Jakes on Royal Marine Guilty

It saddens me to have to break this news so close to Remembrance Sunday but a Royal Marine has been found guilty of murdering a wounded Afghan insurgent fighter. The soldier shot the wounded, unarmed Afghan in the chest telling the dying man: "There you are. Shuffle off this mortal coil, you ****. It's nothing you wouldn't do to us." Before turning to comrades and telling them: "Obviously this doesn't go anywhere, fellas. I just broke the Geneva Convention."
Even more depressing is we are getting people commentating under online news supporting the Marine. Wise up people! This soldier is a disgrace to those who serve the Crown with honour. There is no honour or courage in killing a captured, wounded man in cold blood. This my dear readers is murder, pure and simple. I am no pacifist, and as horrid as it is, soldiers kill each other in times of war. Its the nature of warfare. But when you have soldiers murdering captured enemy combatants, its not right. It cannot ever be right. Its psychopathic and cowardly. And yes, there are Afghan Taliban soldiers doing the exact same thing to troops but I thought our Army was better than that. Evidently some are not. There is a Geneva Convention for a reason, and if we are going to ignore it, we might as well toss it out the window. This Marine knew he was doing wrong too because he instructed his comrades to keep quiet. He knew he had just committed murder. I support our Armed Forces but I cannot defend killing a wounded man. Only cowards and those with questionable morals ever would.
I shouldn't be so surprised when crimes like this are uncovered because operating in lands where bloodshed is plenty is bound to have negative effects on any normal man. Killing, under any circumstance, isn't natural. It is bound to 'breed' the odd psycho. Violence builds on violence. The rule of the gun is never ending. But I doubt Mankind will ever learn.

A New Royal Nipper?

A tabloid newspaper asks today if its time for William and Kate to have babies? Egad! How glad Dai Jakes is at not being a member of the Royal family. To have ones personal affairs probed and put to public polls like some tawdry real life soap opera. (Although to be fair its not only monarchy this obssession with snooping in on private lives is limited to.) The couple have only been married five minutes and already the diaper brigade are revving their woolly bootied engines in anticipation of a new royal sprog. Who will he/she look like? What will he/she be named? Will he/she have grandad Chucks ears? Once one red top paper starts, the others won't be far behind in trying to whip up excitement for the Second Coming HRH. (Or is that Third or Fourth Coming? Theres been so many of the blighters its difficult keeping up.)
As long time readers of this blog will know, Mr Jakes is not what you would call an ardent supporter of the monarchy, and while I acknowledge the Queen has done a fine job, Id be happy to see it come to an end after her reign. Damn, I sailed off course again! Where was I? Oh yes babies. I just hope whatever new ankle biter comes William and Kates way, he/she doesn't have mums stapled smile and dads shall we say, rather fine hair. And I dont mean 'fine' as in 'grand'. In fact I can give you dear readers an exclusive Dai Jake's Book preview of what I think the new royal nipper will look like right now. Behold!

the Jake's royal impression

Not exactly Rolf Harris I know but you get the idea. Bet I will not be that far off either. Toodle pip!

P.S. If next week im writing this blog from the Tower of London, you'll know why.

Welsh Royal Crystal

Fine wines and good scotch need, nay demand great glasses to drink them out of. Coffee mugs while great for tea and coffee, are not what a good Macellan deserves. It needs a touch of style and elegance, and I know just the place to buy what I like to call 'glass with class'. A place where the handcrafting skills are centuries old and the glass is cut with fine Traditional, Intaglio and Celtic designs, that you won't find anywhere else. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Welsh Royal Crystal! Creators of some of the most stunning glass I have ever seen (and being a lover of good scotch ive seen quite a few). When something is created with passion and dedication, you can see it in the finished work and this is certainly true of Welsh Royal Crystal. Their tumblers, wine glasses, bowls and vases are true works of art (one of my particular favourites is their 1/2 Pint Barrel Tankard) and are real stand out pieces for your Welsh dresser or drinks cabinet.
The natural beauty of the Cambrian mountains and lakes of Mid Wales, where one can find Welsh Royal Crystal, have inspired fabulous designs which all stamped with the Welsh Royal Crystal assay mark, a traditional Welsh Dragon that represents a symbol of quality. You wouldn't expect anything less from the last hand crafted crystal glass makers in Wales, which you can see in action in their visitor center with a demonstration from their Master Craftsman. There is a coffee shop too and plenty of parking so visitors can make a day of it. All this with a warm, friendly atmosphere, there is no better way to shop for crystal glass at very wallet/purse friendly prices.


Support Wales in style

The 1/2 Pint Barrel Tankard


And don't forget, Welsh Royal Crystal are winners of Theo Paphitis' #SBS (small buisness sunday) award for added coolness.
Its so good to know that Wales still has a lot of great buisnesses in this little country of ours, and Welsh Royal Crystal is truly a great. Visit them online today, or even better visit in person in Rhayader, Powys, Wales. Oh and follow them on Twitter via @WelshRoyalCryst , they are very friendly. Dai Jake's Book gives them a giant thumbs up!.