The best window seat around!

 

 

This short film comes from part of a Fife Circle that runs from Glenrothes via Cowdenbeath to Edinburgh Waverley.  Lots more such films around, sadly all running silently for some reason.  One, from the rear cab, has sound but is only off use if you like travelling all the way backwards.  Here we cross the Forth Bridge heading south towards Dalmeny Station.

  

 

If you prefer you can journey across the River Tay into Dundee.  This film is a wee bit older mind!

Spotting from Home, or Bored!

 

Bored with rubbish football last night I tried my hand at 'Spotting from Home.'  This is something usually done by those railfans who cannot get out and about these days so instead take pictures from their laptops.  Sitting in bed, bored with Luton Town last night, I picked up my cheap mobile phone and snapped favourite places.  

I decided to do this when watching far off Deshler, Ohio, somewhere in the United States.  Here is one of my favourite views, though usually it is not covered in snow.  The US is under a freak downwards curve of cold air and while Ohio may be used to such scenes further along in Texas, and even New Mexico, they suffered a blanket of thick snow.  A slight dusting they can cope with, several inches brought anguish.  

The engine in this picture is awaiting the passing of a train heading East which crosses just behind the camera view.  This has not yet arrived so our man just sits there and cogitates.  This is a not unusual sight at this point.  These frieght trains have to be well planned before they leave, a train 150 trucks long takes up a lot of space on the railway!

 

Unlike the engineer, that's 'driver' to you and me, I got fed up waiting so I moved to  Waupaca, Wisconsin, no, I have no idea where that is either, and discovered the foundry there was still working, possibly because this engine had just moved some of the trailers, filled with Coke standing in the background, into the furnace area.  This looks to me like one of those little 'wild west' towns that has little to build on but the foundry.  Quite why this town exists is not made clear but it appears to prosper.  Small town America lies before us here.

 

 

This, somewhat darker than it is in real life, seaside image, makes a change for those who do not appreciate the joys of railways.  Videos, sometimes live, of beaches wordlwide are very relaxing I find.  Here we can enjoy the birds gobbling up wee beasties we cannot see, but they know are there hidden beneath the sand.  There is something relaxing about the sea, the light reflecting of the water, the bird life, the air, all gives a relaxing feel to the mind.  I miss it.  

 

 

I used to see this view, from the side, regularly.  Crossing the Forth Bridge heading home with North Queensferry beneath us (give Gordon Brown a wave as we pass) the two road bridges to the right, and a few ships loading content to or from various refining plants.

In the past the Royal Navy at Rosyth, to the right, had half the fleet stationed here.  Vast numbers of ships, including BattleCruisers, were docked all around the area.  In the 50's when I passed a great many ships were still to be seen and Battleship gray covered the area.  Today these have gone, moved by John Major to who tried unsuccessfully to win a seat in Plymouth, thus leading to the loss of thousands of Fife jobs.  Who said the Union was a good idea?  

 

 

Not everyboby gets to see this view.

 

 

What?  Fed up with railways?  Heartless people!

OK, here are some Black Swans, somewhere in I suppose Australia, swanning about in a quiet, gentle, long video, one I often have on in the background.  Lovely to see and enjoy.  The colour obviously is better in real life.

I do like a lot of the old silent movies, hand cranked in the streets, while modern life, before 1914 that is, moved about for our entertainment.  This looks like France, a train arrives and all make a dash for it, the hopeful passengers, the men jumping off as the train slows, a great number of porters and station staff, and overdressed women, must be ones with money, pushing the men aside to get the best seat.

Fashion, you will note, doth make fools of us all!

 

 

Isolate, Press, Jab.

 

I have been isolating for several days.  By 'isolating' I mean, 'too lazy to go out.'  There is no need to venture downstairs, the neighbour has left the mail at my door, well, two grubby adverts for takeaways that is, there is milk in the fridge, bread in the bin, and meat in the freezer, so no need to spend money.

Weather dreich again, the icy sunshine replaced by rain which removed the last vestiges of snow and saturated those dogwalkers in the park.  The dogs did not notice either the rain or the saturated walkers.  I watched from the window, giggling.

I have, like so many others, ceased watching or reading the news.  On Twitter, when not banned for no good reason, I find headlines worth reading, from several media, few are worth following up.  The main press online appears to fill the page with half naked ageing celebrities, women showing their scars for no good reason, occasional murder, robbery, shock-horror or sentimental slush stories, no real in depth news or comment.  Why do people buy them as their is nothing inside?  'Bread & Circus's for the people I suspect.

The vaccine of course fills the spaces, either millions have been given, or not enough, depending on who you read.  My first 'jab' is scheduled for Saturday, if I can walk that far to the hospital and then stand for hours in the queue!  We wait to see how it goes.  Already talk is of ending lockdown and back to normal.  No chance for a long time in my view.  Sudden ending and soon another lockdown.

Back bench Tories with their eyes on the cash box will disagree.

 

 

Blue Sky & Vapour Trails

 

In my keep-fit shuffle across the park I noticed a strange thing up above.  An aircraft was leaving a vapour trail across the sky!  As I looked about there were several, in various stages of development, streaking the sky.  I was surprised as so many flights from Stansted have been dropped, 'EasyJet' have ceased use of said airport because of Covid, and usually only 'Fed-EX,' and 'UPS,' can be found beside one or two other parcel carries at the runways.  Is there a special free trip weekend on?  'Ryanair,' are found overcharging passengers at least three times a day, only one or two private operators appear regularly now.

Will the passengers be tested for Covid at home or abroad I wonder?

Ah yes, testing!  It appears that one year after 'Sage' the medical people suggested it, Boris has brought in 'Testing,' and 'Quarantine Hotels,' for visitors.  As far as I know only one such Hotel exists, and airports have had no information on what to do!  How many died after the various virus types flew in on foreign tripping passengers  over the past year?

I had to cross the park as I wanted to walk in the sunshine and take everybody's advice re exercise.  So I avoided the icy patches still lying there, it was minus 3 with wind chill added in spite of the sun, and the friendly local people were also avoiding, both individuals and even eye contact, with one and all.  That is indeed something new around here.  Twenty years ago almost everyone would acknowledge you were alive, very few do this now.  I blame incomers from London.  They buy the new expensive houses and bring London attitudes with them.

I hope these two planes passed at different heights!

 

The Magazine Contents

 

The post thudded onto the dingy mat late this morning. I raced downstairs to collect whatever vitaly important epistles were awaiting me.  Instead there was a single plastic bag containing a magazine, or so I thought.  Upstairs in my high quality shanty I opened the plastic, piled it onto the recycle pile and began to sort the mass of adverts accompanying the magazine.  

All wanted money.

Most were charities.

All get dumped.

 

"Do I think Leprosy is a thing of the past?"  No! It is regretable, recycled.

'Dignity in Dying.'  'Please donate so we can arrange to remove that aged relative from you.  They will be pleased, their pain ended, their cash in your account.  We supply our own pillows.' 

'Royal Hospital for Neuro-Disability.'  "Please support..."  If you are a 'Royal Hospital,' can I suggest you ask Her Majesty to stick her hand in her fat purse and provide a few million to keep her citizens well looked after?  She can take it from one of her slobby sons.

"Doctors Without Borders."  Indeed a trusted, well respected charity.  The middle classes can pay.

'Womankind Worldwide.'  Again, ask the women middle classes that are always shouting about what they want to decide to make a donation!

'Emmaus UK.'  Too late, I help my friend who works amongst such homeless.

'Rotary International.'  Ask your friend of business, Rees-Mogg for help.

 

All these in one mag?  How much do they think people can afford?  Seven charitable adverts, though 'Dignity' is no charity, and how can anyone caring enough to care choose which to help?  I am more choosy where I put money these days, and would check out each one, especially the 'Royal Hospital,' with no Royal cash.

However, it does not stop there, I am offered "One of the best hearing aids in the world." Very tempted as my hearing has endured too much AC/DC for its  own good.  However, with gay abandon it goes on the recycle pile also.  

"The Lady."  Not sure this is aimed at myself.

Also a Private Health plan is offered.  Not suitable for one who worked in the NHS when it was a proper NHS!  It still continues.

A thin glossy magazine falls out offering a huge range of expensive but Historical items. "Museum Selection."  Expensive tat with a Historical edge.  Binned.

'PostScript,'  The thinner still glossy magazine offering second-hand books at cheap (they say) prices.

 

By the time I have sorted out the charity drops, the sales bumf and scanned the two skinny selling magazines I have no time to read the actual Magazine!  Ah well, it sits in the loo usually anyway.  I will get round to it soon.  

OOPS!  I almost forgot, an offer for a cheap magazine "The Week."  Which, if memory serves me right, and I may be wrong here, is a right-wing mag which offers independent and unbiased information.

Hmmm...  

The Oldie Magazine

 

 

 

 

 

Slithering Pavements

 

Early today, as the snow was fading, I slithered, skated and stumbled my way to Tesco.  How nice to be outside as a scattering of snowflakes fluttered to the ground.  How not so nice to be in Tesco in the middle of the day when others are also there!  Who let them in? 

The walking on icy pavements which lay under a thin blanket of new snow, was hard work.  Walking on the clear damp road was easier, apart from being near all the busses who thought the road was theirs of course, and by the time I got home I was knackered.  This lockdown has affected my fitness, not enough exercising outside in the cold.  As I approached home the snow came down with great intensity, yet as I looked out an hour or so later the pavements were begining to turn to slush!  Make up your mind!  The weather men are offering snow tonight, but from tomorrow it is very cold with sunshine, I am glad!   So tommorrow I will wander abroad risking wet streets and even worse, meeting people!  Maybe I ought to stay in and do the ironing?

Snow Bound

 

 

Snow bound all day, such a shame.  Have to remain indoors while others struggle outside in the freezing world.  They have my sympathy, I have my heaters.  

 

 

There may be more tonight, maybe I shuld turn the bedroom heater on now...?

 

Spring Snow...

The weatherman warned of snow, naturally it did not arrive.  Instead it rained, and it rained a lot!

All night it rained and while the snow kept away by 9:30 it was beginning to showitself.  Bravely I moved my feet close to the heater, where they have remained all day, and watched the slight scattering of white lying across the world.

By the time Hamilton Academicals had dropped two points at home tothe Blue Bigots proper snow had appeared.  This however, did not deter those who thought they could, or needed, to drive around in it as it appears many cars are still out there in spite of it all.  Had I not been wrongly banned from Twitter I could find out how many accidents are occurring in this region because of the snow!  Bah!

So instead of wandering across the world I have watched football, stuffed my face, fallen asleep again, and spent much time looking for a small piece of paper.  As you may understand, there are lots of those lying around this house, we are not all computerised as yet...

 

Nothing

 

It's a Disgrace!

 

It's a disgrace!

For no reason at all, well, for a small reason, Twitter have banned me!

They use the word 'Suspend' but I know what they mean.

I logged in this morning and found a complaint, whether from a real person or from Twitters automatic responses I know not, but I think the latter, re a gentle suggestion I made to a woman having problems with her 15 year old son.  

"Give him a slap!" 

I suggested.  

However Twitter thinks this advocates violence and not required discipline.

Tsk!

Had she used such sensible options previously it is likely the brat would have behaved himself innit?

Twitter is however, to 'woke' for that sort of thing.

I tried to get back in, followed the order on the email that I eventually found, but could not get a response while following orders.  I went to query this and found I must enter my mobile number, but I have no wish to do so, I returned to email and found instructions to ...enter mobile number.

Modern technology has its limits.

So, I logged in a new Twitter site.  This meant a different email, a search for important contacts and long minutes waiting for little response.  

Eventually I was sort of happy, ready to explain the new name etc.

However, in playing about with this I logged out of the new Twitter and when I try to get back in the blasted thing will only go to the one I am suspended from!

Ah well, maybe someone is telling me something...

 

Truth

Today I enlivened my trapped indoors life by indulging in Twitter fighting.  This is great fun, especially if I am the one who is the Troll.  However, today was simply speaking truth into a sad, female dominated society, that is females worldwide who have never done a day's work in their lives and wish to tell the rest of us how to live.  

A Japanese individual, I canny be bothered looking up the story and his name now, commentated correctly that women in meetings 'Talk too much.'  "One speaks and the others decide they must also speak and meetings drag on." 

For reasons difficult to comprehend many women have objected to this and demanded his resignation.  

My comment was simple, "He is right!"

It is fair to say many women also commented in similar fashion and I was reminded of the BT advert in 1995 where it was said men stand while on the phone to get the business done, while women sit cause they will talk longer.  All the women in the ASA, where I then worked in between chasing off said women, agreed with this, none felt it wrong.  Todays women however wish to change reality, they want it to be said this is not true and men talk just as much.  While this may be true of football commentators it certainly is not true in the every day world.

Much time was filled here today, indicating truth to the world and getting a long list of more enemies worldwide.  Political Correctness, worldwide, has blinded so many to reality.  In the UK the 'Woke' live in such a world, a world far different from reality and one that while working in real businesses will cause them much harm.  Too many appear to think they can replace gravity by just stating 'It will be different.'  Gravity, like other realities, will disagree.

 

 

Gormless Shopper...

This miserable repast is what counts for lunch today.  There have been many mistakes made in recent days, the major one being daft enough to stand on the weighing machine early in the morning, screaming "It's broken, I need a new one!" and discovering it was not broken after all.  The lack of exercise is taking it's toll.

Therefore, action was instigated, less fattening stuff eaten, fruit much used, and no difference recorded.  There are other problems however, as this eating regime does not supply sufficient nutrition to the brain and therefore results in strange effects.  

Here is an example of this.  Today, as the sun was waning at lunchtime, I crossed the park seeking exercise and whisky.  Our curate has at last found a church (five actually, all under him!) to accept him as Vicar, and we are all pleased about this.  Crossing the park, avoiding others, I made my way to Tesco and acquired a special whisky and a bottle of sherry.  I thought if he is a Vicar soon he will need to have a bottle on the table so he can offer this to those who do not drink, charity and thrift you see, all in one.  The queue was long at each checkout, so I headed to the self-service machines, which we love!  Now whisky in boxes (even if on offer as here) means you collect an empty box, thus detering thieves and making you wait while someone gets a box with a real bottle inside for you.  I got to the machine, it spat at me, I think I must have used this one before, and began the long operation of filling a bag.  First I gave the young chap the box to fill, then put the sherry through the machine and into the bag along with all the other stuff.  When he returned I thanked him, added the whisky and pressed 'Pay.'  Naturally it all went wrong.  Eventually, with a young lassies help, I paid, left and headed out.  As I left the shop the magic alarm bells rang for theft as I wandered through the door!  I carried on, all things being well and nobody responded.  Glad my fight with the self-service machine over I headed home for what you see was a substantial lunch.  

It was later that I realised a problem.  Around the sherry bottle was a large tag!  It appears that being concerned with the whisky, being malnourished, and being gormless, all at the same time, I had not noticed the electronic tag on the bottle, one which a checkout girl would have removed.  That explained the alarm bells when I left!  

What an idiot!

Back home I tried to undo the tag, this is not possible, and after several poor attempts I decided to leave it, drink the blasted stuff myself and get the man a bottle via the checkout later.  

Anyone for nutritious sherry....?        

Sunday Sunshine

 

After days of gloom people came out to see the sunshine today, dog walkers, joggers, old folks, couples and those with children.  I avoided them all!  

 

These Daffodills have been coming through since December, the rain, and now sunshine might tempt them to show themselves in the chill northern wind.  End of January, Spring getting closer, clouds getting thinner (Ha! fat chance) and the days getting longer!

The socially distant were enjoying the day.  I was just glad to get outside, the first time since Friday, and walk around.  The clever people tell us it may be two or three years before enough people have been properly vaccinated and the threat dealt with.  Many are unhappy with that.  Hmmm...some places in Africa and elsewhere they are in danger of all sorts of disease, they appear to cope better than we do.

The pandemic has shown how wealth has eroded our ability to cope with stress.  The nation does not knwo how to suffer, therefore nonsense about the virus not existing, or being dangerous continue, crowds form, partygoers party en masse, and the virus spreads.  We have been knocked out of our routine and do not like it.  Maybe the routine was wrong anyway?

These guys were knocked out fo their routine, their ambitions altered, their hopes dashed also.  We call them 'Heroes,' and wonder why we are different.  We are no different, they just had to get on with life as it is, so do we.

Anyway, when I go out, I dress like this, just in case...

Saturday Rain

Another Saturday with nothing better to do than watch football.

Outside sleetish rain is falling, and has done since late last night, occasionally turning into snow and failing to lie.  

A normal Scots day I would say, in June!

The weather also hindered the few brave enough to make for the town centre, I was not aware of excessive Saturday traffic today, and with the town apparently a leading one where the Virus is living (though whether in the streets or in Care Homes is not made clear!) people are taking great steps to avoid needless crowding.  

There was no crowding in here today.

Instead I attempted to upset people on Twitter and failed, previous Bots failed to appear and thus there was nothing to do but eat and watch football.  The first football was mediocre English rubbish, so I fell asleep, but at three in the afternoon the Heart of Midlothian appeared to thrash Dunfermline Athletic at Tynecastle Park by one goal to nil.  That was good enough for me.  

I did grumble at the needless absurd camera shots throughout the game, why did we require constant views of the Pars number 3?  Did the director fancy him?  I would think it may well be female as clearly the director did not understand football.

Anyway, this was disturbed by rumblings from below.  It appears neighbours have moved in!  Not being nosey I have no idea who they are, but listening outside it was clear they are young!

How terrible!

No doubt noise from bad music and soap opera TV will soon appear! 

However, they may be human after all, but I doubt anyone under 40 is human these days.

Look, the six O' Clock game is starting, I wonder who is playing tonight...?

 

Holocaust, Abortion

While we rightly remember the Holocaust in which 5 million Jews and over a million others were gassed, let us not forget other Holocausts such as the Armenian one, nor forget the nine million children murdered by abortion since 1967 in the UK alone. All human life has value, all!

 

Free Press

 

I note that Rupert Murdoch, who recently opened 'Times Radio' in an attempt to create a 'Fox 2' has been unhappy with the squalid output.  He may be happier with Andrew Neil, one man who can ask questions of politicians properly, in his new venture of a 'Fox TV' station.  The problem with Andrew is his far-right views, his connection to 'The Spectator,' and his UK 'British' station being paid for by foreign money, plus UK money based in the Cayman Islands.  This does not to me imply independent journalism.  I suggest what we will oeffered is another failing attempt at 'Fox News' style coverage with a UK branding.  You will recall they tried 'Fox Tv' here for a while but this failed, the US scene was of little interest to the 'Daily Mail' viewer, however a UK based TV station will reach the 'Daily Express' and 'Telegraph' reader, although I suspect the man who reads the 'Sun' may be left out somewhat with the big words.  

Whenever this station begins the audience will be there for it.  Whether they can keep that audience will be interesting.  Another problem may be advertising.  They will require the dumb adverts for lawyers, Life Insurance, dog charities and the like to pay for the station, but these people can no longer afford to advertise on TV, Covid has dented their income also.  I hope those Arab sheiks have lots to offer Andrew.

 

 

Not too much done today, having got up late again, finished a burnt breakfast, then the study, such as it was, there was little time left to start something before the van came.  Then I spent some time cramming all the pies into the freezer and fridge.  One went on lunch and now it is time for tea, lucky me.

 

 

Soup, Burns and Woke.

Epitaph for James Smith

 

LAMENT him, Mauchline husbands a',
He aften did assist ye;
For had ye staid hale weeks awa,
Your wives they ne'er had miss'd ye.

Ye Mauchline bairns, as on ye press

To school in bands thegither,
O tread ye lightly on his grass,—
Perhaps he was your father! 

 

Rabbie Burns

Poem Hunter 

On 'Burns Night' it is the thing to celebrate the Bards birth by eating haggis, reciting 'Address to a Haggis,' and gulping down whisky all night.  Whichever one is the most important aspect varies from house to house.  I suspect however the majority of Scots have not purchased a Haggis for tonight, though some have the whisky, and many a Scots child is refusing haggis and choosing instead a home made 'MacDonald's' for tea instead.  Personally I had a haggis over the weekend and did not find it very enjoyable.  Too dry, I did not find it gave me energy, and I was somewhat disappointed with it.  Maybe my Forres butcher makes a better one?  Anyway tonight, having spent time breaking apart the chicken bought from Tesco, I should have killed it first, and then making soup, better than last weeks but not great, I cared little for haggis, or indeed anything else.  So chicken and chips flung together with scraping of veg had to suffice.  It was not great.  I would like to hear Rabbies poem based on that!

 

There is something to be said for that cartoon.

I took time out from my busy day to upset the 'woke.'  

The Urban Dictionary describes 'Woke' as being:

 

'The act of being very pretentious about how much you care about a social issue.'

Now I am not saying these people do not care but I am saying their care was not 'Love.' 

This came re an item about those searching Edinburgh for people involved in the slave trade in the distant past.  Now we all agree, today at least, that this was a repugnant occurrence.  We also agree that many in Scotland, especially in Glasgow, were involved.  However, I am not one who is convinced those pointing out, indeed writing books and leading tours, round houses built or lived in by those benefiting from such trade is done for the correct reasons.  Some wish to remove statues, some wish to knock down houses, others want the present day descendents to 'cough up the cash.'  Fat chance! 

You cannot change History, you cannot forget it.  However, this History was not taught when I was young, though the slave trade was abhorred.

Naturally lots of white, middle class 'woke' are jumping on the bandwagon.  These I encountered today.  I indicated that Scots miners, my family among them, were enslaved by the Lairds of their day.  This of course was rejected as irelevant or off a 'different hue.'  I am not sure my folks in Fife digging coal deep down with no prospects to speak off would agree however.  

The point that annoys is the eagerness to join the mob, not from love of black slaves, white slaves exist also, but belonging to the right crowd is what matters.

These folks share the same causes, join the same protests, believe the same things, none of them stopping to really consider what they are doing, indeed their limited world does not allow this.

Of course we have all done similar in past times, that is why we see it for what it is.  I have joined the cause, then realised it was the wrong way to do things or indeed a wrong cause.  Have we not all been there?  I am left wondering how many of these anti-slavers will pay money to those fighting slavery today?  It never fails to amaze me how such enthusiasm disappears when cash is required.  

Another example comes to mind.  For long years a protest stood outside the South African embassy in London.  Fight for freedom they said, free the black man in South Africa.  After Mandella was released they all went home.  However, when Zimbabwe leaders were killing black and white men no protest appeared.  Black led nations could go to war, no protest was found.  Why was this?  Because these people did not 'love their neighbour' they just took up a popular cause.  

When they gather together to stop todays holocaust, the murders of the unborn child, then I will believe they really care about slavery or any other cause today.

 

Boring Saturday

When I crossed the park yesterday the chill wond tore through those brave enough to exercise in the sunshine.  They claimed it was 50% I say it was 5%!  Today however it is much warmer, and the cloud cover keeps away the frost while depressing those venturing outside.  

Another Lockdown Saturday, another day with no end in sight.  This is managed well enough in my house but the media is convinced half the population are going mental.  Maybe it is just those in the media?  

This morning I braved the cloud cover to once again, against my better judgement, head for Tesco as I needed bulbs for the lamp.  This leaves me clear to do nothing for the weekend but watch three football matches tonight, and one or two tomorrow.  Whether they will be as interesting as Arbroath and Dundee last night we have to wait and see.  However, as I have just paid £18 to watch the Heart of Midlothian on PPV it had better be worth it or the manager will hear about it!

We play them again on Tuesday, what a grubby system.  I realise that arranging games under Covid is difficult, I understand the pressures, but playing the same team so close together is not wise in my eyes.

 

Bumbling Boris has been to see the floods up north, though I see no photographs of this.  Possibly he remembers the last time he visited a flood plain late, he got cat called from all sides and ran away.  Maybe he went at night when none could see him?  The environment secretary did visit flooded areas, but will he listen?  Will it make any difference?  Will money arrive for new defences?  No, is the simple answer, it always is.

Meanwhile, while fighting the new 'English' variant of the virus Matt Hancock now tells the world the 'South African' variant is much, much worse!  Ah, that light at the end of the tunnel, it is the 13:47 express after all!

 

National

 

The 'Spy Bill' is going through the Commons at this time, yet little is said about it in the English based Tory controlled press.  I wonder why?  Joanna Cherry, an SNP MP has been making noises in parliament about this, naturally the Tory government ignore her.  She may one day lead the SNP, we might need to know more about her.  

The Peoples AS30 case in the Court of Session has begun.  This is an attempt to prove Scotland does not require permission from Westminster for an Indy referendum.  Good luck with reading the reports.