Andy Murray beats Ferrero to reach Wimbledon semifinal

Murray reaches 1st Wimbledon semifinal

British No1 Andy Murray brushed aside Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero to become the first Briton since Tim Henman in 2002 to reach the Wimbledon semifinals. Despite a nervy start, Murray took just 1 hour, 45 minutes to defeat Ferrero in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3, 6-2.

Following his epic five set, third round thriller, Murray badly needed a quick and uncomplicated victory to set up his semi final showdown with American Andy Roddick, who himself was pushed all the way by Australian Leyton Hewitt.

Murray has an impressive record against Roddick, winning six of their 8 meetings but isn’t complacent about the task ahead; “Obviously Roddick is one of the best servers in the game, so I will need to return really well”, he said.

The last Briton to claim the Mens Wimbledon singles title was Fred Perry in 1936 and victory against Roddick on Friday will see Murray progess into the final where he will face either Federer or Tommy Haas.

Stick to the real news please, not the trivia!

I very rarely read the newspapers any more and I never watch the news because it’s so depressing and miserable . If I need to know what’s going on I can rely on the internet. But for some reason, on Monday night I actually found myself watching one of the news channels at 10.00pm. Monday had been a grim day as we had all heard about the ‘dissapearance’ of the Air France flight from Rio de Janerio to Paris and feared the worst. There was also the ‘mysterious’ death of a couple and their five year old son at Beachy Head, an infamous suicide spot.

The news opened with the headline story, the Air France flight, a tragic but newsworthy story. This was followed by, you would think the tragedy at Beachy Head, but NO, the next story was all about Susan F**king Boyle and her admission to the Priory Clinic following her breakdown. I for one don’t care about Susan Boyle’s breakdown but I do care about people who have real problems like the loss of their loved ones. The Beachy Head story received a small mention in the second half of the program.

I remember when news programs were about news but now they seem little more than extensions of the ‘reality TV’ craze that is sweeping our nation. I have nothing against reality TV and watched Britain’s Got Talent (although I must bee the only person in the world who hasn’t watched Susan Boyle), but they are entertainment programs and don’t parade themselves as anything else. News at Ten was once ITV’s flagship program dealing in real news stories but it is now watered down and largely irrelevant. Come on guys, stick to the news and leave the entertainment to someone else.

Teenage schoolgirl giving birth Video

A shocking video has been released by Leicester NHS Trust showing a teenage schoolgirl giving birth on a school playing field. The video was designed to deliberately “shock” and “provoke” young people as part of a hard hitting campaign by NHS Leicester to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies in the city. 

The video is filmed in such a way that it looks like amateur mobile phone footage but ends with a hard hitting message. Tim Rideout, chief executive of NHS Leicester City, told Sky News: “We know this film is hard-hitting, but so are the numbers of under-18s getting pregnant in Leicester. ”The city’s Teenage Pregnancy and Parenthood Partnership has been successful in cutting the numbers of young girls getting pregnant. ”But to make a long-term difference we need more education on safe sex.”

The video was posted onto YouTube and was viewed by more than 70,000 people before being taken off following a flurry of complaints but a version of the video is still available to view, entitled “Teenage Kicks”,  although it comes with the following warning: 

“Teenagers filming fights on their camera phones is as old as happy slapping, but this footage from a school in Leicester is pretty shocking by anyone’s standards.”

Despite the numerous protests, the video has attracted some support and praise with one viewer commenting; “I think you lot are beginning to take this problem seriously”. Another said the footage “looks scary” but is “a good idea”.

The trust claimed it decided to take the shock approach after the young people it asked said they wanted something memorable to get the message across.

While there is little doubt the video fulfils that objective, it is likely to be some time before we know whether the project will succeed in reducing pregnancy rates.

Jordan and Peter Andre Split

Jordan devastated after being dumped

I really don’t like to admit it, but these two have actually grown on me since their ‘coming together’ in I’m a celebrity, get me out of here. Pin up favourite Jordan, and forgotten pop star Peter Andre met on the set of the ITV hit reality show five years ago and have hardly been out of the public eye ever since. Former ‘good time’ girl Jordan seemed to be changing her image from Party Girl to Perfect Wife & Mum, but recently the cracks have started to appear and she has slipped back to her old ways.

The move to separate and divorce appears to have been instigated by Peter, who has found it impossible to deal with the ‘boozy’ Jordan. He has told pals, “I have been so unhappy.” “I am not jealous of anybody until Katie is drunk. There’s nobody I feel threatened by when she’s sober. But if she’s drinking I know she is capable of anything. The devil gets insider her and she’s a nightmare. I trust her when she’s sober but I don’t trust her when she’s drinking.”

The news comes days after pictures were revealed showing a boozed up Jordan, snuggling up to a mystery man in a Bristol nightclub with her famous 32D assets on full display. The pictures were the “last straw” that made Peter Andre dump her. He said, “Katie has everything she could ever want – look at our beautiful children. She’s got a multi-million pound career and a dream home. But it’s like she is insistent on pressing the self destruct button”. “She is the most lovely woman when she is being herself and I will always love her. But in the end it all got too much to handle”.

Jordan is said to be devastated by the split and has issued a statement saying; “This is not what I want and the decision has been taken out of my hands. I will not comment further or do any interviews regarding the separation. But I will always love my Pete”. Yet only a few weeks ago, boozed up Katie was heard telling revellers in a nightclub that her marriage was over. She stunned the onlookers by flaunting her wedding ring and screaming: “This ring means NOTHING”.

Last night Peter arrived at the couples home in Woldingham, Surrey to find that Katie had fled abroad with their two young children, Junior age 3 and 21 month Princess Tiaamii. Katie had left her son Harvey with a nanny.

Odds were being offered by bookies of 2/1 that the celebrity couple would get back together again and 6/1 that they would renew their wedding vows for a glossy magazine.

Our View

Let’s hope they can sort things out and both realise there is a bigger picture here – the children!

 

 

 

Katie and Peter –  top video moments

The world’s best job goes to a Brit!

Described as “The best job in the World”, a six month position as caretaker of an Australian tropical island with a A$150,000 (£73,500) salary has been awarded to Britain Ben Southall, 34, a charity fundraiser from Petersfield, Hampshire.

Ben beat 34,000 other applicants to land the dream position. His new job requires him to live and report from Hamilton Island, on Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef. As well as the salary, the post of caretaker at Hamilton Island comes with a three bedroom beach home, a swimming pool and golf cart.

The job description requires the successful candidate to “to explore the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, swim, snorkel, make friends with the locals and generally enjoy the tropical Queensland climate and lifestyle”. As a thoroughly modern caretaker, Mr Southall will also be expected to report back to Tourism Queensland and the world via blogs, a photo diary, video updates and interviews.

The 34,000 applicants were whittled down to 16 finalists who all spent four days on Hamilton Island undergoing a rigorous selection process involving snorkelling, barbecues and time at a spa. The finalists also had to demonstrate their blogging abilities and take swimming lessons.

After being awarded the position Ben commented, “I hope I can fill the boots as much as everybody is expecting. My swimming is hopefully up to standard and I look forward to all the new roles and responsibilities that the task involves.”

The campaign was launched by Tourism Queensland in a bid to boost the areas declining tourism industry.

Madeleine McCann new pictures revealed

Madeleine McCann 2 years on

Two years on from the tragic and mysterious disappearance  of Madeleine McCann, computer generated images of how she might look today have been released. Unsurprisingly the images bear a striking resemblance to Madeleines mother, Kate McCann. The stunning images are the work of experts in America who are determined to solve one of the greatest mysteries of modern times.

Madeleine’s parents remain convinced that their little girl is still alive and believe that the new images will help people to see what Madeleine may look like today. McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell explained, “The old photo has become the iconic image of Maddie – but Kate and Gerry are very aware that she wouldn’t look like that now. People need to realise that and look at the new image and take that in. THIS is the girl we are now looking for now.”

Despite fierce criticism from the worlds media following her disappearance, Madeleines parents have never given up on the search for their daughter, but as media interest wanes, Kate and Gerry have renewed their plea for help. The new posters will be circulated around the world featuring the message “DON’T GIVE UP ON ME.”

If you have any information regarding Maddie’s dissapearence visist the official website at http://www.findmadeleine.com/

It’s not my fault I am FAT, it’s my metabolism.

Whale-sized single mother of 3, Leane Salt hit the headlines this week when it was revealed that she feeds her eight month old triplets McDonald’s and Wotsits. The jobless, 29 stone mum said she is “too busy” to give her babies proper cooked food. To busy doing what, Eating?

Leane admits that she feeds the kids burgers and fish & chips, but chews them first (and probably swallows a bit as well) before feeding them to little Deanna, Daisy and Finlee. “I don’t, like, take them to McDonald’s and buy them a McDonald’s. I buy myself a McDonald’s and they,ll probably have, what, a chip or something”, she said. “I feed my babies vegetables every Sunday, and a lot of baby food has fruit in it.” Leane steers away from healthy foods in case it makes her kids anorexic. “I don’t want them to think they have to watch what they eat. I’ll tell them that big is beautiful”. Well not from where I’m standing, love!

Leane lives on £227 a week, and guess where it all comes from, benefits. And the father of the three kids, no where to be seen. Now there’s a surprise!

Britain is P.C mad and compensation crazy

There are two things that are screwing up Britain at the moment (aside from the Government), Political correctness and the compensation culture.

We live in a society where ‘anything goes’ just in case we infringe someone’s human rights. We cannot speak out for fear of being labelled racist. We cannot protect ourselves for fear of being punished. We encourage the creed of greed, where no one is responsible for their own actions because someone else will always pay. Usually the poor old taxpayer, after all when they are handing out money, benefits or compensation, it is only ever going to come from one place, US!

Very occasionally, however, will the light of common sense shine through and a glimmer of hope that the tide may be turning in favour of fairness and decency. Rose Gibb, former chief executive of Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, had been ’sacked’ days before a damning report blamed filthy wards for the death of 90 patients during Britain’s worst ever C.difficile outbreak. She had struck a deal with the trust to go quietly in return for £250,000 compensation.

After an outcry from relatives of  the dead, Health Secretary Alan Johnson blocked the deal but let her keep £75,000 notice pay. Grasping Rose Gibb took the matter to the High Court, but the judge threw out the claim and ordered her to pay costs believed to be in the region of £100,000. A sign, maybe that the culture of rewarding failure may be coming to an end. 

 

              

12 Yr Old Pupil Knifes Teacher

A boy of 12 knifed his teacher in the arm in front of his terrified classmates.

The pupil stormed out of the science lesson after a row, then stabbed the 28yr old teacher when she confronted him. Thank god, the teacher only suffered minor cuts to her elbow, and is now recovering at home, but the story could have been a different one. The boy, who is unnamed has been expelled and has been charged with GBH with intent and having an offensive weapon. But what will his punishment ultimately be? A stint in a young offenders institute, at our expense, whilst we try and rehabilitate him and get him to see the error of his ways. Bullshit!

What the hell was a 12yr old doing with a knife in the first place? I’ve no idea what background he comes from but I am sick of the same old excuses, ‘we can’t control our children, there is nothing we can do.’ The lad is 12 for christ sake, how hard is it to control a 12 yr old child. And we need to stop treating these vermin like children. The day they decide to walk out the front door with a knife (and I’m damn sure it isn’t to butter their toast at school) then they have stopped acting like children, so they should be punished like adults. They know what they are doing. 

A few years ago you would have read a story like this in pure disbelief, nowadays incidents such as this one barely get a second glance. This is the society we now live in, one of political correctness and tolerance, where there is no fear of punishment and no respect. But it has to change.

At the risk of sounding old, it wasn’t like this when I was a kid. I feared authority and I respected my elders. And now as a father of 3 young children, aged between 15 and 5, they are growing up the same way. Quite frankly, I don’t give a damn about the do gooders who try and tell us how we should bring up our kids, or a government who tells us we can’t discipline them if they step out of line, I am going to do it my way because they are my children, I am responsible for them and I have self respect!

UK Swine Flu couple recovering in Hospital

A Scottish couple who caught swine flu during their Mexican honeymoon are said to be responding well to treatment in hospital.

The newlyweds, Dawn and Ian Askham, from Polmont, near Falkirk, are being treated for the virus after returning from the coastal resort of Cancun. They fell ill at the weekend, days after flying back to the UK. They are being treated in an isolation unit at Monklands Hospital in Airdrie, Lanarkshire.

 Mrs Askham’s father, Brian Colston, said his daughter’s condition was improving, when he spoke at the door of his home in Falkirk today.

Asked how his daughter was doing, he replied: “She’s doing OK, she’s getting better.”

Health officials have said the couple are not seriously ill.

 Seven other people, including close friends and workmates who had come into contact with the couple after they returned are said to be showing “mild symptoms” of the virus, according to Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon

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