Fire Smoke & Shorts

As always, it's the fault of the USA & Canada!  

We are sitting here once again suffering the backlash from their forest fires.  We already suffer from their left over hurricanes bringing high winds and teeming rain, and now they are trying to smoke us out.  

Huge area of Canada and some in the US are burning away.  Some no doubt, started deliberately by wee boys looking for a laugh.  Vast acres burn, smoke obliterates the sky, choking people in houses and flats, especially the old and sick.  With poor health provision in the USA because of the greed of the medical and insurance world many are suffering without and are open to breathing difficulties cause by such smoke.   Several hundred fires are burning at the moment, various sizes, some under control, others appear to be being left to themselves.  Smoke is hitting both Canada and US States causing problems.    

High above the UK the smoke does give interesting sunsets in some areas, though normal cloud is blocking even that today.  Last night our sunset was bright but slightly dimmed by high smoke.  This was alongside some clown near here burning grass and green rubbish nearby and allowing his fire smoke to reach me as I lay attempting sleep.  Of course it could be someone's house was on fire but there you go.

The weather has become somewhat greyish today.  Cloud cover alongside that smoke has taken the edge of the day.  Add to that what the weathermen call 'a stiff breeze,' and I find my north facing penthouse somewhat cool.  Outside, in spite of the cloud and wind, men walk about in shorts and T-shirts.  The Englishman's desire to get into shorts even if the temperature is low amazes me.  

When I was a lad no-one wore shorts, that was for kids, and if shorts were worn it was on a rare foreign holiday in the sun.  Certainly not on the street.  In England the shorts fetish has always been noticeable.  Why?  I've known postmen who wear them all the year round, winter and summer, clearly they have a fetish or are just mental, possibly both.  

Now young men following fashion, and young men dare not follow fashion, wearing shorts because fashion dictates this is one thing.  However, fat, balding, aged men in similarly aged football shirts from a previous era with similar shorts, sometimes shorts that once fitted, are not the same thing.  This is not fashion, unless everyone in your street dresses this badly, or possibly this is the fashion for the 'Reform' voter while throwing bricks through windows to remove those nasty foreigners who take their jobs.  The jobs that is they cannot get because of all the criminal convictions they have and the foreigners do not have.   If only they had heard of 'Levi's' or their mass produced cheap brothers. 

Birthday & Power Grab

Her Dug

A child running around the church this morning was sweet, happy and even smiled at me as we discussed her small teacup.  She is not yet two, grannie brought her to church because I suspect mum is worn out!  How can a child that small have so much energy?  I thought of my 3 years old great nephew who might appear here in a couple of weeks, how will I cope with that?  

Anyway, this lingers in my mind as a similar child once ran rings around me like this in times past.  Today she became 27 years old!  27!  I was that only the other day, how can she be 27?  

This girl earns more in a year than I did in a lifetime, has now got 2 cars, a boyfriend who can repair them, and still lives of her parents at home while grumbling she canny buy a house!  

She is of course correct.  her dad is a 0builder and they would give help if required but finding one she can afford and indeed get a mortgage for is rare.  A man in church told me his son pays £800 a month in rent, yet the mortgage people would not give a mortgage at £500 a month because 'He could not afford it.'  How does that work?  Corrupt government practices again. 

Ian Murray, the Colonial Governor of Scotland, is pulling another fast one on the Scottish people.  He intends to control Scotland from St Andrews House, the civil service office, and overrule the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood.  This would be a major mistake by Keir, though it is no surprise to hear this.  

England's control over Scotland will increase because of the failure of the SNP under Nicola to seek independence and instead fill the land with deviants and the mentally ill.  With no powerful politicians in office, only Alec Salmond has the strength but they think they have seen him off thanks to Nicola there is little brainpower left to oppose such a move.  

We may have to get out on the streets for a real purpose soon.

Another Toy

Another toy to make me gnash my teeth and whimper.  

My phone, which I rarely use as a phone, is giving trouble.  Too old to upgrade so I am forced to upgrade by buying a new one.  This is not a problem in that I have saved money donated at Christmas by attractive young women, well one, and that covered the cost of this cheap improvement.  

The old one was making noises, setting off alarms, and running through all the apps for no good reason after being on for a while.  It is clear it now must go into reserve, it must be at least 10 years old and in today's world that means it is past it.  

I hope to just change the 'sim' card and continue from there, no doubt this will be the first problem.  I expect to find many of them once I get it going, that is, if I get it going.  More power and more ram and less needless apps this time say I.

I will get the straightjacket out of the cupboard just in case.

This Christmas gift appears at first sight to be a good idea.  Written by two famous historians off whom I had never heard, it gives the reader the opportunity to decide what you would do if placed in a situation during the war.  

This sounds fun.

If you were Gavrilo Princip what would you do if you see your enemy approaching, indeed stopping in front of you.  Would you fire or not?  You are young, enthusiastic, determined to fight the enemy, and, in my opinion, stupid!  Gavrilo fired, killed his enemy and wife, and was swamped by those around him.  What did he succeed in doing bar starting a major war?  Nothing.  

Had I the chance in similar situations I would not stand with a gun amongst a crowd.  A sniper ensures his escape and remains in hiding.  How could such a straight forward point be missed by Gavrilo and his three friends standing along the route of the procession?  

Each chapter in the book leads to a choice of actions and follow ups with this.  Here it becomes complicated.  While I started to follow all this I soon became bemused by the confusing choices of pages.  They did not appear to me to fit.  Some gave a tale of what 'might' have happened if, but, I say, it didn't, so what is the point of this?  This is only guesswork and dos not work in my view. 

Anyway, through the Battle of Jutland I got myself confused.  The story itself is straight forward but I found the book confusing it somewhat.  And that ended things for me.  

A good attempt at a book of this kind but for me it did not work.

Albanian Cakes

Yesterday I stumbled the long way round to Tesco.  On the way I passed an Arab stall selling bread and cakes of a Mediterranean persuasion which I like.  So, having clambered about Tesco's upstairs dept looking for a small frying pan so I can avoid using the big one all the time, I found one for £3:50, and handing over my money to a nice young lass at the counter I then sped towards the Arab.

Naturally, she was not an Arab but an Albanian!  This she explained warily half expecting me to be a right wing thug I expect.  I explained that in Israel I took to the sweet cakes found in that area, hence the weight, and loved the bread on offer.

Pleasantly she bagged up the bread, cakes and other bread stuff who's name I forget, and cheerfully asked for £11.  I love this stuff but it is pricey.  I will be back Saturday to see if she has returned.

The Albanian cakes were of the heavy type, but I managed, but the bread had a hard crust.  So hard that I struggled to get the knife through it and you can imagine what my teeth thought about this.   This means I must check to see if the other types of bread are there Saturday, I will try them and please what is left of my teeth.  

I was confused by her hijab wearing, that's what made me think she was Arabic, and I was left wondering what the local Englishman would know about Albania?  Those now doing time for rioting would know of France, Spain and the USA but I wonder if they understand the Balkans?  

Do you remember this book about that?  Alev travelled around the Balkans, Greece and Turkey discovering how history, war and family had been affected by life over a few hundred years.  Maybe she missed Albania but the idea is the same.  I suspect most here would only consider gangsters as coming from Albania, not sweet cakes.

It is difficult to see the Albanian cakes as expensive while shopping at a supermarket that has seen 30% increase in profits in recent years.  I read somewhere the details of all supermarkets raising the price on the 'shops own' stuff as they knew the poorest would go for them.  I remember that in 2008 while Gordon Brown fought Rishi Sunak and others killing banks to make a killing tins of beans, costing 9p were raised to 20p in both Tesco and Sainsburys.  Clearly working together to rip us off.  

This continues today.

Achievement!

Fir & Fone...

Excitement!

Or at least I thought it was excitement.  

Suddenly this fire engine was stationed outside my window and I began to look at the neighbours to ensure they were not afire.  Then I noticed several firemen, all local volunteers on permanent standby, running about the park opposite.  Thanks however to the trees I could not see what they were running towards.  Soon a hose, a thin hose not the type used for major fires, was running across the road holding up the traffic.  

Why?

They did not say.    

Also annoying is the fact they usually post on facebook an account of any calls they make during the day, so far no comment has been posted. Even worse they took of quickly without letting me know and raced back to their actual jobs silently.

I must say it is some job being a part-time fireman.  We had one next door for a while, young an ambitious he soon took of for London possibly because he had just married.  Before then we often heard him at 3 in the morning running downstairs, bleeper bleeping, as he hurried round the corner to the station five minutes run away.  Most of these men have their own jobs, some self employed of course, but all share the same risks all firemen have to, accident and death occur sometimes.  

Tsk!  I will never get my nosiness fixed.

This brute, photographed in the wrong light, is giving trouble.  All technical things give trouble, including this laptop which keeps joining words together and spelling them badly!  

The phone goes mad on occasions.  It suddenly just spins through all the apps, the clock timer is set to go off 40 times a day, music form YouTube begins and canny be stopped, and this lasts for ages.  There is no way to stop it as it ignores instructions.  Holding the on/off key sometimes brings it to restart, but not always.  

It is old.  

As you know old things work well for years and suddenly bits fall off, it happens to us also.

So I am considering a modern upgrade from the same company.  This will be paid for by money accumulated from past Christmas gifts.  One I saw was only £149 and ought to do all I need.  I have not searched the ones reduced by £250 as they tend to begin at around £800.  Who needs to spend that on a mobile phone?  A business might possibly, someone who spends all day on their phone might, but not me, so this sounds OK.  

But I always hesitate when it comes to spending money, especially that much.  Surely, I think, surely a new microwave or whatever might be more important?  

So I hesitate.

Of course I cannot 'upgrade' this phone, the website no longer mentions this one, it is too old for them.  Surely I have only had it 10 years, or round about that?  But that is outdated these days.  Now I site here holding my bundle of £20 notes cogitating...

Henry Barlow Carter - Scarborough 185

Wet Thursday

There are often reasons to criticise Blogger, not that I am the critical type, but I have just checked the WordPress Blog and found a response there.  Word Press did not inform me of this, though I am sure they used to do that.  

I find it a somewhat difficult page to operate, though that may be because I rarely use it.  The 'Blocks' are not simple, and I am not technical.  Just make things easy is all I ask.  And as for that Gravatar thing what is that all about?  

Enough, I'm sticking with this place for my meaningless diatribes.

Nothing much has happened today.  With people being sent to jail for 20-35 months, some considerably longer, the joy of rioting is hitting home with the rioters.  Around three quarters caught so far are known to the police, this can be no surprise.  One got 3 years for hitting a constable, though he did have 14 previous convictions before that.  Tommy and Nigel know their people and have been well advised by rich Americans and others guiding their response.

Both have gone into hiding.  Tommy in Cyprus, though he has now fled to Athens as Cyprus was going to hand him over, Nigel is being quiet, he has been identified with the riots and is now trying to stop people calling them '@Farageriots.'  Fat chance there boy.  

Many well known names have been posting, often stirring hate and division, you know 'asking questions, and it is to be hoped the plodding police will plod along to their door in time, one the 'working class right wing thugs' have been put away.  It is time a few big names went down.

 

Anger

I was fiddling with this atrocious picture this morning when I realised it was August!  Why do I not get informed about such changes?  The months are going by quicker than they used to.

However, as I watched the many Farage led riots 'Taking their country back,' by destroying as much of it as they could to show Muslims who's country this is, though they failed to damage many mosques because there were lots of Muslims standing outside protecting them and they, like Farage, Fox and Tommy all ran away.  

The anger is real with many though the intellectual depth behind it is somewhat thin.  One man was heard claiming the pubs and betting shops are closing down.  Quite what that has to do with Muslims I am unsure, though Brexit and the cost of living has a great deal to do with pubs closing.  Betting shops remain open here, at least two in town and possibly one or two elsewhere around.  

Anger is clear, the reasons are not.  Lies offered by the 'Express,' 'Mail,' Sun' and 'Telegraph,' accompanied by Musk's Twitter and bots abounding from Russia, Iran and Israel, have encouraged much outrage.  All are of course lies.

I wondered what to do with anger, especially after informing the referee on Saturday lunchtime my opinion of his performance.  Is this acceptable I said wiping the blade of my Cutlass, ought I to have remained in a more calm and accepting frame of mind?  Ah, I've just remembered where I left that flanged mace!

Anyway, I placed an empty sheet in front of me, looked up 'anger' on the 'You' site, and began to copy and past appropriate verses to study on.   Within minutes, I was angry!  The blasted thing would not copy, then it copied only bits, then it copied too much!  The 'closeness' of the day, not quite sweltering but not cool, made my fingers stick to the desktop rather than float across it.  This ensured things would not link, cut or paste.

Eventually I got it all down and indeed a similar page regarding the word 'Fret.' but by then I was wondering what was the point.  So, I sought an encouraging word, I found this:-

Matt 5:22.  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, “Raca,” is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, “You fool!” will be in danger of the fire of hell.

Have a nice day...

Saturday Riot Watch with added Football

 

The beginning of the new football season got under way this weekend.  Last night the Championship began well, a 2-1 victory for Falkirk over Queens Park, one of the oldest football teams in the world.  Today the big boys got going, and I was thankful to be able to watch this on the overpriced SKY football show.

Much of the day however, was taken up with reports of riots across England, always referred to by the press as 'Britain,' or 'UK.'  The use of mobile phones has been helpful but also rather worrying.  Watching shops being looted, single individuals set upon by groups of face masked yobs, and the police under great strain attempting to contain large crowds of rioters, none of whom are showing restraint.

The phone footage is very useful, many are now in custody or on police bail because of the images of their actions.  One or two have been returned to prison, several others will be breaking their early release orders, and many a mum and dad will be surprised to find the constabulary at their door early this morning, or during the next few days, as their dear precious boy is taken away for 'questioning.'

Why is this happening now I hear you ask?  Well Nigel has deliberately made a point of inflaming racism to further his wallet.  He himself may have right wing leanings however, mostly he is a front for others who are seeking to destroy the nation through division, all for their own advantage.  The favourite so far has been Russia, with President Putin keen to remove the UK from the EU through Brexit and remove what little power was left in the world.  Another theory is Israel, seeking to destroy Islamic types in the UK who are a threat to them by stirring up hatred in the UK.  Hatred against 'them over there,' is of course easy to encourage and Nigel has been doing just that.  I wonder how much he has made from all this, possibly from all sides.

Clearly these attacks are being controlled from somewhere, do the government know from where?  Would they admit it if they knew?  Musk, and his right-wing leaning Twitter has certainly played a part in encouraging far right thugs.  I have spent much time today reporting as 'Spam,' lots of people claiming to be independent souls, all with union flags, all claiming to be white patriots, all saying exactly the same thing, 'Keir Starmer thinks I am a right wing thug.'  I wonder if any of them know their foto is being used in this way?  Is this Reform or another I wonder?

 In the real world however, the Heart of Midlothian saw out a nil-nil draw with the blue bigots.  Once again we saw Nicky Walsh display his anti- Heart of Midlothian bias, add to which was the inept Rangers referee upstairs on VAR, one Andrew Dallas, who like his father before him became a referee but failed to understand the laws while keeping the pro Rangers bias.  Today a clear penalty ought to have been awarded to the Hearts, the referee being instructed to check the monitor, this did not happen.  Dallas, wearing his Rangers shirt did not call the ref and so no chance for him to refuse to award a penalty.  Typical SFA refs.  The SFA website is also inept, just try to find a referee for a game and it takes you to many places but does not provide a result.  Irony eh?

Anyway, we were good, our two Costa Rican's were excellent, and Gerald Taylor has a great future here and is already a fans favourite.  This looks like a good season ahead once all the early season rust is removed.  The future is bright, the future is maroon!

BBC Radio 4: Real Dictators

 

'Real Dictators,' is a programme running o Radio 4 at the moment, or at least on the iPlayer.  It features all the best, Hitler, Stalin, Napoleon, Pol Pot, and so on.  Plus Oliver Cromwell, Enver Hoxha and Julius Caesar.  Quite a few unpleasant characters, unless you were on their side of course.  All became dictator in time for a variety of reasons.  Some were to enjoy brutality, others just used that to cause fear and limit opposition, none were original, to me they were all the same and somewhat boring.  

All these guys lacked sympathy with others.  Some clearly were unwell, especially as time passed, and most were paranoid knowing that any one of their loyal followers would do them in, just ask Julius Caesar.  

Most of us knew something about all these guys, and they are all men, Thatcher and Catherine the Great appear to have been missed off.  Others were less well known, Pol Pot for instance, who knew he died of a heart attack and never faced a court, outside of his own group?  Attila the Hun kept attacking simply because he had no choice, his followers wanted the bling stolen but could not create a city state as they were all nomads.  

I've enjoyed these almost hour long programmes as the history is quite good usually, at least involving those I knew something about.  However, there are one or two annoying features.  The narrator has to over dramatise everything all the way through.  Historic fact does not require dramatisation, facts speaks for themselves!  Also, the first 5 minutes are used as an introduction that is overlong and not required.  At the end another few minutes is wasted on the next chapter also!  And during the programme music appears in the background, unwarranted and unwanted.  Again overdramatic and needless.  What is it with people who cannot listen to words without noise in the background?  Are we all 12 years olds?  

That said, the series is worth a listen, though some programmes are a year old now.  If you like your dictators have a listen and see what you think.  Real Dictators

Riot!

 

Twitter was, and still is, full of the wee riot in Southport last night.

The attack on young girls and one or two women by a young man has naturally led to many rabble-rousers offering incendiary posts, almost all untrue.  Now we know many such tweets come from four sources only, not counting the many 'Reform' bits which come from I believe what was the 'Leave' source during the referendum.  

The main thrust of all 'Reform' bots is 'Stop the boats.'  As you know simple three word slogans are what the general public can understand, hence their use by Trump, Reagan, Obama, Boris and others in the UK.  People cannot respond emotionally to long reasonable understandings they want short, simple explanations as to what is going on and how to deal with it.

To many less well educated Englishmen, and some elsewhere also, the 'boats,' mean immigrants flooding the country, almost all Muslim, and Muslims are changing the Law to suit themselves and they are taking over and flooding the nation, soon we will all be under Islamic Law.   

Add to this Nigel's agitation regarding these things, seen again last night soon after the troubles hit the news, the press, all far-right, all encouraged by the Tory party for votes, and all the while the Tories did as little as possible to stop 'the boats' as they knew this would benefit them.  In fact it aided 'Reform' not the Tories.  'Reform' of course have no other policy, yet people, English middle classes as well as the yob element, voted for them, all infected by the changing of their nation and the unstoppable influx of 'Johnny Foreigner.'

Agitation among the Tommy Robinson set, already high after his display at the weekend when he showed a banned film, one which has cost him half a million and more already, and this time could lead to several years in prison, followed by speeches 'for (mythical) England,' after which he was held by Kent police but somehow allowed bail following which he fled to Spain.  It appears he divorced his wife, having given her his money (where did that come from) and still lives with her, all this to declare himself bankrupt and avoid paying anything to the injured party.  Once caught this time it is to be hoped he will pay properly for his crimes.    

Such agitation makes Nigel and Tommy rich and happy, they need the attention, they need the following, they understand their followers and care not for any of them.  What would they do without a false cause?

Last night the result of years of their false propaganda led to the riot.  On the belief the killer was a Muslim many arrived, carrying their own lager, to attend a vigil for the dead.  It appears they then made for a mosque and attacked it.  There followed a stand off with police, attacks on them, bricks and wheelie bins thrown, eventually a police van or two on fire, and a jolly good night for all.  Not counting the 53 injured police officers, especially the 27 who went to hospital.  

This is the fight back against immigration.

Now immigration is high, the Tory policy clearly was to misuse this for their own benefit and it went badly wrong.  The 'Batshit' Rwanda policy cost £700 million for nothing.  Boats still arrive, and we hope a more sensible Labour policy will bring sense to the whole escapade.  It is to be hoped a way to control the far right propaganda in the press, yes 'Daily Mail,'  'Sun,' and 'Telegraph,' I mean you, and that the Nigel's of this world will be curbed.  

This morning local people, last night was mostly visitors, today local people along with the council cleaned up their streets.  This a better reflection on Southport than last nights party.  It is to be hoped the police will now be able to put together all the mobile phone footage that we enjoyed late into the night and obtain evidence against many rioters.  Four so far have been arrested, more will follow.  It is to be hoped the crowded jails meet many of them.  

This is just a crowd using any excuse for a rumble.  Few have a proper understanding of immigration, most are just followers.  This year it is immigration, last year it was slave traders, the year before something else, the cause is less important than the rumble.  

Certainly immigration requires control, though Brexit did not aid this and most of these voted for that, and until a proper court can deal with Farage and Tommy and their like simmering injustices will be encouraged in social media and elsewhere.  Musk has of course enabled more far-right posts on Twitter than ever before, others are limited, but 'Reform' and others can run free for the adolescent billionaire.  He is as much to blame as anyone.  

The actual 17 year old who cannot be named for legal reasons, he was born in Cardiff, the son of immigrants from Rwanda.  Rwanda, of Tory fame, is predominately 'Christian' of one sort or another.  Possibly more Christian than those throwing bottles at policemen last night.

Wandering

 

Having spent too much time indoors in recent weeks I have been considerably fitter over the past few days than I have been for months.  At least the muscle aches have died down and I can walk at my slow pace once again.  So, with the temp hitting 25% in here, I wandered across the park enjoying the green slice of life.  I enjoyed it so much that I continued through the town, accidentally falling into the café down Panfield Lane where they forced me to eat a 'Traditional Breakfast.'  

I sauntered around a town centre filled with people reacting to the sunshine.  Fans were in use in some shops, many sat outside cafe's, people rushed about, less interested in shopping than is being outside when it was warm, a novel experience this year.  Outside the museum a large white police car from the early 60s stood under a tree.  This is the opening day of the 'Emergency Services' exhibition.  Few were to be seen but I expect 300 or so were inside encouraging the use of sirens to everybody's delight!  

I kept wandering past.  

There was a small Bee on the ground slowly crawling along.  I wondered whether to pick it up and place it safely on the wall but decided I could do without falling flat on my face again.  That is only the second Bee I have seen this year, there was no wildlife of any sort in the park as I passed.  So far only two white Butterfly's and one orange one seen in the trees yesterday are my lot.  Not counting Bluebottles who abound as always.

The time advantage of eating in the café meant I had no washing up, no mess to clear, and could fall asleep for longer at lunchtime, all very good indeed.  The heat encourages eating less, which, as I topped 15.5 stone again is a good thing.  

Looks like porridge tomorrow.

I took my wee camera with me, the other too big for wandering around town, and found this one is in one of it's fault mood.  I could only take 6 not very good photos and then it jammed.  When I got home I fussed about with it, cleared the card and it appears to work again, at least for now.  

I feel better than I have done for ages, though I will have a reaction tomorrow as I head out to Tesco, but I can see light ahead, which was more than this camera could do.  

Onwards and see what happens...

Red Tories

 

The red Tories are in.  

First thing they do, after allowing third children to suffer, is to remove the 'Winter Payment' from old people.  After all the 'Boomers' are all rich are they not?  Well no actually.  In fact, those in Scotland, where winter is colder and lasts longer, are mostly not rich, as if a woman who struggled with her shadow cabinet pay alongside her husbands £170,000 would care.  She could not make ends meet with that cash!  Another gas and electric rise on the way and no windfall tax on energy companies, why?

I did not bother to listen, most of the bull makes me mad anyway, so I watch the twitterati  as they argue to and fro over the details.  It's all too much for me now.  I wonder if there is any Brandy left...?

Sunday Spouting

So I stuck a small and not very good Pizza in the oven, carefully fixed the wrong setting, and got on with the job.  The job was family history, and it was tricky.  Either Great, Great, Grandad was born in 1777 or he was born in Fargo during 1781, and I canny fond proof of which was is correct.  So I searched and no proof of birth exists it appears.  No record for 1777 but there is for 1781 but he is incorrect.  The tombstone proves the man was born in 1777 so Fargo is out.  But where is the man? 

Anyway, I got caught up in this and my 12 mins pizza managed 25 mins before I rescued it, and the place it quite warm already today.  I sit here pondering surrounded by black crumbs, I know not where they came from, and my few remaining teeth inform me the pizza was overdone, in case I had not known.

Not much was happening in 1777 it seems, just the British army, that is English Redcoats, being defeated several times by those rebellious American rebels.  This for King George III who spent time producing a fifth daughter, Sophia, and little else it seems.  Lord North was Prime Minister and The Lord Advocate was one Henry Dundas, who made money for himself whole also spending much needed cash in Edinburgh, a city that had suffered badly after the need less selling out by the corrupt Lords in 1707.  

His forefathers would be farmers, just imagine the ploughing, sowing, and hoping for good weather these men endured.  Few technical advantages, no NHS, lots of accidents, and working the land from birth.  The boys would grow up strong and they would soon learn how to live off the land.  Long summer nights when harvest came, dreadful cold winter ones picking turnips!  Horses to pull the plough, and much rejoicing when the harvest was in and the cash spread around.  Not that there would be much of that.  A life very different from today, no wonder many joined the army or navy to see the world.  

That nice Yaxley-Lennon chap has got himself arrested under the 'Terrorism Act.'  We will know doubt be soon informed of the actual charge, his fans are already crying about this and I suspect planning to demand money (with menaces) for him.  His large parade yesterday, around 20-3- thousand Brexiteers, Reform members, Nigel fans and shaven headed football yobs, paraded with many flags through London yesterday attempting to make us believe they represent the majority, certainly not the 'silent majority.'  Afterwards a few were arrested and it is possible drink may have been involved.

Tommy, to use his alias, lives well in Spain, uses an Irish passport, through his parents, and masquerades as a Luton boy.  A non racist one at that!  There are many questions to answer regarding his money, where does it come from is one, and does he pass it on to his wife to avoid responsibility?   

Will these questions be answered?  Will he do at least 2 years inside?  The Met Police are not involved here, I am unsure who arrested him but possibly the Terrorist polis.  Have they discovered something else we ought to know?

No, I have not watched it either...

'Mosquito,' by Rowland White

 

The joy of books means I can sit here, or in my usual reading place, and go around the world. This is especially true when the book is fast paced, holds attention, and leaves me desperate to know what is over the page. 

From my tea mug I have braved the Antarctic winds, and that not long after seeking the north West passage in the Arctic.  I have walked across burning deserts, accompanied by camels, I have been in the deepest Congo jungle seeking strange phenomena, which turned out to be a hoax.  I have travelled by train across China, South America, climbing Indian mountains, and the Australian outback.  The best of all this is however, fighting the enemy in damp, deep Great War trenches or flying Lancaster bombers across Berlin under fire, and at no time suffering from anti-aircraft fire.  

Now, I have just returned from several low flights across enemy held territory, bombing prisons to aid resistance fighters escape, help the advance of Montgomery's forces after D-Day, and at the end a long, dangerous flight to Copenhagen to bomb the Shellhus,' which was being used by the Gestapo as a kind of hotel for resistance workers.  

I returned safely once again.

'Mosquito,' is an excellent book concerning the creation of Geoffrey de Havilland.  An aircraft designer of special talent.  The book describes the design, the creation, the manufacture, often by small groups of people in small rooms gluing things together, and the opposition from the high level air force types that knew it would not work.  Even the best require some push to get going.  

'Mosquito' then covers the effect this speedy aircraft had on the enemy below.  Fast, well armed, used for a variety of purposes by the RAF and USAAF, flown by men from all Empire nations as well as Yanks, and feared by the Germans until the arrival of the 262 Fighter Jet in 1944, the only plane to catch up with it.  

Concentrating on the low level attacks, the book places us in the cockpit on the long flight over the North Sea towards Jutland as they prepare carefully to attack Copenhagen's Shellhus in the midst of the city, and that at lunchtime.  This is the best chapter as the writer takes you into the cab as the low flight causes hindrances from the sea and birdlife.  

After the war the leading crews meet the survivors in the city, including parents who lost their children when the school is hit.  These parents calmed the flyers, not the other way round!  

I was irked by one or two things.  The over dramatic way we are led into the next chapter, I just kept shouting 'Get on with it!'  And the constant reference to Ted Sismore as the 'young navigator.'  The condescending note here concerning a man who received the highest number of awards for any navigator during the war was unacceptable.  Men of a certain age have a habit, a needless habit, of referring to young talented men in this manner.  

Ted Sismore went on 130 operations in various bombers, leading the squadrons as they headed into unknown waters, against heavily defended areas, and survived and completed many years in the RAF after the war.  Not all survived however.  In spite of the speed of the aircraft accidents and enemy fire took their toll and not all returned after a raid.

This book helps us to remember them and what these airmen accomplished during the war.

This book is well worth a read.

'Moving at Some Pace'

Not far from Ascot this gentleman was seen 'moving at some pace,' according to the report, on the railway line.  Action was taken to retrieve him, and he journeyed on happily until assisted back from where he escaped.

The rumour that he overtook the train was discounted by company representatives. 

Sunday Surprise

Flowers abounding in the carpark at church.

The Greek lass that cares for them does a good 'natural' job here.  However, that said there is little sign of Bees and other beasties this year.  I usually have them at the windows constantly, this year I have seen only one worker Bee.  Few other beasties also.  The wet weather may have killed them off, but I read that in the highlands the midges are proliferating because of that.  Good luck tourists!

The sun has shone, and I have done my best to sleep through it, that comes from waking in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep.  

Kinda sad that Joe has had to accept defeat in his bid to be re-elected.  It was clear he would rather be sitting at home with his thuggish dogs rather than continue to struggle with the greater thuggish dog Trump, but he did it for the nation, and indeed for all our sakes.  Quite what will happen now I am unsure.  Kamala Harris looks likely to replace him, black, and a woman, well that will go down well with the white flag waving, gun toting, fake Christians that have been placing white gauze on their ear to identify with the fake ex-president.  As Trump said years ago, 'If I stand for president I will run as a Republican, as they are stupid and will vote for me whatever I say.'  He may be proven right again this year.  The world waits in fear, though that nice Mr Putin will be encouraging the St Petersburg bots to increase their workload.  

Families....

 

So tired yesterday all I posted was this picture, then fell asleep!

Today I managed to reply to emails, quite quickly for me.  Including one from a woman on ancestry who is researching the family line.  Quite how she fits I fail to see however, family lines spread out and who knows how close a relative she might be?  I hope she is rich?  

There was a ship, the 'Lyon,' which sailed in 1640 to New England.  On board were a hundred or so seeking a new life, possibly for religious reasons, possibly for adventure.  One visitor from the USA informed me that from those who arrived all those years ago there were now 3 million descendants.   

This is worrying, as my fathers line tended to have several children each, they probably went off breeding happily around the world, and here may be 3 or more million of us lot being miserable old goats in all parts of the world!  

I was wondering if those long gone family were like us?  Did they have the same inherited attitudes?  Did they use the same terms we use today, or had their experiences, running or working on farms, created the attitudes and outlook that came down to us?  Grandfather was a drunk, my father went the opposite way because of this, but what were they like previous to that?  Great Grandfather took a pub in a period of agricultural downturn, though he kept 40 acres nearby.  You cannot run a pub and be a drunk, even if your daughters do most of the work.  Women have a nasty tendency to say what they think...

If we met our forefathers and mothers would we recognise ourselves in them by the way they spoke, the mannerisms, their looks?  I have mentioned previously the football team of 16 years old from 1896, I recognised three of them as young men following the Heart of Midlothian in the 60s.  Clearly they were the grandchildren, would we recognise out grandfathers in similar fashion, if indeed we had photographs of them?  

I am just imagining several generations of my family on my fathers side in one room, all complaining about something, all moaning and all being 'right!'  Maybe it would be good, maybe it would be tiring!

I give thanks that the massive Microsoft outage has missed this house, though I know not why.  The NHS, airports, airlines, and big business are grounded, while many individuals have the 'Blue screen of death!'  It is many years since I saw that, it was once common, and I am glad to have avoided this.

How can Microsoft have such an outage?  How can so many suffer this way at one time?  Surely there was some system to limit exposure to outages?  We all know their wonderful machines work well until they don't, and while accepting the complexity of the inner workings it remains clear that some 14 year old was not doing his job today.

I have said for a long time there is no need to fear bombs.  Putin makes a big mistake dropping bombs, all he has to do is close down the electricity power stations, block all the Microsoft workings and victory is assured.  Without electric nothing happens, without computers nothing happens.  And on top of that there is no backup on card to overcome this.  Rail travel systems are down, carboard tickets would still work mind.  I laugh when they say 'Buy tickets online,' but not if the system is down, not if the individuals laptop is dead, and not if the bank cannot pass the cash!  

More of this to come.

King and Privatisation

The Kings speech took place today.  I did not watch this, I was not invited so I gave it a miss.  This is where the royal comes in, sits on a throne, reads a speech written by his government and has to avoid muttering 'This is absurd!' at every other item.   I would indeed like to hear what Charlie thinks of the speech and the many words he has to proclaim.  I suspect he has already made clear to the PM his opinion of them all.  

Will anything much 'change.'

Some things will be pushed through in spite of obvious dangers, others will benefit the nation in some manner, other bills will slowly die and be forgotten as always.  Most will not affect most of us.  Not this time.  With a large majority of closed minded yes men behind them Starmer will mostly get his way.  Once again the much maligned House of Lords will provide the strongest opposition, and not just from the hundreds of Tory peers put there because of large donations.  The Lords can be a great opposition to governments, Thatcher's main opposition came from there, including Tory Lords.  I suspect more from the Lords now.

One good thing is rail nationalisation.  The greedy operators who took millions out of the railways and left an overpriced, confused system behind will not be missed.  The plan is to have a 'Great British Railways,' in operation soon.  This all sounds just right to me, but hold on, 'ScotRail' is owned by the Scottish Government, how will that ft in with the 'English' 'Great British Railways?'  Keir has not bothered to ask that one.  Railways, like buses, water, gas and electricity ought to be run for the sake of the nation, not private profit.  Way back when Birmingham's then leader Joseph Chamberlain, bought out the 'Coke and Gas Company,' nationalised it if you like, for the sake of Birmingham and saw production, industry and the town flourish.  Why can this not be done nationally with these things now?  There are many excuses as to why, but all come from those investing in these private companies.  It is time these important services to the nation were serving the nation, and come to think of it this includes the Royal Mail.  Let's get that back from Czech hands.