Injury Time

Been in hospital.

Fell and hit my head. Somehow this translated into not being walk or to keep my balance

Ambulance team suggests hospital.

Examined, pinched, prodded, poked, x-rayed, bloods tested.

Knowledgeable nods all around. Seems I have acquired a kidney infection.

Up on ward with similar-aged elderly men, I am pumped full of antibiotics and saline. 

Checked around ward, realised how lucky I was to have all my faculties fairly intact.

Back home, with lots of pills;  still weak as a kitten.

Normal service shall be resumed when normality returns

Those ‘Witnesses’ are getting some really poor advice

I personally received unstinting help, wonderful understanding and superb inspiration from members of one Kingdom Hall; from the Jehovahs Witnesses. I cannot state what help I received, but that help was crucial at a time when I was in terrible need. There was no proselytising, no sideways offers, nothing untoward at all. I had, literally and unknowingly, placed the guy in a position where he owed me a great favour. Me? I simply fixed his car when he was preparing to take his wife out for a wedding anniversary. Because I have always been good with machinery, to me, it was a five minute job by the roadside; forgotten within hours. But to that couple, they were in my my debt, and they and their fellow Witnesses fulfilled that debt magnificently. I cannot quote the simple proverb which ensured their need to repay me, possibly because my memory is pretty ropey, but they stood by their word, and Goodness was the result.

So you can maybe understand my dismay when I heard of the unseemly pattern of financial activities within that Church after the news that whole congregation are  resiling from ownership of their Halls, and transferring the money to a Kingdom Hall Trust. It is seemingly a complicated process, but, in the end, if an abuse sufferer takes either the individual, the Kingdom Hall or the Central Church to Court and wins, there will be no money available to compensate that grieving man or woman for the pain and suffering endured.

 

So some black lives matter more than others?

We read today that the Caribbean fast bowler who was supposed to be England’s first line of attack (or whatever the optimal phrase is) has been kicked out of the squad because he took a 120 mile round trip to see (!!!!!!!) his girlfriend.

One does wonder whether this talented cricketer has the depth of character to continue in Test Cricket. The whole Test caravan has been isolated from everybody so that the series might not be placed at risk. Hells gates, even a bloke like me, who knows absolutely now’t about Sports in general, and cricket in particular, understand that the rules, however limiting and obnoxious, have to be obeyed.

Yet, this man breaks every rule in the book, in order to ‘See’ his girlfriend, and then expected to get away with it. He is regarded as a model for many young fans, and then he does something like this! The only thing to hang around this bloke’s neck is a big sign saying ‘I’m important, and I can do what I want.’

A final comment upon the maturity, or otherwise, of this truly talented but flawed individual, is the photo of Jofra Archer enjoying himself ‘Dancing’ at some party in the West Indies; as shown in the linked article.

#The two faces of Lewis Hamilton

It pleases me greatly to learn that, even in the world of multi-millionaires who drive and work in the Formula One universe, where private jets and helicopters abound, there are more than a few who refuse to be told what to think by their compatriots. Before the Styrian (Where dat, then?) Grand Prix race commenced the black multi-millionaire Lewis Hamilton, whose only real talent (at least the only one we know about) is driving a specially designed, superbly-engineered and  -powered vehicle at hair-raising speeds around various circuits all across the world; had hoped for ‘unity’ amongst the drivers and race teams in support of the Marxist/Anarchist movement known as ‘blm’. He was to be disappointed, as a fair proportion of the drivers, as well as their teams, either failed to show up for the ‘demonstration of solidarity’ with the Anarchists, or were simply not bothered by the black agitator’s calls. 

Sorry, Buddy; but this is England, and we speak English and ONLY English here.

It is, unfortunately, a fact that we, as a nation, have been under lockdown since the 23rd March: because of the CoronaVirus. This process could literally not have been missed nationwide, primarily because of a) empty streets, b), no-one going to work, c) motorways empty, along with major roads, empty trains, buses and empty airports, d) politicians almost permanently on the tv, radio, and for all I know, semaphore, explaining what is or has been happening: plus the fairly abnormal spectacle of all the schools closing, and all the kids cooped up at home. Plus, the numbers of dead people listed as dying through the virus; which is, I suppose, some sort of major clue: plus all hospitals and GP surgeries stopping  ANYONE from coming anywhere near their premises, emergency or not.

Lots of adverts all over radio and tv telling us what we could not do, (Which was a lot) and of course, what we were allowed to do (Which wasn’t very much). So, all in all, what with various Government Departments doing their level best to scare the living daylights out all of us; you could honestly reckon that the ENTIRE NATION, all of us in England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland would be well aware that something really nasty was around, and we should seal ourselves off from virtually all the outside world.

“But, remember this: It’s My Ball!”

I’m not really into Social Media. Well, not that much; I have recently joined up on Twitter, but its early days, and I’m still trying to work out which button to depress. I occasionally see the  stream of photos on the Daily Mail sidebar depicting leggy females ‘going shopping’ or even sparser-dressed females ‘doing underwear photo-shoots or ‘on holiday wearing the skimpiest swimwear known to man’, or further females, all of whom are completely unknown to me coming from, or going to, the gym, but must have huge exposure on various digital sites.I have yet to understand why these photos must be so interesting to many; but, there again, it surely gives a living to photographers, so it can’t be all bad.

But, in the manner in which many things digital have been ‘taken over’ by the ‘Woke’, there seems to be an enormous amount of bullying going on, some of it purely silly, but at least one pushing against the largest of them all.

The silly? Take the example of Jodie Comer. Now this young tv actress has been vilified all over the Twitter pages. (Can’t attach a link as my desktop computer hiccups when a Tweet link appears.) Seems as though this young woman preaches on gay rights, and other topics; but has committed the unforgivable crime of dating one James Burke 

The vilification seems to stem because he’s a villain …mass murderer ….trans…. Lacrosse player …..wealthy ……..etc.?  Nope to all of the aforementioned.

He’s a REPUBLICAN! 

As Joseph Conrad said, “The Horror, The Horror!”

The largest? Apparently Mark Zuckerberg committed the unforgivable sin of stating that he believed in Free Speech. 

He said, at Georgetown University (Of all places, Mark: dear, oh dear!) “That it’s important that “we hold each others’ right to express our views and be heard above our own desire to always get the outcomes we want.” He noted that free expression has been central to the worldwide struggle for democracy. And he hailed US Supreme Court ­jurisprudence that has strengthened First Amendment protections. In sum, he said, “I’m here today because I believe we must continue to stand for free expression.”

One flashpoint was Zuckerberg’s reference to the importance of the First Amendment to the cause of civil rights over the years. This was a true and unassailable point, but one that activists considered offensive, coming from Zuckerberg — as if he’s Bull Connor, rather than a Silicon Valley ­executive with reliably progressive views on ­social issues.

Another was Zuckerberg’s ­insistence that Facebook wouldn’t censor politicians or fact-check political ads, taking an appropriately modest view of the company’s ability to fairly police political content involving wildly divergent worldviews and values.

The final straw was Facebook’s holding out against pressure in late May to act against President Trump’s infamous post saying “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” This wasn’t the smartest thing to say, especially when you are the President, but it wasn’t an incitement to violence. In keeping the post up, ­Facebook wanted people to draw their own conclusions; it wasn’t an endorsement, but an invitation to debate — exactly what activists want to curtail.

So the removal of adverts began, and accelerated. Millions of dollars of ad revenue disappeared  overnight, but Zuck? He remains firm, going in with the old line; “You play ball with me, I’ll play ball with you, but, remember this: It’s My Ball!”

 

Ships and stranded Seafarers Wi-Fi

In one of the very few Govt. idea regarding virus which I heartily approve of and agree completely: all the ships with stranded seafarers on board, stranded because of virus:are to be given Mobile WiFi units to keep in touch with family. This idea, coming directly from the UK  International Maritime Virtual Summit on crew changes, will, in my own view, help to break the cycle of loneliness and mental anguish, prevalent amongst crew members who have been virtually press-ganged into working above and beyond what they signed up for.

This agreement to support all seafarers, stranded in ports all around the globe, is the first and possibly, if all nations hold to their agreements, the major step towards getting relief crews on board the ships; and the repatriation of the old crews who are either out-of-contract or have been delayed time and time again from leaving their ship to go home; as is their lawful  right!

This is possibly the very first time that the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has told its 300,000 members that they are lawfully able to withdraw their labour, as I previously wrote about in this  linked article entitled ‘you have the Right to return home’

This virtual meeting, and the  speedily agreed compromises, is, I believe, the direct result of a decision by the IMO to strike; and it is also perhaps the very first time that I, personally speaking, have endorsed any Union call to strike. You will not see any mention of that call, no Minister, of whatever Government speaking will even mention it, but without that threat, I believe that that strike would have happened.

Silly argument—— Straight answer

The Cavendish Coalition– which represents UK health and social care groups – says it is gravely concerned regarding immigration proposals which they say will seriously affect staff shortages in Care Homes. They claim that the current proposals would not allow enough overseas workers to be recruited, it has warned. They argue that the restriction on immigration forced by a salary cap of £26,500 would further endanger the staffing levels in the Care Home sector
The government said immigration is “not the answer to the challenges in the social care sector”.
However, the head of the Migration Advisory Committee has stated how the Cavendish crowd can solve their problems. He said “Pay them more”!

 

And the truth shall set you free.

From:- BlackLivesMatter Overseas Chapter 13                             

To:-  BLM Headquarters    Significance………Important

Subject  Moving on from ‘Gone with the Wind’

Dear Fraternal Sisters, Brothers, Transistors and Transbrothers, etc. etc. (inclusive of all 73 versions of Trans-cis-acceptable nouns).

I refer to the complete reduction of the once revered film Gone With the Wind to a vehicle, previously known only for the existence of White Supremacy and the ridicule of the Black man, to a film which forever to be shown with a Foreword telling the world that all that romance has now gone, all  the lies have gone, and all that is left is a skeleton, rattling as it swings in the American Winds of  Change.

I urge you now to veer your sights to three novels and two films, the Novels are by Michael and Jeff Shaara, the films are by Ronald F. Maxwell. The novels are a Civil War Trilogy, being ‘Gods and Generals; a story about the early days of the Civil War: The Killer Angels, a story about the Battle of Gettysburg; and The Last Full Measure, the relating of the last two years of the Civil War, and the final  defeat of the South. The films were entitled Gods and Generals: and Gettysburg.

A series of spikes, or proof that some moved too quickly?

As Melbourne goes into full lockdown, State borders are closed.. Two weeks after restrictions were partially released and the BLM rallies took place in Melbourne, the surge comes. Actual spread at the BLM rallies is hard to pin down but the rank hypocrisy that allowed the rallies to take place skewered the community commitment to social distancing.

Israel announces a raft of new restrictions as virus cases soar. True, there haven’t been many BLM rallies, about four in all, and all poorly attended;  but the lockdown restrictions were probably loosened too soon, the young and the elderly congregated too closely, or too often, and: Back come the Lockdowns! 

Leicester, the ‘sweat shop factories’ and the virtual forced labour, complete with a totally lax or non-existent Regulatory influence with regard to Health and Safety: the fact that most workers are from Minority families, all piled in together; is just ‘Prime Time’ for an infection boom. But all the forthcoming inspections, all the factory closures, will neither help punish the Billionaire owners of BooHoo, because you will discover that there is no ‘trail’ or discovery which pins the Virus, or the appalling working conditions; to those Billionaire Hindu owners. As the linked FT piece reveals, the open secret of  Leicester’s sweat shops was both well-known and just as well ignored, by both Tory and Labour Parties, because they were both represented upon the Committee. The Tories rejected the Committee’s report, but that was the last word from Labour as well.

The Journal ‘Cell’ has identified a variant of the original Covid-19 which makes it more infectious, and unfortunately, more deadly to the fitter amongst us. The second strain, is now more dominant, and, if we are not careful, will wreck the economic revival so hoped for by the Johnson Government, as well as the Americans, and so on around the world. And as we saw recently on the beaches, in the streets and pubs, and as so prophetically stated by one astute policeman, ‘Drunks don’t know how to ‘socially distance themselves”!

In GB&NI, the politicians who probably brought this whole disaster upon us all, are now seeing how much of our national taxpayers’ cash can be used to bribe us back into ‘open wallets’ mode. They loosened the ratchets, and now we see the consequences, with near open rebellion in corners and patches of London, where the Police literally hold no sway, where a complete Patrol was forced to run away from a ‘Street Party’, where ordinary people are too scared to call the cops, because they know that  the ‘effing cops won’t come because they have been emasculated by the bloody politicians. 

Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth. Oscar Wilde

The trouble with times like these, with the threat of what can either be described as a deadly virus pandemic, or a disease just slightly worse in intensity that the flu; is the simple choices we have to make. Remembering, all the time that the people, the politicians, doing the announcing of ‘Guidance’ or Rules’ are no better educated than we are: it’s just that they are presumed to have better information than we do. 

There are certain things what we know  to be true,  and other things which have been the subject of enormous speculation, comment, and a certain amount of ridicule. Take the thorny subject of face masks. 

Peter Hitchens believes that the face mask farrago is yet another attempt to make us all bow down the false gods of Covid-19, and insists that they don’t work.  He states “Its evangelists will not leave you and me alone, but constantly seek to force us to join. This is why I make such a fuss about the demand to make us all wear muzzles. This is not about health. 

There is simply not enough evidence to compel us to do so. It is an attempt to force submission on Covid unbelievers.”

The Department of Health  says clearly: ‘The evidence of the benefit of using a face covering to protect others is weak and the effect is likely to be small.’

The truth is: we just do not know how the virus spreads fastest. Is it spread by contact, shaking hands or kissing? Is it spread by speaking loudly, with these droplets propelled in the air? Whether carried by large droplets that zoom through the air after a sneeze, or by much smaller exhaled droplets that may glide the length of a room, the coronavirus is borne through air and can infect people when inhaled, the scientists said, according to the NYT.

So, facemasks or not?

Strangely enough, not too many people have questioned if the use of nitrile gloves give benefit and protection to the wearer. As one cannot but look upon the whole world outside of your own home as a deadly menace, from the first news about the virus, lockdown etc., I never venture out without both facemask and a fresh pair of nitrile gloves. Everyone else can make their own decisions, butI I always act in the knowledge that I am the sole support for my Jacqueline; who is totally dependent upon me for everything. I cannot protect her from everything, but with mask and gloves, I can at least protect her from this virus, as her systems are totally compromised.

 

Saturday is New Times Day

Adjust my diet

I have been trying to reduce the big roll of fat for about three weeks. I stopped the sensible dietary regime about four-odd months back, and my weight has ballooned because I have eaten lots more of all the wrong foods. So I decided, somewhat reluctantly to go back onto the regime which, for me, works. I won’t bore you with the details, as that which works for one old man would probably bring problems to another, who is possibly different in either metabolism, general health or need to reduce that same fat.

But, as we all know, things change; and I have decided to introduce, immediately, a new item to my diet. It will be either the oil, water or flesh of coconuts. But from only one specific country will my chosen coconut products be from; and that of course will be Thailand. Why Thai coconuts: you may well ask? Well, because some do-gooder alerted Carrie Symonds, our Prime Minister’s latest child’s mother;to the discovery that in that Country, enterprising Thai farmers have trained pigtailed Macaque monkeys to climb coconut trees and knock down the nuts to the waiting farmers below. As monkeys can knock ten times as much as humans can, this is good for both the farmers, and for those who would be waiting to enjoy the by-products of their work. If she succeeds, and more supermarkets ban these products, I will go online and buy the oils, flesh and water. I won’t be told by some bloody busybody what to eat, or not to eat, just because she thinks its terrible for the Bloody Monkeys!

Become a Morris Dancer / Man

#DumpTheJunk

One of the many things which remain to me a complete mystery is why many supporters of all major Football Clubs buy, at some considerable cost, ‘Replica Shirts’ featuring  their ‘heroes’ so that; presumably, they can imagine they are their real-life heroes. Or at least their kids, whose slim frames are those who will wear the ‘Replica’ image of their heroes. I say ‘the kids’, because the idea of the average Brit. football fan being the owner of the same athletic,  agile, super-fit frame and muscled body of one of those ‘heroes’ is, to put not a too fine a point on it: pushing reality a bit. They also buy the programmes, the scarves, the mugs (porcelain, naturally) and the rest of the garbage put out by the Marketing Departments, of all those clubs; especially for all the mugs (thats right, the clubs all look upon those who buy the tickets and the assorted garbage as ‘MUGS’) and fans to buy. It is exactly the same as the vast majority of airline staff look upon the passengers who used to climb the stairs, or tramp the endless yards towards the aircraft loading gates, and describe them as ‘Self-loading Cargo’.

As I have maybe stated before, I neither know, nor indeed care, about most sports,  and in particular Football. But I hear, through the world-wide grapevine that some football fans have decided that they are not going to be taken for ‘MUGS’ any longer.

Its really nice to know, these days anyway!

I am a subscriber, and a contributor to an outfit named TheyWorkForYou. For those Brits who do not know, this group of people collate such things as what your own MP is up  to in Parliament, what they voted on and how they voted; and keeps a running total so that the subscriber is as up-to-date as possible on his  or her Parliamentary Representatives. The site also performs a very useful function in providing a ready-made formatted electronic letter to  your MP,  so you can vent your annoyance / praise / explain to your heart’s content. It doesn’t mean that they must take notice, but if they get  enough complaints, they just might.

So, this morning, I noted an email with yesterday’s votes and results from the Commons, and this is a gentle reminder of what a useful tool a thumping majority is, especially when the majority votes are with the Party which you favour.

There were five divisions or voting periods discussed yesterday, and in each division, the Opposition voted, obviously, for something which they liked or wished for, and the Government’s majority told them, firmly, that the Government wasn’t playing ball! Listing the five divisions as 

Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill – Duty to commission an independent evaluation: health and social care sectors (30 Jun 2020)

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/divisions/pw-2020-06-30-61-commons

Voted aye (division #61; result was 245 aye, 343 no)

Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill – Time limit on immigration detention for EEA and Swiss nationals (30 Jun 2020)

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/divisions/pw-2020-06-30-62-commons

Voted aye (division #62; result was 250 aye, 330 no)

Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill – Exemption from no recourse to public funds (30 Jun 2020)

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/divisions/pw-2020-06-30-63-commons

Voted aye (division #63; result was 248 aye, 337 no)

Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill – Family Reunion and Settlement (30 Jun 2020)

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/divisions/pw-2020-06-30-64-commons

Voted aye (division #64; result was 254 aye, 329 no)

Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill – Regulations under section 5 (30 Jun 2020)

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/divisions/pw-2020-06-30-65-commons

Voted no (division #65; result was 340 aye, 247 no)

If you take the time to  peruse the Divisions through the  Links; you will see that the things which Labour love, such as giving an (alleged) (My emphasis) unaccompanied child, spouse or vulnerable or dependant adult who has a family member who is legally present in the United Kingdom, the same rights to be reunited in the United Kingdom with that family member as they would have had under Commission Regulation (EU) No. 604/2013, are voted down, emphatically.

It is indeed a pleasure to watch as Government, otherwise occupied and tangled up in CoronaVirus issues, is organised and indeed able to wipe the floor with the Opposition, inclusive of the SNP and Plaid Cymru 

I remember the heady days of 1997, when the Blair Labour bunch had that majority, and, it has to be said, most times, but not always, used it to good effect. That, folks, is what Democracy is all about.