Now I'm Not One to Complain, but...

Have you noticed how radio programmes have 'dumbed down?'  I mean on Radio 4 and 4 Extra.  Here we see the imposition of 'Bread and Circus's' clearly.
Once there were many good programmes covering a wide range of issues, often well researched, constructively presented and well worth a listen.  Today there has been a marked increase in drama, Political Correctness (almost every programme has to have a woman knowledgeable or not, and a lessening of factual, Historical or religious programmes.  It appears taking your mind of reality is now the main driving force in radio.
There has on Radio 4 always been far too much 'drama,' Books' and 'stories,' almost all aimed at women, but there is a great increase today.  This appears in my mind as part of the slow erosion of the thinking mind and the replacement with programmes that do not challenge and encourage a slow seeping of the questioning mind.  You do not get that from 'Book at Bedtime.'
This is a deliberate policy.
The new 'BBC Sounds' which replaced the 'iplayer' has also encouraged this by lessening the number of aged programmes than can be obtained.  Those that are available will be the ones chosen for us by our superiors, and we can trust them can we not?
We have a 'dumbed down' media, the press, TV and radio offer nothing to inspire, educate and open the mind.  Far too much follows the rule of the powers that be.  Any who oppose and disagree may well soon see their books burnt.  Just saying...

Now you mention it, why are there so many women chatting on Radio 3 these days?  There was a time the presenter presented the music and the music played.  Now it appears either  a woman presents, which means talks needlessly about, the music and some of it plays.  Now there has been women presenting on Radio 3 for some time, very good ones at that, but there is a new generation introduced by Political Correctness to fill the air with sound, the sound of their voice, not music. 
Yesterday the 'Early music Show was more talk than music, late the other night, just after midnight, a trio of women came on to discuss women composers, usually by giggling rather than talking and avoiding playing much music by female composers while they giggled like teenagers. 
Today, Donald MacLeod has a women to discuss Beethoven during 'Composer of the Week.'  Why?  He has never required assistance before!  While the Beeb is cutting back by removing 450 'journalists (no managers appear to be leaving) it is adding needless females to all parts of the BBC for PC reasons, thus increasing costs and wasting cash!  The money saved on journalists, mostly those who opposed Brexit I suspect, will be spent on the women infesting Radio 3 with their talk.  Talk?  Ten words when one would do thus offering less time for music which is what the station is for!
If I go on like this I may have to apply for a job at the 'Daily Mail!'

Sunday Moon

Another of what the media calls 'supermoon' hung over us last night.  The blether about large size and various shades of colour but it just looked the same as normal to me.  Some call this a 'snow moon' as it usually snows when it appears, possibly because this happens in winter and often it snows at that time.  Maybe the media 'workies' do not realise this?  As it happens we cannot see the moon tonight as rain clouds hide it and way up north those cold clouds will in fact be dropping snow over Scotland.  Flooding there today, snow tomorrow and I am glad I am not out there in it.  Still it will be gone in 48 hours and during that time the media will fill space with grumbles about hindered railways and airports and poor struggling commuters.  Including themselves I suspect though much of what appears in print can be offered from home these days.

Maybe it's because it's the weekend or maybe the storm is keeping him in but it appears to me that Boris is being very quiet.  Having been shouted at by Trump and told to remember who is boss he may be sulking.  It may be he and Dominic his other boss are working on a dastardly plan to change the world and not letting anyone know about it.  
Boris is not a worker, he likes others to do his thinking so Dominic can get away with much.  However he may be pushing it too much at the moment.  Banning journalists from the lobby briefing, let alone moving it to No 10 was not a bright idea.  While editors will still support him resentment will arise and words will begin to appear.  
I wonder how long it will take for something to emerge that brings them down...?

Thursday Twittering

Freezing February and I am almost feeling normal at last.  No need at the moment to spend vast amounts of expensive Honey (sure to cure), nor is there another Brandy bottle sitting calling on me (the Viking single malt will do), nor indeed am I going through paracetamol like chocolate.  The toilet rolls have gone down a bit mind, no 'Man Size' tissues here.  All a con and only women use them.  So I await the arrival of a new virus, probably from China, and look to the future...

However the idea of going outside into the bright sunshine and freezing to death does not entice me.  Wandering round the corner to Tesco I note several men wearing little, the sun shining fools them into thinking it is warm, and I await the sight of them next week, if they are allowed out!  
The media is making a big thing of the next storm to arrive, these days they all have a name don't they, the idea that it will bring 80 mph winds, snow and bad weather is something of a surprise to the media.  I suppose few of the unpaid trainees writing this guff have noticed we suffer this way most December, January and February's, it used to be called 'Winter.'  I myself enjoy the sun rising earlier each morning, shining brightly in the back window, even if still somewhat low in the sky, and notice the Blue Tits in the trees opposite and the Daffodils about to bud in the area beneath.

  
Yesterday, having trudged down to the Post Office to post a packet, I  came home via Park that once was given to the town for sporting activities.  The large dressing rooms have been recently demolished, no-one could be found willing to pay a million to renovate them, and the tennis courts were dead and gone long before I graced the ground.  Football is still played, mostly young kids in organised games these days, few kick a ball around like we used to, and there is a feeling that more could be done if someone clever enough could work out what to do with the land.  
These Crows were happily wheeling around.  I wondered at first if they were a couple fighting of a stranger but I think they are just 'friends' bothering one another.  The third hung back letting them get on with it until they settled in the trees, always 'Cawing' as loud as they could.
I am told that Rooks and Jackdaws often share a roost together, Crows prefer to be at a distance from others.   A 'Rookery' in the Netherlands was seen to hold 40,000 birds at one time!  Imagine the noise!  Also some of these nesting spots have been used for generations.  One at least in England is mentioned in the 'Domesday Book' and is still in use.  I cannot remember which one.  These birds like to return to their 'home' and will continue to remain in one place until some joker cuts the trees down.  

Boris said...  No, let's not spoil the evening...

Lords!

Waterstones

There is a great joy in finishing a book, especially a book which has been enjoyable, educational or entertaining.  This book was certainly educational if not entertaining.
Already in control of much of the middle east desperate to control the Suez Canal and once the Royal Navy began to use oil to fuel its many ships the desert lands had become an important part of British planning.  From before the Great War and up to 1945 the British were everywhere and everywhere they were found they were in control.  In just over 20 years they had only Oman! Arab nationalism, Israel and more importantly as this book reveals the United States came to realise oil was important and they wanted it all.
The book takes us through the allies working together while trying to usurp the other.  We travel through the loss of Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the last port, Aden.  The internal politics were used for and against Britain, Prime Ministers leant on the USA while desperate to borrow money, gave the cash to Arabs who would aid British interests and borrowed more!  Various US presidents supported the UK while also sending operators to work for the best interest of the USA alone.  
Nothing changes!
Governments were created, removed, supported and opposed at will, sometimes by both the US and UK and at other times in opposition to one another.  Murder of leaders was often contemplated, lies abounded and 'Nation shall speak peace unto one another' was not found anywhere.
The book gives a detailed insight into the political fighting that occurred over many years.  By 1967, when the book ends, Britain was out from everywhere, the financial losses, economic failure and the end of Empire left Britain with only Oman as a friend in the middle east.  Recently the Sultan died, we have yet to find out what will happen there now.

Disunited Monday

 

I am not sure if anyone has noticed but the Disunited Kingdom has left the EU.  So far there appears to be little difference, though businesses trying to transport goods may have evidence of the change, but if we look at the statements the Conservative Press is handing out we see obvious action.

Everywhere it is the EU to blame!

The have cheated, they have moved goalposts, they are not doing what we want, etc.  Boris panders to his groupies while the EU stand back and laugh at him.  The sheep will cheep him on but the fact is he will not get anywhere by bumbling boasts with the EU.

Meanwhile, Donald, fighting to keep the money he gets from being President attempts to keep the president job to serve his nation.  The opposition, two old men and one useless woman, struggle to mount a proper challenge.  The future both here and there is not bright.  

In truth I have not really noticed, I am sick of the lot of them.

 Guardian

I like the aftermath of these terrorist attacks.  I do not mean the suffering or the pain many endure I refer to the sudden appearance of people who "Something should be done," or "I see where the fault lies."  Often ex-police or surveillance people, sometimes politicians often just ''experts,' who had nothing to do with it.  

They have been out in force.  The man ought never to have been released, though the Law said he had to be, the surveillance was 'not good enough,' though police have suffered cuts, and so on and on.  TV and Radio along with the loudmouths in the media, yes Piers Morgan I mean you, spouting about what ought to have happened long after it has happened.

I wonder how many would have confronted the machete waving terrorist if they had confronted him?  I would have run!  Well, walked slowly...

'Experts,' the media is full of them.

Friends and Shopping

I was being interrupted by one of my women this morning via facebook informing me of her 'Bestie' girl friend being with her.  The 'Bestie' I thought i very much a female thing.  They have known one another since school, at her wedding her 'Bestie' was the bridesmaid, now 34 years later they still get together.  Today they were going shopping, something women were made for, and tomorrow they are being dined by another aged friend to celebrate their 60th birthdays, well one is 60 the other may be older.
This is a female thing the 'Bestie.'  Men make friends but do they keep a 'Bestie?'    
One of these not so young women thought that her husband made friends depending on his work hobby, church, association, and kept them as mates while they worked together.  They did not keep much in touch after they moved on.  I think there is something in this.
I had many friends when following the football, maybe 'friends' is too strong a word, and made several friends in various jobs (that's job as opposed to career which everyone has today.)  None kept in touch although occasionally we meet and chat, their families, work or life as it is moves us apart though we remain acceptable to one another when we do meet.  No Christmas cards, no phone calls, little contact otherwise appears to be the norm.  Having said that I am in touch with two or three who have been friends for around 40 years or more, but it is not quite the same.  Our close friends rarely number more than two or three while we have between a dozen or twenty friends we may be happy to meet, the rest are acquaintances.
Friends are useful, there is the 'Prisoners,' or 'Soldiers Friend,' on hand to aid sailors in court or soldiers attempting to get at their pensions, a Friend at the Court, at least in England (but at what cost?) and we always remember the proverb 'A Friend in need is a pest.'  

Friends can be useful as I say, 
Proverbs 27:6 'Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.'
I have 'benefited' from many of such wounds.
"A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature."  So claimed Ralph Waldo Emerson though he did not explain what problem the friend had saved him from.
And my favourite and most appropriate quote. 
Proverbs 17:17. "A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." 

That sums up friendship but it is interesting how make and female react to it in differing ways.

  
After another week of suffering, I caught a cold on top of my ending cold and have not been out until today.  This morning I considered things were getting better and made a scurry up the road to fill the fridge.  Excellent I thought and had myself a good healthy lunch with green leaves and tomatoes, cheese and stuff, it all went down well.  
Now my insides hate me and my stomach will not let me eat anything else today.
When will it all end...?

 

Barber!

Clipartstation

Today I had a haircut!

This haircut took THREE QUARTERS OF AN HOUR!!!!!

Yes indeed, almost half my day was spent in a barbers this lunchtime! 

The day started in the normal manner, I went back to bed after breakfast, and went downhill from there.  The idea was to visit the local shop for a haircut.  This proved impossible, not only were they busy but Jim was on all alone and he does not like me.  So I mused on another barbers, there are about 17 male and female hairdressers of various sorts in this small town, and I chose one that had been recommended situated next to Tesco.  This was the type of barber old men go to and I had a view in my mind what he may be like.

I WAS WRONG!

A man was having his hair cut, a man of, er, mature years.

A second was awaiting his turn.

I sat staring out the window at the world passing by.

I sat and waited.

I waited.

I waited.

I waited.

After a considerable time the barber (or was he a hairdresser?) finished fussing rather too attentively to his customer, clearly a regular.

He left.

The second man took his place in the seat (bought second hand from a dentist I wondered?) and the operation began.

I sat staring at the world passing by.

I waited.

I waited.

I waited.

The barber, as he had with the first man, fussed and fretted and talked.  

Man did he talk!!!

I waited.

I waited checking my watch every time the Town Hall clock opposite chimed.

I waited.

I waited and considered having to shave again when I got home.

Eventually my turn came.

The seat awaited me, I struggled to stand having been sitting since dawn and crossed the floor of the once well maintained shop. 
He asked my desire.

I bit my lip and avoided using the word 'quick' and explained why the mop on my head required fixing.

He began chopping, talking, fussing, combing, talking, fussing, cutting, combing, talking, on and on and on....

Eventually he finished. 

The haircut was perfectly acceptable.

He was still talking.

I rose slowly from the seat and walked through a mass of grey hair wondering where it came from.

Replaced my jacket and enquired as to the price.

£11 he charged!  £7 at Chris & Jims.

I noticed he only took £10 from the previous customer.

I said nothing, after ageing greatly of the previous hours I did not care to argue, I just wished to leave and get away from his talking.  I paid and made for the door.  he talked, he spoke, he talked and only another customer, yet another well into his 70's, entered, did I manage to make my escape.

The light had changed considerably since I had got up.  

As I walked into town I was struck by how quiet everything was, something I had not noticed before. Usually buses, cars, passers-by, talking women, music, workers children and other noises were noticeable. Today it all appeared so quiet.

I may go elsewhere next time...

     

Twits

 

I like Twitter.

I realise that like all 'social media' Twitter can be very unsocial, after all there are many wee boys shouting the odds on there, and the 'pub bore' who we all ignore is now at hand in all the more important Tweets that we follow.  That said I find it a decent way to get information on important happenings re football and other matters.  

There are disadvantages however.

One problem is the repeat of news.  An item re Harry & Megan will be broadcast and appear online, this will be re-tweeted by several individuals and also by news outlets.  One story can appear dozens of times in many guises.  This can be wearing, especially when the story is three days old yet media keep plugging it.  

Another problem is when I make a sensible comment, that is all I do, and this is then 'liked' by others.  Why is being 'liked' a problem?  We in itself this is gratifying, the knowledge that I am right once again and many individuals wish to agree with me is in itself satisfying.  The problem arises when a closer look is made of those agreeing with me.   

Any comment laughing at one half of the Old Firm (Rangers & Celtic) will always bring support from those on the other side, the side hurt will always disagree, thinking is never required with these people.  Supporters of non Old Firm sides will often join in supporting my point and indicating their lack of love for the afore said pair.  That is fine in my opinion. 

However on other occasions I make comments and those that support me leave me wondering where I am standing.  On occasions those best regarded as being on the 'Far right' have agreed with me.  Some so far to the right they consider Boris to be a communist!  The 'Far Left' also like to agree on occasion, I am now worried I am now a Jeremy Corbyn fan!  If both types agree with me on any one point I begin to wonder if I was right in the first place.

A look through some of the 'likes' today reveal anti-Islamic English types, youthful males who put up hilarious (in their view) videos, and offer the 'twenty something' type humour that is not funny to anyone over er, 35...  Today I have a Donald Trump supporting, gun running, anti -immigrant Yankie on my side along with a Tory Brexiteer!  On the other hand I have a Guardian reading 'Green' liking me, a Liverpool fan who appears almost normal, various imperialist English demanding Scotland 'shuts up and obeys,' and then there is worse.

Several names have few followers and follow few if any others.  They post nothing it appears, merely adding their 'like' to sites that suit them, several of those have agreed with me.  Worrying innit?

What it reveals is the mixture of beliefs with no basis other than an individuals opinion, based on nothing permanent.  Several are clearly only interested in influencing quietly, others just want everybody to 'obey' all the while talking about 'democracy.'  The 'Likers' come from many nations, often presenting one side of that nations ideals, some appear unhinged indeed, few are willing to listen, a dying art and not one that will be encouraged by the UK political system nor its practitioners today.     

All in all my fan club today leave me wishing for an argument with an Old Firm fan.  Even they appear more sensible than those that have 'liked' me in recent days.  What does it all mean?  

Cold TV

A wee bit chilly last night.  I forgot to put the heater on in the living room and it was a lower temperature than any so far!  Wrapped up in my duvet in the West Wing I did not notice so much.  The field was white but soon the frost evaporated as the sun rose low in the distance.  (I suppose the sun would be at a 'distance.')

I am not sure if you had noticed but apparently Prince Harry, him of the ginger hair, and his woman have fled to Canada.  Apparently they think this will give them the opportunity to live free of press scrutiny and allow them to live life their way and make cash sufficient to enable them to live according to what they have become accustomed.  He clearly has his mothers brains.
You may have missed this and I hardly noticed it myself bar the near entire page of the 'Online Mail' mentioning it several times.  Almost everybody connected to the Royal House have made their comment, although none of the actual royals have done so, ex-butlers, retired journalists, women who 'waited,' 'friends,' 'sources close to...,' and lots of nobodies who wished a chance to appear on TV or have their picture in the paper have spoken.  I missed them all.    
My ignorance of the travails comes from a choice, a choice to ignore anything other than the main headline and omit the pap that follows, this makes life easier.  There again not watching the 'Bread & Circus's' offered by TV I do miss much of what is going on in the world, however I do not appear to miss out on anything important.  One lad asked two old men on Sunday about a chap called 'The Rock.'  My mate asked if this was 'Rocky Marciano?' but the young lad had never heard of him.  It appears this is a chap from TV who we had missed.  I am not sure we regret this.  This reveals how we are educated into the world.  Kids follow what the others at school watch, much of TV is ideal for young heads, and anyone over 35 or so avoids such TV unless they have kids watching, the parents attempting to understand what is going into the brats head.  
Were we like this?
Did we become dumb watching 'The Lone Ranger,' or 'Robin Hood?'  Knowing now how little historical accuracy was employed in either programme, let alone the sight of the 'Lone Ranger' and his mate 'Tonto' walking across the prairie searching for the silver bullets he fired that missed, did not take away from us kids the enjoyment that such rubbish brought.  Young folks require historical accuracy but not it appears entirely accurate.  How many 'Cowboy' films did we watch, still available on the 'Movies for Men' channel, before we realised they were nonsense?  How often did we see our lives developing as some individual on TV?  Real life got in the way too often to stop those lives appearing.  I could never afford those sharp 1960's suits the 'Saint' wore anyway.  What we put into our kids heads influences them, just as it does us.  
Looking at what is on offer on TV today I am glad books exist!  Books, whatever sort, offer more detail, more facts and by reading both sides of an argument you can come to a conclusion not offered by watching the 'A Team' or a film from the 1940's.  Such films appear to be popular with women more than men I note while men prefer news or programmes that actually say something useful, like football!  My mum used to complain men just want to watch the news while she just wanted local news.  
Men are such a nuisance.  

Morning Blues Eased

Monday morning blues ought not to bother someone who is not going out.  However my bleary eyes did not relish the chill in the air nor the requirement to leave my bed at 7:15.  The sight of the pink clouds in the distant did help however.  Deep pink reflecting of the long streaks of cloud, or was it something left by aircraft heading into Stansted?  Either way when I got the camera to the window it had all gone and instead this long, very long cloud reflected a more usual morning sight.  The denser lower atmosphere, so my book tells me, tends to disrupt the 'Blue' wavelength of sunlight leaving lower clouds tinged with pink, higher clouds in less dense air show up white as the light is not broken up.  Whether this means 'Red sky in morning shepherds warning' still rings true we will no doubt discover soon. 

Apart from requiring heating on all night the weather in the morning is bright.  Saturday saw the sun creep just high enough to burn the rooftops of the houses, I hope they did not catch fire.  During 1962/63 we had a terrible deep winter, no 'global warming' then and I recall the pain in my eyes as I stepped out of doors while in school and wandered into the snow filled landscape.  The low sun bouncing of the snow hurt eyes badly.  I am quite glad that is not happening now.  It is bad enough trying to see when the sun is directly in your eyes as it is. 

BBC

One thing we know about Boris is the lies and grandiose statements that fly from his ever moving and never honest lips.  The latest is the Troll idea of moving the House of Lords 'up north' so it can 'Connect with people.'  This of course has filled acres of space in the press already, meaning no space is left for discussion of the 'Russian influence' dodgy dossier that Boris has withheld.  Possibly there is a connection?  Boris likes absurd ideas, a bridge between Scotland and Northern Ireland for instance, and any other item that will appeal to the sheep while avoiding answering questions that matter, not that anyone in opposition is asking such questions.  We will find the media dominated by such absurd stories in the next few years as Boris and his friends are found out.  The Billions he has offered for Police, NHS, Education and everyone else, with tax reductions, does not make sense until you remember he is a liar who never keeps a promise, just ask any of his women.  I now await expectantly his government, and himself collapsing internally.  This may take time, the sheep will be slow to accept, but collapse it will and then hopefully justice.  It may be too late for the nation by then of course.