Broken People

Digital Spy

The 'British' intellect is a simple one.  The press understand this and follow, or is it lead, that intellect to a degree of profit for themselves.  For days we have been offered sensational warnings regarding 'Storm Dennis' which was about to blow us away and destroy the nation.  It didn't.  The warnings were in every paper, TV and radio also blasting out threats of suffering in 90 mph winds and heavy rainstorms.  In the end they were not much worse than what we usually receive. 
However as this was vitally important information nothing but the most urgent news could shift it from top spot, especially as it was being used to hide tales regarding our inept Prime Minister and his dog Dominic Cummings.
The heart of the nation is revealed (as the headlines would say) to be centred not on obtaining the 'Russian Report,' not on worrying about the Budget, not on questioning serious dodgy dealings in No 10 but instead on the death of an unknown women at 40 years of age.
Apparently this woman took part in a programme I would have thought unworthy of broadcast, but there you go.  As I did not watch 'Love Island' I cannot comment on the content, well I can as I know just enough to make me switch off, and I can say it is something that the death of such a woman is considered fit to splash over all front pages.  What sort of a society watches 'Love Island?'
There are court cases involved which concerned this woman, there was pressure from the media, there was her unstable mind, all these things contribute to her death.
The court case I did not concern myself with, apparently she bashed a boyfriend and the media lived on this for a while.  The media make use of her story and she and others complain she was used.  Hmmm.  These people seek attention and when it comes they cannot cope with it.  Those who participate in such programmes will be hassled without mercy by the tabloids who are clearly out of control.  
Nothing will be done.
Much may be made of her unstable mental condition, however I suggest anyone who wishes to be famous' in such a way, or indeed by being a 'Pop or Film Star' is clearly unstable.  The world is filled with broken people seeking attention.  Possibly  they just require proper 'Love' and 'Care.'  
It is very sad that a pretty woman should be killing herself at 40, or indeed at any time.  It is disgraceful that the media will live on this for days.  It is inevitable that the pother broken people out there will 'read all about it' and see no wrong in their desire to peer into another's broke life. 
The storm appears to have abated, many flooded in the usual places, less articles about them now.  I wonder what the media will distract our attention with next week in between using another young broken woman, and hopefully they say, breaking others for a story?

I was very impressed this morning as I walked to church.  Just before 8 am the rain came down in torrents, it was like looking at a gray mist. I began to plan remaining indoors.  However I was doing the reading this morning, Genesis Chapter 1 and a bit of 2.  This is quite long and the Rev thought it funny!  So I had to be there for that at least.  No offers of transport arrived, I waited for one of my women to offer, none did.  All those Valentine's cards wasted again.  However by the time I left it was dry.  I almost got to the door before any rain developed though I had the pleasure of walking home in heavy rain later.  My big jacket is still wet.  

On the corner near the church was an enormous puddle reaching out into the road, blocked drains must be doing this everywhere.  A BMW rounding the corner almost drove into it until he saw me walking by and moved out to avoid drowning me, thank you sir, but he almost hit a small car coming the other way.  I wonder how many people would have driven through the puddle?  I wonder how many accidents we do not hear about are caused by such? 
I look forward to the end of the great storm, or at least the great headlines regarding the storm.  Daily winter weather is upon us.

Shuffle!

Now Sajid Javid was not one of my favourite politicians.  He gave the impression there was little he would not do to reach the top, compromise was OK with him.  Today we see another brighter side to the man.  Instead of replacing all his top Treasury advisers on the orders of Dominic Cummings, our real Prime minister, he has resigned and refused such orders.  
Good man!  
However his replacement, Rishi Sunak, a man with no idea what life is like for 'the man in the street,' has taken his place.  Sunak has only been an MP for 5 years, has little experience of fighting behind the scenes, although he was 'Secretary to the Treasury' and has an economics degree, but is now under orders to change everything to suit Dominic.  If he allows this he may last a while but we know who is pulling the purse strings at the Treasury.
I wonder if Boris knows...?

The removal of some is neither a surprise or a loss to the nation.  The loathsome Leadsom has been dumped and I suspect will not be missed.  On the back benches she might be found sitting beside Theresa May, I doubt they will discuss children however.  
Quite a list head for the door, Dominic has clearly been busy.  Esther McVey, Theresa Villiers,  Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith, who I think also talked back, Attorney General Geoffrey Cox, he who 'forgot to mention £400,000  and ran an illegal fox hunt on his land wishes MPs to question Judges before appointment, and Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan along with Transport ministers George Freeman and Nusrat Ghani who you had never heard off but possibly disagreed with HS2 so get dumped, all these go.
New names of the unknown take their place.  More nobody's you have never heard off, more mistakes, buffoonery and false promises to come.  The future is looking good innit?  Another election within a year I say?

 

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

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

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

Sunday Moon

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

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

Thursday Twittering

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

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

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

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

Lords!

Waterstones

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

Disunited Monday

 

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

Everywhere it is the EU to blame!

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

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

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

 Guardian

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

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

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

'Experts,' the media is full of them.

Friends and Shopping

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

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

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

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

 

Barber!

Clipartstation

Today I had a haircut!

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

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

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

I WAS WRONG!

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

A second was awaiting his turn.

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

I sat and waited.

I waited.

I waited.

I waited.

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

He left.

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

I sat staring at the world passing by.

I waited.

I waited.

I waited.

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

Man did he talk!!!

I waited.

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

I waited.

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

Eventually my turn came.

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

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

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

Eventually he finished. 

The haircut was perfectly acceptable.

He was still talking.

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

Replaced my jacket and enquired as to the price.

£11 he charged!  £7 at Chris & Jims.

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

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

The light had changed considerably since I had got up.  

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

I may go elsewhere next time...

     

Twits

 

I like Twitter.

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

There are disadvantages however.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cold TV

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

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

Morning Blues Eased

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

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

BBC

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

Lucky Me!

I hobbled down to the Sorting Office this morning to collect a packet that has waited there since January 6th.  My strained back would not let me go until today, it appears fine just now, and so off I went expectantly.
The small box was off the wrong shape to go through a letter box clearly, the weight was minimal, and the plastic around it weighed more than the goods inside.  The postage costs also outweighed the purchase price.
Inside I found a bag of Christmas Brussels Sprouts made from chocolate, that is Sugar, Palm Kernel oil, Dried whey (MILK), fat reduced Cocoa Powder, Emulsifier (SOYA Lecithin), Stabiliser (Sorbitan Tristearate), Vanilla Flavouring, as you would expect.
I feel the wait was worth while.
This gift comes from a lass I have known for years and years, I worked with her husband in 1975, probably before you were born, and they returned to Northern Ireland when it was a bit more peaceful where he died during an operation, he never recovered consciousness.  All very sad.  We had begun to exchange expensive gifts by that time, each Christmas I would send over two tea bags or a sachet of soup to receive by return of post a thin string of Christmas glitter or a broken pencil, they claimed it was OK when it left!  Such quality ought to be continued I say.  If only all my Christmas folk were that cheap!

BBC

In all this I missed the cricket while sipping tea all morning and had to make do with the 'Hits' as Sky calls it.  This was not pleasant as England were scoring lots of runs.  Most annoying especially after the arrogant way Boris ignored the Scottish MPs yesterday in the House.  His attitude merely increases Scots distaste for him and while this may be a 'Phoney War' period it will mount up and catch him unaware.  Boris now sits happily as PM surrounded by enemies all of whom carry a knife with which to use on his back as soon as the chance arrives.  Yes Mr Gove I do mean you.  Soon Boris will be watching more cricket with a new woman or two.

Dmitri and the 'Leningrad' Symphony Book.

Amazon

Most are aware of the Nazi's long and ultimately failed siege of Leningrad during the Second World War.  Few go into the details as the descent into deprivation caused by hunger, fear and human nature is not always good reading.  There is much in this book that would put you off your lunch.
The author, an American who thinks 'Football' is called 'Soccer,' has made use of several books concerning his subject, almost all of them untrustworthy.  Being brought up under a Stalinist regime means nothing is clear, nothing is truthful and desperation for survival brings lies and guilt which breed more lies.  Therefore we have a biography with limited primary sources, and those debatable.
However it is clear he was born into a middle class home, grew up during the First World War, saw his father participate in the revolution, endured life as a competent composer while Stalin took power and invoked the 'Terror.'  Then, after experiencing 'Terror' himself the Germans invaded and soon Leningrad his home was under siege.
I found the writing easy in this book.  The descriptions of the 'Terror' of the 30's is clear, we all know about that, and then the details concerning the surrounding of the city and the description of the struggle for survival while appalling at times straight forward and ghastly.  The dead mount up, starving people turn to robbery or cannibalism, yet others join together to eke out the little they have, not counting the Communist leaders of course who did very well.  The struggle shows how low the human nature can go, it also reveals the height some reach in aiding one another.
Dmitri Shostakovich continues to write his music through all these troubles.  Rising to fame in the 1920's with appropriate songs for the revolutionary times, amended to fit the Stalinist realism of the 30's, it saved him visiting the Gulag.
One aspect of the story is his desire to help others in any way he can, however at many times he has to say and do things with which he disagrees, he faces opposition from Stalin himself at one point and gets very near his end but survives.  On one occasion he is brought into the centre jail and asked to inform on people he met at a party.  He cannot as they have not sought to rebel.  He is told to return next day ready to admit their fault.  He arrives and is kept waiting.  Eventually he enquires of an NKVD officer as to what is to happen.  It transpires nothing will happen, the officer who threatened him the day before has been arrested and shot.  All his meetings have been cancelled!  Dmitri goes back home and hears no more about it.  Such was the Soviet system in the late 30's.
With his city suffering he begins a symphony designed to lift the nation.  Eventually news of this leaks out and he and his wife and children and removed far from Leningrad.  Here he finishes the symphony and sends it back to be performed in the city itself.
The orchestra has of course been dying off.  Most remaining, about 15 of them, were starving, those brought from outside, including members of the army bands, were also malnourished, and a terrible scene reveals the desperation to rehearse the music.  Eventually, once the music has been exported across the world and played in London and New York to a world audience awaiting encouragement from Russia, the war had yet not turned in the allies favour, the Leningrad Symphony was played in Leningrad.  At the time the book claims this alone inspired the Soviet people in their war against the fascist aggressor.  Because the Germans were.  'National Socialist' the Soviets hid this by calling them 'Fascist.'
After the symphony was played things began to turn.  In late 1942, before the playing of the work, British Empire forces had won at El Alamein and began clearing the enemy from North Africa.  Soon after the inspiration of the work the Soviet forces began to end the siege and within a year the city was damaged, haunted, full of guilt and fear, but free from German oppression.  The book likes to claim much credit to the music for this result.
The result of the war is well known, it was in all the papers, yet even after the war Stalin sought a 'terror' once again in which Dmitri and his music became criticised.  He survived, just, and eventually died in his bed in 1975.  It took me a week or so to read this book, what with coughing and straining my muscles.  It was an easy read in spite of the Americanisms within and well worth a go for those interested in composers like Shostakovich.  The book shows how much of his work arose in dire trouble and reflects the society in which he lived.
This book was a Xmas gift from my beautiful and intelligent piano playing niece.  She also sent me the music CD to go along with this book.  Clever girl!

 

Sadly not the St Petersburg Orchestra  have, but this will do.

Sigh!

Since this germ was kindly given to me, way back in early December, luck has been with me.  Luck?  I mean Bad luck.  The strange side effects that bedevilled me for a fortnight, the cough which followed and only now looks like abating (my neighbours downstairs will be glad) and then there are the little things.
The light went out in the fridge freezer.  The whole thing appeared to stop.  This meant removing stuff and placing it in the landlords fridge, which has not been touched in years and needing wiped when I was exhausted and it was late at night (see neighbours again).   It turned out the fridge freezer works OK, so all has to go back, no cleaning attempted this time, and the light is still out as the plastic surround will not come off! 
The mouse returned.
The mouse's appearance so frightened the lass next door she has forced her man to leave move her out.  I hear a child is on the way and she is neurotic about babies attacked by mice.  Hmmm.  The landlord had a man in to deal with the mouse, I blocked up all I could and the mouse vanished.  Once I had confirmed he had gone he reappeared, apparently orange peel is attractive.  No more of that left for him.  
Once my back heals, ah yes my back.
At Christmas I aided an old man to stand, my right arm soon ached with the strain!  It still does, though much lessened.  Then I did my back in, this still aches but not so bad.  I am treating it gently however and it is healing.  And on top of this things keep falling apart.  Things fall on the floor and disappear, my glasses of course required renewing after I stood on them, packets are delivered by a postie who cannot knock loudly on the door and I have yet to get to the sorting office to collect it, and each time I am on the internet something goes wrong, pages vanish, strange messages appear, new spam piles up.
However, after a bad Saturday, full of aches and that dreary lurgii that leaves only a rotten feeling things have begun to improve.  The bug is clearing up I believe, my head is almost awake, and as I sat on my bed rejoicing last night I spilled a near full mug of tea across the bed.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Things are so bad I got a call from Sandringham today offering sympathy!

Talking of which I began to wonder what was hiding behind the hundreds of articles full of ignorant speculation in the media?  As fear of war recedes in the Gulf, at least until Trump pushes it again, the media need something to protect Boris.  What devious Bill is he offering behind the headlines, what important decision is not being given the space it deserves?  These are good days to hide bad news, and all Boris has to offer is news that will be bad for us.  We need to read the small stories also.

 Pope's

It never fails to surprise me how interested the secular media are when something happens with a Pope.  They disregard Christianity, speak against it, live lives totally opposed to it then offer long reports on radio and fill space in the media concerning the goings on.  Why?  All these folk do is declare their clear ignorance of the subject, spew forth this ignorance and yet take no time to learn or research the subject.  
This time there is an attempt to make out one ex-Pope is attacking the current Pope, although whether that is what he is doing is dubious.  The point concerns celibacy and the demand priests must be celibate.  Pope Francis has indicated he may allow some priests to be married in those far off areas where it is difficult to acquire priests.  Benedict objects possibly not because of the priests being married in this situation but that it may remove celibacy altogether from the church.  Such an idea goes way back into the past, a celibate man being dedicated to God more than a married one.
We have to ignore Roman Catholic teaching and seek scripture, no objection to marriage is found for the church leaders.  Paul indicates this does make life difficult for a man running a church but I suspect almost all leaders in the first 200  years were married with single men being rare.  
By the late 300's AD churches had changed.  Constantine had legalised the church, many found this a way to high position and in my mind this is where a separation of Priest and laity arises.  There appear to be many who wish to be among the ecclesiastical hierarchy and position themselves as priests and important men.  Celibacy is added, not just to offer commitment but possibly for a Greek sense of 'purity' that is not found in scripture.
We need not add surely that you will realise that a priest's job is to take your sacrifice and offer this to God, he gets in between you and God.  When Jesus died on the cross the curtain in the temple enclosing the 'Holy of Holies' the residence of God himself, tore apart from top to bottom.  This showed the way to God fro each individual was now open, but only through the Great High Priest Jesus Christ.  He is both the sacrifice and the high priest, anyone who stands between you and God calling himself priest is a false priest!      
Indicating this to Anglicans, who have now dropped the term 'Vicar' and replaced it with 'Priest in charge' brings lots of silent looks.  Indicating this to RC's may bring much more.
Jesus made no rule but in Matthew 19 he indicates marriage is for life, not just until you get fed up, and some will be single for a variety of reasons.  The disciples at the time thought long term marriage a hard thing, most may well have been married.  People get married and remains single for many reasons, sometimes love, but there is no, and can be no demand to be celibate.  Indeed one scripture indicates those who demand this are a danger, possibly  Greek influence. I forget where it is found.
The two Popes would be better off ignoring the celibacy thing and spend time reading scripture, putting aside false church teaching and following Jesus instead of debates about that which is quite clear to most other churches.