Hobbling Saturday

 

I shuffled the long way round to Tesco's this morning.  The fancy monthly market was well into its setting up period and once again I wondered, not at the goods on display, but at the time taken to set up, and later dismantle such stalls.  What is the point?  Hours of slog setting up, not much money taken, though enough to make them return again, and then the hard work dismantling and trundling back home. 

The fish man and the locksmith do it properly, they come in a van, open the side, and await your cash, that's the way to do it I say.

On the way, I had to make a detour, passing behind the man in the Salvation Army uniform carrying a collecting can.  He usually stands on the other side and was blocking my way.  Thinking quickly, I evaded him by pretending to study the butchers window. Then it was totter down to Tesco, wander around collecting a few bits, pay at the cash desk where a friendly woman was operating the till, and make for home.  However, I found myself once again meeting the 'Sally Anne' so there was nothing for it but to go into the butchers, obtain sausages, and make for home.

 

 

The rest of Saturday has been spent concentrating on football.  This was successful, the Heart of Midlothian defeating Falkirk by 3 goals to nil, and the nearest challenger, Celtic, stumbling to a 0-0 draw with the 'wee team' Hibernian.  This leaves us once again in our rightful position, top!

A good way to end a Saturday.

 

The 'Locomotion' & the 'Rocket'

 

As you know, it was 200 years ago that the first real railway service came into being.  The line from Stockton to Darlington was created to shift coal from the pit to the docks.  It was a success, such a success that people jumped upon the coal wagons for a free trip to the terminus.  Soon however, they were being charged money for the privilege.  

The engine, seen here in a 1925 celebration run, was the 'Locomotion.'  This engine was in use until 1850, not counting the time the boiler exploded in 1828, killing the driver, one John Cree.  Of course, within 10 years this engine was obsolete, and while George Stephenson had designed the 'Locomotion,' his son Robert, produced the 'Rocket,' which in 1830 opened the first real passenger service between Manchester and Liverpool.  That line is still in operation today for the most part, you can see on 'Cab Ride' video just how straight the line is.  Little to interfere with the line at that time, bar a Moss or two.  

Much of the Stockton to Darlington line is still in use, though as you would guess both lines are much improved from their beginnings.  Engine drivers from the past would still recognise some of the line, though the surroundings would be very different indeed.

I mention this as I read today that the replica 'Locomotion,' built as near as possible to the original, will be used sometime soon on a run along the Darlington to Stockton line.  This will ensure problems for the authorities involved, not least the safety aspect.  The train will manage to make it along the chosen course however, the rail followers who rush to observe the run of this train will no doubt trample across the lines, interfere with the daily run of local services, and probably end up under a train at some point.  This indeed happened in 1930 when William Huskisson got down off the train to speak to the Duke of Wellington and got himself run over by the 'Rocket' on the other track.  The train had stopped for water, and it was normal stage coach experience for passengers to wander about until the stage coach was ready.  Unfortunately, the speed of the approaching train was something they were all unaccustomed to.  William's leg was broken and he died on the way to the hospital.  It is to be feared that 'enthusiasts' will endanger themselves also in an attempt to see and photograph this event.

I will not be there, just saying.

The 'Locomotion' was used as a stationary engine for a while, then, because of it's importance it was preserved for the nation.  I can remember it standing in Doncaster station for some years, and after some travels it now resides at the Locomotion Museum in Shildon.

Trump's Reichstag?

On February 27th 1933 Van der Lubbe set fire to the Reichstag Parliament building in Germany.  This action, coming only four weeks after Adolf Hitler had  been sworn in as chancellor, opened the door for Hitler to take sweeping action to stabilise his position.

Van der Lubbe was born in the Netherlands, his parents divorced, his mother died when he was an adolescent and he moved in with his half sister.  A few years later the teenager being naturally very strong found work on a building site.  While there he became interested in the Labour movement and became involved in Communism.  An accident with lime almost blinded him and he found work difficult, though his interest in communism did not ease.  He worked among the unemployed to support the movement. 

For reasons unclear Van der Lubbe, who had been involved in other minor arson attacks, found himself in the Reichstag late one night setting it ablaze.  The blaze spread quickly and totally destroyed the building.  The police soon found the culprit who had not escaped and took him to court.

Adolf Hitler was delighted.

With Lubbe's admission of being communist Hitler arrested the leading Communists at the time, and thousands of others, real and imaginary possibly, were also taken in by the police.  Thus at the next elections soon to follow a vast number were unable to vote or put forward their case.  In this manner the Nazi stronghold was created and after announcing an emergency order, civil liberties were removed.  Hitler had complete power as dictator from this moment on.

Van der Lubbe was tried, found guilty, and executed.  

Whether he was working alone, whether others were behind him, or indeed whether Hitler himself had found a way to put the arsonist up to this cannot be proved today.  However, this action led to Adolf Hitler's complete control of Germany.

Many are asking, is the death of Charlie Kirk Trump's Reichstag moment?

His dementia led statements are often senseless, but he is asking his justice secretary to arrest people who speak against him.  The democratic niceties of the USA are now being pushed aside for a mentally ill, spoilt brat, seeking vengeance on any who speak the truth.  The Reichstag fire destroyed Germany, will Kirk's death lead to the destruction of the USA as we know it?

Tents

The park has quite a few who sleep in tents each night, this has been going on for a while, and yesterday I noticed this large tent, with at least two sharing, in a corner.  With the council offices across the road from them it is clear they are known and not removed, and once again I asked myself as to how do we handle such situations?  I know not who they are, from what I have seen in the past they are a mixed bunch, and arise from a variety of reasons.  

There are several groups, mostly Christian, who offer help here, the Salvation Army is big on care here, but nationally we find many on the streets who ought not to be homeless.

On one hand many with jobs and oncome cannot find a house, the removal by Thatcher of council houses by selling cheaply to anyone began the rout.  We need an immediate creation of a million council houses, but this government will not produce them.  Housebuilders have a say here as they  bride donate to MPs.  Rents are high and many who rent cannot then afford a mortgage, indeed, some paying high rents find they are refused cheaper mortgages by banks and lenders!

Many I have met living in parks have mental problems.  Quite a few live in the centre of London by jumping over the fence and sleeping under hedges.  Some cannot come inside, often soldiers with PTSD, mentally ill, drug confused people, usually men, and those with a variety of emotional problems.

There are no easy answers, just as there is little governments are willing to do while 'donations' are coming their way.

More Flags

Heading to Tesco I noticed the kiddies had been out and about with their flags.  Here are two union (Butcher's Apron's) and one English (Genoa) flag tied up, half mast, on poles.  It is noticeable that few are high up, it must be the little people responsible for this nonsense.

The fever that has induced people to paint roundabouts, houses, noticeboards, and even it is said, the White horse at Westbury with the red cross of St George.  The red cross on a white background, now regarded as an English flag, was donated to England by the people of Genoa way back when, after the English ships had protected their ships.  English men in fake armour, pretending to be crusading knights, decorate themselves with a flag that did not represent them during the crusades.  I doubt any of these men either studied or understand their own history even now.  

While attempting in this manner to support 'their side,' all they do is make the place look a mess, and lessen the house prices all around.  And where do all these flags come from?  Someone connected to 'the usual suspects,' who's name I forget, is responsible for pushing these  and the 'Unite the Kingdom' nonsense.  Of course 'Tommy' is involved, and 'of course,' he is not around while it is happening.  Even at his last parade he appeared at the front and then scarpered as always.  Some patriot Yaxley-Lennon.  Isn't that an Irish name...?

Pill Box for Sale.

You will recall some time back I wandered about Chelmsford.  Returning homewards, I took the opportunity to visit this Pills Box erected during the Second World War.   Thousands of these were erected in various places in fear of German invasion.  Most of them it appears were positioned in the wrong place, they required to be built on the coast, the idea being to halt an enemy landing rather than deal with one that had occurred.  In the course of time no invasion came, indeed it was never planned.  In fact, when the allies, led by General Montgomery, did invade Normandy the vast coastal defences did not hinder the allied landing.  Considering the vast amount of concrete utilised by the German defenders in comparison to these wee 'pill boxes' situated by streams, railways and major roads, it indicates how difficult it would have been for the poorly armed defenders to halt a well trained attack.

This 'pill box,' is situated on the lower slope of the field.  Before harvest time it would be nearly hidden by crops and a difficult object to oppose, especially when covered by the second one, seen in the distance, and even lower down and therefore hidden from the road.  The lower 'pill box,' covers the river and the far bank.  I doubt a boat would be sailing up this river in 1940 but it could be used by troops to make their way forward.  

The purpose of all this does not concern the war, nor defensive strategy, it concerns money!  

You see the owner has put this up for sale, the idea is for someone to turn this WW2 'pill box,' into a house!  Not the one in this picture, the first one, though this one by the river might be a better one to convert into a home.  The details are all on Right Move everybody's favourite way of inspecting their neighbour's home when they put it up for sale.

The claim this comes under 'Castle,' and the blurb says "Second World War bunker. Available for residential conversion under 81 E of the National Planning Policy Framework."  'Bunker,' is I suppose a correct word, though I only hear them called 'Pill Boxes,' because that is what they look like.  This one, like all the others, were never put to the test, except for 'Dad's Army' exercises I suppose.  Since 1945 they have lain untouched in many places, remarkable how often they appear in people's back gardens, farms, factories, and the like.  Many have of course been removed, however, solid concrete is not that easy to pull apart.  Many like them remaining as a curio in a house, often with a covered hole which once was an 'Anderson' type air raid shelter.  

For a mere £80,000 a builder could redevelop this, plans are included, however, I feel they are not what I would create on this spot, or on the lower box either.  I can dream about this, even if I only have 47 pence to my name and cannot possibly buy this WW2 memento. 

Arbroath 0-5 Dunfermline Athletic and Danny Kruger

 

 

So many football matches these days are spoiled by the never ending drivel spouted by the needless commentators.  A constant flow of words, few of which are relevant to the game in front of them, block the screen as the fans attempt to watch the game.

Add to this the constant desire of the director to ensure the camera is fixed on a man who does not have the ball, had it five minutes ago and does not have it now.  All the while, the commentator tells us needless information about the man's football history.  Either that, or the camera is on a celebrity in the stand while the game is happening 50 yards away.  

However, today I found a club that does football TV properly, Pars TV! 

Dunfermline Athletic has always been a club I was fond off, mainly because of an aunt who lived there and a cousin who once was their physio.  I always see it as a club that ought to be amongst the big boys.  I first went there in 1964, just after the bridge opened, and a good healthy crowd followed from Tynecastle that day.  Many times we have played there in enthralling games.

Pars TV, one of the many TV organisations set up by clubs these days to cover their own games, little chance of large TV donations from the main TV companies, that's for sure.  I first used them a few years ago, now they have established an excellent offering for followers of their team.

Here we see them having a lucky 0-5 win over Arbroath, no commentator spoils the game with biased, meaningless drivel, words do not endlessly flow, instead we are given the impression we are at the game itself, it is wonderful!  We hear the cries of fans, always interesting, the home and away support, and the players and referees as they, er, debate decisions.   Watching this was like being at the game, so unlike most TV coverage today.  Of course, I did not experience the fresh wind off the North Sea right behind the camera, and of that I am glad, I have been there before!

I'm probably breaking copyright to post this, but it is worth it as this coverage so realistic is to be encouraged.  Well done Pars TV.  

 

Who is this, you might well ask?  This is Danny Kruger who you and I have never heard off.  Danny, a Christian, he says, was until today a staunch member of the Conservative Party.  Now, however, he says it is dying and will not recover, so he has hopped onto the Reform UK bandwagon to save his £91,000 and more a year.

While few of us know him, he has been going the rounds within the party, writing speeches for David Cameron, then Prime Minister, Ian Duncan Smith, the mental Tory, and along with his wife, creating a charity called 'Only Connect, a youth crime preventing charity.  He has had various jobs in the DWP and does appear to have an attitude that rings true.  He supports marriage, opposes the individual worshipping society, as he sees it, and refers to himself as 'communitarian.' 

A brief read leaves the impression he may not be as bad as some Eton educated MPs, (his parents are South African, his mother Pru Leith) he also read History at Edinburgh and Oxford, so he cannot be all bad.  Yet in spite of his intelligence, his knowledge, his experience of life, he has fallen for the lie that is Reform UK!  How?

Reform are led by a liar, Reform have no policies, unless he has been brought in to provide some, Reform cannot be trusted on anything, and Farage is a liar, so how can a man like Kruger mix with him? 

I wonder what Badenoch makes of it all? 

 

St. Paul's Sunday sermon -Paul Killingback

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.