Thursday Mutterings

Following instructions from higher command, e.g. the Archbishops, all Anglican churches are to close and if possible go online.  Now I understand this is a wise move, however I also feel the church ought to be open for prayer at times such as this.  Even if one church, in the centre of town, was to keep open at certain times for such prayer it would be a good thing.  This would help, Jesus would intervene, usually in ways we do not expect, and offer a moment of peace for those who would not come at other times.
Churches opened throughout the wars when they felt it would do good.  A very different enemy of course.  However people are in fear at the moment, I say that knowing many are fighting in supermarkets for the last bottle of sanitizer, while others are sitting in pubs happily forgetting fear of virus's or indeed anything else.  There is a fear culture developed in the world, another friend has gone on a 'cruise of a lifetime' and not been allowed off the boat, seen nothing but sea and is worried they cannot get off to fly home.  The unseen enemy hinders all.  Mind you I would be happy at sea for two weeks, not sure about a cruise boat mind you.  An open church, a short quiet prayer, a cheery word, who knows what this may do?  Self isolating with others!
On Sunday the St Paul's facebook page will offer a service of some sort online at 10:30.  Quite how he will manage this I know not!  I will be watching, without the need to dress up, walk down there, or indeed even wash, no-one will see me, so I can follow in a relaxed manner...

Spring has arrived.  According to Google, who must be right, it begins today.  According to everyone else it begins on Friday!  I am well aware Spring has begun, the low lying gray cloud overhead, the chill in the air, even though it claims to be 'mild,' and the drizzling rain that fell when I took the rubbish out does indicate Spring is in the air.    
Now, well into the dark evening, the rush hour stour fills the air, dankness hangs around and the cheerful weather girl promises chilly weather.  Spring has indeed sprung...

Idiot of the Week No 104.

Being an idiot is easy.

I have, unlike some, never required to take lessons on such a subject.  Indeed, many have claimed I could make a fortune by teaching ‘Idiocy’ to the masses.  Adding only that if anyone came to such teaching then those individuals would already have qualified in ‘Idiocy’ anyway. 

That made me think.

Now I have not reached the level of the American couple who asked me the way to Princes Street in Edinburgh many years ago.  I pointed to my feet and said, “You are standing on it.”

They were indeed, outside ‘Binns’ as was and at the beginning of the most famous street in the world.  To be extra helpful I indicated the castle, soaring high above, and avoided any remarks that may offend.  I got no tip.

Stupidity has been a hallmark of my life. 

In the museum I made it to the kitchen early on, filled the kettle, placed cups etc in position awaiting my friend and colleague as she arrived, returned to my position and opened the doors. 

Shortly afterwards the cleaners, making their way home, came past laughing and pointing at me.

It appears that I had left the kettle lid ‘up.’  This meant the kettle boiled and did not switch off.  The small kitchen was saturated in moisture as a result.  Words were exchanged by the non-tea or coffee drinkers as to one individual’s mental health.

The other day I accidentally bought a book through Amazon.

I tracked my package through the system, happily noting the imminent arrival this morning.  Just after 12:30 I raced downstairs slowly and retrieved my package as it hung through the letterbox.  Our front door is upside down!  This means the letterbox is quite high and wee Sue struggles to reach it.   I obtained my package, but once again the Wednesday delivery of ‘Private Eye’ failed, and hastened upstairs to rip open and read.

As I did so I realised I had read one book about Clement Attlee, and this book was about him, some time before.  I had checked my shelves and had no such book but it was in my mind.  I looked at the cover, the drawing of the greatest ever Labour leader reflected his quiet but efficient manner.  How I wished one such as he was around today.

I then thought the book looked familiar and once again checking the shelves I found that my idiocy had worked a treat!  Yes indeed, that very book I had in my hands was already on the shelf exactly where it ought to be!  Not only that the first copy I reckon was bought on the cheap, this one full price.  

I might not bother getting out of bed tomorrow…

Shop Book

For a society close to ‘Lock Down,’ I considered there was an awful lot of traffic passing me at half past eight in the morning.  Twitter had informed me the usual roads were ‘Slow Moving,’ and it has become obvious that not many people can work from home.  Builders, postmen, gardeners, as well as supermarket staff must get up early and trudge to work.  Politicians might think it clever to tell people to stay indoors but how will they all be fed?  How will these people pay bills if the work is closed down, redundancy given, or they are just left with nothing?  Some policies must emerge ‘on the hoof’ but a little bit more thought is required here.

School kids ahead of me did not appear to be discussing virus possibilities as I slowly made my way to the panic shop.  I was in truth glad I could not hear what their topics of conversations were, that might put me off breakfast! 

As I crossed the car park I coughed somewhat roughly.  A man fifty yards ahead turned and looked at me, contempt and fear showing in his eyes.  Fear of that virus is cutting into people.  Even the young men faint. 

Sainsburys have taken action to limit panic buying.  The shelves are half full, a deliberate policy, thus preventing items running out.  However, I questioned the lack of red lentils and an attractive young assistant soon procured some for me, she found brown lentils first then thoughtfully came after me with red ones, how helpful I thought, though to be fair most staff are in this shop.  Now I wish I had kept both as this panic filled mob may continue to live in fear and remove all such from the shelves.

Paracetamol was bereft, those that do not require it have got it, those that need it now cannot get it.  We may end up with rationing and doctors’ certificates at this rate. 

Wine and beer was available in abundance, quite why they have not panic bought that I know not.  When sick wine is often the best thing to take, it goes down well, offers some nourishment, and an abundance makes you forget your illness and fall asleep.  Or so I am told…

There are of course vast amounts of foodstuffs and other needful to be had, no-one needs to starve to death, and a supply of daily papers are available if the toilet rolls are still hidden away.  Potatoes exist, some frozen chips are still to be found, and while pasta has disappeared rice in various forms can be obtained.  Clever people can vary their diet with a quick wander around the store.  Really clever people can make use of their garden and plant what they will require later in the year.  I wish I was one of them. 

Just thinking, if the virus hits 80% of the people then food transmission to the shops will be hindered.  Add to this the lack of veg coming from this nation, no EU fruit pickers allowed, then a veg shortage might well appear.  If the drivers get sick, having seven or fourteen days off, and relief drivers unavailable, that will increase the fun at the shops. 

Tomorrow I panic buy tins!

The only flaw this morning was one of my favourite checkout lasses bursting into giggles as she informed me the total came to £33!  “33,” I said.  “I only made it £7:29.”  More giggles from her and the customer following.  To them, seeing my debit card smouldering as I pushed it into the slot was delightful, there appeared to be little delight for me.  However, the checkout girl mentioned that over the weekend some 30 such cards had been refused, not enough credit.  This was the result of panic buying too much.  This £33 was much more than I had expected and is caused by not counting up the totals as I go, something I always used to have to do, there again I may just blame the red lentils, not the bottle of Chianti…

You may remember I began this book some time ago, it mysteriously got lost under a pile of other books that I was wading through.  Some people adore this man, I found it  wee bit boring and hard going.  However he has a five programme series on BBC Radio 4 Extra.  The first programme can be found here.  He is easier to listen to than to read I must say. 

Books...

Is it possible to have too many books?
You see, I accidentally ordered a book from Amazon while browsing books tonight.  I had not meant to browse but found a book token from Xmas that was just lying there and considered how to make use of it.  So I browsed.
Of course had I actually entered the book into the account it would have been better but I just went on browsing and found a book and purchased it without doing that very thing.  So I paid for it myself anyway.  It took me many years to realise I was not an intellectual giant.  It did not take long for others to discover this.
I looked at the small bookshelf next to my bed, the 45 books gathering dust, and wondered if maybe you can collect too many books?  I do not mean 'collect' in the sense of gathering old books and worshipping but not reading such items, I mean just discovering you have quite a lot.  
Some go back many years, quite a few had to do with the failed Open University History study (at least I can proudly claim to be a  B.A. (failed)) which I keep in a vain effort to imply I had a brain.  That proved incorrect, but fun anyway.  Others cover the many years reading about Jesus, some are books I could not let go, 'Mere Christianity' by C.S. Lewis was very helpful in the 70's and Jim Packers 'Knowing God' is a must I say for all Christians, a book full of Christian knowledge and common sense.  Others were glanced at and never finished.  
The Great War has resulted in many a book landing on my shelves.  Not counting all those I read in the library years ago.  Adolf Hitler, a man you may have heard about caused me to buy many books in an attempt to understand where he came from and how he got 60 million educated Germans to follow him, it was of course the supernatural evil power that took a bore from a hostel and made him Fuhrer. His behaviour makes clear how easy it can be to change a nation, if you find the right slogans.  

However as I look at the shelves I wonder whether it is right to have so many?  Is there not a way to make use of them, and ensure they return?  I almost gave one away recently but found it would not leave my tight grasp.  Cold that be a danger sign?  
Obviously some have not been read, that is, quite a few are more reference than reading books.  More detailed than the internet could be, though it takes longer to search through them.  Others have been read in bits, the irrelevant pages omitted.  Most have been read from cover to cover, but can I remember what was therein?  It is amazing how many individual lines come to mind along with an inability to remember which book I read them in.  This is unfortunate.  
There is a queue of books waiting to be read, one or two can wait, others must be read soon, possibly two or three at a time.  The thing is some books fit the mood, you cannot put it down, other plod along but must be read, slowly.  Usually I read a bit from one, consider I need a change and move to another, that way happily progressing along.  Of course one lying there has small font and 780 pages, another large font and considerably less pages, it does not take much guessing which is the first to be finished.

  
So, should I feel guilty about accidentally buying another book?  If my cough does not leave I may be forced to 'self isolate' and read all my books, returning to the start.  There is no football to distract me, TV is vile so books would be great.  
Books are so useful.  You learn about the world from them, a wide variety of subjects can be found therein.  I remember standing in a bookshop cogitating on the vast array of literature around me, most in my view worthless but never mind, and I wondered what the Sumerian scribes would think if they could see so many books crammed with writing, the writing they developed.  I suspect they would be happy about this, and promptly by the worst type of slop to read.  Consider how powerful words can be.  The Reformation was powered by 'tracts' from all sides.  A printer was, like a scribe, a powerful and useful man to have on your side.  Quite what Sumerian scribes down in Uruk would think if a copy of the 'Sun' cam into their possession however I am not sure.  They might consider that beneath them.
Books, magazines, Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and so on all push out words, all shout loudly, some intelligently, all demand our attention.  Books offer a more considered system of debate than facebook or Twitter, at least that is what I have found, and the pictures are better.  
Discuss...