Dickiebo

DICKIEBOUQUETS

Being a li’l bit jealous of other bloggers awards, I have decided to create my own awards scheme. These awards, which will be known and loved as Dickiebouquets, will be much sought-after, and only grudgingly given. Due to my being an O.A.P. and ex-cop, I shall be open to ‘persuasion’!! But, – no coins!

Rules of Qualification.

1. All people are equal in the eyes of the Lord and Dickiebo. Therefore, everybody can win.

2. Awarding Committee shall comprise of:-

Chair…..Dickiebo.

Members…..Dickiebo, Dickiebo and Dickiebo.

3. Dickiebo’s decisions are final and non-negotiable. (Based on this country’s current Honours system).

4. No cash equivalent can be given. (As I ain’t got none!).

5. Awards will be given for anything which, in Dickiebo’s eyes, deserves one.

6. Any person awarded a Dickiebouquet shall be adjudged to be a person always welcome on this site, and will have a link to their site displayed.

Readers will expect that the very first award of this most coveted honour, will reflect the due importance and uniqueness of the whole bloody thing, and so it is.

Kate

Kate ISIS

Some people simply spend their lives doing good things for others. Unsung, and often, unrecognised. Now and again, the awful pressures that are on them, threaten to engulf them. It is then that we want them to know that we really do care for them. Have a nice weekend by your Australian river, Kate, and come back on Monday to your Dickiebouquet, and your friends.

040807

DEB

The Management (me) is graciously pleased to announce the second award of a Dickiebouquet to a fellow blogger. This is awarded to Deb.The citation states:- For determination, bravery, and devotion to duty, in carrying her camera into unknown areas in order to humour a twit. Also for ’speed on the draw’ of said camera, in capturing Officers of the Law in the performance of their duties. It is widely anticipated that her speed will now increase twofold, by the weight of the camera now being removed from her rather frail shoulders.Unfortunately, the monetary prize cannot be awarded, as there is none! However, her name liveth for evermore, duly enshrined on the sidebar, and she is hereby entitled to all priveleges associated with this coveted award.Well done, thou good and faithful servant!

210807

MOUSIE

What on earth does one say, when the recipient of a Dickiebouquet is:-Admired and respected by every single one of my readers.Serves the public in the bestest way possible.Goes completely unrecognised in the streets.Seeks no glory, or even recognition. But thoroughly deserves both.Endures immense crap from many who she serves, and bosses alike.In addition to her work, carries out the tasks of those who fail in their work. And, for no recognition.Never takes industrial action.Is always there when needed.And, somehow maintains a bloody sense of humour.MOUSIE – we love you.

280907

Judge Jonathan DURHAM HALL Q.C.

It is with the utmost pleasure that Dickiebouquet No.4 is awarded to Judge HALL. My God. At last. Somebody in authority who has good sense. A rarity indeed.From today’s Daily Mail:-A judge today slammed the prosecution of a “gallant” policeman over the way he arrested a knife-wielding suspect as a “politically correct disgrace”.PC Lee Armstrong was taken to court for allegedly using excessive force while arresting a man for being in possession of an offensive weapon. The 28-year-old officer vehemently denied any wrongdoing and was stunned when the Crown Prosecution Service decided to charge him with assault.PC Armstrong was praised by the judge and completely vindicated. However, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall, QC, issued a stinging rebuke to CPS lawyers responsible for bringing the case to court and ordered all the officer’s legal costs – estimated at £16,000 – be paid from public funds. He told prosecutor Paul O’Shea: “There was never any prospect at all of this gallant, young officer being convicted. The conviction of yet another man doing his duty, for reasons that are best described as politically correct, is a disgrace. The Crown will pay every penny of his costs.”The judge apologised to PC Armstrong for the way he was “harassed” through the courts and praised his actions in arresting the knifeman weeks after the murder in nearby Bradford of colleague Sharon Beshenivsky.“I cannot imagine what you have felt being pursued and harassed in this prosecution over the last few months and I am very sorry. Thank you. Leave without a stain on your character.”PC Armstrong, who has been in the force for almost four years, was called to an incident at a shop in Keighley at 1.45 pm on 21 December 2005. A man was said to be threatening a woman at the shop and was carrying a knife. The officer arrived at the scene and ended up arresting the suspect Lawrence Lister for possession of an offensive weapon. Bystanders swore and shouted abuse at PC Armstrong as he made the arrest, the court heard.Four months after the incident the officer was contacted “out of the blue” about the incident and interviewed under caution. He was subsequently charged with assault and appeared before magistrates where he elected to stand trial before a jury.Tom McGhie, of the West Yorkshire Police Federation, backed the judge’s criticism of the CPS and called for a more common sense approach to assault allegations against officers. He said too many cases involving police officers were going to court. “The CPS needs to make decisions based upon the evidence and treat everybody fairly and everybody equally,” he said.

Dickiebo agrees, but goes further. People who make these decisions must be named and held accountable.

Well done Judge Jonathan Durham HALL Q.C. Take a bow.

171007

Seth SHOSTAK

Seth SHOSTAK

Seth is an American astronomer. He earned his Physics degree from Princeton University, and a Ph.D. in astronomy from the California Institute of Technology. He is the Senior Astronomer at the SETI Institute in California, and the 2004 winner of the Klumpke-Roberts Award, awarded by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the public understanding and appreciation of astronomy.Seth feeds my insatiable appetite for news on Space matters, as a  regular contributor on Nasa’s site. So what, I hear you say. Lots of people do similar things. Well, that’s true but………..nobody does it like Seth. He has that knack of injecting exactly the right type, and amount, of humour into his articles, that holds my attention 100%.In today’s article, whilst talking about something or other, he says, …..”This is called the gain of the antenna, for readers who wish to sound literate at nerd conventions.” or, perhaps Dickiebo trying to be smart!!He talks about the Beatles music, which has been beamed at the North Star, and says,…..”The North Star is not the nearest audience for a Beatles blast, incidentally - there are about 100,000 stellar systems that are closer. Maybe Nasa chose this location because the Polarians agreed to pay royalties.”Seth. You make reading a pleasure. And, so many thanks for knowing that you are explaining the impossible in talking to us nerds, in a language that we can readily understand. Good on yer!

290208

Robin PAGE

During my period of sickness, I came across this letter in the Mail. It made me think, so much so, that I offer the article for your education!

“What a man! I started off reading this thinking ‘here we go again. Another speed freak who wants to break the law and get away with it’.
I could not have been more wrong. The police are, without doubt, rotten to the core and despised by almost everybody, not just by villains any more, precisely because of this sort of caper. They break the law, but that is okay. We break the law and they are determined to break us!

Oh well, give an insecure little man a uniform…”

- Pru, Cumbria

Read the excellent item here.

A Dickiebouquet is awarded to; ROBIN PAGE

200408

James DEWAR

James Whooo?, I hear you say. Well, can’t say I blame you, because until today, Dickiebo had never heard of him either. Not surprising really, because he looks after a small croft near Stromness, in Scotland, with his wife Jenny. They look after their sheep, goats and hens.James also has a summertime job. He is the local Traffic Warden in Stromness, Orkney, and 59 year old James  has been told that his services are no longer required, as the police presence in Stromness is being (allegedly) increased. Well, it seems that the ‘locals’ had something to say about this, and a campaign was started by residents and motorists, to retain him. This has resulted in a reprieve, and he is to continue in his role for the forthcoming summer.How unusual! A popular traffic warden. So what makes him so different? Well, he has done the job for 14 years and is regarded as a friend by many of the residents. He also helps children get home safely after school, and offers advice to tourists.“To us he’s a friend,” said Sarah Taylor, who headed the campaign to keep Mr Dewar.“Anywhere else people would be surprised that we want to keep our traffic warden, but he does an invaluable job in Stromness and he’s a great asset to the town.”Well done, Mr. Dewar. You sound just like one of the old British Bobbies to me, and are a worthy recipient of a Dickiebouquet. A good start to the week.Based on an article in Police Oracle.

160608

Jane RICHIE

Jane inherited a £9,000,000 fortune, decided that she liked her lifestyle as it already was, and gave away the fortune. Jane had built these impressive buildings as a learning centre for young people at County Durham.

Jane said, ‘I believe if you do get something like winning the lottery you should do something good with it and that’s what I have tried to do.’

Full story in today’s Daily Mail.

300808

A Dickiebouquet is hereby awarded to

ANNETTE from Asda!

The Official Citation reads:-

“For;

Loyalty to a mediocre blog;

Patience and Forebearance in the face of extreme political provocation;

Commenting, even where there is nothing to justify a comment;

Humour, in being a NuLabour Supporter;

Keeping Going, when all around have fallen by the wayside; and

Being a Woman – life’s highest accolade.”

Thank you, ol’ pal!

19/03/09

271108

SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO

You all remember Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona , who painted the jail cells pink and made the inmates wear pink prison garb.  Well . . .

SHERIFF JOE IS AT IT AGAIN!

Oh, there’s MUCH more to know about Sheriff Joe!
Maricopa County was spending approximately$18 million a year on stray animals, like cats and dogs.  Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over, and the County Supervisors approved.
The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners.  They feed and care for the strays.  Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily.  He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behaviour. They give great classes for anyone who would like to adopt an animal.  He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them place in dog shows.
The best part?  His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million. Teresa and I adopted a Weimaraner from a Maricopa County shelter two years ago. He was neutered, and current on all shots, in great health, and even had a microchip inserted the day we got him. Cost us $78..
The prisoners get the benefit of about $0.28 an hour for working, but most would work for free, just to be out of their cells for the day.

Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc.  He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals.
I have long wondered when the rest of the country would take a look at the way he runs his jail system, and copy some of his ideas. He has a huge farm, donated to the county years ago, where inmates can work, and they grow most of their own fresh vegetables and food, doing all the work and harvesting by hand.
He has a pretty good-sized hog farm, which provides meat, and fertilizer.  It fertilizes theChristmas tree nursery, where prisoners work, and you can buy a living Christmas tree for $6-$8 for the Holidays, and plant it later.  We have six trees in our yard from the Prison.
Yup, he was re-elected last year with 83% of the vote. Now he’s in trouble with the ACLU again.

He painted all his buses and vehicles with a mural, that has a special hotline phone number painted on it, where you can call and report suspected illegal aliens. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement wasn’t doing enough in his eyes, so he had 40 deputies trained specifically for enforcing immigration laws, started up his hotline, and bought four new buses just for hauling folks back to the border. He’s kind of a ‘Git-R Dun’ kind of Sheriff.
TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO:  HE IS THE MARICOPA COUNTY , ARIZONA SHERIFF AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER.  THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY:
Sheriff Joe Arpaio (in Arizona ), who created the ‘Tent City Jail,’ has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them.
He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails, took away their weights, and cut off all but ‘G’ movies.
He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects.
Then He Started Chain Gangs For Women So He Wouldn’t Get Sued For Discrimination.
He took away cable TV Until he found out there was A Federal Court Order that Required Cable TV For Jails.  So He Hooked Up The Cable TV Again Only Let In The Disney Channel And The Weather Channel.
When asked why the weather channel, He Replied ‘So They Will Know How Hot It’s Gonna Be While They Are Working On My Chain Gangs.’
He Cut Off Coffee Since It Has Zero Nutritional Value.
When the inmates complained, he told them, ‘This Isn’t The Ritz-Carlton . . . If You Don’t Like It, Don’t Come Back.’
More On The Arizona Sheriff:
With Temperatures Being Even Hotter Than Usual In Phoenix (116 Degrees Just Set A New Record), the Associated Press Reports:  About 2,000 Inmates Living In A Barbed-Wire-Surrounded Tent Encampment At The Maricopa County Jail Have Been Given Permission To Strip Down To Their Government-Issued Pink Boxer Shorts.
On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in the tents, which reached 138 Degrees Inside The Week Before.
Many Were Also Swathed In Wet, Pink TowelsAs Sweat Collected On Their Chests And Dripped Down To Their PINK SOCKS.
‘It Feels Like We Are In A Furnace,’ Said James Zanzot, An Inmate Who Has Lived In The TENTS for 1 year.  ‘It’s Inhumane.’
Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink, and eat bologna sandwiches, is not one bit sympathetic.  He said Wednesday that he told all of the inmates:‘It’s 120 Degrees In Iraq And Our Soldiers Are Living In Tents Too, And They Have To Wear Full Battle Gear, But They Didn’t Commit Any Crimes,So Shut Your Mouths!’
Way To Go, Sheriff!
Maybe if all prisons were like this one there would be a lot less crime and/or repeat offenders.  Criminals should be punished for their crimes–not live in luxury until it’s time for their parole, only to go out and commit another crime so they can get back in to live on taxpayers money and enjoy things some citizens cannot afford to have for themselves.

Yea. It’s got to be hasn’t it? Sheriff Joe ARPAIO is hereby awarded aDICKIEBOUQUET and is, therefore, always welcome on this site, and will be added to the illustrious list of former winners.

……………………………………………………………

Lloyd GARDNER

Lloyd GARDNER

A young lady was extremely brutally raped and left for dead, lying naked and with a fractured skull. Three years later, she is still confined to a wheelchair.

Lloyd Gardner, aged 22, from Ottery St. Mary, Devon, answered a police appeal for help, giving information which led to the arrest and conviction of the Polish villain, Jakob Tomczak, aged 24, who had fled back to Poland. Tomczak received two Life Sentences.

Lloyd was awarded £10,000 from Crimestoppers for his invaluable help, but astonished everybody by asking for the money to be given to the victim of this dreadful crime. Lloyd is reported to have said that he did not feel that he had done anything to deserve the reward, and that it was likely to be of more meaning to the victim, than to himself.

All I can say, Lloyd, is that by golly, our country, and indeed the whole world, would be far better off if there were more people like you in it.

Well done, mate. Join some other good people, all of whom have been awarded a Dickiebouquet!