This Cricket Nonsense

Cricket, that strange English phenomena where a gang of men stand around almost motionless in a field while another tosses a ball in the air for yet another to hit with a stick!  What a waste of life!

That said, I have been watching the cricket on tv these nights.  This is not 'proper' cricket, just a kind of kids game cricket, keeping only the best bits and avoiding the long slog in the sunshine.  the bowlers helpfully toss the ball in such a way the batsmen cannot avoid knocking the ball out of the ground.  It appears to be an easy game to play.  And the crowds!  They get so excited don't they?  With the half term holidays it means loads of kids are in the grounds in the evenings and they do enjoy it.  Every '4' or '6' that flies away is greeted by excited cheers and a waving of pre-printed numbers.  On the whole the crowds I have seen in the games are quite well behaved, though kept separate I think.  This encourages women to come with the kids but it also encourages others to drink all night.  These women are easy to spot!   

In the evenings I usually watch football, and in the days without it I realised it was not the football I was watching all to often.  No, it was my mind, tired after a day requiring something easy to watch with little thought , and without football my mind would not unwind, there was nothing to ease it down.  

Now, T20 cricket takes its place, less cerebral but much more sunshine!  

Who got me onto this?  A woman! This of course, is not something I would be watching if I was in Scotland.  They play proper games there.  

I notice it is also available on YouTube.  

  

Birthday Kirk

 

Wiki

I wore my Jeremiah hat this morning as I trudged down the road in the varying heat and chill.  Traffic was quite light, and I eventually hobbled into the Kirk, worn and weary, as always.  

Three women of unknown age were gathered in the entrance sorting out books and leaflets.  Julie turned to me, grinned disgracefully, and grabbed me while saying too cheerily, 'Happy Birthday,' in too loud a voice.  I usually keep this quiet, but some thoughtless woman has scribbled it down and the Kirk sends me a card every year.  This year those in attendance, not as many as normal, made the most of my embarrassment when David asked from the front if there were any birthdays, a normal routine.  I looked away, not noticing many people pointing in my direction!   'Happy Birthday' was sung, but no gifts were forthcoming.  How embarrassing.

Jeremiah, who we touched on this morning is a favourite of mine.

Here we find a young lad, his age must have been just sufficient to count in that society, who had been chosen to stand alone against his nation.  For around 30 years Jeremiah brought the word of God to the people, and the people laughed at him, hindered him, and attempted to kill him.  Another, unnamed prophet doing similar work ran away to Egypt, the people went after him, brought him back and killed him.  This was not a pleasant job.

The Lord told them to repent as desperately wanted to give them the best, they refused and eventually the Babylonians took many of them away.  Those who were allowed to remain continued to sin, as did those in Babylon itself.  Prophets brought the word of God to them, they refused to listen.  How like Christians today.

It was a further 10 years of abuse before the Babylonians returned as God had said through Jeremiah, to remove the rest of them.  Jeremiah had warned daily suffered abuse and threats, but remained loyal to his God.  In the end a third rebellion kidnapped the prophet and took him to Egypt where he disappears from history.  

He is a great example of someone holding to God, in spite of being more or less alone all the time.  

I read the English are complaining about cricket cheats.

Isn't cheating the Englishman's job...?

Friday Frippary

 

 

A day of nothingness.

Nothing in the news bar finger pointing by ex-MP Paterson's friends and enemies.  Tory MPs indicating their displeasure at his situation and what it has done to them and their 'integrity!'   Boris, as expected, hiding in a fridge while his Chief Whip takes the blame for his mistakes.  Madame Leasom has not commented as far as I know.  The 'Daily Mail' made clear their opinion and roasted him this morning, Geordie the editor does not like Boris, even though the owners wife does.  Maybe she has changed her mind, Geordie has not.

The 'Sun,' which still exists, avoided the issue.  The Commission still has questions over his wallpaper and holidays which Boris is refusing to answer.  Hopefully a 30 day ban might occur for him and then we shall see something!

 

I spent the day on the laptop.  Emails, from me begging for money, sending the gas meter reading, and searching for ages on how to log in when the password and name does not work so I could renew the WFA.  Tonight, after watching Scotland humbled by a poor Indian side at cricket, it all went through by chance, how did that happen?  I still do not know.  A pension provider, £10 a month, keeps sending online payslips, I am unable to find the log in details or the paperwork detailing these.  This meant clearing out the 'imortant paper' file.  That has half filled the recycled box but did not produce the letter.  I used to be very careful with these things, but times appear to have changed.

 

 

November 5th, fireworks have exploded at strange hours occasionally this week, and they are banging away as we speak.  Being Friday there may be more later, however, tomorrow might be the time for a blow out altogether.  Possibly Covid and common sense might lessen the effect tnight and tomorrow.

I am beginning to think only organised displays, by various groups, ought to be allowed, thus lessening the noise, diminishing danger from bonfires, and making it safer for all.  And remember, after November 5th it is all out Christmas on TV, Radio, media and your purse!

 

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.

 

Disappointment at Football and Cricket

 

The great day has come!

Today I was going to beat UEFA and their absurd rules to watch the Hearts play Dundee by the magic of VPN!

Opera was switched on, VPN selected, switched on, set to 'Americas,' and the Hearts PPV site found.

All good.

I 'clicked' the usual places, went through the process and ....hold on, why ask for money again?  Normally I click the right spot, the cash goes through, and we are in.  Today they wanted the details and an address!  ooer misus!  I do not have an address in the 'Americas.'

I had no choice but to use my address, the one that fits the card.

No go!  'Card not valid.'

Twice!

Not the VPN fault, but the magic payment card!

I expect to be questioned now by Lloyds Bank!

So, instead of the proper game I found myself watching cricket again.

How disappointing!

 

 

Dissapointing is the word.

Unfortunately, I found myself watching the end of the West Indies feeble stand against England.  Feeble is not the word.  They left England with a need to find 56 runs to win!  56!  I found myself asking "When did the West Indies turn into Scotland?"

Now I suspect money is at the root of this.  Not money in cricket, but money in football!  In times past West Indians were all for cricket, however, the number of Jamaicans, Trinidadians and others who have made it to play in Europe at the top level, earning vast sums while doing so, has turned attention away from cricket to football.  Thus the once mighty West Indies are crumblng on the cricket pitch.  

It did not take England long to win, though they lost three good wickets to excellent catches and fielding, but soon went over to the stand and swanked to their mates about how good they are.

O course England are good, their team is full of West Indians, Pakistanies, Indians and the occasional Australian, New Zealander or South African, not many Brexiteer classed English however...  

 

 

Successful Scottish Cricket!

 

 

Scotland have won at cricket!

Now there is a headline you don't see often!  

Scotland has of course played cricket since the game began way back when, however, once football was organised, by Scotland first in spite of English Toffs claims, cricket took a back seat.  It was never considered important to most Scots and while the 'Better schools' attempted to turn young Scots into Englishmen by force feeding them cricket and rugby, normal schools, the 'ragged schools' of my youth ignored the game.

So cricket was not important to the majority though various places have had clubs dating back hundreds of years, and therefore Scotland, a nation of 5 million, never produced a top level cricket side.  Now however, having worked their way through the lower orders similar to themselves they have qualified for what is considered the 'Top 12.' 

The will be 'dancing in the streets of Raith tonight,' because of this. Though it may be drink the mor likely cause.

For the cricket lover this is a good thing.  Scotland has, not that long ago, beaten England at the one day game, the first time ever, and now finding themselves for the first time ever at the top table the players and backroom people can be proud of their achievment.

What happens now?

Now Scotland enter another group phase.  This however includes three of the top sides in the world, India, Pakistan and New Zealand!  Afghanistan has also qualified, with one other as yet to be decided to join also.  It matters not, holding their heads high whatever matters is all that they are required to do now.  Qualifying for the first time was important, whatever the results against the top sides they matter not, just follow the Scotland attitude and 'have a go!'

Cricket on TV

 

I note the rising numbers falling sick from the virus has caused worries in No 10.  Javid, the millionaire Health Secretary, will bring a number of concerned people together and try to work out how to allow as many as possible die without admitting blame on his or Boris's governments part.

That should be easy.

Schools are easily and deliberately being allowed to spread the virus, 'Herd Immunity,' even though this causes much pain and possible deaths.  I am not sure I can remember a government so happy to allow UK people to die for an ideology.  Previous governments may have been happy if people died abroad, but rarely did they encourage killing your own!  

I note Brazil has decided to take action against their president on grounds of failing to protect the people.  Soon I hope, the same will occur in the UK.

 

 

I have been watching a bot of the Ireland cricket match, it does not last long.  Several Irish players look ideal for the rugby union side, I am not sure they fit in with cricket, except afterwards at the bar!

As I watch another leaves with a score of 1 run, the Sri Lankans are having fun here today.  

Thus I have been occupied, ignoring the 'To do' list...

 

Good Friday

It was a suitably gray day when I wandered out this morning, gray, cold and nothing like a Jerusalem morning.  The exercise was intended to loosen the stiffness caused by my hard work, naturally this failed!  I now have aches in places I did not know existed before now.

 

 

The somewhat glowering sky did not keep people indoors.  From early on the traffic sped by the door in an unending quest for something, I know not what.  Both supermarkets, and indeed the Butchers, were open, cars being loaded with important foodstuffs, enough to feed an army or two and avoid starvation over the next three days until the supermarkets are fully open on Tuesday when the whole process will restart again.  (One at least will open on Easter Monday)  While the foodbank has two openings in town these days and many suffer hardship through the pandemic it is clear many others have enough money to buy urgent things they do not really require, but will buy any shiny thing on offer to seek comfort and happiness.  

More real pleasure and happiness in watching the glow of the Daffs in the park to me.  A walk by the cricket ground 'Players Only. No Spectators' shouted the sign at the gate.  No need, only a groundsman fixing the nets for some future Kids tournament was to be seen.  That and a couple of Crows and a Thrush seeking worms were the only ones around.  Typical English town, it must have a cricket pitche, with at least a 'first team' and a  'second,' like all other small towns have.  The locals take such a game seriously, playing it at some level, talking about it as if it were important, and getting 'hot under the collar' when some question the need to spend time 'Throwing a ball at a man waving a stick?'  I cannot understand the fury aroused when suggesting digging up the grass and building houses for the needy!  There is a lot of space wasted there, don't you think?  Don't these people care...?

 

After staggering home I decided to do nothing all weekend if I can, though I must hobble to St Ps on Sunday.  So, today I watched the church Good Friday Meditation, on YouTube thankfully, and then sought out the football that will fill the rest of the weekend.  Obviously with prayer and watchfulness ongoing.  

Eggs are found at Eastertime, Bunnies however, ought not to be found in this context!  The image of an egg representing 'new life' was well known in Jesus day and Christians took to it well.  Today this is more of a chocolate bonanza but, looking at those small cream eggs sitting there with my name on I say it is perfectly acceptable!

I hope your Easter is a good one

 

 

Cricket Saturday

 

Now, filling the day with cricket is fine if it means watching England lose.  It is less entertaining when they are running away with things.  Forced to endure this all day, until saved by the return of Scottish football at 5:30, my life was ebbing away as England piled on the runs.  

The Pakistani bowlers were not all failures, however the enemy made use of the watered pitch, yes another episode clouded by rain, and groundsmen working in the enemies favour.  When I returned after watching a decent football game for once, unfortunately Celtic did get their goal, I found Pakistan had already lost several wickets and were planning how to get home.  

Nothing else happened.

It is a surprise to me that at such a time as this I am not reading very much.  This may be because two books contain over 700 pages of small font filled stuff, the other books are not grabbing me the same, or something is holding me back, Lock Down I say.  I started to read one book the other day and realised it had been lying there for weeks.  Laptop trouble, sloth and other usual daytime time wasting activities may have hindered but I am surprised at how little I have read.

U-Turn & Cricket

 

Another day another Government U-Turn.

The 'A' level results were chaotic and  clearly incorrect, in similar fashion to the Scots results. This is another of Dominic Cummings 'algorithms' at work.  It appears Cummings control of everything is not as efficient as he would like to believe.  Schools, the NHS, parliament itself, the Civil Service, the MOD and anything he has touched has shown a remarkable ability to fail when under pressure.  I will not even mention the PPE scandals!  

Where is Boris while this is happening?  Would Blair or Thatcher disappear when such an event has occurred?  Boris did appear to say something but he was only voicing Dominic's words, when will he use his own?

Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, is the one taking the flack.  Keeping their jobs like this can only go so far, one day one of them, possibly Williamson, might admit it is all Dominic Cummings doing and explain clearly what is actually going on.  I hope they have the guts soon.

BBC

With the help of pre-arranged thunderstorms England managed to avoid defeat against Pakistan by simply flooding the pitch.  How underhand can you get?  Enabling violent storms, followed by incessant heavy rain, just to ensure England do not lose, as indeed they would have had the game finished when it ought.  The ton of sawdust used on the pitch to limit the opposition bowlers did not help as much as they had hoped.  Indeed had the game continued more batsmen would have gone.

I wasted a whole afternoon watching this, once it eventually began.  Worn out by shopping, cleaning, soup making and other things watching cricket was all I had strength for.  

   

Dreicher Friday

 Dreicher Friday indeed!

Trapped by rain teeming down until after lunch.  More of this to come, lasting for several days they say.  Not doing much for the cricket or indeed anyone else.  Many paces near and far are having a wet time, many a car trapped in streams of water it appears.  

I risked a walk this afternoon, dressed for the rain, searching the new type pawn shops.  Last week my niece and her daughter, the car mechanic, drove up to Wester Ross with the dog for a few days away.  White sand beaches, no other people in sight, the Rottweiler happy paddling in the shallows chasing a ball, or anything else that moved.  With an Eagle soaring overhead, and they would quickly identify it, I suggested my great niece got herself a better camera so she could catch pictures of such, she has the talent.  I also suggested her dad bought one for her, much harrumphing in background, not just because he was left behind while they went north!  

So I checked Ebay first, then wandered into our two modern pawn shops, actually there is a third, a bit suspicious that one but I forgot all about him, and searched the cameras there hoping for a bargain.  I was shocked at how little they had in stock.  Usually there are an abundance of cameras today there were none bar a couple of old film cameras worth less than the £10 price tags.  Only one, too expensive, camera was suitable and so that was out.  I was surprised but the lass in one told me how bad things had been.  People are not buying, nor are they selling old phones or ipads.  Even the pawn shops are struggling, how much worse can it get.  I noticed both shops had only two employees, the larger shop usually has half a dozen.  When such shops suffer how can the rest cope?

So it was back to cricket before the rain comes on and stuff my face with yesterdays leftovers again.

Update on Update...

To amend an old army joke re adjutants:

'Is it lawful to kill anyone connected to Microsoft?' 

'Yes, as there will always be extenuating circumstances.'

Things were going as well as can be expected today, Tesco had been visited, the self service machine and I fell out and had to be rescued by the young lady almost wearing a mask.  I had wandered home, decided there was nothing to do but watch the boring cricket, which was quite good in the end, and settled down to eat and sleep through the day.

Microsoft interrupted!  

As I put the brute onto 'sleep mode' they offered an update.  I took this and waited.  Naturally when this finished, quite soon compared to last time, I fond things missing.  'Avast' anti-virus had gone, other things were closed down, and 'Edge' filled the page and would not let me remove it!  This took time and several restarts before their blasted new browser was removed from my screen.  They do not half push their luck when they push their browsers!  

Eventually all was well and then I watched cricket in the heat.  At least 28 degrees in here all day, I hate to imagine what is was like for those working outside, and the site of em in shorts led to the mirror being placed elsewhere, for my sake, I also avoided windows.

Of course watching cricket only happened because there was no football.  Aberdeen ought to have been playing St Johnstone in Perth but some players went on a night out in 'Locked Down' Aberdeen, two tested for the virus and the others have to isolate for 10 days.  This led to an almighty row, rude words from the First Minister, and even ruder words from their manager when the game was put off.  They almost had to play with 8 players missing!  Good job it was postponed.  Such events may well happen more often during this season.

So no football, cricket takes all day, and now I am trying to find something stimulating for my mind, 'Pointless Celebrities' perhaps?  However I have no idea who any off them are!  Nothing else appeals, maybe the radio or better an old radio programme from the iplayer?  I will avoid entertaining myself by doing anything approaching work.

Venus!  These things have been hanging around the night sky for a few days.  I am glad that I can see them but why in the middle of the night?  That reminds me of Trump suggesting sending a man to the sun.  Angela Merkel indicates this is not wise and so Trump suggests 'Send him at night?'  Something about that appeals to me...

A friend has been made redundant as his company is suffering losses.  I passed a coffee shop today that has closed down, at the time I thought that this was the first of many.  My friends loss is an indication that many more jobs will go, not just because of the Virus but also because of Brexit.  In Sunderland 'Nissan' workers cheered the Brexit vote, several hundred have been made redundant and soon Nissan will go to Holland I suspect.  Today 'JCB,' who encouraged their people to vote Brexit have announced the paperwork is too long and expensive so they are off to Germany!  

What did people expect?

We are about to see thousands of job losses, redundancies and sackings, the rich will rise above it and the poor will remain the mass who suffer.  We have seen it before many time.  Pick up your Old Testament and read the Prophet Amos, he spoke of this concerning Samaria, similar causes and in the end destruction.  Somewhat different today, but not for those who are at the bottom, they will suffer most, and indeed worldwide!

Have a nice day...

Tuesday Scream!

I slept badly.

Awake every hour or near enough.

Too hot, too cold, too tired, too awake, on and on it went.

I stumbled up around 7 am, scampered unwillingly to Sainsburys masked like a bank robber, though they usually are not struggling to breathe or blinded by steam on the glasses.  Hurried back to find the laptop dying.

The adaptor wire helpfully broke meaning no power was entering and the battery was soon running out.

This meant a struggle to find a replacement, and an even greater struggle to get the old laptop, slow and difficult, to work.

By means of EBay I may have a replacement arriving soon...maybe, if it is the right one. Until then I must make do with this useless old one.

Herein the day got worse.

Not having been used since my failed Linux experiment naturally the beast was in a huff.

Nothing would work.

Eventually it worked but everything had to begin again.

Everything slowly, oh soooo sloooowly began to begin again.

It was at this point I remembered how sailors swore...

All day I played with browsers, downloaded, slowly, the required items, slowly got them to work slowly and often suggested to Toshiba what they could do with this laptop.  They did not answer.

By afternoon I not only had much of it working I even found the cricket, which I canny watch as I am watching things appear, often uninvited, onto the screen.  

Tired, weary, unable to sleep it off as I expected the workmen to knock and the postie to bring a packet.

She arrived eventually, just on one O'clock.  As she now works only three days she can survive the system, it is however not a good one.  Poor women needs an easy round, this once was, I did it myself, but changes, absurd changes, make the posties life hard.  Management, driven by paper wielding  non-posties in offices far away do not provide a service as in days of yore.   Blood from stone Tory style instead.  We must all expect more such work practices to abound under this government.

Now I comprehend that a Syrian women, endangered in a Turkish tented refugee camp with her children while her man abandons her to make his way to fame and fortune in Europe has more reasons to scream than I have.  I really do understand.  However, early this morning I was not understanding much, least of all how to get this brute to work.  

I wonder what fun lies ahead tomorrow... 

Monday Mope

Last week, for reasons unknown, I was full of energy, at least energy in my estimation.  Today I sit here like a fat lump unable to move, think or desire change.  What happened?  By my side lies a list of work to be done, some of it going back a year or two I admit, and I was planning on working on it today.  So far I have failed to generate sufficient energy as to even eat properly. 

This is the type of attitude that requires cricket to be played on TV.

Tat is because no effort is required to watch it, the majority of the time nothing happens, and what running is required is soon over, unlike with football where the ball never stops.  With cricket you see the audience, packed lunch by their side (are you old enough to remember when we called 'packed lunch' sandwiches?) and often their head stuck inside a book, always more fun than watching the cricket.  Naturally as I am in the mood, if sloth is a mood, for cricket there is none available today.

Naturally also, nothing is worth watching on TV land anywhere.

Back to bed maybe...?

As I scribble this an aircraft heading for the sun flies overhead.  This reflects the change in recent weeks.  For a time the only aircraft heading for Stansted were FedEx aircraft passing through from Europe and heading to or from the USA.  Occasional other parcel carrying planes were noted, also long haul flights from China which came without regard to health issues bothering them apparently.  What the opinion of ground staff at Heathrow was on this is not recorded.

The only other flights were the regular Apache helicopters heading for Salisbury Plain on training duties, preparing for Iraq probably, and Chinook helicopters also training.  The noise count from these service aircraft does not appear to be a problem for anyone who makes them! 

Now however people are slowly flocking to Spain, Italy, Eastern Europe and elsewhere, landing at unpronounceable airports and with only Ryanair's promise to get you back home again.  Good luck with that one. 

This is a change, in days past each morning I could see vapour trails from several aircraft heading to the London airports. Half a dozen at least for Stansted, others heading further on.  Today that is much diminished, sad for tourists, if sober, but much better for air quality all round.

That has worn me out.

Back to bed to gain strength to make the dinner...

Friday Workout

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

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

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

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

Musings

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

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

Lucky Me!

I hobbled down to the Sorting Office this morning to collect a packet that has waited there since January 6th.  My strained back would not let me go until today, it appears fine just now, and so off I went expectantly.
The small box was off the wrong shape to go through a letter box clearly, the weight was minimal, and the plastic around it weighed more than the goods inside.  The postage costs also outweighed the purchase price.
Inside I found a bag of Christmas Brussels Sprouts made from chocolate, that is Sugar, Palm Kernel oil, Dried whey (MILK), fat reduced Cocoa Powder, Emulsifier (SOYA Lecithin), Stabiliser (Sorbitan Tristearate), Vanilla Flavouring, as you would expect.
I feel the wait was worth while.
This gift comes from a lass I have known for years and years, I worked with her husband in 1975, probably before you were born, and they returned to Northern Ireland when it was a bit more peaceful where he died during an operation, he never recovered consciousness.  All very sad.  We had begun to exchange expensive gifts by that time, each Christmas I would send over two tea bags or a sachet of soup to receive by return of post a thin string of Christmas glitter or a broken pencil, they claimed it was OK when it left!  Such quality ought to be continued I say.  If only all my Christmas folk were that cheap!

BBC

In all this I missed the cricket while sipping tea all morning and had to make do with the 'Hits' as Sky calls it.  This was not pleasant as England were scoring lots of runs.  Most annoying especially after the arrogant way Boris ignored the Scottish MPs yesterday in the House.  His attitude merely increases Scots distaste for him and while this may be a 'Phoney War' period it will mount up and catch him unaware.  Boris now sits happily as PM surrounded by enemies all of whom carry a knife with which to use on his back as soon as the chance arrives.  Yes Mr Gove I do mean you.  Soon Boris will be watching more cricket with a new woman or two.