The SDLP's Dolores Kelly claimed "sinister elements" were "directing" riots in Lurgan that followed the arrests last week and that were said to involve children as young as 10. It's no secret that I wish the police would get tougher with those engaging in recreational violence, but Ms Kelly's remarks got me wondering.

Many involved in recent mindless violence are children

We've heard in the past complaints about the police using rubber/plastic bullets and other complaints about "innocent bystanders" being hurt by police as they attempt to contain a dangerously violent mob. Why (or whether) wee Jonny was nipping out to get milk at the exact time that a riot was going on outside is rarely given much debate, but the idea of malcontent individuals inciting children to attack the police got me wondering if these orchestrators are actually trying to get these youngsters hurt.

Think about it. The whole reason they're rioting is because of the raw hatred they feel towards law and order, and what better way to strike at law and order than to give people a new reason to hate the police? We've seen children used as suicide bombers in Israel/Palestine, perhaps these sorts of riots are just a more covert form of exploitation.

There has been a small but noticeable upsurge in English (as distinct from British) patriotism in England in recent years

Today is Saint George's Day and will see celebrations across England, although probably on a smaller scale than Saint Patrick's Day (even Saint Patrick's Day in England possibly?).

The Royal Society of St George has been working in recent years to revive the day, which has gone largely uncelebrated for years as the English wrestle with some of the same demons as Ulster's unionists in the form of misconceptions about their patriotism. While it's hard to be proudly Northern Irish or even British in Northern Ireland without being construed or portrayed as sectarian, many English folk have played down their English identity for fear of being offensive and/or thought of as racist.

Now, groups are working to promote the celebration of England's patron saint in the same way as Ireland's is celebrated. A campaign has begun promoting the day to the business community as potentially very financially rewarding, particularly to pubs. Landlords had noticed that English people would always go out drinking on Saint Patrick's day, and yet many didn't even know when Saint George's Day was, but that seems to be slowly changing with many towns now organising Saint George's Day events.

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I saw this a couple of days ago and have been meaning to post on the fact that the Assembly has already cost the tax payer £100m in the time since its been suspended (which I touched on in January), but now it's expected to cost up to a further £3.5 million just to close it!

MLAs will be handed up to £1.7m to cover their expenses, and may also get a "golden handshake" type redundancy payment of £16,000 each, potentially totalling another £1.7m! This resettlement allowance is normally paid when members step down or fail to be re-elected, to allow them to pay off staff.

Why is it only after nearly 4 years that members are paying off their staff? What the hell have they been doing since October 2002 besides wasting public money? Both the MLAs and their staff should have had their payments stopped then, this latest shambles is just more salt in the wound.

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 80th birthday today. Image source: Agencia Brasil

I'd just like to take a couple of minutes to give my best wishes to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on today her 80th birthday. I was delighted to hear the other day that she will not abdicate the throne at any time in the forseeable future.

Looking at elected presidents, whether in France or the USA (with the possible odd exception of the Irish Republic), their partisan allegiance immediately renders them divisive. I think her role as head of state is often undervalued in modern times and looking at elected heads of state around the world makes me glad Her Majesty reigns over us still.

Apparently I'm not the only one either, in a recent poll over two-thirds of respondents favoured retention of the monarchy. Throughout her reign she has conducted herself with a dignity that has won her much respect throughout the Commonwealth and the wider world, both in the 16 nations of which she is Queen and beyond.

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It's that time again - time to support Everything Ulster by helping Beano get a new toy as Everything Ulster goes into shameless sales mode.

If I told you you could get an Xbox 360 for $1 you'd say I was mad. Then again, back when I talked about a free iPod, people thought it'd never work. Yet in December I received just that!

My free iPod held up in front of my monitor displaying the EU home page.

Since I wouldn't believe me either, if I wasn't me, I've provided pictures here. Some of you may recognise David Healy's goal against England being played on my beautiful new video iPod, others may recognise said iPod resting on my spide spotting t-shirt.

Now the same company behind free iPods are running a similar deal with Premium Xbox 360s. Sign up, complete an offer, refer some friends and voila!

The Offers
You can choose from long time favourite 1 month free trial of DVD rentals from Screen Select* (which I used to gain my free iPod) or a new addition - a 1 day trial subscription to "freebidding" - a rather shit website that links to other online auction sites - mostly US ones - including government/police seized property auctions. Not a lot of fun, but simple! Sign up, pay $1. Look at the site for 5 minutes and if you don't like it email their payment company Paycom.net (or phone Paycom's US number: (888) 968-5834 which I did) and cancel your subscription. Warning: do this in the first couple of hours so you don't forget. If you go over your day's trial you get billed for your first month's access at $39.95.

I really recommend this FreeBidder offer because you get your credit right away instead of waiting for 2 weeks wondering if it's "worked" or not.

My free iPod laid on my spide-spotting T-shirt - only 2 ever sold

I'd be skeptical myself had it not been for the fact I'd already received my free iPod. I won't say that freepay or 'Gratis Internet' (the company behind it) are the most pleasant company to deal with. They're polite and all, they just don't make things easy (took me a while to get a tracking number for the parcel, and then to find out who their courier was - it was ParcelForce). They obviously do things on the cheap - but for $1 it wouldn't seem right to complain too much.

By the way, I'm still seething that the video iPods (generally, not just the free ones) don't include a mains charger and instead have to be charged through your PC, but that rip-off's another story. Oh and I'd rather have a PS3 or Nintendo Revolution (they'll maybe do those too when they're released) than the Micro$oft Xbox, but there's always eBay!

It's THAT easy - sign up now!

Cancelling Your Trials
If you go for the Screen Select offer, make sure and cancel at least a full working week in advance of the end of your trial if you don't want to go onto their monthly subscription. If you take the free bidding offer, I advise you to cancel it straight away if you don't like it - it'd be an expensive thing to forget.

I think it's worth it though, given that with a little care you can get yourself a £250 Xbox 360 Premium Pack for $1!

A major PSNI security operation in County Armagh has recovered components of a 250lb bomb

It seems police officers have successfuly prevented an imminent republican bomb attack today, recovering components for a 250lb car bomb (I believe that's 115Kg Simon ) from a vehicle breaker's yard in Lurgan. The discovery was made as part of a 'major security operation' in Co. Armagh, involving sniffer dogs and dozens of officers and following which 4 men were arrested.

Superintendent Alan Todd blamed republican dissidents and said that due to the unstable nature of the components, the attack would almost certainly have had to be carried out in the immediate future. It was even suggested it was due to be detonated later today.

As the police were clearing up the bomb parts, which was being constructed in a heavily residential area of Lurgan town centre and close to extensively used commercial premises, they came under attack from nationalist youths. It's sad really that the police can't even dispose of a bomb in parts of Northern Ireland without being subject to vicious assaults.

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The Republic of Ireland should revert to displaying distances and speeds on road signs in miles and miles per hour in the interests of safety, it has been suggested. Chairman of the Republic's National Safety Council Gay Byrne has heard calls from SDLP assembly members that road signs on both sides of the border between the UK and the Republic of Ireland be harmonised.

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After the Daily Ireland's attempts to pre-emptively justify republican rioting in Dublin over a poster that may or may not have been carried at the rally, you'd be forgiven for thinking that republicans were against the glorification of terrorists (convicted or otherwise). Apparently not in Fermanagh (hat-tip to the Northern Irish Magyar [link now dead]).

Compare and contrast. The republican riots in Dublin (in protest at the protest by unionist victims groups) were justified by the likes of the Daily Ireland and republican Sinn Fein on the grounds that the organisers of the victims rally could not guarantee that a poster of a man suspected of involvement with the Monaghan bombings would not be present.

Now, as part of their Easter 'commemorations' in Fermanagh, Sinn Fein have organised a parade commemorating Seamus McElwaine, implicated in 12 murders. Fortunately the SAS took him out before he could commit any more.

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Newtownabbey Borough - AKA The Den of Inequity

I've seen so much ballocks eminating from Sinn Fein lately I don't have time to go through it all but I thought this was funny. On the same day Sinn Fein lambasted the DUP for wasting time lobbying for seats in the Lords instead of focusing on the 'real issues', they've been staging protests in Newtownabbey over Newtownabbey Borough Council's treatment of nationalists as 'second class citizens'. As usual, Sinn Fein's press release has more by way of flamboyant language than hard content.

So what awful things are Newtownabbey Borough Council doing to the poor nationalists in the district? Well I had to read, through paragraph after paragraph of hyperbole and general ballocks, to the end of the article before I could actually find any actual allegations which basically amounted to:

• Flying the Union Flag on council buildings all year round
• Protestant over-representation on the council staff
• Lack of council amenities in nationalist parts of the council such as Glengormley

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Determined to leave their mark on the landscape of Northern Ireland before the reorganisation of local government which will almost certainly see them swallowed up into a super-council, councillors in Londonderry are to go to the High Court to get a ruling on the official name of the Maiden City.

In 1984 Londonderry Corporation changed its name to Derry City Council. The author of a report published in 2003 took the nationalist position that at that time the name of the city officially changed from Londonderry to Derry too.

In official dealings, citizens who write to the civil service (and I think the council too) will receive a response addressed to whichever name they specify for the city in their initial query - ie if you write the address as Derry, your reply is addressed to Derry while if you use Londonderry, your response is addressed to Londonderry.

This solution seems like a measured and pragmatic compromise to a contentious issue, but apparently it's not enough for the Ireland of Equals nationalists so desperately seek. The city has already seen something of an exodus of Protestants over the last 30 years, leaving nationalists with the majority they need to isolate the remaining minority still further.

This latest act is just more evidence that victory, rather than equality, is the agenda for Sinn Fein. Put simply they won't rest while there remains anything remotely British in their Ireland, and the "moderate" nationalists in the SDLP seem happy to back them in their quest, and happy spending ratepayers cash to do so, despite reservations of the Local Government Auditor.