COAL

So India celbrated passing 1bn tonnes of coal extracted and burnt. Oceans warming, increased species extinction, Iceland has mosquitos for the first time, Forests continue to be felled unsustainably. Will humans be clever enough to solve the problems of melting glaciers, rising sea levels and, as yet unforseen catastrophes? Well the signs are there – the traffic lights are amber and yet our politicians carry on regardless – but nothing funny about this carry on! Hey folks – burning your clothes and matresses this winter will keep you warm – but you will be fucked in the future! Farage and tory followers want to increase fossil fuel burning ‘because it keeps the energy costs down’. Basically they are saying screw the environment as I will be dead before the shit hits the fan – ‘hopefully’.

However there are positive signs – one in five new cars sold last year in the UK was electric, in China nearly half. However I am not sure we are doing enough to protect our oceans. Just because they seem endless, and are 80% of earths surface area, they should not be ignored. They are the carbon sink and the oxygen provider for life on earth.

BANKING

Wash your brain! a while back somehow someone mahaged to scam me – fortunately the bank notified me that there was a mysterious £35 coming out of my account – clever bastards. Anyway they sent me a new debit card and pin. Like an arrogant tosser I thought I could remember the new pin. Yep got cash and no problem.. 3 months later and I had run out of cash and used the machine in the shop. I thought that i remembered te pin – but I am therefore very, very stupid. The bank cancelled my card so I had a very pleasant discussion about my stupidity with someone called Maureen in a call centre in Manchester and she sent me my Pin again. And today I used it to get some cash! TBH I did not need it, but feel more comfortable with the back up in my pocket!

Crowd Farming have just sent me organic mangoes from Spin. I love those guys and gals – it may cost a little more but is supporting farmers not shareholders and the bonus payments to directors. So I am stocked up with garlic, lemons, mango and avocados. My apples are brilliant – so I could survive in luxurious food for at least 6 weeks – nearly Xmas! On which I have bought some brandy for the xmas cake.

AID AND MIGRATION

UK, USA, France and Germany are all cutting their aid budget. debt servicing by poorer countries is between 45% and 70% of government revenues. Governments are paying 3 x as much on debt servicing as education and 4x health. With young populations it is no surprise that many are willing to risk death to get to Europe and the USA. Possibly 10000 have died this year trying to to cross to the Canary Island and Spain (E.U.). Poverty also provides fertile ground for extremism and radicalisation, violence and drugs.

The impact is not confined to the LEDC’s – increased illegal migration to rich countries results in resentment and radicalisation by the poorer elements of the MEDC’s who complain about aid whilst they cannot afford a Costa coffee everyday! Yet again we are ignorant of the facts. Cocoa is grown in West Africa but the farm workers have never tasted chocolate – how is this right? Much of Africa is rich in minerals but the global behemoths of the extraction world make billions in profits, and often pay bribes to terrorist groups to keep the factories in the the rich world going. I am not preaching communism – but a move to a more equitable world would benefit all. Ethiopia has been threatened with court action over £1bn of debt – this equals maybe 1/350th of Elon Musks wealth – how can that be right?

A free world for finance is seen to be a ‘good’ thing, yet free movement of people is promoted as a ‘bad’ thing? I am joining the Green Party.

Andrew Windsor

The Mail has correctly and eventually come out against Andy the pervert. But I suspect that they will drop the matter as quickly as an unexpected hot plate – then they can resume with their normal hate campaign against Meghan and Harry. The fact that RandyAndy has no moral compass and lives a priveleged life are irrelevant – they will have noticed that many of their supporters and customers are guilty of Domestic Violence. It would take an Act of Parliament to strip him of the title Duke of York – and I am sure he has others apart from those assigned to him by the intelligent section of the public! Should it go before Parliament – definitely – we need to see the true feelings of those on the right (and those on the left to, and the centre) who are willing to condone this abysmal behaviour. That he was willing to lie about it on the BBC with Emily Maitlis shows that he was aware of its depravity.

I am also willing to share that as an 18 year old I knew right from wrong and acted accordingly. At 18 I had a lovely girlfriend who was bright and sparky. Well one afternoon she got into bed naked and asked me to join her. She then admitted that she was 14 nearly 15. I did not get into the bed – but to my everlasting shame I dumped her 3 or 4 days later. I hope she met someone who not only had my morality, but also greater kindness than I showed. I would love to apologise for my subsequent behaviour Patricia.

Oh god tat was like a Radio One admission slot from the 1980’s!

What else can I say to cheer me up – weather has turned wet and windy, I love it! It is what autumn should be, then winter with frosty mornings and if possible a few days snow! Then spring again and green leaves appearing.

Politics- at least 7 million Americans have demonstrated against Trump and his fascit tendencies – all were in cities – America is divided again, this time between cities and the liberal states and the rural and former confederate states. The Civil War was not long ago in terms of family memories. I remember my grandmother who was alive at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. She was 104when she died in the 1970’s when I was a very young teen – actually I have no clue! I knew she was like a walnut and not a very nice grandma! Never been good with dates!

Gaza – what a surprise – well actually it is! Despite 60000 deaths and $billions spent the Israelis seem to have done little to combat Hamas? Someone needs to exert an authority on the streets, Israel will have killed and destroyed the police or other forms of social control. Like Andyrandy the do not learn from past mistakes. Libya is still totally fucked up after the death of Gadafhi, Iraq id still fucked up after the death of Sadam. Bu also, how are Hamas activists still alive?

SUPER-EFFICIENT

I just had my flu jab – In the building for 3 minutes max! No queue, name and D.o.B. Sit, stabbed and goodbye. Thank you NHS.

The garnd old Duke of York eventually has decided that he is down. Time to do away with all the bullshit honours. Andrew Windsor has revealed what a sleaze bag he is – and there are 93 peers who have hereditary privileges in our Parliament. Can we also dispose of the Right Honourable bollox. Does the CoE also warrant having Archbishopsies in the HoL – we are not a christian country anymore although I would suggest that representives of religious bodies could be co-opted into a Second Chamber of government. Aagh – brain ache! Football back to normal today. Oh and a funny – James O’Brien received what is presumably a mis-directed message “I am having a poo. Can you phone Rach!”. made me laugh

ASTON VILLA

Jewes versus Israelis. I am fed up with Israelies hiding behind the Jewish banner. Jews are welcome at Villa Park but Israelis are not. Simple discretion. Israelis who oppose the genocide in Gaza will also be welcome.

So most politicians have weighed in to support Israelis. Most Macabi FC supporters maybe Jews, but their supporters have shown their thuggery in the past – most recently in Amsterdam. Badenoch is talking bollocks with and anti-islamist bent. The police in the West Midlands have made a sensible decisions. Violence is likely without a bank. Should police have to face the inevitable violence – maybe they could all call in sick! Starmer is a Zionist without a doubt. I suspect that Villa Park will be surrounded by pro-Palestinian posters and flags. Trump and the republican fungus will be keen to condemn the UK and support the anti-law and order thugs of Reform and the Nasty Party.

Statement “are you Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Taoist, Shinto, Atheist, Agnostic – just keep it to yourself”.

As a state the actions of Israel are alongside Russia in Ukraine.

TRUTH

What is truth has always been an interesting philosophical conundrum. However it is becoming a word not worth anything any more. There are some topics that defy the usual definition of truth, religeon is reliant on belief rather than truth. To my mind – truth needs to be supported by evidence – and I acknowledge that this evidence can change over time – especially with the rapid advances of technology.

However today truth has been converted to what a few people can convince the majority is true. Trump has even started a web thing called “truthsocial” where he can publish his views as truths – no factual backup at all. In the UK we have the MSPress which seems to be becoming ever more hysterical and lacking facts. Social media has long been an echo chamber that has reinforced beliefs. But what concerns me, is not the peddling of lies as truths, but the fact that so many people seem to believe them. “All migrants are rapists and criminals” is blatently untrue – yet knuckle draggers flout their false machismo by taking to the streets to show their love of their family (whom many abuse daily) by raising fists. These are not impressionable youths, but men without intelligence or integrity (and women too).

The message seems to be – “Listen to the noise” – and believe the loudest or most pervading. Whatever you do – do not dig to find the truth – no one cares anymore. Trump has set the path and Farage and Badenoch are following, hoping to bask in the fantasy world they create; where they are always correct and the individual is irrelevant.

AUTUMN

It has kind of creeped in this year – no great storm, just a steady lowering of temperatures and the leaves slowly turning into their finest display of colour. I have just harvested the last of the tomatoes – they seemed reluctant to grow large but their embarrassment at being found out gave them away – a little tough skinned but still sweet – bless! My chillies have been spectacularly awful this year – just one plant with 5 small fruits. Basil has behaved well and hopefully will go to seed. Then I need to clear the greenhouse. Out front the sage and rosemary continue to compete, for volume the sage wins but by keeping its dignity I think the ultimate winner is the rosemary – I need to care for the thyme to make sure her larger aunts are not overpowering her. My 25 mints are diminishing fast – I think they are not accustomed to fertile soil, prefering to scrap with other plants for a grip on life. Chicory and evening primrose flourish when deprived of nurture and love! and fennel takes its chances where it can. Hopefully my roses will flourish next year – the yellow one is spectacular, hey little ones – see what you can become? And finally the apples – every other day I am making a variation on apple stew – at the weekend I might go for an apple crumble with cinnamon and ??? Apricot tree looks OK and hopefully will provide next summer, I will discipline the Mulberry Bush soon – it is getting above itself for the fruit it provides!

NO SURPRISE

I think that it was Trump who said; when asked about Russia spying “of course we do it as well”. So it will be no shock that the Chinese Government has spies in the UK – is that not the main purpose of Embassies? And of course Starmer did not want a very high profile trial when he is trying to get a trade deal with China: especially important when Trump is throwing around tariffs like confetti at a tacky wedding. The knock on impacts of Trump imposing punitive tariffs on China could be China dumping products in Europe, thus undermining our economy. But the fuckwits do not care – they want to undermine the UK economy to get their buddies back in power and stop taxes on the rich – fuckers!

We have a polarised nation between centre right and right. The right want to win at all costs – if the economy tanks they will be ecstatic! Traditional conservatives would have been satisfied to see the economy tank, but not overjoyed – they gave a shit about their constituents. Germany is discussing the return of conscription to fill the space vacated by those young who have a choice! The flag shaggers should be signed up, but not given live bullets until they can pass a simple intelligence test! Interestingly Germany is also proposing large tax breaks to encourage those reaching retirement age to stay on at work. 9% of their workforce is reaching retirement age in next 10 years. Due to migrants the UK figures maybe slightly better. Since my own retirement I have advocated a phased retirement rather than a sharp departure. PS. Is is a requirement of Pointless that at least one member of each team, and preferably both should be retired? Maybe a government should come up with an alternative to SureStart, maybe a SureFinish? Give those retired respect and a non-paying job in society?

SHOP LOCAL

OK I use he supermarket for bulk shopping, but my local shop is wonderful. Yesterday I went to get cash out but screwed up my details and card was locked which also locked by phone card. I didn’t realise until I went to pay and it was refused. With no hesitation the manager who was behind the counter whipped out his personal bank card and paid! No questions or hesitation. Made my shitty day 100 times better thank you.

….The store is Sandford Stores and the great manager is AARON BLEACH -a very nice person.