Good Tuesday

A day of joy and happiness once again.  Rising early to enjoy the sunshine, well after a healthy  breakfast of 'Tesco Malted Wheats,' I'm sure the nurse would approve, I planned my day. 

A wash, shave, a time tissue papering the many cuts, I must change that blade this week, then out for a haircut.  Another £9:50 well spent, and I am now aware of the barbers, or is she a hairdressers back problems.  Enjoyable time.  A nice morning to walk across the park, in spite of the wind and a gentleman who appears to indulge in what we call 'Learning Difficulties,' yelling at his partner/friend/ wife/ daughter/ unsure, as he came down the road and took her into the bushes at the park.  The yelling continued for some time.  These bushes, opposite the unwelcome skatepark, have been responsible for many a teenage pregnancy over the past few years.  

This did not disturb my happy day, indeed the bright yellow of the Daffodils cheers me when I passed as indeed it does for many others.  Several have been getting the camera/phone out to picture the daffs or placing the family among them.  Rude people though have been stealing them for home consumption.  

Anyway a lunch of Tesco 'Cranberry, Raisin and Cashew Bread,' with leftover ham, was good enough to allow me to waste time for a while.  It also, after coffee, encouraged me to develop the ache in my back by cleaning the fridge.  I am not sure when I last cleaned it, was it before Lockdown?  Anyway, it is done now and even if not exactly sparkling it is almost acceptable.  I cleaned the top shelf of the oven yesterday, which encouraged my back to join my knees in declaring enough was enough, but a second shelf may get done tomorrow, maybe.

This evening, joy and joy, Dunfermline are on TV playing Partick Thistle, a must watch. 

Indeed it was, a 4-1 win for the Pars takes them off the bottom of the table and makes them feel like a football team again.  They might even stay up now.

 

 

Twitter remained its depressing self today.This corrupt government continues to lie about Ukrainian refugees and everything else.  Today they passed a law which means any Ukrainian refugee without papers can be jailed for 4 years!  To call them heartless racists is quite mild.  

The Tory bots have been attacking the Ratcliffe woman, just released from Iran, for not being grateful for what Boris has done for her.  Boris caused her to be interred for 6 years and failed to get her out, why should she be thankful?  The Tory propaganda machine is hard at work, I have been attacked a couple of times on Twitter through this.  I notice tonight it is still continuing.  

The heartless money greedy Tory, determined to encourage xenophobia and racism, glad Brexit occurred whatever the cost, to others that is, is willing to make all peoples suffer for their ideology.

I remain convinced this is a judgement.

 

 

Boring, Cold, Saturday

Pah!  So much for weathermen!  No snow of any kind, not even sleet, though it is planned for late afternoon, aye right!  

Instead a strong northwesterly has been blowing icy wind through the cracks in the window frames and forcing me to make use of the old man's heating allowance already.  If the wind came from the west I could survive better, but no, it cometh blasting from the Arctic and is happy to do so.

I forgot to eat properly last night, maybe that is why I felt so bad this morning.  The head was not woken up until I ate dinner, such as it was.  Funny how eating is good for you.  Thus I have just sat here awaiting tonights football.  I wondered if the Flu Jab yesterday was having an effect, the tender area there is quite large for such a Jab, more 'tender' than normal, but I think it was just lack of eating.  

 

The storm has been the only story in some papers, I note the Tory rags have ignored Conservative Dougie Ross's claiming for expenses while forgetting to enter his £30,000 linesman takings in the Holyrood register.  I suppose to the Tories that is not a problem, more a way of life to them.  The 'Glasgow Herald' however does splash an ex-SNP member as being questioned by police, no charges so far.  Dougie appears ignored.  The rest cast fear about the latest version of the virus, especially as it may 'Halt Christmas!'  though Christmas will go ahead whatever.   The usual Saturday scare stories and little actual news, the Conservative Party will not allow this.

 

 

Hard Work and Tory Sleaze

 

The sun shone this morning, I did not see it, my was head down on the floor fixing the loo into something of a serviceable workplace.  Now it gleams, sort off, smells of disinfectant, and can be used buy non choosy members of the public.  I also dumped the rubbish, then the recycling, exercised and by the time I sat down to watch the cricket I was knackered.  The cricket of course had started early, not at 3 pm as I expected, and I only saw Scotland's vain but glorious effort to catch the enemies total.  They can come home with heads held high and with much hope for the next tournament. 

The work took a while today, what took ten minutes in the past took ages today, however, I needed to work, the execise was good for me, the job is done, nothing else went wrong, and a sense of achievement warmed me.  Nothing else bar the blanket around me was warm today.  In fact I even put the heating on at one point the temperature had fallen so low.  Rain clouds warmed the air later to a pitch of 'just freezing.'

 

Owen Paterson

 

Owen Paterson MP was caught by the Parliamentary Standards Commission fiddling things.  He took money, twice his salary it appears, to lobby on behalf of certain companies.  This breaks the rules!  The Commission banned him from the House for 30 days, very lenient in the circumstances, and today Boris led a rebellion against this finding.  A vote for an amendment opposing the ban was annpunced, the Tories put a 3 line whip on this, meaning all Tory MPs must support the vote as told, and in the end the vote was won by 250 votes to 232.  The 'Ayes' had it.  

There is more to this than meets the eye.  For a start 6 Tory MPs who supported the motion have been disciplined in the past, many others may be earning cash for similar law breaking, and if Paterson was banned he could suffer what is called a 'Recall.'  This may lead to a By-election in his seat that he could lose.  Indeed, under the Recall he might have to walk away.   So many actions of this government are corrupt Boris fears such Commissions will render his will unlawful.  Therefore he has a bright idea, he will amend the Commission and insert his pown peoiple into it.  The problem there is both the Labour Party and the SNP, meaning most of the opposition, will not join this Commission, and a Tory only Commission has no meaning.  Maybe Boris wanted this?  Certainly he has much to hide so he will not allow questioning of his illegal tactics and dubious behaviour.

The country is run by corruption and so many do not perceive this or do not care.

 

Lying Conference

 

The Tory lying conference is well under way.  I am avoiding watching this as I can only take so many lies at a time.  There is little expectation that Boris and his cabal will offer anything but lies, half truths, and deception once again.  

 

Nothing has changed except the Tories are working harder at lying.  Indeed bare-faced lies are the thing today.  They all do it, no-one appears able to stop them, and they know now nobody can stop them.  The press is on their side, keeping the Tories in power is what matters as Labour might stand up to the press, any Tory will do, even these 'UKIP in suits Tories.'  

The problem is that many are happy to accept them lying and vote willingly for this.  Not just in the 'Blue areas' such as this one but in the 'Red Wall,' the areas who vote Tory for racist reasons and care not that they are suffering because of this.  

The desire to consider others has long since left this nation. Those that endured poor housing, poor schools, no NHS were keen after the Great War to see improvements.  Many were offered but none came under a Tory Chancellor.  

The depression that saw many suffer and use soup kitchens led to a determination to ensure a better society was created.  After the war the Labour government of 1945 set about doing just that.  Many Tories/Liberals agreed and a consensus to improve things for all remained in the UK until Thatcher the milk snatcher came along and worshipped money.  

Since then considering others has ended.  Those on benefits are all 'living of the state,' or 'my taxes,' and the sick have 'nothing wrong with them.'  That attitude fills the right-wing press, owned by Billionaires, and read by those desparate to believe the lie.  

 

Boris has made a career out of lying, it is in his blood, and now he happily divides the nation just to ensure he keeps his job.  'Divide and rule' has always been the way, the Tories today excel in this lie.  They encourage hate against asylum seekers, unemployed, sick, and the hungry.  They tax the poorest to prevent the rich suffering, they encourage race hate and walk away with none able to stand up to them.   Yet, if Boris goes for a 'snap election' he could be here for another ten years.

Wednesday Wittering

 

 

Just on Nine I slogged my weary way to Sainsburys this morning in 67%F of heat (that's about 19C to foreigners).  Three days in a row the sun has shone, this, as you will realise, is a clear indication of a storm to follow.

At the supermarket I took a basket as always and perused the shop for the few items I needed.  The picture above claims to be representative of the most popular trolley in supermarkets.  I always take a basket, partly because these days I can only carry so much but also because it makes progress around the store much easier and quicker.  To pass aged men with no idea what they are doing, bar obeying orders of 'she who must be obeyed,' and women with trolleys packed with expensive shopping most of which they could easily avoid, you require a basket.  For many years this has speeded up the shopping trip.  Certainly it can get heavy, but a well organised basket can carry a fair amount, at least that is what the cost at the checkout indicates to me!  £20:18 for that lot?  There again this is cheaper today because of the diet, without the cakes, beer and other fattening items omitted once again I am saving money.

Once again I noted the indifference to the checkout operators from those pedalling vaccines.  There ought to have been an urgent requirement for such as these to be vaccinated first.  These people meet the public daily, as indeed do postmen, bus drivers (several of whom died from the virus) and dustbin collectors alongside other council workers.  We realise NHS workers and care staff ought to have been offered the 'jab' first, but how many received it?  In Scotland they did do the care homes first, one good thing from Nicola, but how many missed out?  It is 'unfortunate' that these other front line workers, who face us daily, are considered so unimportant.

 

We can ask here how many missed out taking the 'Jab' because they believed the anti-vax nonsense spouted by many who fell for conspiracy movements?  Why do people think a virus would contain a bug that transmits your details to Bill Gates?  He already has all your details through Microsoft, as indeed has Google, Facebook, and all sorts of other organisations, let alone those 'official' government departments that can look you up if required.  Why believe the Bill Gates lie?  Do you really think he needs to know about your boring life?  

This I suppose belongs to the politicians need to polarise the world to advance their personal position.  One of the oldest political motives, 'divide and rule,' this has been around since the dawn of time.   How many have died by avoiding the 'jab' because of such polarisation? 

 

One of the most obvious examples of 'Divide & Rule' is found here, with Rupert Murdoch.  He, in all his grubby papers, along with the 'Daily Mail' and 'Daily Express,' have encouraged their readers to believe the country was flooded with immigrants, all the fault of the Labour Party, and that such immigrants were given priority over housing, benefits, and opportunites, all of which were being denied to the indigenous white 'working class' population.  

This has worked.  

In similar fashion lies re the EU has led to many Labour people voting to 'Leave' because they felt hard done by.  However, the benefits regarding tax dodging for the owners of such papers was not made clear, or ign ored altogether.  Now, a collapse of the UK economy which will hit the white, and indeed immigrant, population very hard indeed has arrived, will the Brexiteer white understand why he is laid off?  Or will he blame the pandemic?

We see how successful 'Divide & Rule' has been.  The areas of northern England, once industrial heartlands, now desert like places, has seen the Labour voting population not just die off but change their voting habits and support the new incoming Conservative member, why?  Do they agree with Tory policies?  Do they know what those policies are?  This is highly unlikely, however, they have heard that the Tories will 'Control immigration,' and protect the local natives from a Muslim takeover.  

That is all that was required.  

Lies about Muslims, frequent in the 'Yellow Press,' re immigrants, mostly black, and the EU citizens flooding in also, (no comment ever made re the 3 million UK citizens in the EU by the way) all added up to a fear campaign that benfits the Tory party but not the voter. 

The result of this lie, added to the inept situation in both the Conservative and Labour Parties has led to a feeble government since 2010.  With no opposition bar the SNP who cannot have sufficient influence in the Hosue, and the dead Labour Party, there is nothing to stop the Tories doing whatever they wish.  Add also the instability withing the party producing Boris Johnson as Prime Minister and we are left with a chaotic situation unsurpassed in UK history.  It times of strife in the past serious politicians came to the fore, today none can be found.    

I have just discovered what the amendments to the constituencies will mean if allowed to go through, a vast number of increased Tory seats, and Boris and his mob ruling for ever!

Glory?

 

 

Lies will Succeed

It appears to me, sitting here in my garret, that there are two reasons for the debacle that has occurred to the Labour Party in England.  One is the poor leadership of Keith Starmer.  Though at heart a talented Barrister and determined to make a better society than the one offered across the Despatch Box he has failed to make a mark on the gangster Boris Johnson and his cohorts.  

The other is the acumulation of anti-migrant and anti-EU propaganda spewed out by the Conservatives for the past 30 years.  Constant attacks, usually lies, in the Right-wing press on the EU and migrants, often from Boris Johnson himself, with little if any evidence to show, has led to the lower middle classes and white working classes feeling 'Left out' by Labour policies which are perceived to be in favour of incomers at the indigenous populations expense.  The result is the 'Sun,' 'Daily Express,' and 'Daily Mail' reading public convinced they are on the losing side, so they reach out to the Tories to save them.

 

The Tories have learned much from Goebbels, possibly with the help of Steve Bannon, one of the neo Nazis of today.  Point the finger over there - at the Jews in the Nazis case, and if you repeat the same lie long enough, a simple straight forward lie, people will become convinced of its truth.  It worked in the 1930's it has worked again here.  The thinking middle classes, usually University educated and full of themselves, are less likely to follow the Tory line.  Electricians, engineers, small shopkeepers and artisans, often wise and sensible people, however see some substance in the Tory message, one perpetrated via the press and the Tory run BBC, the channel the majority watch.  With no mention of Boris's corruption, no questioning of Brexit, no desire to make politicians accountable the man in the street has little knowledge of what is going on.  Many are happy with this, the effort to seek out varied opinions does not trouble them.  

The results will soon burn the voters.  Tory councils will be approached by many wishing to build houses in the voters backyards, objections will get little support.  The disabled, the hungry, the unemployed, the local NHS will soon start to show the cracks of Tory policy.  

The question then will be, can the nation recover from this?       

Wednesday Waffle

This delight was awaiting me as I came home the other day.  Only the Tories and Labour bother with our house.  Clearly they do not know the people within.  It was the phrase 'Conservative Action' that grabbed my attention.  With three years of Brexit inaction, Theresa going back and forth on her knees and the ERG knifing one another in the back there appears to be either no 'action' or too much of the wrong type of 'action' within the Conservative Party.
This area is of course very much a Tory stronghold and always has been, the 'Daily Express' sells well to people in big houses who ought to know better as well as to the 'Working Class Tory' who clearly doesn't!  UKIP made a big mark a few years ago and the people returned to the Tory vote only after an anti-EU showing, many here are not upset with them and with the MP seeking his fortune by keeping in (successfully) with the big names and ignoring his constituents his large majority will soon take a beating.  The upset voter may not bother to vote in this local election, too few do anyway, and with feelings high there is a possibility changes might occur.  
This however may fail as it is impossible to discover any information regarding the few who have put their names down as candidates.  These Tories and the usual losing Labour types apart we know nothing about the independents, it appears 'social media' is beyond them, the 'Green' candidate I have discovered works in some form of environmental work but otherwise nothing, even their very poor website did not mention him!  I say we must vote however with such a choice and such small minded voters it appears the 'democratic' election is going to be a farce.  
Funny how those who don't vote do complain mind.

I was sitting here idly watching some rubbish on the laptop when I realised I had one of these flea things chomping away at my hand.  Where did he come from?  No pets in here, I have not ventured out, so where did this brown beastie come from?  Indeed where did he go?  I flicked him away and ought to have killed him but I am now wondering where he is hiding, I may meet him again, he will not find fodder anywhere else in here.  How exciting, I have never been bitten by fleas before and now I have the chance to obtain Bubonic Plague, how historically interesting!  But stupid!

 

The Future is, er.....

ITV NEWS

As I scribble this the House of Commons, the tea rooms, library and individual office spaces are filled with backbiting Tory MPs promising each and every candidate for tonight's 'No Confidence' vote that they are on their side!  Loud assurances to the media confirm MPs position either for or against the present PM.  Of course this reminds me of the last time Kenneth Clark stood for the leadership, after the vote (the numbers may be slightly out here) over a hundred Tory MPs shook his hand and said "I voted for you Ken."  He received around 87 votes!  Never trust an MP at such a time.  Tonight the votes will be cast either for or against Theresa May, this would lead to a leadership election in which several totally unsuitable candidates will be put forward, none of whom will put the country before their own personal ambition.  It might of course, if May loses, lead to a general election, possibly a hindering of Brexit and maybe even the desired second referendum, this time without foreign money.  By the time you read this the result will be known and the UKs future will remain as clear as mud!
Glory!

  
Having waddled down to the church for the morning advent prayer time it was lunch when I got back.  This meant I had no time to do anything else except fiddle about with chocs I bought for the kids and sort them out, the chocs not the kids.  A few tokens for Christmas just in case they don't get enough!  
The Dove squatting upon the aerial has little info regarding Theresa's troubles yet he appears not too worried about this.  This is a good sign as it indicates problems that fill the media may not alter the fact that the world keeps turning whoever is in charge.  We spoke to the man who is in charge this morning and left all this fuss with him, he has seen worse.  Tomorrow in spite of it all I will visit Sainsburys early just the same, though I might stock up on medicines, corned beef and beans just in case!  

Conservative Party Policy

It's Goodbye to Her...

Mirror

 

Now here is a novelty.  A Conservative Party cabinet minister has been caught out lying and has resigned, that is something that does not happen every day.  If it was there are several others, Gove, Johnson, Fox etc who ought also to walk.  Oh hold on, this is not a surprise, this is the FOURTH cabinet minister to depart Theresa May's government!  It appears she has been taking lessons from that nice Donald Trump after all.  
In 1982 the Argentinians stupidly invaded the Falkland Islands in an attempt to turn their peoples attention away from their economic problems and ended up in a war.  Lord Carrington, then Foreign Minister, immediately resigned on the grounds that his attention had been elsewhere and he had failed.  Margaret Thatcher attempted to persuade him to stay on, as he could have done, but he felt he ought to go and he did.  This was the last time a Conservative Minister resigned with dignity, since then all others have had to be pushed and some of them were far from dignified in their going.   Of course some of the opposition members have also fallen foul but mostly it now appears the Conservative policy to never resign whatever the fault, lying, deceiving, cheating in government or at home all should be shrugged off and keep the party together no matter what.
The keeping the party together is of course the real problem.  In the 19th century Sir Robert Peel took a brave stand for the sake of the nations economy and ended the Corn Law that protected some and increased bread prices for the majority, this broke his party in two and they were out of office for thirty years after that.  In 1867 Disraeli brought in a Reform Act that gave a million men the right to vote, not that he wanted to but he worked with Conservative MPs that did not wish an election in case they lost their seat and radicals who he despised just for spite against William Gladstone and pushed through a radical reform act he did not really want.  Theresa and her colleagues are involved in similar games now, either break the nation or break the party, she has chosen the party as have they and soon they will all lead us to destruction, and then they too will be destroyed.  Amber (Who calls their daughter 'Amber?') has lost out to save Theresa, but she will be back.
What a mess.

The latests April shower has blown a gale since last night and limited my opportunities for travel.  
So I did the laundry instead...
Sitting here watching the rain lash against the window I am cogitating on those who cannot get out at any time.  Folks in hospital for months, those trapped in old folks homes, the sick and the old.  What must it be like to be trapped all day indoors let out only when a friend or family member arrives to aid you, and what if there are no such people?  How lucky I am that I can get out and about, how grateful I am not in a wheelchair or sick and in pain.  How grateful for the good life God has given such a man as I.  

I have spent some time attempting to sort my files.  This means switching from one to another via the laptop, dumping some (usually deliberately) and trying to work out what others actually are.  Scandisk could make it better by the brutes not switching themselves off constantly.  This of course could be the fault of this laptop, the cursor slides too easily, even after amending the thing, and slips past where it ought to go and sits where it ought not.  I wish I had just stuck to the laundry...

Autumn Mists

Autumn, the season of 'Mists and mellow fruitfulness' said he poet, I'm not sure about the mellow fruitfulness but last night there was plenty of mist.  This contrasted sharply with the warmth found in the middle of the day today where people walked about shirt sleeved, they must be mad!  

  
The aged bandstand in the gardens has been in attendance at almost 140 such seasons.  The trees around have cheerfully deposited their leaves for someone else to gather over a similar time.  The gardens once were the sole property of one of the Courtauld's, George I think, who had the big hoose over the road.  He also had a huge area of fields there also which now form the park l and in a spirit of generosity donated the gardens to the town.  This was received with much pomp and display.  The townspeople marched through the town in celebration and a picnic in a local field was held at the end with a bonfire and carousing no doubt at night.  People made their own fun in the late 19th century.  The gardens are now run by a trust and a Courtauld is one of the leading men attempting to keep the gardens running.

        
Apparently the Labour party have been having a conference this week, only listening to the news headlines means I miss out many tales and yet miss out nothing important.  It appears Jeremy Corbyn thinks he could win an election but there are two problems here: we are not having one and stopping Brexit is more important.  The election one is fun as this is three years away I guess and the Tories will have gone through about three Prime Ministers by then and while it is possible Jeremy might be acceptable to many by then I suspect he also may have followed them into the abyss.
If however Brexit is not stopped, and Jeremy is all for it, then in three years time Scotland will be independent, England broke taking Wales and Northern Ireland with them and the world will be a different place.  In the meantime we struggle on with the worst government we have ever had, sometimes I wish David Cameron would come back at least you knew where you were with the ignorant toff.

        
There has been much cheering in the realms of the easily led by the radical news from Saudi Arabia that from next June women will be allowed to drive cars in that country.  Cue much cheering from feminists, media women and others with little intellect.  Women being allowed to drive gets a round of applause yet not one word is asked re stopping the crucifixion of 16 year olds, the decapitation of offenders nor the chopping off of hands and other bits and the stoning for adultery, these are less important than a woman driving!
Questions must be asked why this decision has been made?  Could this reflect the new young rulers intention to 'modernise' his nation?  Could it be a lessening of the influence of the Wahhabi imams? Or could it be a distraction taking our minds of the proxy wars on Yemen and Syria?  Or is this to hide something else we are not being informed off?  We wait and see.

The Autumn sun peeked out between the large misty cloud formations time and again today indicating that more such weather awaits us.  Rain clouds form as we speak, the residue from those US hurricanes make their way east and affect our nation, typical Yankees!  Not only do their money loving Boeing attempt to kill of 4000 jobs in Northern Ireland they dump their old storms on us also.  We can hit back concerning the aero companies but sending our weather to them is not so easy.
I expect Mrs May, when not taking the knives out of her back, will call that nice Donal Trump and inform him handbag style what she thinks of it all.  He can attempt to hold her hand but I suspect this will not work again.  Not sure it worked last time right enough.  
Mrs May is still PM but there are rumours of a coup approaching.  However all rumours are just that, rumours.  Who plants them?  The Russians, The Tories, a Tory bigwig unsettling other bigwigs, the CIA or 77 Brigade?  Who knows?  So many false items on Twitter and Facebook and so little truth among the whole thing.  I am cutting down on both social media and lessening my search for information to more reliable informants, who are possible lying I must admit.  
Just imagine, a British government with a divided cabinet, backstabbing ministers and no opposition, no matter what Jeremy says, is this possible? 

Tory Grumbling While Rolling in it.

Oh what a fuss, the BBC pays its people lots of money and folks now complain, what a 'to do!'

In the days of long ago when Maggie Thatcher was king the back bench Tories shouted loudly about BBC bias and questioned whether there was a need for a licence fee, how times change?  The Tory back bench demanded programmes that reached a mass audience rather than just the quality programmes then available on the BBC.  To answer this Michael Grade was appointed and he introduced 'Eastenders' a soap opera that has done more to lower the standards of behaviour in the UK and elsewhere than anything other than Rupert Murdoch's 'Sun.'  Other such tripe were produced and quality has ever since been shoved aside in the search for ratings.
Recently BBC employees whether staff or entertainers have been criticised for huge payments, this by Tory back bench MP's earning £74,000 plus all the other jobs and 'appearences' they make and having a cabinet in which each and every one of them is a multi millionaire. (Hunt the Health Secretary now engaged n selling the NHS to private operators has masses of shares in said operators, he is also the richest member of the cabinet!)  This outcry, taking up willingly by the 'Daily Mail' (Editor Paul Dacre on £2 million a year plus) and other Tory rags.  The Beeb then lowered some of the big names salaries, including the Director General and when this failed to stop the whining decided today to reveal the names of those who earn over £15,000 a year.  It must be stated that many do not get paid PAYE but form themselves into 'companies' and thus avoid much tax (Tory style).
The outcry, much expected and mostly jealously unleashed, was drowned out by that other paper seller the 'gender imbalance.'  This is an invention middle class women have come up with to grumble about men earning more than they do.  So today the usual suspects were brought out complaining Gary Linekar get almost £2 million for a football programme and no woman is anywhere near this.  This argument ignores Claudia Winkleman, one of the worst females ever to appear on the screen gets pad £450,000 for doing almost nothing!  Some blond on the 'Now Show' another piece of emptiness from the BBC gets similar for what?  The number of empty meaningless women paid over £150,000 is staggering yet the cry is there are not enough of them?  This cry often from the women who are looking for such jobs! 
The real reason for the gender gap' (note how we never say 'sex' these days) is that the men are better at the job and  bring in the viewers, in TV and radio that is what matters.  That is also why some women have their jobs, not that they are good but that women respond to them, BBC Breakfast staff please note.
I was shocked to say the least when I saw some payments however, Stephan Nolan getting half a million?  Nothing justifies this.  Chris Evans £2,25 million?  How on earth he gets this I fail to understand, just as Jeremy Vine pulling in over £700,000 for a crap radio show and as a bad quizmaster on 'Eggheads.'  How often he does not know the answers to things I knew in primary!  

When you think about it the payouts are not in media terms excessive.  Had these folks gone to ITV they would often get twice or three times the money, maybe we ought to be glad they stay where they are?  The women whine as always yet never mention the abundance of female newsreaders (Sophie Rayworth getting £250,000 for reading a prompt) and the vast number of women on BBC sport, mostly ignorant of their subject.  I could mention 'Farming Today, produced and presented by women but always it is male farmers interviewed, sexism here clearly.  Sexism works two ways but the women never notice this.  It is of course 'selfishness' not 'sexism' that is at the root.    
The market sets the prices on offer, the Tory party back bencher will wallow in grumbling until something is done then head off to earn a great deal more than anyone in the Beeb, but that appears to be OK.  This does not bother me overmuch, happiness does not come from the cash obtained by fronting poor programmes or getting jobs because of who you know, and this happens everywhere in life.  Life is more than cash and we live well without it, don't we? 

Sweltering!

I was forced to walk, at noon, in the 82% heat today on my way to St P's.  That's 27% to you foreign folks out there and it is not something we are used to.  It was remarked when I arrived, tired and weary, that only 'Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.'  "You," they said in unison, "Are not English!" Much hilarity ensued!  
Three days running this heat has hit us and in the south we will get a bit more tomorrow.  Up north it is wet of course, but that is what they are there for, to catch the weather falling over the Atlantic!  
I confess I prefer this heat to the usual rain though an ideal temp of somewhere in the 70's would be more workable.  Even typing is hard when great drops of sweat keep landing on the keyboard. 
I'm sure I saw a Duck Billed Platypus walking past as I made my way home.

 
Last night the folks who endured the fire in the tower saw the beginning of the end of the 24 hour news coverage of their story.  This was because a right wing nutjob took it upon himself to copy the Islamist type attacks and late last night drive his white van into a crowd of Muslims leaving a mosque where they had been attending Ramadan prayers.  He crashed into a group who were busy aiding an aged chap who had collapsed.  The driver hit them and killed one and seriously injured several others. While trying to escape he was caught by the crowd and rescued from them by the Imam from the mosque and handed over to the police.  
Today Theresa May desperately trying to look human rushed to the mosque muttering about ending 'right wing extremism.'  I am left wondering if she would include the 'Daily Express' in her 'right wing extremist' list, or the 'Daily Mail' and naturally Rupert Murdoch's 'Sun?'  All these as well as the 'Telegraph' another extreme right wing paper that has gone downhill to make money have blamed Muslims and immigrants in general for every wrong and for many years, this is now the result.
Genuine questions regarding immigrants exist, genuine questions regarding some mosques and their imams need investigating, the media, and these papers in general have not done this!  Instead they play in the fears of the 'white working class' in general and the population altogether with half truths and deliberate distortions, that is how they make their money.  By such usage Rupert Murdoch and others have a control over the country they ought not to have in a democracy.  I am unaware of any cash Murdoch might invest in the Tory Party but his influence is clear, Michael Gove, removed by Theresa the minute she got the job has been returned as 'Environment Secretary,' a job he is singularly unfit for with his opinions totally at variance with environemntal reality. 
The media can be useful, the newspapers can inform, educate, build up, however what sells is sensation so news is replaced by sex stories and 'shock horror' tales, individuals are attacked or sentimentalised with no concern for the reality, they are used and abused with no control over the media possible, this is because the Conservative Party need the papers to get votes!
There are more right wing nutjobs out there, almost as many as there are Islamist nutjobs, extreme propaganda from either side must be opposed by truth, we do not have the media able or willing to do this.

 

Irked!!

For years I have used the 'Windows Live Gallery' to sort pictures.  It was simple, straight forward and done the job easily and very well.  Since the problems with the laptop my copy of 'Windows Gallery' has been lost and we now have imposed upon us 'Photos' which is neither easy or good! I am irked.
I found one or two other types to play with but these are far from straightforward and not as good as the Windows Gallery.  
When I try to download pictures Win 10 forces them onto 'Photos' even though I have set it to the new, not easy, gallery.  I may eventually find how to fix that but it does annoy.  Not that I can take many pictures as I am now into Spring cleaning and while the rain falls this is the best option.  The weather may be warm but it still rains, at least the farmers are now happy as the rain up till now has annoyed me but not watered their fields properly so far.  It has done today!
You will also note the spellchecker has disappeared.  I only noticed this when someone commented on a Tweet on that Twitter thing.  Now I have to search how to get one of those, in English not American, back on. Ha!  I have just found is does, it just does not appear to work for me.  Bah!  At least Blogger has one.

President May has announced the Conservative Party's lies for the election.  It is noticeable that it was referred to as 'My Manifesto' and not the 'Conservative' manifesto.  Behind her we see the words in large letters 'Theresa May' and 'Strong and Stable.'  Hmmm.  This reminds me of Eastern Europe 'democratic' nations where the individual is prominent and the party behind him, clearly May has allowed ego to dominate while she sets her party on a differing road to filch from the weak and keep the real money in her own hand.
I am becoming convinced we are under a judgement in the west.  Why else would we find Trump as President of the US and May dominant in a UKIP style Tory Party?  The differing style of Conservative she is offering is no different from what went before, it's just that the 'Toff Boys' have been shoved aside for the middle class girl, no difference for the people however.  What a mess politics has become today.  Sturgeon, for all her faults, represents a politician with some idea of what the nation needs, the English offerings are just not up to the job.
One thing I noted was Mays warning that of Brexit negotiations fail the nation will suffer because of this.  Why is she telling us what we told her?   She opposed Brexit because she knew we needed to remain in the EU but when the chance of glory came she jumped ship and now is taking us into disaster, yet she warns us?  How come missus?  If negotiations fail, and your negotiating style has been abysmal so far Theresa, you will be responsible for this mess, you and Dave, Boris, George, Gove and other self seeking wee boys who have been playing games with the nation.  Somehow I suspect you will manage to be alright, you all keep sufficient Cash in Luxembourg and elsewhere to stay afloat while we sink don't you?

Scapegoats

It began with the unemployed then it moved on to the sick, after a period migrants became the target and now, at long last, come the pensioners.  Yes the Tory government have got so low that they now feel able to attack the very people who put them in power - pensioners!

The UK has the most right wing media in Europe some say, the UN included.  This is clear with even a quick look at the press on offer.  The biggest sellers, the 'Sun,' around 1.7 million sales daily,owned by Rupert Maxwell, the 'Daily Mail,' around 1.5 million daily, owned by Lord Rothermere the non domiciled billionaire who prefers living in France than to his own nation, especially as he then pays no tax on his papers income, and the 'Daily Express,' around 400,000 daily, owned by an ex-porn baron Richard Desmond! 
These are the biggest sellers and if more than one person reads every other copy you could say they reach 6-7 million people a day, mostly adults.  All have a hectoring right wing stance, most for the Tories (though Rupert Murdoch backs anyone who will agree with him) and the 'Express' now supports UKIP, the UK Independence Party, in a vain hope of increasing sales among those who live in daily fear of immigrants and have react with fear and follow any rabblerouser. 
There are 'quality' papers for the thinking man however the term 'quality' is difficult to discern within the pages.  The 'Daily Telegraph,' once the 'Daily Torygraph' has lost over a million readers and now sells just under half a million.  'The Times,' another Murdoch paper, sells just over 400,000 and religiously follows his lead.  
On the alternative side there is the 'Guardian,' once a well written liberal paper and now just a middle class socialist rag losing money day by day, around 160,000 sold daily, yet the people at the top keep getting pay rises it appears according to 'Private Eye.'  They claim to be on the Left yet live like those on the right these young folks.  There is also the 'Daily Mirror,'  once a Labour paper but now not quite sure where it stands so resorts to the usual downmarket stuff.  As long as Labour are in disarray the 800,000 'Mirrors' will not increase.
Of course all these have online pages which gather many more readers, at least those that do not charge, the 'Daily Mail' pandering to the Trump supporters in the USA gathers, they say, 80 million hits!
Then there is the TV & Radio.  ITN News follows the tabloid formula with much use of the word 'shocking' I find, however Channel 4 News can do a decent job on the occasion they make the effort.  The BBC by far and away the most popular ought to be totally independent but in recent days so many journalist have been removed and replaced by younger, cheaper, options all of whom follow the PC order of the day, and that is led not by the 'lefties' as described in the 'Mail' & 'Express' but by the Conservative Party!  The top people at the trust have been appointed by the Tories, three of the six were members of the party I understand, the top man in the news is an ex- 'Times' editor, the political editor is a Tory (again) and several leading persons in the news are clearly right wing.  It is no surprise that the news from the BBC is not as independent of the government as they imply.
The millions reading the papers get home to watch the same stories, often better written, on their televisions.  The message is clear, 'they' are a problem and 'they' live off your taxes!  

  
What am I rabbiting on about?  Well these papers on the right have followed the lead forcing upon their readers the idea that the nations problems came from too many people on the dole.  It was nothing to do with the lack of jobs or the economic downturn it was clearly lazy people living of YOUR taxes!  Often Tories quote the line "If you don't work you should not eat" taking it deliberately out of context (though few know the context) and implying all unemployed were lazy.  Keep telling lies and people begin to believe them, soon people began to believe them!
The next target was the sick.  People with serious diseases were soon informed by those totally lacking in medical knowledge that they were 'fit to work.'  I met one of these women one day and was struck by her ability to fill in a form and have no idea what it all meant!  She got paid mind!  Questions have been asked of the government department responsible for such enquiries (DWP) as too how many such people declared fit for work have died within a month of receiving this information, no answer has so far come forth, not even a court of law has received an answer to this query!   The readers of the Tory tabloids now know that all who are sick are not sick, each one is a cheat and just lazy, you know like those on the dole!  
Then came another excuse.
While the government deliberately mismanages the NHS, poor management, absurd Trusts, lack of sensible investment, the blame can easily (via the papers) be blamed on foreigners coming here and having free health care, not just in an emergency but for anything.  Statistics to show how much this actually happens are not printed.  Anything to avoid facing up to the governments deliberate attempt to kill the NHS and make money from an American style insurance fiddle.  Jeremey Hunt, the richest member of the cabinet and the Health Secretary has thousands of shares in such private companies, many of whom have won work with the NHS.
Now they have reached the pensioners.

The other day a committee (the name escapes me as it has gone from the online media) announced that today's pensioners were better off than young folks in work.  Watching such young folks with Sky TV and smart TVs to watch it on while making use of the expensive smart phones I began to wonder.  I wondered how they afforded this while driving smart cars, that's what I wondered!  
Poor folks, none of them lived through the rich Thatcher days when I earned £36 a week in the NHS, none were lucky like me to later earn a good wage yet be unable to buy a house because prices rocketed so much I could not afford a front door let alone a house!  Also unlike so many (according to these tabloids) I could not stay living off my parents as I was booted out and told to find a job!  On top of which I wanted my own place not to live off them, not that we could as there was no money.

(Can you hear the violins)

The fact is the public have been under propaganda for many years, while the rich get richer those reading their papers and nursing their wrath at the benefit scroungers living off their 'hard earned' (they say) cash while fearing the vast number of immigrants arriving next door to live of the dole while taking their jobs and milking the NHS, they themselves do not notice that they are getting poorer and it is the rich, not the poor, who are responsible.

The unemployed were attacked so less money could be paid to those without jobs, the sick were attacked to lower the money paid in benefits, immigrants were attacked so government need not help those in need, and now even pensioners are attacked so the Chancellor can cut back the money spent on them thus lowering the welfare budget.  

While many have fallen for the propaganda spewed out daily from the 'elite' they may have overreached themselves this time.  The pensioners have a weapon no government can fix, pensioners tend to vote Conservative!  It will not take long for the younger MP's in the House to feel the wrath of their aged population.  An email from such can go a long way to influence Tory thinking. As so many 'True Blues' got their seat from votes from loyal Tories they will soon find a voice crying out for aid to the poor pensioner who struggles to make it through the day ( like me for instance) even though many in Conservative areas are doing nicely thank you.

(Insert here song: 'Brother can you spare a dime')

  

So what about the rich elite?  Those in powerful positions in government or business, Banks or the media, what about them?  We know so many have millions stuffed away dodging tax in foreign banks, this was shown when then Prime Minister Cameron was seen to have £3 million in a Panama Bank!  What did the media tell us?  They spent days attacking a Labour Party hate figure for his so called 'anti-Semitic' views which he may or may not have had.  The tale of rich people with money abroad died.

The rich get richer and the poor get the blame, nothing has changed and this time the middle classes, and those who want to believe they are middle class, are paying for it while being told it is everyone else's fault.  Hopefully one day when the Brexit lie is over these people will stand up and oppose those who are leading them to ruin while blaming 'Him over there.'  Maybe they will wake up but I doubt it.