The Coronavirus observational guide . . .

Now on the last post of my humble blog I said that Dominic Cummings the Prime Ministers chief adviser had become the main news here in Britain as a result of his trip to his parents’ house to self-isolate with his wife and small child. As I said it was understandable, but possibly bending the rules. Well there have been continued demands for him to be sacked again today. And as I said then he is not the sort of chap to fall on his sword. So far Boris Johnson is sticking with him, which is surprising really normally a PM would drop someone like a ton of bricks and folk would be happy they have their man. But that has not happened and so folk are angry some are very angry, even members of the Conservative party are angry.  Mr Cummings has always appeared to be an arrogant man to me and I suspect may others. Even folk within the Tory party think he has too much power. This is why some folk and a lot of the press have been rather passionate about trying to remove him. 

I think he should go now because he is meant to be an adviser working in the shadows not headline news, he is now a serious distraction from the things that are important in the continuing story and battle to control Covid-19.  

He did make one point however I agreed with that I saw on the news when he was trying to leave his London home. He said to the Press that they were not keeping to the 2 metres required by social distancing. And it was true they were hounding him and hustling each other for the best shots and to fire questions at him. Now its fine to be critical of him and what he did, but you are being hypercritical if you then ignore important parts of the rules to avoid the spread of Covid-19 such as social distancing yourself. Just because you work for the media does not make you exempt in the same way Dominic Cummings is not exempt which is why folk argue he should be sacked . . . . . Pot-Kettle is what came to mind as I watched it.

OOOoooooo it’s a small point or possibly not, but Boris Johnson still looks far from well to me. I do wonder if he would now be happier if he was not the Prime Minister. Sometimes our dreams do not work out as planned. 

A chap needs a place to hide

this is mine

The European Elections, Mrs May. An Android and a Rat

Here in Britain we have been going through the European Elections and the demise of Mrs May who finally said  . . . Oh Poo  . . . and has resigned. I don’t entirely blame her, after all she was trapped in a political mess with no real solution. Unfortunately her attempts at solving an unresolvable political mess involved trying to do the same thing each time. We have all been there at some point. Putting our pin number in the cash machine three times only to realize as it confiscates it, saying you are very naughty, that you have used the wrong pin. Anyway Mrs May was hoping to get a fourth go at using the same pin number, but as we all know that is not going to happen so she is now standing on the naughty step.

I tried to warn her about the flowering bamboo but she laughed and said I was a mad dishevelled peasant of the masses destined to scurry about in the hills away from the thrill of political life and power forever. Phew that’s good. . . . . . And it seems we both are now.

Now while on the subject of the curse of the flowering Bamboo I did something to my back a couple of days ago which stopped me from doing any work on the workshop. I was struggling just standing up at one point and could not reach the floor. Not easy when you want to put shoes on and the like. Luckily, although still a bit sore I am now moving about normally so folk are not sniggering at me and calling me the scruffiest android on Earth.

Then yesterday to add to the curse, the entire family descended on our house to eat sausage and bacon butty’s, fruit and cream and cake. To make matters worse some of the left over sausages were wrapped up in foil and taken away by folk to eat later leaving me with just enough for a sausage butty at lunch time today. I have now had to resort to eating the fruit covered in cream . . . . I need the cream to counteract all that healthy fruit stuff. Folk never run off with all the fruit.

Our new neighbours are young and keen and doing a great job of tidying up what is a sort of small holding and former mill. The drawback is they have made the resident rat population restless. The old occupants of the building didn’t seem to worry so Mr Ratty just remained there among the crumbling walls. But we have had a couple in the garden stealing bird seed, so I need to resolve the issue in a friendly way (after all they have their place in the eco system) as my wife hates the little (well not so little) critters. Apparently they are attracted to Bamboo flowers and keen on things Doom related. . . . . . . . DAMN.

The Damselfly and the Maybug . . . . . And a Bus

(17...)

We visited the local village market this morning to buy provisions such as veggies, bread, bacon, spicy sausages, butter plus a quick discussion with locals about a bus protest because the local government grant might end for the local bus to the great metropolis of Shrewsbury. Rather ironic because it is probably the busiest bus about for miles and is normally standing room only by about half way there. Still that’s politics for you a bit odd at times.  Then we had a trip to say happy birthday to our daughter and a toasted sandwich at a local grand house with a happy dog that roams about hunting toasted sandwiches

Followed by a visit to a huge greenhouse to buy some plants before heading home and doing woodwork on you know what.  Then a bowl of soup and then I came face to face with a damselfly. It was rather a friendly damselfly and was happy to chat about busses, Maybugs and ponds and the like for a bit before flying off.

After that I did stuff, watched a bit of news on the telly shouted a bit a someone discussing politics on the telly, and then told the cats they were greedy and that ten meals each a day was enough for a huge wild cat, not just your average moggies who chill all day doing almost nothing.

And finally I have been outside as it is very very still and on nights this calm things move about in the darkness. Normally it is just Zombies, but tonight it is a couple of Hedgehogs and a confused Maybug or two. As far as I can tell Maybugs are always confused and that Damselfly certainly thought so. My wife hates Maybugs due to their clumsy flying techniques and general inability to avoid humans. Some folk (such as my wife) are not keen on being hit in the face by Maybugs as they negotiate (or fail to) the night sky.

Then write diary.

Are you wondering what I did yesterday?  . . . .  So am I . . . I can’t remember.

OMG . . . . We Voted to DO WHAT . . . . .

OMG. . . . WHAT?

AH yes it appears that my assessment of the situation yesterday was entirely wrong, well not entirely as it was a very close vote. So us Brits, well about a half of 70% of those who can vote voted to leave the EU. What this means is that somehow last night I became the me in the alterative parallel Universe . . . . I hate it when that happens. . . . .  I have to say there was much shouting on the internet this morning and the News channels are having a great time, with more news than they can shake a stick at.

Many are saying terrible gloom and doom things, but I feel that is wrong it is not gloom and doom it is a new start and something to be embraced. Leaving the EU will only work if we meet our fellow Europeans half way and smile and hug each other, what we don’t need is the inward little Englanders getting their way and turning their back on the rest of Europe. To me there is nothing wrong with hugging a few Europeans but then saying . . .  we like you, but that bureaucratic Economic machine of yours is rubbish. . . .  Ok there will be a bit of a bumpy start to this great new adventure, but I do believe that in the long term it will be for the good.

 Of course I could be entirely wrong, but one thing for sure is we cannot undo what is done, well not in this Universe so whether or not you agree with the leave vote it is important to do our best to make it work as well as possible.  I am starting by drawing more pictures of a friendly nature. My granddaughter did her bit the other day by defending two Spanish students on a train who were being given a hard time by a passenger. She is a feisty young thing and will take no messing and will defend the rights of others. She voted to stay and has been on social media rather a lot today moaning at folk. . . I think she needs to go into politics before she gets all cynical like me.  She would probably shout at me too, but I play gaga these days. . . . and do it rather well.    

A Pictorial Guide to the EU Referendum

The Sea represents Europe

The smoke represents the EU referendum debate

The Ship represents Great Britain

The Seagulls represent the voters

The iceberg represents the result

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DAMN

The Consequences of 24 hour News and other News Stories

I have been pondering what I should write about in my humble little blog tonight and my mind remains blank. You see I try to write a light-hearted blog with the occasional bit of personal insight on the world and a few mad poems about odd things. But I also feel when particularly types of sad news hit the headlines it is at least slightly respectful to be a bit aware of those events and how some may feel.  

We now live (here in Britain) in a world of 24 hour news and multimedia comment and the result of all this is a situation where on TV and in cyberspace, news of terrible tragedies sit side by side with odd little stories like a cat doing a Rubik’s cube or mermaids sighted offshore in the North East of Scotland.  Our media eat these stories both big and small, important and of no consequence with equal ferocity so that with time they all blur into one thing. If you add the adverts of commercial news media then the blur can create even more extremes. I just sometimes wonder if those much younger than myself ever become desensitised to events unless they have some sort of personal implication.   I can get entirely perplexed at times when say the final of a talent show will swamp the likes of Twitter and a terrible earthquake killing hundreds on the same day can pass almost unnoticed and folk tweet OMG because a sword swallowing parrot that can sing The Ace of Spades has won X factor and not the young woman from the sausage factor. I suspect that young woman may have been daydreaming a bit and missed a certain death sausage . . . . . . . . Yes that was a major story for me and that’s for sure.

Well that’s it a little ramble from inside the mind of Rob Z Tobor. You will notice this is a small story of little consequence, but I’m waving my pointy stick at the world a bit, but in a friendly and non-aggressive way, life is too short and precious to be wasted on aggression.

As a final passing point do please try to help and be friendly to you fellow man. Remember if there is a God he will I suspect forgive mistakes but not hate, and if you think that is not right just wait until you meet God, by which time of course it may be a bit late to say sorry,           

The EU Referendum why I am not a Nasty Chap

A Seagull in Scotland

I have decided to return to the rather spiky subject of the great EU referendum debate again, bearing in mind the hour grows closer and those of us with postal votes will be doing our bit very soon. You see some time ago here on the blog I explained why I plan to vote to leave, but sadly due to the rather bitter mudslinging match that continues and gets worse by the day it appears saying you plan to vote to leave now turns you into an evil bigoted and racist fool. I don’t really see myself as a  an evil bigoted and racist fool, well I hope I’m not.

One thing I am strongly in favour of is more immigration, Britain is a stronger and better country with people from other nations and I am all in favour of encouraging the talents of people from as many different cultures as possible. This I will accept is not the mainstream view of most of the leave supporters and campaigners who seem to fear the influx of thousands of undesirable immigrants stealing all our homes and jobs. This by the way is just not true they are in general nice folk, even the Polish woman who pushed right in front of me yesterday as I was getting a new key cut. This is certainly making the leave campaign look like the baddies. However being in the EU has not made us entirely immigration friendly. Just look at the hostility across Europe to the problems of the Syrian refugees. Many of these people are highly qualified professions who only want a chance to live in peace and provide a life for their families. Why can’t Britain do more to help them?

My main concern is still the huge bureaucratic machine of Europe which in my own humble opinion will at some point collapse like a pack of cards, but who can tell, I may be entirely wrong. I will still be voting to leave and I am still not sure if that is the right thing to do so I have a plan. You see in order to bring some harmony to a situation that is increasing bringing tension to ordinary folk across the country as each side shouts abuse at the other I am advising everyone to vote with a friend. Not just any friend but a friend with the opposite view so I will be voting with someone who is voting to stay in the EU. 

I think it is likely the stay vote will win; the fear of the unknown is a powerful force. But as a final thought just consider the latest football thing, the European Championships. A friendly competition between European countries where some fans get drunk and fight and kick each other so a bit like the EU. The fact is if we treated everyone equally with respect and dignity and helped our fellow man things like the EU would not be needed and football would be a much better game.  

As Shakespeare once said . . . . The fault Dear Brussels is not in your stars but in ourselves, that we feel underlings. . . . .  

An almost rational reason why I plan to vote to leave the European Union

I thought I would have a quick break from Poetry today and do Politics (sorry about that).

Have you noticed that here in Britain the great debate about should we vote to stay in or leave Europe is starting to look slightly silly as each side raises the stakes like a mad game of Poker. . . . I will match your World War Three and raise you pestilence and Armageddon as a result of aliens from Venus.  It is getting harder to get any real idea about what the best thing to do is. Certainly the stay campaign has the greatest clout because the bulk of the establishment are scared of change and the unknown, so they are doing a great job of ensuring that leaving looks like total madness.

Well it may surprise some, but I plan to vote to leave and there are rational reasons for this and also one very non-rational reason. Firstly I need to say as I have said before I am a bit left wing (not very, just a bit) and unlike a lot of the out voters I would be happy to let more refugees into the UK, particularly from Syria. Ooooo I get annoyed by British politicians and now the EU with feeble excuses not to help people who are fleeing a terrible war, most of whom are just decent ordinary folk.

In theory the principles of the EU should appeal to me, I mean I voted to join in the first place (OK yes I’m a bit old). I believe in equality and a level playing field in life for all, and that we should protect the vulnerable and the weak. All stuff which the EU is meant to stand for. When I voted to join all those years ago I was hoping we would be part of a single currency, and that it would be possible to travel about in Europe as easily as nipping up the road to Scotland. We would be one big happy community, smiling hugging each other and having a good life.

But is that what happened No the EU  has turned into a huge bureaucratic semi opaque monster, I don’t know if money is spent wisely or not and there seem to be more dodgy deals and . . . I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine stuff going on than one can shake a seagull at. The politics of Europe are becoming polarized and based on self interest with the Euro on the brink of yet another crisis. In fact I suspect the Euro crisis may have been delayed a bit until we have our vote, or am I just being a bit cynical. . .maybe.  So my main reason not to remain is that I do not believe that the long term future of the EU is looking good. The stay in campaign say we would enter a recession if we leave, but if the Euro starts to fail and we are part of Europe then that will happen anyway. Right now I just feel Britain may have more control of its economic future and the well being of its population outside the European Union. I am just an ordinary man on the street I may be wrong I don’t know, but I can only do what I feel is right long term.

I did also say I have one very irrational reason why I am voting Leave, it is a very simple one. Both David Cameron and Tony Blair have said they intend to vote to stay in . . . I do not know them personally but Oooooooo they both annoy me with their smug I am better that you attitude

OK there you have it I will vote Leave I don’t know it that is right or not but I suspect Britain will Stay in just on the shear amount of doom stories the government is managing to get into the news. And even I am not of fan of the . . .  . We don’t want all these foreigners over here . . . . attitude of some of the Leave supporters. Why is there a them and us approach to all this; Britain will not sail off into the sunset and we will still be part of Europe come what may.

If we do stay in and the EU economy very quickly starts to go into crisis I promise not to say I told you so. . . . . when I say promise I am in fact lying. . . . I will  

Trump v Sanders . . . A view on the state of World Politics

Every now and again I do a quick post on the prickly subject of politics. I say prickly because in general everyone thinks they are right and everyone else who thinks differently is wrong or an idiot, clearly I am the only one who is in fact right. Now today to put the cat among the pigeons so to speak where I am the cat and the good people of the United States of America are the pigeons (plainly only metaphorically speaking) I plan to discuss the Politics of the USA.  You see I woke up this morning here in the UK to the news that both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders had won their respective parties votes in the latest State.  This was not a surprise and there is a long way to go yet in the process but one thing that this latest result shows quite clearly is just how polarized peoples views are becoming. It is not just the USA; this is increasingly happening in Europe and even other parts of the world.  But the present situation where the USA could end up with a Trump v Sanders vote for President shows just how polarized and fractured people of the same nation can become.  It would be difficult to think of two politicians with such opposing views within American politics so why are they the two front runners. 

It seems one of the great universal issues globally is a mistrust in established career politicians by the public. And people are keen for change; they are fed up with the pre-election promises of many turning to dust once they are in power.  Both in the USA and Europe the great days of affluence and plenty are well behind us.  Well they are for the masses anyway as some folk still manage to amass huge personal fortunes. But the great battle between the haves and have not’s rages on, unfortunately most career politicians are seen as members of the haves and this is what has led to the rise in the support of Bernie Sanders in the USA and Jeremy Corbyn in Britain. However humans are also paranoid and the likes of Donald Trump and David Cameron give speeches that appeal to the darker side of human nature and our need to put ourselves and our families first when times are hard.  Which is why we are told of immigrants arriving on mass stealing jobs and destabilizing the economy as well as extremists hiding in their midst.            

I suspect as the pressure on Earth's resources increase, and the very visible differences between the rich and poor increase as well as increasing global economic pressures it is likely that the world will become a far more polarized place. I don’t think this is good, which tends to suggest that  Trump v Sanders may seem like democracy in progress, but is it a good sign for the future of the planet.     

The British vote to Bomb Syria. . . . . A viewpoint

Yesterday the British Government voted to join the massed forces of the Good the Bad and the Ugly in the Bombing the Islamic terrorist group known as IS, ISIS ISIL (or now something else) in Syria. There have been heated arguments on both sides as to what is the correct thing to do.  Well that is strangely a rather easy question to answer although I am not aware that a single politician actually said it yesterday. You see the fact is there is no right thing to do and no one can truly predict what the outcome would be from either option.

The terrorist group formally known as IS, ISIS,ISIL are a truly bad bunch of people with distorted views and delusions of their own future and afterlife. Bombing them can keep them suppressed but it will not actually destroy the ideology or even totally destroy the group. But not bombing them, folk argue allows them to grow in strength so it is something we have to do.

Now I have been a little annoyed by David Cameron and his less than truthful assessment of what will happen in the long term.  Up till now Britain has been restricted to bombing Iraq, but a key point in that is, the present Iraq government had asked for this assistance. They are not an ideal government but the west smiles and grit’s its teeth and does its bit to help. Britain has now joined a large group bombing Syria against the will of its government, a government supported by President Putin who is also bombing various anti-government forces in Syria including the ones us lot say are the goodies. Most of these other groups have their own agendas and don’t like each other.  So Britain in its own small way (we have not sent a large number of fighters) has joined the continued destruction of an entire country with no long term plan.

   

You see this is where David Cameron has annoyed me, he says that once IS, ISIS, ISIL have been destroyed as a force, something that will involve proper ground troops (not a ramshackle mix of folk who are against the present Syrian government). Then President Assad will quietly go and a new democratic government will run Syria and all will be well. . . . Now I am just a chap out in the hills but even I can see this is not what will happen, President Assad of Syria is not going to quietly walk away while he has the protection of Russia. President Putin of Russia is hardly going to let the West get its way in any negotiations.  There are no Credible Ground forces in Syria except the Pro-Assad Army and even if they were able to take control some of these groups are almost as bad as ISIS. It is very likely that in three of four years time we will still be bombing Syria and looking for a way out or the conflict could escalate into other counties in the Middle East leading to a bigger and more dangerous war.

Plainly doing nothing is not a solution either, but I really think the implication by the British government  that it will all be OK after a couple of years of coalition bombing is misleading the British Public.  Our track record in the Middle East is not good I do not see any countries where we have left them as a happy stable democracy.    

A rather odd response to the Chancellors Autumn Statement

The Elephant in the room . . . .  (Sea)

Slimpe flimg hoveling bing balley how fly crospa thing in the pink floo go zolos big hist chip pooly gharna fly kjdfzlakjaf n nf adsapwru akdjk j spoly adfhfj sjfh sfj os0riwue.  I urii uq0 q08wqrt-ty9  dksfjf polly nad hoosker trip fol ajdkad adjka jkds ad kjdkjdk a-wer  ksjfdksfj sjf sfkj  pgdh pkk n mn sfnmasdb nka n b bandkrj  ad b and then fkskf chanceling rubbish a ncvmvmvn sa gobbledy gook.

 jhaverhd h aoud mini asdj  statement fsdhjfhj hh finances and   sjflj tax sjl  as well as a right old load of zcxvbxvcbv about balances bookes on his head. Anyway that joalster armie flea splat Mr Osborne babbled on for at lefxcbnvb an hour I reckon and although I (cxcvbsddi) sort of listened and blustied about in the waine a bit. I think it was not right.

Which brings me to my nest point ffhrrrjhjhfk and stuff is all very well, but I mean it fhjsjfghhf feste seems to get harder to understand kfjskfjlsisurif hisiltol glue stool pop d djskasd each year. At least in the olds days he put a couple of pence on a bottle of wine, everyone complained and blunstile approllist adsfsrfdsgf and we would throw seagulls at him. But not now . . . . now you need to have a degree in finance to even understand what he is saying. Which is of course the plan, because if you did know what the Chancellor of the Exchequer was on about then you would also know all is not what it seems.  And he has pinched your money again

I mean just how can anyone complain when they don’t understand a word of it, well not the bits where he nicks your money back anyway. . . . .  So all I can say in response to our old mate Mr George Osborne is . . . . Scrimble flip boo kistal jim spol greb askfjlk and I hope it hurts too.

Drugs in Sport is one thing but drugs in politics is terrible. . . . . I demand tests on the lot ( NO not tests on the drugs but test on politicians).

OOOOOoooo look a seagull.

Damn this is harder than it loops . . . PHEW    

The Politics of ISIS and Syria . . . . . and other things

As we all know the terrorist incident in Paris continues to be one of the main stories that crops up on the news. Now I was listening to the Today Programme on BBC Radio Four as I lay in bed this morning thinking to myself that appears to be an awful lot of frost outside I wonder how long I can hide in bed. Anyway as I was listening to them discussing what the government would like to do to assist in the battle against IS ISIS ISIL I thought to myself that the chap talking was sort of missing a few points that were rather important. You see he seemed to me to be trying to simplify the whole thing down to the following.

Us in Britain along with France the USA and the other counties of the coalition send our air force on mass to Syria and Iraq bomb ISIS to bits and all will be well and the present president of Syria will then smile and retire off to Russia and an all new Western friendly leader will be put into place and everyone will live in peace. . . . . .

Well I think we are talking fairy land if any government seriously thinks that is what will happen. I mean this in many ways was what was meant to happen in Iraq when the coalition forces left Iraq after they defeated Saddam Hussein. And the political vacuum in Iraq is partly responsible for the rise of ISIS. They (ISIS) have then used the chaos of the conflict in Syria to move into that country also; they did not create it. The problem is it may be possible to destroy them as a group but it will not solve the issues of the Middle East. The various main stream religious groups there are becoming more polarized and the destruction of ISIS is only going to lead to other issues and groups who will fill any political vacuums.

I suspect what the Western governments might be hoping is that they can destroy ISIS and then retreat sharpish  hoping that they can then wash their hands of any involvement as it will not effect them.  I think this is a very foolish idea indeed and if history tells us one thing it is that it all tends to end in a greater mess than it started.

OOOOOOooooooo I made an outdoor Christmas Fairy today using a plastic milk carton and also made two paper chains. . . . . It is good to have the opportunity to do some home-made Christmas stuff.    

The Paris Attacks of 13th Nov 2015 . . . . A Personal View Point.

What kind of logic can justify the killing of so many people in Paris last night.  The So called Islamic State say it is revenge for what is being done in Syria but the logic behind that is foolish and distorted by hate and the few deranged minds that represent the IS leadership.  Just how they can say this is revenge for the war in Syria when they themselves are part of the reason the entire country is falling apart, is in my view madness. ISIS claim to be followers of the Quran but their cruelty hate and vengefulness are not the actions or responses of any true religion. If any religion is to have a long term future then tolerance of those you may not agree with must be one of its cornerstones. Once you say your God is a cruel God who wants you to kill and torture the non believers then that God is one of your own making to suit your own aims. If there is a God then I would like to hope that justice will finally be brought to those who brainwash suicide bombers into such barbaric actions as last night      

It probably is true that the actions of America, Britain and many other Western counties have not helped the situation in the Middle East and it is probably true that the turmoil left after the Iraq war left a window of opportunity for IS to establish itself. But once they started to kill and torture anyone and everyone who they see as non believers then the world was left with little choice but to intervene to try and save the lives of the innocent folk of the area. People need to remember one of the goals of ISIS is to establish a wall of hate between Muslin and Christian, they believe that in the chaos of a war of hate they will rise and take over the world.  I think their leaders have some crackpot idea similar to that of Pol Pot and we all know how well that worked out.

One of the great irony’s of this pointless act of hate is that it will probably force the counties of the West involved in Syria to carry on as they are. . .  I think it is also worth remembering that only a short time ago a Russian plane was blown up with over two hundred innocent Russians on board. And many many hundreds of thousands of ordinary Syrians have died or are now refuges as a result of the complex conflict in Syria and Iraq. I don’t know what the answer is, but I do know one thing ISIS do not represent the word of God in any shape or form.  The greatest thing we can do to stop ISIS is for folk of all nationalities, religions and faith to stand as one and help each other to make a better world. 

Yes I know as if that is going to happen any time soon.

Athletics, Drugs, Winning and Money

Yesterday we learnt the shock news that rather of lot of folk in the world of athletics are cheating by taking drugs; I say shock in an ironic way as quite frankly it is not really much of a shock.  It appears the poor old Russians are taking the worst of the criticism at present and as one would expect are denying everything.  I think we know deep down that it is very likely that all the stuff about Russian athletics is true. But to be fair Russia over the years has been criticised for all sorts of stuff which has made their leaders very paranoid indeed. And the most paranoid of the lot I suspect must be President Putin who is keen to be seen as a strong and important international leader of a super power.  So he will be keen to keep Russia up there doing well at everything from running to bombing folk and many things in between and in some cases some assistance may be required.

In respect to Athletics and sport I don’t really think Russia are entirely to blame for the present situation all they are trying to do it look good and maintain their status as a superpower in all things. The real issue with sport and not just athletics is money, in the old days of Roger Banister it was all about doing your best win or lose and getting a medal or a cup and being part of an event.  Yes Roger Banister did have the advantage that he would turn into The Incredible Hulk if folk annoyed him which did lead to talk of illegal substances. Although he was never tested as he would throw the testers out of the stadium or lift shot putters over his head laughing hysterically, or was that President Putin. . . . Ah No hang on it was Roger Banner and his mate Trigger.

AH yes back to the point money and sport. Just think of the old Olympic ideal the reason it all restarted, a way for all nations to get together as one leaving their differences and politics behind to compete in the name of friendship . . . all that, it’s the taking part not the winning.

Well that is all very well but human beings are not entirely nice and the truth is folk in sport as a whole like to win and win at all costs.  Those of us who are not competitive you see will just never get to the Olympics in the first place or even the final of the school Egg and Spoon race.  Now add a highly paid and lucrative career advertising stuff, and winning starts to get more important and in order to maintain that lucrative career a lot of folk will do what ever it takes to win. Add the logic that some must think which is, if they take drugs then I need to take drugs in order to maintain an even playing field. Once you say that taking drugs is not really cheating it is maintaining the balance.

Sadly there is so much money tied up in sports of all kinds that most if not all of them probably are full of dodgy deals drugs and many other things of which we do not know. Look at FIFA or how the locations of Olympics are chosen and what is spent on stadiums and the like in a gory attempt at one-upmanship between nations.  It is a bit like the Roman Empire in its heyday and look what happened to that.

I once played green bowls in a slightly mad team of people and it was Brill until one year we accidently won a cup and then there was a certain look in the eyes of some team members; it broke the team up and showed me the ugly side of competitive sport in the flesh.

Mr Jeremy Corbyn and the Nuclear Deterrent. . . . The Big Question

Yesterday I was somewhat amused by the fact that Mr Jeremy Cordyn was given a hard time for saying that if he was Prime Minister he would not press the big red button and nuke folk.  Now you might say such a subject is not amusing and I would tend to agree particularly as there seem to be a lot of folk who are keen that Mr Corbyn should press the big red button.  To be fair I don’t think they are suggesting that should he become Prime Minister that he rushes round to Number Ten descends down into the underground nuclear bunker and then presses the button just for the hell of it. What folk are saying is that he should be willing to press the thing under appropriate circumstances. Which we don’t tell folk; and thus it becomes this so called Nuclear Deterrent.

Well that is all well and good, but once you start to think about the logic of a nuclear deterrent, it starts to look a bit irrational as an idea. I mean the . . . if you Nuke us we will Nuke you concept . . . . .  is a bit out dated. As those nations that have Nuclear Weapons are all interdependent economically so the likes of Russia even in the hands of President Putin is not going to fire intercontinental ballistic missiles at Britain or Europe, it would just totally mess up his own country and probably the rest of the world.  The main argument given for these weapons as a deterrent is now rogue states such as North Korea or even Iran (Just a small point, but most Iranians are really nice and friendly . . . not mad Islamic terrorists), but would having nuclear weapons stop a lunatic dictator from trying to disrupt the world order of things. . . . I suspect not, in fact they might even deliberately target a country with nuclear weapons in order to escalate the crisis it would cause.  Lets face it do you think that someone doing that is concerned about the people of their own country provided they have a nuclear bunker to keep  themselves safe in for a while. 

It is also rather hypercritical to say that we need to have the nuclear option as a deterrent, when those counties with nuclear weapons are so keen that those who do not have them don’t get them. Claiming it would increase the risk of a nuclear war and so everything must be done to stop this, (although it is OK for us to have them). If they (Nuclear Bombs) are such a good deterrent then everyone should have them. . . And the shear lunacy of that statement shows just how stupid it is to claim that having nuclear weapons stops there use.

If Britain wants weapons then there are many many very nasty alternative options that will make folk thing twice about attacking us. Just imagine if ISIS (IS of ISIL) were to get hold of nuclear weapons would our so called nuclear deterrent deter them from using it, well I think we can safely say NO with big letters.

My own view is that Mr Corbyn is right and when he is in parliament he should ask those keen to keep nuclear weapons exactly what sort of situation do they think that the Prime Minister is likely to encounter that will require him to press the button and zap a huge number of people maybe millions.

Sorry this is all a bit boring tonight, but as I said (sort of), I do find it strange that folk can find reasons to justify using nuclear weapons and would be interested to know what they are.

Did Volkswagen (VW) cheat . . . . . The Big Question Answered

It appears that poor old VW, (Volkswagen) have fallen foul of American car emission laws by doing a sneaky, but it may not be quite as bad as it appears at first. And as far as I can see Volkswagen themselves may have fallen on their sword a little too quickly, and I will explain why.

You see the world has pointed at them, well American have and shouted cheats cheats cheats stand in the naughty corner. . . and Volkswagen has slumped off stuck the naughty hat on and are feeling very down about it. Well they would do this because in many ways they are the equivalent of the school swot within the world of car manufacturing, something some of our American friends have always resented a bit what with one thing and another.

Now imagine you are the school swot and in an exam you are asked the question. . . . What do you know about the effects of Blue shift when dealing with light refraction in neon. . .  You think a second and then answer . . . I know nothing about the effects of Blue shift when dealing with light refraction in neon. . .  It is not the answer that is wanted but it is a right answer and you get your ten points for getting it correct. No one else thought about that and so did not write anything. Then afterwards the teacher tells the whole class what you did to make you feel bad, but was it wrong or was it a way of getting the points by giving an answer that complied to the question. . ????

You see this is at the heart of what Volkswagen did. They did not set out the test that the car was subjected to, in order to test the emissions of vehicles on roads in the USA, that was done by the American authorities. But back in Germany a rather clever software geek who looked at the test realised that the software that controls the emissions could be set to give a really great answer to the test, because the test conditions were fixed and rather predictable.  Now to me that is a bit cynical and underhand maybe, but not cheating, all it means is the test was wrong, in the same way the question. . . . . What do you know about the effects of Blue shift when dealing with light refraction in neon . . . . Is phrased wrong so that an answer can be given that is not actually the one required.   

A couple of years ago in Britain there was a huge scandal where politicians could manipulate their expenses to claim all sorts of stuff from duck houses to soft furnishings and posh televisions and the like. The politicians did not all put their hands up and say. . . .  sorry we cheated. . .  No they all said. . . we did not break the law. . . . in other words they were morally dodgy and corrupt, and may well still be for all I know, but it was not what might be called cheating more creative accounting.

And this is the key issue with Volkswagen have they really cheated or have they just made their vehicles fit the rules in a rather immoral way. It might seem a small point, but can you fine a firm for doing this . . . .  I suspect not, they have not actually broken the law.

One other point is that the emissions tests are a little pointless anyway because drivers all drive differently; do they have any relevance to a boy racer, granny, a commuter driving through the city each day, or a farmer sticking red diesel in his car or the man locally who ran his van on old chip shop cooking oil. . . That was one smelly van.  I think we can say No. Few folk drive their cars in a technically efficient manner.

If Volkswagen would like employ me to defend them in the American courts I will consider the offer although I am not cheap and don’t have a passport, so would need plenty of warning. . . . And I am very scruffy and don’t drive a Volkswagen but will if they give me one.

OOoooooo one other small point. Had Volkswagen supplied rigged non production cars to be tested in order to comply then that is cheating, but it appears all their cars have this cunning bit of software so that may not be right but it is not actually wrong (Legally speaking).

A Cautionary Tale of Love and the Curse of the Living Dead

  

Once upon a time in the land of Britainium was a very very posh wizard school where all the really wealthy folk sent their young wizards to learn how to be a wizard. The problem was the young wizards were in general a bunch of spoilt brats who did not always listen to their teachers and would mess about and shout hoorah henri a lot at passers by.  Then one day a certain young wizard called David Volderon fell in love with a young Zombie from Denmark who was one of the walking dead who helped to feed the posh wizards in the Kitchen. He knew she was from Denmark because she had a huge tattoo saying Danish right down one side, It was something the young Zombie had always regretted but at the time it was a bit of a trend among the Danish Walking Dead.  Anyway our young hero and the love of his life who he called Miss Piggy, due to the fact she would squeal rather a lot during their love making . . .  The details of which I will not go into as this is a child friendly blog.  

The trouble was Young David was an ambitious little wizard and knew that a relationship with one of the living dead would not be looked on favourably with the masses and so he dumped his young Danish partner and left her to rot in the kitchens where she was left to serve bacon, pork pies and various other cuts of meat to the pupils. She eventually vanished but not before it was said she cursed David Volderon; telling him she would return one day to haunt him like a decaying full English Breakfast and that he would never be able to eat a bacon butty ever again without hearing the sounds of wild bores every day in his vast office and his place of work, and that the disgrace of what he did to her would live on forever.

At the time he and his friends mocked her and laughed thinking who does this foolish person think they are with their piggy ears, piggy nose, piggy mouth and a small curly tail and large tattoo. But as we all now know the terrible curse has risen from out of the dark and poor David Volderon has even been deserted by his faithful pet (all wizards have pets) Kermit the Dog.

I said it might be the End of the World today and it appears for one poor chap it sort of has been. I suspect sleeping on the sofa tonight might be on the cards.

A Simple Guide to Jeremy Corbyn, the New Leader of the Labour Party

Here in Britain we have a new leader of the Opposition Party (The Labour Party), his name is Jeremy Corbyn. He is on the left of the Labour Party and has shaken up much of the established hierarchy of both his own party and that of the Government. And is seen by many ordinary folk as the Peoples Politician, however there are those who have louder voices in the world who are implying that Labour is now led by some mad leftish lunatic with mad ideas who will given any opportunity destroy Britain, if not the entire world.

Well if folk in power think like that there must be a damn good reason, and I think we should look at one or two of this so called deranged madman’s ideas, I think he has lots so I will just mention a few of the simple ones I know about.

First he says we should all work for world peace and he wants to give up the British nuclear deterrent. . . . This is plainly madness ever since the invention of nuclear weapons, every leader of every country in the world has been keen to have a big red button to press.  What sort of a game of chicken can world leaders play if they cant smile and tap at the big red button a bit saying stuff like I’ll hit it a bit harder if you don’t sell me some of that biological weaponry.  So I think we can say a leader bent on world peace is not good.

He also thinks that every one should be equal. . . Well no one is going to agree to that, well certainly not all those in positions of power and authority with loads of wealth in one form or another. So this is yet another foolish idea of a madman.  Not helped by the fact he looks just like some ordinary bloke in the street. Surely an expensive designer suit would not go amiss and maybe some very expensive hand made shoes, in several colours to match his mood.

He also wants to renationalise the railway system arguing it should be there for the good of the masses and not run as a profitable organisation to make a few folk loads of money. Well that shows a degree of madness that has not been seen by a politician in years.  No wonder no one voted for him. . . . AH DAMN no hang on they did. What is happening to us all, this cant be right.

Apparently he also thinks we should do what we can to help the Syrian refugees, WHAT surely not help folk from another country that cant be right. I thought we were just meant to send them some money and sort of sweep them all under the carpet so to speak (its one of those sayings again). Where will it all end, we cant go round having politicians folk can trust and who keep liking everyone or the whole fabric of society will fall apart. The next thing they will be telling us is he is not planning to milk the expenses’ system for every penny he can . . . . This is not the sort of politician we vote for normally and it needs to stop before they all go nice and honest on us and we are left with no one to hate.

Anyway I am sure there will be many in power who will be telling us about the evil Mr Jeremy Corbyn and his mad ideas and how he will destroy us all, so I don’t think I need to.  As it happens I think he seems like a nice Chap. . . . So you see he is already undermining my view about politicians and he has not even been leader for one day yet. . . .

I know it is terrible.     I wonder if he can improve my typing. 

A Party Political Post involving no Zombie Poetry or Harry Potter

Dear comrades I say comrades because this is a Party Political Broadcast (post) by RATs (Radical Abstract Thinkers) or as it has been pointed out by Mr H . . . . PRATs as we are the Political Radical Abstract Thinkers. Well thank you Mr H for pointing this out to everyone in cyberspace, a note has been made on your file. 

Now the reason we are speaking (typing) to you today is that it is time I mentioned the terrible plight of the Syrian refugees who are risking all to escape their own country. Of course in an ideal world we would all welcome them with open arms and help as many as we can. But it is not a perfect world by a long way; if it was then they would probably not need to leave Syria which if it had been run fairly over the years should be a lovely country. Sadly it has been run corruptly and if you add the various wars that have taken place in recent years in the surrounding countries has been in a state of chaos for a while. 

The result is the Islamic extremist group IS (ISIL or ISIS depending on who you are) plus various other groups including the Syrian Government are involved in a complex war that is spilling over to other countries and appears to show little mercy to the ordinary people of the region.

So the ordinary folk of the region are left with the option of staying put and living in fear of death or leaving with their families and heading to Europe where there is a chance of a better life.  From their point of view the choice is simple, Europe is the land of opportunity where folk are treated fairly and everyone can achieve great things by working hard and people are not left by the wayside to starve and beg or exploited by the corrupt authorities.

As we all know the expectations of the refugees and the reality are rather different and as they enter Europe having been robbed by traffickers and putting their life on the line to get here. They then find they are now just a number in a political tussle as each of the European countries tries to avoid any commitment to help them.  Britain should do its bit and take its fair share in my opinion, as the political instability of Syria and the surrounding region has not been helped by our countries intervention in the politics of the area. 

The Prime Minister Mr Cameron has said several times now that Libya, Syria and Iraq need to find solutions, and yet he appears to do little to find one except help bomb the Extremists of IS. 

Now you might be waiting for me to propose a brilliant solution to it all and come up with a master plan no one has thought of. . . . . AH DAMN YES well sorry about that I don’t have one. But I do think Europe should do more to help those who are risking death to get here and Britain should do its bit and show we are a compassionate nation.  The Syrian refuges do not want all our benefits so they can sit about all day watching TV all they want is the opportunity to live in peace and without fear and where they can work and achieve the best for their family, as we all do.

Tomorrow will see me return to the core subject material of my blog which as we all know is gibberish Zombie Poetry and a bit of Harry Potter and his Mites (sorry Mates).

Remember Vote for PRATs  . . . . Once again many thanks for this Mr H . . .