Cat

You know old Guestling can be a sentimental fool and it seems that I am more sentimental over animals than people. Today sadly Lady Katarina and myself had to take one of our cats and have him put to sleep. He had reached the venerable age of 15 but he was suffering and his quality of life was not up to snuff. It is a very difficult decision to make and heart wrenching when you realise that you will no longer see him or stroke him Like all pets they have a personality and become family, Woody was no exception. So farewell Woody we enjoyed your company for the time you were with us and we loved you.

Football and other events

They call it the beautiful game and it is universally accepted that football is the most popular sport currently played on the planet.  I am sure there are pedants out there who will tell us that there are pastimes that have greater worldwide participation. No doubt the old footy game has improved its image over the years from outrageous hooliganism and organised violence of the past but it seems no matter how much it tries that violence still rears its ugly head more often than any one would like. There are other problems that beset soccer but escaping the thuggish behavior, of which is always labelled  a "mindless minority", of some so called fans seems to be almost impossible! I suppose where there is tribal allegiance especially on an international level, there will always be those who kidnap the occasion to perpetrate their base instincts and attack the opposing fans! A mindless minority they maybe but as with all minorities they can scar an event and overshadow the tournament. I am unable to propose a solution as I cannot begin to understand the mentality of these morons. Perhaps you can either understand or propose a solution?

Now old Guesty was the Ambassador to the USA and I have commented before on the Americans attitude towards guns. Today when I got back to Thorn Towers I learnt of yet another mass killing in Florida, which I now understand has cost 50 lives and many injured. Americans need to address the issue whether the right to bear arms is written in the constitution or not, people keep dying because it is easy to get guns, its that simple.
When you talk to Americans whether the ordinary working ones, men, women, intellectuals, politicians or whomever, most seem to accept the right to defend oneself as inalienable right and whilst they may condemn the many shooting's that take place, it seems they are willing to accept it as the price paid for this right!
Naturally big business and politics, influence the agenda and there is a fiercely fought defense of the right to bear arms. As with all things money is at the root of these issues but I truly believe that eventually it will be addressed and guns will be outlawed. The question is how many innocent people have to die before they come to their senses and do something about it? 

Have you got the message?

I hope by now I have made my views on the referendum crystal clear. I don't mean to beat it to death with a stick but you should vote to stay
Thank you.

European Union

Old Guestling has been away for a while, so I have been a little out of touch but I return to find that our Government has decided to hold a referendum whether we should stay in the European Union? Well at first I thought it was some kind of joke but upon further investigation I realised it was for real! As a retired diplomat who has served in a number of embassies around Europe, I think I am well qualified to have an opinion on this.
I read a lot of the rhetoric written and spoken by both sides of the argument, well all I can say is what a load of bollocks! Talk about your scare tactics. Jobs gone, money lost , immigration out of hand, laws re-written, trade damaged, people worse off, better off,everything gone too hell in a handbag whichever way you vote, it seems whoever is giving their message, it is more confusing than being told to stand in a dustbin and piss in the corner!!! Those who want to leave distort the facts to support their point of view and the those who say we should stay embellish the figures to support theirs. I suspect the truth won't be and is not known.
Now let me declare my position, I am firmly in the remain camp. Why Guestling you ask? My view is simple, I am and always have considered my self to be European. Its not a political stance or one of any commercial bent, I just consider that we are all Europeans because we live in, well Europe! If we remain we can effect and affect its future, if we are out, well naturally it would be more difficult.
I have no time for xenophobia, people are people, they should be allowed to go where they wish with as little restriction as is necessary, it cuts both ways, do we want our travel subject to controls and red tape, I seriously doubt it! In all countries there are native born and those of for one reason or another have immigrated and now live there. It is not a issue unique to Britain. And do we understand what an immigrant is? It is a person who leaves one place to live in another, nothing more, nothing less. An ex-pat is not exclusively a Britain living in Spain it is any person who leaves one place to live in another, in other words an immigrant. People have been re-locating from one place to another for thousands of years, it's nothing new. A refuge is a person who needs to re-locate to escape persecution or danger, they don't necessarily wish to leave they have little choice. Perhaps we should ask ourselves who in the main is the original architect of many of the conflicts that caused these people to leave?
So Europe a union worth belonging to? Yes it needs reform, yes it it has flaws, yes there is bios, yes in can be unfair and restrictive but it brings unity and rules that have improved our rights. Do you really want Britain to retreat into isolationism and to close it s borders to those who need our help? Do you want our international standing to diminish? I don't know if that will happen but I don't want to risk it either. So a Union worth belonging to I believe the answer is yes and you know Guestling is usually right!