Up and Down the Stairs

 

I awoke to fog this morning, I suppose I ought to have shut the window last night, and faced the day bravely with my eyes closed.  Having had to turn away a visitor yesterday because the place was in a mess, I had no choice but to clean today.  After a sparse breakfast of cereal and instant cappuccino I began to fall asleep again.  However, the need for bread, and being Friday a busy day, forced me to Sainsburys early.  Now last week folks were wandering around maskless, almost the majority cared not about masks.  Today, after stern warnings from Billy (I'm not responsible and I was not at the party) Bunter, concerning the latest virus all were forced to wear masks. As I was packing the bag and about to pay the lass had the temerity to ask me to lift the mask higher, I drop it as it steams up my glasses, I pretended not to hear, cashed the card, and headed home.  Masked people were all around and shocked I was to see this as many were happy to be unmasked only yesterday!  Do people really think the virus has gone away?  Did they not read about the sick in the NHS?  Do they trust the main stream media?  What is wrong with people?

What is wrong with me was the need to clean the loo, the kitchen and hoover, let alone the other things that required doing, next week.  Fair wore me out and it is not yet Christmas.

This has been a tiring week.  Several times a day I have been up and down the stairs, postman, deliveries for me, deliveries for next door, recycling out and having to explain to a white van man where he ought to be (a hundred yards that way), more deliveries, and up and down stairs.  Even a dodgy fellow with a tray of goodies seling things door to door.  This has happened before and I am still unsure if it is a con or not.  It reminded me of the various Indians that once brought dusters and pipe cleaners round the doors, mum always bought something from them.  Some of those men became millionaires, others estabished good shops and businesses.  I wonder what this lad was up to and where he will end up?  

My goods were not gifts, they were memory sticks.  I realised mine were, er, overloaded, and swapped things around with the new ones, only to find I needed more and more!  Then after they arrived I needed a colour ink for the printer so Amazon was back again, different driver, just as lost, and now I am determined not to spend anything more until after Christmas.

Oh, look at the books on the WOB website...  

Media Flapjacks!

A quick glance through the front pages of the papers, as seen on the BBC website, reveals the sad state of journalism in this nation.  Both the BBC site and the BBC Scotland site offer the front page of the press, the front page is occasionally different in Scotland.  These offer large bold headlines with little story to accompany the headline. The story offered is of course not the main story of the day, it is the main story the owner wishes you to read, his Oxbridge select editor may well disagree with almost everything he publishes but will print it anyway as the money is good.  Facts, integrity and, gulp, journalism will be difficult to find.  What a sad state of affairs.

It has of course always been this way.  Know what your audience wants and give it to them, even if it is junk!  In recent days we have seen such media scream for Nicola Sturgeon to resign, the failure of the Scots committee to nail her to the wall leaves the press the next day avoiding the failure and looking elsewhere for distracting stories.  How disappointing for them.  While demanding she goes none demand any of the Conservative cabinet go, no matter how many lies they offer.  Today Pritti Patel's bullying is revealed to have cost the government £340,000 in compensation, plus the costs, yet she is still in place, how can this be? Until the PM's men indicate she must go the right wing press, which is all we have left, will keep quiet about her misdemeanours.  

The judge in another case has declared Hancock failed in his duty to publish details of PPE and other contracts within the specified time.  Those bringing the case were awarded £85,000 towards costs.  Hancock has lost, will he resign?  No, those days are now behind us.

The BBC is now controlled totally by the government, no condemnation, no journalism allowed if it exposes Boris and his men.  The others, SKY and ITV are also submissive to the controlling elite, we must ask why?  

It is now a requirement of those who wish to know more, to find journalism, to find facts, that an internet search is a daily slog in the hope of finding information regarding the days dealings.  This is a risky business as the web is flooded with false information, biased newsrooms and foreign interference.  It is however the only way to go.

However, we must ask why we have such a poor, crooked government elected?  How did they get there?  Clearly the Brexit lie helped, the Brexiteers closed their eyes to the cost, many still do, and emotion won the voctory.  But a vast number opposed this and the opposition party did not make use of their grumblings, why so?  

So we have corrupt government, feeble, indeed, missing opposition, a lying press living off this bunch of gangsters, and now a pandemic on top.

Something is going on, and this is not clear to any of us at the moment.

 

 

Are 'Flapjacks' meant to look like this....?

I feel I may have misjudged the recipe amounts.  First I put in too little, then too much, then altered it and within minutes I could smell smoke...

I had made er, shortbread, shortly before this so the oven was quite hot.  This, er, flapjack, does have a sort of taste, mostly Stork Margarine, and with the burnt edge removed it is quite edible.  

Flavour of course is not an option...

 

Maradonna & Christmas Virus's

 

Every football team these days has a group of ex-players, some in their 40's, an occasional one in his 50's, who play football against similar sides for charity and exercise.  The Heart of Midlothian team in the past went by the name 'Old Hearts,' whereas tday they are called 'Hearts Legends' even though some never player for the club.  The word 'Legend' is put about with all the authority of a Goverment cabinet minister these days, and with all the honesty that implies, however, when we talk about Diego Maradona as a Legend we mean it.

Beginning his international career with humbling Scotland as an 18 year old he went on to say "Scotland loves me, England hates me," and this was true, as the ''Hand of God' enabled all Scots, as well as Welsh and Irish, enjoy him putting one over on the imperialists.  

His height was low, making some think him wee and easy to push around, instead it gave him a low centre of gravity which he used, combined with natural and well developed, strength to barge his way past the most experienced of defenders.

His talent was not just scoring with the 'Hand of God' he revealed his talent by running through the English defence not long afterwards and leaving them well grounded.  He won World Cups, and many other trophies, especilaly in italy when the best payers in the world, and some of the dirtiest, plied their trade.   

It is not well known but while in Argentina bringing one or two Agentines to his club the then Sheffield United manager (name forgotten) wished to bring a 16 year old also.  United's Board refused as there was a lot of youth talent in Sheffield they said, why bring one from the other side of the world.  Diego Maradona thus lost out his big chance at Sheffield.

Getting mixed up with gangsters in Naples and then with drugs ruined his career and life.  He played out his career but his public image and his mind was warped by drugs and emotional turmoil, a sad end to a man of such stature in the game.  Not all 'legends' end this way, some carve out good lives, I always thought that his move to Napoli rather than Milan ended his good side.  Rather sad he dies in this manner, a much missed genuine 'legend.'  

 

I see people are getting angry that they canny get together at Christmas.  One man, famous for his Great War historical work, was grumbling about Teir 3 and all that. I thought it strange that a man who writes about war cannot cope with a lock down.  Those who lived through near 5 years of the Great war and seven of the second may wonder what the fuss is all about.  Certainly in those days people grumbled at loss of freedoms, though most understood why, but today there is a great many who feel they have the right to do what they want irrespective of the situation.  I fear these will gather at Christmas in unthinking groups endangering themselves and granny.  I expect the NHS will soon know about them.

 

 

Saturday Cogitation

 

 

 

I've finished a book!

This is the first book I have got through in ages.  This is not from having ceased trying to read, I just could not be bothered with all the big words.  The effort to read was too much, possibly 'Lock Down' having an effect, but few words other than those required to identify items on supermarket shelves or football results were asked for by me.  This obviously did not stop me buying books!  The shelf is creaking with unread words, none in cuneiform but some dealing with that sort of thing, others just cheap, old books, that were a sudden desire.  They are now collecting dust until the right time to read them.  One lass sent me the wrong book, they all look the same don't they?  When I pointed this out and offered to keep the wrong, but perfectly acceptable book, and happily pay for it she allowed me to keep it for free.  I doubt she paid much in the first place, it is quite aged.  That was good.  I think she may be working for home for 'pin money' selling books she has collected from all around.  Good luck to her.  'Be Inspired' is the name she goes under on Amazon, though the rest of the books in her bookshop did not inspire me today.   I will however keep a look out.

Paiul Theroux's book is a condensed version of his travels.  I like his books, well written and honest. The tales do occur some time ago but allow us a glimpse into the lives of many in far flung places often in difficult times.  'The Great Railway Bazaar,' 'The Old Patagonian Express,' 'The Kingdom by the Sea,' where they miss Edinburgh for no good reason, and other travels are detailed.  These are shortened versions of his books put together in 1991 so a bit dated but still worth a read I say.  

I of course paid little for it.  

Did you know that there is an election occuring in the USA?  They kept that quiet didn't they?

It appears that the present President, a madman by all accounts who suggested first that the Coronvirus did not exist, even though he was informed about this in January, and then told his subjects to take Bleach to cure it!  Two did and died apparently.  He also caught the virus, he says, and recovered informing his people not to be afraid of the virus.  He ignored the 200,000 dead and millions till suffering while it appears he tries to stifle free health care in the US.  

Joe Biden is the other man.

That's all we need to know to vote for him, whoever he is.

 

 

As I look up from this monotonous Celtic v Rangers game I note the traffic has not lessened this Saturday in spite of the county being in a tighter 'lock down' from today.  Nothing appears to have changed, most here obey the rules and Saturday shoppers are ignoring them as much as usual.  To many football matches to watch for me to stir outside but as the death rate is higher I suspect the care homes are suffering a bit once again.  That is, both patients and staff!