The jury verdict on the Hillsborough disaster will hopefully result in a careful review of policing across the UK, not just in South Yorkshire. Our police forces are staffed, for the most part, by a dedicated group of people who carry out a tough job that most of us couldn’t handle. They should be applauded not condemned. If a problem exists it stems from the top. Senior police officers have realized in recent years that political correctness delivers more brownie points than running an effective force. This tends to be highlighted both by their actions and the selection of those for top posts. The old Chinese proverb says ‘the fish rots from the head’ so start there in any review. Those at the top of our police forces are expert at ‘talking the talk’, using words that score points politically. They should be expert with all the training they get. Leave the rank and file to get on with the jobs the public need them to do while sorting out those senior officers who pay lip service to policing. Make political correctness a crime and we might see really effective policing.  

    Just saw the news that an Apple employee was found dead at Apple’s Cupertino campus. A gun was found nearby. Having spoken to their call centre while trying to sort out a problem I felt glad that weapons are not readily available in The UK. With a gun to hand I’m not sure I would have survived!

    Ken Livingstone has form for his views on Israel and its people, and finally he seems to have spoken a word too far. Unfortunately it guarantees him the oxygen of publicity as the media attempt to get an apology. Based on precedent, the chances of an apology are at similar odds to Trump welcoming Mexican immigrants to share his home. If the media would walk away from Livingstone, send him to Coventry in effect’, he would quietly disappear from the headlines. Ken’s utterings have now landed on the desk of his mate Jeremy Corbyn. In the next few days we shall find out the size of Corbyn’s ‘cojones’ as he makes the decision about Livingstone’s future in the Labour Party. If Corbyn has anything between his legs it should be future – what future?

    Gerry Adams is being criticized for his use of the N-word in a tweet after watching Tarantino’s Django Unchained. He defends himself by saying he was comparing the struggle against slavery in the US to the plight of the Irish nationalists. As him and his merry men bombed and assault rifled his way to government, we used much more offensive words about him. On reflection, we still include a great many F-words when discussing his role as Sinn Féin President.

    A fisherman found a beautiful doll floating in the sea off Bangai Island, Indonesia and took it home to his mother. The find came a few days after a solar eclipse in Indonesia, a spiritual event in local belief, His mother decided it was an angel child descended from above and took to treating it like a human being, dressing it in a clean blouse and hijab every day, seating it in a chair in their house. Stories of an angel child soon spread. Local police heard the stories and decided to investigate. It took them minutes to strip the doll and reveal a seriously proportioned sex toy, all boobs and orifices. The police took away the doll to avoid controversy. We bet they did. Nice one lads – have you got a bicycle pump handy?

    The latest ‘leaks’ about the TTIP talks have produced a rapid response from European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom. She called the leaked documents ‘a storm in a teacup’. The fact that all the talks are held in secret and leaks produce our only information is interesting, her rapid response and denials raising even more questions. Welcome to the mushroom club.

    Paisley Road West in Glasgow might be a good street to avoid if you’re thinking of buying a takeaway. This because 17 fast food outlets were served with food hygiene warnings in the last year. At least the road is one of the main routes out of Glasgow for any non-SNP supporters. Clouds and linings spring to mind.

    Seen a great on-line video of the punch up between members of parliament in Turkey. Members of the ruling AK Party and pro-Kurdish politicians went toe to toe about plans to strip MP’s of their immunity from prosecution. We can hardly wait for them to join the European Union. Brussels will become a much more interesting place.