Wednesday 30 November 2011

Monday 28 November 2011

Dear John

Dear John,

I hope you can help me. The other day I set off for work, leaving my husband in the house watching television. My car stalled then it broke down about a mile down the road. I had to walk back home to get my husband's help. When I got home I could not believe my eyes. He was in our bedroom with our neighbour's daughter.

I am 34, my husband is 32 and our neighbour's daughter is 19. We have been married for 10 years. When I confronted him he broke down and admitted they have been having an affair for the past six months. He refuses to go to counselling. I'm afraid I am a wreck and need advice urgently. Can you please help?

Yours sincerely,

Sheila





Dear Sheila,

A car stalling after being driven a short distance can be caused by a variety of faults with the engine. Start by checking there is no debris in the fuel line. If it is clear, check the vacuum pipes and hoses on the intake manifold and also check all grounding wires. If none of these approaches solves the problem, it could be that the fuel pump itself is faulty, causing low delivery pressure to the injectors.

I hope this helps.

John

Sunday 20 November 2011

Wrong on So Many Counts

One of the ringleaders of Scotland's biggest paedophile network has had his minimum prison sentence cut by four-and-a-half years by appeal judges. James Rennie is serving a life sentence for sexually assaulting a three-month-old and for conspiring to get access to children in order to abuse them.

Rennie, from Edinburgh, was ordered to serve a minimum of 13 years in jail. Appeal judges have reduced that to a minimum of eight-and-a-half years before he can apply for parole.

Judge Lord Clarke, sitting with Lord Philip, said: "We wish to make it clear that that does not mean he will be released after that period of time. "All that has been done is fixing the period of time that must be spent by the appellant before any consideration can be given to his release."

From the BBC News website

The above story appeared on BBC Scotland's new pages over the weekend. I would like to meet those appeal judges and ask what possible justification there is in reducing Rennie's prison sentence. Why do they think 13 years would be too long for someone who sexually assaulted a three month old baby? What kind of mind does someone have in order to commit those abhorrent crimes?

Surely, this man should be thrown in jail and the key to his cell thrown away? There has long been debate in this country about whether capital punishment should be re-introduced. In cases like these, I would suggest it should,although there will be those who say hanging would be too good for people like Rennie.

It has been said the Scots legal system is one of the best in the world, although I suspect readers of this blog from the United States would question that with the Lockerbie bomber in mind (I still think Iran was behind that atrocity but that's another story)

When people like Rennie are convicted of vile crimes but then have their minimum prison sentence cut, it puts the legal system in this country to shame. The do-gooders in society will point to Rennie's 'human rights'. This dismisses the human rights of those children who are the victims of his actions.

They won't be able to appeal their life sentence...

Sunday 6 November 2011

Just Live

I know what you're thinking - the Auld Reekie Ranter hasn't lost his cuteness...

In life's rich and sometimes not so rich tapestry, we do things. Some of things we wish we had never done - although as I always say to my daughters, don't have regrets. Some of the things we wish we could replay a million times in our heads. Some we try to imagine never happened. Some people will cherish you, others will feel hurt and let down by you. All of these things make us who we are and, in the end, they shape every detail about us. If we were to reverse any of them, we would not be the person we are.

So, just live. Make mistakes. Have wonderful memories. But never second guess who you are, where you have been - and, most importantly, where it is you are going.

Back to School 2022

  A wee bit late with this but the little people have returned to school for another term. Except some of them aren't little any more. A...