Mope Monday

 

 

Nothing to do today but recover from weeks of hobbling around too much.

The knees were so painful yesterday I almost went flat on my face when coming down from the heights after taking fotos.  It was easy going up but the camber of the wee hill nearly killed me.  A young lass caught me and the many serving and ex-servingmen looking on kept their contempt to a mere glare.

So tired today, I have done nothing.  No effort was made, no exercise of any sort bar getting up and eating, and that badly, and what requires doing was ignored.  A blissful day, unlike any I have had recently.  

The news appears to revolve around Boris lying about Cop 26, his men lining their pockets or fiddling with the secretaries, and corruption abounding but few care as either they are 'at it' or nothing can be done.  

The bomb blast in Liverpool has heightened expectations of more such atta
cks.  The innocent taxi driver was extremely lucky to escape, the bomb going off while he was inside.  I suspect it was a poor home made device which possibly went off by accident.  Only the Bomber was killed, even the driver was sent home after first treatment.  Four others arrested.  The man in the Hi-Vis jacket who rushed to aid or capture the driver needs commendations also.   

Oh, Shell are moving HQ from the Netherlands to London in a 'show of faith in the UK,' say's the government.  Actually the Netherlands were going to limit their operation due to climate change and increase their taxes, so they ran to where the government cares not about the climate but does care about backhanders.  

Must be bed time...

 

 

 

Braintree & Bocking Remembrance Service 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This man serves in Helicopters, Puma's and Chinooks.

Slow Day...

Another nothing happened day.

A walk to the Post Office, a paying of £5:50 to post a couple of books home, and too worn out by that to do much else.

I did manage to see Scotland win again however.

 

Armistice Day Parade 2021

 

Lights!

 

 

Ok, it's a bit blurred, but I was leaving the club late last night...  

The first Christmas lights of the season, in NOVEMBER!  What is the matter with people?  Good grief!  Just because sloppy drama adverts are appearing on TV to line the pockets of desperate shops we do not need to have Christmas lights in November!  OK, I have done almost all my shopping already, but really this is wrong!  I am of course not a fan of the Christmas season.

The Spam meeting was however most enjoyable.  Chat was good, fun was had, and all men contributed well.  This in spite of a barmaid who obeyed her own orders and slapped those who got out of line.  Some women do not know their place I say!

My ear still hurts...

 

Cruel Monday

Life is cruel!  All morning I spent looking for the postman deivering my books.  

All morning!  It was only when I looked once again at the Royal Mail email I realised it said deliver 'Wednesday!  I could have been out, round Sainsburys and have something worth eating for tea, but no, I did not read the email properly!  This is happening more regularly to me now.

Then this afternoon I was again stuck indoors awaiting another book from Amazon.  I ordered two, one came via one courier, the other will arrive, probably via a different one, sometime soon. 

Having used up the last shirt in the cupboard I have also spent all day, and I mean all day, ironing the rest of the shirts piling up on the back of the couch.  Considering how old some of these are, a little tighter than they once were, a sensible rich person would dump them on a charity shop and buy new ones.  However, I am poor, as my report cards always used to say, and the cheaper option is ironing them and hoping new ones arrive (fat chance) at Christmas.

Now, book arrived and placed in appropriate Xmas pile while awaiting others, shirts, bar the ones I just could not be bothered doing, hanging in the cupboard shocked and neatish, I await the rest of the day. Nothing else has been done.  

Then tonight I must drag myself the hundred yards down the road to the Club for the Spam meeting.  I have to wait and not rush out as I expect one of my women to call regarding her visit to the doctors last Friday.  This could take an hour, wear out my ear and make me wish she could use emails!  Some forty or so people praying for several years have led to the dialysis she ought to have undertaken years ago not being required.  The doctors smile and nod when she explains why. Now, at 80 years of age, she is still continuing to live but they do not understand how she does so well in the circumstances.  Other problems remain, and while she has suffered for 30 years with things the Good Lord will not let her undergo this.  Quite something.

After that call I will need to be at the Club, just for the quietness.  It will not be empty but the people there will be quieter than her voice on a phone.

 

Tacky Remembrance

                                               Poppy Scotland

The Poppy season is well under way.  All around we see people bearing the Red Poppy produced by the 'Royal British Legion' or 'Poppy Scotland,' which appear two weeks before 'Remembrance Sunday.'  This falls annually on November 11th, or the Sunday nearest that.

Since 2014 when we commemorated the centenery of the beginning of the 'Great War for Civilisation,' there has been an upturn in people remembering the two major wars which involved the UK.  The conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq also awoke the cost of war to peoples minds.

During 2014 there were many tasteful acts of remembrance throughout the land, however, it has to be said that many were less so and indeed often, shall we say, tacky?  The more 'tacky' acts of remembrane contnue apace and it displeases me, and I find many others, to see what was once a solem act of remembrance becoming and 'event' smilar to Christmas, New Year or any other commercial driven date.  Someone suggested today we may soon see 'Remembrance cards' in the shops and suddenly one was found via Twitter!  Sorry to say this is not remembrance but commercial money making!  

The RBL and Poppy Scotland now have to ensure the public buyers obtain remembrance Poppies and gifts from themselves (personally I find some of these tacky but the money goes direct to the charity) and not from elsewhere as many claim to donate to the Legion but no proof is offered. 

This is a possible criminal misuse of Remembrance!

Many displays in pubs, shops, and other premisis are often tacky, sometimes ridiculous, and give the feeling of either celebration or a rather ridiculous misunderstandng of what war means.  Today also we find the 'Little Englander Brexiteer' making the most of these 'events' to publish his 'patriotism' while in fact he merely offers an antipathy towards foreigners and claims 'English superiority' over them.

This too is not remembrance!    

Maybe it is time for a national debate about what remembrance is, remembrance History, and how we can remember the long forgotten by some war dead of all sides and what the Historical wars really meant to this nation?

 

Friday Frippary

 

 

A day of nothingness.

Nothing in the news bar finger pointing by ex-MP Paterson's friends and enemies.  Tory MPs indicating their displeasure at his situation and what it has done to them and their 'integrity!'   Boris, as expected, hiding in a fridge while his Chief Whip takes the blame for his mistakes.  Madame Leasom has not commented as far as I know.  The 'Daily Mail' made clear their opinion and roasted him this morning, Geordie the editor does not like Boris, even though the owners wife does.  Maybe she has changed her mind, Geordie has not.

The 'Sun,' which still exists, avoided the issue.  The Commission still has questions over his wallpaper and holidays which Boris is refusing to answer.  Hopefully a 30 day ban might occur for him and then we shall see something!

 

I spent the day on the laptop.  Emails, from me begging for money, sending the gas meter reading, and searching for ages on how to log in when the password and name does not work so I could renew the WFA.  Tonight, after watching Scotland humbled by a poor Indian side at cricket, it all went through by chance, how did that happen?  I still do not know.  A pension provider, £10 a month, keeps sending online payslips, I am unable to find the log in details or the paperwork detailing these.  This meant clearing out the 'imortant paper' file.  That has half filled the recycled box but did not produce the letter.  I used to be very careful with these things, but times appear to have changed.

 

 

November 5th, fireworks have exploded at strange hours occasionally this week, and they are banging away as we speak.  Being Friday there may be more later, however, tomorrow might be the time for a blow out altogether.  Possibly Covid and common sense might lessen the effect tnight and tomorrow.

I am beginning to think only organised displays, by various groups, ought to be allowed, thus lessening the noise, diminishing danger from bonfires, and making it safer for all.  And remember, after November 5th it is all out Christmas on TV, Radio, media and your purse!

 

Hard Work and Tory Sleaze

 

The sun shone this morning, I did not see it, my was head down on the floor fixing the loo into something of a serviceable workplace.  Now it gleams, sort off, smells of disinfectant, and can be used buy non choosy members of the public.  I also dumped the rubbish, then the recycling, exercised and by the time I sat down to watch the cricket I was knackered.  The cricket of course had started early, not at 3 pm as I expected, and I only saw Scotland's vain but glorious effort to catch the enemies total.  They can come home with heads held high and with much hope for the next tournament. 

The work took a while today, what took ten minutes in the past took ages today, however, I needed to work, the execise was good for me, the job is done, nothing else went wrong, and a sense of achievement warmed me.  Nothing else bar the blanket around me was warm today.  In fact I even put the heating on at one point the temperature had fallen so low.  Rain clouds warmed the air later to a pitch of 'just freezing.'

 

Owen Paterson

 

Owen Paterson MP was caught by the Parliamentary Standards Commission fiddling things.  He took money, twice his salary it appears, to lobby on behalf of certain companies.  This breaks the rules!  The Commission banned him from the House for 30 days, very lenient in the circumstances, and today Boris led a rebellion against this finding.  A vote for an amendment opposing the ban was annpunced, the Tories put a 3 line whip on this, meaning all Tory MPs must support the vote as told, and in the end the vote was won by 250 votes to 232.  The 'Ayes' had it.  

There is more to this than meets the eye.  For a start 6 Tory MPs who supported the motion have been disciplined in the past, many others may be earning cash for similar law breaking, and if Paterson was banned he could suffer what is called a 'Recall.'  This may lead to a By-election in his seat that he could lose.  Indeed, under the Recall he might have to walk away.   So many actions of this government are corrupt Boris fears such Commissions will render his will unlawful.  Therefore he has a bright idea, he will amend the Commission and insert his pown peoiple into it.  The problem there is both the Labour Party and the SNP, meaning most of the opposition, will not join this Commission, and a Tory only Commission has no meaning.  Maybe Boris wanted this?  Certainly he has much to hide so he will not allow questioning of his illegal tactics and dubious behaviour.

The country is run by corruption and so many do not perceive this or do not care.