (Thursday), I was on a call, (incoming), when I lost the signal. I couldn't receive or make calls. It remained that way for the remainder of the morning which had me suspecting AIS had cut off my 2G link to encourage me to move to 3G.
So this afternoon, back to Tukcom. My contacts were transferred from old to a new Sim, (same #, free), and after 30mins of AIS working on my phone, I was told everything was done but I'd have to wait a further 2 or 3 hours for my new 3G account to be activated... Return home, do not pass Go, do not collect $200... After 4 hours my phone was still off so on the grounds I'd nothing better to do, I powered my phone off and on. Presto, new 3G account active.
First impressions.
It's the first time I've switched from 2G to 3G so I have no reference point for the process involved. That said, two visits to Tukcom, possible 14 day wait, a 2 to 3 hour wait with dead phone are all part of a process that I reckon would excite Heath Robinson
For Internet browsing, AIS 3G is as fast as the slow Wi-Fi connection I had with 3BB. It's not a radical improvement but it works and seems stable around central Pattaya.
It's hard to distinguish any difference on phone calls between the 2G and 3G services. Friends will tell you that's because of my crap phone........
Apps that were dormant with a wi-fi connection are beavering away like mad with an open data connection. Apps guilty of covert data usage are Google Play Store; YouTube; Drippler and Line. If you don't get a grip of these apps you could pretty quickly exceed your monthly data usage limit and run up penalty fees. For Android users, check out Onavo, a quality data usage monitor. For IOS users, who cares...... if you can pay over the odds for a fashion item, you can pay penalty fees..... you've probably paid for an unlimited plan anyway......
Conclusion
It's early days but I'm no worse off than I was on 2G and things can only get better.... right? Who's laughing?????
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Oxfam accuses UK Government of tax hypocrisy
People who avoid paying tax by stashing their money in tax havens could have contributed enough to end extreme poverty across the world twice over.
Oxfam calculated that individuals, rather than companies, have deprived UK government of £100bn in revenue. It also accused the Government of failing to tackle the issue of UK tax havens, while talking tough about corporate tax avoidance.
Oxfam claimed that more than a third of the £12 trillion held in tax havens by individuals around the globe is believed to be in British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
Read the full article at Sky News.
Rag - There's no way it will change. Taxing ordinary people was introduced to finance the whims of Kings. It was never meant to target the elite class and one way or another, it probably never will.
Colosseum, Pattaya
A new Colosseum is under construction on Threppasit Road, between Pattaya and Jomtien.
The width of the roads in the car park are clearly designed for tourists coaches and if I was a guessing man, I'd have to say it's an Alcazar style venue but that is purely a guess.
The width of the roads in the car park are clearly designed for tourists coaches and if I was a guessing man, I'd have to say it's an Alcazar style venue but that is purely a guess.
The Ultratravel 100 Awards 2013
Ultratravel readers have voted across 20 categories, from best hotel, airline and airport to favourite city and country. This week their favourites were announced at the 2013 Ultratravel 100 awards in London's Dorchester Hotel.
Read the full list of winners and runners up at The Telegraph.
Rag - Sadly, Thailand didn't score very well in any of the 20 categories.
Read the full list of winners and runners up at The Telegraph.
Rag - Sadly, Thailand didn't score very well in any of the 20 categories.
Tuesday, 21 May 2013
The top 10 wildest Sin Cities
SIN Cities in which you can pursue vice and debauchery have existed throughout history, from Rome's glory days when you could follow up your bet on a gladiator with an orgy, to Shanghai where you could float for days in opium dens high on sex and drugs.
In the 21st century, new sin cities around the world have taken up the cause and we've compiled them all in our list. The criteria for a location to make our sin cities list is pretty simple: It has to offer a strong presence of gambling, sex, drinking, drugs and/or partying.
In the 21st century, new sin cities around the world have taken up the cause and we've compiled them all in our list. The criteria for a location to make our sin cities list is pretty simple: It has to offer a strong presence of gambling, sex, drinking, drugs and/or partying.
Read the full article at News.Com.au
Rag - Pattaya beats out Rio, Las Vegas, Amsterdam, Berlin and more to take the title of the 'siniest' city in the world.......
via Vitali Kolos
NBTC slams slow 3G speed in Thailand
Under the licence requirement, operators are obliged to deliver 3G services at a minimum download speed of 345 kilobits per second and 153 Kbps for uploads.
Existing User Comments:
Tansri - I just upgraded my AIS package to 3G. It's not only slow and slower but it's 3G only 10% of the time. My son's AIS phone still on 2G is faster and smoother. I was taught in my MBA class when you launch a new product don't claim it until you're 110% ready. Interesting to hear response from True and DTAC
Franklin - just bought the new 3G (no 15% price cut) from AIS and it downloads at the same snail’s pace of 40 kb/s during the time that it works at all. Five months ago in Vientiane the hotel had 3G coming in at 380 kb/s and in Macau last month download speeds at 982 kb/s. Fastest I've ever seen in Asia. How can it be sold in Thailand when it doesn't work? Big rip off to the customers.
Aunt main suspect in Thai girl brothel plight
The Anti-Human Trafficking Division has applied to the Criminal Court for a warrant to arrest Piengjai Phuplado, 43, who is the aunt of the teenage girl lured into the flesh trade in South Korea
Rag - how desperate, or how cold hearted, must you be to sell your own niece into the flesh trade. Hard to figure really.
Read the full article at the Bangkok Post.
Rag - how desperate, or how cold hearted, must you be to sell your own niece into the flesh trade. Hard to figure really.
Read the full article at the Bangkok Post.
Monday, 20 May 2013
Pattaya Hotel Deals
Now that the low season is on us, Pattaya hotels are discounting rooms aplenty. The following deal for the Tune Hotel caught my eye.
If you want to check out the Tune Hotel offer or look for other deals for hotels in Pattaya, go to Agoda or click on the Agoda advert box in the right margin of this page.
Happy hunting.
If you want to check out the Tune Hotel offer or look for other deals for hotels in Pattaya, go to Agoda or click on the Agoda advert box in the right margin of this page.
Happy hunting.
Sunday, 19 May 2013
Pattaya, a City of Last Resort
Maurice Jones book, Last Resort, is about a failed union demagogue and cash-strapped council boss Arnie Ratledge who sees a way back up the national political ladder by ‘exporting’ Burnley's financially draining care-home folk to specially converted, cut-price Thai resorts. It’s greeted as a revolutionary concept that could solve the entire demographic and economic nightmare the elderly pose in the West.
Rag - We now know how Andy ended up here........ and Pattaya puts life back in the old folk better than any little pill.......
.
Praise for Last Resort:
'Brilliantly original, laugh-out-loud funny, it's a must read.'
The Sun
‘With lashings of humour and great originality, Maurice Jones has got across one of the most challenging messages of our time: the old are not fodder for a throwaway society’s ever-expanding scrapheap, but people in a different phase of life whose capacity for fun is not dead; just dormant, waiting for the right spark.
RT Hon David Blunkett MP
‘After reading this, no more fear. We’ve all got the green light to grow old disgracefully, and when your time’s up, go with a huge smile on your face – like this book gave me.’
Jon Wise, The People
Rag - We now know how Andy ended up here........ and Pattaya puts life back in the old folk better than any little pill.......
.Praise for Last Resort:
'Brilliantly original, laugh-out-loud funny, it's a must read.'
The Sun
‘With lashings of humour and great originality, Maurice Jones has got across one of the most challenging messages of our time: the old are not fodder for a throwaway society’s ever-expanding scrapheap, but people in a different phase of life whose capacity for fun is not dead; just dormant, waiting for the right spark.
RT Hon David Blunkett MP
‘After reading this, no more fear. We’ve all got the green light to grow old disgracefully, and when your time’s up, go with a huge smile on your face – like this book gave me.’
Jon Wise, The People
The TEN most eye-watering tackle catastrophes
A teenage girl has been arrested in Florida for chomping on her boyfriend's bits, after he refused to have sex with her.
Krystle Harrison, 19, sank her teeth in 24-year-old Jeffrey Wilkinson's penis after he rejected her advances, at the couple's home in Bradenten near Tampa. She is facing domestic battery charges, while Jeffrey is nursing his badly punctured privates.
While his wounded willy recovers, Jeffrey can console himself with the knowledge his crown jewels weren't lopped off completely, bitten by a deadly snake, shot, burned by chemicals... or even served up in a soup!
While his wounded willy recovers, Jeffrey can console himself with the knowledge his crown jewels weren't lopped off completely, bitten by a deadly snake, shot, burned by chemicals... or even served up in a soup!
Head over to the Sun for full details of the eye watering tackle torture..... but finish your breakfast first........
Saturday, 18 May 2013
Foreign nationals advised to avoid Bangkok demonstrations on Sunday, 19th May.
Up to 100,000 demonstrators are expected to gather at a rally in the Rajprasong area of Bangkok tomorrow, May 19, 2013 to mark the third anniversary of the Bangkok clashes of 2010.
Demonstrations are usually accompanied by a heightened police and military presence and traffic delays. Avoid all demonstrations and large gatherings, military installations, and concentrations of security personnel.
Foreign nationals are advised to stay well clear of the demonstrations.
Demonstrations are usually accompanied by a heightened police and military presence and traffic delays. Avoid all demonstrations and large gatherings, military installations, and concentrations of security personnel.
Foreign nationals are advised to stay well clear of the demonstrations.
Friday, 17 May 2013
Pattaya skyline from Ripley's balloon.
Great photo of Pattaya taken from the Ripley's balloon by Peter Korevaar.
Click on the image for hi-def version.
Click on the image for hi-def version.
TrueVisons Thailand launches new Knowledge and Supersports packages
TrueVisons have launched two new packages: Knowledge, with 88 channels at Bt590 per month, and Super Sport with 95 channels at Bt495 per month. Looking at the channels on offer I would say these packages are for the Thai market.
Truevisions are targeting 100,000 new subscribers for each package. I suspect many of the 'new' subscribers will actually be existing Gold and Premium package subscribers downsizing now that English Premier League, (EPL), broadcasts are on the rival CTH network. It looks like TrueVisions are trying to lock-in their Thai customer base before CTH launch their rival 140 channel service, plus EPL games, on 21st June.
TrueVisions clearly feeling the heat.
Truevisions are targeting 100,000 new subscribers for each package. I suspect many of the 'new' subscribers will actually be existing Gold and Premium package subscribers downsizing now that English Premier League, (EPL), broadcasts are on the rival CTH network. It looks like TrueVisions are trying to lock-in their Thai customer base before CTH launch their rival 140 channel service, plus EPL games, on 21st June.
TrueVisions clearly feeling the heat.
Insomnia Pattaya, photos from Buddha Bless live
I didn't know whether to show a picture of Buddha Bless or this lady and, well, I came to my senses......
For the full album of photos, go to Insomnia's Facebook page.
For the full album of photos, go to Insomnia's Facebook page.
Photos by Paul Sanderson.
Thursday, 16 May 2013
Update on English Premier League Broadcasts in Thailand
CTH won EPL broadcasting rights for the three seasons starting this August, beating the existing rights holder TrueVisions.
It has reserved five channels for EPL content, Channel 1 for live matches and reruns, Channel 2 for coverage of international EPL activities, Channel 3 for EPL events in Thailand, Channel 4 for a variety of content such as player and fan profiles and Channel 5 for inside news.
Moreover, CTH has formed partnerships with three free channels, BEC World's channel 3, channel 7 and Modernine TV to broadcast 17 EPL matches live each season.
Read the full article at the Bangkok Post.
Rag - What's not clear from the announcement that there will be only one channel for live games is will we be able to select (stream) the match we want to watch on that channel or will CTH broadcast only one live game on that channel?
10 Ways Our Politicians Are Screwing Us
It’s not easy being a politician. The pressure is high, the rewards low and there simply aren’t enough hours in the day for screwing the electorate. Yeah, that’s right: screwing. For all they claim to be representing us, the truth is our politicians are almost-exclusively looking out for number one. How else do you explain stuff like:
10. Accepting Bribes
Lobbying is bribery for rich people. Only instead of being super-illegal it’s encouraged, and instead of letting them bend the law it allows them to simply change it.
9. Taking Welfare
In 2011, it was revealed that 23 members of congress were claiming farm subsidies.
8. Robbing the Taxpayer
Remember how I said lobbying was the most-corrupt you could get in a Western democracy? Turns out I lied. Welcome to Britain, where the UK parliament could give Silvio Berlusconi lessons in corruption. Four years ago, an investigation by the Telegraph revealed that British MPs were using their expense accounts to pay for anything they felt like. And while you or I might be tempted to charge the odd drink or meal to whatever company we work for, these guys were charging for freaking houses.
7. Encouraging Nepotism
Last year, the New York Times ran this story reporting on the findings of Washington watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics. After trawling through a heck-load of records, the group had discovered 82 lawmakers diverting public and party funds to their relatives, often in the form of lucrative salaries for doing not very much.
6. Lying
Let’s flip back to the UK for this one. Over there, lying has gotten so routine that two separate stories of made-up government statistics broke in one week. First, an important minister was caught out justifying welfare-robbery by making up facts. Then another high-ranking politician was caught quoting figures from an opinion poll commissioned by a motel-chain, which is about as scientific as it sounds. And that’s just in one week: go back even further and you have a guy who was caught speeding on camera and blamed his wife—despite her being at a public conference at the time.
5. Ignoring the Law
Whether it’s driving while under the influence, sleeping with prostitutes, embezzlement, getting drunk and starting fights or simply being Nixon, our politicians break the law like it won’t apply to them. But none of that even begins to touch on the issue of government law-breaking. Put simply, sometimes the entire government makes a law then completely ignores it—as happened recently in England. After a court ruled the government had violated its own minimum wage laws by forcing hundreds of people into near-unpaid labour; the sociopaths in charge voted to bring in another law making them immune from liability.
4. Looking out for Number One
But our politicians aren’t completely stupid: often they simply vote for what would benefit them to begin with, rather than what would benefit the country. There’s the massive $19,000 pay rise they awarded themselves in 2009—in other words, at the exact same time the economy was in free-fall and we were being told the country was broke. Not to be outdone by their American counterparts, British politicians later went one further by voting themselves a £31,000 salary increase—about $50,000. That’s a 30 percent increase; seemingly-timed to coincide with devastating UK cuts to public services.
3. Abusing Office
2. Being Hypocrites
What really sticks in the craw is this constant mantra that we’re all suffering equally from this economic Armageddon. We’re not: most of us have seen our taxes rise, our incomes shrink and our jobs get a heck of a lot more precarious. Our politicians, meanwhile, have been living it up: installing hundred thousand dollar beds on five hour flights, ordering expensive designer cushions to perch on and enjoying $60 breakfasts at taxpayer expense. Out of touch is one thing, but these guys seem to be living on a different planet.
1. Ignoring Voters
The government consistently supports unpopular measures in the face of hard, scientific evidence, you have to start wondering who they’re working for in the first place. ‘Cause, right now, it sure as hell isn’t us.
Go to Listverse for a more detailed write up on the 10 ways we are getting screwed by our politicians.
10. Accepting Bribes
Lobbying is bribery for rich people. Only instead of being super-illegal it’s encouraged, and instead of letting them bend the law it allows them to simply change it.
9. Taking Welfare
In 2011, it was revealed that 23 members of congress were claiming farm subsidies.
8. Robbing the Taxpayer
Remember how I said lobbying was the most-corrupt you could get in a Western democracy? Turns out I lied. Welcome to Britain, where the UK parliament could give Silvio Berlusconi lessons in corruption. Four years ago, an investigation by the Telegraph revealed that British MPs were using their expense accounts to pay for anything they felt like. And while you or I might be tempted to charge the odd drink or meal to whatever company we work for, these guys were charging for freaking houses.
7. Encouraging Nepotism
Last year, the New York Times ran this story reporting on the findings of Washington watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics. After trawling through a heck-load of records, the group had discovered 82 lawmakers diverting public and party funds to their relatives, often in the form of lucrative salaries for doing not very much.
6. Lying
Let’s flip back to the UK for this one. Over there, lying has gotten so routine that two separate stories of made-up government statistics broke in one week. First, an important minister was caught out justifying welfare-robbery by making up facts. Then another high-ranking politician was caught quoting figures from an opinion poll commissioned by a motel-chain, which is about as scientific as it sounds. And that’s just in one week: go back even further and you have a guy who was caught speeding on camera and blamed his wife—despite her being at a public conference at the time.
5. Ignoring the Law
Whether it’s driving while under the influence, sleeping with prostitutes, embezzlement, getting drunk and starting fights or simply being Nixon, our politicians break the law like it won’t apply to them. But none of that even begins to touch on the issue of government law-breaking. Put simply, sometimes the entire government makes a law then completely ignores it—as happened recently in England. After a court ruled the government had violated its own minimum wage laws by forcing hundreds of people into near-unpaid labour; the sociopaths in charge voted to bring in another law making them immune from liability.
4. Looking out for Number One
But our politicians aren’t completely stupid: often they simply vote for what would benefit them to begin with, rather than what would benefit the country. There’s the massive $19,000 pay rise they awarded themselves in 2009—in other words, at the exact same time the economy was in free-fall and we were being told the country was broke. Not to be outdone by their American counterparts, British politicians later went one further by voting themselves a £31,000 salary increase—about $50,000. That’s a 30 percent increase; seemingly-timed to coincide with devastating UK cuts to public services.
3. Abusing Office
Business Insider regularly publishes its list of ‘most corrupt members of congress’, and it sure makes for some ugly reading. Their 2012 edition includes a congresswoman who forced her staff to spy on an opponent; a congressman who used campaign funds to finance his daughter’s graduation party; another who offered foreign donors Green Cards in exchange for money; another who allegedly bribed a Federal witness; one who ran a giant Ponzi scheme; several who accepted inappropriate gifts and several more who violated Federal laws.
2. Being Hypocrites
What really sticks in the craw is this constant mantra that we’re all suffering equally from this economic Armageddon. We’re not: most of us have seen our taxes rise, our incomes shrink and our jobs get a heck of a lot more precarious. Our politicians, meanwhile, have been living it up: installing hundred thousand dollar beds on five hour flights, ordering expensive designer cushions to perch on and enjoying $60 breakfasts at taxpayer expense. Out of touch is one thing, but these guys seem to be living on a different planet.
1. Ignoring Voters
The government consistently supports unpopular measures in the face of hard, scientific evidence, you have to start wondering who they’re working for in the first place. ‘Cause, right now, it sure as hell isn’t us.
Go to Listverse for a more detailed write up on the 10 ways we are getting screwed by our politicians.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)