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.

Shop!

I got out again today!  I had been given a lift into the kirk yesterday, a great help, and this morning I wandered around Sainsburys before visiting the excellent Beaumont's butchers shop in Bank Street.   I needed to fill the freezer with sausages and this shop actually puts meat as well as herbs and honey into them.  In short they actually feed you!  Expensive, but well worth it in the end.  A friendly couple run it, most other shoppers were friendly also, and stocked up for a week or two with most things means I now have to check what money is left.  oops, that's not good...

Sad to say I have spent far too much time on Twitter 'liking' and 'retweeting' posts regarding England's welcome humiliation in Berlin.  The reaction of the English fans has encouraged an outpouring of joy in Scotland, Wales and the whole of Ireland, not counting Belfast obviously.  

Great relief in knowing we will hot have another 60 years of 'We won this,' from the English media, always ignoring the 'The ball did not cross the line,' response.  Cheating is OK it appears if you are English.

The Welsh in particular enjoyed the honorary president of the English Football Association, 'the 'Prince of Wales,' as he and his son suffered the defeat with due care and attention.  You may grin here...

Having continued this morning to Tweet voraciously for an hour or so I then began to attend to other chores.  First the shopping, then chatting to the landlords man, then back to checking the 'We always loved Spain,' tweets. 

I noticed only one lass on duty in Sainsburys, and not the usual one.  Staff appeared missing.  They say many have not arrived home or attended work, though traffic is moving around.  Indeed there were no obvious sirens to be heard last night, it appears even 'Weatherspoon's' folk did not destroy the town.  I saw no evidence of that this morning.  

Isn't it funny how a game can have an affect on us all?

In ancient Rome it was chariot races that got people going, in particular the sides of 'Blue' or 'Green.'  These could lead to mass rioting in cities and much destruction.  Was it in Milan that one governor locked rioters in a stadium and set the army to slaughter 5000 of them with the sword?  I think Bishop Ambrose was irked by this if memory is correct.

We need a side to belong to, and this can build us up and support us.  It can also divide, as Trump and Nigel prove to our cost.  It is very easy to say 'They are your problem.'  Many will believe.  The tribal support can be good of course.  A small or large town which ahs a team playing in a cup final will find almost the entire town is up for the cup!  Grannies and disinterested will take note and support.  The whole town then suffers despair or joy at the result.  Each one sharing the emotional response of all others.  This is good.  On occasion it can be bad, riots occur in many nations at football results, and often domestic abuse results in the home.  Of course what the media ignores is the fact that a third of such abuse comes from females on men, but that does not sell papers nor fit the story feminists wish to force upon us. 

It is of course better wars are decided by playing football rather than bombing one another, but this is not always possible.  Wars have indeed been begun by football but maybe this is a better way to deal with oppressors?  

Anyway, now I have many friends on Twitter, many Welsh, Irish and Scots friends I never knew before.  Football does indeed bring us together.

Having seen an opportunity  a chance to escape his busy work in Clacton Nigel has rushed to the USA to succour his friend Trump.  Obviously he is not seeking instructions as to what to do next in destroying democracy, this is a mere chance to meet a friend, and find out what is in this for him.  The people of Clacton will not be surprised surely?  They did not vote for an MP, they voted for a charlatan because they liked the ide he proposed.  Surely they did not expect this to work?  Surely they did not expect him to work, he has never done this before?  No, they just followed an ideology with no foundation because it spoke to them.  There is no reason to believe they expected Nigel to actually work for them.

Twitter Rumblings

These past few days have seen much traffic on Twitter.  This ought to be good, though there are always the bots, headbangers and so on to deal with, but recently it has become a hard job to keep up with it all.  There is the election and the aftermath, the Euro football, Scottish football, gays, trans, Catholics who want a Latin Mass and now Northern Ireland and Ireland appearing.

This is all to do with the algorithm!

Somewhere I must have 'liked' or possibly responded to something concerning Roman Catholics, and now the timeline is full of such stuff, mostly demanding the Latin Mass, criticising Bishops or a pope, or offering RC things that make little sense to me.  I block these otherwise they continue and bring others with them.  The 12th of July brings a sectarian fest to Belfast and so many, many relevant pictures of bonfires being prepared, flute bands and the drunken fights that follow them everywhere.  My favourite is the man who came out of his house as a band passed by, picked up the wheelie bin and threw it at them!  Police rushed to intervene as he was forced back inside.  These too are blocked.  Many trans supporters are blocked, sensible comments are one thing but little of that emerges.  Hate, from behind a laptop is common, but dialogue and thoughtful comment are rare.  Block, block, block.

Same for many gay posts.  

The football one is a short lasting thing.  The final is tonight so once Engerland have been trounced by Espania all will be well, the smile on Roy Keane's face will be worth looking for.  Some blocking here, not much until today.  The 'sweaty socks' references are blocked and other juvenile offerings, but most have been good or ignored.  The sort of thing expected at football.  Scottish football however, sees many posts blocked, nearly always Rangers and Celtic fans with malnourished brains and small vocabularies posting their thoughts.  They go in the bin.  

It is nice however, to see the majority of football fans in Scotland coming together to support Spain tonight.  All for one and one for all tonight!

The election saw many 'bots' blocked.  You cannot always tell but many posts are suspicious, especially those supporting REFORM!  The number of people with a union flag and several other emojis at their name, claiming to have joined anytime between 2012 and 2020 all having 20-35,000 followers make me wonder?  So may can be seen, all blocked, and none appear genuine.  The Tory posts are often blocked, their posts may be reasonable but are often just deliberate half truths.  The pile on from the grumbling re the 'National's' Saturday front page was huge, but all forgot the many cartoons from the English press, and Scotland's press is all English owned, featuring hanging SNP leaders.  This was OK not when done in the other direction.      

Now dogs are appearing.  Why?

A wide variety of dog pictures, from various people, though they may all be one and the same, litter twitter.  Block, block, block and another one appears.  I suspect these people are making money, stealing info and so on.  I should be happy about this because until recently almost all the junk was from the USA, at least this junk is from the UK, except the Irish obviously.  

Add to this the mobile!  On the phone, as I lie half asleep at night, if I check Twitter I find myself blocking advert after advert, sometimes three in a row, all irrelevant.  Rarely are there adverts for anything useful, far too many appear to be business and computer dross in my opinion.  We need them not.

 

Now I will shovel some badly made chow down my throat, followed by several rather tasty oat biscuits I made, and await the football.  I also await the reaction when England lose.  Weatherspoon's will be a delight, smashing windows, cars, imaginary Spanish items and indeed one another.  Tee hee, maybe I ought to get a Spanish flag flown from the Town Hall tomorrow?

Nothing! I have Nothing to Say

 

Normally, having nothing to say has not meant I did not go forward and say it.  The effort required to speak when no words are available to appear can be demanding.  I don't do demanding so a mind strained as bad as my arm results.  This having nothing to say in public, or indeed on Twitter or Blogger or anywhere else online, has not actually been recorded as a 'bad thing.'  Indeed, the opposite view has been proffered.   

I considered my day for inspiration, that failed.  I considered my life experience and burst into tears again.  I made my way through the depressing online papers and began to feel seriously unwell.  Can there be any hope in this new government, will they inspire?  Not yet.  And what a government says it will do may not be what it actually does.  How about the radio?  Well Rory Stewart is making the case 'for ignorance.'  Well, Rory I am well ahead of you there.  How about 'Is Psychiatry Working?'  Well let's just look at all those men pretending to be women and say no, it has failed greatly.   Mark Steel in East Grinstead might be worth a listen, but this programme is not what it was, I know not why, but recent progs have not be that good in my opinion.  

I am of course, working my way through several books at one time.  Always a fast moving one, always an interesting one, and always several either to heavy, too slow or of lesser interest in the rear.  A new book arrived for my birthday, a second on the way, I get excited awaiting unknow books, yet wary in case they are not up to it.  I have baited breath for this one however.

We await with baited breath also for 8 pm on Sunday evening when Spain slaughter the colonial imperialists Engerland, hopefully by at least 5 clear goals.  A quick glance at the world and we see which nation is supporting which nation during this game.  It ought to come as no surprise really.

It must be said this was not one of the greatest tournaments ever.  Feeble sides like England won through but never deserved victory.  Netherlands, Germany, Scotland all failed to produce, and France fell asleep before the kick off.  Many players did not end the tournament with much hope of future 'caps.'  Germany and Netherlands will however, be stronger in two years time, but will Scotland?

Dreich Time

It's been a bit of a bind in recent days.  My knees not being good, overdoing it on the front and scunnering myself for over a week, then as that eased I fall flat on my face and do my arm.  That will take a while to go, possibly months, and twice today I have screamed after I did this aaaaaaaaaaaaagh, and what is left of the muscles in the arm did not like it.  Ice packs aplenty in here.  I have only been to Sainsburys and Tesco, and that's too far, and now I just wish to sleep all day.  Mind you I am happy with that.   

What limited hope has been from watching England fail.  Sadly this has not happened.  Russian VAR men and a German referee threatened by England before the game saw the officials miss hand balls and gave penalties that did not exist.  5 million Scots very unhappy, let alone the Dutch and the rest of Europe!  Only Rangers fans and a handful of Scots Tories support the colonial imperialists.

Viva Espania I say!

One man heading for the final will be England's Prime Minister.  And I mean 'England's.'  Just in the door and he is already stopping them drilling for oil, his 'Scotland at the heart of Government reveals one cabinet minister only, and Keir's promise to women that he would protect their private spaces has gone out the window as he has installed three women and one man all of whom support the trans lobby.  One calls herself not Miss or Ms but 'They,' the man Kinnock's son, has a son who dresses as a girl, and the rest have no idea about life!  Scotland and women down the drain, I await a 'U' turn soon.

Twitter has been as mad as always, however, most of the Reform bots have gone.  It is interesting to see how many claim to be REFORM, joined Twitter 10 or more years ago, have lots of emojis alongside their name, and have 25,000 followers!  Somehow I fell these are as false as the REFORM candidates that did not exist. 

I also clicked somewhere on a catholic post, I know not which, and have been inundated with people arguing about the Latin Mass.  It was tempting to join in and upset many but I just blocked them all, though others still arrive.  

The algorithm sends hundreds of posts because you 'liked' or commented on one.  No matter what you are then inundated with them.  At least most are UK, up till now they have always been US led and of no use to me.  

Book reading has been slow.  Not helped by more coming through the letterbox, and more on the way.

There is no time to read them, or am I just slowing up?  

I noticed today some 'WhatsApp'  posts I have not answered, and other things are being left undone. Partly this is because of movement difficulty and I suspect too much football at the wrong times and a great deal of sloth could be involved.  Football is however, slowing, and less will be available for a while.   

' O to go down to the sea again,

The lonely sea and sky.

I've left my shirt and socks there,

I wonder if they're dry?'

Spike M.  

I feel like that also.  Though I suspect the beach we see here will be mobbed by hundreds and thousands at this time.  A little bit of sun and warmth and the UK population rush to the coast to get away from it all, and are stranded among millions getting away from it all.  It would be nice.

Gerald Taylor, yet another Costa Rican international who has joined the world's most important football club.  If he is as successful and his predecessor Vargas we will be on to a good thing indeed.  I am not sure where his finica will be in Gorgie...

Sunday Meditations

Still stuck indoors, this time because my arm aches from that fall and I resist the joy of walking in the rain to meet people.  So, I read the sheet for today and fine three interesting, possibly connected readings.  I say possibly because the reading follow the Anglican liturgy and these do not always make sense to me, they do not always fit together, so why use them I say?

Anyway, in Ezekiel 2:1-5 we see the young man respond to coming face to face with God.  Not unnaturally he falls on his face.  The supernatural reality of God is often ignored by many.  Their God is one cut down to a size that fits their understanding.  Sadly, our God is way beyond us and we, the created creatures, have to face that reality and bow down to his supernatural being.  How marvellous that that being is 'Love,' otherwise we would all have been destroyed long ago.  

The meeting with God is not accidental, Ezekiel did not 'just happen to be in the area at the time.'  No, this was God calling on a man he knew thoroughly and to whom he would give a task.  God knows all about those he calls.  Nothing about us can surprise him now.

Ezekiel's job was simple.  Here he was in Babylon, miles from Jerusalem where the people had been sent after God called the Babylonians to destroy the city in 586 BC.  Yet the strange thing was the Israelites did not consider they had done anything wrong!  Sin was not recognised and the move to Babylon was not understood as punishment, in spite of what the prophets had told them.  

Now Gods call was to Ezekiel to speak to an 'obstinate and stubborn people' as Gods prophet, and he would know what had happened to previous prophets!  Abuse and even death for some.  He is being sent to a rebellious people who will not listen.  How is that for a job description?  'See those people, they will not listen, but go speak to them and be rejected anyway,' says God.  Of course you might get hurt...

The thing is Ezekiel obeyed.

Mark 6:1-6.  The thing about leadership is a good leader goes first into any battle.  He does not ask his men to do what he has not done or is unwilling to do, he leads from the front.  Having sent prophets to the people at the right time God takes human flesh and walks among us himself.

He now takes on the responsibility of confronting sinful rebellious people face to face, and even worse, he does this among those he grew up with in Nazareth.  

The Mark passage is very short and does not contain the passage read by Jesus in the synagogue.  Isaiah 61.

'The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.' 

Jesus then stated this passage has been fulfilled today, something which astonished them, but then his words indicated he would also bring in the Gentiles.  This led to a reaction, mentioning his background as a mere carpenter and now telling them he was something great!  The gentile bit was the end for them.  They attempt to kill him but he walks through them and leaves.  A prophet is without honour is his own house indeed.  His family did not support him at the time.   

The supernatural God appearing as a man, not quite the messiah they expected, and talking about the gentiles was not a good way to make friends in such a village.  Jesus of course would have expected a reaction, did he not know them, but he was surprised just the same at their lack of faith.  I wonder if this indicates their faithfulness to the Jewish faith up to that time?

Note how Jesus obeyed the call to preach. 

Mark 6:7-13.  Jesus moves on but sends out his 12 disciples two by two, with clear instructions.  He gave them power over demons, power to heal the sick, and permission to preach repentance.  This was their chance to learn how to depend on the supernatural power of God rather than their own abilities.

They took nothing with them but God himself, and their needs would be met on the way.  What a lesson in apostleship!  Some would reject, some listen, some healed, some demons removed.  That is the world Jesus wishes all of us to participate in, not a s such preachers but in daily life.

Note how the disciples obeyed and went out.

Do I believe him?  Would I go out?

Do I trust him daily when in Tesco or on the bus?  Is this supernatural God not around when I need healing?  Or have I just not listened to him again?  And am I willing to be rejected by family, friends, and neighbours for following Jesus when the world is against him?

Are all 'Toffs' Bad?

This appeared on Twitter today, not quite hidden among the masses of posts dwelling on the election result.  Much has been made re the 'Toffs' in cabinet with little idea of real life in the nation today, so it was interesting to look at the totals of 'Toffs' in each parliament since 1945.

Atlee of course was himself a 'Toff,'  his school followed the Victorian habit of sending 'schoolboys' into rough areas to improve education needs and other aspects of life in what was often real slum like conditions.  Clem found his life there.  He remained in the East End of London, becoming a local councillor, then MP for the area, and before the war leader of the Labour Party.  Of course during the Great War he served, as an officer, at Gallipoli and elsewhere.  When the war came he remained in charge of the Labour Party, and took the role of Deputy Prime minister when Churchill was touring the world.  Many enjoyed this as his manner was that of an efficient manager, with no monologues to offer the cabinet!  After the war he led the greatest improvement in UK life that there has been in a short, and bankrupt, time.  If only he was around today!

Few 'Toffs' in his cabinet, many had come from the factory floor through the unions, and quite a few had reached university.  The attitudes at the time are revealed in the 'Toffs' actions after Labour lost power.  Churchill, an excellent war leader, was at heart a Liberal, and did not reverse much that the 'socialists' had introduced.  Indeed, he sent one 'Toff,' Harold MacMillan the housing secretary, to build 3 million houses between 1951 and 1953.  This he completed!  I see no chance of the Tory leaders after 2010 considering this action.  

Many see the 1950s as a glory period, and in some ways they are correct.  For a start I was born (cheer loudly at the back), and in 1953 we moved into a brand new corporation flat at a rate of £1 7/1d a week.  To the parents this was not just expensive but also luxury!  

The 'Toffs' of the 1950s remained 'Toffs.'  They did not pretend to be working class, they remained themselves, and until MacMillan was ridiculed, by privately educated comedians on 'That Was The Week That Was,' little changed.  After these 'Toffs' came the pretend working class Harold Wilson.  I'm not sure which was more honest.     

Comparing the attitudes to the 1950s 'Toffs' with those from 2010 reveals men who fought in one war, supported the nation during a second, with a long period of depressions in between.  The Boris cabinet contained men who while young did not wear uniform, instead they played 'Punk' records and trashed Oxford restaurants while laughing at the plebs.  Social conscience, an understanding of what their policies led to, and an understanding of human nature and life itself was absent from the majority of Conservative Cabinet members during this time.  Self and money was all, and now kicked out by the people, a people that did not rush to support Labour, they run off to find high paid jobs still unaware of real life.  Look out for all sorts of ex-Tory MPs appearing in well paid quangos near you soon.  Their appreciation of public need will have not developed any by the time they float off with another fat pension from that job.

As for Keir's mob we wait and see.

    

New Blood, Same Story

So the new boy is greeted by the old boy after the previous boy had run off to California.  How jolly.

A massive vote, but actually smaller than it appears.  Less people turned out to vote at this election than at any other previously.  Many Tories remained at home, similarly many SNP would not vote for this lot or the opposition.  Many just got fed up with all of them.

The truth is no-one voted for Labour, they voted against the Tory and SNP.  Clearly the Labour vote stood strong but all others fell apart.  This included many Labour members being imported from England to represent the party.  Even Cowdenbeath & Kirkcaldy voted for Labour and an English female MP!  Quite what Willie Gallaher, the Communist MP from 1935 - 195 would have thought about that is not clear.   

The SNP fell apart because of the 'Stonewall' love in.  Putting men guilty of rape in women's prisons because the 'identify' as a woman and allowing such men to use female toilets has not gone down well outside of activists, and many remain within the party.

Our Home Secretary won his seat once again.  The 'Reform' wide eyed loons failed to remove him, though they did dent his majority, and far too many Tories forgot what he had done to them and came out, possibly at night when twilight fell.  Now, he retains his job of ignoring us and fighting for the leadership of the rump of the Tory Party.  Soon the main names will dominate the pages, I hope they all lose!

Enough, it's over now, we await the cabinet, we await the press attacks, we await the future.  I remain glad Jesus is still in control and he has seen much worse than this before.