The development of Shanshan may precede activity in the Atlantic as moist air from Africa seeds hurricanes. Since Ernesto there has been a quiet perion in the Caribbean – but things are predicted to change! Hopefully Mar-a-Lago gets a good walloping! No doubt Trump would boast about it! He is just so weird!
But the climate emergency is still being ignored by, well everyone! Record rainfall in the Sahara and still the press are obsessed with the death of a rich fucker in his yacht! Mediterranean ares has less rainfall this summer, India has had floods, 1.3ha of Panatelndestroyed by fire, 100+ die in mexico due to extreme heat. JUST STOP OIL!
Ceo Pavel Durov arrested. My son argued that this was unfair, and I had to plead ignorance about the medium. Then Farage spoke out to condemn the arrest saying “who next – Elon Musk”. Charges include fraud, drug trafficking, organised crime, promotion of terrorism and cyber bullying. I guess the same could be levelled at Musk, Meta, etc. If this is the first attempt to regulate social media then I am in favour. French Courts are independent and the case will be examined in full glare from the press. This would not happen in Russia.
At last a topic that I am well qualified to speak about. Education sold its soul, or had it abducted by the small minded accountancy driven ideology of the Thatcher years. If it cannot be measured then it must be worthless resulted in the fatuous league tables that destroyed many a good teacher and school. No I was not one (at least not until the bastards finally drove me to retirement12 years ago. But I digress. Latest figures show that expulsions are rising across the country, especially in deprived areas (and also in strong Brexit supporting areas!).
I just do not understand! Yet again. Sandford Stores sells around £100000 a year? Why? I smoked for 50 years – to start with it was cool, then rolling tobacco became kind of therapeutic. But what is cool or therapeutic about a vape? To do it in public as I saw at a fpptball match just identifies the person as a knob! those who convert to a vape instead of tobacco have my full support – but the evidence is that it is becoming a trendy thing to do? Are some stronger in nicotine than others? Gaulloise were cool for a while, and then Sobraine? and then Consulate menthol before I got the rolling habit. But what is cool about a vape???
I thought of more professional terms like the Sunday Surmise, or the Sunday Sermon, or even the Weekend Wankfest. But a stumble through events seems most appropriate!
Firstly I have made a strawberry sponge – the test will be in the eating! Basically a sponge recipe with home made strawberry jam in the middle topped with stewed strawberries and lemon. I might add double cream for complete decadence! and then sprinkle some nuts on top! Pickled onions – first 2kg done, and pickled garlic up next. Baguettes – Millie is doing her bit at the moment, so this evening or tomorrow morning. My baguettes with herbs went down well, next time I will try with some flaked chilli, or even homegrown chillies. Tomatoes are very slow at the moment – not enough sun? I still have breakfast of raspberries when I go down to water the greenhouse, and have left the mulberries for Martin who is coming tomorrow. Apple harvest also looks good this year.
Well enough about me, int he News. First off, the sinking of the super yacht. This is very disturbing! Mainly because of the absurd amount of publicity it has received. He was said by a friend to be a lovely unassuming and grounded person. So unassuming and grounded that he owned a million £ boat with worlds largest mast. Not exactly bashful then! The drowning of his daughter aged 18 is obviously very sad – but as I did not know her, no more sad than the deaths of desperate people travelling across borders all over the world. It is a fucked up world!
Then Kate Allsop – front page again as she let her 15 year old son go inter railing. I had no idea who she was or that her family has close connections with Diana’s – did this help her get a job on TV? So basically a rich and connect mum lets her privileged son, aged 15 go inter railing with a 16 year old mate. Let us leave aside the rich and privileged bit (I am fairly certain he will have stayed in hotels rather than roughing it on park/railway station benches around Europe. Personally I think tat if he was mature enough I have no problem. I would not have been happy if it had been my son at 15, but like me he took a while to mature (and others seem to regress like Donald Trump! – is he even let out alone?). However I would have been happy for either of my daughters (Maz will say different, but she had to teach me to be cool – and I did put her on a train from Weston-super-Mare to Newhaven alone and aged about 12! Tams at 18 went to Africa with a pal and without the financial or societal backup. One of my memorable moments. Tams would use my credit card to buy clothes and always paid me back. I was a tad surprised when she told me she had just put £££ on it which was for a flight for her and Sofia to South Africa and the Buzzbus and a safari! So I back Kate Allsop all the way.
I just received this months copy of the Byline Times and want to give it a shout of approval. Yes it is an echo chamber for my views, but I challenge anyone to provide me of any wrong facts that are in the paper.. And no I do not fully agree with all analysis – e.g. Sonia Purnell’s analysis of the riots was I believe too simplistic.
I try to articulate my thoughts on topics, but sometimes I read or hear something which says what I think so clearly that I just have to post it! So here it is
I also must say that I am in awe of this capable young woman, and I am also aware of the abuse she has suffered from internet low life. I have 2 daughters 1 son, 3 granddaughters and 1 grandson and 1 step grandson so I am extremely pleased to see an independent, comprehensive educated young woman creating a wonderful role model.
or fate? Mike Lynch , who is missing after his wifes (tax evasion?) super yacht sank under a tornado was tried for the sale of Autonomy for £11bn. His co-defendant Stephen Chamberlain was killed in a car accident on Saturday night. Whilst both were acquitted other members of the company were jailed for upto 5 years.
Time to reveal my ignorance – but unlike te racist bigots I am willing to be corrected.
Israel – A state born from Europe’s guilt – this guilt is odd, maybe the wrong word even, would sympathy be better? My vocab is too limited to give it a proper name. It was conceived in an attempted genocide, but also in a racist world. Palestinians were not treated as equals, just people/things to be displaced for the Jews. Did the Allies know about the death camps, to be honest it would be inconceivable that they did not! In war I accept that difficult and morally indefensible decisions have to be made, or at least are made (Soviet troops waiting near Warsaw being one I have a small knowledge of).
the Mail quotes economists saying that the pay rises given to workers will cause inflation! Surely the tax cuts mooted by the last Government are the same? but the Mail never states this. They just want to criticise workers for getting a well deserved and long waited for rise. They do not also complain abot the FTSE100 CEO pay rises – but to be fair these are probably not inflationary as the money will be sequested abroad to avoid paying tax.
