Posts

Showing posts from February, 2017

Bother about Lords and borrowing

Like most people things bother us. In particular things like the House of Lords and the financial problems of this our once great country. Let’s take the House of Lords – bloated, undemocratic and basically no more than a restroom for aged luvvies. That came from a number of newspaper reports today. It is funny but I have long believed that the House of Lords is outdated. It just has continued a system of patronage. Aristocrats used to sit in strength, most of which were no more than idiots who wanted to preserve their lives of luxury but today we do exactly the same at some £300 per day for old political has-beens, dodderers who don’t even know what the House is talking about. Pretending to listen with closed eyes, happily dreaming about when they went to war. Time to close the charade and have an elected Senate. The other thing that should bother all of us are the daily news items about this country’s borrowing. It is hidden in double-speak of ‘reducing the deficit’ but i

Beginner's Guide

When I was still a youngster my parents gave me a Bible, illustrated (in Dutch of course). A largish volume, hard cased in brown leather and gold embossed. Apparently it belonged to my great-grandmother. That would have been published at around 1890 or close to it. Not that I cared at that age (I was about 9/10 years of age). But I do remember still today vividly the story of the Flood, pictures of a large wooden ship with flocks of crows flying above it. The sky engraving was brilliant, wild and stormy! Then the story of David swaying his sling and Goliath falling down. Another engraving was of Samson pushing against two great columns and collapsing the Philistine temple. Brilliant, you don’t see engravings like that again unless you will be lucky on one of the antique book markets. But more importantly, you can think of a book like that as a beginners guide! The mind will dwell on the beauty of the engravings but also the meaning – why was this done in that way, what does it a

Anti this-and-that

A very good friend asked me , I know you are a bit anti-this and that, anti-Labour but why? Good question, I had to think a bit. The problem is that as a socialist party standing up (their words, not mine) for the people has been an abject failure. I am not now saying Conservatives are better but at least they promote business ideals that in the end provide work. Rather than put their faith in issuing benefits. When I was a kid in Amsterdam my father was a stalwart of the socialist party. Collecting membership fees and on top a committee member of the union where he was employed. But when he had an accident and needed operations both union and party had disappeared in the foggy night. So, who were they standing up? I leave it for you to decide. Perhaps my antagonistic views of socialism were bred in those days. Sure, there are good Labour people around with good and sound views, local MP and AM are upstanding citizens but in my view they represent a faulty view of humanity and moreso b

Scams galore, Nigeria still a hotbed!

The following very interesting email was received by a friend of mine. Yes, interesting but idiotic! It is rather tragic that some people around still fall foul of this type of scam. I just hope the reverend doctor will not be eaten by a crocodile or mauled by one of his cousins, the chimpanzees. STATUTORY ANOMALIES ON YOU RECEIVING YOUR APPROVED FUND AS AND INHERITANCE. FROM: DELIVERY AGENT Dr William Mike Hello!!! Firstly, I wish to introduce myself as a sympathizer of your situation. I am the Comptroller of Fund Movement Terminal and Director of national warehouse where abandoned fund/valuables consignments are dumped. This is to inform you that fresh arrangement was made by me to conclude the shipment of your consignment of funds to your country. I choose to do it and make sure it has left the shores of Nigeria already before contacting you. I found out that this consignment has been lying here because of lack of contact and none payment of deli

Computering, nice work only if your'e drunk

I have been messing about with mysql database design for a while. Meaning, installing and deleting many times! Presently it is working fine but to have got that far many changes had to be made to a number of system files. I use Linux only, Windows is a long forgotten operating system. I just wonder why not many more people change over. Changes therefore are a lot easier and safer too! MYSQL though is a ‘eck of a lot more difficult than Access as it is worked with a program called phpmyadmin. That in itself is pretty non-userfriendly. But I now have a basic login system ready for further development into a blog! Cheers.

Bad planning?

In these enlightened times of building houses everywhere in an already congested country and that includes Wales, one may well ask who educated the town-planning or indeed any planning, officials? Take my own backyard of the small town of Tonyrefail. Situated in a small river valley once the hive of coal-mining. The mines are all gone now, not even a waste heap is visible. So far, so good but there are questions about proper government that need asking. If mines that used to employ thousands are closing and closing pretty quickly what about the plans for industrial renewal? This is one question that nags me – there were no plans at all. As a result thousands were unemployed, generating sickness and lawlessness. The South Wales valleys are still suffering from that disastrous policy today. Despite wonderful promises about ‘Standing Up..for’ the Labour government of Wales has singularly missed the boat. They might point out that in valley towns such as Tonyrefail there has been and

Brexit? Not Brexit! Yes, no, maybe.

It is a strange thing to see and hear Ms Sturgeon bleating on about Brexit. How she will take Scotland out of the UK. I suppose politics is a bit like that, ask for the impossible and get the right to join the feeding through. Except, she is making a fool of herself, trying to look strong and ‘with-it’. It turns out then it is no more than grandstanding. She says ‘I’m not bluffing’, a sure sign she is! Let’s tell her to go back to her croft on the Outer Hebrides and just shut it. The whole Brexit thing is most likely hanging out of everyone’s throat by now. In Wales we have MPs who blatantly ignore the electorate, Owen Smith for one. There will be council elections in May. It will be rather interesting to see what will happen. Labour could well get a drumming!

Knighthood, anyone?

The world is probably coming to an end. David Beckham, nice guy though he is, thinks he deserves a knighthood. Yes, so do I! And 66 other million Brits just for living in this madhouse. Then we have a self-important Speaker of the Commons who thinks he can lay down the law to a president of the United States. He might be the only Brit NOT getting a knighthood!