Clear Sight

 

I see the world clearer now.  By that I do not mean I have read and understood all the propaganda spewed out of the various political parties, no siree.  No-one understands those, not even the writers let's be honest.  I did however receive the Tory leaflet through the door today, personally addressed to me.  This tactic of personally addressing such leaflets is motivated by a desire to convince the householder that he is worth something to the candidate, nobody believes that!  So a glance at the picture of the smug git was enough to put me off.  Certainly he has abilities, clearly he has some experience of life, there can be no doubt he suits this Tory dominated constituency but will I vote for him, I doubt this very much!  He did not reply to my Twitter tweet asking him one question, only the Labour man managed that to his credit, the two others I asked also failed to answer. Today's media is quiet on the election however, just another Cameron fear story re the SNP. Nothing regarding policy, just one of Clegg's promises that mean nothing so it shows the Conservative Party are struggling indeed if their media are quiet.

However we get away from the point!

The point is I can see clearer now.  Indeed I see better than I have seen for ages.  You see work has begin on the outside of the crumbling building and scaffolding has been erected for the men to (slowly) do the work.  Naturally one is off at the hospital for some results and the other is off elsewhere today.  All we have is a couple of scaffolders erecting even more poles and planks remarkably quietly.  This erection allowed me to make use of the scaffold to clean my windows!  You see owing to several problems, sloth being the most obvious other than the weather, it has not been possible to actually clean the windows without much stress and hassle.  Today however I clambered onto the scaffold and removed eons of dirt from the outside of the glass.  It strikes me now I am sitting watching the gray clouds gathering outside that I forgot to continue and clean the inside also. Oh well, another job for tomorrow.  

 

Where do 'bluebottles' come from?  You know those big blue flies that race in the window flying around seeking escape and usually leave by the way they entered?  I ask because each day this week I have had one on the window that will not go to the open kitchen window but wanders around the front one.  This forces me to get up and open it and chase the brute around until he leaves.  This window remains closed because of traffic noise yet it is this one the beasts insist on visiting.  Maybe once I clean it they may find it less interesting.

Tesco today announced a loss of £6.9 Billion.  This has much to do with clever accounting that failed and opening too many large stores where they were not wanted in the first place.  Many stores have closed, jobs lost, others threatened.  The books are now clean and we move on they say.

Considering the manner in which prices have grown so sharply, I spent £35 now where I spent £20 before yet they make losses?  I find it hard to believe.

Nothing Day

As the sun rose majestically, spreading its bright yellow rays across the town, the birds in the park hesitated a moment from chomping worms to cast their eyes skywards, I would have done likewise but I had my head buried deep into my pongy pillow.  Weariness ruled and even at ten past six, when the sun was above the houses and the birds gathered on the rooftops chasing one another, my head wished to remain where it was.  This was an attitude that remained all day.  Glancing through the window my eyes hurt at the brightness while the early morning chill reminded me that summer has not yet arrived.  

The day passed with my head on the desk pretending I was cogitating while cheery people passed by outside still dressed for yesterdays heat and ignoring the cold wind that should remind them it had gone. I decided that I was too lazy tired to wander about in the outside world so I turned on 'BT Sport' and watched some of the highlights of Brisbane playing Melbourne at football.  It was refreshing to watch Australians playing in the rain!  It was just like Forfar on a normal Scottish League day, even though the Aussies were playing at night!   Brisbane it must be said were deservedly beaten.  How interesting to see events taking place miles away.  I sometimes sit and wonder at the inventions that allow us to be transported to the other side of the world.  Not long ago the only way to get there was by ship, and the only way to travel for free was to be a convict. We will not ask how our friends relatives arrived.  It is oh so easy to take for granted all the technological marvels we overpay for and never stop to think just how marvellous they are.

I see another of those election debates is on the telly tonight.  Once again I am ignoring them just as David Cameron is doing, he hates debating as he gets caught out, what a wimp of a premier he is. The papers have been full of MPs meeting babies, showing us their kitchens, their women paraded and other nonsensical photographs.  Nobody really debates nor do they offer sensible policies.  I wish I had stood here, at least common sense and complaining would get me a few votes!

Excitement, Not Here...

Waking just in time to catch the end of the Shipping Forecast indicated what kind of day I would have. Not quite 5:30 am and already worn out!  Still the sun was climbing into the sky once again, the birds were chasing worms in the park and I manfully stayed in bed until near six.  Later I cycled down to the cemetery for the LAST time I hope and was back before eight, the climb back up the hill wearing me out and recommending more time in bed I say.  
Nothing else happened.
Being scared to listen to any news broadcast, they only offer the election stuff, I was forced to listen to those 15 minute programmes again.  How delightful to enjoy some radio without political liars being heard.  One thing i did hear was the Lib-Dem man Clegg offering more money he didn't have for 'education.'  I could not help but ask what he meant by this.  Does he mean keep kids at school passing exams on stuff they will never use again?  Certificates that some are impressed by but do not mean you are capable of actual work?   Would it not be better ensuring that at 14 or 15 the kids get opportunities to try a variety of work experience?  Office or labouring, computing or retail, anything that is on offer in the real world!  Just 'educating' folks for the sake of it and dumping them in low paid work even after university is a waste.  Do any of them get taught what life is for I wonder?  Do the teachers know?  
The warmest day of the year so far, near naked ladies in the park and white men in tee shirts and shorts making me wish I had less for breakfast.  I of course spent most of the day in here doing those important things, or sleeping.  
I hope your exciting lives were more exciting than mine today. 

Cogitating

My exciting life has been heightened even further recently by the unexpected appearance of the sunshine.  Yes indeed the warmth has made an appearance! You can tell how warm it was by men immediately donning shorts and t-shirts with daft writing on them and parading around, some with dark glasses to prove they are with it.  I need not inform you that what was with them was a chill wind from the east but they being English did not realise this.  I noticed it this morning as I again took my weary knees up the old railway, the bike and I creaking loudly in the early morning mist.

  
By this time we are all desperate for sunshine and warmth that within minutes of the sun appearing clothes were being stripped off in the centre of town, not by me, and young men were once again noticing what girls here look like.  Sad to say far too many have spent the winter on the couch chomping on potatoes but that apart we all rejoiced to see what appears to be Spring.  

We saw an excellent example of electioneering this week.  The Conservatives, Labour and Lib-Dems all took an example of tax and showed how much you saved/lost/will save/will lose by quoting almost the same statistics but misreading them to suit themselves.  All lies and double dealing.  I keep thinking of Gordon Brown becoming chancellor and seeking the statistics then available.  he immediately threw them out as he knew they were wrong, sent his men to find the actual statistics and then lied to us all about what he found. All chancellors do this, all politicians do this, we still vote for 'our party' rather than thinking.  What fools the voters can be.   Of course now there is no real ideological gulf between the parties, both seek the middle ground with a slant this way or that and both really just want the top job, nothing else matters!  My dream is that the electorate will refuse to allow any of the leading men of these parties to stay in office, vote for the loony party and get a better member of parliament!

A big fuss in America as another black man is shot by a cop eight times as he ran away.  Actually he was only shot five times, he missed three times!  Some say this is racist, some say it is murder. There again one or two of these dead black men (there appears to be one each day) were not exactly nice men, others appear to be unfortunate but considering these cops shoot white men just as freely you must understand that in the US mentality there is a preference to shoot long before asking any questions.  US cops have always been keen to lash out with big sticks, just look at old films of strikes in the 1920''s and 30's.  The criminal justice system there appears more about vengeance than justice, we can talk can't we!  Justice is easier to find if you have a good lawyer, which means you must be rich, and clever folks can get away with anything if a 'Perry Mason' is working for you.  It is clear something is not right, possibly the idea of carrying too many guns has a part to play let alone blatant racism?

Such things don't happen in the UK where we all get along very well, never a bad word spoken and no racism of any kind, even the lawyers are cheap.  Well apart from the Romanians and the Africans seeking asylum, and the desire of some to push them back into the sea.  I note that the areas where there is little sight of such people there is a great fear of them everywhere, I wonder if the media have a hand in this?  Tsk, surely not, our media is so honest and cares for 'freedom of the press,' I note that on their online comment columns they do tend to remove things that do not suit the editor however, maybe we are not the press so we have no freedom to disagree?

Anyway, I'm off to massage my knees as none of the local beauties would care for my knees no matter how many reduced price Easter eggs I offered them...

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Sick of it Already

I had a close shave today.  Passing though town happily clutching the two books I purchased for ten pence each from a charity shop I was approached by a man in a suit.  This is always worrying.  He handed me the leaflet above and proudly boasted this man was in attendance in town today!  
I think I was supposed to be impressed.
You see the UK is having an election.  One of those events that stirs up so much apathy amongst those who have seen it all before or have felt themselves left out no matter which bunch of lying expense fiddlers takes office.  There is indeed a feeling that this government, opposition and other hangers on are indeed far from the people, an emotion I have sympathy with.  
The reason is simple, we are wealthy! 
Now I realise we have millions on low pay, a million unemployed (and I know how much suffering that causes) many on 'zero hours contracts,' and an abundance of 'food banks' offering emergency handouts to those in desperate need.  I am aware of the difficulties of many in this world, the gaps in the 'welfare state' and the abuse many make of this.  I realise that there are a great many on limited incomes working as carers for family members (£66 a week I think they get) and this removed if they make money elsewhere.  I am aware of all these things just as I am aware our present Prime Minister informed us "This is a rich country" when  explaining he could do something about the floods in Oxfordshire, near his constituency!  The failure to do anything for those suffering greater floods in the south west was not mentioned at the time.
We are indeed wealthy but the government, an unelected coalition thrown together to enable the Conservative Party to run the roost five years ago, the government has decided on years of 'austerity' instead of following the US manner of escaping the great worldwide recession, 'spend the way out.'  The Yanks avoided 'austerity' and kept going well enough, we saw millions dumped on the street, indeed many lost homes, a bedroom tax on some of the weakest and a dreadful mismanagement of the welfare system in which those most in need were losing out.
All the while the banks continued to pay excessive bonuses, Vodafone, Starbucks & Google made millions by avoiding paying any tax, and MP's voted themselves an eleven per cent pay increase. And men such as this from all parties rented out the flats in London paid for by the nation near the House of Commons to others while claiming expenses of thousands of pounds for hotel accommodation.  In short the rich have got richer while the rest suffer.  Today the Conservative papers tell us business leaders are afraid of the Labour Parties ideas, no wonder, they have had huge increases while the workers have not!

On top of the usual rhetoric (that is a Greek word which today means 'Lies') we now have a different situation at this election.  It is possible you may have noticed the referendum last year in which Scotland was asked to vote on Independence from the imperialist English.  This would mean Scotland becoming totally independent and leaving the UK to sink into it's own morass.  However the Westminster government, the opposition and all in London got together to lie through the media to the Scots people and forced a rejection of this fine idea on Scotland.  Promises and vows were made, the day afterwards they were instantly broken!
Now however the reaction to the treatment of Scotland from these broken vows has led to an upsurge in support for the Scottish national Party (SNP).  It is now expected that instead of a handful of seats in the Westminster House of Commons the SNP may have up to FIFTY members there!  
Add to this the closeness of the debate in England with the Conservatives under David Cameron the unwanted leader struggling to gain support and with a dying Liberal Democrat Party (the other member of the coalition) the fear is that the SNP and Labour might win a majority in the House.  If so it is likely they will work together to improve the UK by changing the world by seeking an equilibrium of wealth. The rich paying more tax hurts the Conservative media, caring for the poor and ensuring a fairer welfare state upsets those who wish to keep what they have no matter how others suffer.  
Worse still is the racist attitudes that abound in the 'Daily Mail' and 'Daily Telegraph.'  Both these papers are screaming that it is wrong for a democratically elected party like the SNP to govern England!  These being the very people happy for unelected Conservatives to govern Scotland! 
Even US politics is not so absurd as this!
One Scottish MP who helped construct the Scottish parliament announced that 'We structured it in a way that would stop the SNP gaining control."  However the people gave the SNP control of the Scottish parliament with a massive majority, now these same people are afraid it will happen in London.
Shame!
I look forward to the seats filled with cheering SNP men demanding Independence in the face of the imperialists who stopped it by lies once before!

In my own constituency we have a new man whatever happens the previous MP standing down after being caught waggling his willie over the internet to pretty girls.  This above is the man most likely to win this seat, the previous man had an 18,000 majority, and I suspect he will have a good win also. However the feeble Labour support will come out I suppose, the Lib-Dem will probably lose his deposit, as will the Independent and the Green candidate will get a handful of votes. However the biggest danger to this man is the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) The 'Tea Party of England!    
This is a collection of individuals, mostly xenophobic Englishmen, who consider the nation to be overrun with foreigners, that England, sorry Britain, should leave the European Union and stand alone and be great again as in times past. Fair to say most of their support comes from the districts with less immigrants than anywhere else and that these people are always happy to have a curry at the weekend.
Many of these candidates and their supporters are one time members of the Conservative Party who disagreed with Cameron's approach, especially lumping same-sex marriage unwelcome on the nation. Some it is clear are so far to the right and make Margaret Thatcher appear Communist but most are decent enough folk who long for a past that never existed.  It is true to say the world they grew up in has long gone, although it would have changed anyway with or without immigrants, and the PC approach calling them 'racist' because they questioned immigration treated them with a great deal of disrespect and has led to many far right groups, mostly thugs, walking the streets.  A fair and balanced approach never occurred and the 'Daily Mail' and others have encouraged anger by lurid headlines, sometimes based on facts and always slanted to what the reader wished to see.
A balanced approach has not been heard in public at any time.

At the last election I was embarrassed to vote for any of them, but we MUST vote, and looking at this motley lot lined up so far I am going to be embarrassed again.  If only the 'Official Monster Raving Loony Party, ' or maybe the 'Church of the Militant Elvis party' were standing, I would certainly vote for one of these! 

I avoided speaking to this erstwhile candidate today, asking him how much he hoped to make on expenses might have sounded rude.  Asking why he keeps his present councillor job (at a good rate) for a year would be a question he already has a lie lined up for and may end up with the conversation descending into farce as his heavies shoved me away.
I just came home and looked at my books, twentypence for two slightly damaged books is good.   

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Chant, Election and Art

Gregorian chant is a delightful sound in the background.  So many choices, often of professionally made albums not by monks, spoil the selection but this one is genuine enough.  Played in the background it can ease the pressures of the day - or drive you up the wall!

Jeremy Hunt

One reason to play light relaxing sounds comes from the election propaganda shoved down our throats by the media.  Lies, promises, bribes continually fill the press and some are fooled into believing what these self seeking liars say.  I am not!  Today we read in the Sunday Telegraph the minister responsible for the NHS claiming he is bringing in reforms to end the deaths caused in the NHS by mistakes, poor care and incompetence, deaths he numbered at around 12,00 a year. 

Twelve thousand! !2, 000 deaths and not one prosecution?  'Something must be done' is his cry, while blaming the previous Labour government (who have been out of office for Five years!) and not acknowledging his governments failed 'top down' changes which are responsible for so much of the mess in the NHS. He also forgot the privatisation (and he has shares in US private companies he wishes to use in the NHS) which his party's ideology favours.  

Let's go back to this, 12,000 deaths caused by mistakes and incompetence and nothing is done as it is all hushed up by the powers that be?  I worked in the NHS some time back and am aware mistakes occur daily, overwork causes this, and nobody can be perfect.  I am also aware things are hushed up, sometimes to save a doctors reputation, mostly to save the NHS paying out any compensation.  Cover ups come not from staff so much as office dwellers who care nothing for anyone bar themselves!  Why have no charges been brought by police to those responsible?  Why no investigations?  If so many are dying why are the police not bringing charges?

No charges will be brought, this is merely another PR stunt by the caring Conservative Party who promise so much, easy promises are their main PR, and nothing will happen except a few cosmetic changes while the girls (and it's mostly girls) running the NHS line their pockets, pass the buck and patients suffer.

  BBC

This bright but badly drawn painting by Paul Gaugin has been sold to a museum in Qatar for £197 million ($300).  It is believed they also bought a Cezanne for £158 recently.  If this shows anything it reveals the depth of stupidity and corruption in the art world.  It reveals how arrogance and pride dent the thinking abilities of the human mind.  Now 'art' has its place.  It can be useful, decorative and decent art is worth a reward.  However much of what passes for 'art' is not art, it is just selling to stupid people with too much money and a sponge where their brain should be.  

The painting shown is one of many the artist offered while sunbathing in the Pacific, each one rather naive and usually of half naked women.  He could at least have drawn them properly!  However there exists those who consider art worth having, some because they like it, some because they must have what is important as this gives value to their empty lives and some because they have too much money and too little taste.

Art is merely what you like.  Sure some is better than others, talented artists abound, but in the end it either 'speaks to you' or it doesn't.  Most of what is art today reflects a dead culture but many admire it as it is where they are sadly to be found, but they do not realise this yet.  The Damien Hurts of this world are not artists as such even if talented, these are people who have realsied that getting a famous name makes you rich, the art that follows can be meaningless but they know it will sell.

Francis Bacon was clearly mental yet people pay millions for the results of his damaged brain, Edward Munch could not draw yet the 'Scream' was sold for £74 million and Jackson Pollock did not even bother pretending to draw, just squiggles on the floor made his name.  

Why pride should require an outlet in overpriced art fails me, if only it would spend its money on something worth looking at, there is plenty around.  

Democracy in Action

The voting paper had two folds in it, opened out it was over a foot long, all the major parties and quite a few loony's were on offer.  "Right," said I as the young ladies at the desk proffered the paper and gave instructions on its use,"Where is the Scottish Nationalist?"  One of the girls sighed quietly.  I fear she believed me.  The choice entered with a big 'X' in the usual manner of a Hibernian footballer signing his name I vacated the premises.  Voting takes place in the Museum Hall and my Big Boss who is in charge of the operation informed me the day had been light (about ten thirty) and no-one ventured over the door until half an hour had passed.  Rather unusual for here even allowing for the increasing number of postal votes.  The EU election does not go down well.

The main parties were all represented and I did not want any off them. However a vote for UKIP, racists in suits, does influence government policy as the Conservatives are terrified they will lose out to them. Indeed the right-wing media has spent the last weeks attacking UKIP at every opportunity but offering absolutely no Tory policies!  That tells you the fear at Conservative HQ.  A while back I wrote to the local member of parliament and in the middle of the letter I mentioned "..it was brave of you to vote for the 'Bedroom tax' when UKIP as so strong in this area..."  he did not reply!  Personally I think we should vote for UKIP, I believe in England for the English!  The best thing for them to do would be to give £250,000 to everyone else and send them back to their own country, but wait until after September.

Is it not funny how in Afghanistan people queued for hours to vote, knowing that bombs could explode at any time, rifle fire could break out and death was minutes away yet in the UK such an important vote leaves us bored or disinterested.  People died in various parts of the British Isles over many years to get us the right to select which lying rogue will represent us, or here put their nose in the trough, yet we stay at home.   Always vote, but I would like a 'None of the above' added at the bottom.

Possibly the insistence of the Police helicopter to hover over my head when I was sleeping working had some connection to the crowds waiting patiently to vote.  It could be spite on the pilots part as I have yelled at him to sling it before now as these brutes are noisy.  It looks like he is watching us but more likely his cameras are aimed a mile or so further down the main road, away from us and towards some drug dealing types who are moving into the area. These are not welcomed here especially as a recent murder was caused by this. Rarely do the constabulary explain why they make such a fuss, not that I am nosey,  but I do ask!  
Ha! Acting suspiciously.  Here is the reason and naturally he deafens us while watching something a mile away, typical!  Nobody arrested and thousands spent.  Is it cheaper to put police on the ground I wonder?

Up The Pole

For a change I removed my bulk from the chair and wandered the streets looking for unusual things to photograph.  The sun is out, the weather delicious, the sky blue and having sat in the park studying the near naked mothers with their brats book on local history I took with me I was not in need of lounging around again.  Not if they react like this mornings mums did anyway!  So I strolled around and became captivated once again by the manner in which BT keep the phone lines operating in this country.  The simple elegant manner in which the operators sling wires over the road is a wonder to see.  Whether these lines reach the correct phone is not revealed from here but that van containing the perplexed BT man is often working around this area.  Still the confused wires against the blue of the sky captivate my eye.  One wire in the wrong place could lead to people speaking to the lamp instead of course.

As I sat ogling pondering this morning I considered the reaction to the election.  UKIP, The United Kingdom Independence Party, scored many victories in parts of white England that finds itself crowded with East Europeans.  Lincolnshire in particular took them to its heart.  Overall the idea of UKIP as a contender does not now appears likely but their use as a 'protest vote' mostly against Cameron's Conservatives has been successful.  Poor Dave is now so worried he appears on screen totally calm and happily accepting he cannot just insult UKIP, as indeed he has been doing.  Indoors he will be seeking directorships with which to line his pockets after the next General Election.  He has many friends in the City of course.  UKIP won a few seats here, but not ours.  The Labour man came second by a mere 31 votes, and UKIP were 150 behind.  However in South Shields, where the Labour Party were bound to win the By-Election the Lib-Dems came so low as to gain less votes than the BNP, the British National Party!  The other side of town gave their man here 36 votes, which shows how big his family and friend reach appears to be.  The nation is shaken, although only one in four bothered to vote here, and the three out of four who didn't will no doubt be the first to whine.  

Sunshine planned for the weekend, a bank holiday with sunshine, it has never been known!
 
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