LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT LIFE


THINK OF THIS AS WE VIEW THE WORLD TOGETHER ...

THOSE WHOM THE GODS WOULD DESTROY
THEY FIRST MAKE MAD ...

If you pause from the mad rush of life for a while and wander
round this site and its links, you might find food for thought,
or you might smile or scowl or scorn. But whichever of
those things you do – and I don’t care which –
the main thing is that you will have paused from what you
were doing and looked into the mind of someone
who knows from experience that
life is an illusion.

We’ll discuss that at leisure.

But first why not take a break and look through the window.
There’s beauty in the street and in the clouds.
If you’re fed up with your own view, scroll down and
take a look at mine – it’s free!

Now, let us pray ...

Dear … er – Allah … er – Brahma … er – Buddha … er – God … er – Jesus … er – forget it. Amen.


The BNP, Nick Griffin and the BBC.

The BBC’s Question Time on the twenty-second of October, starring Nick Griffin of the BNP, was a disgrace – and Dimbleby, who presided over it, should tell us what he was aiming at. The programme is supposed to be a topical and political airing of views, a bastion of free speech. But it was none of that. Neither the panel nor the audience were there to debate. They just turned up to hound and bully the invited victim – Griffin.

The whole show stank of a set-up. It was advertised and plugged like no Question Time before it. We were all agog, waiting for it. And they didn’t disappoint us. It was beautifully staged; from the yelling hysterical lynch mob outside to the hand picked panel, and audience hired from Rent a Victim. Then came the ritual bullying of the new boy in an astonishing exhibition of pack-instinct.

Griffin might have been the victim. But the fatality was free speech. That went right out of the window. The freedom-loving mob outside and the yah-booing yobs inside saw to that. Did daddy never tell them that free speech is all-inclusive, it doesn’t come to order. In a democracy, your enemy has a voice too, and a right to be heard. That’s not negotiable. There was no discussion here, just an outpouring of negative emotion backed by abuse; the very opposite of free speech. They got Griffin on stage then stifled him; no pros no cons.

Griffin was sneered at when he distanced himself from his previous stance on Hitler and the Holocaust; ridiculed for changing his mind. Just a minute, don’t Labour and Conservative leaders make U-turns too? I don’t see much similarity between Cameron’s Conservatives and Thatcher’s Government. Churchill was a Tory when he called Gandhi, ‘A half naked fakir,’ not very PC. Enoch Powell was in the Conservative shadow cabinet when he made his ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech. That wasn’t all that PC either. And New Labour bears as much resemblance to old Labour as a pig does to a chicken. Don't forget that Oswald Mosley, Hitler’s mate, was an ex Labour MP, Minister without Portfolio and - Socialist - Fabian Society member. We all change our stance. I used to be proud to be British.

Let’s face it, this Question Time was a disaster, disgrace, and self inflicted shambles. Griffin isn’t an up and coming Fuhrer. He’s not even a heavyweight politician. And as for his opponents, why was Bonnie Greer there? She’s not a politician, so what alternative policy could she offer? Or was she just a token black face? But not to worry, none of the others told us anything about their policies or put a case to counter Griffin. Jack Straw dodged the immigration issue. Sayeeda Warsi said something like, 'All asylum seekers have a good case.' No they don't. That's a ridiculous idea. The audience did what stooges do best. And as for the mob outside … did they know why they were there or where they were? Some of them had placards that declared, ‘Millions of Iraqis killed since 2003.’ What’s that got to do with the BNP? It was Straw’s mob, backed by Warsi’s colleagues who took us into that lot. Why didn’t the hecklers challenge them on that?

The present growth of the BNP springs from New Labour’s immigration policy and this bully boy State with its thousands of new rules and offences. Everyone’s a paedophile until they prove otherwise and if you don’t want a traveller’s camp at the bottom of the garden you’re a racist. New Labour is the BNP’s recruiting sergeant. You reap what you sow.

I’ve got a Phonesave Account with the Alliance and Leicester Bank. And when I checked I found it was only paying .1% interest. For the non-mathematically minded, that’s a tenth of 1% – gross. The net is .08%. You can’t think that small. So closing the account became a priority. It has one of those 0845 numbers and the sales screed says it’s open 24 hours a day 7 days a week ad infinitum. So I dialled it. And I dialled it again … and again … But it’s a dead line. I mean. What the hell use is a dead line on a Phonesave Account. It’s like having a lead lifebelt on a riverbank. Anyway, not to be deterred I went online. My fallback plan was to shift all the money out of my Phonesave into my current account. But it wouldn’t let me. No matter what I did I always ended up having to leave the last pound in the Phonesave – to keep the account open. But I don’t want to keep the account open. It’s a no-good account. It doesn’t pay interest and its line is dead. At least, the number I’ve got is dead. Am I missing something here?

Hi. This is the view from my office window. When you visit me here you can enjoy it too.

The edge of the Welsh Valleys, these low worn hills mark the southern limit of the ice sheet in the Ice Age. The valleys themselves were carved by glaciers. The Ridgeway Footpath runs along the top of the hills. Larger versions of the pictures appear below.

The picture above shows Drope in the foreground with glimpses of St George's and St Bride's before arriving at Llantrisant, the town that stands on the hill. The valley that opens between the hills to the left of Llantrisant is the Ely Valley. To the right of Llantrisant, half way up the picture, you can see a big house. This is The Grange at St-y-Nyll. Beyond St-y-Nyll is the mouth of the Rhondda Valley.

St-y-Nyll is in the centre of this picture with Cwm Rhondda opening up beyond. In the valley between The Grange and the wooded hill to the right of it lie Creigiau and Groes Faen.

And this is Garth Hill with the village of Pentyrch on its western flank. To the right, on its eastern side the hill drops into the Taff Vale where the A470 runs up to Merthyr Tydfil then on, through the Brecon Beacons and mid Wales to Snowdonia in the north. There are two mounds of tumuli on the top of the hill, ancient Celtic burial mounds - maybe 3,000 years old.

Hugh Grant made a film about Garth and Pentyrch called An Englishman Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain. Which I think is a bit long winded. But anyway it's about the time that a guy came up from London to do some survey work for map making. And he called Garth a hill. But the locals called it a mountain. But he insisted that it was a few feet short of being a mountain. So the villagers formed a chain gang, carrying rocks up the hill until it was high enough to be a mountain. But it's still officially called Garth Hill.

THIS WEEKS QUIZ

IN WHICH COUNTRIES COULD YOU
APPLY FOR THE FOLLOWING JOBS?

1 A Community Walking Co-ordinator.
2 A Lifestyle Adviser.
4 A Promoting Healthy Weight Adviser. Salary £41,000
5 A Mass Participation Worker. Salary £19,000
6 A Cheerleader.
7 Teen Funk Instructor.
8 A School Crocodile Guide. (To lead dribbles of kids to school)

Answers on toilet paper please

***

No. You Silly Billys. You were all wrong.

It isn’t Wonderland or Neverland.
It’s Engerland and Scoterland.

Shut up you! It’s good for the economy!

***

OK. One last chance to win this week’s prize –
a tattered pair of my Aunt Glad’s old red flannel drawers.

In which town in which country does the
National Health Service supply Viagra to a 71 year old paedophile
for his personal use?

***

Well done, that dirty old bugger at the back 
in the school cap and flasher’s raincoat.

Yes. It’s Peterborough, Engerland.
We’ve all got human rights you know.

Oh Yeah. Except for victims of course.
But that’s their role in life – victim!

***

First – Something to be Proud of

Cardiff Castle
The Norman Keep

The Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Home From Active Service in Afghanistan

The Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Regimental Band

The Regiment Marches Through the City Centre

The Royal Welsh Parade in Front of the Castle
to Receive Their Service Medals

And the Castle Looks on

When you see the young people of the armed services it makes you
proud to be British. And by the word British I include those people
from Eire and the Commonwealth Countries who have travelled
countless miles and faced God knows what problems to throw their
lot in with our people. These young ones, all of them, have opted
for discipline, service and selfless comradeship. I salute them. 

I salute the people of Britain too. I’ve watched on many occasions
as they turn out to cheer and clap their home coming heroes.


About – Cardiff Castle
Parts of the walls that surround the grounds date back to Roman
times. And the Keep is Norman. There are guided tours and it’s a
good place to spend a day.

Then it’s Back to Reality - Contrast

It’s ironic, but when we were going to  watch the heroes of the
Royal Welsh march though the city centre we passed this Gypsy
beggar woman, sitting on a doorstep, hand outstretched, asking
for alms. She couldn’t speak English so I guess that she’s
Romanian or something. She looked it. I’ve seen Romanian
Gypsies in action in Greece. They don’t work. The young women
sit begging on the streets. Usually they are nursing a baby and
when they see you coming they give it a pinch to make it cry.
It’s a good pitch; goes for the heartstrings. The middle aged
women go round the young women collecting their takings and 
entering the results in a book. I’ve not just heard this – I’ve
seen it  in action. While this is going on the young men are
mingling with the tourists, picking pockets. And, at the same
time, the children are going round cafe’s and food stalls,
begging for leftovers. Again, I’ve seen it with my own eyes.
It’s a family business and it works. These guys are experts.
And the middle aged men? They don’t do anything.
They’re the bosses. They’re above all this work nonsense.
So what’s it all about?
What is a Romanian Gypsy woman who can’t speak English
doing, sitting begging in a town in Britain? I mean what
contribution is she making? Surely everyone who goes
to a new country goes to make a contribution. And surely
every country that lets a newcomer in, expects them in to make
a contribution. It’s all about personal pride and responsibility.
If someone wants to beg, they should stay in their own country
and beg. That’s basic common sense and decency.

I bought a Philips electric razor.
The cleaning instruction tells me to rinse the head under hot water. Then it adds, ‘Caution: Hot Water can Burn.’
Now – logically – when you think about it, anyone who uses an electric razor is going to be over the age of 16. And if they don’t know that hot water burns ...

If you tell me that Philips that have to cover themselves I’ll start banging my head on the wall again.

***

Notice on the harbour in Capri says:- ‘It is dangerous to fall in the water.’

Makes me want to jump in and never come up.

***

Notice in Tesco:- Parsnips are 1 of your 5 a day.

No they’re not – they’re root vegetables. Look in the dictionary.

***

I bought a full size English flag from Amazon. You know, St George; all that patriotic stuff.

It was made in China.

***

I like comedy. I used to watch a lot of comedy on TV. I watch less and less now. The modern, lefty, Politically Correct (Comedians?) have no jokes. Next time you’re watching one on TV – listen to what he/she is saying. Don’t just laugh because the audience laugh. Analyse what he/she says. It’s very rarely funny. It’s mainly propaganda for the pro immigration lobby or the Secular Society. So, if you don’t laugh you’re a racist, or a Jehovah’s Witness or something.
When they run out of propaganda they swear, like f... and blind type swearing. It used to be called ‘foul mouthed’ and was confined to Working Mens’ Clubs. It’s not comedy. But it’s on your TV, in your home. And you’re paying for it with your licence fee. That’s not funny either.

Then there are the Muslim and Black comedians. They cash in because they can say things that the non-M&B community can’t say. Either that – or they’re poking fun at our perceived non-PC attitude. Which is OK ... but we can't do it back. So you laugh. But it’s not ha ha laughing. You laugh because you feel a bit uncomfortable, maybe nervous, maybe shocked. ‘Oh dear. Did you hear what he said? We used to be able to say that in the 1960’s’

And that’s it. You used to be able to say that. But you can’t now. So it’s all to do with your free speech being slowly taken away from you.
And that’s not funny either.
Have a nice day.

***

The ‘caution’ on this bar of milk chocolate says it ‘contains milk.’

Hmm. Always read the small print. That’s what I say.

***

Wanna quick sick?
Next time you’re staying at a posh hotel, you know, polished floors, flunkies and fancy prices, go in the bathroom and remove the plugs from the bath and washbasin. It’s surprising what you find.

If the plugs are the modern ones that lift out and have wings under them they very often have a collection of tooth debris, pubics and heaven knows what, that go back to the day the place was opened.

Have a nice stay.

***

Our Year: 2008
Extracts from the Christmas Letter

Hi,
This my ‘one letter does all for 2008.’

I’ll start with an apology. Several people have sent me e-mails and not had a reply, so they think I’ve changed my address. But I haven’t. It’s still the same as ever. The problem is, I download my e-mails via Outlook Express and I had a hiccup with that at one stage. In the end I had to go into the server’s computer to collect my mail. And when I looked – wait for it – there were over 12,500 e-mails in there. Now, even a gentleman of leisure like me has a problem ploughing through that lot. So I deleted them all with a press of a Button – sorry. Needless to say – I do get a lot of Spam. David and Jon say that’s because I must have been visiting dodgy websites.

Dodgy websites? Moi? Anyway “it was only for research your honour.” Come to think of it – how do David and Jon know what happens when you visit dodgy sites?

... Diz and Dan have 2 kids, Isobel – 4 and Charlie – 7. They come out with interesting quips now and again. The other day Isobel said to me, ‘I’ve got an egg in my belly.’ So I said, ‘Did you have it for breakfast?’ And she said, ‘No. Charlie said it’s there so I can have a baby.’
‘Off you go and play.’
Then Charlie said, ‘My birthday’s on the 25th of October. And Jesus was born on the 25th of December. So I think I might be the next Jesus.’
Watch this space.

... Nearer home we have – us two. Me an’ ’er, as they say in Manchester. Liz is incredibly busy. To start with she’s in the local WI and on the committee. So she does all kinds of WI things. She doesn’t make jam or pose in the nude for calendars. But she does everything else; WI meetings; committee meetings; conferences; weekend courses; and a couple of hours of skittles once a fortnight. Along with that, she reads the lesson in the church on Sunday’s and sits on the Parish Council – which is a kind of Vicar of Dibley thing. Then she does line-dancing every Tuesday evening and goes to a sowing club every Monday morning. As well as all that she child-minds Isobel and Charlie 3 afternoons a week, with all the ferrying that entails. But she still manages to come out with me a couple of evenings a week plus a full day’s shopping expedition every Tuesday. In fact I’m so busy watching her that I don’t really have time for anything myself.
So I just skull along; bit of writing; bit of editing; bit of publishing; bit of blogging; bit of walking; bit of keep-fit; bit of reading; bit of gardening; bit of social drinking. Hmm – my life’s a bit bitty really. Maybe I should do something about it. Well; maybe; in a bit.

Travel? Well it’s ironic really. We haven’t done much but it got to be too much for me in the end. It started with a few days in Goodwick, West Wales. Then came a fortnight in Italy, followed closely by the Edinburgh Tattoo; followed closely by a few days in Lougharne, West Wales. So, when Diz invited us to West Wales again in the Autumn, I turned it down. Mainly because I am in the middle of editing a book. However, there is another little trip coming up shortly because, as a Christmas present, Penny and David have invited us to Dinner and entertainment at a pub in Cornwall on the 23rd December. The entertainment is a comedian called Jethro, or something like that. I know I am going to enjoy it because Diz says she doesn’t like Jethro. And Diz is Politically Correct. And I’m not. So that should be OK then. Funny thing though, about this travel; unintentionally, we seem to have had a bit of a Dylan Thomas cum Georgian theme this year. The house we stayed-in in Goodwick was used in the film version of Under Milkwood. It was Polly Garter’s house. And Polly Garter was played by Elizabeth Taylor. It’s a lovely place. Right on the beach. When the tide was going out you could step out of the front door and collect your fill of fresh mussels. Then the next connection with Thomas was in Lougharne, which is where he did all his writing. And, of course, he’s very much in evidence there. Then the Georgian theme comes in because, when we were in Edinburgh, we did a tour of the Georgian House in Charlotte Square – and we were all impressed with it. Then, in Lougharne, we stayed in The Great House, which is a Georgian House, fully furnished in the Georgian Period and tradition. And it was great too!

So that was the year that was. Now here’s to the year to come.

We wish every one of you a Merry Christmas and a healthy and contented New Year.

THIS WEEKS PET HATES

Motorists who don’t use their indicators.
Does flicking your indicator switch before you turn
come under the heading of ‘multitasking’ or what?
You’d think so, when you see the number of people
who can’t manage it. Or maybe it’s manual labour or
or something. Only for the plebs. I think the answer
to the problem is to make make indicators an ‘optional
extra.’ Then all these dickheads with the flash wheels
and personalised number plates would be clamouring
for them so they could keep flicking them on and off
to show the rest of us how cool they are.

Then there are the guys who zoom on to the roundabout and
speed up so that nobody else can get on. Are these people
out of circuses or something? Can’t wait to go charging round
the ring. Maybe they dream about doing the Wall of Death
but don’t just have the bottle to try zooming up a building.
They should put the wife’s lipstick on and cover their faces in
flour. Because they are clowns – or ijits more like.

MORRISON’S CAFE
I ordered sandwiches in Morrisons and when they came there was
a packet of crisps with them. I didn’t order crisps. But they were
compulsory with the sandwiches. So I sent the whole lot back.
It’s a con. The crisps aren’t a free gift. They’re costed in with the
sandwiches. So Morrisons were trying to sell me a packet of
crisps that I didn’t want. And they’re not the only ones at it. I’ve had it in
pubs and hotels. Crisps are added to their sandwiches and salads.
Like I say – it’s a con. And the only way to stop it is to boycott all
the meals they put unasked-for items on.