Greek Lentil Salad

  • 1 cup black beluga lentils (dry/uncooked)
  • 3 cups water
  • 3 lightly packed cups of chopped baby spinach
  • ½ medium red onion, chopped
  • ⅓ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed
  • ⅓ cup pitted and quartered Kalamata olives
  • ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley
  • Optional garnish: crumbled feta cheese

Greek dressing

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • Scant ½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (if using regular table salt, start with ¼ teaspoon and add more to taste)
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

POLICE

What a statement from Dick. Yes the offence is a summary one with ‘just’ a fine. However when the accused are the people who actually make the rules it is a bit difference. Fines of a few thousand will be irrelevant to those in government.

LOCKDOWN

I felt guilty once when I was half way round my empty local shop when I realised my mask was still in my pocket.

I did not go anywhere more than 2 km for months, I did not go to a supermarket for 10 months. Last year I did about 2300 miles in my car, (incidentally I live 10 miles from a mainstream supermarket) did not see my grandchildren for months, did not do lots of things, but no traumatic events like funerals, weddings, births, just followed the rules set out by government. I want to see the names of everyone at the parties published – and at the very least hefty fines and total abject apologies published in the Daily Mail and online. The organisers should of course be sacked, but the minions can escape with fines and apologies.

Time now for the fu**ing bastards to be found guilty.

We have heard of systemic racism – and I note the lack of black faces at the ‘not parties’ – but then they did not need entertainers! What we have here is systemic incompetence and lying. Starmer should save Q6 at PMQ’s tomorrow to call Johnson a liar – and if possible demand a division/vote on whether he should be suspended for it?

Starmer has a difficult decision – does he pursue Johnson for his parties and lies – although he could leave this to the Tories themselves – or does he pursue Sunak for his £4 billion give away to fraudsters? Or the hike in National Insurance? Or the hike in energy prices already being felt by firms? Or the disaster unfolding that is Brexit? Or the pollution of our rivers and seas by privatised water companies? Or inflation getting out of control? Or the confusion in schools regarding the exams in the summer? Or the Ukraine situation? Or levelling up the North? Or just keep it simple and concentrate on Johnson being an incompetent lying shit (he can quite venerable Tories on this!

WHY ARE WE WAITING?

He is caught on camera, lies to the Queen, lies to Parliament, sort of admits it all, and then tries to brazen it out – is he hoping for war in Ukraine to save his bacon?

I suppose the real problem is the lack of anyone of ability or trustworthy enough to replace him. Sunak has a £4.5 billion problem to solve and most of the rest are tainted with the lies they promoted. Was Manny Shinwell correct when he stated, after a reprimand in Parliament ‘Not all Conservatives are liars”? However take out the bigots, the idiots, the racists, the homophobes, the misogynists and one is left with a very shallow pool of talent.

UKRAINE

Some questions.

Is Putin likely to follow Ukraine with other former USSR countries. Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia?

Would the public in the UK countenance sending troops to defend Ukraine?

Is Putin just being less subtle than the USA is in regard to Venezuela? Spheres of influence?

INFLATION

Apples up 25%, beef 29%, salmon 7%, tomatoes 8%, chicken 10%, cauliflower 20%. These are basic foodstuffs. Bread 4% and milk 7%. Once increased processing costs are added in at factory level for energy increases and transports cost and yes even labour costs we are seeing prices rising fast. A government that may be heading for austerity again to pay for the lavish handouts made by the UK government. And please stop before saying that the govt. did a great job – they were shit!

INTEGRITY

You may not agree with New Zealands Covid Policy – but you have to hand it to Jacinda Ardern – she has postponed her wedding die to new Covid restrictions she is introducing. Our PM however went to parties and then lied about it. Can I suggest he uses his passport to clear the country before it has to be forfeited to the police.

FUNNY THAT

The right wing trash papers did not lead with blackmail accusations against senior government ministers. perhaps the disintegration of our precious democracy is what they want? Imposition of of a populist dictatorship would presumably suit the puppet masters, Murdoch, Barclays, Rothermere?