Posts

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ANGRY

I am still angry at the violence directed towards police officers at a rent-a-riot perpetrated by Farage and Robinson. Only 2 arrests – the video footage I have seen identifies many people and police cams must show more. Why have Farage and Robinson not been arrested for inciting violence? The court had sentenced the perpetrator to life imprisonment, so it was purely violence against the police with racial overtones.

My rant continues with one against South West Water who have been fined £1.85million over a parasite outbreak in Devon. What is the point of fining them when the fine will be passed onto customers. Apologies are worthless when they continue to disregard public safety – water companies should be nationalised now.

El Niño is expected to return by September with 80% likelihood and a 90% by November. I have yet to hear of any government reacting to UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres warning that “the world must treat it like the urgent climate warning it is”. Politicians across the world have been warned – “unprecedented” and “unique” will not suffice as excuses for inaction. In fact in the UK local councillors who ignore the warnings should be dismissed and possibly prosecuted where their actions are deemed to be negligent (I am thinking of Lincolnshire CC where the flood committee has been disbanded in a false money saving measure).

Israel continues with its ethnic cleansing ing in Lebanon, and the slaughter of children and innocents. It will not end well for Israel, or unfortunately for pro-Palestian jews worldwide – the ignorant do not discriminate!

But a positive to end with – Google have applied to release 32million sterilised mosquitos in the USA. Less pesticides and chemicals would obviously be brilliant, but these things have been going on for years – I used to teach about them! and whilst 32m seems large I would guess it is a tiny proportion of the mosquitos in any region?

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COWARDLY LITTLE SHITS

Farage and Robinson spread hatred like an infection disease. With no humanity or humility themselves they wish to infect as many parts of society with their pernicious obscenities. Despite the victims family requesting that his case was explicitly not to target particular communities. Right wing wankers in the states, like little Elon Musk have commented on the case, trying to stir up disharmony – shits all of them and those who were on the streets of Southampton.

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EL NINO

Scientists are forecasting a ‘very strong’ El Niño in 2027 based on measurements so far in the Central Pacific Ocean. So far away and whilst it may not have a major impact on the UK it seems likely that it will influene our weather. The Committee for Climate Change has advised the government to prepare for 3 eventualities; heat, flood and water shortages. We have already had water outages in the south east this year and it is not really hot yet and the “heat wave” was just a few days! Hospitals and care homes may find that air conditioning is not an option, but essential. Schools could conduct lessons outside, but with little shade they may need to invest heavily in sun block. How about funding schools to cover playgrounds at a height with a solar panel roof that would provide shade, heat in winter and air con in summer? Tax deductable for local businesses if they also provide work experience. Flooding is likely, and whilst some extreme storm events are inevitable and unavoidable, people in at risk areas, probably at least 5 million homes! should be advised on how to protect their properties and mitigate the damage. Weather forecasting is excellent on a regional basis but small differences occur between juxtapositioned villages! So crying wolf is to be avoided. Storm damage in coastal areas is also likely – warmer temperatures will cause sea level to rise. So the three P’s possible options are Prevention (not generally possible within the present time frame; Protection (possible individually but not possible if widespread) and Prepare?Mitigation (always the last option).

And meanwhile a report suggests that net zero is worth £100bn a year and employs over 300.000 people whose earnings are 11% higher on average than the countrywide average. So fuck of Farage and doomsayers! Reports also suggest that youth unemployment will hit high levels next year – why not offer firms a tax break to employ youngsters to instal solar panels, heat pumps and insulation – the maths is beyond me, but taking the young off benefits, and training them at the same time would seem to be a no brainer?

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JEWS

I have a problem – why have they been persecuted through history? Why did not the rich Jews arrange for mercy missions to rescue jews from Nazi Germany? Why is the media so Israel friendly when they are a state which is below North Korea as a pariah state? Is there a Jewish monopoly controlling the worlds finances?

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A FLEDGLING ROBIN

made me realise that although I live in the countryside, people have no idea about the wonders of the world outside their screens and cars. How many people can name 15 native trees (there are 42), 30 bird species (600 +), 30 flowers? Maybe Big Yellow Taxi, Joni Mitchell, should become an anthem for schools? Every school should have a garden – wildlife is suffering from ingeneous chemicals and sterile land. Sorry neighbours – a few pretty plants do not compensate for the land obliterated for you house to be built (and the fucking road outside. When did we stop caring? Seeing a kingfisher is one of the highlights of my life, alongside seeing terns on the beach at Seaford whilst everyone else just ignored them. An adonis butterfly is definitely a thing of beauty. I am no David Attenborough, but I can appreciate and name most of the wonders around me, and I feel sorry for those who do not!

There was a quote I saw once which compared a person who could walk 5 miles to a market and could name every plant, flower animal and insect; and one who visited world prestigeous galleys and museums. Who was the more enriched or wiser. A no brainer!

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HMMM!

Londons biggest ever political demonstration was 2003 against Tony Blair’s Iraq war, at between 1 and 2 million. It was a surprise to see estimates of Arsenal’s Premier League Champions Parade attracted over a million people who 2-1 were wearing replica shirts at a starting price of £80 a pop! I think this is interesting. The majority of those attending the parade yesterday would not have been fans who attended the emirates or perhaps have ever seen arsenal play live, but they feel a need to have a badge to identify with. I guess many will not identify with politics, or its leaders, they are happy to cast votes for numb skulls as long as they say the right things (they do not expect these views to be enacted anyway). Wearing a scarf or shirt gives a sense of belonging, in a world that has monetised belonging to any club or most activities. No, there is not a contradiction regarding the shirts – £80 for a membership where you are welcome and can identify with the chants and swearing, slag off the referee and opponents, especially Spurs, and glorify a common shared experience.

So is football more important the politics? Membership of all political parties is less than those attending or playing football at any weekend. I doubt any political turnout at a rally to match the turnout for Premiership clubs at a weekend. So my hypothesis is that many people are more interested in their football clubs than in politicans , who always let them down.

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NEETS

Apparently about 1 in 6 of the under 24’s are NEETS. Tinkering with the system will change nothing. As Milburn says, we have lots to learn from the Dutch model where the stat is <5%. We could start by making every apprenticeship have a compulsory one day at college gaining work related certificates; conversely all academic courses at post 16 should have a one day a week relevant work experience. Yes there would be a cost, but far less than the present cost of unemployment and social damage. Would subject like my love, Geography, disappear – possibly, it would be far better to have a humanities qualification in combination with a welfare charity? Early GCSE syllabi were progressive and issue based, but lost out to the public school/university brigade of cape wearing bores. Why not allow students post 14 to spend their time developing artistic skills for one day a week, they might be more in other areas. And get rid of business studies and economic as pseudo academic bollox! Teach kids what an APR is and practical things – but do not also call it social studies or some other woke nonsense. Let us create a curiculum that engages students and leads to a thirst for knowledge – it ia all sitting on the web waiting for enquiring minds. It is there, waiting to be turned on, before being swamped by the boredom. When I first obtained a iPad I asked kids to give me a question and if it was worthy I would throw the iPad to them – yes throw! 2 memorable questions were ‘what shape is a raindrop”. and “How do they tell the time on the International Space Station”. We should be extolling the thirst for knowledge, not the achievement (generally by memory test or set criteria).

Meanwhile – it appears that teenagers are regularly avoiding stiff sentence for rape – the Guardian revealed new cases on Teeside where the attackers had basically gone unpunished. Where is the fury and concern from knuckle dragging flag shaggers? What should the punishment be – the assailents were 14/15 – beyond the age of criminal liability. OK they are 14/15 but the punishment should also be a deterent to others, enough for them to think that they do not want to go down that path.

Another Saturday with no football.

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CLIMATE

Basically there are 2 options – try to stop the worst impacts of climate change by changing our use of fossil fuels; or we try to mitigate against the worst impacts of climate change; nn there is no ostrich option. The first option means investing in alternative energy resources – those of you bang on about China’s coal power stations can shut the fuck up – only the USA has a policy of dig/drill and burn! Yes there will be a cost to changing over 200 years of fossil fuel dependency, but the alternatives are more extreme temperatures, more and bigger floods and droughts, rising sea levels and storms, glaciers melting causing mass hunger in Asia, mass extictions of wildlife. How can I know these things – of course I bloody don’t – but then I also do not cross roads blindfolded! I do not eat food that is way past its sell by date and going mouldy! Oh the second option; to me a no starter – is there a tipping point would be my first question. Then we have to ask if the population of earth could adapt to the change? A report out last week which I mentioned before stated the need for aircon in schools, hospitals and care homes. We know that is not going to happen – the rich will get aircon whilst the poor can suffer! Was ever the case. Farage and co want to cut back on employment laws – he would probably advocate sex with employees (yes your wives and daughters, and maybe sons!) if he could retain his wealth.

Back to adaptation. I am reasonably sure that wealthy countries in the mid-latitudes could adapt – Cornwall would be the Costa Brava, even the Scottish Islands could become the archipelago of the future – but again there is no certainty – if the North Atlantic Drift current ceases the waters would be cold, and the winters brutal. Grapes are growing in the south of England with huge international acclaim, but what about wheat and potatoes? How will London and other cities cope with rising sea levels. I totally find climate deniers to be mind bogglingly stupid or avaracious money grabbing arseholes.

Oh well back to the real world – Labour are being blamed for the youth job crisis – I doubt they have helped much but this is a result of Tory austerity, with maybe a little Ukraine and Iran chucked in for flavouring, oh and an overdose of Trump (salt).

Where are the jobs that we want our youths to have? Where are the jobs that are not being done?

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BIRTHDAY DEMOGRAPHY

1stly it is my birthday toady – 73. But more importantly I want to talk about demography, a topic it seems that our politicans ignore – do they even teach Geography in Public Schools? So some stats to start with; number of babies born last year UK= 585000 (the lowest for ages; number of deaths UK = 568000; Net migration = 171000, the lowest for ages; unemployed under 25’s predicted to be 1.25 million by 2030; healthy life expectancy falling, apart from London 18.5% population is retired; average age of mothers is 31.1; % mothers born outside UK is 40.2%; fertility rate is 1.39.

So what to make of this? Fewer babies means fewer workers in the future, but a good thing if youth unemployment is rising. Or is it rising due to crap education – we really need to move away from the Victorian model of education and archaic exams. With births and deaths about equal do we need the 171000 migrants – the answer is probably as it seems the British population are not prepared to work in the fields and for zero hours contracts. We also seem to have a shortage of doctors, nurses and teachers? The last I have some experience of – is the growing prevalence of single children leading to a ‘little emperor syndrome”, parents questiioning and not supporting teachers who have a very enjoyable and rewarding, but difficult job. Schools in areas with generally young people will be forced to close, but local governments should use the opportunity to provide facilities that benefit the local community.

My friend Aaron states that he believes it is the cost of living that has caused the fall in numbers of births. I think he is wrong and heres why! 1. Couples have babies when they are settled in a relationship (generally) and have the ability to avoid pregnancy until ready. 2. We live in a world that has changed over generations. Women have to work to support the rent/mortgage. (yes this is a cost of living aspect, but I believe it to be a seperate issue). 3. Life is increasingly materialistic and socially shared. People put off parenthood until they have had their holidays, got cars, watched netflix, etc. These are cost of living aspects, but not essential – most couples wait until their late 20’s and early 30’s to have children (this will have a major impact on the statistics of children born. 4. Later births and the ability to chose, results in smaller families., not due to economics, just the desire for a smaller family 5. A higher divorce rate/ lower marriage rate also has the tendancy to delay pregnancy. And finally the birth rate declined with Covid, being at home did NOT lead to more pregnancies.

Oh and Aaron, there is no way that we are not better off than our parents – yes I have the stats to prove it! There is no way the majority of people delay childbirth for more than a few years due to financial matters (and if they do they are basically not fit to be parents). I think both Kate and I would agree that economics has very little to do with it!