Tony Blair let slip one very telling remark this week which might help explain his metamorphosis from radical CND opposer of trident etc to son of Thatch.
He said it is no longer necessarily about right against left, but right against “wrong” … interesting choice of words….
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At last – a piece of technology we can be proud about!
Posted: 3rd September 2010 by Willenhall Lad in PoliticsHMS Astute. A submarine better than anything anybody else has.
I found this plugin today whilst messing about with WordPress – if you like social networking with facebook and twitter etc. then this useful plugin allows you to tweet or share the post on your accounts.
Which one do you use for this type of syndication?
As the Stymaster pointed out recently, the weather has been rather good of late. I’ve been managing to get out on a few country walks round The Principality around lunchtime to make the most of it and at this time of the year, the harvest is coming in and there are some good views, such as this one from my phone:
Probably the most obvious statement ever made about modern Britain but it’s come to the point where I think we need a debate about whether we should be following the American model of making money out of absolutely everything, or doing things as we used to do them.
The latest that thing that irritates me is this piece I heard on Today . To précis, they are saying that if we hand over all the school to these private companies they will farm out the building to a management company and then you’ll lease it back, and the teaching side of things will be handled by another company etc. etc. Sounds familiar? NHS?
As we know very well, the NHS is in debt on this type of arrangement to the tune of a fair few billions and as reported by The YamYam recently, the M6 Toll has been a complete failure. So what’s the agenda here? And who is making money out of it? American shareholders perhaps? Where will it stop?
One thing I wish for from this Government is that they will stem the haemorrhaging of British industry and expertise to everybody else and actually stand up for people who want our country to survive and play a full part in the world. That doesn’t mean giving it all away to everybody for a knock-down price to satisfy a few greedy accountants and bankers so they get “an increased rate of return” or in other words, the greedy money people.
We should be able to make enough money to live on without having to stress about the fact that “I’ve only been on three holiday’s this year and Thailand wasn’t that good because it rained all the time.” We should be able to do other things as well and put off this constant pressure to buy things and do things that satisfy shareholders. There’s more to life than that. We just need to stand up and say NO!
I can hear some people saying that “Sounds a bit religious” but hang on a minute – what’s the things that make your everyday life worth living? Being able to do your own thing after work perhaps? A drink in the pub? A bar of chocolate? Reading a book? What do you look forward to when you start your day? Money? Isn’t that just a means to an end?
In the days of yore, people were content with a lot less. And if your speak to the elders, they speak of events that took place in ordinary ways. Our generation talks about “stuff” and material things – things that are fuelled by our greedy society. The generation below us talk about nothing but getting lashed “up town”. But the worthwhile things are the simple things; a chat over a beer, a bike ride with your mates in the country, football with the Nephew; you get the drift.
I think that schools run by private companies is a step too far and threatens our country and our society even more. We’re far too Americanised now and the more I read 20th Century History, the worse it gets. We need to grab hold of our country and delineate more carefully between making money and what’s good for the country and therefore us. We must get back our sense of our community and helping each other out – for nothing. Not to act could mean that in time, the next generation would be wage slaves to the American dollar, or any number of currencies form abroad. We certainly need to get a handle on the accountants and put them back in their boxes.
A nation of greed? You tell me.
Bank Holiday Monday is always a frantic occasion, trying to squeeze the last out of the summer before the dreaded return to work or school. I always get cabin fever – I have to go out. Bit like why I go to the pub on a Sunday over any other day. It’s like wagging(playing hooky to you US-ers) it.
Last year we had a good reunion at Cath’s so it wasn’t a problem. However, this year it was okay as well. Saturday was very traditional – hair dressers for Karen, shopping, meal up out at The Spread Eagle, pint down The Min, Match of the Day.
Sunday we had a BBQ at my sisters and damn cold it was too! So on Monday, we went to the coast for a last game of summer slot machines and ice cream to Southport. I’ve been a couple of times here and as it’s not a popular as Blackpool, it’s often overlooked, but it is very good. The Victorian arcades and canopies are great. And its clean. There is also quite a bit to do with the pier having the National Slot Machine museum on it which has all kinds of curiosities. There are some very old amusements on it.
Well worth a look at Southport. Next time we might make it a weekend as the traffic was ridiculous, but then it was the Bank Holiday…..
Today, I went to see an old acquaintance, The Beekeeper of Pershore or Pete for his real name, but as you know, nicknames are the norm for me (ask Five Pints or 2.1782 litres).
Beekeeper was featured in The Alamo as one of John Wayne’s mates so seems an apt nickname for somebody who produces 200lb of Worcestershire finest honey per year as a hobby. And damn fine honey it is too. A real privilege to have been given two jars for the forthcoming winter onslaught.
Beekeeper is one of my Linux converts and I rather like his attitude – no messing about with pretty Linux such as Ubuntu, no with him it’s straight for the hard to understand Slackware. It’s not even got a colour website!Also, he talked me into getting a wood burner and to live in a village. So thanks for that Pete!
Anyway, after a good lunch, Beekeeper showed us around Wick, a small village outside Pershore but has some magnificent buildings such as a Tudor mansion and a church with great stained glass windows. Well worth the drive out and well worth a look around Pershore as well, especially the Abbey. I used to spend many a lunchtime eating my sandwiches there, when I was with the NHS.
Anyway, let’s hope Beekeeper finds some time to contribute to these pages and dispense some wisdom from a real nice part of the world.
As reported by The Express & Star today, apparently a chap with a samurai sword was hanging around by Councillor Clift’s house.
My Dad called me this morning with the news that my Great Uncle Bert (Darky as he liked to be called) died this morning. He’s been ill most of the summer and has spent it in hospital or latterly a nursing home.
I’m glad me and Cousin went to see him last year, and that modern technology allows us to record this for future generations. He’s been a lonely man for the past few years and hasn’t looked after himself particularly well although he never stopped in much. One thing that struck me was the way he said he never looked forward to the winter and the dark nights.
In some ways, he was one of our families awkward members. Since our interview with him, I’ve had many conversations with other members of the family putting over their point of view which is at variance with his version of events. It seems he fell out of favour with our Grandad (his brother) over money and this has been taken up by them. It does also show what a remarkable bloke our Grandad was though, war hero and all. Even Uncle Bert acknowledged that. However, he did his bit for the war effort. Without the considerable efforts of manufacturing, especially in the Black Country, we would have never have defeated the Nazis. And it took people like Uncle Bert to do the 12 hour shifts in a repetitive job to give us a chance on the battlefield, as it does now.
So Great Uncle Bert is the last of this generation in our family. He did well to survive to 93 and saw great changes in the country as survived two World Wars. By the conversations we had with him, I think he had a good life.