Free to Be Offended

Donald Trump, you may have heard of him, made some claims the other day on his way to winning the US Presidential election candidature or whatever it is they do in the Wild West.  The world jumped up and down and grumbled.  This has always been the way.  Since Cain slew Abel people have been quick to complain and object to things they disliked.  Here we find politicians rejecting his words (which like me most have not heard) and people demanding he stand down, go away, be banned for the UK and told to keep quiet as they don't like what he said.
Germain Greer, an objectionable Australian woman, made a comment re transgender types (one of today's fashionable set) and found people demanding universities do not allow her to speak, that she apologises, and keeps her trap shut.  Christians are no longer allowed to speak in some universities as they indicate being is not part of Gods plan, they object to abortion also, the secular types and feminist groups tell them to keep quiet and go away.
Freedom of thought is being lost in the UK and the west in general.  People have always objected to others saying things they do not like but today social media spreads such thoughts both for and against, across a wide net.  Thus objecting becomes easier and much, much louder.  
One philosopher and secularist recently spoke on the radio (I forget his name) condemning the ultra secularists who wish to ban all religions.  How, he asks, can anyone have free speech and ban others?  The Nazi's banned free speech by brute force and as the Communist nations did later put a stop to people listening to other wireless broadcasts.  Free speech was free as long as it is ours.
It is strange that we have a petition to ban Trump but as far as I know none to ban the Chinese President nor the Saudi's latest King.  Both nations are bastions of tyranny, torture and great opponents of free speech, much more so than Trump will ever be!  
Donald Trump is a  bumbling rich boy, an uneducated Boris Johnson if you like, he has cunning, money, friends but in the end will fade away.  If the US is as sinful as I think it is it may be God will allow Trump to win, as a punishment!
We must accept anothers viewpoint even if clearly wrong.  I work and live amongst and have lived amongst people of all faiths and none, gay boys and girls, crooks and rogues, foreigners from all over the place and for the most part we got on well enough.  There are always those you do not wish to tolerate, one Scots drunk in the late seventies comes to mind here and people who have opinions and beliefs that are clearly erroneous (we do not get electricity from the ground that keeps us alive) and often plain daft.  We must just try to make the best of it or avoid them as much as possible. 
However should we be banning people from public speaking because their views are offensive?  If they incite hate or violence, here I consider some radical Muslim preachers, they must be stopped but drawing the line is a difficult thing to judge.  Darwin is much praised by secular types but they forget he considered women second class because of their smaller brain (hmmm) and he thought that blacks were also inferior.  Not much of that in the secular world today, no mention of Adolf Hitler a man who lived out his Darwinian beliefs.  
Free speech is not an excuse to hate others, it is not an opportunity to bring others down but it is an opportunity to oppose their ideas just as they oppose yours.  An argument is not a fistfight it is a discussions, with both ears open, to the other viewpoint.  The results will vary but it ought not to lead to abuse.  
Others views may be offensive to us but we, and universities in articular, must not stop people spouting ideas and opinions we dislike.  After all we are not perfect and in the end it is Jesus himself who will judge them, not us.

Another Day of Unsurpassed Joy

Another day of unsurpassed joy eases past.  I walk in this morning and everyone walks out!  No tea, no time to make tea, nobody to relieve me when making tea and thirst threatening to end me by the time someone arrived hours later.  Good job I'm not the complaining type.  As always I was busy and this continued all day.  No lunch break, I had to run to the cafe for a sandwich and stuff myself at my desk while serving people.  Bacon and egg sandwiches are not good at moments like this!  However I was ready when the kids arrived, 45 sweet young things who have not yet learned to wait for their change.  I could have made a small fortune there.  
Of course this means I have little time to myself when I venture home.  Things pile up and await developments but the work has to wait as I am off to work again tomorrow.  One bint has a 'sore back' another is not coming in as she is Christmas shopping (that will make no difference really I say) and I have been persuaded to arrive sometime tomorrow to attend to the next lot of kids.  When do I sleep I asked, "Christmas Day" I was told.  She might be right.

As I awoke this morning, long before any of you lot saw the clouds above us, I caught some of the comments from Trump on the wireless.  It took me a few moments to register as at first I thought it was a spoof of some kind but indeed this was Donald Trump attempting to get elected as President of the USA.

That space was to give us all time to consider what this would mean, lets have another.

Even US loving David Cameron, he of the brain the size of a peanut, even he has allowed his spokesman to indicate he does not think much of Trump.  Lets face it the US has produced many oddities when choosing a President and two at least, Reagan and Dubya, got elected but this one is way too far over the other side to even consider as President, surely?   Of course he will not get elected the establishment will do something that blocks him or hinders his support and he will fade away like other 'B' celebrities.  Already the Republican Party is gathering ideas how to remove him. We know that if elected it would be hard for this country or most others to share info with the US, trade and other dealings may cease and his position would become untenable.  However we know he will not get elected, Trump is clearly too daft even for the USA.

Mind you they said that about Adolf Hitler...

Monday Off

Having done all my Christmas shopping I could sit around all day today, except when back in my bed of course.  The watching people hurtle past the window on their way to work was tiring me so I slept it off.  Later I trundled round on my rusty bike to see my friend at the far reaches off town.  On the way back I stopped on the extremely high bridge I had to cycle, puffing and panting, over and stopped and attempted to capture the bright yet dying sun.  I was intrigued to find how even the electricity pylons look better when the sun shines.  It is true that sunshine makes everything nicer, no matter what time off day.  There is also not much else to look at round that part of the area!  
For some reason the gale force wind has dropped, except when I am cycling as it always faces me, and the sky became clear as the rain clouds passed away in the afternoon.  Considerable heavy rain fell up north and the Carlisle United manager claimed the floodwaters were up to the crossbar on the goalmouth, that's eight feet high you realise, and others have once again found their houses flooded, we can consider ourselves fortunate to live in the 'soft south.'  David Cameron, who's government failed to pay for the complete flood defences newly installed (they were overwhelmed) paid a visit for some PR.  The natives must have been pleased.
Whatever the cause the climate is changing, high flood waters from heavy rain alongside mild Decembers are not the normal run of things.  Certainly snow fell in Scotland but it used to begin in August!  Just be glad you do not live in a sinking South Sea Island, no paradise for them these days.
With my Xmas work complete I sit here awaiting the parcels flooding in, one card arrived today, one parcel promised, hundreds expected! 

Yes my rusty old steed got me down to my mates in record slow time, the remains of the gales were against me.  How nice it was to feel the pains in the knee as I raced slowly up the Eiger like slopes that were in the road, how much nicer to know later that I was almost home when the aches became screaming pains.  However I am now so fit I will be unable to go to work tomorrow!  There in spite of the knees stiffening i will keep smiling and being a light to the world.
The bike however will be resting.

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The Last Xmas Shop

Rising early I headed for the big bustling town to find my last present.  Naturally the streets were as full as San Jose in sunny Costa Rica just to make the 'Big Issue' sellers feel at home.  Ten million people blocked my path into 'Waterstones' where I found nothing of any use to me.  Once I get the Book Tokens someone somewhere must send me I will go back and find something however to day it meant a shop trawl.  Nothing but some chicken for the freezer and a book from the Cathedral shop.  Nothing for other people, I suppose that is a successful day shopping!
Those in sunny climes may wish to understand the freezing weather was heightened by a gale blowing through the land.  For reasons of mental breakdown they now give such storms name so this one has been called 'Storm Desmond.'  Dear oh dear.  Could they not call it 'Valhalla' or 'Tempest' or such like?  'Desmond?'  It's like uncle Desmond is passing by not a full blown gale that has wiped out most of Scottish football and wrecked parts of the land.  Tsk!

However much to my delight, and for only a £1 I managed to obtain my Xmas hat.  Now let some bunch of cheery Carol Singers pass by and I'll let them know I'm around!  Already the shop staff are gritting teeth while Xmas music plays, already 'When a child is born' has stuck in my head uncalled for for hours, already elbows and have bruises on them, already Tesco shop staff have got Xmas pullovers to wear!  My hat is the ideal for shop folks and I will wear it will joy on Tuesday!  
However I missed my bus!  Bah!!!

At the Cathedral I noticed the Blue Boar above the unused door and wondered why it was there.  I had not noticed this before and possibly someone has painted it or the colour stood out in the gray around us today.  It appears The De Vere's, Duke of Oxford and lots of other lands, and based up the road in Castle Hedingham was involved in the death of one of the violent English imperialist kings, Richard III.  He was bumped off unceremoniously in 1485 and buried under a nearby car park.  He was uncovered and reburied amongst much fuss and ado this year.  His sign was a  'White Boar' so some bright spark caught a white boar and painted it Blue, now 'Blue Boar' pubs and the like abound, but not in the area where Richard arose.  

Now, where's that mulled wine...?
  

Xmas Shopping Joy

I got the free bus down the road today to check out one or two shops looking for one small gift for a woman and lots of big gifts for me.  It was not a good idea.  The bus being empty fooled me into thinking I would avoid the crowds but while not full the peoples that appeared were in Xmas shop attitude.  That is while the music that sadly exists in every shop constantly repeating the same songs over and over again speaking of peace and joy the elbows were out and shoving past to get the half price bargains was in full flow.  The half price bargains themselves fooled me not at all, when something is priced at £24 and it was £19 a few weeks ago I see that not as half price but a con.  It was also noted that shops selling the 'mountain wear' type of clothing priced their items almost identically, no price rigging here I'm sure.

Waiting for the free bus back I was impressed by the light from the sun as it headed towards its bed.  It would have been nice if it had switched the heater on but the sky was a bright yellow under the vast cloud cover.  Possibly the cloud emphasises the brightness best.  I was also impressed by the chap at the bus stop staring had up the road attempting to bring the bus quicker by his staring.  Have you ever done this?  The idea that somehow glaring at the road in the far distance will bring the bus faster appears to me to be a normal practice in this country, possibly it is the same in other 'civilised' nations.
Returning I went through all the charity shops but still have failed to obtain that one last (cheap) present.  I wandered through them all, in spite of the hordes, but not once did I find the suitable or indeed near suitable item.  Really the stock in these shops requires improvement!

Slow Day

The decision to 'Go to war!' as the 'Daily Mail' gently put it has filled the grubby media today, that and the media attack on Jeremy Corbyn.  It is amazing how the middle class BBC liberals are so keen to attack Corbyn.  They are supposedly 'lefties' and I suspect they are afraid of his popular backing.  It would not do to have the people demands seen as important, at least not as important as the middle class 'lefties' demands anyway.  Tsk!  They might not be allowed to tell others what to do.

The world continues as if nothing happened and I followed them by posting two more Xmas packets, cheap gifts for the family, I send Gift Cards and I am real happy 'Poundland' now do them.  The I had an attractive blonde cut my hair and wandered around Tesco.  On the way back I passed the museum so I popped in to say 'Hello.'  Within minutes I was busy at the desk as nobody was in and I had to cover for an hour!  Typical!  I spent some time looking through the 1937 'Kellys' Directory' which lists the people and life of the town at that time.  Ridiculously interesting to see my home was once used as a surgery by a doctor who bought it from a family chap.  He took over the house from a woman who made corsets, that's one way to get around women.  This unexpected diversion, not the corsets, meant I was unable to spend time on my latest exercise regime.  Sadly I had to let that pass. 
Nothing of any moment has passed through my mind or across my consciousness all day.  Whether that is because nothing has or whether it is because I am too dumb to see it today I know not but nothing has happened.  So I suggest you take yourself over to Dave and see his excellent photos taken on his travels.  Well worth a look!  As for me I am downloading the Windows update on the other laptop so that will keep me busy for a while.

Debate!

Daily Mail

I spent much of the day with the Syria debate in the background.  The House of Commons was full of people with something to say about the debate as to whether the RAF ought to be bombing Daesh in Syria as well as in Iraq.  A serious situation which many treated seriously with a bit of banter and finger pointing but on the whole a decent debate.  The two leaders however were very different.  The Prime Minister David Cameron began the debate with a speech high on words but low on conviction.  He was convinced of the need but when questions arose he failed to satisfy.  Last night he spoke to a meeting of Conservative MP's and used the phrase 'Terrorist Sympathisers' on those who wish to vote against his motion.  Today he was asked on several occasions to apologise and he fell into the 'Eton Prefect' mould and ignored the question, it was an act of brazen ignorance which did him and the post of Prime Minister no good whatsoever.  Cameron continues to demand the bombing of Syrian targets (with only eight planes added to the eight we already have there) without civilian casualties or the loss of a plane yet has not given any indication of strategy behind this.  The real reason is keeping in with the 'allies' and getting a seat at the political table.  The bombing will do little to stop Daesh.  The plan remains send in the jets, no further plan is available.  This looks good.

Jeremy Corbyn on the other hand opposes the bombing as he always does yet his performance was poor.  He made his points while constantly and probably deliberately interrupted by Conservative questions and appeared unable to put his case sufficiently.  Both front benches performed badly for differing reasons.   

The short few minutes for speeches from the backbenches were far better.  Many had prepared well, knew what they wished to say and made a decent case for their opinion.  The majority Tories will support the motion, the SNP and many Labour will oppose and David Cameron might well find the easy victory eh expected when he called the debate will not materialise.  He will win but not by a large majority.  The debate continues, time being short speakers now have only three minutes to get their point across!  This is because Cameron insisted on the debate lasting only one day and not two or three as important debates ought to do.  That also has gone against him.

Bombing while allowing financial assistance from Saudi Arabia and Qatar appears daft yet we do this.  No money is being spent on attacking the internet usage by Daesh, no attempt to curb their social media usage, much better to bomb.  The Turks have been buying Daesh oil some say while sending their men to fight the Kurds fighting Daesh!  We have failed to give armour to the Kurds, our best fighting men facing Daesh as this upsets the Kurds!  What a mess we have in front of us and in the end we will see a similar debate when this clown wishes to send our troops in on the ground alongside our allies!

The debate continues.

Duty Done

Having done my duty today, raking in the cash by use of my skilled sales patter and free chocolates, having packed up the residue of the now removed latest exhibition, having done my all and chatted up the girls I made my weary way home.  As the afternoon descended into December gloom I wandered round the corner to the nurse for my second visit having exhausted the pills as ordered.  There she examined my now no longer swollen foot, ran her hand over my calf (that reminded me of something but I canny mind what) and allowed me to go my way almost back to normal.
This pleased me as taking tablets that must be taken on an empty stomach is not easy.  The plan is to leave gaps between eating long enough to please the makers but short enough to ensure you get fed properly.  This is not easy as i found when I discovered my head was not working.  I had got confused and forgot to eat again.  This was a small thing in the medical world just imagine what those taking three or more differing tablets each day must go through.  How glad I am also we still have a NHS in spite of the Tories attempts to ruin it!  This would have cost me a small fortune for two visits and a couple of prescriptions, only the conservative Party could consider the US system worth trying!  Just imagine being seriously ill, just ask Jerry!
On the way back I attempted to take one or two pics with the wee camera of the brighter Xmas lights.  Nothing special in the town but I was happy with this one of the buildings across the park.  The world is a different place at night, once the traffic noise dies down and people run for home.  Of course you do get some funny looks from those that do walk the streets at night but I am used to that in the daytime anyway.  

 

A Special Day

Today as you all realise is a special day, St Andrews Day!  Now I will not wax lyrical about Scots superiority as I don't wish for you to feel inferior, even though as non Scots you are, so Iwill pass this day in a simple manner.  
The ticket above celebrates the first ever football international which was played in Glasgow in 1872. This date is so long ago even our friend Mike Smith was not in attendance!  The score between the Scots heroes and the imperialist upper class twits was 0-0.  This shows how good their goalkeeper had been during the game.  Such internationals between the only two nations playing in such organised football matches became an annual event, one year in England the next in the land of the free.  This continued until during the 1970's the glory of the encounter wore off and Scotland began to look at the wider football world and saw meetings with then 'Auld enemy' of little meaning.  Of course some wish to bring back this game but with the wider scope of football today Scots would be better playing European sides and developing young players, especially in what were once called 'B' internationals.  
In spite of much weeping and gnashing of teeth I only managed to attend  two of these games, both at Hampden Park, Glasgow.  The first finished in a 1-1 draw and I was placed high in what we term the 'Rangers End' under cover from the rain and surrounded by drunken wee Glasgow neds.  The result meant we failed to qualify for the European Championships that year and we were somewhat surprised by the wee neds bursting into drunken tears at the end.  The result meant a lot to drunken Rangers fans in those days.  
We left, I say 'we' but I have no memory of whom I attended the game alongside, we left and made our way down the dangerous slippery slopes and turned to our right heading for the bus.  The one little difficulty here was the stream of thousands from the other end who were making their way to the left.  We crossed though this far from merry throng and followed the right crowd in the right direction.  As we got halfway down we passed one of the common sights in Glasgow at the time, one somewhat imbued individual standing facing the masses heading in the direction directly opposite to he himself.  naturally you and I would move to the correct crowd and follow their movement this joker stayed where he was and by swinging his arms and misusing industrial language requested the thousands to move and let him past.  He may still be there, trampled into the tarmac!    
The next time I managed to get a ten shilling ticket was two years later in 1972, the price had not gone up much in one hundred years you notice so I suspect the early one shilling fee was intended to put off the rougher element.  1972 gave us the second only 0-0 draw in one hundred years of football.  I was there - in 1972 that is.  It was not a great game, the loudest cheer came when the Ayrshire Drum Majorettes (aged between 8 and 80) appeared at half time, short skirts and swinging long sticks, marched in time to the music to the far end of the ground, faced the crowd and went down on one knee.  I believe seven at least had heart attacks at that moment.  There was little else to consider.  Of course I was with three others, one, with an English accent that came from being brought up down south, one with an Edinburgh accent wishing England would score and two of us trying to make sure these two did not get too close to Rob Roy MacGregor wearing the 'See You Jimmy' cap and confused drunken expression just in case he lashed out.  The other joy of Hampden in those days was ensuring you stood between the crush barriers.  These tended to collapse with age and with 137,500 tickets handed in (only 135,000 had been printed by the organisers) and you stood where you would survive if one or other went.  
We avoided the crush afterwards by heading into town, amongst the crush.  This meant waiting next to a police horse slavering at both ends with one of Glasgow's finest psychpathic polis sitting upon it.  The joys of football crowds!  Today all has changed.  The slippery slopes have been replaced, seating is compulsory for safety reasons and only 50,000 or so attend.  Some wish to bring back standing at football matches because of a rose tinted view of the past, I say no, not for any crowd over 5000, it is just to dangerous.
So we celebrate St Andrew in the usual Scots way, we mention it and just get on with life.  Not like the drunken Irish who celebrate St Patrick ( a Welshman) who they care little about nor the English who's imperialism wishes to bring back a celebration of St George, a man born in Armenia!  I wonder if they would let him in as a migrant?
Happy St Andrews Day anyway.

Nothing to Say

I have nothing to say so here is a picture of a fishing boat at Dunbar I took back in the 80's.  These wee craft were out in the Firth of Forth collecting lobster nets, just to the right there were lots newly landed.  Fishing in the Forth or out into the North Sea has been going on for millenia but it has always been a dodgy business.  The weather and sea together are bad enough but now the dying stocks and the various rules have killed the fleets.  Not that I would eat lobster, the cruel manner of cooking is disgusting and anyway shellfish are not for me, give me fins and scales. Not that I was offered anything but dirty looks by the local natives, their appreciation of tourists was not great.
 
Dunbar has been around for some time, the small castle ruins has seen some excitement with various Kings and Queens passing through, none were there to greet my travels I must say.  Since the Votadini came down from the hills above and settled in this spot the town has seen two major battles, lots of small ones, the castle slighted and folks killed left right and centre.  The population today is a few thousand, there might have been more if they did not keep getting caught in fights!
It is thought St Cuthbert was born here or in this area and worked as a shepherd until joining the monastery at Melrose.      

This is a picture of the sea.
I post this for those of you who live inland miles fro the sea as you may not be aware of its existence. One thing to note is that it is wet, very wet, and walking upon it is not advised.  It does take up a vast proprotion of the palnet however and is full of fish, sea creatures, boats and plastic rubbish we threw awayand now floats around as a danger to sea life, shipping and us.  Most of the fish is probably poisoned with something or other, these lobsters also. These creatures like all shelfishw ere intended to scavenge and clean up the sea that is why folks were not supposed to eat them, pigs and the like were doing the same on land.  I suspect no amount of shellfish could save the sea today.

However this guy appears happy with his lot, how about you?

Nature Day

After a refreshing and very long sleep I awoke bleary eyed too late to rush in early to help prepare the day at the museum.  So I slowly trudged down the road shivering in the cold air and took my place as far from the hard work as possible.  The tables were laid out as several local peoples were displaying their wares.  This table was run by a couple who deal in fossils and such like.  Very interesting but sadly too few people arrived today.  This table had a tin full of very old sharks teeth the kids were encouraged to fiddle with, they like it!  

    
This young lady ran a stall on behalf of 'Guide dogs for the Blind.'  She was escorted by two dogs, one retired from duty and a four month old Labrador who is undergoing training.  Both were popular!

The dogs were happy enough and keen on attention, a bit like the lassies I meet here!
The weather meant the town was quieter than normal today and with several other events on their way elsewhere it hit our numbers but enough came to keep us busy.  Several groups who support local Gardens or Wildlife efforts were in attendance and there were four talks by people on John Ray the naturalist who led the world in understanding plants.  he lived just outside town in Black Notley and The John Ray Society were also there to talk about his life.  I never met him as he lived in the 1600s and I was not here then.

I need not explain that muggins was the one who spent much time washing cups after this lot left!
I will have 'washday hands' soon.  Some very nice and enthusiastic people were there with a lot of knowledge of their subject.  Hopefully a similar event will occur but preferably in the Spring which would be better for all.  Now we just have the run up to Christmas, oops no we don't, there is an event tomorrow as the town switches its Christmas lights on and we and most others will be open and offering something or other.
With all this festive jollity, happy faces, laughter and pleasantness I can assure you I will be at home looking out my 'Bah Humbug' hat!

Tired & Weary Day.

Tired & weary I plodded home from the museum, my bones less pained than my muscles.  Weariness began last night when a knock came on the door around ten o'clock. Two friendly members of the constabulary were enquiring about my neighbour, who has not been seen since, he and her have been up to something somewhere.  Half dressed, I was watching football in bed, and a I explained to them I was on a football planet not one concerning neighbours.  I missed the last two minutes of the game because of them!
I also failed to sleep for ages and woke at eight this morning with a sponge for a brain, at work they said this was not unusual.  Not only was I kept busy I had to buy my lunch rather than eat at home because of staff shortages.  However the day was profitable and we took a decent amount of cash and the girls have been preparing for tomorrows 'John Ray Day.'

This ought to be a good day as many are interested in this nature lover however the wee pony seen above, used as therapy for injured kids and others will not make it, some thieving rat stole their truck and trailer!  I suspect however the stall holders who arrive and those who drop in will have a decent time.  I will be even more weary by the finish.

 
What a interesting little book this is.
Usually books about Adolf concern his rantings and world domination plans but here we see another side of the man who would have ruled Europe.  
Christa Schroeder began work for the early Nazi Party years before the war, this for work as it was hard to find and not for ideological reasons she claims.  In this she might be right as it appears she comprehended or cared little for what was happening outside of the Leadership bubble in which she operated.  Once she had climbed the heights to be one of Hitlers favourite secretary's she was then unable to leave even if she wished.  Hitler and he alone decided who came or went.
Her shorthand skills were important during the early years as she took dictation, typed out his speeches ad retyped as he amended them time and again.  Surely during this period she grasped something of the intentions of the man?  Surely she realised where Germany was headed?  At the end of the war she was interrogated by the allies and one suggested that she could be regarded as 'dumb!'  It is possible she really did not comprehend what was going on even though she saw the control of Ukraine and in the end the devastation of Berlin.  It is possible her life was too close to Hitler himself and under his spell as many were to be objective about what she saw around her, maybe she shared a mental outlook that ran through Germany at the time, one that is difficult to explain.

This is not a straight forward book more a collection of typed notes that were published some years ago, later translated into English.  These notes she put together to put some stories right and others to explain her position.  Many in Germany were doing that after the war.  These contain stories about the various campaigns where the backroom staff followed the chief to his headquarters even though he rarely made use of them.  Hitler kept his office staff separate from the real business at hand and used them as a way of escape from the trials of taking others land ans killing the population.  These girls were a sort of middle class escape where he met them daily for tea and cake and talk far removed from war.  Politics and military matters were never discussed here, art, plans, architecture (Adolf saw himself as an architect not a painter), history and all sorts of subjects were given his views, views he studied by voracious reading and by memorising large amounts of detail so he could spew it back as his own.
Hitler was the centre of the life in this 'Bubble,' many wished to be there so they could stake a claim for position, few were true friends to others.  The people of the circle are mentioned by Christa with particular care for the women, is she bitchy or were the men of little interest to her?  None wanted her even though a few were kind towards her.  
This book could be seen to glamorise a man who caused millions of deaths however it fails to do so by revealing his selfish obsessions at all times.  His personality shines through in spite of the tea and cake, the kissing of ladies hands (he was Austrian after all not Prussian) and generous gifts to one and all.  Those who offended him especially by disagreeing were not invited back, even Christa was  
'blackballed' for a year for talking back, Adolfs inabilities and weaknesses and limited outlook are always on show in these pages.  His brutal attitude to opposition, his reliance on his own 'will' and his lack of real deep care are clear to see.  It is a wonder people stuck close to him, a wonder he had so many followers.  That is the thing people believed in him, his ability to convince and carry an entire nation led them to destruction.  Christa working alongside him does not appear to carry any insight into faults re his agenda, as indeed did many others.

A lesson here for us all.  The world follows all too easily the leaders it chooses, deep thought and conscience are not always brought into place.  Right and wrong are concepts that can easily be amended to suit our purposes and concern for others fades when our advantage appears.

Big Tins

I'm not getting out and about much these days.  I make it too the museum, hobble home via Tesco and flop.  A saunter around town if I must is all I can manage at the moment.  Today I unwound myself from the heater under the desk and gathered the rubbish and dumped it outside, as I did so I noticed the shop on the corner still had some tins on show, I had noticed them the other day, and raced slowly upstairs to get some cash.  
This shop was once selling only second hand furniture, he cleared houses and bought in stuff from self employed folks making bookcases and the like on the side (as far as I can see).  Now however while he still does this I notice his shop is stuffed with odds and ends, almost everything in the world can be found there somewhere!   This is something to remember, and I wished I had time to look around as I went up there for two large tins of fruit.   
I took the Pear Halves and Apricot halves today but will go back for more.  Just look at the size of the tin!  For these catering sizes he charges £1:25 and as supermarket stocks cost from 25p to £1 this is indeed a bargain.  Naturally I checked the dates, 2017 is the sell by date and having eaten some apricots I am well pleased.  I need to eat more fruit and as the Aussies are keeping most of it down there this is excellent for mean miser poverty struck me.  

Bomb Shops

The idiot PM Cameron is trying his best to get parliament to support his rash intention of bombing Syria.  This means he now wishes to bomb the people fighting Assad the man he wanted to bomb last year but parliament opposed.  Now the people fighting Assad have been overrun by ISIS or some other Islamist group also fighting Assad but we will bomb them to help the fight against Assad.  The fact that Russia now has many, many more aircraft already bombing those fighting Assad including ISIS we must be on the side of the man we oppose in the Baltic region and Ukraine.  
Does Cameron understand this? 
So we fight alongside Russia against ISIS, against Russia in Ukraine & the Baltic's while supporting non ISIS fighting Assad supported by Russia?  No wonder he fails to understand how his government is reducing local services in his own county!
The bombing of Libya left a broken nation where armed gangs roam the streets.  Supporting those fighting Assad has left Syria broken yet the money for these wars flows through London so they say!
You thought Blair and Bush were bad?

I went shopping today.  I actually had shopped for what I wanted but had to return to the shop to put right the financial difficulty that had arisen.  With the family being 400 miles to the north it is easier to send a gift card rather than a present they don't want.  So I wandered down the other week and bought eight such cards from the woman's shop that they are happy with (I wanted to get a gift card from 'Poundland' but others persuaded me 'no') and had them ready to go and all appeared well.  The thing was that as each card had an accompanying £5 off voucher these all had to go through the till separately which took time but the young lass handled it very well.  However on checking, and rechecking, the bank statement (the one that just says "GIVE US YOUR CASH!" all pretence to service long gone from them) I noted that instead of eight amounts there was only one which meant I was seven times the amount better off than I thought.  Hmmm thought i this cannot be so I let it go for a week or so awaiting movement but they moved less than my knees and that is why I ventured to hobble down the road this gray dreich freezing cold afternoon.  
I had actually been there in the morning where the girl informed me I required to carry the cars with me so they could be checked on the system, I trudged back, via the supermarket, and lunched on something tasteless.  I wonder what it was?  
This afternoon I spoke to the (twenty something male) manager. (hmmm) and he almost said 'Just keep quiet and it will go away' but not quite, however the lass I had bought the cards from appeared and took a more mature approach.  She remembered me, I find attractive women do, checked the cards, the receipts and claimed all was OK.  The manager appeared unwilling or incapable f doing anything so the lass phoned the people 'upstairs' wherever that may be located.  She explained the situation and after a while was told to hold, cue bad music, after which another voice listened as she explained once again the predicament.  The voice muttered and murmured and then decided that there was nothing that could be done!  So that was that, I took the cards, proffered thanks to the one store member worth her wage and left.
I had bought eight at £25 and they were losing £175 yet this did not appear to bother anyone.  I can understand a business with many shops and connected to larger concerns like that can lose such amounts and not notice but the lack of concern from here and there amazed me.  They appeared surprised at my honesty!  Yet many folks I meet are honest in such situations, maybe it is the clientele or maybe honesty is less obvious than it once was.  The bad running of a business in itself does not shock, many companies I worked for while temping surprised me with their lack of concern, often the main staff cared only for their bonus, sometimes they were corrupt or lazy but on other jobs efficiency and integrity shone through.  It all depended on the leadership.  
I will be checking my accounts next week but I suspect nothing will happen.  If I am that much better off I will donate it somewhere as it will burn a hole in my pocket.  A few pounds or pence is one thing but this is too much.

  

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Is it Just Me?

Is it just me or have things gone over the top regarding this Paris outrage? 
I am not changing my avatars to include French flags, I am not weeping and wailing regarding the various Islamist attacks.  I wonder why?
I notice the papers are once again filling the page with a variety of items regarding this week old story.  The news vendors appear to consider nothing else, even the usual slappers and royals are being pushed down the page and all media appear to be totally behind an onslaught on Daesh in Syria.
One TV reporter appears to break down during his report, Andrew Neil a famous political interviewer and a man with few fans launches an outburst against Daesh and is applauded for this.
Hmmm.

The attack in Paris was not pleasant, neither was the bomb that killed 43 in Lebanon that got little mention nor the one in Nigeria which killed 42.  In fact many 'outrages' have taken place in various parts of the world and not all of them get much of a mention.  Maybe some are worth more than others to the media.
Let us take a look at recent history.  Since what we call 9/11 lots of Islamic attacks have been seen, many happened before that, most also kill Muslims and those tend not to be given much space in the western media.  Several attacks in a variety f places have been launched, some by organised groups many by individuals of low intellect, some with high intellect of course.  Many more will be seen wolrdwide.
However this is not new.
Since 1945 when peace reigned the Cold War saw 45 million killed in Africa, Asia and South America. The Northern Ireland conflict saw 3000 dead and some still wish to continue this war.  Why are we so neurotic about Daesh?
Down through the years terrible slaughters have occurred.  The United States killed thousands of Filipinos during their take over of the islands, many thousands of Indians were killed in the States during the 19th century and the growth of the British Empire saw a willingness to shoot anyone who stood in the way.  
We have ignored two world wars by the way.
Each century since Abel was slain by Cain has seen murders both individual and national.  Large groups have taken over and enslaved smaller ones, nations have murdered and terrorised others constantly over the years and on many occasions terror was part of the war.  Guerrilla war entails much violence with men, women and children suffering with both sides using terror to get the victory so why are we so upset about Daesh! 

Vlearly government influence is behind the vast publicity we see in the media, it is not just shock at the killing.  Fear that it could happen where we are is strong and those in big cities especially fear.  The stable peaceful world we all think we ought to have is endangered and confusion reigns.
However we have no right to peace, the majority of the world has trouble of some sort down through the years.  Peace and security is in fact rarer than conflict.  Human nature, as I keep saying, will never change!  Since Cain slew Abel human nature has been rotten and such outrages based on greed, politics or selfishness will always occur.  Only Jesus can save us and he was crucified by us!  

There is an unhealthy aspect to this reverence for Paris, something about our reaction is not right.  I am reminded of the attitudes in 1914 when those who disagreed with the war were regarded as traitors, the nation came under a wave of war that removed free thought and consideration of what was right.  We are doing the same today.
Something is wrong worldwide with our fear of Daesh, something does not ring true.

Reading the Distant Past

What a great book!
The author takes us through ten cities beginning five millenniums BC and ending with Babylon and its fall.  Indeed she steps over into the first century AD but the bulk of the book concerns the far distant and still much unknown past.
5000 years BC people had begun to develop cities instead of large family groups spread over the area.  Increased population saw a drift into the far south of Mesopotamia (the land between two rivers) and Eridu the first stop is far in the south of what we know call Iraq.

Eridu

 

Eridu was considered the first city by the Sumerians, Sumer being the name given to the area, the city built they say by the god Enki.  He is said to have built his great temple here and over the centuries this was rebuilt time and again, each occasion carefully flattening and sealing the previous building before rebuilding began.  The archaeologists who dug deep into the mound found there was indeed a temple, a small square box shaped building the size of an average room dating from around five thousand years previously.

The gods feature much in the history.  Each city had its own, usually a female and male and the women often more important for reasons unknown.  Greeks and some early Christians developed the idea of a female goddess, pure and holy, clearly not based on any real woman around them.  I wonder why such goddesses are sought by so many?

The gods become confusing as time passes, some visit one another, several become top god depending on who is the top man, and all look after their city if they are fed and watered properly.   Some temples had at the top a variety of rooms for the gods use, each with following helpers.  The fact is we know god exists and if we don't find the real one we need to invent one to suit.  This did not help when cities went to war and one or other destroyed the loser mind.

The difference between these gods and the real God is that Jesus is alive and can be found, reading the theology here made the biblical story appear so much clearer and straight forward.

 

 Ubaid

 

Certainly the folks back then knew how to make pottery.  This bowl goes back to 5400BC and was found in a grave at Eridu.  That's seven thousand years ago and more!

The cities had various problems with water.  To the north the desert region depended in the end on irrigation making use of the changing rivers the Tigris and the Euphrates, later water came from the Zargos mountains when the Assyrians took charge.  In the south near the Gulf the tides from the Gulf caused different problems in the southern marshes.  It is thought the varying weather and shifting water led to a fatalism that permeates even Islam today, whether this is true I know not but it is a thought.  When you depend on the weather you tend to live with your eye one the sky.

The early chapters appear to indicate a lifestyle in which peace and love circulates and everyone shares everything and lives in harmony with one another.  Certainly this is possible, ancient cities on the Indian/Pakistan border had no walls and appear to have settled lives so why not Eridu.  We know however that human nature is corrupt and already people spoke of the flood and what had occurred in the distant past, human nature does not change.  It is possible a decent society existed but on occasion as time moves on through the millenniums it is clear soldiers exist, walls are created and aa dominant level of society is calling the shots.

The increase in exchange of goods required better husbandry and records of trade, the beginning of writing appears about 3500BC and by then someone, possibly in the temple is organising society to ensure life continues and this means ensuring the farmers plant crops, the herdsmen and shepherds do their stuff and appropriate offerings are made to the gods.  A powerful civil service arises everywhere and soon scribes become just as important.  

Early writing featuring simple signs indicating beer or wheat eventually develop into Cuneiform script which exists for thousands of years afterwards.  Many late clay tablets feature translations into Greek on the reverse side.  Where would we be without writing?

 

   UR

Ur is one of the most famous cities discussed in the book.  Famous because Abram, who you may have heard off originated here before making his way north to Harran with his father than setting off to Canaan to become the first of the Hebrews.  It was fascinating to discover something of the situation 2000BC when he left.  UR had developed into a small state and ruled over many for over a hundred years or so and near the end of that time Abram and all his moved away.  The folks in UR had not been good at treating the neighbours well and by 2000 the Elamites had come from the east miffed at their treatment and laid waste the city.  They were very miffed!

 

The author, a woman, begins with the historical dig at each city, tells us the history and of the discoveries made at each city.  This is an excellent read and not boring, at least not to me.  She flows along making special mention of women whenever she can, as women do!  Each town has its occupation indicated, the ideology if it had one and the various gods enthroned.  Some reveal a great deal about those who inhabited the city while others leave a lot to be desired.  Where possible Gwendolyn Leick explains the various interpretations for the difficulties presented and the glossary and notes at the back help a great deal while pondering the findings.

 

 Adad Gate

Nineveh offers an interesting problem for those wishing to dig into the remains.  It is situated opposite Mosul, the city now controlled by Daesh (what we should call ISIS).  This makes it interesting as Daesh refuse to accept the past as important and tend to chop heads of those who dig there.  Most now avoid the area and this appears reasonable to me.  The ancient city is a huge space in which hundreds of archaeologists could spend years researching the past, that however will not happen for some time.

 

 Sippar

This is a poor review of a good book.  My excuse is the tendency I suffer at the moment to fall asleep, sometimes when walking down the street, and the feeble mind is even more feeble than ever this week

If you wish to understand the past read this book.  One thing that we know from such works is that human nature does not change and people now are just as they were ten thousand years ago, people do not change.

 

Something Famous

Outage Outrage

How I suffered!
Yesterday the Internet started to play up.  The laptop has been slow for a wee while so I cleaned and deleted, made use of CC Cleaner, ran this and ran that but it was slower than ever.  Late on my email would not work, no matter how hard I hit the laptop it did not improve.  The GMail stopped also, in fact neither could be contacted and Google would no work either. 
I checked both laptops and both struggled.  Even my pictures would not work, they just disappeared.  I switched it off and on, did all the usual things, shouted and swore, kicked it about the floor but nothing worked. 
I decided it was their fault and left it till this morning intending to fix things before I went out.
Lo and behold it worked normally!
I have since discovered BT had an outage which affected the whole of East Anglia, much of the Midlands and bits of London.  Screaming peoples were to be found in a million or two homes last night, no longer concerned for IS terrorists more interested in fixing the computers. 
How important the internet has become.
Kids could not do homework or play games, businesses and those working from home could not work, Blog workers could not blog nor could half the nation check their emails, all because of an unknown fault somewhere in BT.
Terrorists have it wrong.  Shooting people is spectacular and in our society brings out the emotional responses that we see today (pity they are less emotional for the seven million babies killed by abortion), it would be much more efficient and a lot less dangerous to just plant a few small bombs in electric sub stations blocking out the entire nation.  Devastation everywhere, industry brought to a halt, millions of porn sites blocked, blogs unwritten, and despair and unhappiness abroad.  No suicides required although a few may occur but a much better way to spite an enemy today.  
Tonight however all is well and I am able to connect with my spam.  I can now sleep knowing all is well with the world and not fear having to talk to real people while I fight the laptop, for without the laptop the world stops.  


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