Day 110

Well surprise, surprise Trump pardons his mate. This President would do what ever he felt like if there wasn’t at least some laws in place to stop him. He is probably frustrated that he can’t do whatever he wants. Probably has advisors constantly saying “No Mr President you cannot do that” with his reply “Why not, I’m the President” He has no concept of what Presidential means. There have been bad Presidents before Donald Trump but surely no single one of them has been as thick, ignorant, mad, bad and uncontrolled as him?
I have this nagging feeling that the idiots of America will elect him again. I hope not but then I could not believe they voted him in the first time! I have spent a lot of words condemning him in for the whole time he campaigned and since he became President and I would like a rest. Even if he looses he will not go quietly he will continue to bluster and bully from the cheap seats and insult and criticise, spouting lies and distorted statistics. I wonder if the lady who is his press secretary actually believes what she says to reporters or is just doing what is a highly paid job and knows she spouting bollocks?  We should crowd fund for a contract to have him...........!

To mask or not to mask? Nobody wants to wear a mask. The guidelines have no logic. Wendy has just read that you would need to wear a mask to enter a community centre where you do not know the people there but you can go the Pub and not have to wear one? If I have to wear a mask I will. Personally I’m going for the Zorro look or maybe I’ve misunderstood?

Susie’s word for today: SEQUECIOUS an adjective for someone who follows opinions of others in a slavish and irrational manner.

Stay well

Day 109


I’m all over the place this morning not sure where to begin or what to write about!

Gyms can open and Wendy can return to work. The practicalities of policing people going in and out and exercising are ambiguous to say the least. Changing rooms and access to swimming pools not easy. Inevitably they will get it wrong and those returning to the gym will either not understand or be unclear as to how they use it. Still they are allowed to open again and in view of what has already been allowed to open it’s about time.

Retail store closing is no great surprise. They were under severe pressure before this close down and whilst they might have survived a little longer without the enforced shut down, inevitably they would have gone eventually. The lockdown has just hastened the closure. Wendy and I have visited the John Lewis in Birmingham a number of times. It is a large well laid out store but each time we have been there it has one thing missing, customers! New Street Station and the Bullring are always packed with people but the store isn’t.
The internet is always blamed for the decline of the High St. and certainly it plays a big part but it is far from the sole reason why retail has declined. Retail has been slow in many case to change the experience of their customers and alter the staid and trusted format of how they organise the layout and this is particularly true of clothes stores. They are boring and dull. Obviously you have to display your stock and have different sizes out. Yes they have to be hung or laid out. We want to touch them, handle them, try them but there must be more innovative means of doing this. Older independent stores have a charm of their own with a comfort factor of familiarity. For the modern retail store innovation and radical reform is required.
Wendy suggests that they fill the vacated space when John Lewis leave with small independent shops and make it a little like the Brighton Lanes (for those of you who know what they are like). Not fill it with all the usual suspects we see in every High S. We hardly need another Mobile phone store or Betting shop! Variety and individuality is what is needed.

Oklahoma where the wind comes rushing down the plain, now half of it belongs to the Native population. So well done the Supreme Court. Trump must have choked on his breakfast when he found out his appointment had written the verdict and he can’t do anything about it! I find it uncomfortable when the Native population of America is forgotten and their terrible history seems to be forgotten as well.
I am of the opinion that eventually (if not already) so called white people will be the minority and then see how we like it. It’s a long way off  but it will happen. As the saying says “what goes around come around”

I am taking part in a Podcast today for my PT Ben. He wants me to give the perspective of the “older” person. Why I chose to have a PT and what my motivation is. I will post the link on this page and probably on Facebook, if you want to listen to me rambling on as I do on this page, that’s up to you!

Stay well

Day 108

A quick and short piece today I am on my way out.

10 years of supposed austerity, poor investment and little funding. along comes a Virus and magically we have all the money in the world?
Where are we borrowing from and how long before we pay it back?

Stay well

Day 107

Todays word from Susie:   Smellfungus.  A grumbler, a faultfinder, someone who likes to shift blame on someone else.  Remind you of anyone?

Do you get the feeling of helplessness each day when you read the news? Do you get think the world is spinning out of control and none of us are able to do anything about it?
For a very long time now a “fact” is muted one day and then apparently totally contradicted the next! So many opinions from so called experts or those whom we supposedly trust, that we have no idea what is and isn’t right. We no longer trust or believe even the evidence of our own eyes.
As Wendy has just read out, we are in a Kafka esk world where rules are set, we follow them and then they are changed because either they didn’t work or it no longer suits those who set them. It’s no wonder we are confused. Who tells the truth? Sifting through all the talk and double talk is like wading through a swamp with no clue how to get out of it!
You can understand why many just stop bothering to engage and ignore it all. I’ve tried really hard to disengage but I just can’t. I can manage for a few days but eventually I am drawn back into the daily madness of the world’s story, however distorted it is.
I don’t about you but I struggle to understand why some things are dealt with and others ignored. Perhaps I am naive but to me so much of what we fail to address appears to be relatively simple to resolve we just don't seem to have the will to do it. I know there is only so much money (although you wouldn’t think with this government) but when so much of it is wasted or given to those who don’t deserve it or need it, you do wonder! If some of the layers and layers of bureaucracy could be removed and we got back to dealing on a human related basis things could be much simpler.
Now we have the whole gamut of Social Media where everybody and anyone can have an opinion and throw in their two pennies worth. Once again I am aware of the irony of writing that sentence in a blog!

Then again what would I have to moan about each day!

Stay well

Day 106

Boris seldom opens his mouth without putting both feet in it but to criticise  Care homes even if some of what he says was true is beyond stupid. He should work on the maximum that if you have nothing good to say then say nothing!
Those who read regularly (all two of you!) will know Wendy’s Mum is in a care home. They did all they could to make sure their residents would be safe and thus far successfully. Surely when this started the powers would have realised that the old people in theses places would the most vulnerable and immediately done something to help and advise. By the time they reacted it was to late and the damage was done. I’m sure there are Homes that did not take sufficient precautions in time. People come and go to visit, deliver, carry out work etc.
Whatever the reasons, whatever the consequences you do not have a go at them just to try and justify your lack of care. A real statesman shows empathy and regret for any blame for lack of quick action and offers sympathy and support. Many of today’s politicians are unable to behave with compassion or understanding and only try to deflect or shift blame. It is all very well throwing money everywhere and hope some of it will stick but These are human issues and require kind words and real action.

Stay well

Day 106

I may stir up a bit of controversy but here goes.
We were asked to clap to celebrate 72 years of the NHS. Don’t get me wrong of course we should be proud and grateful for the NHS, as I have said a number of times without it I would not be typing this.
I don’t remember celebrating 70 years of the NHS or 50 or 60 or 25 for that matter. A pandemic sweeps across the world and suddenly we are celebrating 72 years of the NHS. Now I get it. It’s been a tough time and it will never stop. The real test of how well the government values these hero’s is when they announce their pay rise and do something about the intolerable pressure they are under all the time. When they realise that targets are irrelevant and that health is not a spreadsheet!
The greatest support we can give the NHS is to behave in a responsible manner now and in the future, to take care of ourselves so as we do not require any treatment. Illness and disease will always strike that is the human condition and they are there to help when they do. Accidents happen are they are there to help when they do! Acts of violence and deliberate harm are always with us and they are there to help when they do! They are not there to fix people who damage their own health by doing those things they know will harm them but of course they help when we do!
I have nothing but admiration for those dedicated health professionals that give their time and expertise but 72 years is just a publicity stunt by a government that knows it is deflecting the public by celebrating with applause to mask their neglect of actually radically changing the service for the better!

A word about social distancing. There are those who still take note of it and I suspect they are the majority. You do not get reports of people practicing social distancing (at whatever distance is now acceptable?) Naturally you do have reports of crowds who are blatantly breaking the social distancing guidelines. People who crowd onto beaches or fill streets whilst having a night out, go to raves and house parties are those who have the attitude that “it won’t happen to me”? We have all said it many times it is not “me” it is “us” a collective responsibility to care for each other. I am all for fun and enjoyment but sometimes you have think of the greater good. I understand that we have been restricted for a long time. It is frustrating, boring, interminable, I understand for many the future is uncertain and different from before this started. I get that we want to see our families and loved ones, friends. Not doing those things and taking risks could have a very serious consequence for everyone!
A small example. As you know I play golf. I play at Brampton Heath in Northampton. The vast majority of the members are over 60 and the bulk over 70. The club has been very good with its guidelines and instructions. When I finished my round on Thursday last as I walked towards the clubhouse there were a number of people standing  and sitting outside, without exception there was no one under mid sixties and no sign of any social distancing. I understand at our age measurements are hazy!

Stay well!

Day 105

Well where to start? So much to write about today. Here we go eyes down!

Alcohol and the British public what did we expect? Open the pubs and out come the idiots and after such a prolonged period of closure that behave exactly as we knew and feared they would. Did anybody really think that would go well or social distancing would be adhered to? We are rubbish at behaving at the best of times but under these circumstances no chance! Did we really need to put more strain on our health workers and the Police?
The government has given 48 million to Weatherspoon's and not a penny to the arts which is a far more richly cultural experience than treading on a lager soaked carpet mixing with the dregs of society. The priorities of this incompetent bunch, who jump only when those with enough money tell them to is astonishing.
And while we are at it what is wrong with Portugal? They have had less deaths than us and are certainly no worse than Spain or Italy who you can travel to!
Okay moving on

At a time when more than ever the world needs a President who offers the hand of friendship and is conciliatory perhaps proposing that the world works together to fight the pandemic, we have Donald Trump! This orange (I was going to write Baboon but that would be insulting Baboons) nut job cannot say a single word either correctly or that does not insult, marginalise, condemn or antagonise anyone and everyone! He thinks that being aggressive and combative plays to his supporters and he cares about nothing but himself and his popularity, such as it is! Any true statesman would forget trying to blame everyone else and offer the hand of friendship. He does not understand (well anything actually) that really do catch more flies with honey!
Of all the tyrants, dictators, bad leaders and awful people that have been in power in my lifetime I hate him the most. The worst of leaders have mainly grabbed power and hung onto by any and all means that they could. Trump would do so if he thought he could get away with it. I just hope the people of America come to their senses1 One last thing on Trump. I hope that are not the first to come up with a vaccine. Can you imagine? He won’t share it and big pharma in America will charge a fortune for it to any other country and should they ask, you can bet he would not allow China to get their hands on it. He is hate filled, despicable, insensitive, arsehole of a man and indeed it is probably giving him to much credit to cal him a man! HATE HATE HATE him. I think you get the point!!!!

So there you have it, todays rant. I wish I did not have to rant so often but the injustice and stupidity of the world is never ending. Why do we have some of the worse leaders at a time when we needed the best of people in charge? A reflection of ourselves no doubt?

High winds today according to the forecast so don’t get blown about and hang on to that kite!


Stay well