Followers

Friday, 26 April 2024

Only Humans



Leaving aside every bad trait that humans possess and exhibit, every negative aspect of our behaviours, our religious zealotry, political idiocy, our warmongering, our greed, our jealousies, duplicity, criminality and selfishness; none other than a human would create the follies, fancies, endearments and ingenious fripperies I show here. 

Some people step-aside from "normal" behaviour(s) to fulfil themselves, enrich their environment and by their acts of selfless betterment "lift" people around them. They may make people laugh, pick up litter, cut public grass, plant trees, hold doors for strangers, give up seats or give away money: anything is better than nothing as far as I'm concerned. Me, me, me must become us, us, us, then hopefully less of "us" (children) for the sake of our future survival on this planet; for we are truly now, "the elephant in the room".*

A problem or difficult issue that is very obvious, but is ignored for the convenience or comfort of those involved. The root cause of the world's problems is too many people are being born (details here).


Man in the bin

Secret miniatures

Mini scenes

Super imagination1 and Super imagination2 and Super imagination3 and The creator

Mouse holes

Ron's place

Street art can lift your heart in many ways

A "mass wuther" to honour Kate Bush

Banksy changed a town

Kindness 1    Kindness 2    Kindness 3  

Amazing street art (43 pictures)  and 72 pictues and in South Africa

Public gardening

Public Gardening (in USA)

Good Deeds1    Good Deeds 2    Good Deeds 3

Amazing guitar man

Word of the day - ELOCUTION

The word today is Elocution

Elocution is a noun and means the following:

- The art of public speaking with gesturing and good vocal delivery

- To speak publicly with care, clarity and emphasis where effective



Do not confuse elocution with erudition


Having good elocution does not mean you have good erudition
Without knowledge or great experience you are unlikely to be erudite
If you are able to do elocution you are said to be eloquent

If you need more start herehere or see what Wikipedia has to say.

There is an index of words of the day.

If you are brave or foolish enough to dig into the different types of words in English, try this.

Wednesday, 24 April 2024

Word of the day - ERUDITE

The word today is Erudite

Erudite is an adjective and means the following:

- To have and to be able to show great knowledge or learning

- To show characteristics of extensive reading or learned instruction

- To have a depth of knowledge known only to few people


Do not confuse erudition with elocution 


Without knowledge or great experience you are unlikely to be erudite
Erudition is the act of proving how erudite you are to others
People may say you have great erudition if you impress them verbally
Being erudite is a relative term - eg 1-eyed in a room of blind people

If you need more start herehere or here to know when to use erudite.

There is an index of words of the day.

If you are brave or foolish enough to dig into the different types of words in English, try this.

Lord FRANK FIELD M.P. - R.I.P.

I do not have respect for any current politician of any persuasion, either because I have not know them, or because of the simple fact that they are a (modern) politician.

There has of course been many UK politicians deserving of a virtuous eulogy, but sadly many warrant no more than a sterile resume of their life. Lord Frank Field, former M.P. and Labour Cabinet Minister was not such a person.

I first became aware of "Frank" with the introduction of televised parliament in the UK, when he was an M.P. advocating for the creation of a Pensions Reform Group, which he subsequently chaired. He came across as a plain-speaking, passionate and erudite man, for whom there seemed great respect in the chamber, such was his regard there. When Frank rose to speak there was usually very little "back-chat" and I admired his achievement of that with his calm and measured deliveries. 

Though he made it into a Labour cabinet and was later elevated to a Lordship, Frank remained steadfast in his lifelong lobbying for the betterment of the care and welfare of, dare we say it anymore, the "common man". When Frank spoke I listened and was impressed, thus my personal remembrance here. Frank, R.I.P. and thank you for your service. Frank field frankfield


Lord Frank Field R.I P.


"Frank" (7th from left) amongst the 1997 Labour Cabinet

N.B. How many people can you recall from this photograph?
         I got Alistair "safe hands" Darling, (2nd from left)
         Gordon "posturing" Brown, (6th)
         Frank, (7th)
         David Blunkett (9th - only blind minister of state),
         Marjorie "Mo" Mowlem (10th humility + fame for N.I. peace talks)
         Peter "Mandy the traitor" Mandelson (11th slippery and slimy)
         Who the rest were I haven't a clue, such was their influence!

Here's more information about Lord Frank Field, from SKY News, from the BBC, from someone who knew him and from Frank's own constituency page.

Monday, 22 April 2024

Truism (about Train Drivers?)

Striking train drivers and some on similar salaries are greedy.

You're angry? - You're passengers hate you!

Personal thought - UK train drivers are paid plenty of money and yet never stop expressing how entitled they feel. They are literally sitting comfortably for a skilled (though routine) job, and should get off their feathered arses and take another job if not happy with their current one. They think that by repeatedly guerrilla-targeting important travel times (hols, Xmas, sports, festivals, etc) they will somehow give more gravitas to their demand(s), but all they do is harden the feelings of the public (paying in many ways), toward them. As if to confirm this last point (in both ways), they are striking again, on a National holiday. Perhaps the Government's Department Of Transport and their plans to nationalise this industry will improve our opinion of it, but I doubt it!

Believe it or not, there is a projected shortfall of trained drivers coming, probably explaining why they are so keen to raise their final salary now and thus their pension. To cover this the government proposed teenagers to be allowed to drive trains and then altered rules, thereby allowing 18 year olds to drive trains (a very good salary at 18!)

Whilst I'm here, too many people overvalue their "contributions" to society and should always remember they have the freedom to leave one job to take another. They could even try a different "career", for when AI kicks in many will be redundant; think on you nurses, G.P's, doctors, consultants, solicitors, lawyers, diagnosticians, teachers......,  (Anyone in a knowledge retrieval type job.)

Saturday, 13 April 2024

Truism (for leaders)


Followers can be the most destructive component of a leader’s influence.

Personal thought - The principles and ideologies of many leaders are ultimately denigrated or returned to a lower order of influence following the actions of followers transposed into zealots.

Zealots, extremists, fanatics - all alienate supporters, devotees, believers and members alike and true leaders have to be mindful of the diminution of their "public" franchise and the potency of their word(s).


















There are many words written about the greatness of leaders, but not so much about their struggles with their own followers, whose visions/motives/ideology evolve and undermine those of their leader.

One simple example could be a leader doesn't like the colour green, so after various pathways of mutation, their zealots start shooting people with green eyes and painting foliage brown.

Thursday, 11 April 2024

Trump has balls, but hers are bigger!

Wow, this Vietnamese woman really has some "cojones" but she's about to lose them, with her death sentence an' all.

Before I continue I have to admit absolute nothing, zero, nada, nil, nowt, bugger-all came to mind to write about today and I just can't be bothered with any efforts at all. I am lazy-boy numero uno today.

I will not condone what she has done to Vietnamese banking, but admit a sneaking admiration for her ability to "stick it to the man", for a 44 billion dollar fraud is perversely impressive; even Trump couldn't match this and he's good!

Anyway, here's the article and here is her fate.

Truong My Lan and her $44 billion

Dirty money is everywhere. $2 Billion in Singapore and it seems woman are getting good at big money crime as a $6.7 Billion crime is exposed

Saturday, 30 March 2024

GRASSHOPPER


The night draws in as the air cools,
and stillness is all around.
The world waits for a new day,
for the breaking of allegiance to darkness,

and our stillness is profound.
Talking and caressing,
laughing then sleeping,
the night it makes us close,
and laying there,
cheek to cheek in the cool of the silent night,
we'll draw inwards to each other with a glow of life;
with a glow of life and love?
For laying there on the bed in the stillness of night,
beside your body fair;
no more do I want,
no more do I care;
for as long as I lay with you there.




Postscript:
For me this early relationship was intense because I was way out of my emotional depth. There was no shallow-end here, just that deep longing pushing me around like an irresistible tide. With the purity of hindsight I would now paraphrase a lyric by Joan Armatrading and say this to Julie.

Little darling, I believe you helped me a lot
You took me by the hand and lead me where you willed
No conversation, no wave goodnight
(we) Just made love with affection

When transposed into the past tense is this poem better, invoking a little melancholia?

            The night drew in as the air cooled
            and stillness was all around.
            The world waited for a new day,
            for the breaking of allegiance to darkness,

            and our stillness was profound.
            Talking and caressing,
            laughing then sleeping,
            the night it made us close,
            and laying there,
            cheek to cheek in the cool of the silent night,
            we drew inwards to each other with a glow of life;
            with a glow of life and love?
            For laying there on the bed in the stillness of night,
            beside your body fair;
            no more did I want,
            no more did I care;
            for as long as I lay with you there.

Thursday, 28 March 2024

Word of the day - FUGUE

The word today is Fugue

Fugue is a noun and is unusual as it can mean two things:

- A musical piece with two or more intertwining voices

- Disturbed consciousness, with no memory after recovery

A word with two meanings





A musical fugue can be irritating or enchanting
A medical fugue is very rare and confusing for all

If you need more about musical fugue start here or here
If you need more about medical fugue start here or here
Dictionay definitions are here or here.

There is an index of words of the day.

If you are brave or foolish enough to dig into the different types of words in English, try this.

Monday, 25 March 2024

Smart Meters - I tried to warn you


For years I have been pestered by E.ON, who are persistent in their assertion that they "must" replace my electricity meter (new five years ago). They "must" install a "smart meter" in order to offer many advantages to myself.


I DO NOT WANT A SMART METER,
 NOR CAN THEY FORCE ME TO HAVE ONE!

Their assertion that they "must" do anything more than simply supply and bill me for electricity is false. At best their "must" could be, "we would like to", or "we are being pressured by government to", but "must"? I don't think so. Consumers cannot legally be forced onto a smart meter, even though they have probably already paid for it in some form of prior green levy.

Let me explain:

A smart meter will tell me how much electricity I am using and may thus induce me to reduce my consumption and its related bill, but it will not. I will not reduce their exposure to my possible indebtedness for I refuse to be a frozen, meek pensioner, stressed-out and intimidated daily by its "helpful" information. They will never tell me the reason courts may come knocking is because I "chose" to ignore the advice of a damned smart meter. No way - if I'm freezing my arse off the electric heating goes on.

A smart meter accurately records and transmits consumption to them each half hour, for no advantage to myself in any way; and whilst I am happy for E.ON to send me accurate bills based on monthly meter readings that I supply and pay online, at no cost to them, I do not want to host technology that facilitates an ability to vary the cost of my electricity, on a half hourly basis, during periods of high national demand (for instance), nor do I want "encouraging" to consume, or charge and tax my car outside of "peak times" (Or pay more for the privilege). Update 2023: I wrote the paragraph above in 2018 and it has come to pass in 2023. With sufficient smart meters in use suppliers are confident enough to test their ideas by offering discounts to users taking power in "off-peak" times. This is merely to test their ability to bill for dynamic variation(s) of the electricity price. Believe me, once established the true intent will be revealed; that electricity used at peak demand via a smart meter will be charged automatically at a higher rate, in order to give evermore profit and to smooth power demand in order to mask the deficiencies in the UK's power generation and supply network. You were warned! and this is what the industry is doingUpdate 2024: Finally "they" reveal their hand and the motive(s) behind the drive for smart meters: more control and more profit by charging different amounts for electricity according to circumstances (e.g. No wind for turbines) beyond the control of millions of (poor) subscribers, or those who have bought electric vehicles..

A side-issue with smart meters is their ability to be remotely changed into pre-payment mode, meaning you suddenly become "a valued customer" who is deemed poor because you missed a bill payment by more than 15 days (perhaps because your insurer doubled your pending motor insurance and yet you still have to feed the kids!); the real kicker is that pre-paid electricity costs you more and what the supplier has really done is make even more profits from "poor" customers. Without a smart meter this would not happen as readily, so no smart meter for me thank you.

I do not blame electrical vendors wanting more profit in return for not embarrassing politicians, whose inability to enforc national strategic capacity planning is about to be exposed, (as national power generation is nearly incapable of satisfying peak demand), but I simply do not want to be billed every half hour on a Variable Tariff Rate, nor be bullied into changing my consumption patterns; or worse still have a pre-payment only mode downloaded into my meter which will make the same electricity as anyone else cost me more. 

Furthermore, I will not want a meter I "must" have, that can automatically cut me off, or tax me on the amount of power my electric car tells any smart meter it has taken, nor to be "hacked" at some time in the future, as most other "Internet of things" seems to suffer these days. When some hacker works out how to tell all metres to shut down, mine will not be one of them.

No thanks E.ON; keep you smart meter, or I will switch to another supplier (not possible by 2023 as any move now stipulates a smart meter is require), something I know will not be trouble free, because their billing systems will probably not understand the transmissions from an E.ON "smart meter". To say the least, the history of smart meters in the UK has not gone well.


Sorry readers, rant over. Normal service will now resume...

Consequences?

Your rights according to Ofgen





Sunday, 24 March 2024

TENDING MY ROSE

As we age and start to look beyond the excitements of youth, a need for personal closeness beyond that of  "mates" begins to gather momentum. Not quite a nesting instinct that will come later, but a quiet murmuring in the backwaters of your mind, incessant and sometimes worrying, that comes upon you regularly like a tide, it cannot be turned and sometimes you feel you are drowning in "something" other than self-pity or mere lustfulness. You just know you are ready for a meaningful and loving personal relationship.

Such feelings of unresolved longing, of ennui, can almost consume a person's normal thoughts and a malaise with social withdrawal from those "settling-down", getting married and "nesting" into parenthood. Your need to follow them can become overpowering and sometimes lead to acts of embarrassing social desperation. This I have experienced.

Talking to a piece of paper via a poem may help (as it did me), and a few tears are not uncommon, but best kept secret (I thought).

The following words were/are a retrospective confirmation that I had found someone (my wife of many years) and that in my former barren garden of  life I tended a beautiful rose, who is actually called Rose.

I wish for any readers approaching their time of "settling-down" that your segue goes smoothly.


Wandering the garden of life
I longed for a flower.

I needed a flower,
for looking about others tended theirs
large and small
short and tall;
and I tended nothing.

Through my winter of life
nothing grew till I found you.

I longed for a flower
and found a rose.




Friday, 22 March 2024

Mothers Love (or do they?)


In the UK two child brothers were sentenced to indefinite detention for the appalling abuse and torture of two unrelated boys; a prophetic conclusion to their "toxic life" finally came to pass, as it has for two similar feral killer children.

Leaving aside the ritualistic media driven "investigations" and "new" recommendations that inevitably followed, adding to the burden on the shelf of hard-core social service failures and the burgeoning (and yet somehow restricting) cannon of advice papers, guidance documents and ineffective government directives; when will we allow ourselves to ask the most fundamental of questions, 

Who wrecked the lives of these children?
Who to prosecuted for destruction of their rightful expectations?
Who allowed their lives to be so "toxic"? 
Who allowed "care" to reach a point where lives were taken or children broken to become so sociopathic as to render as fully-fledged sadistic beings.

Who but their "parents" of course!

Agencies who have legislation to effectively intercede in any child's history may fail, but rolling back a child's history leads ultimately to their "parents", most importantly their mother. God only knows why women conspiratorially stand by men (and vice-versa) who foul their children on a daily basis; who fear, loathe and attack their "partner" and yet still "love" them? I don't think I'll ever know but my desire to see punishment fitting a crime also encompasses a desire to see the catalysts of crime punished equally.

The parents of these boys had so obviously abused them through neglect and (dare one still say) a complete lack of any effective social guidance, also deserve punishment. If they have remaining children it can only be assumed they are equally damaged and in need of help, but what seems certain is they do not need those parents! Lock-up the adults for the same amount of time as the underaged thugs they "raise".

The oft' quoted Jesuit motto, "Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man," seems to be most appropriate at this time, so look after your kids please, as you would like them to look after you. (Once the state completes its rollback to the Victorian model of family support.)

Though I did not write the following poem I wish I had, for I admire its ability to express an obvious anger without any incitement to violence. Author PAUL ENGLAND is slowly documenting what we take to be his life’s experiences and I believe he deserves a wider audience.

A MOTHER SO COLD

Mother let me tell you
I don't give a fuck;
shit, I felt it too
when fathers place you took.

Am I a child you could not hold
you callous fucking cunt,
you call me cold!
shit, you've got some front.

For father told me this;
how ready you are to scold,
so excuse me all you people
if I am talking bold,
but mother said some shit
that went and touched my heart,
so I'll take her to my rhymes
and rip that bitch apart.

I'm crying while I write
‘cos this shit hurts to say
but I feel I have to write
‘cos the pain won't go away.

You see there is a line
but you crossed that long ago,
that day you got so selfish
and dad walked out the door.

So keep your love
and save it for another,
for what you've done to me:
you just can't be a mother.


On average, at least one child is killed each week in the UK, often at the hands of guilty parents or "carers"; this statistic as changed little for decades and is apparently an intractable problem. I'd want both parents forcibly sterilised. What would you have done with this lot?

     August 2020 - Bimbo killer mother
     Mar 2024 - As should her "man", with commentary
                        This sub-human should hang for his crime ... 
                           Caught on CCTV pushing a baby's corpse an laughing
Jailed for 30+years, Urfan Sharif and wife would die under Pakistani Law - so send them back! The murder inquest takes place in April 2027! (reflecting the chaos in the court's systems)

    May 2025 - A bastard, selling her children into God only knows what.
    Oct 2025 - Rebecca Shuttleworth should be sterilised
Good ol' Becki

PAUL ENGLAND Poet LAURENCEAUX England LAURENCEAU Lawrenceaux LAWRENCEAU Laureanceaux LAURANCEAU Lawranceaux LAWRANCEAU Loranceaux LORANCEAU Lorranceaux LORRANCEAU POETRY Prose POEMS Social Comments HUMOUR Humerous SMILE Smiling LAUGH Laughing LAFF Laffing CYNICAL Truism TRUISMS Welcome HULL Kingston-Upon-Hull Kingston Upon Hull KINGSTON-ON-HULL Kingston On Hull YORKSHIRE East Yorkshire HUMBERSIDE Yorkshire DEPRESSION ThisISUll FED-UP Pissed-Off LONELY Disgruntled DISSOLUSIONED Blue BLACK Thinking BLOG Blogger LYON

Sunday, 17 March 2024

Word of the day - GOBSMACKED

The word today is Gobsmacked

Gobsmacked is an adjective and means the following:

- To be rendered speechless or bereft of words through shock or awe

- To be so utterly surprised or astounded one cannot speak

- When your senses or feelings are so overwhelmed you cannot speak



Gobsmacked is mostly used in the UK, but spreading via media use
Gobsmacked is a "shorthand" for other expressions of astoundment
Gobsmacked is now regarded as slang, though it is s proper word
One could say, "I was so shocked I was gobsmacked"
I could say of another, "his shock was so great he was gobstruck"

If you need more start here or here.

There is an index of words of the day.

If you are brave or foolish enough to dig into the different types of words in English, try this.

Tuesday, 12 March 2024

A Despicable Act

Russia!

PUTIN!!!

A despicable and unnecessary act that killed people at prayer was perpetrated by the Russian military this day. Despite their ability to destroy any other part of Ukraine with their pin-point accuracy weapons, they chose to target a church of all things; a non-strategic "target" was wilfully destroyed in Odesa, a world heritage designated area. Non-strategic targets seem to be the new sport of Putin's mob, as they also struck "Harry Potter castle", for no good reason other than they can.

Why?

Because they can, I suppose, but certainly not in the name of many, many Russians, who are a proud people whose standing in the world has and is still being trashed by the corrupted and criminal fraternity now driving that country to a place that is detrimental to all who partake. 

Please wake-up you massed Russians and find the inner strength to subvert the actions of your despot leaders who are running the once proud name of Russia, its heritage and its children into dust.








Start reading of this here ....

The fire inside ...

A Wagner story ...

Killing children in a non-military target . "Normal" Russian must be sooooo proud of their valiant military puppets and dropping drone bombs in random civilians.

Russian irregular troops have turned their backs on Putin and attacked land inside Russia. Will their action be a catalyst for change?

Why do normally proud Russians put up with this nonsense and this is absurd.

Sunday, 10 March 2024

Word of the day - FESTOON

The word today is Festoon

Festoon is a noun / verb  and means the following:

- To decorate a room, person or object for a special occasion

- To  decorate with hanging embellishments, usually curved like drapes


A festoon


If you festoon someone they are said to become festooned
Festooning is the process of  making them festooned 
Whilst becoming festooned someone/thing undergoes festoonment
The word drape could replace festoon in many sentences (I think).

The noun festoon first appeared in the 1600s when it was used, as it still is today, to refer to  decorative chain or strips hung between two points, be it on a person or object. After a century’s worth of adoring festoons, the word festoon acquired a duality as a verb (e.g. I will festoon that person with golden drapes)

If you need more start here or here or better still, here.

There is an index of words of the day.

If you are brave or foolish enough to dig into the different types of words in English, try this.

Friday, 8 March 2024

SUSAN FEWSTER R.I.P.

Yesterday my sister-in-law died of cancer. We will miss her greatly. She was the bedrock of many people's life, steadying for them their twists and turns of life with selfless dedication and little thought to her own requirements. She was a loyal, friendly, helpful, supportive and caring person who we will miss greatly and think of often.  Sue Fewster , Susan Fewster , Susan Fewster (nee Markham) , Sue Fewster (Nee Markham) , Bat Bat , batbat ,

Susan Fewster R.I.P.


I have come to the end of my journey
and the sun has set for me,
but I want no rites in a gloom filled room;
why cry for my soul set free?
Miss me a little please
but not for long with heads bowed,
remember my love or friendship
and smile when I’m not around.
Take care of yourselves my friends,
may your care of others abound;
take time to reflect upon the Earth
and what you leave to be found.

* This poem was inspired by an original by Christina Georgina Rossetti
























With hindsight her hospital (Hull's Castle Hill) made a pigs-ear of her treatments - undue delays in treatment (due to petty strike action and the catch-all excuse of COVID), "lost" test results, "trying" different medications like they didn't really have a clue (or much interest), different doctors popping-in to ask inane questions, as if they were there out of curiosity to see what near-death looks like. There was nothing more telling than when one nurse on the ward confided, "you wouldn't treat an animal like this". Complain you may say? 

What's the point of taking on a well oiled excusing and denial machine.

Cancer patients at risk, again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and  again.

Update 11th Nov 2025: Being ranked 119th of 121 UK hospital trusts reflects the dire and inexcusable performance in Hull -  0 of 3 targets met and over 50% failure of diagnosis to commencing treatment requirement.

Monday, 4 March 2024

Meaningful songs #27 - GEORGE MICHAEL

This  is the twenty-seventh in an occasional series of songs from my collection, with the intent of introducing music to younger readers that they may gain appreciation of music from the classic years, 1957-1990. 

I have lived long enough to hear the "popular" music industry become ever-more formulaic, lazy, uninspiring and cynical; delivering "units" and "artistes" as interesting and memorable as polished mud.

Meaningful songs that eloquently convey a story, sentiment, or social comment and make it to national consciousness are rare these days. If you agree this song is meaningful, please introduce it to someone young; they might enjoy becoming "musical archaeologists".

Todays song, titled "A Different Corner", released in 1986, is by a singer called George Michael.


Hear George Michael's song here

A Different Corner speaks of a deep crush or an undeclared love that eventually fails, because of fear of its consequences. Though the deepest of loves it comes to nought because it could not be declared*

* George was an undeclared homosexual at this time and was portrayed publicly as every girl's dream; he took the public humiliation on the chin at the time, but brilliantly gave the "media" the finger with a huge hit called Outside in 1996.

In 1986 George Michael was just about to disband the group (WHAM!) to go solo, which he achieved following the global success of this song.

To gather an insight as to how, when and why this song came to be recorded, read here George Michael's own words on the matter.

A DIFFERENT CORNER
    
I'd say love was a magical flame
I'd say love would keep us from pain
Had I been there
Had I been there

I would promise you all of my life
But to lose you would cut like a knife
So I don't dare
No, I don't dare

'Cause I've never come close in all of these years
You are the only one to stop my tears
And I'm so scared
I'm so scared

Take me back in time maybe I can forget
Turn a different corner and we never would have met
Would you care?

I don't understand it, for you it's a breeze
Little by little you've brought me to my knees
Don't you care?

No I've never come close in all these years
You are the only one to stop my tears
I'm so scared of this love

And if all that there is, is this fear of being used
I should go back to being lonely and confused
If I could, I would, I swear

Oh, I swear

Read the next article in this series or hear the next song in the series.

For the index of all songs in this blog click here.