Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Tears Are Not Enough...
I've posted a temporary tribute page for Gary Biddles for those of us old enough to remember
HP Sauce
If anyone is unaware of the need to prevent abuse of the libel system by corporations, here is a letter I received from HP's solicitors in 1995 following a gag printed in issue 16 of Up The Arse!
The joke we published didn't I believe pass the "moron in a hurry" test!
Nostalgia fans will not need reminding that 32Mb was 4 times the average PC memory size in 1995.
Dear Sir
Our Client: Hewlett-Packard Ltd
Our above client has instructed us in connection with the enclosed spoof advertisement, which appeared in issue 16 of your publication.
Our client objects most strongly to this "advertisement". It ridicules our client and its products and thus amount to a serious libel. It also slanders our client's goods by its slurs on the qualities and performance of Hewlett Packard products and infringes our client's copyright by reproducing a photograph of a Hewlett-Packard computer without our client's authority.
Furthermore, by printing three of our client's registered trade marks the "advertisement" constitutes a flagrant trade mark infringement. The trade marks in question are as follows:
We have advised our client of the legal remedies which would be available to it should it become necessary to pursue these matters. These would include substantial damages and costs. We have advised also that the trade mark infringements constitute criminal offences, in respect of which a criminal prosecution of your editor would be well founded.
Having said this, it may be that you were not aware of the "advertisement's" legal implications and although we must reserve our client's rights, this possibility will be taken into account in considering whether further action is warranted. Such action definitely will be taken, however, if there is any repetition of this item or anything like it.
Yours
LEWIS SILKIN
Our Client: Hewlett-Packard Ltd
Our above client has instructed us in connection with the enclosed spoof advertisement, which appeared in issue 16 of your publication.
Our client objects most strongly to this "advertisement". It ridicules our client and its products and thus amount to a serious libel. It also slanders our client's goods by its slurs on the qualities and performance of Hewlett Packard products and infringes our client's copyright by reproducing a photograph of a Hewlett-Packard computer without our client's authority.
Furthermore, by printing three of our client's registered trade marks the "advertisement" constitutes a flagrant trade mark infringement. The trade marks in question are as follows:
| Mark | Registration Number |
|---|---|
| HEWLETT - PACKARD | 1076830 779296 |
| HP | 1229537 |
| "hp roundel" | 1076832 |
We have advised our client of the legal remedies which would be available to it should it become necessary to pursue these matters. These would include substantial damages and costs. We have advised also that the trade mark infringements constitute criminal offences, in respect of which a criminal prosecution of your editor would be well founded.
Having said this, it may be that you were not aware of the "advertisement's" legal implications and although we must reserve our client's rights, this possibility will be taken into account in considering whether further action is warranted. Such action definitely will be taken, however, if there is any repetition of this item or anything like it.
Yours
LEWIS SILKIN
The joke we published didn't I believe pass the "moron in a hurry" test!
Nostalgia fans will not need reminding that 32Mb was 4 times the average PC memory size in 1995.
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
Maggie Maggie Maggie OUT! OUT! OUT!
As it seems obligatory to post one's personal Thatcher memories at the moment, here goes:
I don't have one!
Despite having nailed my colours to the Liberal mast from the age of 11, the nearest I got to politics before 2008 was running the PA for the Student Union's General Meetings.
As to be expected, a callow youth from the Socialist Workers' Party (ironically neither a socialist or a worker) got up to speak in favour of a motion in support of the miners' strike. He had a habit of finishing sentences of polemic with a barked 'Thatcher' so on this occasion I fed the mike into the delay unit and waited.
On cue he finished with a particularly bile filled "Thatcher" which for some reason appeared to echo around the Ents Hall bouncing from speaker to speaker to the amusement of all.
Er, that's it.
To be fair, twenty years ago this would undoubtedly have been a completely different commentary and without a visceral dislike of 'Thatcherism' engendered in me at the time I'd probably have a completely different outlook on politics. In that respect the whole UK for better or worse has been shaped by one woman, which if we're telling home truths undoubtedly is what upset so many men.
However, it's amusing to see the most right wing Labour party since their formation passing around twenty three year old campfire stories of the great She-wolf in an effort to scare the children. It's almost as if Labour's 13 years in power with a large Parliamentary majority and the ability to reverse all that they supposedly hated about Thatcherism had never happened.
I'm not the first to say it but New Labour are the true standard bearers of Maggie's legacy. Don't forget it.
I don't have one!
Despite having nailed my colours to the Liberal mast from the age of 11, the nearest I got to politics before 2008 was running the PA for the Student Union's General Meetings.
As to be expected, a callow youth from the Socialist Workers' Party (ironically neither a socialist or a worker) got up to speak in favour of a motion in support of the miners' strike. He had a habit of finishing sentences of polemic with a barked 'Thatcher' so on this occasion I fed the mike into the delay unit and waited.
On cue he finished with a particularly bile filled "Thatcher" which for some reason appeared to echo around the Ents Hall bouncing from speaker to speaker to the amusement of all.
Er, that's it.
To be fair, twenty years ago this would undoubtedly have been a completely different commentary and without a visceral dislike of 'Thatcherism' engendered in me at the time I'd probably have a completely different outlook on politics. In that respect the whole UK for better or worse has been shaped by one woman, which if we're telling home truths undoubtedly is what upset so many men.
However, it's amusing to see the most right wing Labour party since their formation passing around twenty three year old campfire stories of the great She-wolf in an effort to scare the children. It's almost as if Labour's 13 years in power with a large Parliamentary majority and the ability to reverse all that they supposedly hated about Thatcherism had never happened.
I'm not the first to say it but New Labour are the true standard bearers of Maggie's legacy. Don't forget it.
Thursday, 28 March 2013
Progressively Stupid
Now this blog is back [for the moment at any rate!] to plain old ranting, time to get something off my chest!
I guess regular followers won't need any hint of just how much I hate The Guardian and its condescending army of higher rate tax payers who know better than everyone else what is good for them.
Sure the right wing press are terrible, but given that Lib Dem voters read the Daily Mail more than any other paper, it goes without saying that most readers of the right wing press understand that a large bucket of salt is required and view them as exercises in provocative humour rather than as newspapers.
This doesn't seem to apply to The Guardian, a paper, and also whose readers, take themselves so seriously as the 'champion of the poor'.
Yes, there's nothing that the poor like more than having people with second homes in Tuscany, union leaders with £133,000 a year salaries and brats who went through University living off their parents whilst substituting student politics for real life lecturing everyone on what's best for us.
Growing up on a council estate on income support and now trying to dig myself out of debt after 3 years unemployment I think gives me a little more understanding of the subject than people who think that Nigel Slater's trout fishcakes really does help the poor with some tasty food ideas to make with their left overs.
Anyway, this week Teh Grauniad has outdone itself in contradictory whining.
First we had the bleeding heart progressives lecturing us that a change to Universal Credit's monthly payments, where the rent element is paid direct to the claimant will result in arrears, evictions and downright poverty because every 'progressive' knows that the poor cannot be trusted to budget on a monthly basis.
Second we had the bleeding heart progressives lecturing us that giving 'the poor' vouchers which can only be spent on food and essentials is an attack on their dignity and it's disgusting that the state thinks that the poor cannot be, er, trusted to budget. Hang on.
Third we had the bleeding heart progressives running an an editorial "In praise of… halloumi" which as an exercise in self-parody was a towering effort of satire.
Perhaps they should ask themselves why amongst the poor that readership of the Guardian and Observer is astonishingly low?
Perhaps it's because the patronising load of codswallop served up as 'being on your side' doesn't resonant with us.
And in my universe, TV cooks would not be able to use any ingredient that couldn't get from their local Londis. That's the real world.
I guess regular followers won't need any hint of just how much I hate The Guardian and its condescending army of higher rate tax payers who know better than everyone else what is good for them.
Sure the right wing press are terrible, but given that Lib Dem voters read the Daily Mail more than any other paper, it goes without saying that most readers of the right wing press understand that a large bucket of salt is required and view them as exercises in provocative humour rather than as newspapers.
This doesn't seem to apply to The Guardian, a paper, and also whose readers, take themselves so seriously as the 'champion of the poor'.
Yes, there's nothing that the poor like more than having people with second homes in Tuscany, union leaders with £133,000 a year salaries and brats who went through University living off their parents whilst substituting student politics for real life lecturing everyone on what's best for us.
Growing up on a council estate on income support and now trying to dig myself out of debt after 3 years unemployment I think gives me a little more understanding of the subject than people who think that Nigel Slater's trout fishcakes really does help the poor with some tasty food ideas to make with their left overs.
Anyway, this week Teh Grauniad has outdone itself in contradictory whining.
First we had the bleeding heart progressives lecturing us that a change to Universal Credit's monthly payments, where the rent element is paid direct to the claimant will result in arrears, evictions and downright poverty because every 'progressive' knows that the poor cannot be trusted to budget on a monthly basis.
Second we had the bleeding heart progressives lecturing us that giving 'the poor' vouchers which can only be spent on food and essentials is an attack on their dignity and it's disgusting that the state thinks that the poor cannot be, er, trusted to budget. Hang on.
Third we had the bleeding heart progressives running an an editorial "In praise of… halloumi" which as an exercise in self-parody was a towering effort of satire.
Perhaps they should ask themselves why amongst the poor that readership of the Guardian and Observer is astonishingly low?
Perhaps it's because the patronising load of codswallop served up as 'being on your side' doesn't resonant with us.
And in my universe, TV cooks would not be able to use any ingredient that couldn't get from their local Londis. That's the real world.
Saturday, 16 March 2013
That Twas The Tweak That Twas
My vigilant reader may notice I've made a few tweaks to this site.
Nothing has been deleted... and there is a madness in my method!
On the otherhand, muckspReading is a satirical site, has never been affiliated with any party and will continue its 10 year mission to keep throwing punches about local and national current affairs when there is fun to be had.
Nothing has been deleted... and there is a madness in my method!
On the otherhand, muckspReading is a satirical site, has never been affiliated with any party and will continue its 10 year mission to keep throwing punches about local and national current affairs when there is fun to be had.
Friday, 15 March 2013
75 Years...
 |
| HMS Belfast C35 |
Friday, 8 March 2013
About Time
I know this might disappoint some, but I welcome the appointment of Helena Morrissey as the chair of the independent inquiry into the Lib Dems' processes & complaints procedures. I think it's only fair that I allow due process to take its course so depending on how things pan out I may be making some tweaks to this site ;-)
The Lib Dems have nothing to fear from the truth. It's the trying to hide things that causes the damage.
The Lib Dems have nothing to fear from the truth. It's the trying to hide things that causes the damage.
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