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GEOGRAPHY

I wonder what qualifications civil servants have? At the DfE they obviously did not study Geography! I suppose they studied esoteric subjects like Latin and Politics, or even History (although there is little evidence that they have learnt anything from the mistakes of history; or are they all in “Yes Minister” mode of arse licking? Back to the DfE which is supposed to overlook education provision – having removed and reduced the role of local authorities. What am I on about? OK – so the DfE has just realised that the number of children has been falling since 2018 – most GCSE students would have been aware of this along with nearly all A level ones, oh and infant school teachers, the health service and all local authorities! Indeed it has even been reported in the sensible press for a couple of years with reports of inner city schools closing. I just hope the Department for Pensions/etc. is aware of demographic change? I am sure the NHS is!

Yet again politicians fail to see te need to upgrade our education system into the 21st century. Pandering to public outcry and banning phones from school, whilst doing nothing to change the outdated syllabi of the 19th Century. Enquiry based learning was shunted to the waste basket with Thatcherism and the politics of the rich and powerful. I am old enough to be disappointed at the number of people on “Pointless who do not know their arse from their elbow” but also realise that we have most facts at our fingertips without having to trek to a public library (where they still exist), or immense private investment in encyclopedia’s – I still learn more with a printed copy than online!

Meanwhile – Cornwall County Council – run by LibDems and independants have approved the use of glyphosates on pavements and verges – yet another example of a lack of proper education or just plain ignorance? Drew Creek had a motion for a pause approved – he sholud resign – do not play politics with the environment and my grandchildrens future.

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VOTING

There are many local councillors who do an excellent job, regardless of whether they are Labour, Conservative, LibDem or Green. I do not include Reform councillors in this list, as by definition they are either racist, misogynist or very stupid! – usually all three! However I suspect most are like me and only know the names of councillors when an election is imminent. So vote GREEN.

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MONDAY BLUES

OK, I am retired, but still get the blues occasionally. Today it was learning that a brilliant friend had had a fall and broken pelvis and elbow. But the sun is shining and one should not be morose about these things. Shit happens!

Starmer has to face Parliament today to see if he can bullshit he way out of his predicament. Will he resign or wait until after the humiliation of the May elections? Miliband is likely to announce plans to further green energy projects tomorrow.. In Italy Silvia Salis may offer a decent alternative to the present right wing government.

Tomato seeds finally begining to germinate but it was near freezing at 6am this morning. Washing out. Recycling back in after collection. I might make some cookies with oat flour, lemon and raisins? Boring today – sorry!

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PIFFLE

An article in the Observer states that attacks on the Jewish Community may be because teenagers are recruited on Snapchat by groups supporting Hamas. I think the truth may be more due to continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon and the West Bank, especially the triple attack (they attack, medics move in to treat the wounded, then the IDF attacks the medics – absolute bastards).

I suppose that any government with a massive majority must face criticism from the press – however I am very bored with the Mandleson Affair! The sooner we have PR in this country the better. Massive majorities for whoever just emphasise the need for constructive debate. The arguments of 50 years ago that people need physical access to their MP has been well and truly trashed by the likes of Farage (too busy lining his own pockets).

Sunny here and after a chilly start the temperature is rising – first sight of green from my tomato plants too! bags of herbs given to Aaron and Kate with orders from Mathew and Jane – no charge just sharing. Lemon mint or lemon balm seems to be doing well – maybe I will split it and concentrate on recipes that include it? Herb bags so far have included rosemary, thyme, sage, fennel and bay with mint to follow along with oregano. Wild strwaberries are looking good and first roses are in bloom. I am hoping that self seeded plants like chicory and californian poppies will re-emerge as the weather gets warmer.

Meanwhile the football season is approaching a hiatus – Arsenal and ManC head to head today. Tottenham Hotspur look in danger of relagation. My team Sunderland are mid-table, but I am not sure they have enough experience to qualify for Europe (they were everyones choice for relagation before the start of the season). Coventry have sealed promotion to the Premiership with Frank Lampard in charge.

Back to politics – £millions are paid out to windfarms to stop producing electricity as the National Grid cannot cope! Well it must not be that difficult to prioritise the system (after 15 years of inaction by the last government), retired generals and admirals get a few bob and some fame by talking up the need for the UK to be on a war footing (harking back to debates in their public schools and Sandhurst)?

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ITS A LONG SUMMER AHEAD!

So Iran is blocking the Strait of Hormuz again due to USA continued blockade of its ports. It seems that because America has unlimited aerial dominance and overall military supremacy, that they have not reached c in the dictionary yet – c is for compromise!
Latest poll says 38% of Americans are happy with the Trump administration – 38 fucking %. Is it a country of thick bastards Not being happy with alternatives would be acceptable – but thinking the loose cannon is doing a good job – NOOO!And the rest of the world suffers. aviation fuel make become in short supply affecting air travel, fertiliser production is also endangered. imagine a country where fossil fuels were exploited, not to be burnt, but one where they are converted into useful products! Renewable energy supplies power for all our needs supplemented by proper glazing and insulation and local grids.

Meanwhile back home the police have stated that there is no evidence of asylum seekers or immigrants being involved in a supposed attack on a young woman in Epsom. Is there grounds for a morality test before allowing people to vote?

Latest country to vote against an autocratic regime is India which voted down proposed boundary changes by Modi. Staes where birth control has raised living standards have voted down a plan to to give poorer states more votes.

But a thought – after te disaster that is Trump – what next? The knuckle draggers and flag shaggers have had a taste of power! America may be the land of the free, but many fled pesecution and intorence; we have seen how Israel reacts to past persecution of Jews. Will the evangelical christian nobheads win out? MAGA have favoured antagonism over reconciliation, Americas future looks bleak!

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STARMER

I think he is on dodgy ground. There are two IF’s here; if he lied to Parliament he should resign; if he created a situation whereby civil servants felt they had to override a security check he should resign. If however he merely made an error of judgement the press should shut up! Political turmoil is not what we need as a country right now – Farage and Badenoch and their clans can hardly speak without lying – if their lips are moving they are telling lies!

Meanwhile in the UK hundreds protested regarding an alleged gang rape of a woman who left a night club between 2am and 4am. Commendable community response and concern? Or was the large turn out a result of racism? Statistically it is likely that nearly 50% of the male protesters (it was mainly men protesting) were known to the police for domestic violence. Rape of any form is serious and should be prosecuted regardless of the nationality or status of the perpetrators – however society has double standards- or no standards when it comes to sexuality. No Epstein perpetrators have been prosecuted – indeed I heard one knuckle dragger profess that Epstein and Andrew M-W were ‘just having a bit of fun”. Is there hope for my 3 granddaughters? Youth club discos where the room would be split between girls and boys with just a few brave (or over confident) souls dancing in the middle are long gone. Boys watch hours of semi-violent porn (at best) instead of communication with others. Schools are becoming mental institutions to cope with the mental problems of children deprived of wholesome childhoods. That was bit of a rant! Related to this topic – councils are now charging for fun runs in parks and yoga sessions. For fucksake – not everything has to be monetised; councils are under extreme pressure to cut costs – they could start with having a maximum wage of £80000. Children need to be able to play. My local park is locked due to “dog walkers allowing their dogs to shit” which I find unlikely in my village where a turd is unusual on the pavement., tennis is only available in private clubs, swimming pools have become rare and expensive. Even football and rugby clubs demand a sub. Local beaches are surrounded by parking meters and fees. Only the air that we breathe is free (although polluted if near fagash Farage!

Wet today but sunny weather on its way – hopefully my tomato seeds will germinate. More hanging basket plants have just arrived.

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999 CALLS

Reported in the paper today – just how stupid some people are! 999 calls have been a feature of British life since 1937. However it appears that many abuse the system. Only 15% of calls to the Met were deemed reasonable – calls included a spider in the bedroom, no show of a delivery, and a dog that would not return home. How many people are oblivious to the importance of the system. I accept that children could call 999 inadvertently or even mistakenly, mobile phones could call 999 by mistake, but surely not 85% of the time. I have heard tapes of 999 operators – it can e very, very stressful. Can we have prosecutions for wasting police time for offenders of immense stupidity!

Apparently a flag shagger putting up flags in Bristol fell on his head and died – Karma! He was also a convicted football hooligan and banned from Bristol City’s ground.

Iran is fighting back using memes to discredit the American government. Media power has long been America’s domain. Hollywood continues to dominate film despite Bollywood. Could it be that the tec bros. hegemony is usurped by AI created content? No capitalist large company has endured (other than financial ones) for more than a century (I am bullshitting now! I am thinking P&O, Hoover, Woolworths. Ok I realise that it is not true – I just thought of M&S and Boots, Ford and Merc. But there is an element of truth – ??!!

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ATLANTIC MERIDIONAL OVERTURNING CIRCULATION

I knew this as the North Atlantic Drift. Scientists have revealed that studies show this circulation to be in danger of collapse due to climate change. Does it matter? Well colder winters and summer drought combined with sea level rise of 50-100cm would have a severe impact on life in Europe and elsewhere. How quickly is it occurring – warnings are of collapse in 75-100 years. The ecological impact and thus food supplies would be catastrophic. But Farage, Trump and Badenoch continue to preach ‘drill baby drill’ with the same ignorance as Marie Antoinette “let them eat cake’ delusion. The UK has cut emissions by 50%, but the real figure is nearer 20% when the cost of transporting manufactured goods is included. We still rely on fossil fuels for 75% of energy consumption. The traditional electricity grid is no longer fit for purpose. Basically the problem the lack of battery storage which leads to electricity generation by solar and wind being shut down. Many cars are parked up and only used for commuting; and charged at night when renewables are often unavailable. Covering car parks with solar panels and adjacent wind turbines would enable charging during the day, domestic garages could be used for batteries instead of the crap normally stored there! I estimate that I, a single old person living in a bungalow could be self sufficient with the use off solar panels and a heat pump and batteries. So no fuel bills ever! And stop the rip off from privatised water companies and utility bills would be inconsequential.

Meanwhile there is much discussion regarding defence versus welfare budgets. What is going on? Schools are needing a huge input of cash to pay for child psychologists to tackle autism. I sthis true? Has autism increased? and if so why? Is it better diagnosis or over diagnosis? The same with the number on sickness benefit – has the number needing it really grown b 50% in 10 years? TBH – I am not surprised, whatever the answer! If you have to get up and go to work in a basic wage job or zero hours contract with few prospects and much boredom, and still get welfare top ups, why should you bother getting up at all! So the problem is not the welfare payments but the firms paying shit wages whilst rewarding their directors and shareholders. Also in the equation is the cost of property/ living space should be a basic human right. Thatcher destroyed council houses and ignited the property market. Why does homeownership of multiple homes benefit the homeowner disproportionately to the renter. Supply and demand – fuck off! Manipulation by the rich more likely! Reintroduce rent controls.

Single sex spaces – a furore if indignation from many who have not used a toilet in a public space for years. I do not understand what this is all about! I would guess that at least 95% of people are unaffected, but encouraged to give a shit by the media!

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HANGING BASKETS

Planted today with bacon Giga white and rose; Bidens Sunbird Yellow; Diascia Elf’s Peach; Trailing Fuchsia Blazaway; Calibrachoa. Calipatile Red;Nemesia Melody Lilac blue; Petunia Surfing White; Verbena Voodoo Red Star; Upright Geranium Signal. And some Japanese Anemones to add colour to the front garden. Cosmos are sprouting in the greenhouse but not the tomato seeds. Warmer today.

I went to Bristol to see Martin, the flag shaggers have been busy – it looks so cheap and shoddy. The new Public Order Act comes into force which will make protests more difficult. With Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil specifically mentioned by the government it seems that big business may be behind the law. Perhaps they want protests to be “Please sir, rich and powerful man will you please stop destroying my childrens future”. Bastards!

According to military toffs (in the pay of armanents companies), the UK is ‘lacking in urgency’ in planning for war! TBH the only threat to NATO has come from within – Trumps threats to Greenland, whilst Russia remains hostile there is little actual threat. Still the boys will want more toys to play war with. More ships and planes and soldiers to possibly die. If we really want to up grade our defence we could dismiss half the Generals, Admirals and Wing Commanders and use the money to build a few thousand drones and employ teenage gamers to steer them? The comments made referred to companies based in the Gulf and a need to expand the RAF and RN. No mention of civilian protection at all in this supposed war threat. Of course the press love making people afraid and thus buying papers to find out more.

A few years ago it was suggested that we put answer phones on our beaches saying ‘we surrender’. OK – I joke, but there is an element of truth!

Farage states that he has done a deal to repatriate Afghans claiming asylum. Will he therefore complicit in murder.? cun*.

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INSANITY

He really does think he is the messiah or even god. Why the 25th Amendment (Section 4) is not being used is beyond belief. Or at least places the selfishness of American politicians to the fore, they do not act as they are unsure what the consequences would be for themselves – screw the American people. The US Navy has started a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz – what tthis will achieve, like the war itself, is unclear. He has also said he will renew bombing, specifically missile factories! (what have they been bombing so far?). Pope Leo has suffered the wrath of Trump’s fevered mind, but has shown superior intelligence by not responding to to the slanders. Trump just does not understand the role of religion and the pope; I doubt that the moron will have read Shakespeare but he seems to believe in the quote from Julius Caesar . ‘War gives the right to the conquerors to impose any condition they please upon the vanquished.’

Meanwhile in the UK, an inquiry into the murder of 3 girls in Southport found 5 shortcomings, but the gutter press chose just one for the front pages – the parents of the murderer. To be fair they need to have identifiable hate figures every day, and non-white people are always a good target. How many reported with outrage at the paedophile ring in Somerset that was entirely white men!

And – Trump was photographed accepting a McDonalds takeaway delivery at the White House – oh common! if I was President with a mansion staffed by top chefs I would not insult them by buying in crap! Like I said earlier ‘fucking mad”!