The ramblings of an old Pensioner on "news" items, rants, observations of the world around me, my daily life or whatever else attracts my attention.
If I have not posted anything for a while, it may be because I am roaming about in a campervan see www.kenandkathleen.blogspot.com
Please comment if you feel inclined, at least then I know I am not talking to myself (again).
Tomorrow we fly to Houston (Texas) to see Gary, Susana and new arrival Gabriel.
Really looking forward to it, excluding the airport bits, which no sane person can enjoy surely.
So far we have photographs and videos, courtesy of Facebook, to tell us what he looks like, so soon we will be able to see the real thing!
I was banished from the packing, on the basis that only women can fold clothes (quite a good ruse don't you think), and amused myself surfing the web to come up with these adverts.
They should make men feel totally inadequate, maybe someone should start a movement to ban them, since everything else is up for banning.
Cycling today (Thursday), quite a turn out, did not count them all, but it must have been 15 or so. Much more than our usual meagre 3 or 4. Will their enthusiasm survive the winter I wonder?
Friday, and the garden waste bin is emptied, which means I can resume cutting the hedges in the garden. Soon I have (re)filled two "wheelie" bins with cuttings (our own and Helen's next door).
Grey Horse on Friday night, this is back in the usual rythm.
Saturday, continue cutting hedges, now have to resort to filling plastic bags with the cuttings, at least the dozens of charity bags which are pushed through the door each week are comming in useful for something!
Sunday, the energetic mood continues, Kathleen and I do a 20 mile cycle ride, first via Monkton, to St Pauls at Tyne Dock, then to South Shields ferry landing and along the coast to Whitburn. Have the obligatory coffee at Whitburn, then home via Cleadon Village and East Boldon.
A quick shower, and then off to the Customs House for Sunday Lunch.
What a life, why did I waste so much of my life being a wage slave?
Necessity I suppose, oh to have been born rich.
All I have to do now is to get back into the habit of taking the camera with me and we can have some pictures.
"but everybody and his dog knows the ISI fund and support the Taliban. This is because they’re worried of the Indian hoards doing a Von Schlieffen through Afghanistan. What this supposed Intelligence Service fails to point out is why the Indians would want to take over this rather benighted country in the first place. Are the Indians short of a decent offside spinner and willing to invade another country to get one? Because with the best will in the world, India wouldn’t be invading Pakistan for more modern industry, infrastructure and education system.
The irony is in the attempt to strengthen Pakistan by playing both sides, their support of the Taliban weakens their own country by radicalising people into sending their kids to Madrassas rather than computer school. Kids who consider 72 Virgins by blowing up a Afghan Police Checkpoint a valid career option. Oh and the side benefit is that they regularly blow up parts of their own country as well. This will not bring in the business, entrepreneurship or the skills necessary to compete with India. Why is David Cameron not visiting you? Because unlike India we’ve nothing to trade with you, you offer nothing except truck drivers to move our 24Hour Rat Packs to Helmand. The ISI is dooming its country to be a nation that produces nothing more than the odd decent batsman and 174 Million rug makers. Why is an Intelligence Organisation too stupid to realise this."
and some more:
"The Tories may not be a party of the poor, but as Thatcher's record of the greatest transfer of wealth and power from state to low-income individuals through council house sales, and Iain Duncan-Smith's well thought out and consistent policies on Tax n' Benefits show, we do try to be a party FOR the poor. Labour's record in office is one of stagnating social mobility BECAUSE of their emphasis on redistribution and lack of concern for the incentives they build into the system. Their egalitarian education policies removed a ladder for bright kids from poor backgrounds, either Grammar schools or assisted places, because of spite and dogma rather than a view to what works. Thier opposition to the Tory Free Schools is based on ludicrous and dogmatic ideas of a one-size-fits all policy dictated to the classroom all the way from westminster. They cannot see that in order to raise standards, the tight grip of (whatever the department for education is called this week's proxies: The) Local Education Authorities, needs to relax and parents need to be the ones setting teacher's priorities."
