Fred Bowers' Foolish Moves

Fred Bowers the 73 year old break dancer who appeared on Britains Got Talent 2009 has just been rumbled by Social Services.

A rather foolish move Fred to appear on national television break dancing whilst claiming disability benefits

Gordon Ramsay Admits Foolishness

Looks like it's 'F' for 'Fool'on the tip of Gordon Ramsay's tongue. following the aftermath of his self confessed petulant behaviour through the run in with Australian celebrity Tracy Grimshaw.

Of course insulting someone who is held in high regard by others is rather foolish. What's more foolish though is undermining your own reputation when your business so heavily depends on it and foolishly underestimating how the connected digital world in which we live can broadcast your profanities and insults around the planet in a matter of minutes. Has he not heard of Susan Boyle?

Even his mother has got in on the act by asking Gordon 'F' Ramsay to to explain himself

Naughty boy Gordon now go and wash your mouth out with soap and water!

Smoking Fools Cost NHS £5bn A Year

Is it unsympathetic to call a nicotine addict a smoking fool? Perhaps it's non smokers who are the fools because they agree that their taxes to should go funding the medical consequences of the smoking habit

18.6% of deaths in the UK can be attributed to smoking. You'd be a fool to ignore that statistic.

Help To Stop Smoking:
Smoke Free NHS
American Lung Association
Quit Smoking Canada

Has Tony Iommi Made A Foolish Move?

It's a black day for Sabbath. Tony Iommi seems to be exploiting the talent of his erstwhile band mate by operating to the 'letter of the law'.

He might consider the idea of Prior Art in continuing to derive benefit from the co-work and images of others, he might also consider who owns the copyright to images of themselves.

This is not to 'cock a snook' at Iommi's entitlement as the rights owner of the Black Sabbath name since 1985.

As anyone with a passing interest in heavy rock will know though, Ozzy through his TV shows has broadened awareness of Black Sabbath far beyond the cult adulation that Iommi deservedly gets from the heavy rock scene. To deny that his not benefiting from this in some way is rather disingenuous.

More intriguing is his motivation. Why would a fellow band member wish to exploit and put at risk the group and long standing associations? Does the money matter THAT much? or is there, as always, alot more to it!

Read More:
Black Sabbath
Or Is Ozzy Being foolish?

A Stunningly Foolish Idea

US Prison Officers have taken the idea of 'class practical' one step too far.

Who was in charge? Captain Kirk? The idea that a weapon that is known to be lethal and then tried out on vulnerable school kids is probably one of the most foolish educational ideas invented.

Class Quiz:

How many Start Trek weapons do you know? Answers Can be found here

Making Aung San Suu Kyi Face Trial is a Foolish Decision

News that Aung San Suu Kyi is to be taken to court for breaking the terms of her house arrest just shows how foolish the official system in Burma can be.

Already under house arrest for 19 years she is being taken to account because an un-invited guest turned up on her door step. Clearly her court appearance has nothing to do with this event. The Burmese authorities must take us all for fools if they think that we can't see the decision for what it is.

It is merely an expression of power. A slap on the wrists just to let Aung San Suu Kyi know who is on control, just to let her know that her house arrest status could change at any moment of their choosing, just to let the rest of the world know it has no influence in Burma.

The Burmese authorities are nevertheless fools if they think that their actions don't reveal their insecurities. Like a pot bellied middle aged sugar daddy worried that his young wife will run off and leave him, the incarceration of Aung San Suu Kyi Face merely communicates to the world a gross lack of self confidence in the Burmese government. Surely if they were convinced of the strength of their position they would be strong enough to let her go and say whatever she liked because it wouldn't matter.

Chastising her because a visitor has secretly come to see her is the behaviour of foolish father who has failed to see that his daughter has grown up.

Read More:
BBC Report May 14th 2009

Women Binge Drinking More

After seeing the latest drinking statistics its easy to see why the amount that people are drinking is a bit foolish.

I have a problem with my attitude to this subject though and that is I might fall off the high horse I have climbed on! Over previous years 'having a drink' has figured in most of my of social activity. During one particular spell about 10 years ago it go very heavy, boozing virtually every night and collecting some whopping hangovers.

Looking back a couple of things strike me. Firstly just how 'normal' heavy drinkingcan seem when most people are doing the same, Secondly just how much money I wasted.

I love a drink today, a nice traditional beer, or a glass or two of wine but that is enough. What I find uncomfortable today is seeing the public consumption of huge quantities of beer(ok so define huge). I see people on the train like the guy yesterday, 5.00pm and he'd got 5 empty cans of Carling in front of him and was starting a sixth, I see kids walking down the street drinking cans of strong lager, last week I was on the train at 9.00 a.m and four women going on a hen party were on Vodka and Coke!

Am I just being 'holier than thou'? a 'kill joy', a busy body?. Well I can't quite say. I do know that in the space of 3 months my youngest son has had his jaw broken in a drunken assault in a chip shop and his skull fractured by a drunk in a pub who was angry that my son hadbeaten his 'high score' on a game.

Heavy drinking leads to trouble. Young men and young women have 'vulnerabilities' particular to their gender which excessive consumption of alcohol can leave them prey to. I know! I've walked drunk down streets in parts of town I wouldn't dream of today, I've woken up on sofa's in flats where I didn't know where I was, I've 'copped off' with near strangers, the whole collection.

Is it just my turn to be a grump, or is something significantly wrong in society when 'binge' drinking is regarded as 'normal' Society is foolish if it thinks it is.

Check This Out!
Welcome To Binge Britain

Honest Eyes- Fooled Me Again

Lady Ga Ga - awesome awesome talent. I feel a real fool not getting into her music until now!

Foolish Decision on Gurkha Resettlement

image credit Daily Mirror






What a foolish decision to limit the numbers of ex- Gurkha servicemen entitled to re-settle in the United Kingdom.

We live in a country of Topsy Turvy values. These men have served and defended our country. 45,000 Gurkhas have died fighting for this nation. Can somebody please explain to me how we can support wasters and scroungers on benefits, pay people like Abu Qatada £,2500 in compensation for the privelage of radicalising British citizens and preaching the destruction of this nation and the death of its citizens.

Is this how we recognise and repay the values of loyalty, duty and service? What message does this send to people generally? This is disgraceful and it makes me feel ashamed to be British. The minister Phil Woolas spoke about the numbers of Gurkhas and their dependents that could come to Britain 'as if' 100,000 was too many and something 'we' wouldn't want in this country. Well for me each Gurkhas is worth a 1000 of each and every so called immigrant racing to be in this country to claim benefits or to undermine and destroy its culture.

Woolas said "It has never been the case that all Gurkhas pre-1997 were to be allowed to stay in the country. With their dependents you could be looking at 100,000 people.

"It's simply not true that we have betrayed the Gurkhas. When people read the guidelines they will see the sense of them."

I would be happy to have every single one of them here, pay them a pension and ensure they were well looked after. You are not telling me that the cost would be any where near the money we have pumped into the banks are you? It's not the ministers decison to decide who we allow into the country in this way. He is a public servant and this decision should go to a public referendum.

Read more:
Gurkha Justice Campaign
Fury Over Decision
Mr Eugenides says...
The Spectator says...
Gurkhas Squidoo Lens
Microshaft says...
Church of the Templar says...

Some Quotes About Foolery

He who despairs over an event is a coward, but he who holds hopes for the human condition is a fool.
- Albert Camus


Foolishness is rarely a matter of lack of intelligence or even lack of information.
John McCarthy



Any fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction.
Albert Einstein

Damian McBride Stupid Boy

Hello Mainwaring here...is that McBride?...stupid boy!





Damian McBride's stupid and foolish juvenile behaviour has cost him his job. The first foolish aspect of his action was to overlook the possibility that in this interconnected, digitally permeable, computer mediated society opinions get passed around at the speed of light. His second most foolish mistake was to think that he as an adult senior advisor to the Prime Minister he could indulge in churlish ideas to smear members of the opposition. This is the stuff of the school yard not government.

To blame someone else for your personal oversights is the most foolish thing of all.

Read More:
Guido Fawke's blog

Foolish Professor Hangs Himself

image credit and link Mirror Newspapers



Foolish Professor Chris Knight has been suspended (sic) from his post at The University Of East London This is surely taking the idea of blending academic theory with practice a little too far.

Of course the financial system and the behaviour of some bankers needs reforming. Inciting a lynch mob is however illegal.

Naturally his actions are driven by his philosophical attitude. The right to free speech however is not a right to incite murder.

Read more:
Prof is Suspended

Foolish Jack Tweed

Will Jade Goody's husband Jack Tweed get life? following his latest conviction.

Foolish Jack just doesn't seem to get it even though his life is all rough and tumble. His wife is dying and he goes around having a pop at anyone he feels like.

Spending a few weeks in the cooler might just give Jack some time to think about what life if really about. Your 21 Jack and all of life ahead of you. Some people aren't that lucky!

100% Mortgages 100% Foolish

image credit Daily Mirror






It's a special day when a Lord provides the perfect quote for Fool My Blog!


Lord Myners talking about the practice of handing out 100% mortgages has said it was
"generally recognised in the banking community that 100% mortgages had been "a foolish thing to do".

It is clear that Foolishness is a strange phenomenon. People can see foolishness in others before it happens but can only see it in themselves after it has happened.

Foolish Kissing Ban In Warrington

"Jobs-Worth" Britain takes another step to intruding on freedom and destroying romance Officials at Warrington Quays Railway Station have taken the usual managerialist line and placed 'efficiency' over anything else.

Stations are the places of warm hellos and fond good-byes. They always have been.

If you're romantic the best place to avoid in the UK is Warrington. The most loveless place in Britain!

Latest response from the more romantic 

High Wycombe on February 18th 2009

I Doff My Hat

Thanks to Saboma for this great Fool link!

It covers all sorts from Kissing a Fool to Being a Fool for a Fool.

So!Never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you

How Many Fools Are There?

image credit Wikipedia ref: William Shenstone














According to 18th century British poet William Shenstone, the population of the planet can be divided as follows:

Fools 15%
Persons with common sense 40%
Wits 15%
Pedants 15%
Persons of wild taste 10%
Persons of improved taste 5%

So there we have it! FMB represents 15%, which by reckoning is a 'niche', which in turns means I have met one of the classic rules of bogging.

Now that should simply be regarded as floccinaucinihilipilification

A word first used in 1741 by Mr Shentsone and the longest word in the dictionary.

Flagging Foolishiness in Public

Loads of people have spotted a diplomatic boob at the recent UK China Summit. The Union Flag was displayed upside down (normally a signal for distress)making fools of British politicians.

This foolish behaviour isn't restricted to the UK other people have noticed similiar foolishness. Check out Son of Bill Brasky who gives readers a neat look at ex-president Bush flying the flag for the USA. A recent check of wikipedia, and like the UK an upside down flag means 'I'm in distress'(how prophetic)

And her the Star Panel on the US flag is upside down.

Now you might be thinking that it is just a foolish error, well think again, flag etiquette has consequences as this episode in Panama shows with 23 panamanians and 4 americans dying as a result.

The subject is so serious that only a fool would choose to ignore it and the RYA have devoted a whole knowledge base to maritime flag etiquette.

Flag Lady gives a great run down on how to avoid trouble in the USA. Perhaps she should have been consulted in 1994 when McDonalds and Coca Cola made a faux pas with Saudi flag.

And to finish here is a great flag site here's examples of wrong Portuguese flags

Oh Lord How Foolish

How foolish is this? If the allegations are true then 4 UK Lords might have accepted Bribes to favour amendments to legislation.

This foolish move relegates the process of the oldest parliament in the world to the level of third world fiefdom. How on earth can we hold the moral high ground over places like Afghanistan if we behave no better.

The members of the House of Lords, many of whom are unelected have a privilege that must not be abused. The sums are not inconsiderable, and in times of credit crunch and redundancy just a little galling. For abusing your authority and taking advantage of your position you can drop £30,000 (more than the UK's average salary) into your bank account.

And the really foolish thing about this? Thinking they'll get away with it.

Its Foolish To Think That Technology Teaches

image thanks to Andrew











Here we go again! Just because technology 'can' doesn't mean we 'should'. Not that I'm a Luddite, I think that technology can facilitate learning and education, but to think that Tech teaches is ignorant b@**l@s. Exhibitors at the BETT show should be more circumspect with their claims.

Education and learning is a social experience with insight coming from shared understandings. Sure technical connectivity and access to digital knowledge and communication resources is a good thing, but that isn't teaching, education or learning.

Human beings inspire other human beings, ideas are transmitted head to head, not byte to byte.

Less of this foolish nonsense!