Thursday 30 June 2016

30th June 2016 - Mapping out the Future

Thought for the day: "Me: "I talk to myself"   Me: "Me too!" 

So... as the world starts to get itself back to normal, finding that the world did not actually end in their emotional ranting - a couple of images of the world ..
and of course Europe..

And as the politics continues we are waiting for someone - anyone to move on article 50 - its not likely to happen any time soon ..


but just for posterity..
In case anyone is interested - but more so that I can find it again
The Font for Game of Thrones is Northwood_high.ttf

Enjoyed putting this together for a good friend -


Another pound off today - so getting towards a stone down
But another 5 gallons of Chateau 41 (Red) went on today - be ready in a few weeks 
Lifting a glass of  diet coke today though..

Cheers



Wednesday 29 June 2016

29th June 2016 - Musing on the Level

Thought for the day: "I just wrote a book on reverse psychology - Don't buy it .."



Thought I would put the below chart here as a link for information for myself and for anyone else who thinks that Freemasonry is just the subject of the investigative crazy and the sensational press, full of the paranoid fantasies of the conspiracy therorist...   I am just waiting for the current backlash to find its way into deciding that Freemasonry is at the source of the world's problems and current financial and political frenzy...    I will be surprised if it does not happen ..

But for your interest, or otherwise, there are only two orders on this chart that I am not fully familiar with - the Order of Knight Mason - and the Royal Order of Eri - the latter of which is an invitation only order for higher levels of the SRIA ( Society Rosicruciana in Anglia )
  
So, "a Muslim, a Jew, a Christian, an Indian, and African and a Pole walk into a Masonic Lodge" ...
Not a joke - a reality in most parts of the country. When we declare that we will not discuss Politics or Religion - we mean it....  As a serving Police Officer and a Rotarian, I sat in Rotary meetings with a badge stating "police Service" on my lapel - and as Rotary is a Business fellowship I would be expected to discuss matters of my profession, equally to the bank manager or the surgeon. Not in Freemasonry. In principle, rank and opulence have no bearing. When I joined Freemasonry, a Chief Superintendent was at the bar as a steward serving while constables held higher office through tenure as members..  And so it is in many professions. I would like to say that it works all the time in this ideal manner - It does not.. because people are people, and individuals are individuals, but the principles of the craft prevail over all - and though there may be cases where individual self aggrandisement is sought - over a period of time the Craft becomes a great leveller....

So, I enjoy my hobby, particularly at the moment where it seems to be the only place that I can go and find no-one talking about politics in general or the EU in particular. Where I can sit with different race religion and culture and our main concern is how well the ceremony went, where the next candidate comes from, the toughness of the meat, or the ritual for the next meeting.....

A day off today - in fact a couple of days off as we head towards the end of the season ...  But I shall keep my eyes open for the first back lash ...  I note that Grand Lodge has decided to increase their profile by engaging a film company to look "into the Craft" with a  series of three one hour programs at the end of the year - I hope their timing is right - we shall see...

Meanwhile, the world rolls on - it is raining again, but I have a roof over my head so I am doing better than some...   No weight loss today, seems to be every other day at the moment ..
Another Dry Day..
Cheers !




Tuesday 28 June 2016

28th June 2016 - Bowled Away with Weighty Decisions

Thought for the day : "I am quite glad that dinosaurs are extinct - as I am pretty sure that I would try to ride one after a few drinks...."

Went 10 pin bowling today for the first time in I-don't-know-how-many-years - and found that is was quite fun - though at the "reduced" price of 3 games of £18 it is not a cheap hour and a half ...
But though I could only find a 10 pound ball that fitted my huge hands which has left my arm aching and it was good fun - even if I was trounced by my wife ...  Strange things that we did not have before -  we were offered to put the "Gates" up ... What could that be we asked - oh - that means that you get a little fence all the way down the sides so you cannot go into the gutter  - well it may have improved my game as I followed two strikes and a spare with double zero hits.. No consistency!

Also the old button to reset the skittles is not longer there - we are not empowered or trusted  it seems to be able to do anything when the gate sticks other than speak to the hard working lass - who issues the shoes and the tickets, was hanging the wallpaper and running the bar - got the drinks and the coffee and phoned the "teckkie" guy to reset the lane....  We used to be able to press a button !

And all the adding up is done - but the old image that showed a top down view of which skittles (sorry pins) were left so you could decide how to set the spin and direction ( not that it would have made much difference to me as I went into the gutter again)  is not there ... Only the count of how many you scored and of course it automatically does the hard stuff that we used to have to work out - how many to add from the next go on a spare...


But it was a fun afternoon and a change..



Carmarthen this evening for the installation of Maurice Conclave of Military and Masonic Order of the Red Cross of Constantine - where suddenly I am only one of two founders left, and now the oldest serving Past Master ...  How did that happen ???
There is a photo somewhere of the consecration back in 1997 - probably in a box - I will find it one day ...

And so - another pound dropped - now down to 14st 10 pounds a drop from 15st 8 ten days ago....
Another day with a glass of water..
Bottoms Up .. 


Monday 27 June 2016

27th June 2016 - A quick recap

Thought for the day: "My next life .. I am coming back with looks and money instead of all this sparkling personality stuff"

Simple day today:

Change of Cover picture as it is Monday .....


A quick review of what the EU ios all about care of a great TV series ..

Yes Minister - On the Subject of Europe - That's diplomacy

And a recap of 6 series of Game of Thrones.. Priceless

Game of Thrones - Series 1 - 5


and a joke to send you on your way ...

Weight loss : another pound : Heart tablets seem to be working - ho hum

Cheers with a cup of tea



Sunday 26 June 2016

26th June 2016 - Getting my head around things..

Thought for the day:"The Roman Empire was cut in half by a pair of Ceasars"
Hmm - a lesson from history ???

Let's take some other views:

The United Kingdom EC referendum of 1975, also known as the Common Market referendum and EEC membership referendum was a referendum held on 5 June 1975 in the United Kingdom to gauge support for the country's continued membership of the European Communities (EC), often known as the Common Market at the time, which it had entered in 1973 under the Conservative government of Edward Heath. Labour's manifesto for the October 1974 general election promised that the people would decide "through the ballot box" whether to remain in the EEC. The electorate expressed significant support for EEC membership, with 67% in favour on a 65% turnout. This was the first referendum held throughout the entire United Kingdom, and remained the only UK-wide referendum until the 2011 referendum on alternative voting.

The February 1974 general election yielded a Labour minority government, which then won a majority in the October 1974 general election. Labour pledged in its February 1974 manifesto to renegotiate the terms of British accession to the EEC, and then to consult the public on whether Britain should stay in the EEC on the new terms, if they were acceptable to the government.

The Labour Party had historically feared the consequences of EEC membership, such as the large differentials between the high price of food under the Common Agricultural Policy and the low prices prevalent in Commonwealth markets, as well as the loss of economic sovereignty and the freedom of governments to engage in socialist industrial policies, and party leaders stated their opinion that the Conservatives had negotiated unfavourable terms for Britain.

The EEC heads of government agreed to a deal in Dublin on 11 March 1975; Wilson declared, "I believe that our renegotiation objectives have been substantially though not completely achieved", and said that the government would recommend a vote in favour of continued membership. On 9 April, the House of Commons voted 396 to 170 to continue within the Common Market on the new terms. Along with these developments, the government drafted a Referendum Bill, to be moved in case of a successful renegotiation.

The referendum debate was an unusual time in British politics. During the campaign, the Labour Cabinet was split and its members campaigned on each side of the question, a rare breach of Cabinet collective responsibility. Most votes in the House of Commons in preparation for the referendum were only carried thanks to opposition support, and the Government faced several defeats on technical issues such as election counts. Finally, although the Government declared in advance that it would comply with to the result, the referendum itself was not legally binding upon the government.


A Quote ..
The blaming of the elderly is annoying me.
A friend has some fabulous insight into it.
"Perhaps these were the young idealistic people who voted to join an economic trading area called the EEC only to find it changing into a federalist, superstate and decided this is the wrong route for the UK."



Steve the Flasher

There is much being asked of why the 'Experts' were not listened too by those that didn’t want to do their research..- and generally dont do much research anyway! I reckon there might be about 1 million of them.- but that’s a guess. I'll call this group of people 'The Hacked Off' or THO's.
I put forward this theory as to why they didn’t listen to the experts.
These are examples….- don’t start a discussion on the individual ones.. Ive picked them because we all recall them.
The THO's were told by the experts we needed greener energy. So their energy prices went up to pay for it, wind farms were built, the THO watched people make a lot of money.
The THO were told only 15000 people would come from accession countries… They watched over 10 times that arrive.
The THO's were told by experts we needed immigration.. this suppressed the THO’s wages and THO watched people make a lot of money.
The THOs’s were told by experts that it wasn’t mass immigration causing problems but the THO’s knew it was from personal experience… And that they were being called bigots and racists or just plain stupid because they didn’t realise that immigration benefitted the economy by £xyz billions... the THO’s watched people make a lot of money as their wages didn’t improve and their services were stretched.
This sort of thing went on for a long time and on a lot of occasions.
Eventually the THO’s lost faith in listening to experts, as every time they did they found they were worse off, and the experts, and their sponsors etc, were usually better off…
So by the time of the EU referendum they had guessed they were going to be worse off again and the experts and their mates were going to be better off. (because the experts opinions had ‘form’ in this way) .. so the THO’s decided why listen to the experts?- They knew they were going to be worse off anyway- so what did they have to loose?
Even the politicos who claimed to represent them mostly showed they didn’t…
So it seemed obvious to them …Why not bring the whole lot of experts and their mates up short… And totally ignore them? Stop immigration by voting out. (or try to) This looks belligerent, ignorant, bigoted, and the THO’s look like they have been misled.. Perhaps it is and they have been, but also perhaps they have just had enough of feeling they are going to be worse off if they listen to Experts..?
Normally the THOs’ are spread out over the country and their influence is dissolved by being in constituencies.. This time that didn’t happen.. and 800,000 of them voted for the same one ‘candidate’ on the national ballot paper….. Perhaps this time they were heard. The experts and their sponsors and supporters are now feeling what its like when you are not listened too, your living standards are screwed over and you are insulted.. etc etc…
The ‘oppressed’ have risen up and kicked the bourgeoisie in the nuts..... and listen to the howling…. And the calls to change it so the ignorant and un-researched cannot do this!
As I say, this is a theory.. But I cannot find a different one that fits the facts.. And once you have excluded all the possibilities, what you are left with is most likely the reason.



Brendan O'Neill

So this is what democracy feels like. This is what a ballot-box revolt looks like. Yesterday the people asserted themselves. They made plain their dislike of the EU. And they did so against virtually the entire establishment. The leaders of capitalism, the vast majority of the political class, experts, academics, world leaders, global institutions, the liberal media and the celebrity set united to warn the little people, to hector and lecture them, about the dangers of rejecting the EU. And yet the little people did it anyway. They said No to the EU, and in the process revolted against a political and media establishment that thinks it knows better than us how Britain should be run. This was an uprising, a polite, quiet one, not only against Brussels but against the political class here at home, against those who rule.
Let us dwell for a moment on the failure of the establishment. It pumped an extraordinary amount of energy, money, time and intellectual resources into the campaign to keep Britain in the EU. It deployed the politics of fear, issuing dire warnings about a post-Brexit recession and a possible surge in racism and violence. It sent experts to explain to our tiny minds all the things that would happen if we made the wrong choice. It rallied big business, corporates, its global partners and allies, all of whom insisted that it is in Britain’s interests, and Europe’s interests, for the EU to stay intact. And yet it didn’t work. Even in the face of these fearful overtures from the powerful, a majority of people rejected the EU. The establishment can no longer connect with significant sections of society. The chasm between the elite and the people just went from huge to possibly unbridgeable.
And this isn’t only a problem for the governing party: the Tories. Yes, the divide in that party has been stark, personified in the clash between Cameron and Boris, and Cameron’s resignation this morning will no doubt intensify Tory fissures. But consider the extraordinary drubbing Labour has taken. Many of its strongholds in the north-east and the Midlands voted against the EU, flat-out refusing to do what Labour leaders implored them to. Labour’s estrangement from its voter base has become explicit. And consider the inability of expert cliques and media commentators — who play a key role in politicking in the 21st century — to win people over to Remain. From Yanis Varoufakis, who traipsed round the country with a band of pro-EU British leftists, to the scientific lobby, which pleaded with us to stay for the sake of scientific funding, to the educational establishment, with its statements about the importance of staying, they all failed. The establishment failed. It stands exposed as utterly disconnected, and morally impotent.

And yet just because the establishment failed, that doesn’t mean the demos have won. Not fully, anyway. We must stay vigilant. For there will now be a concerted effort to thwart our democratic statement, to weaken it by calling into question its legitimacy. This is already happening. Apparently the demos behaved rashly. We ‘voted emotionally rather than considering the facts’, says Labour MP Keith Vaz. We were in the grip of fear, say others. Or we were making a xenophobic statement, they claim, overlooking the irony of their pontificating about prejudice while suggesting that the 17.5million people who said No to the EU, this vast swathe of people, is a tabloid-poisoned blob given to disliking foreign people. Demagogues ‘injected poison into the nation’s bloodstream’, commentators are already saying, the implication being that we were brainwashed, made mad by evil men. We know not what we do. We’re children.
The efforts to rebrand this vote as a kneejerk thing, an emotional thing, a racist thing, are already underway. And others will no doubt argue that because the vote was very close, perhaps we shouldn’t take drastic measures; perhaps we should reform our ties with the EU rather than sever them. We must stand against all this, and insist that the people have spoken, and the people are sovereign, or ought to be. Indeed, that is fundamentally what the referendum was about: do you think Brussels or the parliament in London should be sovereign? The people voted for themselves. We must now deepen the argument for democracy. Breaking links with Brussels won’t remake Britain as a brilliantly democratic, engaged nation. Other institutions will need to be rethought, and public debate re-energised. But what a great starting point we have. If we can ditch something as huge as the EU, what else can we do to the end of enlivening the democratic sphere?
This is what is so exciting about this referendum result. Ignore all the politicos and observers saying ‘Britain is broken. We no longer recognise this country’ (now they know how the people who voted against the EU have felt for years). For this huge jolt in global politics, this brilliant people’s quake, this vote against the political and media and business classes, provides us with an opportunity to rethink public life. It opens up the political landscape. It allows us to wonder, and discuss, how that landscape might be reshaped. We can’t let this momentum slip away. The people asserted themselves, and we must continue doing so, to ensure that the democratic agitation unveiled by this referendum is harnessed and deepened and turned to the ends of creating a better, more open, more engaged era of politics.
Brendan O’Neill is editor of spiked.

"Keep hearing that 75% of 18-24 year olds voted Remain. It was 75% of the 36% who bothered to turn out."

and so....


and Corbyn4leader

A lot of people who voted Remain are asking "how did this happen?" If you're asking this question the answer is probably you.
Anyone who openly supported Brexit was shut-down and labeled racist or xenophobic instead of creating an open discussion.
You probably know 50 people who voted Leave but were scared to say it because you called them racist instead of listening to their concerns and opinions.
Here are are some good things about Brexit that should make everyone happy no matter what you voted for.
• We can finally outlaw zero-hour contracts
• We will be allowed to renationalise our insanely expensive private tendered rail system (as Corbyn has promised to do if he wins the next election, and I hope he does).
• We will all still be able to live, travel, work and move through the EU/EEA without needing a visa. (something Leave mislead people about).
• Within 24 hours of the UK voting to exit: Canada, the USA and Germany have all announced they want special, preferential trade deals with the UK as soon as possible.
• Germany threatened to punish us with a trade tariff if we left the EU and Stay mislead us all by saying we would have an EU trade tariff: The EU stated they wished to begin bi-lateral trade talks with the UK immediately.
• Our NHS, rail, education and other publicly owned enterprises won't be at risk of further privatisation from American corporations
• Tax-evasion by Apple, Google and Facebook is going to be made much, much more difficult.
• We will be able to rescue our local, small-scale farming industry. The EU forced us to give 90% of our agricultural subsidies to huge agri-corporations. As Oxfam said "the EU lavishes subsidies on the UK's wealthiest farmers and biggest landowners at the expense of millions of poorest farmers". The UK government campaigned to reform this horrible system. Now we can support and subsidise small, local farmers without needing permission from anyone else.
• Fisherman/women around the UK are rejoicing at the prospect of being freed of the ineptitude of EU fishing policies. When we joined the EU, Europe was totally self-sufficient when it came to fish. Now we have to import 60% of our fish from outside of Europe because of incredibly poor management of fishing in EU waters.
• We will no longer be supporting CAP (which was ruled illegal and immoral by the World Trade Organisation) which as Oxfam said "spreads poverty in the poorest nations on the planet"
• We will be allowed to import affordable, environmentally friendly equipment for renewable energy which the EU banned us from doing.
• In the UK we ban 1200 dangerous substances from use in cosmetics, had we stayed in the EU, TTIP would have forced us to reduce this number to allow American corporations to "compete fairly in the European market"
• After 2010, the Tories introduced some very though regulations on banking and finance to avoid another rescission. The EU along with the USA sought to strip these regulations. Now we can keep the bankers and the City of London in check.
• We will no longer be party to the incoming "Investor-State Dispute Settlements" treaty (ISDS), which all EU will be party to, will allow corporations to sue governments if their policies negatively affect their profits. So for example, if a government introduces an environmental policy that reduces a companies purse: a corporation whose only interest is profit will be able to sue a democratically elected government for protecting its people or environment from exploitation. We will no longer have this forced upon us.
• The EU forced us to give up our seat at the WTO and they were trying to make us give up our seat at the UN Security Council which we will now be able to keep.
• The UK is one of the most generous countries when it comes to foreign aid. The EU capped the amount of foreign aid we were allowed to give. Now we can be as generous as we wish.
For me the most exciting thing is we are now free to trade with the wider, outside world. There are exciting, emerging markets with amazing opportunities to be had that the UK was prevented from tapping into due to to the EU's "Common External
Tariff". Norway and Swizerland (two non-EU nations) have been benefiting immensely by the agility afforded to them by being able to enter into these markets without any barriers.
Now we are free of the Common External Tariff we are now free to trade and tender for huge infrastructure projects, selling our world-leading expertise, talent and knowledge with fast growing economies like India, Indonesia, Myanmar, China, Vietnam, South Africa and Malaysia just as South Korea, Japan, Norway and Swizerland have been doing for decades.
So next time you call someone racist for voting leave. Remember that leaving the EU has expanded our international-reach exponentially and we will become a true internationally trading nation, doing business with the most exciting, dynamic and diverse nations on the planet. If that makes someone "racist", then so be it.


Just a quick summary - I have views but they seem to be swamped in the emotional outbursts - I will wait until the initial rage is gone, and the regret for hasty action comes into play, and them the apologies for upsetting friends and loved ones, the promise not to do it again  - a bit like domestic violence...... I have no problems with emotions and an emotional reaction - but then again that is how you get serial killers ...... I watch Criminal Minds

I will lift my non-alcoholic glass to no-on in particular today - I couldn't find anyone who has shown themselves in a good light - but tomorrow is another day and I was always an optimist
 


Saturday 25 June 2016

25th June 2016 - Can't face the Future? Try the Past

Thought for the day: "Want to know what makes me smile? Face Muscles"

Another day of offensive comments in broad generalisations mixed with realisations that things like knee-jerk reactions to pound values and stock exchanges are balancing themselves back up ..
Time to dwell in the past for me - or even a fictional pseudo historical future..
The Moon is at Airship Northstar and I think I would like to be there


A time to consider a world with steam driven technology ..


But I will have to wait until next week when we will go to Hay on Wye for the Craft Festival - only Saturday night - but that is all the time that we can stay away when we have responsibilities such as the chickens and ducks...

Such is Life
No - really !
Such is Life...  honest - now you can get back to your social media and rants
Everyone is on their phone I think


So - no weight loss today - but the heart tablets seem to be settling me down to a fixed rate ... I suppose I must embrace the future of pill popping ..

Day 5 Dry - don't think they have found me out yet....
Cheers!









Friday 24 June 2016

24th June 2016 - Sodom & Gonorrhoea : Its the End of the World

Thought for the day : "Arguing with a fool only proves that there are two"

I wake this morning with my social media full of vitriol. All those who have been shouting about the right to vote, nay the duty to vote, are now calling foul because more people came out and voted to get out of Europe and somehow disagreed with their own views. I did get fed up almost as far back as January - and the last few days have been so full of scaremongering, that it is more of a surprise to me that the turn out was 72% but hardly a surprise that those votes fell almost equally into the two camps..

But did they ??
It is clear that there was a 50/50 spread generally but in the best principles of elections we have to look at the area vote - the "constituency" vote as this gives a better indication (in my view) of the feelings of each area.. You say geography and economic stability may have had an issue ? Say it is not so !!

And Lo and Behold - Scotland, Unionist Northern Ireland and London provide a clear gap to the rest of the country.. and they hold a large percentage of the country, and their economic experience each has its own hegemony and social myths.

This map is so distinctive...

In table form :
But we can clearly see what is happening - I did see a demographic table that suggests that the over 55's were mainly for exit and those below were mainly for staying, which was quite interesting - I will try to find it on my feeds - but it represented the number of years expected to live with the decision and the vote.... I think it may imply other things but it is still interesting ... It is the same argument that brought the voting age down to 18 (if you believe the democrats who thought it was fairer - personally I think that was brought in while under a labour government because the polls suggested that more 18 - 21 voters would vote labour - but that would be another story) ...  That the 18 - 21 year olds would have to live with the consequences for longer and therefore should have a vote ... 
(There are those that say votes for women may have been a mistake - but not me!!  Coming out of the Trees !!  that was the first problem) 

In numbers we can see the spread.. and there is likely to be an outcome where Scotland has once again pointed out that they have very little similarity with the Fat Cat politicians running the country from Westminster. They conducted a completely different "Remain" campaign and made their point.

So the PM David Cameron (who "everyone" has been asking to resign on every issue since the general election) has decided to resign and this is received with "shock and Horror"...  Why ??  How can a man stake his whole belief system upon "staying in and that anything else will be a huge calamity" and then say "okay - the country has spoken I will lead the country to the new solution"? Actually I expected him to do so as politicians have been crossing the floor and changing friends all the way through - which is a simple sign that politicians are in the business of maintaining power and governing - and cynical as I am - I do not believe it is for the "public good" but for their own self aggrandisement and (it is a job) to secure their personal wealth...

Donald Trump chose the weekend to pop across to Scotland, where they do not like him, but (oh what a surprise) they will put up with him because he is pumping millions into the local economy, and reopen his leisure complex and golf course...  If the vote had been "remain" he just made himself some money. But because it is  "Leave" he had the wonderful opportunity for the best spin "Look, the UK took back their country - Now we should do the same!".  Which pays the lie to all the pundits saying that he was making a huge mistake in leaving the USA at this "critical time" so near to the Republican Votes....  He seems obvious to me - but seems to be running rings around the media experts and commentators who really have not got to grips with what is happening. The same as they failed to grasp what was happening in this referendum...

And over night I watched the pound slump against the dollar. Before the ballot closed the pound was at $1.50 - as the money wizards sat and bet on the remain campaign.  Oh dear !!  As the first results came in the panic was clear to see. There were only a few dealing around the world at that time  - and the plummet continues hour by hour...  Ending when I went to bed at 4am at $1.36 - 14 cents difference!!.  Okay - scaremongers point out that £120 billion pounds are wiped out ..  What??  Wiped out of what?  What we have is a few millionaires have just gambled and lost - with our money I will grant you - but the whole gambling nature of the economic system is fundamentally at fault...

I see that the stock market slumped - but not half as much as that in the European countries who now see a threat from other countries. Greece was not able to pluck up courage to leave - I wonder what they would do if this vote had occurred before their financial crisis.  The UK stock market is beginning to recover as the morning continues.. The Bank of England has thrown a lot of paper money into the pot and a few rich people have got richer again as the pension pots of millions gets hit. Watch for another delay in pension dates. Why? because of the exit campaign? Because of the Exit Vote? Nope. Because some people play with money as a commodity every day to make a profit and can see an opportunity.  After the Calamity and Disaster headlines - watch for "UK economy rises as exports go through the ceiling as the low pound helps sales". In the past they devalued the pound when things got tough - here is a neat mechanism to achieve the same.

But more than anything this morning, within the "Cry Foul" camp, and the hate campaigns, I have never seen so much simple bad language upon social media. Everyone who voted the opposite way are now female genitalia, bottoms, and the amount of fornication being advocated is greater than the fall of Sodom and Gonorrhoea...  And this from a group of people who, as part primarily of the "Remain" Campaign are generalised as the educational "elite", the graduates, the higher income earners, the "intelligentsia"....  Shouting and bickering and tearing their hair out and rubbing ashes into their sack cloth and swearing like football hooligans..   Don't start me on Football Hooligans ...  I may speak my mind...

The Chinese used to have a curse which was "May you live in interesting times" .. ( Actually a check on wiki points out that there is no real source to this and is apocryphal - so yet another lie to add to the collection.) We will live in interesting times ....   Some politicians and economists may have to earn their living now and a few careers will go down the pan. 

But I leave you with a poem and a voting conundrum

’Twas Brexit, and the slithy Goves 
  Did lie and grumble in the Mail,
  All Menschy were the Boris droves,
  And Nigel Farage is a fascist.

And no - I shall not say which way I voted - and I will not berate those who voted in ways other than me - That is what any democratic tool is about - it may not be fair but it is slightly better than 1975...

Day 4 : Yes I managed the whole campaign result night horribly sober ..  
Cheers - I lift my glass of Water 


Thursday 23 June 2016

23rd June 2016 - Keep taking the tablets??

Thought for the day:" A Zen master told me "Do the opposite of whatever I tell you" so I didn't"

A mixed bag today.. I have been putting it off for years and was rather proud to be one of the few peopleI knew of may age, actually one of the few people I knew, who were not required to take any daily medication. The last few years I have suffered from effects of pollen counts when they are through the roof - primarily the increase of the RAPE plant and I take the occasional tablet and nasal spray for that. I thought it was an allergy to the canvas in the marquees but it turned out to be something else when I was left without any canvas for a change.

But, you get to an age where it is a little more difficult to get insurance and the Doctor wants to see you because he has not seen you for a long time... (I would have thought that this was a good reason to give you insurance - no medical requirements). So popping into the doctor he says that your blood pressure seems a little high and your cholestrol is too high...  Hmm... And he sends me for blood tests and sends the documents back to the insurance company who promptly tell me that I do not fit their criteria. I don't think that means that I have been refused!

And the tests come back, liver and kidney are fine ( who would tell !!  must be all that healthy Chateau 41 ) but the cholestral is high - apparently 4 on the bad cholestrol is too high - though it was 4.7 last january and they did not call me in then !

And the fact that I have been taking my blood pressure every day and finding it fairly reasonable - my 178:110 in his office does not please him. Susie tells me she has what is know as "White Coat" syndrome - an increase in blood pressure when you see a doctor - maybe I have the same...

So I say that I am on this diet and booze free and looking at some health options and he says very good - but take some tablets. So I say - well is it possible that my diet and stuff will affect the readings and he says very much so - but take some tablets.  So I say that is I am taking the tablets we will not be able to see if the blood pressure is going down on its own and the cholestrol is going down naturally and he says true - but if it really works my blood pressure will go too low and then we can stop it... So I was that this will mean that I will be on them for ever and he says (uncommittally) not really ... but does not convince me!!

So I ask what happens if I do not do it and he says that it is my body and that he in no way wants to influence me - but he is the doctor and sees people everyday and the computer figures for my age, genetic background (white scots) weight cholestrol and blood pressure show a 16.9% chance of stroke in the next 10 years..  So we fill out the prescription ... and I leave those few - those gallant few who may not be on tablets...  So I may have some aching in the joints (surprise surprise as if I didn't already) and a possible dry cough - (that is why I thought I had the hay fever stuff) - yes I asked all about the possible side effects.  Got the tablets - and it tells me that I need to be careful not to have more than a glass and a half of Grapefruit Juice on these tablets - just as well they do not ferment grapefruit juice that often !!

So, another day on the diet - bread and potato free and the Ivy Bush managed a potato free goulash with lots of veg and a fruit salad for afters...  But now as I come home I take my 20mg of Atorvastatin calcium trihydrate containing lactose monohydrate and soya lecithin  whatever they are (my wife will be sure to know) Here is a link to the medicine : 

I do not really like the idea that one of the side effects can be pain in the pharynx and larynx - that would be a bummer for my trip to Germany ...

Then I have the Ramipril.. or methyl hydroxybenzoate (e218), propyl hydroxybenzoate (e216) sunset yellow (e110), ponceau 4R (e124) and carmoisine (e122) - I am sure that will make sense.
"Ramipril (Altace) is an ACE inhibitor. ACE stands for angiotensin converting enzyme.
Ramipril is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) or congestive heart failure, and to improve survival after a heart attack."

Get emergency medical help if you have any signs of an allergic reaction to ramipril: hives; severe stomach pain; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have:
  • a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;
  • chest pain;
  • little or no urination, or urinating more than usual;
  • sudden weakness or ill feeling, fever, chills, sore throat, painful mouth sores, pain when swallowing, skin sores, cold or flu symptoms; or
  • high potassium - nausea, slow or unusual heart rate, weakness, loss of movement.
Common ramipril side effects may include:
  • headache;
  • cough; or
  • dizziness, weakness, tired feeling.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. detail side effects 

So - watch this space...


In other news there was some sort of referendum today and some football - I ignored both (actually I voted by post two weeks ago so lost all interest after that)

Got to drink more water apparently
Cheers !


Wednesday 22 June 2016

22nd June 2016 - Busy Busy Bee

Thought for the day :" The key to happiness is a poor memory"

Had a bit of a busy week ... started last thursday with Athelstan in Aberystwyth, the Royal and Select in Llanelli (friday), saturday was Bridgend for Scarlet Cord Provincial Meeting, monday Caerphilly for Athelstan, Tuesday Aberaeron for Rose Croix, and today Fishguard for Scarlet Cord and Secret Monitor.. tomorrow will be Carmarthen for Secret Monitor and Friday... I will not be going anywhere!!

So - won't post much here  - just saying - maybe tomorrow

Dry - so a glass of coke to you all




Tuesday 21 June 2016

21st June 2016 - Thoughts of Mythodea

Thought for the day:"Imagine a machine that takes natural solar energy to remove carbon dioxide from the air and turn it into a beautiful sustainable building.. Oh - that's a tree!!"

Somehow got thinking a little about Germany and Mythodea - it is a while off but there are some nice photos appearing on the web at the moment so I thought I may link to a couple..
 












Some tiem to go - but the eurostar is booked -



Enjoy :
Day 2 of current dry period - no weight loss- maybe a bit early..
Raising a glass of water!







Monday 20 June 2016

20th June 2016 - Solstice and Strawberry Teas

Thought for the day: "I wasn't planning on going for a run today - but those cops just came out of nowhere!"


It's the first time since 1967 the summer solstice coincides with a ‘strawberry’ moon and, clouds willing, the sunlight will give way to a bright moonlit sky.

Despite the name, the moon will not appear pink or red, although it may glow a warm amber. The romantic label was coined by the Algonquin tribes of North America who believed June’s full moon signalled the beginning of the strawberry picking season.
Other names for the phenomenon in the Northern Hemisphere include Rose Moon, the Hot Moon, and the Honey Moon, while in the Southern Hemisphere it is known as the Long Night Moon.
Having a full moon land smack on the solstice is a truly rare event


Having said that it is raining - but it looks as though after a number of weeks we will be able to spring my mother out of hospital today ...

Time for a change of Profile and Cover - it being Monday and all..


So time for a joke...

Danny walks into a bar in Dublin, orders three pints of Guinness and sits in the corner of the room, drinking a sip out of each pint in turn. When he had finished all three, he went back to the bar and ordered three more.
The barman says, “You know a pint goes flat soon after I pull it . Your pints would taste better if you bought one at a time.”
Danny replies, “Well now, I have two brothers, one is in America and the other in Australia and here I am in Dublin . When we all left home, we promised that we’d drink this way to remember the days we all drank together.” The barman admits that this is a nice custom and says no more. Danny becomes a regular customer and always drinks the same way … ordering three pints and drinking a sip out of each in turn, until they are finished. One day, he comes in and orders just two pints. All the other regulars in the bar notice and fall silent. When he goes back to the bar for the second round, the barman says, "I don’t want to intrude on your grief but I wanted to offer my condolences on your great loss." Danny looks confused for a moment, then the penny drops and he starts to laugh, “Oh no,” he says, “Bejesus, everyone is fine! Its me … I’ve quit drinking!”

Day 1 of current Dry Period - I raise a glass of diet coke

Sunday 19 June 2016

19th June 2016 - On Leaders, Greens and Border Control

Thought for the day:" Some people ought to slip into a something more comfortable - like a coma"

It rarely happens but it seems that my investigative abilities let me down on this one. The picture was too good to be true I know and I shoudl have gone the step further - but I will draw the line at actually apologising to Farage- but he was well stitched on this one.

Yesterday I included this fine photograph of a young Nigel Farage in 1983 ..


Seems it was a fake - but a good fake and therefore worth a mention..

Take a photo of a punk and a photo of Farage and photoshop them together



"It was originally going to be Michael Gove but I couldn’t find an image that was the right angle so I chose Farage because the Media are obsessed with him & there are loads more images. I normally sign my images but people would realise that it was a fake if I had so I made it black & white then sent it out. Then it goes viral & I get no credit maybe 50 extra followers! I’ve done it before with Jeremy Hunt but that didn’t get as much attention."   @sketch_a_etch


And in other news - Obama gets onto the band wagon on Green Issues....


And this little gem which I will attribute to the writer..

Andy Haring
I think I've changed my mind about border control. I think we should close our borders completely now, for about a year. With any luck, that will stop the England fans coming back. I also think the French people should make it very clear that the English hooligans (and of course they will assume that all England fans are hooligans) aren't welcome there. So eventually all the England fans will end up sitting in makeshift accommodation in Calais waiting for their applications for citizenship to be processed.
Refugees? Why yes; I'd never thought of it like that. They'll be refugees. And then of course we can all point out that a large number of them are young men and not women or children, and speculate about how they're only coming here to spread their intolerance and violence throughout our otherwise peaceful and civilised society. And this time the point will be valid.
The other thing about these hooligans, of course, is that the large buildings in which they worship and in which their faith in their violent and divisive beliefs are intensified are everywhere in Britain now. So where are the campaigns to stop more football stadia being built?
Wait; this isn't fair. Most football fans are perfectly nice, decent, peaceful folk. Some of my best friends go to football matches. We can't be blaming the sport of football for what is obviously a bunch of violent idiots looking for an excuse. What sort of idiot would see a small number of violent idiots and assume that the entire culture they claim to represent is to blame?

Its a strange old world ..
Cheers !

Saturday 18 June 2016

18th June 2016 - Fans, Farage and Frolics

Thought for the day:"I think my guardian angel drinks - just saying"

Apparently Nigel Farage is trying to keep this picture off the web - fat chance really - so I thought I woudl post it as well  ...   Not that I have anything particularly for or against him - he is a politician after all  which is about all I need to say about him...
Nigel Farage c.1983
 I am as impressed with politicians at the moment as I am by footballers. As one pundit mentioned "Why would I want to pay money to watch 22 millionaires run around kicking a ball?"

And there are riots from the footballer fans - what a surprise!! But one is not allowed to say a word against football fans, or suggest that they have been drinking or are ill behaved.  Just look at the Hillsborough enquiry. All saints. So why did we have to do so much public order police training to try to keep fans apart and march them in secure columns from place to place? I am glad I live in Wales and that Rugby is the game of choice here.

Meanwhile, in other images I was sent this ...

Makes you want to race there doesn't it....


Cheers...