Charlie Kirk and Laptops

The story infesting our right wing media is the shooting of Charlie Kirk, a very far, right wing activist in the USA.  He was shot during one of his sessions at a university during a tour of such places, where he went to propagate his politics and oppose any who opposed him.

Loved by Donald Trump because Charlie encouraged some young Americans to vote for him, hated by many others for his statement on migrants, gays, women, guns, Israel and almost anything else that came up during his time.  

Born in small town Illinois during 1993, (surely that was only yesterday?) He quickly took to politics, dropping out of a college course before being certified.  (Have I got that right?) He was befriended by Bill Montgomery, a Tea Party candidate who began Turning Point USA with Kirk.  He also began 'Turning Point Faith,' with a Pentecostal pastor, the intention being to encourage the church into civic action, though it appears, only from a right wing viewpoint which is not biblical.  

Underlying all Charlie Kirk proposed was a far right USA myth of politics, based on a very poor understanding of history or world politics and especially Biblical Christianity, this was merely 'America is Great' once again.  

His comments down the years are interesting.  Disinformation is the term.

During 2018 he claimed the Justice Department stats showed an increase in human trafficking from 1952 to 6087.  He deleted the claim when a fact checking site indicated this came from the conspiracy site 8chan, a site linked to neo nazi and white supremacist sites.

'Prowling blacks go around for fun to target white people -that's a fact!'

'Why are whites taking this? Why are we just sitting idly by and allowing corporate America to give all the jobs to non white people?'  'Where is this headed? South Africa, that is where this is headed. They repeatedly have call for genocide against white people.'

Charlie Kirk suggest children should watch public executions. 'Newsweek' 

Charlie Kirk calls for shooting and whipping of migrants on the Southern Border. 'If you enter, we have lethal force and are willing to use it.' 'They are bringing force upon themselves.'

'It was a huge mistake to pass the Civil rights bill in 1964.'  

He blamed 'Jewish money for ruining American culture.'

'Charlie Kirk says "A patriot should bail out alleged Paul Pelosi attacker."'

Zelensky he said, was 'a puppet of the CIA who marched his own people into needless slaughter.'  

He opposed aid to Ukraine.

Charlie Kirk somewhat ironically also stated 'The Second Amendment is worth the cost of some gun deaths.'   

He may feel differently about this now.

Charlie Kirk came over as a clever politician, young, good looking, and capable of debate - US style.  He was not a Christian as far as I can see, his bible may have been with him but much of it unread, and his words were encouraging for racists, white supremacists and what we must call today, 'haters.'  He is in my opinion no loss to the USA however, his death will bring repercussions.   Whoever killed him, and the army snipers commentating indicate this was an 'internet shooter,' not a professional sniper, could be one of several factions opposed to Kirk.  He had enemies on the left and right and easily made enemies everywhere else.  As the days pass by we will learn more, once the right wing press stop pretending he is another John F Kennedy or suchlike, more information will arise and I feel sure the US cops will soon identify a proper suspect and bring him in.

It may be that time again, the time to buy a new laptop, one that works without having to hit your fist on the button to click on something.  This Dell product may well be going on for 8 or 10 years in use.  Most of the time it has worked quite well, though the screen is dimmer than I would like.  Now the button is being a wee problem, though it can go on for a while yet, but I must decide whether to seek a new grossly overpriced laptop or endure Win 11, which I, like almost everybody else, do not like.  If I hang on maybe Win 12 will arrive first?  

In the UK all the shops work together, while stating that they do not.  All similar laptops just happen to offer the same prices and similar offerings, especially Norton or McFee virus offers.  Both Norton and McFee take over the machine and render it useless!  McFee died in prison if I remember rightly, he was there because he shot someone.  Living the American Dream perhaps!

A glance at suitable Dell, HP, Asus and many other products see prices that make me go back to pencil and paper.  However, you cannot watch football on paper you need the laptop for that.  So for the next few weeks I will be prowling the adverts for new laptops, no way am I going for 'refurbished' or 'Second hand' ones again.  This is not yet urgent, and who knows what Microsoft will be doing, apart from making thousands of staff redundant and replacing them with AI.

Bots

Hundreds are clicking on here, leave a comment if you are real,

 or sling it, if you are a bot.

 

Musings

Like many others I did my best to fall out of the back window picturing the 'Red Moon.'  Of course it was too low on the horizon, to bathed in cloud, and not possible for my wee camera to picture.  I therefore was glad to have obtained this pic the night before, a bit faint, but this moon was quite far away from my window.  

Without the expensive camera and lenses required, and also in a country plagued with cloud, it is difficult to get better pictures of the heavens above us.  Being wealthy I could move to Hawaii and climb a dead volcano on a cloudless night and obtain clear shots, but in truth travelling as far as Tesco is more than enough at the moment.  

I was interested by Tm Davies comment (Tim Davie the Director General of the BBC) regarding Nigel Farage wearing a 'GBNews' badge while 'testifying' in the USA the other day.  Apart from the fact that the US Senator tore Nigel apart and called him what he is the wearing of badges from media stations supporting you is against the Media Law.  No MP, and he is laughingly an MP for Clacton where he never visits, no MP can advertise or be paid for in this manner.  Some have complained, but whether the proper authorities take action we shall see, much later.  Anyway, Tim Davies comment that 'It does not matter,' gives an indication of how the BBC is running a pro Farage operation.  Davie, who once stood as a Tory candidate, has allowed the BBC to push Farage and Reform constantly on TV and  Radio.  With the majority of the UK accepting blindly what is offered on the national news it gives Farage and Reform an unfair advantage.  BBC Scotland however, continues to pretend the SNP do not exist and only offer the feeble Scottish Labour leader and little bar grumbles about the SNP.  This is what happens when England rules the airwaves.

The press otherwise have said nothing regarding Farage's tax dodging and brought out old complaints re Boris Johnson being on the make.  No surprise there.  Some space given over to Israel attacking Hamas HQ in Qatar, much space to the UK Ambassador to the USA Peter Mandelson calling Jeffrey Epstein a 'friend,' though what Peter would do with young females I could not hazard a guess.  While some space is given to riots in Nepal, I suppose burning down parliament can be called a riot, some space has been given to the 'race' for the deputy leadership of the Labour Party.  Labour is now completely in the hands of the Conservative faction, wealthy men doing their Thatcher like best to avoid taxes and let the peasants pay.  The election has been curbed into a few days to stop the masses of the party making clear their favourite and so Starmer will have his way.  Or should we say Morgan McSweeney will have his way.  Now there is a man who ought to be investigated by the media.  But note how that does not happen?  

Andy Mitchell's book concerns the birth of International football, not the birth of football as we know it today.  That as you know began in Scotland many years ago, in fact James I (or was it James IV?) banned 'the playing of the futeball,' and demanded the men concentrated on the archery instead.  Clearly he had no talent for the game to show.  

In the London area we know football was played according to many differing rules.  Eventually some began to organise teams playing the same rules, and not a variety according to taste.  These however differed from the laws of the game developed in Scotland, and the Laws in London differed from other places with football such as Sheffield and Wales.  

Anyway, the toffs from the public schools always had time to play football, whatever rules they used.  They had money, they did not have to work 98 hours a week to earn a pittance, and in school and university games were considered as important as learning, which often had a heavy leaning on 'Classics.'      

With the organisation of the English Football Association in 1863, where the first argument concerned the right to 'Hack an opponent,' which was turned down and this led to the creation of Rugby.  Some would say 'Hacking' has not disappeared from the English game even today of course.  Games were now organised, though team loyalties not so strong, and eventually a Scotch v England game arose. 

Several unofficial 'internationals' took place, sometimes with players who's origins were dubious, and occasionally played in full internationals for the other side!  

By 1872 the first true international took place on the West of Scotland cricket ground in Glasgow.  This tussle of mighty men barging one another, the English depending on one man dribbling through the enemy, the Scotch using the beginning of the 'passing game,' ended in  no scoring draw.  There was no more non scoring draws until 1970, 98 years later.  Typical, I was there! 

This book begins with the personal involved, the toffs from the public schools, interestingly the 1872 Scotch team had non public schools players, the England side did not, and for some time.  The people on both sides, including the rugby breakaways who played an international before the football side, their background and at the end of the book, a short pen history of their life and sometimes interesting deaths.  

Written with an English bias by a man with great Scottish football history, he often writes in the 'Scottish Sporting History,' mag, and his book is well worth a read for the beginning of the international game.  

Note the entrance price, one shilling, in 1878!

They did not wish the common man to attend, did they?

  

Tax for Nigel

Our Nige joined in the howling to remove Angela Rayner after she fiddled the tax on the house she was buying.  Nigel insisted she must resign!  Now it appears he himself has been on the fiddle.  Does this come as a shock to you?  Nigel claimed he had bought a house in his constituency of Clacton, as MPs are supposed to do, many benefits attach to such houses.  However, it now appears the £800,000 house, bought without a mortgage, meaning some rich person paid cash for it, was obtained by his present girlfriend.  It is not in Nigel's name after all.  So, has he bought a house?  If she bought it, where did the money come from?  Has he committed a crime, or failed parliaments rules?  Certainly by this means he avoids around £44,000 in tax that would be paid had the house been in his name.  This appears to be legal, but is it moral, in the same way he condemned Angela?  

The thing to remember is that it has become normal for leading politicians to publish their tax returns, Nige has not done this and refuses to do so, I wonder why?  Having made approximately £800,000 in speaking engagements across the world since being elected as an MP for Clacton, a place he does not live in big house or not, why is he afraid to publish his tax returns?  Has he anything to hide?  Is he perhaps just a shy wee boy?  I wonder.  Interestingly few mentions of this appear in the press that support him this morning, I wonder why?

I would publish my tax returns if demanded, probably in the publication called 'Paupers Times.'   

Normal Congregation

Dragged somewhat reluctantly to the Kirk this morning, when lying in bed was more attractive, the virus still offering a wearisome effect.  Once there I sullenly sat half asleep as the congregation struggled to arrive before opening time.  I completely forgot I was supposed to be at the door offering a welcome to one and all and left others to do this.

As I was considering lying flat out along the chairs that he came in.  He had been missing for a while, this because he had suffered a seizure while driving, crashed the car without causing damage to others, and spent a couple of weeks in hospital.  He looked drained and weary.  It was then whispered to me that not long after returning home his wife had died.  Poor man!  No wonder he looked drained.

My discomfort suddenly appeared insignificant.  

As the service progressed I cogitated on the rest of the congregation.  The elderly suffering deafness, inability to walk, dementia, heart problems and financial worries.  The young full of fears regarding their future, the cost of living and help required for their child's special needs.  Few of any age are without problems.  Several have serious mental handicaps, others their age, others the routine difficulties of life.  Most do look to their God for help, and how he has helped so many here.    

The sermon spoke of carrying the cross, following Christ Jesus is not easy, and these problems do not make it any easier, however, I, like many here, know Jesus has been there in the midst of our problems, that he has never left us, that he spends a great deal of time forgiving us and leading us closer to him, all the while caring for our needs.  

I was struck by the 'Servant King,' song, how Jesus forgives me by going to a cross, yet I am slow to forgive others!  What a God he is, in sickness and in health, and his care is because of his choice to care for us, not because we went pleading to him.

International Football Weekend

It is Saturday, therefore it is Football Day! 

Since Scotland invented and developed football, spreading it world wide through the means of the English Empire, the game has become the most beloved game in the world, and no wonder!

What can be more enjoyable than eleven men facing eleven men on a grass pitch, if there is any grass upon it, and kicking a ball around for 90 minutes?  Sheer enjoyment, sporting success, team spirit development, fun and laughter, as well as a few pretending their hard men and kicking the shins off anyone they face.  What can beat this game?

However, this is the 'International Break,' which means all the top teams, and some small ones, are missing their international players.  These are now spread across Europe, Central and South America, and Africa, as countries fight for the right to be at the World Cup Finals in the USA next year.  

This means that top divisions are not playing and so coverage of league games is left to lower division clubs, and only for of them are playing today in Scotland.  So, what to do?

I am trying to watch some insipid English games in League two, that is the fourth division, but inspiring it is not.  This is because they  are not my teams, they are foreign sides in foreign leagues which mean little.  I can identify with individual players or clubs that secure shock results, but for the most part they are all to often games which slog along rather than have meaning.  Crowds in England may be quite big, however, real passion is found among Scots clubs and fans.   

How to deal with this?

Watch TV?  But that is a home for those chasing 'Bread and Circus's.'  Nothing intelligent lives there now.  Search the internet?  But this is a daily trial, searching for interesting news, views and objective journalism.  This is not always a success.  Shop?  Have you got the money?  Go somewhere?  I refer you to the previous answer?  Search for blogs worth reading?  Indeed this is worth while, though there appears to be a death of these at the time, Twitter and BlueSky have taken people from long thoughtful bogs, or ones like mine, and created a space for short thinking and quick answers.  I note a few really good one, but in days of yore so many more existed.  Some people stopped writing, some got bored, some died, and some chose Twitter, and all these things are understandable.  

International football is great, emotions run high, joy extends to all around, sometimes, yet in between the games there is nothing.  As I write some fans are watching smaller teams in their locale, which is good.  Others are being dragged through shops by the wife, still others are with relatives or forced to work on the house.  Men suffer badly during the international break, surely there is a charity out there that can do something for them?    

Angela and the Telegraph Witch-hunt

So, the 'Daily Telegraph' is rejoicing in bringing down a senior member of the Labour Party!  Angela Rayner, the Deputy Leader of that party (though that title is more honorary than meaningful) made a mistake which has cost her dear.  Buying a house or a flat, it is not clear, in Hove, on the south coast, she made use of legal arrangements to avoid £40,000 tax on her home.  

Now MPs have certain rights and benefits when buying homes but dodging tax is not one of them.  However, there are multi ways in which tax can be legally avoided, just ask Nigel Farage as he makes use of them all.  It is one of the reasons the people's trust in politicians is low, the ability to legally take MPs and Lords benefits, sometimes worth a great deal, while cutting back benefits and payments to the general population.

Angela hails from Manchester, a 'working class' town in the north of England.  The history is one of heavy industrial manufacturing, weaving and Victorian 'back to back' housing that soon deteriorated into slums.  The years since the war have seen great changes and today tall glass buildings, many of absurd yet fashionable shape, tower over the city and Manchester has become of of the great cities of the north of England.  

Angela has bought her house in Manchester, and this one in Hove far away, she claimed, was to benefit her disabled son in the future.  Hmmm.  Whatever, there is no reason she should not buy another house if she has the cash, Jeremy Hunt had several flats earning him vast amounts which he forgot he had, Farage has dodged tax by dodgy dealings on his four houses, that is four in England, and other Tories and many politicians have made use of several homes for income, so why not Angela?

However, the 'Daily Telegraph' has noted something was amiss.  The tax dodge went beyond what was expected of a minister, and a witch-hunt ensued.  Ignoring the dubious owners of the main stream press, the paper harassed Angela until she fell.  As deputy leader and as the only truly 'working class' member of the cabinet she allowed Labour to keep up the pretence it cared for the workers.  Now she has gone their middle class, better educated, and far from working class cabinet will look even further away from the man in the streets looking at Farage's Reform Party.  

There is the problem, in England the 'working class' have been told the lie that asylum seekers have it easy, get 5 star hotels, they don't, the use of the gym, they don't, good money each wee, £48 at most, and houses when they ask for one, they don't.  However, the lie is believed, facts do not trump emotion, and many are ready to wave flags and yell at hotels because they believe the lie and now have a crowd to belong to.  We all need a tribe to belong to, some where that gives us a reason for living and enables us to feel wanted.  

For 14 years the Conservative Party opposed this very thing.  By seeking to benefit the already rich, by massively increasing the cost of living, gas, electric, water and supermarkets, by pointing at 'migrants,' they  avoided being held to account.  Their corruption, £37 billion on Test and Trace alone, has not been returned, the PPE scandal has not found anyone guilty of crime, as yet, and borrowed money has disappeared from view, yet the Conservative paper, leads a witch-hunt on Angela?

Angela was no hero to the workers.  She, with a disabled son voted to lower disabled money, indeed voted as the government ordered and at no time publicly opposed their grasping desires.  She happily took financial gifts from Lord Ali, and maybe others, and while gaining a good position, a good salary, and a good future, could possibly have even led this feeble Labour Party one day.  Now she will spend time in the background, forever tarnished with tax dodging.

A week is a long time in politics.

Now, can someone do similar with Trump?  

Diverse World of Scottish Haggis Animals (Documentary) | Wild Haggis

Free Speech

There is a problem with Free Speech.  A simple problem of 'Where do you draw the line?'  Today the far right are demanding the right to say whatever they wish, however, this usually leads to mere attacks, not based on facts, on minorities or peoples they have designated as scapegoats.  Hence, Twitter posts can attack asylum seekers and Muslims, or anyone who supports them or takes a differing view.  These attacks are not always polite, thoughtful, or indeed believable.  Often they just repeat straight forward lies, and those offering facts are demonised because of this.

However, those who seek facts get banned by some, as in the Reform led council that has refused entry to the local press.  Censorship from Reform while their leader Farage is in the USA complaining about the lack of Free Speech in the UK?  Of course he takes the Lucy Connolly posts, the one suggesting burning down asylum hotels and the seekers within, as 'Free Speech.'  The courts decided, after jury trial, that 32 months were required in prison.  Farage of course sends his time inciting riots and may be worried his posts might be called to account one day, soon hopefully.

But where do we say stop?

Football fans commenting on the opposition or referees may break the Law with some comments posted online, at least where Free Speech is concerned, and certainly where libel may be concerned.  However, rarely do these lead to jail as most are known to be ignorant, knee jerk reactions. 

Just imagine if a referee succeeded in suing a fan?

It is taken for granted in the UK that you have aright to say what you believe. 

This is good!

It is also taken for granted that you do not cross an unwritten line from opinion into libel or hate.  

So, I can say you are wrong, and offer my reasons for saying so.  However, indicating this while also suggesting your are ugly, fat, and a crook stealing money, this may cross that line even though it may be true, but evidence for criminality is not subjective and must be proved.

Today nobody cares about this.  Boris Johnson allowed lies, and bare faced ones at that, to be free and politicians on all sides now appear to follow his lead.  With a muppet as Prime Minister, another as leader of the opposition, and no 'Big Beasts' in the House anymore how much longer can we endure Free Speech which leads to riots, jail, and 'some' walking free while others go inside?

And I have no commented on the results of Free Speech which can be disastrous as you will be well aware of this for yourself.

Essex Racist Children and Yvette Cooper

Few will be surprised to hear that Essex has more school pupils disciplined or banned from class for racism than any other English county.  The seaside town of Clacton leads the way by voting for Nigel Farage, a rabble rousing liar, as member of parliament, who can expect their children to be other than slanted towards a racist ideology they do not understand?  Their parents do not understand it, how can the children?

We read that Essex had 556 pupils suspended, though none were expelled, last year, the highest in England.  Next came Kent, across the Thames estuary with 521 which included four expulsions, then comes Hampshire with 423 plus one expelled.   

These three areas like to consider themselves 'English,' according to the mythological image of 'Englishness,' that exists only in their minds.  History is not a subject they studied at school, many of course would not study much very hard, and now, with parents who failed school joining a 'crowd,' it is inevitable that their children will follow the lead to their own downfall. 

Clearly, the recent far right inspired protests, seen at Epping and other English towns, as also found in Australia and the US where far right organisations lead the way, most led by neo-Nazis, we ought not to be surprised the children will be infected by the noise.  

Who is to blame?

The Corporate take over of our politicians, to the benefit of the already rich and to the harm of society as a whole.  Money abounds amongst these rabble rousers, it does not come from nothing.  As they own the media we are not in a position to find the daily press informing the masses, social networks, and Musk and the mad Facebook owner interferes here, do not reach the mass of people over 50 today.  If it did and they saw the facts would they listen?

Yvette Cooper, a woman who once dreamt of leading the Labour Party, has now positioned herself as one of the flag waving patriots who never thought of waving a flag until Morgan McSweeney told them to.  On TV today she is reported to have claimed there are suitable flags and banners and bunting in her house, though she did not explain whether she had just had them delivered or not.  

We see here a woman with no integrity.  Like all the Labour cabinet front bench all have sold out their life long principles for money and position.  Every bill on offer comes from someone who does not believe in it, and it shows, all backbenchers who support it, especially those who have been there for years, also vote as commanded but do not believe in what they are doing.  So few have the guts to stand up for what is right, so very few have indeed spoken out against Labour Bills and have lost the whip, even Keir the Prime Minister does not believe in his policies, if he knows what they are.  

All are following the corporate instructions from McSweeney and his owners.  All have sold out and none have the guts to say, 'Hold on, this is not right.'  

There is one exception, Annelise Dodds resigned her post over the cuts to Foreign Aid.  The decision to cut aid from 0'5% to 0.3% to increase defence spending was wrong.  She is correct, however, those who own the UK do not care about the harm this has caused, they care only for themselves.

I see no hope of any further cabinet member resignations, Yvette Coopers journey to the Dark Side is complete, and the result is not something she is concerned about.

Post Office Road

I was forced out of my hermitage very unwillingly this morning as I had to make my way to the post office.  Family birthdays appearing before I am ready for them can be irritating.  However, I wrapped up the cheap chosen gift and hobbled off down the old road.

As you know this is an old road.  It began some time after the ice age departed, an ice age that stopped at this point, leaving a mark on the south side of the road that determined where it ended.  A couple of thousand years later vegetation had arrived, families, or tribes perhaps, wandering across from as far away as what is now Germany, and very possibly this was one of their routes through the forested area.  Once the melting ice had created what is now the North Sea and flooded what we call 'Doggerland,' the walking ceased.  Tribes now well developed and controlling their part of the land soon developed the high area, surrounded on three sides by steep slopes, into a citadel for safety from other tribes.  This route to the west must have been operating for a couple of thousand years before the Romans arrived, slaughtered everybody, and hardened the roads so their wagons could travel faster.  Road works may have hindered traffic but it kept the men busy. 

I now hobbled slowly down the pavement, moving aside for mobile chairs, pushchairs, and fat people, as I made my way to the PO.  Traffic roared by, cars, double decker buses, 7.5 ton lorries delivering to supermarkets and shops, small cars, vast petrol guzzling beasts, works vehicles, and a woman on a three tricycle.  A normal day now, but what would the Romans or the Welsh speaking Brits of ancient times make of it all?  I suspect that once they got over their initial fears they would quickly adapt, especially the young.  Human nature does not change, the elder may fuss about 'It was better in my day,' but really they do this while enjoying large digital TVs, the NHS which keeps them alive, pensions and car or bus travel to shops hoarding a vast array of things not available when they were young, though in some cases Rickets, measles, chickenpox and polio was available, but not now.  Ancient Britons would adapt quickly to being rushed along this road at 30 miles an hour, more if it is late at night and the driver is in his teens, and glad he does not have to walk.  His walking would of course have made him much fitter than the teen driver who would be much healthier, even though less fit.  Life can be strange at times.  

Having reached my destination, in spite of road traffics attempt to stop me crossing from one side to another, I deposited the parcel containing goods that cost less than the postage, and trusted privatised Royal Mail to deliver by Wednesday.  This depends if the Czech owner, counting his tax dodging cash, considers this worth delivering.  Being first class it ought to be there by Wednesday but not being a parcel it is now considered less important than parcels, so delivery may have to wait until the sorting office manager can find a postman to walk that round.  Once we had daily deliveries six days a week, now they have to work seven day rotas, yet deliver only about three days a week, how does this improve things?  It doesn't.  Privatisation of Royal Mail, like all other privatisation, was about greed, nothing else.  Line the pockets of shareholders, forget service, just make money for some.  Lower wages, longer hours, all these are still to come under this right wing coup that has taken over the UK, and let the peasants eat cake.  Not just that, get the peasants to vote for you by blaming someone else, say asylum seekers perhaps?  

This crossed my mind as I noted the Germanic influenced royal family, the German, Japanese, French and US cars, the Chinese takeaway, the US Pizza house with Italian Pizzas, the Fish and Chip Shop (an idea developed by a Hungarian Jew in Spitalfields in the 19th century), while watching a car flying an English St George flag and using Iraqi oil to make the Korean car work.  

There is a lot happening on old roads. 

Derby Day, and Be Christian

Two big derbies on TV today.  One is full of sectarian bile, the other of normal football hate, division and, er, banter.  In one, the visiting side walked up the road from their Tannadice Park ground to play the game, and walked back down afterwards with no trouble from the fans.  In the other feeble attempt at football, both sets of fans displayed flags and sang songs of a sectarian nature, none of which belong in Scottish football.  

One gathered vast news reports, much TV and radio time, and exaggerated false enthusiasm from the commentator Ian Crocker.  The other, somewhat one-sided game, had real enthusiasm, some decent unbiased comment, and totally biased fans.  A proper derby!  

I doubt there was sectarian bias at any other game in Scotland this weekend, why do we allow this to continue at this one?  Scottish football is well worth watching, it would be improved without this sectarian strain.

 

I notice the more desperate and ungodly members of the Conservative and Reform parties are making a bid to claim they represent 'Christian Britain.'  They claim Britain (they never call it the UK) is a 'Christian Country,' and this ought to be protected.  This is ungodly nonsense picked up from the 'White, Gun toting, Flag carrying, Non Church Attending' American, who just hates immigrants because he has been told to hate them.  Americans, that is, USA citizens, need someone to hate.  Now that Communism has died, and they are not bombing Arabs they need a new hate figure, so immigrants it is.  This idea is now being tried in the UK, where some of the least likely to visit a church are spouting this drivel.

By 'Christian Country,' what they really mean is 'Islam is an enemy!'  Thus giving you something to fear, while these lying politicians take from you all your rights, pensions, benefits, right to live, housing support, employment protection, and allow you to pay more tax while they take and take while avoiding tax by putting their money overseas.  

Stupid people fall for this.

And another thing, as the Conservative Party organised all these hotels for immigrants, why was there no demonstrations at the time?  Why have these right wing paymasters invented all these groups leading these protests?  Where were they when the Tories were in power? 

 

  

"Look at the Boats, not the (alleged) corruption!"

Keir Starmer, seen here posing with a Tory flag, has offered a new post on Twitter today, a post attacking asylum seekers. 

  

He says, "Illegal immigration is driven by criminal people-smuggling gangs.

We're dismantling their organisations, shutting down online accounts and arresting those responsible.

Smashing their business model and securing our borders."

This all sounds good and well coming from a PM fighting a problem, however, this is from a PM ignoring the Labour Party's policies going back many years re asylum seekers, and sounds desperate for votes.  It does not come across as a man who knows what he is doing.

With Reform and Farage's backers, trying to divide the nation, it ought to be the PMs job t speak the truth to the country and unite against such rabble rousing nonsense, Keir instead joins in.

His advisers, McSweeney and his far right group of pretend Labour men, are behind this pathetic anti-immigrant nonsense.  Keir ought to know the truth, we need migrants, the majority work as hard as any other, many have high education standards, an fill the NHS staff.  Why does he and his advisors attack migrants?  This will not stop Farage and his Reform lie, truth might.  However, maybe those backing Farage are also those backing Keir.  Maybe they are enjoying pointing out the migrants while dodging tax and avoiding paying their way.  Maybe the £9 billion spent on migrants in comparison to the £46 Billion missing through tax dodging could be more important, though as McSweeney's backers may be involved in that we might not see anything done to stop it.  

Hitler succeeded by pointing at the Jews, who were 0.08 percent of the population if I remember right, I confess it is too early to check that number, and succeeded in lying Farage style to the easily led and desperate.  The old politician lie "I will stand up for YOU!" by a man who then takes the profits and cares not a jot about you is easily noted with Farage.  I note that when parliament returns he will be making cash inn the USA that day.  Is it not time the Clacton electorate had him called in?

Maybe Keir will go down to Clacton, if he knows where that is and suggest this to the townspeople there?  It would be good for this stuffed dummy to get out and meet real people, he has not done this for quite a while, maybe he will understand the real world that day?  He might even meet hard working asylum seekers who have become citizens and are making good, if Morgan allows it.

The Labour Party were elected not on their policies, but because of the grasping corruption of the Conservative Party.  Since then, we have constantly noted similar corruption within the Labour Party.  Angela Raynor, a cabinet minister no less, has managed to 'legally,' avoid paying £40,000 stamp duty on her new house.  Tories and their papers complain, yet they have all done similar since time began.

Almost daily one MP or MSP or member of another parliament is hounded by the press because of corruption, though BBC Scotland always forget to mention the Labour Party name when doing so. 

The latest allegation in Holyrood comes from the placing of a cameras in the toilet. 

The man alleged to have done this is one Colin Smyth, a Labour MSP, and one time General Secretary of the Scottish Labour Party.   Considering he was removed from the Labour Party just before this because he possessed indecent images of children, he now sits as an independent MSP, or would do except his access to Holyrood ha been withdrawn until this matter has reached an end.

He will appear at Dumfries Sheriff Court when a date is set, regarding the child images.   

Colin is married with daughters.

Frankly, I am not surprised to read that Nicola Sturgeon took a dividend of £20,000 from the £300,000 account that was paid for her book by MacMillan.  This enabled her to avoid a tax of some £2,500.  The goings on in her and other politicians bank accounts are too complex foe my little mind, however, the word 'corrupt' comes to mind, especially after Nicola introduced a law taxing the wealthiest to enable lower tax for the poorer amongst Scots.  I would be ashamed to take £2,500 when £300,000 is lying there for you.   Maybe politicians think differently for us moral mortals.

Engaged

 I don't care, do you...?

Nigel Seeks Attention

Nigel pointing towards his bank account

Once again Nigel has been lauded for his nonsensical plans, yet the media will fill hours of tv time and much press speculation because of this.  Getting attention from the far right media is not difficult, they after all are the people behind Farage, they and other, often US billionaires.  The fact that the majority wearing England t-shirts and carrying St George's flags in the protests are what we now call 'working class,' at least those that choose to work, this fact does not change the truth that this is not a ground up rebellion.  

Those who own the nation, the same people who now own the USA and their puppet Trump, will continue to point towards 'the boats,' and 'illegal migrants,' while taking from what once were public services, the NHS and anything else that pays, and allows those who vote for them to suffer.  

Being betrayed by their hero's is not yet something those protesting have thought about.  Their information comes from twitter posts from biased and deliberately lying sites, whether they are in St Petersburg or Iran or the USA matters not.  The lies speak to the fears of those who are suffering, and they are easy to believe.

The 'lower orders,' are informed asylum seekers get three square meals, and free tickets to the gym and elsewhere, benefits and free NHS treatment.  In fact almost all are lies.  Should we just left them die?  Nigel would say yes, if he thought that would go down well, not that he cares of course.  

When the Labour Party, now under the control of the far right, removes benefits from the unemployed, the disabled, the sick, and speaks of 'work,' to those too disabled to work, and also attacks pensioners, three quarters of whom do not have fat savings, the 'lower orders,' feel they are suffering and they are then told asylum seekers are better off than you!  

Lies, all lies, but that is what people wish to hear.  Emotion is greater than fact.

We need to seek truth, speak that truth in all situations, but whether people will listen when their emotions tell them differently I doubt that will change anything.

Emotion got the better of Newcastle United last night.  As their centre forward wishes to transfer to Liverpool, and negotiations are not going happily, they decided to build up an atmosphere for this game against Liverpool, an atmosphere of hate.  There are many problems with such atmosphere's, one being it is only a game, the other being you failure, as you have no other centre forward, to score goals.  Inevitably Liverpool a team that mean little to me, played the game very well, keeping the ball, slowing down the pace, and eventually scoring a goal and turning the anger in the stands upon their own heads.

With the goal going against them the Newcastle players were carried along with the emotion and lost their heads.  Liverpool kept theirs.  Rash tackles became rasher, one player was sent off rightly for a needless rash assault, another ought to have gone as his head had long gone by half time.  Being tough in the pub is one thing, being a big man on a football field requires tact and wisdom,  not kicking an opponent because he is better than you.

Soon after half time Liverpool scored again, so soon I almost missed it, and Newcastle were stunned.  However, Liverpool did not eek a third goal, they kept it cool thus risking something going wrong, and it did.  United scored, and the emotion returned, this time Liverpool struggled eventually, near the end loosing a second, equalising goal.  The crowd thought that was that.  Emotion reigned.  Then once again Liverpool kept their heads and went up the field and scored the winner almost on the final whistle.  

Newcastle United thought raising emotion via hate towards the enemy would succeed, and it almost did.  The fact that Liverpool kept their heads under great pressure spoke volumes for their players, the fact that United players could not speaks volumes for them.

Of course losing your main striker is a loss, however, not having a ready replacement for him is bad management at the top.  Board and manager have failed here.  The players failed, losing the head rather than playing the game cost them much.  A lesson they had better learn, emotion is never enough in football.

Flags

 

For reasons as yet unknown, someone planted this bunting opposite the house last week.  Possibly this had something to do with the protest re asylum seekers based in the village further up the road, or it may be an attempt to remember VJ-Day long after the day has passed, or it was just lying around and someone made use of it.

Who?  Why? And for what purpose remain unknown.

Sunday: I noticed a man with a dog, possibly Alsatian, ripping the flags from the fence.  Why?  He did not look like a protester, he had his shirt on, and he looked irked by the flags, so he is no royalist, so why?

I have no idea who he is, he is a stranger, as is the dog.  

Life is like this, things happen and we do not know why or understand them.  Then they are taken from us and we still understand nothing.  A lesson in life.

The idiot protestors are revealing their lack of thought day by day.  As in the USA a large number, small in comparison to the population mind, are wandering from protest to protest, wearing English St George Cross flags, or Union flags, and you know what I think of them, and visiting various asylum seekers haunts and shouting names at buildings.  

On the way many are erecting such flags in the streets, to show their nationality, and that 'this land is ours!'  They have also painted flags on mini roundabouts, and on mostly white information boards and elsewhere.  This is having an effect.

In areas where the flags fly from lampposts, estate agents are informing the world that houses cannot be sold, as the flags indicate the area is full of troublemakers and louts.  Such unsavoury types are bringing down the prices of houses with every paint job.

The media also, even the 'Daily Mail,' are questioning the damage caused by wee boys with paint spray damaging street furniture to prove they are English.  If only such as they had listened while at school they could have had a job, one now being down by a well educated asylum seeker perhaps?  Instead, they shave their heads, close their minds and chant 'send them home,' as this is the only cause they have in their life bar drinking poor lager.  The English working class do not wish to make an effort, so lets just blame the foreigners.  It is an old story.

Bank Holiday Weekend

A Summer Bank Holiday weekend ought to be a time for rest and relaxation.  A time to meet friends, or avoid compatriots, a time to forget work or worries, a time to watch the weather forecast carefully.

The streets are quieter at the moment, many taking the last weeks before school returns in England to go away.  Others look forward to traffic chaos returning late on holiday Monday evening.  Traffic chaos indeed as the weather man insists the sun will shine all day.  We will see...

Naturally, the supermarkets will be open, some shutting a wee bit early, others at normal times.  I suppose the staff get extra for such work, or a day off, but I suggest this will be hard fought to obtain for the regular staff.  Greed is good at the top of such organisations, they are less keen on decent payments lower down.  

Other shops will be open for those who consider a holiday is to be spent inside such places.  Who wants to spend a day off shopping?  Holiday travel programmes that I used to watch many years ago always made a point in indicating what the shops were like elsewhere, why?  You travel to a foreign country to sit in their shops buying the same goods you have in shops at home, rarely at cheaper prices as they prices are aimed at tourists like you, why?  Is there nothing to see over there?  Are you just looking for the 'Daily Mirror' or 'Daily Mail,' with sunshine, cheap tasteless lager and chips?  Get a life!

Stow Maries Aerodrome

    

The Great War aerodrome at Stow Maries has an event on for the holiday.  Unfortunately I have never been able to et down there as I would like.  This has a great reputation for flying machines, a good museum and no doubt a shop!  This would be good for me on the Monday, however, all tickets are sold out, as always. 

East Anglian Railway Museum

  

The East Anglian Railway Museum are having a 'Diesel Day' on Monday.  I did walk around this vast museum some years ago and could not do this today.  It was a great place to visit, for adults more than kids I say.  It just went on and on, and I thought it a wonderful place to visit.  I made the mistake of asking a question of the men, who were actually on their way home, and was talked at for about an hour re the work they were doing.  Such enthusiasm, such friendliness, such open to visitors, and keen to inform the world of the work they do refurbishing old engines and coaches.  Marvellous staff! 
A great place to visit anytime.

There are of course garden festivals, food and drink events and other happenings that I do not know off. While Essex itself is full of historical sights, beaches, and the occasional beach air show at such times.  Ice cream is extra!  

All this makes a change from the routine nastiness around us daily does it not?

Corbyn, Sultana and the Carnival

 

Labour Outlook

The launch of the first Scots branch of the party for the moment referred to as 'Your Party,' will it appears be held in Glasgow next month.  In some ways this is understandable, Glasgow was once the centre of 'Red Clydeside,' a place where many far left socialist men operated among the workers in the heavy industry that flourished there.  Ship building on the Clyde, steam trains in the east, mines close by, and a variety of works coming from these major centres.  The pay was poor, the conditions intolerable.  Imagine a tenement block holding 82 people with one outside toilet on a Saturday night!  Appalling conditions, appalling management, and it is no wonder people went on strike!  Add to this the moments during the war when rent were increased, though most men were away at the war.  The women refused to pay and were threatened with eviction!  Such causes increase the desire for change, and socialist change at that.  Change did come, but not in the early days of the 20th century, change came only after yet another war leaving 50 million dead and a Labour Party that put the needs of the people before the needs of the shareholders.  Clem Attlee's 1945 government created a new world off fairness and opportunity which has gradually been taken from us by a right wing coup.

Will Corbyn and Sultana's party save the people?  Probably not.  If they seek to create a fairer society many will join and other will vote for them.  However, Corbyn and many of his friends soon go off into adventurous places far from what the voter wants.  If they follow policies that do not ring true with the locals then they will disappear like so many other 'socialist' parties disappear.  The man in the street does not want extremes, he wants fairness for all, forget that and Corbyn and Sultana will fail also.

The Met Police have, very sensibly in my view, taken action before the Notting Hill Carnival, to prevent organised gangs turning the weekend into a small bloodbath.  Can you have a 'small bloodbath?  Discuss.  We know the gangs that like to gather at the carnival are often organised, as opposed to groups of young black men who come and get into bother like a crowd of football fans.   Drugs of course is one thing, crime also, but the vast majority come to enjoy the aura of the weekend.  It is unfortunate that several die during the carnival.  

I first attended one of these in 1973, before you were born.  That was a relatively quite affair, the weather dreary, the clanging of empty 'Double Diamond' cans common amongst most.  No trouble and lots of oil drums providing background sound.

Later, I lived in the middle of it for near 20 years and my opinion changed with the times.  Far too big, far too much trouble, and as I aged, far too noisy.  Most locals of course leave London for the weekend, others drift to outer London and return when they hope it is all over.  I certainly do not miss it now, and the misuse of the carnival by many encourages calls for it to end, or be moved, or cut down in size.  Quite how any of these ideas could operate is not made available by those who suggest this.

One fact we know is involved in the troubles.  West Indians, or their descendants as few actual West Indians from the 'Windrush' days are around any more, have one major flaw, too many dads do not look after their kids.  They say that 60% of young black kids have no idea who their father is.  If they do he has no influence, or appears to desire any.  That is with these 'West Indian' fathers.  Nigerians on the other hand have strong family ties and tend to be among the best educated and brightest in the UK, should we note such differences?  The 40% who have better families and kids who make it need support, and probably enjoy the carnival as much as any.  Why does no one speak out in support of ending the fathers refusal to look after their kids?  Are they afraid to be called racist?  Or are they afraid to admit a child needs two parent, on father and one mother, not two of one kind.  That truth upsets too many.  That truth exposes their failures as fathers and mothers, and exposes their loose sex lives as damaging for their kids and themselves.

However, you will never hear the press discussing this.  How can they?  The media is the most immoral organisation known to man, bar politicians obviously.