Dementia and Fascism...

Guardian

 

This man is Steve Thompson, he won the Rugby World Cup in 2003, that's 17 years ago, and now appears to be suffering dementia.  Rugby Union has always been a rough sport.  Middle Class men showing off their strength to one other and to themselves, barging into one another with gay abandon and making light of injuries recieved and given, sometimes because of the game, sometimes deliberately to hurt.  The Gentleman's Sport!

I have always seen rugby union as rough, an excuse for violent attitudes to be released yet disguised as 'sport.' And since the introduction of 'professionalism' a few years ago the game got harder and more violent.  Big, well prepared men banging into one another cannot be expected to avoid long term damage.  Professionalism introduced larger, fitter, and bigger men, into the game.  Only now are we seeing the results.

Much publicity has been gven to football for old men suffering dementia, heading the ball is given as the reason.  Personally I accept that may well play a part, esepecially with those who were introduced to football via the Brown Leather 'Filly' Ball that once was the only option.  This ball, a mere pound in weight, soon doubled its weight as water and mud off the grubby pitches stuck.  The fact that pitches were not level, heavy with mud and water all added up to a heavy weight and this caused the ball to spend much more time in the air thus endangering those who were required to deal with it.  A 'Filly' hitting you in the face, even on a good day, could knock you out, as I once discovered!  The potential damage to centre halves in particular must have been serious.

Since the late 50's however a new type of ball was introduced, white in colour, easier to see, lighter, more resistant to gathering water, yet still with much improvements required.   The 'T' Ball was soon replaced by the 'Mitre' ball and in the last 20 years al sorts of ball made from a variety of substances have been introduced, thus lighter for the players and more hazardous for the goalkeepers as this type of ball swerves in the air more often.  

Several great Heart of Midlothian players have suffered this way, it is not known how many suffered in years that went before, as there are many ways to die, the NHS has in these times has given us a longer lifespan than that enjoyed by men of yore.  Yet not all old men suffer dementia, indeed many more women suffer this as any geriactric ward will testify, and they from a variety of backgrounds and intellectual levels.  David Holt, the great Hearts left back of the early 60's was seen in the paper recently, at 82, continuing to live with a normal brain capacity.  Laurie Reilly, the Hibernian centre forward died at 84 also fully in control of his mind so far as is known.  Indeed close to his death he was still working on match days as a 'welcomer' to the club visitors. 

Therefore it is not just heading a ball that needs investigation, there are many other threats that lead to dementia, what could they be?  Until around 1970 most men in football would have begun with the 'Filly' ball, men in rugby would have begun in the amateur game but the headbanging would have been similar throughout time.  Men born in the 30's may well have endured a poor upbringing, large family, poor nourishment, war rations, even military service, and I supect most, if not all, smoked.  Beer drinking also may have been constant and most men would finish their career by the age of 32 or so.

Later generations have learned about diet, fitness and health care but not all had such luxuries in the past.  So, how much does family background, age, diet and other possible infuelces have on dementia? It is likely banging heads in rugby, especially since the professional game began, has had effects, it is likely those heading the old ball in the past had an effect, yet not all suffer dementia.  

It is terrible to watch people suffer, and I am a wee bit unsure about those jumping to conclusions re the cause as they are doing at the minute.  Much more in depth research is required, not a tabloid led 'knee-jerk response.

 

The New European

 

You may not have know that the Labour Party had a 'Shadow Minister for Faith,' I did not even know we had a 'Minister for Faith,' but there again so many people are required to pretend there is a governing class that you never can be sure of what those MPs in Westminster are actually doing.  

This one, whatever else she did, if indeed she did anything at all, commented that "...that registrars who have a religious objection to same-sex marriages should be protected from losing their jobs if they refuse to certify the partnership."  Howls of anguish from the gay lobby!  Such howls that she has now 'stood down' from her role and claims she 'apologised sincerely for misjudged remarks.'

Really?

Misjudged?  Who says so?  Blatant discrimination against the conscience, now passed into Law, is clear and wrong, yet when this is stated she has to go?  We live today in a fascist state.  The morals of the people have no centre, they rely soley on what is most popular at the time, the idea of 'right and wrong' have been removed and replaced blatanly in front of us by 'Political Correctness,' a false morality that accepts what is wrong and rejects anyone who indicates that this is so.  Hence the murder of children kileld by abortion and the feeble excuses offered for this crime, the acceptance of same-sex marriage and gay behaviour as if it were normal.  The abuse of those who indicate such abnormal behaviour is unnatural is now common.  The lunatics now run the asylum.  

The vast majority keep quiet, not wishing to get into trouble, politicians join in as they want votes, the courts and media, now run by Oxbridge graduates who emerged in the 60's and 70's smoking dope and releasing their own problems onto the world now oppose those who speak the truth, they fail to understand why anyone would disagree with their view.  An open mind is not allowed in a Nazi state.  Soon the books will be getting burnt, look out for that down your street, it will be too late to object then.

I note this women stood down, offering feeble apologies so she might get another job later.  She spoke the truth but she clearly has no faith stronger than 'Look after number one.'  I suspect we will see her again, but she will not be worth listening to. 

 

Good News and Bad, for Some.

Another Edinburgh Derby, another Derby played at Hampden, another victory for the Heart of Midlothian.  Rain, storm, offside goals and dives for penalties did not cease the onward advance of the men in maroon.  

Indeed it was ever thus, since the first cup final between these two clubs, the Heart of Midlothian winning by 1 - 3 at Logie Green Road, and in all subsequent major semi and finals the Heart of Midlothian succeed.  The last final was in 2012 where the wee team bravely lasted until the end of the game, not counting the one sent off, and lost by 5 goals to 1.  Tee Hee, it is inevitable the Big Team will win such games.

Look at the overall record.

 

1896

 

Since the first meeting between these clubs at the East Meadow in Edinburgh on Christmas Day 1875, which the Heart of Midlothian won by one goal to nil, success has always been with the men in maroon.  So far some 651 game have been played between the sides, the Heart of Midlothian winning 286 Hibs 206, mostly with the help of biased referees.  6 games were abandoned, the Hibs went home when the could not take another beating, or complained it was 'too cold.'   The Hearts have scored some 1100 goals and with the help off dubious penalties and their friendly linesmen Hibs have accrued, what they say, is 924 goals.  Hmmm.  In simple terms what this means is that if Hibernian wish to win as many games as us it could take them 20 years to catch up, but as you realise, that will never happen.

 

The sad news regarding the passing of Sean Connery is not a surprise, he was 90.  However, he is without a doubt the best actor Scotland has produced and will forever be 'James Bond' to one and all. He went from a milk round, horse and cart and all, to 'Dr No' and Ursilla Andress.  Not bad for a milkman.  He delivered in Comley Bank for the 'St Cuthberts Dairy,' my dad did the same round for 'The Edinburgh & Dumfrieshire Dairy,' known as the 'Dummy.'  He went from that to the United Wire Works.'  It does not seen fair...

 

 

I will not mention this, just in case the folks in Taffs Well are listening....

Empty Market, Bad Weather and English Losers.

Not long after eight this morning I left Sainsburys and wandered through the town, today being Market Day I wanted to see what pap was on offer.  As you can see nothing was on offer!  The Wednesday fruit stall was out on a Saturday but the two Saturday fruit stalls were not.  A fish van could be seen in the usual spot but nothing else.
I wandered around the corner to find the town quiet, even at that time Saturday is busy, and no stalls to be found.  Not even the van with the Key cutting man was there.  All had taken the day off because of the threatened weather.
A couple of years ago, you may remember, bad weather attacked the nation, the press and many others were upset that they had not been warned.  In fact there was little to be done, weather forecasts had spoken of problems and these had been greater than imagined.  Today, with a months rain falling occasionally in a day, 'Yellow Warnings' are being posted for the slightest hint of poor weather.  We are under one now.  Winds of 40 miles an hour accompanied by rain showers were to blow us away, knock down trees, houses and scaffolding and kill us all.  It has not happened.  Certainly high winds have passed through here, 20 - 25 mph I would guess, and reports elsewhere of occasional gusts of much higher winds have been heard, the disaster foretold however has as yet not revealed itself.
I think we have moved away from caution into a world of neurosis.  Storms are now given silly names like Nigel or Suzanne rather than just 'Storms.'  'Yellow Warnings' are less to warn than to avoid blame when storms arrive.  This could in time lead to complacency as the warnings constantly are overblown, the same people of course will be first to complain!
As we speak the wind is around 15 mph, no rain is falling here and dog walkers watch their charges ruffle the piles of leaves all around the park.  Almost a normal Saturday in November, but with very little of a market to attend.  Tesco and Sainsburys will be happy however.

Most unfortunate.
For much of this week the papers have been filled with fawning items regarding England's win in the Rugby World Cup.  Day after day it has taken up much space in the online press but I suspect this will dwindle somewhat as the day passes by.  I note some have covered the loss well, making it a loss, not a defeat you note, that is the tactic well known to those who read reports of Rangers and Celtic games, and apart from not liking the referee, why? there appears little reason for the English hordes to whimper.  Mind you, I have just noticed the sporting fashion in which the losers refused to wear their Losers medals!  Refusing to wear them like decent folks would do?  How petty!  What does that say about this game, this team and xenophobic Englishmen everywhere?
Anyway, it's only rugby, a game the 'Hooray Henry's' play, not real people...

My BT Problem, Rugby Problems

This contained my BT problem.  This little box and the wire connected to it prevented me from receiving calls from people offering me tax refunds, changing bank accounts and allowing me to buy anti-virus supported by Microsoft.  All this, plus one or two nuisance calls - the family - because one wire was frayed and required replacing.
The new building next door has been awaiting connection to the mainline for some time but nothing could happen until the new telegraph pole (telegraph, what's that?) was installed.  That occurred Sunday and today the BT Outreach man arrived to plug them in.  Last night my great nephew contacted me via facebook, he is now an outreach engineer and he checked the line confirming a fault.  How he did this from near Edinburgh I did not ask as technology is beyond me.
Today I mentioned the fault to the engineer, made an online fault report, and almost immediately everything went dead!
You canny say they are not fast!
Within a short while all returned including the dead phone.
The men had installed the new line next door, found the corrupted wire, replaced this with new wire and all is well.  All in a mornings work.  Well done Outreach.
The internet and the football it contains, sorry I mean contact with friends and family it contains is important.  My life is lived through the web these days.  For instance when it went dead I had just found on Twitter a new relevant to the museum site concerning this area, the web is great for that.
So many good things but while it was down I was so lost I almost cleaned the fridge!
How sad can one get?
Of course now all is well I am not using the phone until tomorrow, when it is free for an hour...

Discrimination is rife in the world of Rugby Union Football.  One Australian player made a, somewhat rough, statement regarding the end for gays, atheists, liars, drunks and others when they die and meet Christ Jesus, reject the offer of life in Christ Jesus and Hell awaits.  This was a simple biblical statement certainly made in a 'straightforward' manner and has naturally brought upon his head the opposition of the gay lobby and the politically correct fear of the rugby authorities who do not wish anyone to attack them.  Israel Folau an Australian  rugby union international may well lose his position as the nations most important player because of his opinion.  In the rush to be seen as innocent of all charges his own team bosses are 'making enquiries' as to the matter.  I short washing their hands Pilate like.  Rugby is a man's game, especially in Australia, what a shame so few men lead the organisation running it and appear to be in charge of his own club.  
Folau has made it clear he will oppose any attempt to fire him from his rugby international contract, quite rightly, and we must now wait and see if the brave men running the game there will stand up for him and his right to free speech or run from the gay lobby and dump him.  
In England, Billy Vunipola, another rugby playing Christian, has defended Folau's right to speak.  He too now finds himself up before the authorities for offering biblical truth to the world led by the gay lobby that would reject truth.
We now live in a world in which biblical truth is pushed aside for 'political correctness,' that is the social pressure led by the gay lobby forcing the people to accept their demand to be accepted as they are, though no Christian has not done so, and bullying anyone, especially Christians who continue to point out God's views on the subject.  We are corralled into accepting their opinion and afraid to speak out against it.  Hitler's Germany had a similar approach to opposition.

What is the biblical view?
All men and women are born sinners, no-one will be saved on the day we face Christ Jesus, not one!
Therefore as we are totally lost God himself came down to earth in human form, lived some 30 years or so on earth facing the same problems we face, never sinned and gave up his own life after being hounded, arrested, beaten, ridiculed, scourged, and crucified, always offering forgiveness to his enemies, and dying on the cross as the price to pay for our, yours and mine, sin.  Our nature put him on the cross, only a perfect man can stand and none exist, Jesus, fully man and fully God took our punishment, was separated from his father, and the Father from him, so you and I could have an opportunity of salvation.
On the third day he rose again, he being sinless could not remain there, our sin could.
When he rose he offered 'repentance' the chance to change our ways and follow him and receive forgiveness and then by his grace the Holy Spirit who will lead us into a new life.  His life is hard but in the end glorious.  Even now it has its moments.  Nothing compares with knowing Christ Jesus, the living God!
Those who ignore or reject this offer then stand alone before God on that day that comes to us all, only their perfection will enable them to stand, and none are perfect.  One sin rejects us, how many have you?    
The chance of a new life is available, Folau and Vinipola have found this life and will suffer for it, all Christians do.  One day God will receive them through Jesus sacrifice, they wish all others, gays, drunks, liars, even politicians, to be save also, we have one life let us make the correct choice.

Sunday Blether

Being stuck indoors while avoiding food adverts on TV I realise once again just how poor TV is at the weekend.  It is bad enough during the week but at weekends it actually gets worse!  To fill the schedule many channels are filled with just one programme with 20 or so episodes churned out all day then repeated.  What fun to watch a whole day of 'Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away,' or 'The Big Bang Theory,' or 'Monkey Life.'  The last I suggest the inside story of TV producers working on ideas to fill their screens.  There is the occasional sporting event to be found, a documentary that has only been seen seven times before might brighten the day and watching the news channels struggling to make headlines out of nothing more than local news is a bit of a giggle.  
However even if we have the iPlayer and other channels repeat opportunities it is a poor show that weekend TV is just awful.  I realise there are videos, DVDs and such that entertain many but surely there is better available at the weekend than this pap?

I remained indoors today pleading weakness from not eating yesterday.  Some would suggest the weakness was there already and I fail to find an argument fitting to that one.  The annoying thing is that I did have a decent exercise the other day and was looking to more of same to come.  Each time I start exercising something goes wrong.  I think I am meant to be a fat slob!  With the Rugby League Cup game on at the moment, something I rarely watch but the only thing worth having on, I look at the players and the men on the bench and note that while I am of similar weight to them they are bristling with muscle and none possess a beer belly.  From what I see of the fans few of them are so endowed.  Maybe I should take up the game?  
In the 1860's football fell into two parts, the game had been played for years, hundreds of years in one manner or another, but then there came the 'Toffs' who agreed an accepted form of rules the Laws of which form the basis still today.  Most were happy to play this form of 'Association Football' but some, Blackheath amongst them, felt that not being allowed to 'hack' failed in so far it stopped men learning to 'take it' and play on with a 'stiff upper lip.'  They chose to join the handling game which became 'Rugby Football.'  Until the later days of the century many did not get a Saturday afternoon off work, however some ceased work around lunchtime.  This meant that men playing either game lost money by taking time off, money they could not afford to lose.  Fine for the 'toffs' who had plenty but men required cash and payments soon began to be paid to players 'under the counter.'  This upset the middle classes who did not require payment and many who honestly thought of sport as an amateur enjoyment not a paid profession, trouble soon erupted.  By the end of the century football came to accept players being paid, many until then were signed by clubs and given jobs close by, whether they did much work other than play football is uncertain.  That system continued long after professionalism was legal but it was used to increase players wages.  In Rugby however a different attitude arose.  The class system caused the middle classes to become jealous that the common types were taking to football and so strenuous efforts were made to ensure Rugby did not tolerate players being paid.  Up north however rugby players required cash and soon Rugby Union for the middle classes became separate from Rugby League run by and for the Working Classes.  A sad day but one the middle classes held onto for many years.  Only in the last thirty years has rugby in the UK accepted payment much to the detriment of many local clubs.  In Scotland there exists only two senior rugby union cubs, Edinburgh and Glasgow, all the clubs that reared the famous faces in the past are regarded as small fry.  The same is true in England where many known names have been reduced to a whimper.
Football benefited from payments even though much mishandling by football authorities and boards was to be seen along the way.  Today some areas are awash with cash and while huge clubs get bigger the smaller, and in my view the 'real' clubs are suffering hanging on the coat tails.  Money is a good thing when used to benefit all, alas we are all sinners and far too much is abused by all.

  

"Snigger" Sunday

I failed to cross the threshold till dusk was falling tonight.  Not for the first time my Sunday has not been what I wished it to be!  The sun shone brightly outside but foolishly I watched mediocre football instead of striding around in possibly the last sun of the year.  Ah well walking in the cool of the day when few people pass by is a good thing.  The gray like sky was blue when I shut the door but darkening by the minute as I caught the trailers of people rushing for late holidays in the sun or heading back home for work in Edinburgh or Belfast tomorrow.  Flying in the dark is not as much fun as in the day, I like to watch the earth pass me by way down below.

I awoke to a man chattering on about writing letters.  The thrust of his chatter concerned people no longer scrawling words onto paper and sending the epistle in an envelope to a recipient and how awful this is.  Today we send e-mails or even texts, those can can work text or understand text speak that is, and for many this is now a crime.  No more heartless informal e-mails they cry, get a pen and write it all down.
I disagree.
Indeed receiving a letter though the post is a great joy, I received one myself only the other day and after carefully steaming open the letter, reading how much they wished me to pay, I resealed it and wrote "Not Known" on the front and sent it back.  Receiving a letter is always a good thing if from a friend or if it contains something of value.  However since the telephone became popular in the late 60's and commonplace by the 70's and with the mobile phone that doubles as a computer writing letters is a needless action much of the time.  People can speak via the phone or text/send e-mail or just ignore you as they do me.  The requirement to sit down and cogitate on a letter no longer exists.
When a postman I reckoned one day I had three 'letters' to deliver, all the rest were routine stuff, bills, banks, birthday cards etc, as these need papers copies or contain gifts, letters as such are overtaken by e-mail.  
I like letters but I prefer e-mail as it is quicker, cheaper and gets a quick answer, usually!  However if any young woman wishes to write to me in a perfumed £20 note please note I am willing to rush downstairs and collect it when the postie gets here!

You will have noticed how the world is laughing at England just now.  The imperialists considered this was their world cup and took it for granted they would win it.  The bombast over playing Wales fell flat when the Welsh stuffed them good.  Murmurings were heard everywhere as this was not supposed to happen.  It wasn't in the script prepared by the media and the people.  The build up to the game with Australia is best summed up by 'The Sun.'

Naturally the Aussies stuffed them and stuffed them right good at that!  How the tears flowed!  Now when your side loses a big game it does hurt however when you for reasons unknown believe you will win and believe you are better than all the others in spite of the facts to watch your suffering becomes a delight to those trampled by your imperialism in days gone by, such as yesterday!  How the English cannot believe they have lost, how they weep and wail, how the search for scapegoats and demand hanging is brought back.  The fact is it is only rugby and not that important, but it is good to see them suffer, not that I enjoy this in any way whatsoever.

 
"snigger"

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A Gloamin to Roam in...

All day I lingered indoors.  The Lurgi still lay its cold hand on my shoulder and I had no care for wandering abroad.  My passport is lost in the drawer anyway so I slunk around the home.  My ear aches as wax has built up and nothing moves it, not even the stuff that is supposed to move it.  My mood therefore has lessened from last night when I spent needless time enjoying the English suffering from a rugby defeat by Wales.  Especially as the arrogant ones were boasting of their victory before it had arrived.  The Welsh, in spite of several men being carried off injured, came from behind to win an outstanding victory, and the world rejoiced, certainly in Wales, Scotland and Ireland!  Gloating over the fall of an enemy is a bad thing but I managed to suffer that last night.  The morning papers, desperate to speak of a victory instead hunted for a scapegoat in the normal manner.  In Wales they just hunted for something to ease the hangover!

Anyway I was unable to watch Scotland crushing the USA rugby team, even though this was the first time I heard the USA had a rugby team, as I fell asleep for a long time and missed the game.  The idea of falling asleep appears a good one to me at the moment.  Tonight after damaging my eyes on the laptop I suddenly decided to go out roaming in the glaoming.  At seven the darkness had already fallen and I grabbed the wee camera and crossed the park.  Nothing special about the sunset tonight but behind was a huge glowing moon awaiting three in the morning when it turns into a 'blood moon' and excites folks world wide.  Sadly my camera failed to capture this and I have a variety of wee bright dots, some shaky, against a lot of darkness and this is somewhat unsatisfactory.  

The air was however very 'summery,' indeed almost warm, but not quite, and I wandered about looking for a sky to photograph.  A dog walker in the gloaming far off, a man with a child wondering home seen through the gloom and a light here and there in a distant window.  The peacefulness found on a Sunday evening is heightened as kids are forced to stay indoors and prepare for school tomorrow.     

The churches gathered together in the Salvation Army hall for a meeting tonight, and I was trying to picture the light in the darkness but this was all I got.  I wondered how many gathered tonight and was tempted to go myself as I could not get out again this morning.  I noticed the 'Wagon & Horses' had only four occupants as I passed, one couple and two single men.  How lonely a life when it is spent finding company in a pub on a Sunday night?  I once knew many who were like that in London. Cricklewood in the seventies was full of Irishmen who went from work to the many cafe's for a decent cheap dinner and to the pub at night as they had nothing else to do.  Irish women preferred more sophisticated men, that is non labourers, so there were many lonely Irishmen there at the time.  The pubs were always full.  London, like most cities, is one of the loneliest places in the world. 

I suspect that area once a mixture of rich and poor has now been gentrified and the poorer lads have been heaved out and houses will no longer offer 'bedsits' having been turned into expensive properties.

 

I limped back the way I had come, again failing to capture the moon.  This of course is the last of the four 'blood moons' that some believe herald Christs return.  This could well be the case.  In Matthew he speaks of such events, famines, earthquakes and wars before his return.  I cheered me somewhat that he will come and we will see him again.  It also made me realise how much  I must change before he comes, and I am becoming convinced we will see him ourselves!  There are many false prophets, wise people research to check the false from the real as Jesus will return, and wishes you to be waiting for him.  I hope we are all ready as this is life, in between the earache and bad knees, that nothing else can equal.

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Tedious Saturday

You may be surprised to hear I spent most of my time today listening or watching to football.  I had little energy to do anything else.  While watching West Ham United defeat Manchester City to many peoples surprise I also attempted to fix the other laptop.  This I considered finished and then I began to download Windows 10 onto it in an effort to complete the healing process and also to finally remove !in 8.1 and it's awkwardness.  Hours ago, long before the teams took the field I began.  Hours later we are still at the 'Upgrading Windows' bit.  40% completed it claims while still only on the 'installing features & drivers bit.'  I suspect I may be here for some time and the electric bill will be screaming at me soon!
However I see some satisfaction.  By not getting the anti virus in quick enough I found I had those annoying advert that arise whenever you attempt to search something.  I also encountered some difficulty downloading items but that I believe was because 'McAfee' was used as an antivirus and had established itself everywhere already thus stopping other things working.  We shall soon (maybe) see if I have overcome this after removing as much of 'McAfee' as I can find.  He, like 'Norton' like to get in everywhere and must be removed item by item.  This means my emergency laptop will soon be ready, once new Memory is installed, to work properly.  I used 'Crucial' as it is efficient to get memory however the brute is not allowing me to log in constantly telling me my password etc is wrong.  I change it and it is still wrong.  They want shooting I say. I will fix that later, when I can be bothered.

Visit London

In days to come people will ask, where were you when Japan defeated mighty South Africa in the Rugby World Cup?  I will answer "Watching West Ham defeat Manchester City like normal people would be."  If they ask whether I watched the opening ceremony (I never watch the tedious opening ceremonies) I will say "I was watching St Mirren lose to Raith Rovers like normal people would be!"
And if they foolishly ask about GB beating Aussieland at Tennis I will say "What?"  "I'm sorry, I was having a life!"

p.s. The Kiwis will win the rugby anyway, they always do!

Saturday Cogitation

Watching England v Wales rugby match I noticed two princes were there supporting England.  I wondered what would happen if one of them became 'Prince of Wales?' Would he still support England? His dad has hardly ever been in the 'principality.' (and why is it called 'Principality,'and not 'nation?' How condescending of their English overlords.) since his 'anointing!' Another point was the use of the 'British' national anthem by the England side. Why is this? Does England not have it's own anthem, or do we conclude they still believe, wrongly I assure you, that England and Britain are one and the same? I know their rugby folks attempted to use both 'Jerusalem,' a city four thousand miles away, and 'Swing low sweet chariot,' what we used to call a 'Negro spiritual,' as an anthem, (although the Speech Nazi's no longer allow us to use this term.) And, when we are on, why does one prince have red hair? His dad is not ginger is he? I do hope no ginger footballer is involved here, what would the 'Daily Mail' say?  

As you will know by now I am not the type to get grumpy every time some little irritation appears near my ken, however I must admit that when watching television the constant desire of each TV director and cameraman to shove the camera close into a persons face annoys me. Not only do we no longer see the individual properly, they move, and as they move so does the camera and instead of a picture we get the sensation of giddiness so beloved of females in Victorian melodramas! AND THIS ANNOYS ME, SO STOP IT NOW!!!! If I have a sudden desire to notice the hair sticking out of someone's nose I WILL VISIT A PSYCHIATRIST! If however I want to notice the individual I will want the camera pulled back so we can all see what they are like, not just the bits shoved in our face! 

Yet this has happened ever since TV became popular in the fifties. In 1957, I read recently, a complaint was made in the Radio Times asking why we had the face of an individual filling the screen? This was a complaint that TV people chose to ignore determined to believe that this aided our understanding of the lying politician or football star involved. In fact nowadays there is a move to just watch the eyes! An excellent documentary on Channel 5 some years ago concerning the RAF and WW2 was spoiled by the needless close up of the eyes, and often just one eye of an ex-fighter pilot! What the blazes was that supposed to tell us? Be a pilot and get red ageing eyes? Sir Alex Ferguson is one who is often subject to this. Most opportunities to give us the benefit of his ever purpling nose is never missed, and if possible, the camera will slowly close in on his eyes, and then, wait for it, we will be presented with a close up of the iris and pupil filling our screen! Marvellous, except WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE WATCHING THE BLOODY GAME!!!!!!! I despair at times with the stupidity of TV folk. They live in a bubble far removed from those of us in the real world. I suspect that we will have to get used to glaring faces frightening our children for many years to come.

England and the English

The United Kingdom comprises four nations. Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England. In the eyes of the world it comes all to often under the name 'England.' The sad thing is, it comes under that name also in the minds of far too many Englishmen! The Irish troubles are well known, and the separation of the six Ulster counties in the nineteen twenties was supposed to end the conflict there. It failed, only political means will do so. Wales was absorbed almost unnoticed a thousand years ago by the aggressive land grabbing English King Edward I. He tried this on Scotland also and was not just rebuffed but defeated by William Wallace. Robert the Bruce later confirmed Scotland as a free nation by defeating Edwards feeble descendant at Bannockburn. (At this point it is permissible to shout 'Hooray!')

Since then England wormed away at the neighbour to the north, with every intention of being the dominant partner. King James VI became the sovereign head of both nations in the 1600s, while the union of the parliaments was forced by economic and diplomatic strangulation in 1707.
The first prevented needless wars, the second was intended to destroy Scotland altogether. It failed! Scotland ignored the attempt to refer to her as 'North Britain' and remained proudly Scots, the people working with Calvinistic effort to build a new world. Scotland led the way in the 'Enlightenment' with Edinburgh becoming the 'Athens of the North' with her abundance of thinking men. The Scots worked throughout the now 'United Kingdom,' teaching in the churches and building what was to become the 'Empire.' They, along with the Welsh and Irish were found in every sphere, arts, business, sport, music and religion. Without them England would never have become the 'workshop of the world.'

Yet to listen to the TV or radio it appears we are all 'English!' 'We' they tell us, have suffered defeat in Russia at the football, against South Africa (where 'we' were cheated), and in the F1 race where Hamilton (a Scots name) failed. 'We?' Scotland lost to Argentine and it was hardly mentioned in the news of the UK media, Wales disappeared without trace or mention and the Irish were ignored. Why is this? Why do TV stations go 'live' at the airport to see the returning rugby losers? What is this self belief the English have? But wait a minute, is this self belief or emptiness? The English are seen as arrogant, over hyped, self worshipping folk, and not without reason. They really do believe their football team is one of the best in the world, and that they deserve to always be at the top table. They have a litany of complaints concerning the times they were 'cheated' these 'world cup winners' who were given goals when the ball never crossed the line. What is it that makes them so?

Since 1996 England has realised she is a nation, up till then she thought she was Britain, and regarded the little bits at the edges as parts of her. She is still stunned by the rejection she feels after the cry for freedom and equality that erupted there some years ago. How to respond? Why by feeling betrayed, resentful and by ignoring the wrongs the English as individuals and as a nation have done to the other members of the UK. She also emphasises even more her self importance in sport as a means of being a nation. But the English still do not really know what that is. Scots know what they are, as do the Welsh and Irish, but will the English ever understand? This is not to say there a re no good English, on the contrary. They share the 'Britishness' that close cooperation has brought, and many have never understood the true depth of feeling engendered by their racist attitude. An attitude most clearly seen in the impression given of Gordon brown the prime minister as 'another Scot!' Blair is seen as a Scot, a term he never used for himself, and one he obviously rejected, but to the Tories in particular, who are seen as the 'middle England party, that is what he is classed as. There are a great many shared 'British' attitudes, most are good, but until the four nations are recognised as such, and treated equally, there will always be discontent. A discontent that will result in great glee at the fall of the English supermen, whatever sport they play!

By the by, in the kingdom of Gods terms, is nationhood important? A collection of people under a geographic sphere, that is a nation, nothing more. Being proud of being a certain nation is neither right nor wrong. We ought to be proud we have a nation that does the right thing, and humbled by the many failings, and all nations have these. Stereotypes do exist, and always shall, but these are cultural and not part of the basic man. That never changes whatever the nation! Some nations have been badly led by poor leadership, and individuals have a responsibility before God to promote a decent society wherever they are, within their capabilities. So ensure you vote, complain, contact MPs or councillors or whatever is required to ensure a better nation. Respect for nations, like respect for individuals, and a true comprehension of where they are at appears to me to be a Godly approach.
I hope I am right?