Rank Keir

The 'Labour List' has listed the Labour members favourite MPs.  A 'Survation Poll' found that while Ed Milliband topped the list with +68.6% and Angela Rayner followed closely with +62.75 the Prime Minister himself was rated at only +13.83.  This is not good for a PM I say.

Worse is to come however, Lisa Nandy is next on only +38.87 with several other close behind.  The big names are however, losing out.  David Lammy comes in at +21.46 & Ian Murray the Quisling Scots Governor at +13.04, while the Health Sec Wes Streeting is an appalling +9.55, so much for his chances of taking Keir's job.  

Who are the lowest in the eyes of the members?  Well Liz Kendall is a mere -7.49 is second last spot, and it is no surprise to find the Tory Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, now takes bottom spot with a miserable -11.19.  The future is not bright here is it?

The over 45s appear to favour Keir, youth disagrees, his support strongest in London and Wales, well the English speaking part no doubt.  A third wish Starmer to stand down before the next election, if he lasts that long, but most still wish him to stay.  What is wrong with people?  Most wished Andy Burnham to take his place, and he is not an MP, though he is good at PR mind.

Will this make any difference?  No, the advisors behind the scene have pushed forward their agenda and Keir is obeying.  Let the old, the sick, the disabled, the mental all die and save us money, why should my taxes pay for them?  That is the attitude of today, and one they are pushing through the media.  Clem Attlee would not approve and people such as these advisors would soon be out of office, and out of the party.  Bring Clem back!

Trigger Warnings Radio & TV

Now I am not one to complain but, really, must the BBC insult our intelligence with 'Trigger Warnings' on programmes?  This series, 'Short History,' covers a wide range of historical events, some indeed featuring war and destruction, however, to offer the weedy wee lass informing us that 'This programme contains mentions of violence,' is more than insulting to the listener.  These include programmes covering diverse people and events such as Winston Churchill, The Battle of Stalingrad, and Pompeii!  Just imagine warning people the Battle of Stalingrad contains violence!  How stupid are people today?

I am led to believe such warnings are offered in universities around the country just in case a student is frightened by what they may learn.  What are they attending university for?  How mentally inept are they not to understand what might be ahead of them?  How stupid are universities that offer trigger warnings?  

People of my age grew up with the second world war just behind us.  We heard about it at school, we read about it in books and comics, we played war games everywhere, yet today students in their late teens and early twenties require trigger warnings?  What sort of parents did these people have?  Do they not read the media, listen to the radio, watch TV news?  Yet they require trigger warnings to read about war and destruction?

Of course the people who produce this needlessly over dramatised series 'Real Dictators' also, another programme which offers those tedious warnings that violence is within, when talking about Adolf Hitler or Joseph Stalin!  What is wrong with people today? 

The dramatisation of those online tales reminds me of the dearth of interesting drama or plays available on tv today.  As you know I no longer watch tv, the drama is merely soap operas with added guns and a few females stripping off, not much depth required.  I recall in days of yore plays that would be too much for todays audience to comprehend.  One featured two men sitting on a park bench talking.  Boring?   Not when it turns out one has come all the way from Mars.  This does not make it boring.  Another featured a man who's skin was turning to metal.  Possibly this was a spoof on the 'A' Bomb fetish of the time, possibly the result of too much alcohol.  There was the usual suffering women plays, the suffering women up north with a few mine disasters and funny accents, and by the 60s an occasional hard hitting play such as 'Cathy Come Home.'  Hard hitting but made no difference.

The soap opera's were better then, there being only Coronation Street to speak off, while 'Z-Cars' gave us half an hour of imitation police, and the first real soap opera 'Emergency War 10.'  They all appeared more realistic back then.  Of course the war was featured often with all those Black & White films glorifying 'our boys,' though some considered 'The Army Game' closer to real life experience.

What did the US offer?  'Highway Patrol' and 'Lucille,' and later 'Star Trek.'  

Me, I will stick to the football, it makes more sense.   

8. The Sumerians - Fall of the First Cities

Take Flightl

There is much to be said for air travel.  It is a quick and reliable way to travel several thousand miles quickly and safely.  The fact that many fear air flights because they may crash while crossing a busy road does not trouble them says much for the human mind.  Air and rail travel are the safest means of moving in the world.  

This comes to mind because of some things said re air hostesses on 'The Venomous Bead' yesterday.

Such people can be very helpful or very much a pest.  On the other hand however, dealing with the public is one of life's great adventures, they can be so irritating.  Quite how it is possible to keep the plastic smile going for a seven hour flight I fail to comprehend.  

My limited flight experience runs between London and Edinburgh or Edinburgh and London, either Heathrow, Gatwick or more usually Stanstead.  Long years ago I flew once from each at least, now if forced to travel, and I hope not, it would be Stansted airport.  I notice the bus that runs from here to the airport is changing its name, its timetable, and clearly they wish to withdraw this and make us use friends, which I have failed to gather, or taxi, who no-one in poverty uses.  The service element of bus travel has long gone since Maggie was king.

I do recall a very competent gay host running the flight to Edinburgh one year.  He controlled the flight, made us all laugh, kept things smooth and was completely in control.  People like him make things easier for everyone.  Sitting in the front row on another flight many years ago we were soon in conversation with then talkative hostess in charge.  Having dumped us they were off to Northern Ireland, or was it they came from Northern Ireland and were after that off to Amsterdam?  It was something like that.   'Easyjetting' their way around Europe, and possibly home for tea afterwards I guess.  No wonder she was happy.  I just recalled that when working I would occasionally meet a young lady, with quite a lot of make up and pulling a small bag, who clearly was off to do such a job, though I fail to recall who with.  Something makes me think it was a long flight operation, but I know not what makes me think that.  At least she practiced her smiles upon me.

This was taken at Turnhouse Edinburgh International Airport some years ago.  We were waiting for several aircraft to land before heading south.  Sitting at the window I loved attempting, and failing, to recognise anywhere on the ground.  The view from on high is tremendous and I can easily understand why they were so keen to fly early in the 20th century.  I recall the pilot stating that we were at 32,000 feet and over Manchester and preparing to land.  What he meant was a gentle descent to Stansted but he could have put it better.  On another occasion, not a full flight, as we taxied towards the runway we stopped while the pilot indicating we would have to wait a while.  Only incoming flights were being allowed as the Scottish Air Traffic Control computer had crashed.  The middle seat was empty, and the man in the aisle seat looked at me and stated 'Not the correct term to use I think.'  He was correct!  However, we made it, in spite of rain thudding against the aircraft as we were attempting to land.    

These days I make it to Tesco and am satisfied.

Old Map

 

There is a strange fascination in looking at old maps, especially maps that cover areas known to us.  This map is from the year 1878, the year the 2nd Afghan War began and Cleopatra's Needle arrived on the Thames embankment.  

This map features this luxurious residence but not as we know it now.  The shape remains the same but it has changed significantly since this map was drawn.  

For a start, Mount House, the large building in the centre of the map fell down just after the war.  It had aged somewhat and following several wealthy owners, one or two not so wealthy, and even the council making use of the outbuildings it was demolished.  

Today, there stands a large police station with several cells awaiting occupants.  

I have not visited these.  

What once were house grounds are now occupied by the police car park and what is left is a small, yet delightful, path through the remaining woods that lead onto Sainsburys car park.  A short life breathing clamber no doubt much loved by all who tread through it.

To the right of our building stands a 'Lodge.'  This guarded the long climbing entrance to the big house, the lodge also long gone.  Three years later the path to the right of the entrance became the Avenue, a road on which several extensive and expensive houses arose, along with houses suitable for the genteel elite of the area.  

I do not live on the Avenue.  

Our building goes of at an angle revealing what looks like several smaller huts behind.  These have all gone, and the rear of the building, though facing the same way, was rebuilt in years past.  In fact if you were to clamber up into the attic as I did years ago the original layout of the front of the building can be seen.  Almost all Essex houses began as one room and extended when money became available.  This one I am told began in 1812, much addition has happened since then.  

Quite what was lying around in what is now a new block built a few years ago I cannot make out.  The census does not help.  It does not give house numbers and some confusion reigns as to what is actually this block.  Where it is clear we find two women 'domestics' living here.  If this is correct the only explanation could be that this was until our landlord obtained the property used as a doctors surgery.  He and his son lived in one of the big houses down the Avenue.  Possibly the doctor had begun working from here before the Great War.  Certainly by 1930 he had a large white house up the road and his son was working here.  He may not have obtained that house on the NHS.  

The White House is now a care home.

Further to our left is a back entrance to the big house, probably used by the owner for his horse and carriage.  What the large building next to that is I have no idea.  I may have to search out the old census to find out however, I cannot remember any company being mentioned here.  The census must have not noticed!  The houses on view are mostly still around, a variety of small cottage like creations on two floors.  One row of several are being renovated now after years of use as offices.  I wonder how much these will cost next to a busy main road?

That road was the dividing line between this town and Bocking.  Until recently some could remember road works that went half way across the road, the other half ignored as belonging to the other council.  During 1878 I suspect there was no street lighting at this part.  If there was it would be gas lit, with barely noticeable pavements, possibly none here, though once the Avenue was opened and the elite moved in things may have brightened up.  

Horse traffic, long hours for the workers, six day weeks, outside toilets, long dresses for the women, waistcoats and flat caps for the men.  Holidays, if any, meant a 3/6d train ride and back to Clacton for the day, music provided by those who brought their brass instruments.  No radio or tv, newspapers the only information around, and that as dubious as today.  

A small section of map but reveals a lot of changes in 147 years.

Labour Tories

 

The Labour Prime Minister, note the word 'Labour' no longer represents the 'Labour Party' of old, this Labour Prime Minister held a secret meeting with Labour MPs to indoctrinate them into hating the disabled.  He explained there was a strong feeling in the nation against paying unproductive people, namely the long time sick, disabled, or indeed anyone he is now targeting.  I note he did not give evidence of who urges this feeling against the unproductive, possibly the tax dodging billionaires who pay for the Labour PM I expect.  

Rachel makes clear her contempt for the disabled and unproductive people, she is urging us to believe Labour represents only the 'workers,' not the non workers.  Notice also while this continues the Unions, once strongly in favour of supporting the sick, keep quiet and do not disobey their Party leader.   What would Keir Hardie say?

The 'class war' is upon us, and once more the upper class elites, those who own toolmaking factories for instance, and attempting to turn the workers against themselves.  This time blaming those using benefits of many sorts.  It has to be said that many workers are claiming benefits because their wages are too low.  Any suggestion for calling on companies to pay higher wages is ignored.  Keir's bosses don't like that.  Nor do they like paying tax, notice this is never mentioned except when Rachel from accounts is increasing the rich folks benefits! 

One Labour MP at the secret meeting asked the noble PM a question as to how his disabled daughter would fare.  His question was ignored.

A couple of days ago they celebrated 135 years of the Forth Bridge.  I used to cross this marvellous creation annually as we sped towards the luxury dwellings in Dunfermline or Cowdenbeath.  They have good memories for me and the trip by steam train was always something to look forward to.

Umpteen million rivets, at least 100 deaths, including the man in the wee boat who collected the bodies that fell from the bridge as it was being built, something fell on him and took him out!  Probably more died as those who fell on the road and died in hospital were not recorded by the bridge builders as bridge deaths.   

As we crossed some threw pennies, the old round brutes, out the window for luck, though the passengers on the ferries beneath thought other than luck awaited them.  The view towards the wide expanse of Firth west included many Royal Navy boats on both sides, Rosyth to the north full of large ships, many small on the south bank.  After the war the RN had far too many ships and if not sold to other nations there was an inlet just after the bridge where we could see large naval vessels being dismantled.  Some very big ones amongst them.  

Workmen was often noted clambering about, no high-viz then, just the normal wear, a waistcoat and a flat cap for protection from the weather, which could be strong here.  To the east we can see for miles as the Firth widens out and meets the North Sea way down there.  In those days fishing villages were along both sides but today large oil carriers can be seen loading.  No doubt this Labour government will soon put a stop to that.

I Hate Tech!

I awoke Saturday to the tune of an old song, 'O church of God awake,' and thought someone was having a laugh.  On Sunday, I awoke with the Funeral March No. 1 going round in my head.  This was less comforting.  However, as I sat at my laptop a death occurred, the laptop would not switch on!  

My life is in here!  Nothing worked!  I pushed the button, I swore, I raged, I shook it, I tried again and again but no luck, nothing worked.  This meant using the spare, so there I was at 7:30 struggling to retrieve it from under the mass of stuff upon it without waking the neighbours, this failed also, and made use of the spare yesterday to attempt to work out how to fix the one with my life on it.

This morning, another attempt was prayerfully made and here I am using my life again!  

All morning I have been downloading those things that I need, just in case.  So much more to download.  So many trivial but important items that lie on here yet are required occasionally.  I may be doing this all week!  Bah!  

Also, this is Win 10 on here, and the spare has Win 11.  Win 10, which will be dropped within a year by those pushing Win 11, is so much better to operate, so much more convenient than Win 11.  Why is it that amendments to tech is always bad?

I must look towards a new laptop, one with speed and good screen.  I may have a fit looking at the prices, so that might wait another year before I seek one.

 

Heart of Midlothian 3-1 Dundee

Control

 

Scrolling through Twitter and BlueSky this morning, there is less relevant things to see on facebook these days, I was impressed by the Ukraine situation.  Here we see a traitor in the White House spewing bile because his boss Putin tells him to, his ego hurt because a 'wee man' stood up to him, and possibly because he wanted this so he could harm Ukraine in retaliation.  

I also noted the farmers wife in the US mid west speaking off how her husband, like all the cattle ranchers around them, voted for Trump, knowing that he would remove all the undocumented immigrants.  Of course, now all their workers have disappeared as 90% were such individuals.  She was lamenting how they had knowingly voted to bankrupt themselves!  

While social media rightly condemns Trump and his boss vast numbers of the US still support him.  Those who voted for Trump to act against migrants and have now found Musk closing down their jobs are not happy.  The US is in a mess, and this will only get worse now absurd tariffs will be used.

Putin, with much of his army destroyed and his 'Three Day War,' now extended into three years, is having a ball.  The US is falling apart and his spies are enjoying this.

Brexit, with the duplicitous Farage in the lead, has separated the UK from the EU successfully, though action now is being taken to remedy this.  Putin has ruined the UK this way, badly hurt the EU, and now rejoices in his boy destroying the US.

There are 16 nations in Africa with wars large and small, Syria has ended one war but risks another with Israel, China hopes to invade Taiwan, and of course, Russia still holds much of Ukraine.  

Jesus said there would be 'wars and rumours of wars,' with earthquakes and so on until the end.  These being only the birth pangs of the end.  So, things will only get worse.

God retains control of the world and its leaders.  Jesus Christ remains Lord, and Lord of all at that.  These 'growing pains' may irritate and worry us but in the end they are restricted by Gods control.

God is working his purpose out, and we must take our part in it.

Oscar

 

Zelensky and Charity

France 24

 

One thing is clear, Zelensky has allowed the world to see Trump as he is.  No hiding from anyone.  The fact that many in the US are claiming to support Trump indicates either desperation to keep their position or a lack of thinking power in the US mind set.   The ambush was well set up, but the Ukrainian was not there to be whitewashed and nor was he selling out to Putin's man.  

Noticeably the BBC has played down Trump and Sarah Smith, once renown for lying for BBC Scotland attacked him rather than Trump and his boy.  You are left asking why this should be?

Sunday see the Ukraine leader meeting the English King, hopefully the king will wear one of those green shirts at the meeting, just for a laugh.

I was forced out this morning, much against my better self, as I broke my cafetiere when cleaning it.  This meant trudging round the charity shops before finding a large size one, the only one available, which will have to do for now.  Of course this has problems but desperation early in the morning will see me through this.  

Not that I am going anywhere tomorrow, I just want to lie down all day and think nice thoughts.  My mind and bulk are too tired.  However, I went out today and searched also buying a small lamp as the one I have is too dark.  Here is me budgeting carefully from day one on the month and £8 has been spent already!   I am looking forward to the pension rise on 1st April, I might able to buy two more loaves next month!

Daffs!

It's that time of your again.  The time of year when Daffodils bloom, at least in Sainsburys and Tesco's, where they push through the earth in many council parks, where yellow tips appear slowly there, and I spend a pound or two I canny afford just to brighten up this dismal corner.  It is money well spent.  

OK, so they only last a week or two, but just to have these bright fresh flowers offering a sniff of nature so close is always worth the money.  

There is not much else to do nature wise.  The sun is shining through the cold air today, blue sky above pretending Spring has sprung early, but we are not fooled by this.  However, after long weeks of almost unbroken cloud it is marvellous to be almost alive again.

The clever people are claiming we might be able to see a planetary alignment tonight.  This means up to seven planets might be seen somewhere in the night sky.  This alignment will not appear again until 2040, and we might be dead by then if Putin has his way.  

However, can I see it?  I expect not.  It appears to be seen in the southern sky area, I look west by hanging out the kitchen window, and it might not appear until early dawn.  This is typical.  However, after the end of the Partick Thistle v Livingston game, if still awake, I might take a peek out the window and search for anything like I have seen in past times.