Hot Friday

A stroll through the park in 30% of heat.  Not my usual way but I thought I needed some sunshine.  The place full of mums and kids, most oblivious to the heat, but many kids in the shade anyway.  A breeze took the edge of it but it does make a change to have proper sunshine here.  A few more days like this ahead, not quite so hot, but it is almost as if it is summer time.  Naturally the weatherman is warning of thunderstorms and heavy rain!  That usually happens here when the heat rises.

I am convinced more than ever that Dominic is running the country.  The dictators way is to sow confusion, this government is excellent at this.  The Health Secretary Nick Hancock, famous for not knowing the answers, gave late night instructions, confused obviously, concerning a local Lock Down in the North West of England.  Nobody there knew about this, the council, the Health people, nobody had been informed beforehand.  This is typical dictator stuff.  Keep them confused, don't let them settle, do not let people comprehend what is going on and behind the scenes they are running things their way, nobody gets to know what you are doing.

Dominic himself is very quiet these days, could he be visiting castles again?

Evening Standard

So the Russian who owns the 'Standard,' a well known friend of Boris, the PMs brother and a nobody from the cricket world who gets a reward for supporting Brexit now enter the House of Lords.  This is a new low in corrupt Lords appointments.  The ex- leader of the Scots Conservatives also makes it, but will not join until next year.  Another failure getting rewarded.

Apart from Ken Clarke, one of the leading Tory Europhiles, there is little of worth in the list.  More grasping friends, donors and paybacks are getting what they paid for.  Just imagine the names of those Boris proposed the committee rejected!  Harold Wilson was not so slimy!

Now, I'm Not One to Complain, but..

Not only has Blogger gone to pot but now Microsoft have 'updated,' that is, made a mess off, Outlook.

One post gets a reply and all are piled together, why?  By clicking at the side they open up, why not leave it as it was?????  Now it is more complicated, difficult to read, and yet another 14 year old geek is fooled into thinking he is clever, he is not!  What is the matter with these people?  Why adjust what does not require adjusting?

And Blogger is still rubbish also!

At last I have finished this.

The author wanders along paths, mostly inspired by the poet Edward Thomas.  Other people tell me how wonderful this poet is, I tend to disagree.   However the last chapter or two on him was quite interesting. 

Otherwise the author tends to use far too many pretentious words, can offer lists of things that go on too long and can be boring in places.  I suppose that can reflect walking long distances as you must pass over boring stretches of land where there is little of interest.

The final chapter does have some interesting finds, and these north of Liverpool of all places.  We walk alongside footprints found as the sea recedes, footprints that go back 5000 years.  Fascinating!  

To follow the steps of someone who is watching the various deer up ahead, hoping no doubt for a catch.  Women and children, possibly searching for sea creatures for food, and a variety of animals that have long since departed this earth, fascinating! 

Shame the early chapters were not so interesting however.

Still, some may like it, I do not think I will go for another of MacFarlane's works mind.

Annoyed by Blogger!

This new Blogger layout is not good! 

Slow awkward, difficult to find things and designed by a 14 year old.

Not happy!

However, I did come across, by accident, old pictures I had forgotten all about.

No wonder, they are gash!

This one is not too bad mind.

I was happy before starting this.  I had cleaned out the drawers, done the washing, fixed part of the genealogy, and was planning tomorrows work.  This is Spring cleaning continuing, mind you it began last year, in Spring!  I may finish it next year.

Oh to get out and about again.  To get on a train and go somewhere.  To see sights missed, to pass open fields and dingy towns.  To visit London just so I could hate the sight of it!  Lock Down is one thing but while I cope with most of it I would like to visit somewhere soon.  Even the free bus does not run, not enough people using it as most shops still shut, or at least queues make life difficult for many.

I may slowly wander round to Tesco in the morning, just to see human life again.

Actually these pics are better than I thought.

At least proper football is near.  In spite of the mistreatment by the SPFL/SFA we begin a new season hoping soon to wipe smug grins of faces.  I suspect the Heart of Midlothian will feature on many Friday nights.  Something to look forward to.

Family History

Since yesterday morn, where, dressed like a gangster in a black mask, I visited Tesco before dawn I have refused to leave my chair.  Simple laziness plus a desire to reply to the genealogy query sent to me.  I was glad as wearing a mask I canny breathe and my glasses steam up so not going into shops makes life easier.  I agree with the principle, I just canny breathe!  
Anyway, some time back I failed to find anything about James, a distant relative.   I did the decent thing and gave up.  It was a bit trying at the time and I needed a break.  Yesterday, once I had restarted this quest, I was happy to discover someone else had been looking in the same area and had not only found James (The Young Yin) but also his father James (the Auld Yin) and further his father John (The Very Auld Yin).  All, as is the case, farmers or tenant farmers in the Scots borders.

Making use of Google Maps I can get a glimpse of the land as they knew it.  The small towns and villages they knew have not grown much, some not at all, and the area is still dependent on farming for the most part for a living.  Taking into account the hardship of the days, Religious strife, all proud Scots and Protestant, the wars that passed through their lands, including 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' not that far away, and I am left wondering looking at gaps in the story whether some men have wandered of to a war or two?  Certainly they would not follow Charlie, the would be Catholic King, but adventure may call on occasion.

Farmers at the time, enduring economic and weather led woes, would work physically all hours of the day.  Little else to distract them, church on Sunday, family times together, educating them as best as they could, and breeding well, one man had 10 children when I lost count, plus one that failed to survive.  
Eventually, great granddad moved into Berwick itself, running a pub near the market with the help of his daughters, one of whom was deaf, and farming a nearby 40 acres.  Having seen the vista from the farm land moving into Berwick must have appeared to him like moving into a big city.  Edrom still has a mere handful of houses, most of whom were created after his forefathers moved on, and while Berwick has the sea beside it, once Scotland's richest city,  it appears to you and I as a very small town indeed.

  
So, while researching this I managed to ignore the dreadful performance of the West Indies cricket team.  Poor bowling, howling batting and nothing more than a desire to get out of the dismal wet Manchester and return to somewhere warm!  I do not blame them!  

Dreich Day

To obtain batteries for the little bathroom radio, cheap like me,I headed out to the market.  As it was a normal Summers July I wandered across the park, lighting my way with the light on my mobile.  This was harder than I thought.  Having sent too much time indoors, the other day I rushed about getting things.  I felt the result today.  However I stumbled through the market, obtaining bargain price batteries thrust upon me by the stall holder.  He did this last time also, I reckon these 'special' prices fell off the back of a lorry.

Old joke.
An Irishman was walking down the street carrying a pane of glass.
"Where did you get that?" enquired a police officer.
"It fell of the back off a lorry," came the reply.

Wandering home I found the remains of my cough useful.  When the pavement got crowded I merely coughed gently, but noticeably, and they way cleared swift as you like.  This will not harm them but saved me wandering back and forth to get through.  In spite of Boris people are still afraid of the virus and taking care where ever they wander.  Quite right too.  I keep a black mask in my pocket now just in case I wish to impersonate a bank robber and enter a shop.  It's only fair.

I have become fascinated by this crane.  There is something about the long straight line streaking up into the sky against the light that attracts me.  Naturally I need a proper camera, the old fashioned glass plate cameras would do this well, to get a better picture.  
I am just fascinated by this, sometimes it actually works, of course as the workers are behind wooden walls eight feet high we cannot see what they are doing.  Another 'white elephant' brought to us by a council determined to fill this space, even though no-one else wants a hotel here, there are three empty hotels already thank you.

Friday Workout

My new exercise machine has arrived!
Whereas the aged cheap imitation Hoover was noisy and simple to use my new one, which arrived via Royal Mail this morning, is very quiet, sucks powerfully and a quick hoover left me feeling like I had been through a workout!  It appears that to get fit I must hoover daily, I may wear the aged carpet out soon.  This reminded me of the time we bought my mother a new hoover some years ago.  Her old one was second hand and she had been using it for some time.  The new one, straight forward normal vacuum looked good.  She tried it in the lobby at first and we saw her shoot down the length of the lobby and crash against the main door!  It was more powerful than she expected!  That lasted a few years, I hope my expensive one last 20 years, though I doubt I will care much about such things by then. 

John came and grouted the tiles this morning.  I await his return, he has got two other jobs to do at the same time, and he will finish the seal around the kitchen and then all will be complete.  A leak or two and all this work resulted.  There again, had we not done it now it would have required doing sometime soon anyway.  

How lovely to see the West Indies Cricket Team doing well, at least when they are playing England. 
52 - 2 at lunch, good start but really more is required here.  It is only England, surely you can win this one?
Now it is lunchtime and the words flow.  When cricket stops the words begin.  These guys can talk for hours about a man's hand position.  Hos feet movement can fill many a rainy day, and the statistics re his recent games also give hours and hours of words, do they mean anything, really?

 
Boris does it well!
He 'visited' Scotland yesterday.  Note, 'visited,' as if it was a foreign country and not part of the UK! He at no time went close to Nicola Sturgeon the First Minister, he spoke to no politicians, he avoided the press, bar the lackeys.  Spouting nonsense he then toured the empty far reaches of Orkney.  Here, the small dwelling of 'Twatt' welcomed him.  They welcomed him with signs reading 'ONE TWATS ENOUGH!' He avoided them, stopped at an empty area for a press brief and ran away home again.  The Scotch Whisky people wished him to offer the help promised last time he spoke, none came, others, such as 'Baxters' the Soup people welcomed him, well known 'Tomb Tabards' they.  In short, his mission to encourage the Scots into the UK has led to many joining the SNP, support for independence growing, and another failure to add to his long list.
Stay in Britain Boris, Scotland does not want you.

Quiet Wednesday

I sit here almost content.
The place is remarkably quiet.  No workmen muttering from beneath the bunkers. No leaks to worry, no neighbours babies crying.  All is quiet contentment.  Food, such as it was, has been dealt with, dishes washed, all neat and sparkling, bar the washing machine that has been missed again.  The washing machine that works, and that without leaking anywhere!  How wonderful for all things to be in order, for the most part anyway.  Normality returns, joy, peace and blessings all around.
The quiet results from two weeks of hassle and mayhem.  Even work that still has to be done, grouting the tiles, will be little disruption.  All is peace and almost goodwill.
So, what is about to go wrong I ask...?

Ah yes, going wrong brings us to Boris.  Challenged on the Russian report he attacks 'Islingtonian Remainers,' for reasons that are unclear.  Possibly he has forgotten his trip to Moscow unattended by security, the £2 million donated recently by 4 oligarchs, the dozens of Russians given British nationality so they could donate to the Tory party Putins money, let alone the actual report that claims Cameron, May and he are at it with Russian backhanders.
All governments are corrupt, this one has gone beyond the most outlandish African tin pot dictator and will continue to act this way until someone stops them. 
  

One result of the work was the need for a decent hoover.  Today, via John Lewis no less, I ordered this one.  Hopefully, spending more will ensure a better result and a result that will last some years.
I remember my aunt having a hoover that caused us to wonder.  She bought it before the war (she worked in 'Jenners' no less and got it cheap) and was using it well into the 60s.  I expect it was never renewed and was there when she died.  I am now wondering where it went, had our side of the family cleared the house one of us would be using it still.
One day soon my floor will be cleared of dust...

Tuesday Twaddle

Another joy filled day as the washing machine pipe was fixed.  Poor Kevin spent considerable time under the bunker fiddling with it but appears to have successfully healed the problem.  A trial run satisfied him, and he knows washing machines, so hopefully when I use it again it will be successful. 
To complete our joy John spent the rest of the time attaching tiles to the kitchen wall.  This too was successful and on Friday, probably, the grout will be filling in the gaps and then I can paint over the scratches on the wall, hoover, again, over the dust they create and live happily ever after.
Another good job finished, another satisfied customer, sort off, and another landlord looking at the costs and muttering things.  With next door now empty I expect the rent there will rise to £600 a month!  This means a rich, short term occupant, or a couple, of dubious background, to welcome into our midst.  Lock down, job losses and high rents, what joy to be flat searching at this time.

Naturally nothing else has been done.  Tomorrow I once again rebuild the house, look to the 'to do' list, and hope nothing else goes wrong.
I note the 'Russian Report' has arrived and the press concentrate on one paragraph, the one in which Putin seeks Scots independence.  They ignore the Conservatives avoiding examining Russian involvement because Putin's men are giving them millions in handouts.  Cameron, May, Johnson, a long line of corruption at the highest level, and treasonable probably.  All the while Dominic is running around killing the armed forces.  Why do the media not make more inquiries abut these things I ask...?

Musings

For some reason it came to mind, late last night, something a copper had mentioned regarding young thugs.  In his patch he had set up an investigation, including all the social services, probation officers and likely groups involved etc, and looked into the backgrounds of local bad boys.
It was no surprise to discover that all violent young me came from domestic situations that were violent.  None came from a stable family background. 
Not long ago a similar statement was issued by another retired police officer.  This women claimed the lack of a father in the house led to youths with no control.  She was not listened to as this did not meet with the world view at the time.
Both are right.
Criminals have almost always come from a criminal background.  The parents outlook leads down to the child's outlook.  No father and no control.  This does not mean mothers do not control but it indicates the father figure is a must for every child, male and female.  Domestic upheaval affects children, divorce, violence and weak parents who cannot control themselves lead to trouble for the child in the future.
Now consider how we have spent 40 yeas encouraging divorce, single mothers, feckless fathers, often hiding behind 'ethnicity,' gay sex, and now the 'trans' lobby.  A world in which the real normality is replaced by fantasy will not lead to a stable society.
The stability of any society depends on families.  One man, one woman, committed for life.  We all know how hard this can be, we all know the problems, and we all know the excuses people make to either not marry, and keep moving on, or take easy divorce, and, usually, blame him!  We also are aware how many successful individuals come from broken families, look at us!  However until society secures marriage, proper marriage, we can only expect further breakdown.  Under the 'liberal,' that is 'self-seeking' political leadership we endure today, Boris Johnson is not an example of stability at any level, we cannot expect life to improve any time soon.

Having done the daily needs I find myself watching cricket!  The West Indians are not very good are they?  Looks to me like this one has gone and the poor bowling and batting has seen England, with their great New Zealander, heading for a win.  
But how can people spend all day playing this game...?  Could they not find a hobby or something?

Parkside

A week late, being five hours behind in the USA today's service begins after 2:30 pm here.  So I make use of last weeks.  Still good.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Call it all joy! Oh yeah!

Three days of hard manual work, lots of banging and crashing, much cursing, and we have a new kitchen with gleaming sink and fancy new hob.  How lovely!  Last night I hastened to Sainsburys for feed to use on it, met the same young checkout girl once again, she now thinks I'm after her, what is it about girls?  Returning to realise I had forgotten the main items!
However, life is good, the kitchen complete, the work finished. 
Waking from a dream in which crowds of attractive young women were sending their boyfriends to get me, I struggled though into my gleaming new world.  All was well, the light was bright, the day ahead was planned as a 'Chicken Soup' day, once I had gone back to get the bits I forgot, and then nothing but joy all day.
I put the washing on, secure in the new settings the boys had made and stuffed my fat face putting back the 5 pounds weight loss the bug had given me this week.
 What could possibly go wrong?

As I ate the water left the washing machine, down the waste pipe and trickled cheerily across the kitchen floor!
A mad, unfit, panic ensued, water stopped by placing bucket under leak at foot of waste pipe, cloths used to wipe floor, ensuring the floor is cleaner than it has been for years, and struggle to work out problem.  Machine off, sink also blocked, realise this is problem, make use of 'Tesco, 'Sink and Drain unblocker,' £2, which eventually unblocks whatever was the cause.  Pump sink and use second bottle of Tesco best to ensure blockage goes.  Later, with manhandling several pails and risky control of waste tube from machine, finished washing.  I did this quite well though now I have an even cleaner floor!  I just hope none went down stairs...  
At least I know where the crack in the pipe is and the boys will return, cheerfully, next week to fix.   Another, 'Tesco Sink and Drain unblocker' £2, will be obtained, the washing will wait another week now, that is not unusual in this house...
Too knackered to seek Chicken Soup material...

So now I sit here, eating my 'Ripe and Ready to eat' Bananas from Costa Rica.  However, delicious they may be but the energy is insufficient to force me to rise unless I must!  Once again I seek a new diet, to inspire energy, to lose weight, to save cash.  Bananas and chicken soup are on order, Oats in the cupboard, other things, including rice water, are being looked onto.  I may also have a word with the undertaker woman up the road, just in case...

Have you noticed that when you log in to a newspaper they demand you accept cookies.  To fulfil the Law they offer a chance to 'reject all' but this never works!  Next time you return it asks again, same choice, same failure.  This must break a law somewhere surely?  
This is either incompetence in every paper or just strange coincidence.  I do not wish to have their cookies, or indeed anything else from them.  However, the problem is how to stop this...

Intellectual Stimulaton

I received this kind email this morning.  Apparently the Nigerian government will sent me $5 million dollars to 'compensate' me.  I'm impressed!  Normally Nigerian governments are not good at giving money to any their than their family and friends.  Jolly nice of Femi to offer.  I wonder how he knew...

Mr Femi Brown

Wed 15/07/2020 07:49

This mail is been writing to you because we have come to understand that

you have lost a lot of money all because you want to receive your fund

well note that all that have been put to a stop as the federal government of

Nigeria has promised to assist you with the sum of $5million in other to

compensate you and all you have to do is fill the below information s.

1 full name

2 home phone and cell phone number

3 occupation

4 amount that was lost by you

Send this and get back at once.

Warm regards

Femi

 

Staying with reality, I usually head for the front page of the daily papers to see what lies is being shared between them all.  The only aper to ever go its own way is the 'Daily Star.'  This paper is not aimed at the chattering classes, the 'Star' aims for those who find the 'Sun' has too many big words.  Recently I note how many times they place a 'funny' in amongst the headline, often worth a look, even if it does not change the world. 
Today the front page is exceptional!  The paper has gone full 'Daily Sport!' 
I doubt whether there has been serious journalism involved in this story, possibly the 'workies' have been employed on this one, however it makes a change from the lies in all the other right wing gangs offering.

It's all Joy Here...

Over the weekend I picked up one of those stomach bugs making it impossible to eat.  Add to this muscle stiffness in my back, and elsewhere, made it impossible to sleep.  I could not lie down and so for two night have sat up in the couch occasionally dozing.  This morning I managed to eat a tasteless bite and sleep for a short while before the workmen arrived.
All was set, they were late, soon to be standing around asking "Where does that go?" "What is it?"
"I can't see..." and "Now what...?"  I slumped in the chair, more alive than I have been for a couple of days, but not really caring.
The banging commenced, things were removed, questions asked and now they wonder how to deal with all the pipes, especially the one from the boiler that the plumber put in. 
These three days might become three weeks...

I retired to the West Wing where I found a US MLS game.  This appeared to begin at 9am in Florida heat!  How different from those days of standing in the hail at Love Street, Paisley, where we lost 3-0, or a dark Dundee night at Tannidice where we lost there also.  Actually the game was not great and after my night I slept through most of it.  Naturally this allowed the men to get on with the work without any help from myself.  This did not hinder them.
While I mused as to tomorrows endeavours I glanced at the news I had missed.  Still we must wear masks, unless we are Michael Gove, still English death totals are regarded as 'UK' totals, and still MPs on committee meetings by internet have to tell the cat to "Get your tail out the way."  This never happened when Disraeli was around!
Murders, celebs, cannabis farms, the usual empty news fills the pages.  I always glance at the front page of all papers, the screaming large headlines never offer news, it sometimes makes me wonder if we have a 'free press' when no 'news' is offered bar 'Bread and Circus!'   Oh yes, Boris has dumped 'Huawei' from the 5g network, well by 2027 that is.  The Chinese are annoyed.  They of course knew this was going to happen, the were listening in on all the discussions.

Mars!

That may be a dirty blob to you, however, to those in the know that blob is my first picture of the planet Mars!  Being unable to sleep, aching from preparing the place for the workmen, my aching muscles forced me up just after one am.  In spite of a slight cloud cover it was possible to see many stars glinting above.  I was looking for the latest comet that is supposedly passing by but failed to observe it, however, it is quite wonderful to be able, even through a dirty window, to see so many stars.
While in my teens I was often able to see stars.  Having a cat meant that at unearthly hours one of us would be forced up, downstairs, through the back door, and while the cat stared suspiciously into the void I could look up into the very dark sky, well hidden from street lights, and observe Orion among others.  Always good, even if frostbite was waiting.  The cat would suddenly move, I would close back stair door, open the front door for the cat to enter halfway and glare back at his patch.  We would then return to bed, he satisfied his land was secure from threats no-one but him could see, we happy just to be warm again.
On one occasion on the north coast of Kent a crowd of us stood and stared at the Milky Way.  Vast numbers of stars, clear as can be ranged overhead.  Wonderful sight.
Last night I managed to capture Mars, not easy while holding the camera half way out the window, but another achievement to equal a similarly poor image of Venus obtained a while ago.  If I could understand half of what they say on these star maps I might find others.  Why are they so often confusing?     

OSIRIS

A wee bit better than mine.

I'm Saying Nothing but...

Haircut and Football

At last I had a haircut!
I was about to get one when Lock Down began so it brought back memories of losing the Hippy hair many years again when the Barber chopped all those lumps of grey hair from my head. Waking up with hair not indeed unlike a bad tempered used mop was becoming a bit wearing.  Now I no longer feel my hair growing into my shirt and can happily move my head almost all the way round now.  Not quite Owl like mind.
It was a while before I could find a free Barber.  All the shops I passed had people waiting or several being dealt with as I looked in.  The sight of Barbers wearing those face masks, those with glasses loose out as they steam up so wearing them appears difficult.  I was interested to hear the Barber had not been paid for 4 months.  I thought there was some money made available for businesses, though I suspect these guys work independently so miss out any cash, the boss may do well mind.
He was efficient and friendly enough, the result OK, not that I am one to fuss, and at least the hair is cut.  I need to go again, just before the next Lock Down begins in 6 months time!

Back home I have invested in NOW TV for Sky Sports once again.  I have done this a bit early, Scots football does not arrive for a few weeks yet, but already I have watched several not very good football games.  I also watched the English tedium called Cricket!  This was a bit tedium as not much happened when I watched and the 14 year old director spent far too much time making use of a moving drone and short 5 second pictures of individual players interspersed with each ball or repeats, and several of them, of incidents that for the most part need not be replayed.  Rather typical TV these days.  Then it got dark they went home, and I went back to football.