I print this letter with tears in my eyes at what social media has allowed, at what shameless pathetic cowards publish hiding behind the anonymity of the internet, what governments have allowed the internet to become, and beyond all, for the grief caused to a good, honest (if a bit sweaty and angry) young lady. Supertanskii has never advocated violence, is incredibly funny at times, and mirrors the behaviour and thoughts of my own children. And above all else – what have the last 14 years done to my country and society.
STRAWBERRIES
Cheddar strawberries are just the best fucking strawberries in the universe! I just went and got some jam strawberries – they are called jam strawberries because they are not big and brash, but misshapen and smaller (and also half price!), but are the sweetest ever! I buy a couple of kg at a time and take some to the shop and friends. In the absence of a container I nick a coasta cup and fill it; Kate sees me first so I offer her the up which she smells and then tries one. I tell her they are to share with Kaush but she refuses (she even refuses to save some to share with her family!). So I get another container for Kaush. He likes them but I am quickly coming to the conclusion that the Indian cuisine as practiced by him is the worlds worst! Most things to hot with curry powder everytime, or doughnuts that are so ridiculously sweet! The only thing that I know he really likes that I make are polpettes from a Cypriot recipe (basically a take on hash browns!).
OLYMPICS
I bloody love the Olympics. The opening ceremony was a little too chaotic for me – I loved the bit with the three children early on but all in all a brilliant spectacle worthy of the event and the country of France. Of course the British p`ress were doewn on it like a ton of bricks – they really do not know how to be nice or understand anything that is 21st century or foreign, in this case both! No the British media are for some reason obsessed with Strictly Come Dancing and the bullying and possible misogyny? Is this their go to headlines for the next few months as Harry and Meghan seem to have adopted a low profile, the Labour Party is uncovering major examples of tory corruption and incompetence, and the leadership contest for the Conservative Party looks like being restricted to those guilty of the above!
DEPRESSING
MILLIE
My new friend and cookery mate I have decided to call Millie – after the Millie Molly Mandy stories I think, although I do not recall reading them to the children! Whatever – it seems like an appropriate name for a yeast – hopefully sassy and full of energy and excitement! I am so looking forward to making sour dough baguettes – lots of ideas for different flours and herbs and garlic and parmesan!. (maybe the last two should be added after? I have also been tasked with making Arancini balls – I have the ingredients and now just need the bravery! I have also been working out (in the recess of my mind recipes for cheese thins and a peach and cherry cake? I wish my cooking was as good as my imagination!
CLEVER
The new Great British Energy will be given £8.3 bn of public money with a target of generating 20/30GW of electricity by 2030 (i.e. within this parliament). Much of this is via a tie up with. the Crown Estates (and a significant cash bonus for the Winsors!). The tie up will allow the new company to borrow money outside the fiscal restraints of the Treasury’s self-imposed limits. The company is modelled on EDF (although with a fraction of the financial power). It is hoped that the move will create another £60bn of investment by private companies. Personally I am disappointed at the lack of policy on insulation and household solar panels. However one step at a time! Ed Miliband seems prepared to become a champion of clean energy – let us hope other cabinet appointees show the same enthusiasm for their briefs – no more mass cabinet reshuffles (with subsequent pay offs!). Instead lets have professionals who understand the needs of their Department. In a school would Heads of Department be shuffled, say between, Home Economics, PE, Science, English and Geography? Of course not – but that is what has happened for the last 14 years with the incumberants only interested in their own careers.
Misogyny
The American election has brought it back to the fore. But it is a strong underlying force in this country. Angela Rayner has been forced to suffer numerous front page assaults that can only be seen as misogonistic. Reform extol Andrew Tate for the most vile comments. Old people still promote the role models they grew up with. Racism and misogyny are evils that are persuasive in our society and everyone should do their best to counter the resurgence that is promoted by the right wing. As a young person I was not aware that women were not allowed a bank account on their own in this country until 1975. Fuck – that is horrendous and ridiculous and just fucking wrong!
Kamala Harris is now going to be subject by horrendous comments on social media (why are people allowed to advocate their lack of intelligence on social media – let alone the hatrid and criminal threats).
I do not get why the right wing promote misogyny? As populist parties they should be encouraging all to vote for them. I suppose there must be woman who want to be dominated and cared for? I just do not get it? With the Garrick Club opening its doors to limited women I was hoping for change. But itbseems that in the face of openess te old in our society retract into orgiastic drems of male dominence!
AMERICA
I suppose I ought to be more interested in their election. However at the moment it seems that Trump is rinsing it! Biden should never had stood for a second term despite a very successful first term. Harris will find it hard as a black woman – as anyone who has left the cities in the USA, beyond the city limits, and often within them, America is a mix of high tec and almost medieval thought processes. If a British politican had been shot in the ear and then claimed some divine intervention the majority of the public would find it fucking hilarious! And as for sticking sanitary towels to ears – what are they thinking!
Of course there are a lot of very nice Americans (just about everyone that I met was basically OK!) – howeverbthe red necks! And then the tech mega rich have been pouring money into Trumps campaign. Definitely time for Europe and the rest of the world to get there act together and create a viable opposition to them. The trouble with X is that it is just too good and easy to use despite Musk attempts to fuck it up!
It seems to me that America is in an even darker place regarding democracy? The Senate, whilst honourable in intention has surely outlasted the 19thb century let alone today. The democrat and republican parties are also too large and unwieldily for any proper scrutiny? And I can see the point of creating a balance, but when the two parties merge in the centre it leaves a gap where people feel unrepresented, a gap which the right wing and Maga have exploited very successfully.
Trump will no doubt be going all out against migrants without an ounce of irony that all americans are migrants (Ok Americans-indians is another discussion). The misogyny of the anti-abortion lobby is, to a liberal minded Western European, ridiculous. Back to the 18th Century! I have also read a few trash American novels, they often talk about a very assertive rich male “owning” a woman! In the novels this is without the violence of domestic abuse but the culture is clear.
So America is not our forever Allie, in fact I have reaffirmed my long term belief that Europeans, especially Western Europeans are very much like me! I say me here to stop generalisatoons creeping in. I have been to parts of Spain where no one spoke English (how rude!) and I speak no Spanish but felt “at home”! We have a similar history and have endured religeous fanaticism and political extremism (Nazi’s) but have also similar roots of history. The colonies (and Australia and NZ are subject to this too) have attracted migrants from across the globe (Australia and NZ from a smaller pool?) who have a very different mind set. Many were fleeing religious persecution, some abject poverty, but all will have had a desire for less state control and belief in the individual? America in particular offered migrants land and freedom from government for the most part! Now as society has occupied most of the land and people are sunject to the laws of society, the deep seated beliefs of some americans are being questioned, and they do not like it.
Is the following true? America has been built on the cheap labour of immigrants, often with 2 or 3 jobs each. Cheap labour has undermined the ability of the poor to organise via Unions. Subservient womaen are seen as part of the culture, exemplified in the 1950-80’s by the western of gunslinging heroes. The gun culture of America is an underlying disease that cannot be cured! America has lost, is losing its place of pre-eminence in the world?
And now to be controversial! My dad said that the Chinese would over run the world! Yes he was a Daily Telegraph reader (the excuse was the crossword!). However it is my hope/belief that those of Chinese extraction who are now British Citizens are now assimilated into our society? Have I just revealed to my self what I guess others have known for ages? The fear , expressed to me yesterday, that Britain would be 50% Muslim in 2050 (by someone who will not make it! that far despite reading the Express), is that they will be like the Jews and not give up their religion? I would guess that there are more people commited to their religion that are not Christian in the UK. Personally I do not give a fuck about this until they try to influence decisions made in the UK, for the UK. Like it seems some Jews (not all) are trying to influence decisions this government makes regarding Israel. Israel is an abhorrent state which needs to be brought into modern democracy and the modern world! If a jew or muslim wants to pray to their gods, fine, as long as it has no impact on the rest of us. I would ban all religeous schools (including those supporting capitalism!).
A MONDAY IN JULY
Weather normal, warm rather than hot, damp rather than wet, cloudy at times – basically make your own weather forecast!
America has shown faults in its electoral system. Basically it is a true capitalist system – he/she who raises the most money wins! Biden has dropped out and Harris is in prime position to. take his place. Presumably she will be given a higher profile and be acting President ( even if she loses she will do better than lettuce Truss in time terms (and positive impact!). Will the Trump ‘saved by god’, chosen by God’ theme run out of steam? I realise that twitter and the British Press love the controversy of the red neck Americans spoutting nonsense and the associated British twats who go to support like Truss, Farage, Johnson and recently Russell Brand. The tory press is in difficulties with the anti-British rhetoric of Vance and Trump. Their dearly beloved historic “special relationship” which has probably never existed, or not for at leact half a century, is now as meaning ful as them sending a distress not to MAGA in a bottle!
Will America vote for a black woman? Probably not as many working class immigrants have already been indoctrinated by the aggressive rhetoric of the orange, tampon emblazoned fool! It will be interesting to see how the race now pans out – Trump himself is not looking great! Despite all the golf!
Back home conservative commentators are desperately trying to find reasons to slag off Labour – unsuccessfully so far. The list of possible candidates for the Cons Party leadership is growing and shows no one of integrity or flair. I actually do not think this unfair! All the named potential candidates are tainted by one of Johnson, Truss or Sunak and the years of ineptitude. Reform will lurk over the election and whilst the think tank Onward says a return to conservative values is needed. However this is all a pointless exercise if Labour manage to create a concensus on sensible migration targets – the racists and their Reform Party will always be there but they can be sidelined by good policies on other issues.
Climate change – I believe that nature is giving us a chance – but we need to take note. Number of moths is down this year due to the weather mainly, as are butterflies although I did have peacock, meadow brown and small white – the peacock was on buddliea and I have nettles so I hope they will breed. Also Holly and I saw a Red Kite over the garden – the 2nd sighting after a 5 year dip. I also heard a frog in the front garden under the mulberry trees! That sounds so pretentious! I have a normal suburb front garden but have managed to pack loads in to replace the sterile grass lawns which are favoured by most!
CALM
I thought I might calm down with a Labour government. However the behaviour of the oppositin and the defeated has been abhorrent! Atkins should have been suspended for the rest of the day. Badenoch thought she was being clever whilst demeaning herself with patronising bollox, Truss and Farage are in US supporting the election of a president who obviously hates Europe and the UK.
Farage is interesting (sorry on reading this again i realised I had made a huge error in a positive comment about Farage! I am sure some people find cancer interesting! And this is not to decry them , while I dig my hole deeper and deeper!) – will Labour pass a second job rule to stop self promoting prats using public money to glorify their putrid thoughts and souls!. Surely there should be a minimum attendance rule for the HoC (Which would really fuck off Geoffrey Cox0 and also a similar one for the HoL where those appointed to the house have to state which legislation they are prepared to contribute to>. On the HoL – are they ever elected to HoC committees? Seems like a good idea. A minimum attendance record with commensurate pay deductions forbabsence without sick note or authorisation bybthe speaker (whose decisions would be public – i.e. attendance at NATO summit is approved for those participating).
What else – Trump farting big time in USA – BUT it is not over until the fat lady sings! The media are all over him and his thicksick shit supporters (Tess/Farage), but and as harold Wilson is said to have said ‘A week is a long time in politics’ or before him Joseph Chamberlain in 1886 ‘In politics, there is no use in looking beyond the next fortnight.’
So we will wait and see – Musk is pumping money into the Trump camppaign despite his decrying of electric cars.
Musk – am I the only one to think that is is a very clever person, but not clever enough to find competent advisors in whom he has enough trust to tell him when he is wrong! To my mind he acts like a small child who always gets his own way (surely no mother of worth would allow their child to be called X AE A-XII Musk. With 12 children he has shown as little responsibility to relationships as to society.
I think there is another rant/diatribe or even research project comming on here! The relationship between rich and poor has always been one sparked with inequality and violence.
Pondering – do things always have to get worse before they get better? In Europe we could say this is confirmed by the rise and fall of Hitler, in Russia I am not informed enough to say whether the same is for Stalin – in fact can anyone explain why Stalin is still so popular in Russia? And another thought – with Musk money I would arrange visits between all countries, especially Russia, America, China and European and African ones – sorry did I miss out South America and the Pacific nations – but I would pay for young people to visit and share experiences.
But then my next thought is Leeds last night – poverty leads a horrible scar on those who suffer it. Kunt Farage and co have said it is Muslims – the dickheads – it is the inexcorable grind of poverty – the youth fighting may have been Muslim, or white lost souls, or Roma – the issue is not the race but the poverty.