Britain's finest again. Nobody can tell them anything. All they know is political correctness. Do they even learn first aid any more?

Woman driver dying from a stroke was arrested by traffic police who thought she was drunk

Traffic police arrested a woman for drink driving when she was actually dying from a stroke, an inquest heard today. Julie Hawkins, 55, crashed her car and was tended by another motorist who noticed the side of her face was drooping.

But when police arrived on the scene they arrested her on suspicion of drink driving - even though another driver told them Mrs Hawkins was displaying the classic symptoms of a 'catastrophic' stroke.

The officers breathalysed the mother-of-three because her speech was slurred and she could only give them one-word answers.

The inquest heard mother-of-three Mrs Hawkins collapsed as she was taken from her car in Pontyclun, Wales, on October 14 and died of a stroke less than five hours later. A post mortem examination showed Mrs Hawkins, from nearby Pontypridd, had no alcohol in her blood or urine at the time of the accident, as she drove home for a 50th birthday party.

Driver Jonathan Sharpe told the inquest how he went to help after seeing Mrs Hawkins’ Peugeot 107 swerve into an oncoming car. He said: 'I opened the car door and at first I thought maybe she had too much to drink. 'But then I saw her face was drooping, I think on the left-hand side. 'They were the classic symptoms of a stroke. I would liken it to the advert on TV.'

Mr Sharpe said as soon as police arrived he told them about Mrs Hawkins' symptoms but they went ahead and arrested on suspicion of drink-driving. After Mrs Hawkins collapsed and an ambulance arrived paramedics noticed her lips were purple.

Pc Rhodri Wilson told the inquest Mrs Hawkins gave only single word answers to his questions and he arrested her on suspicion of drink driving. He said her speech was slurred and she replied 'no' when he asked if she had been drinking.

A spokeswoman from South Wales Police said: 'The officers acted in good faith based on the information presented to them in difficult circumstances.' [Rubbish!!]

The Cardiff inquest heard Mrs Hawkins was taking painkillers for headaches in the weeks before the crash. She died at 3.30am on October 15 at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, after a scan revealed a stroke.

Mrs Hawkins is survived by sons Kristian and Nicholas and daughter Laura, all in their twenties.

Pathologist Dr Allen Gibbs told the hearing: 'In my opinion she lost control of the car when she began to have a stroke which later became catastrophic.'

The jury returned a narrative verdict that Mrs Hawkins, of Llanharan, near Pontypridd, South Wales, died of a stroke.

SOURCE





British scientists preparing to fight to keep mean time at Greenwich

British scientists are prepared to launch a defence of Greenwich Mean Time ahead of an international decision on whether the world should move to strict atomic time instead.

The move would eliminate the need for 'leap seconds', which are quietly added to global timekeeping systems every few years to ensure we remain exactly in sync with the rotation of the Earth.

At a meeting of the International Telecommunications Union in Geneva next week, representatives from 190 countries will gather to vote on whether or not to stop using this system and align ourselves strictly with atomic time.

This would mean that every 80 years or so we would move about a minute further away from GMT, the method first adopted in Britain in 1847 and used by the rest of the world before the introduction of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) – essentially the same measurement – in 1972.

It would cut the link between our time and the rising and setting of the Sun, and cause us to gradually drift away from Greenwich Mean Time, judged by when the Sun crosses the Greenwich Meridian.

The problem lies in the fact that the Earth's rotation is irregular and is gradually slowing down by about two thousandths of a second every day.

This means that atomic clocks, which measure the length of a second with extreme accuracy based on reactions in caesium atoms, are ever so slightly out of kilter with astronomical time.

Additional seconds are added to the time signal when needed to account for this deviation, with 24 having been used since they were first introduced in 1972.

Britain remains determined to defend the traditional method of timekeeping, insisting that the inconvenience of adding leap seconds is nothing compared with the difficulty of adding additional minutes or hours further down the line when our gradual deviation from astronomical time would become noticeable.

But a host of other countries including the USA and China are set to vote in favour of the move because it would eliminate the need to regularly update the world's clocks.

Debate on the issue has been rife for many years but it is thought that this meeting could finally mark the demise of GMT with the majority of nations favouring the move.

Peter Whibberley of the National Physical Laboratory, who will represent the UK at next week's meeting, said the switch would mean we could no longer refer to UK time as GMT. "One you break that link UTC would just drift away from GMT and you would have to refer to it as UTC", he said. "The problem is, once you have broken that link there is no way to restore it, it is just too difficult.

"We have had leap seconds for the last 40 years so we can handle them, but there is no equipment in the world that could handle a leap minute or hour ... it could be 200 years down the line but it would be just impossible."

SOURCE





'Shut your mouth... war is hell': Ex-Army state politician attacks 'self-righteous' critics of Marines caught urinating over Afghan bodies on video

I see nothing wrong with being contemptuous towards people who were trying to kill you

A state politician who served in the U.S. Army for two decades today slammed those from outside the military who have criticised the four Marines seen in a video urinating on dead Afghan bodies.

Florida Rep. Allen West, an ex-Army lieutenant colonel, insisted the Marines were wrong but fumed: ‘As for everyone else, unless you have been shot at by the Taliban, shut your mouth, war is hell.’

His comments follow reports that all four men could imminently face criminal charges of bringing dishonour to the armed forces. Two men have been interviewed but not detained, reported CNN.

‘All these over-emotional pundits and armchair quarterbacks need to chill,’ Mr West told the Weekly Standard of their 'self-righteous indignation'. But he said the men must face a ‘maximum punishment’.

In addition he suggested they all receive a reprimand letter, issue a public apology to God, the U.S. and their fellow servicemen - and then sing ‘the full US Marine Corps Hymn without a teleprompter’.

The Iraq and Afghanistan veteran spoke after California military psychologist Eugenia Weiss suggested the soldiers involved may have been 'stressed' or 'pranksters with extremely bad taste'.

Meanwhile a conservative radio host said she wants 'a million cool points for these guys' and would be willing to join them. 'C'mon people, this is a war,' CNN contributor Dana Loesch told FM News Talk 97.1 in St Louis, Missouri. 'Do I have a problem with that as a citizen of the United States? No, I don't.'

The Navy's law enforcement arm is heading the main inquiry, which is expected to weigh evidence of violations of the U.S. military legal code as well as the international laws of warfare.

Separately, the Marine Corps is doing its own internal investigation. Pentagon officials said the criminal investigation would likely look into whether the Marines violated laws of war.

These include prohibitions against photographing or mishandling bodies and detainees. It also appeared to violate the U.S. Uniform Code of Military Justice, which governs conduct.

Thus, some or all of the four Marines could face a military court-martial or other disciplinary action.

The psychologist's advice came as U.S. officials spoke out against the footage yesterday and scrambled to maintain damage limitation and avoid another Abu Ghraib scandal.

The four were members of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines out of Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, reported CNN. An unidentified official said that some of the four are no longer in that battalion.

The 40-second clip, which has been described a 'recruitment tool for the Taliban', shows four men in combat gear standing over the three corpses with their genitals exposed as they relieve themselves.

There were no further details on their identities. The men can be heard joking 'Have a great day, buddy', 'Golden like a shower' and 'Yeahhhh!' as they groan with relief whilst urinating.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta called it 'utterly deplorable' and ordered a high-level probe into the incident, which has drawn condemnation from Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai.

'Those found to have engaged in such conduct will be held accountable to the fullest extent,' said the Secretary of Defense, who has told the commander of western troops in Afghanistan to launch an investigation.

Secretary of State Mrs Clinton expressed 'total dismay' at the video and said it was 'absolutely inconsistent with the standards of behaviour that the vast majority of Marines hold themselves to.'

A spokeswoman for the Marines said: 'While we have not yet verified the origin or authenticity of this video, the actions portrayed are not consistent with our core values and are not indicative of the character of the Marines in our Corps'

It is not clear if the corpses in the video belong to civilians or insurgents engaged in combat, although the film does appear to have been shot in Afghanistan.

The video has sparked anger across Afghanistan, with the top negotiator from Mr Karzai's High Peace Council, Arsala Rahmani, saying it will have a 'very, very bad impact on peace efforts'.

He added: 'Looking at such action, the Taliban can easily recruit young people and tell them that their country has been attacked by Christians and Jews and they must defend it.'

The three corpses are all male and are wearing civilian clothes. The youngest lies on his front with an overturned wheelbarrow dumped by his side. The other two are on their backs and one has a large blood stain on his chest.

Lieutenant Colonel Stewart Upton added: 'Allegations of Marines not doing the right thing in regard to dead Taliban insurgents are very serious and, if proven, represent a failure to adhere to the high standards expected of American military personnel.'

The footage emerged on Liveleak.com where some people left comments in support of what the soldiers had done. One commenter wrote: 'We're all proud of you guys', while another put: 'The first bath they have had in years!' and 'cut their heads off and bury them with a pig'.

More HERE





British ice rink which put up sign banning travellers is accused of inciting racial hatred

"Travellers" (Gypsies) are notorious scofflaws. Almost ANY business would like to exclude them but that is illegal in Britain

Staff at an ice rink have been accused of inciting racial hatred after placing a sign in the reception stating: 'No travellers'. Managers said they put up the notice following a series of incidents at the Ice Arena in Blackburn, Lancashire.

Hughie Smith, life president of The Gypsy Council, said the sign was 'inflammatory, illegal and in danger of inciting racial hatred'.

Bosses have now apologised and have launched an investigation.

Mr Smith said: 'This manager has definitely got it wrong. It is very rare to see this because people have learned it is discrimination. It is sad in this day and age.'

A duty manager at the rink put the sign up following a series of incidents and it remained on display for five days.

The sign has also infuriated ethnic minority groups who said it breached race relations law.

Arena bosses said it went up without their permission and have apologised for any offence caused.

A spokesman for the Equality and Human Rights Commission said refusing to serve someone because of their race, including their colour, nationality or ethnicity, was an offence under the Equality Act 2010.

He said: 'Consumers have the right to be treated fairly and without discrimination by shops or services. Refusing to serve someone because of their race would usually be unlawful, but only a court can decide if the law has been broken.'

One skater said: 'I am disgusted. It is like saying no whites or blacks. It is discrimination. 'Anybody can cause trouble, not just people from the travelling community. I won't be going there again.'

The notice was put up after police were called to the venue in Lower Audley last Thursday night by staff after a group of youths refused to leave. Four youths who were inside the ice rink opened the fire exit doors to let their friends in without paying. Staff were alerted by the alarm going off and the youths were asked to leave. But the group demanded a refund, which was denied, and a row broke out in the reception area.

Officers arrived and the nine youths left at around 8.44pm. No arrests were made during the incident. A police spokesperson said: 'We attended as there was a group being hard work. They left after police advice.'

Arena bosses said there had also been a number of incidents over Christmas and the New Year involving travellers.

In a statement from senior managers, they said: 'Police were called on several occasions to quell public order offences by groups of youths. 'This led to a duty manager erecting signage at the entrance to the Arena to advise that members of the travelling community were not to be admitted due to these problems which had arisen.

'Senior Arena management were not aware such a sign had been erected and on discovering it immediately took steps to remove it and the management wishes to apologise for any offence caused. 'The Arena does not seek to discriminate against any persons as a category and the management does not condone any form of discrimination.

'The Arena management reiterate that it has no policy of discrimination for users of the Arena but it will seek to exclude known trouble-makers who violate the rules of using the Arena premises in the future.'

Joe Dykes, head of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Achievement Service for Lancashire County Council, said if the sign had not been removed, legal action could have been taken. He said: 'There is case law behind this under the Race Relations Act. Many years ago, a pub put up a sign up saying no travellers which went to court. 'The groups protected under the law are Roma gypsies or travellers of Irish heritage. 'Travellers is such a global word but it would be unlawful to place a sign like that.

'People do put signs up in frustration after incidents happen but I would hope in this day and age some people would think carefully beforehand. 'It is unfortunate that it has happened. I hope the management taken appropriate action and it won't happen again.'

A Blackburn Council spokesman said the issue was a police matter.

Yesterday police said they had not received any formal complaints.

SOURCE

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Political correctness is most pervasive in universities and colleges but I rarely report the incidents concerned here as I have a separate blog for educational matters.

American "liberals" often deny being Leftists and say that they are very different from the Communist rulers of other countries. The only real difference, however, is how much power they have. In America, their power is limited by democracy. To see what they WOULD be like with more power, look at where they ARE already very powerful: in America's educational system -- particularly in the universities and colleges. They show there the same respect for free-speech and political diversity that Stalin did: None. So look to the colleges to see what the whole country would be like if "liberals" had their way. It would be a dictatorship.

For more postings from me, see TONGUE-TIED, GREENIE WATCH, EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL, FOOD & HEALTH SKEPTIC, GUN WATCH, AUSTRALIAN POLITICS, DISSECTING LEFTISM, IMMIGRATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL and EYE ON BRITAIN (Note that EYE ON BRITAIN has regular posts on the reality of socialized medicine). My Home Pages are here or here or here. Email me (John Ray) here. For readers in China or for times when blogger.com is playing up, there is a mirror of this site here.

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