The trouble about being extremely old is that you have seen so many changes in social behaviour, criminal behaviour and politics, that you become a boring critic. From childhood education is probably more by imitation than it is by instruction, and this does not stop entirely after childhood. One only has to see the way… Continue reading Education and progress
Another typical government dichotomy
The other day I was hunting about for a shopping bag in which to put rubbish. It suddenly dawned on me how government policy is once again so totally crazy. We are admonished for wasting valuable resources by using plastic shopping bags, and urged to use more substantial shopping bags repeatedly. Now that I can’t… Continue reading Another typical government dichotomy
Animal communication
Recently I was looking at a costume drama film that had every type of horse and combination of horses, single as hacks, in matched pairs and fours, often standing about waiting to be ridden or pulling. It caused me to wonder what they were thinking about, and surprisingly it turns out, as I suspected, they… Continue reading Animal communication
Allegedly
I know as little about the law as I do about everything else, so when I say that I find it incredible that if I use the word ‘allegedly’, I can make libellous or slanderous statements without being sued, I could be wrong. In a court of law, having promised to tell the truth, if… Continue reading Allegedly
£300,000 per head
On the BBC news I think I heard, although I have not been able to verify it, that this figure quoted, so unbelievable, as the cost of maintaining soldiers in the Middle East, I doubted my hearing but it was repeated at the time. I in no way believe that I have the answer to… Continue reading £300,000 per head
Expenditure
Today people talk in millions, as well as billions, and we are constantly seeing vast areas of waste, some predictable, some as a result of panic, as in the case of the flu pandemic. It seems that they are educating people in different skills, who haven’t a hope of getting a job in that skill… Continue reading Expenditure
The Media, cause and effect
The Media, cause-and-effect. Very old people like me, tend to reminisce, possibly because the future is not as attractive as the past was, in spite of all the progress. I can go back as far as when we had no Media as it is called today, other than the daily newspaper. There was strong censorship,… Continue reading The Media, cause and effect
Either I am crazy, or the government is
This new ASBOS, banning alcohol offenders from public houses, would seem to me totally unworkable as it would require the police to have available while on the beat, written and photographic information on all those banned within something like a 30 mile radius, otherwise, how can they pick out the people who have offended and… Continue reading Either I am crazy, or the government is
The Salvation Army
A long time ago I wrote a piece entitled ‘the religious round’, based on the period of my youth when I was completely incensed by the behaviour of our vicar. At that time my mother forced me to go to church on Sunday, she didn’t care what the religion was, as long as it was… Continue reading The Salvation Army
Illumination and education
Illumination. You can just imagine some civil servant, dying to impress his superiors, waking up in the middle of the night with ‘The great idea!’. He had decided, either here or in Brussels, that those little clear, candle light bulbs used for wall brackets and hall chandeliers are a serious waste of energy even if… Continue reading Illumination and education