Thoughts...

This old boy was sitting on this sign early this morning as I entered Sainsburys.  He was cawing in a somewhat tired manner and while a bit wary made no attempt to fly away as long as I kept my distance.  He looked world weary and possibly did not wish to move unless forced to, I know how he feels!  Later in the day he and his mates were soaring high above in the sunshine making the most of the sun before it disappears for the winter.

 

Independent 

The Middle East is indeed the place to look for confusion.  The Sunni Saudi's, along with the Sunni Qatari's, have spent much encouraging Syrians to rise up and fight Assad. How much US & western support that was given for this is hard to define.  Iran & Russia have supported Assad, Shia Iran knows the Saudi's are in reality attacking them, and by encouraging the rise of various groups, now interspersed with a variety of Islamic groups, we see ISIS coming into prominence in northern Sunni Iraq.  Southern Shia Iraq merely imports Iranians to help defend their bit.

Because they are a danger to us here we bomb ISIS, we give no support to Kurds fighting them as this upsets Turkey, our friend, who bomb Kurds because they are not their friends.  Bombs have been falling all over the place occasionally on the right people and the total effect is near enough nil!

Now Russia has added their men to the fight informing the world they will bomb ISIS and instead bombing all the opponents of that nice Mr Assad.  

One mistake with all these planes bombing this group and that is the chances of a US or Russian aircraft being downed by the other.  That will be nice.  Who to blame, what will be the result?  We sit and wait.

Possibly Putin just wishes to be accepted in the Big World, possibly he is just a thug pushing his luck, possibly WW3 will arrive any time now.  Naturally the media have taken the sides the government has told them to take, naturally much that is written is speculation.  Naturally the people suffer, die and disappear into oblivion and nothing changes.  David Cameron has spoken, no one listens.

Washington Times

While the Middle East fills the pages of the press wars elsewhere do not.  This old story of the Central African Republic I note has not changed since it was written in January.  The violence has been interrupted by the UN and French troops arriving but it continues yet.  More refugees, more flooding into Europe - if they can get there - more violence, death and homelessness.  The European press does little.  Many places suffer in this world only some are worth mentioning it appears.

Dawn of a New Diet

The sun was attempting to rise as I woke this morning.  I struggled into the light, through aside the hot water bottle, the radio, the empty drinks bottles, the books, the crumbs from supper and the teddy bear and climbed out of bed.  Dressing quickly (I must close those curtains one night) I ventured out into the misty dawn.  A large red disk hung just above the treeline, a 'Blood Sun' to go with the  recent 'Blood Moon.'  The air at seven was quiet and still.  An occasional vehicle passed, one or two cyclists struggling towards work greeted me, a lass passed with her nose in the chilly air.  A squirrel chased something that was not there  while the Rooks strutted importantly about the park stopping now and then to listen and look around them.  
The early morn is such a lovely time of day, unless you are hurrying towards bus, train or work of course.  Only those individuals and a dog walker or two will be spotted, dog nose to the ground, owner wrapped up ready to climb the Eiger!  The freshly cut grass gave of its fragrance, the air itself selling sweet.  High above the blue could be glimpsed trying to break through the mist and as yet no aircraft dared to break the near silence.

 

It was somewhat unfortunate therefore to be reminded of the kiddies who had been screaming late last night when ensconced here in the dark.  I didn't hear them that well last night as I was concentrating on the football but clearly one of them is old enough to obtain several bottles of cheap American beer.  I wondered what their folks would say when they got home.  Indeed did they have a home?  Did anyone at home care?  Maybe they are old enough, so why not drink in a pub I ask myself?  I was 17 years of age before I got my hands on a bottle of beer, one small bottle of  'Sweetheart Stout' then considered a ladies drink but we cared not.  Later I shared a similar small bottle of 'McEwan's Export' with several others, signifying not that we had grown up but that one of the older blokes must have turned his back at the wrong time!  Later, still 17 I took to drinking in the pub outside the brewery where I worked, 'Lager & Lime' was the chosen drink at that time, and I celebrated my 18th birthday there, but got no free drink.  I can see why folks take to this stuff but they appear to get a great deal more than we ever did far too early in my view.  Oh I'm old!

Alas my fuzzy brain failed to experiment enough to get a good capture of the red sun, I ought to have fiddled with the settings, but it does give the impression of the mist that spread itself all over East Anglia hindering the light warming the land.  A dreamy scene in which dark silhouetted figures pass in the far distance dogs trailing behind, occasionally far ahead.  The women gather in groups to gossip and protect themselves from the nasty men who attack them constantly, or so the papers tell us, and the dogs love the get together with others, tails wagging, cheerful yapping and kiss and chase action all over the park.  

Fiddling the bits did give an interesting picture of a historic street.  At least around a thousand years go the Bishop of London took control of half of the town land.  This are was close to where he built his little palace and chapel therefore a road was created to run to it, possible building on an earlier pathway.  Essex was once all forest and it may well have had a path running though here.  The road we see now is the hardened version that came relatively recently but well in time for the nineteenth century revolution in factory life that hit the town.  To the left new houses exist where once Crittall's, famous for their iron window frames, had their large factory, or at least one of their factories.  Many men walked this way to work in the morning, good conditions, good pay, good labour relations and most remained there for life.  During the Great War Crittall's employed two thousand or so women, all paid the same as the men, and behind the houses to the right stood Lake & Elliott's foundry, that too employing thousands and with a gas works so powerful it fired the factory and all of the town as well!  Now all is housing.  Crittall's exists still but shorn of its glory, Lake's 'Jacks' for vehicles were once word famous now dissipated by the fifties influx of foreign competition.  

I then headed home for a breakfast of leftover 'Singapore Noodles' with egg running through it.  Later, some time later, when the sun had turned yellow and rose high in the sky I wandered out once more and accidentally fell into the strange shop in the High Street that sells grossly overpriced health.  I noticed that two employees were very thin and one far from that position but I made nothing of this.  I wandered about chasing away attempts at 'help' and browsed the potions.  At last I found Carol's recommended 'Chia seeds,' and also a mixture of 'Flaxseed & Goji berries,' the Goji I believe being the stuff recommended by 'The Venomous Bead' a while back.  
Being lunchtime I lunched on healthy microwaved porridge with a rather large portion of ''Flaxseed & Goji' upon it, followed by tea with a dose of 'Chia Seeds' thrown in.  This I said to myself with make me healthy, give me vim and vigour, encourage the mind to work, strengthen the muscles and produce energy, something I desperately require at the moment.  I finished my tea and soon fell asleep. 

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A Literate Post.

Pied Beauty
By Gerard Manley Hopkins

 
Glory be to God for dappled things –
   For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
      For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;
   Landscape plotted and pieced – fold, fallow, and plough;
      And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.

All things counter, original, spare, strange;
   Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
      With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:
                                Praise him. 
Poetry Foundation

I thought of this as I crossed into the park this afternoon.  The light was dappling everything and a very summery outlook lay all around, even though this is Autumn.  You can tell it's Autumn by the leaves lying around, and the rain to come next week will no doubt bring them all down.  The dappled leaves and trees were attractive and I wished to make the most of them before they disappear for the winter.

Pier at this...

I have spent much time recovering from carrying bags of vegetables, fruit and other healthy eatables home by listening to Radio 4 Extra much of the day.  Especially those fifteen minute programmes on real people doing real things.  I like those.  A new old one began about people who have saved old piers and run them mostly on a voluntary basis.  These piers abounded in seaside resorts allowing folks to catch steamers to view the coast or just to parade back and forward showing yourself off to the masses.  Blackpool famously started one but the day trippers from the Mills and Mines of Lancashire irked the middle classes and they had to build a second one further up and charge a shilling a go instead of sixpence down where the common loot were to be found.  The commoners drank a lot, the ground leading onto the pier had been 'donated' by the publican who owned it and his pub sat near the entrance, how convenient.  He made a fortune and the goings on further out, dancing and hedonism, were not what 'decent people' wished to see.  They kept that sort of thing to themselves and their diaries like what decent folks do.
I am not sure rebuilding a pier and attempting to keep it running would interest me but walking along one at Swanage earlier was interesting.  The sights of the sea, boats of all sorts, sunshine and the sea waving back at me were very enjoyable.  This pier like many others was partly paid for by small metal plaques nailed into the floor commemorating individuals special events, a death, an anniversary, or just an individual.  It appears this is a good way to earn cash for such events.

The kitchen is awash with greens.  Tomatoes, asparagus spears, celery, cabbage, mushrooms, purple thing and tins of beans of various sorts yet I find myself sitting here watching the football with tea in one hand a chocolate doughnut in the other.  Aint life grand!

Cabbage & Mars

Riviera

I give in to the pressure!  Reading for the umpteenth time about the 'Mediterranean diet' and being hectored from overseas I am once again returning to a veg diet.  The Med diet is full of veg, fruits, nuts and oily fish, and mine has been less than equal to this for a while now.  In the morning I will visit the shops and purchase appropriate veg, though I might have that pie for breakfast first....
Carol tells us that 'Chia' is the power food of the day - or at least that's what her son tells her - and I read the other day about the 'superfoods' that the trendies were spending vast sums of money on.  One of them was 'Blueberries,' grossly overpriced and not much better than other berries, strawberries for instance, 'Kale' a type of cabbage my mum used to eat in the 20's because it was cheap, I read any cabbage is good for you, indeed 'cabbage' the much maligned substance is one of the best veg to eat as long as not overcooked.  Anyhow my cooking kills all goodness in foodstuffs so it makes no difference.  I will however attempt a new diet again tomorrow.

NASA

Continuing our fascination with the heavens I note that there has been excitement in space circles with the discovery, it appears, of water on the planet Mars.  Much excitement as there are many experiments ongoing regarding sending men to the planet and even establishing a wee village up there.  Hmmm it will take a round trip of three years to get there and back as I understand it, then with the time establishing the village you can add on another couple of years so whoever goes will be away for at least five years and possibly more.  No doubt political correctness will insist on females participating on this journey, indeed some astronauts will insist on this also, and I suspect Russians, Europeans and maybe even the Chinese will become involved, the costs will be prohibitive otherwise, and I suspect an effort will be made to bring about such a trip.  The difficulties of space exploration in such an environment are immense, the costs out of this world, the chance of success limited, and yet it does excite many people.  Will they find intelligent life on Mars?  Will they find intelligent life on earth first I wonder?

As Well as can be Expected....

There were no stars in this bit...

I failed to rise at three a.m. to see the moon last night, as it would be behind the house it made no difference in the end.  However I did wake at four thirty and was struck by the stars above.  I was not exactly struck by them, they being many light years distance but I was struck by their brightness.  You see the local council switch off the street lights at midnight to save money, much to the joy of the light fingered amongst us, and they remain off until five in the morning.  With the skies being clear I was able to see the stars in a manner I have not noticed for many years.  I stood, half dressed obviously, at the window staring into the sky above.  The brightness surprised me and it was as if I could reach out and touch them.  How strange.  I suppose the street lights have hidden the sky from us except for those in country areas.  Luckily this small market town in rural enough to allow for some sky to be seen and a clear sky being a rarity it became a fun time for me.
In London I had the habit of leaning out my fourth floor window and staring upwards.  This took me above the street lights and on many occasions satellites or space craft of one sort or another could be seen making their way across the skies.  However the stars appeared further away than they did last night.  very bright star (Acturus) or possibly Saturn itself shone brightly last night.  I know the names because I made use of 'Stellarium' to check up this morning.  This is a FREE offering and well worth it if you like the stars and can understand how to work it (I can't!). 
I was freezing when I got back into my pit!

 EAR

The day has been spent on my side.  I have been inserting 'Otex' into my ear to clear the wax which is making me deaf and beginning to pain me.  However having looked at the diagram of the ear I am left amazed at how complicated the structure is.  In the 60's the 'Tomorrow's World' programme on BBC offered an insight into inventions and interesting science type stuff that even dumb folk like me could understand.  However such TV is not tolerated today, only house programmes, cooks and dumb soap operas are allowed, thinking is frowned upon!
One programme revealed the fibre optic cable, or whatever it was called then.  This this wire was inserted into a woman's ear and attached to a camera and revealed the inner working of an actual ear.  Such equipment is used daily in hospitals world wide but at the time it was revolutionary.  It was shoved down her throat also and offered an insight into her lungs which we normally never saw.  I don't suppose she saw much of her insides either come to think of it. Of course she had no wax in there at the time, which was fortunate I suppose.  I am trying to ensure I can hear tomorrow at work, at least until one when I shall run back home to bed.  How I miss that.

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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Payout

Having been kept inside for much of the week by the Lurgi I only ventured as far as the supermarkets, which is indeed not far at all.  However twice today I wandered further, wondering why my knees ached, and even went to the 'hole in the wall' to grasp money.
I entered the details and the machine went through the process until I pushed the £100 button.
"Are you sure?"  It asked.
"Yes" said I.
"What, you with drawing cash?"
It was clear this machine has a feminine attitude, at least I base this judgement ion the women of my acquaintance.
"Yes," said I getting narked, "I wish to withdraw cash."
"Can you afford it, " she said, "I mean you don't have much and it is better off with me."
I told you it was female!
"No, just GIVE ME THE CASH!" I was beginning to fret.
Just then I realised the man at the other cash point was muttering things also.  "It's my money so give it!" he said with a certain amount of 'energy' in his voice.  "Yes I need it," he growled...
"It is possible you are  Romanian refugee who has found your dropped card" said the screen, "What is your mothers name? This is a security question." she added needlessly.
"MUM." I snarled.
"Thank you," said the screen sweetly lying in its teeth. "Please re-enter your number for security reasons."
I did as requested and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
The man next door was now head banging the machine and muttering "JUST GIVE THE MONEY!"
I pressed the 'enter' button and the screen came to life again.
"Are you sure you want this money?" she asked.
"I have a screwdriver here," I typed in, "And if you do not payout I will undo you."
The money came down almost immediately.
The man next door immediately entered the same and received his cash also.
The banks will do anything to keep the cash for their bonus's.

Crotchety Wednesday

Google announced today that it was the first day of Autumn.  We call it Autumn although Americans and others call it 'Fall.'  This as you know is because they cannot spell 'Autumn.'  In this part of the world the leaves have already begun to turn golden, that is 'golden' to those of a poetic nature and 'yellow' to those who are realists, and many leaves have already fallen from the boughs.  This off course was hastened by the rain and wind of recent days.  In some parts of Scotland this event has yet to be noticed as the snow, whatever name you may use for it, is still lying there freezing everybody.   

A glance at the online 'Daily Mail' this morning offers insights into the world in which we live.  The BBC's big story is the Volkswagen failure in which lies re the emissions will cost the company about £18 billion to put right and a loss of trust that may take years to rebuild.  The 'Mail' finds an Israeli soldier shooting a 'terrorist' more appropriate.  Later in the day this changes to a young 'volunteer' being ordered to drive a car bomb into a target in Syria.  
'Volkswagen' 'the peoples car' created during one of Hitlers frauds in the thirties was supposedly created to enable the German folk to have a car.  Instead the money paid weekly went to building the arms industry and once war came all thought of personal cars disappeared.  For years the German efficiency, reliability and trust has sold millions of cars worldwide, maybe that has ended now.  BMW must be worried.  The emissions may well have killed thousands in the UK alone, do I hear the sound of ambulance chasing lawyers ears pricking up?  It is indeed time cars were cleaned up they do harm us more than we acknowledge.
Three cars in the UK may have to be recalled, the Volkswagen themselves plus all Skoda and Seat models, thousands of cars!  The cost, the interference with drivers, the time, all this adds up and Ford and the rest must be laughing, while checking their own figures also!

Dave of course fills more space as yet more anger is expressed by Lord Ashcroft.  Yesterday we heard that while discussing bombing Syria or Libya the Chief of the General Staff General Richards seems to have reminded Dave that being a member of the Eton Cadet Force did not mean he was able to understand the military implications in the Middle East!  Today we hear of his travelling by Concorde, his rich childhood, how former PM's Thatcher and Major thought him 'shallow' and a supposed attempt by the KGB to recruit the young lad on his 'gap year.'  As a child he was entertained to a millionaires children's party with all the best stuff available, I was not invited. Hmmm, some of this sounds a bit exaggerated and yet the consideration that others thought him shallow is obviously true, because he is!

   

Much more serious is yet another attempt to make men guilty for women's behaviour.  Alison Saunders, theDirector of Public Prosecutions has made the outstanding statement that any woman who gets drunk, wakes in a strange mans bed, should then contact a 'rape counselor!'   Brilliant!  She makes use of him but as she has had a drink (how much is not mentioned) he is guilty!  This from the woman at the top of the prosecuting authority! 
I drive a car when drunk.  I crash and injure or kill someone. 
Who is responsible me or the person hit? 
If I am guilty because i was drunk and driving then a woman who gets drunk is also guilty, why can women not see this?  Who is to say the girl got drunk so she could lose inhibitions to have sex and then blame someone else?  Why is the man guilty?  Would this be rape?  No!  It would be drink enabling two people to act without due care and attention.
The women in the UK are determined to blame men for everything, women are never guilty, indeed there is a move afoot to close all women's prisons and never jail a woman again!  Men of course would be locked up.  I suppose this is 'equality.'
Rape may be a crime, drunkenness is a two way crime.  Wise women are careful what they drink and who they spend time with, honest women also do not blame the man for their actions.
When men are accused of such crimes they are named and I say that ought to stop now.  Woman who cry 'rape' and lie are not always named, that should end also.
Men these days are automatically considered criminals in this world, this is the result of middle class feminism and it is destroying the world.

Even worse news than any other is yet another attempt by the 'Bay City Rollers' to reform.   This group was seen by a friend of mine in 1969 and he considered them at that time to be the best commercial, that is 'Bubble Gum' group in the city.  By 1974 when they appeared in the charts there had been 35 members worked through the band and what became 'famous' was this bunch of wee neds rather than a commercial music combo.  How sad we thought, we of musical appreciation, to see what depths they have plummeted yet have now found thousands of wee girls buying their records and posting their pictures n the wall.
Of course it fell apart.  The two mainstays spent their time fighting each other, I said they were neds, the manager was later jailed for doing things to wee boys and one of their own followed him into prison for similar offences, I forget which.  One at least, which one I know not, they all look the same to me, spent much time as an estate agent in the city grumbling about parking tickets yet continued to park wherever he liked, another had kept the band going  (Les McKeown) around the world, and who really cares about the others.  So here they are once again reforming the band to cash in on the ageing women who once liked them.  Those grannies will be less interested in neds these days and more likely spending too much time killing the brain cells watching daytime TV, some may even have found a life! 
I will refrain from adding a YouTube video of the group for the sake of decency.

This irks me!  This is a local park and the other day a group of what we now call 'travellers' drove in and parked without any by or leave. There is one group of people who appear to be able to do what they like anywhere in this country and get off with it and it is such as these.  Here they have damaged the park, no doubt that will recover, but elsewhere they park on cricket or rugby pitches, local parks and private fields, sometimes causing great damage and leaving tons of muck behind and they pay nothing for it and the police can or will do little.  
I had them some years ago camping on the park opposite, some £2000 was spent clearing up after them.  It cost a great deal more for the council to bar their way after that.  Several unsavoury incidents arise when they appear and this lot can always hide behind their 'race!'  I wish I could.  It is time these folks, who have plenty of cash, just look at the vehicles and the caravans towing them, it is time they paid their way and were forced to pay towards each council when they park.  I suspect no government has the guts to take a stand here, few votes in this as they often park in what are already Conservative areas.  I may write to the MP as he is new to this and has to learn how bad this can be around this part of England.  I note that Ireland, where so many of them originate, has limited their areas of operation and possibly charged them money.  Maybe that is why so many are here living off the dole.

I'm  certainly a bit grumpy this morning...

 .

The End Must Be Nigh Now

A glance at the press today reflect the mess that this world is in.  The main story concerns the youthful happenings of the present Prime Minister one David Cameron.  The tales, if true, are what many of us would expect from such an individual but leave me either laughing at his history or frowning at the sadness of it all.  
The revelations come from a book about to be published and now serialised in the staunch Conservative supporting 'Daily Mail.'  If these stories are not true the papers lawyers will soon be looking for another job.  If however they are true maybe it is time Dave moved on in disgrace.    

Michael Ashcroft sat in the House of Lords for many years even after it was revealed he did not live in the UK.  To be a member of the Lords an individual must be UK based most of the time, Ashcroft has spent most of his working life based in Belize, for tax purposes!  He is reputed to be a Billionaire and possibly richer than Belize itself.  He made his money in business and supported and worked for the Conservative Party giving three million pounds to them after Tony Blair came to power and has since given up to £8 million to their coffers.  He claims to have been offered a 'top job' by David Cameron who failed to supply once he had come to power alongside the Lib-Dems at the previous election.  Ashcroft was probably snubbed because of his power and ability but is not a man to be crossed.  Therefore he has produced this book, aided by an ex 'Times' political writer, pointing our Cameron's many shortcomings in a deliberate attempt to remove him.  It might work.

What has appealed most, so far, to the media is the strange activities of those many student groups in Oxford University circles.  It is well known Cameron as well as George Osborne and Boris Johnson belonged to the 'Burlington Club,' a groups of very rich spoilt brats who got drunk, wrecked restaurants and the like and behaved like 'Hooray Henry's' but never got jailed because they were rich.  Some say Cameron was a 'quiet' member of this group.  There was also another 'club,' one that apparently did not include a 'membership list' instead people just joined.  It is said an initiation ceremony for the 'Piers Gaveston Society included our Dave placing his 'Boaby' inside a dead pigs mouth, hence 'Twitter' etc, have been er, hamming it up all day.  A third and not unusual accusation regards the smoking of cannabis, a not unusual event among students.  Cameron at one time, e.g. before he was famous, was in favour of relaxing the law on drugs possibly because he saw a family member or friend suffer badly from Heroin effects, this touched him deeply as it would.  

David Cameron has said he 'will not dignify claims made in the book,' which to some is admitting the claims are true!  His friends have been quick to tarnish the story by claiming the book is just 'revenge' which it is, lies, unfounded allegations with no evidence, or some claiming that 'That's what students do!'  In my short experience of the 'Open University' I was made aware of some instances of interest but never on any occasion did a pig get a mention, dead or otherwise.  

However the real parliamentary danger lies elsewhere.  David Cameron claimed he had not realised 'until a month ago' that Ashcroft was a 'non-dom' and should not be in the House of Lords.  The book makes clear he knew for about a year before this time.  That could include therefore 'lying to the House of Commons' a serious event.

Did any of these things happen?  We cannot tell, but no lawyers yet involved.  Do the people behind him think Cameron has no beliefs bar be in power and is considered a 'Tosser' by the majority?  Well yes I suggest that is true, after all George Osborne really runs the Conservatives and government.

But this is not the only thing bugging me today.  

In St Andrews at the weekend a 'hate preacher' was stopped by a man playing the bagpipes.  It appears this chap was preaching something to the market place using an amplifier.  What he was saying I did not discover but he was, it has been said, asked to turn down the sound but refused.  

The glee that this man has been stopped does worry me.  Why?  Because he was, they say, preaching anti-Muslim and anti-gay but nothing of what he says has been recorded.  

Putting this incident aside we now live in a world where being 'gay' is greeted with cheers and being 'Christian' is open to ridicule.  How can this be?  How come in thirty years the West now considers such behaviour normal and if you indicate this is not true you become enemy number one?  Is it a sense of 'equality?'  That cannot be the case for if 'equality' was important so would Christian belief be free.  

The government are now desperate to introduce a new extremism law. The intention of this would stop Muslim extremists encouraging young folks to join ISIS or the like but instead it hinders almost everyone from stating their beliefs as this would offend someone, and who is to decide what is 'hate?'  A Gay judge perhaps?  We have already seen that in action and it was biased towards gays.  A politician?  Who?  The Home Secretary Theresa May perhaps?  She is determined to make a shot at being PM so her approach will be tainted with her future.  We are moving into a society where freedom of expression, already limited, will be removed further.  This happened during the war when a severe danger faced the country and as such was seen as part of the defence.  It was removed at the end of the war but this law will extend further into the future and who knows what government will exist then?

Freedom is already reduced at all levels of society.  Calling a woman 'Dear' or 'Love' gets a rebuke from wee girls, who in my case do not like the reply, and can lead to trouble for some individuals at work.  Touchy wee girls should not be allowed to harm relations at work I say.  Too many minor incidents cause needless fuss, just imagine if I complained about what offends me!  

The world political situation never changes, just the people and places involved.  However so many things indicate Jesus return soon, and before then the world will only get worse. Moreover has there ever been a government with such a situation to avoid talking about?  Cameron can be glad he has three weeks away from the House as party conferences take place, however the further revelations from this book will interest many of us. 

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!

Friday Mumbling

In June this year the nation commemorated the signing of the 'Magna Carta,' the 'Great Charter of the Liberties.'  This great charter was sponsored by the Archbishop of Canterbury in an effort to ease the situation between King John and his rather irked nobles.  Johns demands for money for his French wars, which he kept losing, and his somewhat tyrannical approach upset the nobles, especially those based in Essex.  The peoples of this region have always been first whenever a cause of trouble was to arise.  During the Peasants Revolt in 1381 an the non conformist religious strife of the post Reformation years Essex folks led the way in rebelling.  This I need not remind you is an attitude that has not yet diminished! 
The museum would have preferred to have this exhibit earlier in the year but other events came first and this exhibition has been touring the land and during this week the hard working staff (without me obviously) have been erecting the exhibit for show next week.  Such a shame I was not available to erect a castle or two...
The Charter John signed less than willingly allowed for much protection for the individual (as long as he was a noble that is.  Serfs, villeins, slaves and anyone else who was not noble, rich or well to do just had to lump it.).  Peace there was not however and a short nasty war erupted and the brave Essex nobles moved themselves into fortified London (which was on their side) while John ran about Essex destroying their lands and taking their castles (which were either poor defensively or the folks inside just gave up), the nobels leaving their people to fend for themselves, how noble!
Luckily after this John not only lost most of his treasury in a place called 'The Wash' when the baggage train got stuck in the mud but he himself did the decent thing and died.  This left his son Henry III as king but being only nine years of age he was more interested in his electric train set, Lego and smartphone to actually work at being king.  This meant a wiser noble who supported the King had to become regent and he quickly issued a for of the Charter in an effort to ease the troubles.  By 1217 a form of peace and a renewed 'Magna Carta' was issued along with the Charter of the Forest (a much needed document as Forest covered much of the land and had specific laws) and a form of peace ensued. 
As time passed the Charter formed a base for laws, often reissued according to later Kings requirements and while totally useless in today's world (some try to use this in an effort to avoid paying parking tickets and other minor legal problems without success) the Charter is claimed by many as the basis of legal rights in many nations.  Whether that is true is debatable, certainly serfs and villeins worldwide may disagree, and a lot of other happenings go into making a nations laws.
Next Tuesday I will see the results of the lassies work, if they force me to work hard I will appeal to the Magna Carta for relief!

 
I was made aware summer had not yet left the premises by the thunder that rang out as I attempted to make a stew from the leftovers.  The noise of the clouds banging together was added to by the hissing of the hailstones that followed shortly afterwards.  While this did not last long the rain that accompanied this lot managed to eke out a decent length of time for what the weatherman calls 'showers!'  The sight of a nine year old in the distance who had managed to leave school in time to walk through it with no appropriate apparel either makes you feel sympathy or just grin like I did.  Poor mite, but we have all been there and he will be greeted by a caring mother who will belt him for not finding shelter somewhere, isn't mum grand?
As I speak the gray sky has darkened somewhat and the rain is again teeming down.  This is the time I stand at the window, coffee cup in hand, waving to anyone who looks up.  I usually get a wave back...  One of life's delights is to sit indoors, warm and cosy, while outside the rain hammers down.  This is an enjoyable experience, one of creations delights, although for many this weather will be doing their patios and back doors no good at all if it continues like this.  Down the bottom of the big hills the richer citizens will be unhappy as this often causes the drains to overflow with sad results.  Leaves from trees tend to block drains and no-one cares until it is too late.  
As long and thunder & lightning stay away I am happy enough in here.  Mind you I burnt the dinner again....

Oh and I've just discovered I had the window wide open through in the west wing!  TSK!

.

Lazy Post

But funny.
Sophisticated satire on PR during the days of Tony Blair.

A Day in the Life

This is the view I am forced to endure at the moment, except that at the moment it is obscured by the rain belting down.  This rain is I understand the remnants of yet another American hurricane that they send us regularly in an effort to increase the numbers of road accidents from English drivers failing to note the rain that blocks their view from their windscreen.  Quite how so many appear ignorant of rains ability to make roads slippery, especially when leaves are beginning to fall onto them, or that it takes longer to stop when on wet roads amazes me.  It is amazing the police who have just asked people to open their eyes.  I am told 'El Ninio' or whatever it's called on the far side of the Americas is promising to send us the worst winter since 1962/3 when it was horrid, I canny say I am looking forward to that!  Anyone got a bolthole in Portugal they don't use...?

 

This stuff, and the honey, is rapidly running out.  It appears the 'Hot Toddy' is something to be taken occasionally and not consistently as I had misread.  Ah well I will not require any more after tonight as healing is with us and soon I will be outside again.  How can such a small thing interfere with life so much?  How can people indicate that 'dribbling' is not a new thing for me in such a sarcastic manner?  The whole museum has suffered with this and I suspect it began with one of the kids during the summer.  Bah!  At least they have to go to school in the rain!

 

Islington Gazette 

 

Jeremy Corbyn had an excellent start to his public duties during Prime Ministers Question Time (PMQs) today.  By asking questions sent in by the public and mentioning their names he forced the Prime Minister to answer the question and avoid insulting the questioner, he cannot insult the public, at least in public anyway.   Corbyns attempt to have a better PMQs by speaking quietly and avoiding the childish nonsnes also worked as the PM found this difficult.  Indeed Cameron lost it when asked a reasonable question by the Scottish Nationalist Leader in the House and replied in his usual blustering arrogant Eton Prefect style to be put down very well by the SNP leader.  A good start by Corbyn although one woman asked if this meant he could not respond to the PMs answers this way, I see it as possible and if he can keep the PM acting like a decent chap he will all too often see this breaking down to Corbyns advantage.  The PM will react in fury and look bad on PMQs, this is the only parliament most people actually watch so it is important. 

       

The rain started hours ago and has continued non stop since.  There is nothing for it but to stop a passing jet and run off to the Riviera for a few days.  Anyone coming with me...?

   

Monday Dullness

It's been that sort of day.
I could have fussed over the make up of the new Labour shadow cabinet.  I could have read all the papers created by middle class white men asking why the new shadow cabinet is made up of middle class white man and no women.  I am told Victoria Derbyshire had a panel of five women discussing why the shadow cabinet did not contain women!  Irony is not her thing.  One wonders how she got her job?  The fuss over whether there are women in the cabinet or not ignores whether they can do the job!  None suggest that any of them have a talent, the few that do actually have a job there but are ignored by the female critics who I suspect could not do the job either.
The fuss over Germany closing its borders to more 'refugees' I ignored, the hassle from Jose Mourino losing his cool as his team Chelsea lost again made me titter but then I let it lie.  No doubt many other serious and important pieces of pap flashed across the news today but I missed them.  It made not a bit of difference.
I did add a piece of research on the non local service folks buried in the cemetery and spent far too long looking for the info.  That filled my afternoon and in the end was of no interest to anyone anywhere in the entire world.  Still it kept me off the streets that I was keeping off anyway as I suffered alone with no nurse to care for me.