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Thoughts

18/8/2012

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As is often the case, I'm unable to sleep through a combination of pain from a trapped nerve and an over-active mind which often kicks into gear under these circumstances.

On this occasion, the topic which is occupying my thoughts is 'words'.

Although my own schooling didn't extend to further education - and, as a consequence, I occasionally struggle with punctuation - I enjoy words; and sometimes wonder if becoming bilingual as a young child might have something to do with it. 

For whatever reason, in much the same way that one might move a sweet from one side of the mouth to the other and enjoying the flavour as the sweet melts, I have often found myself subconsciously playing around with words in my mind. I can, for example, remember spending almost a whole day whilst climbing in The Lake District as a Boy Scout and being unable to decide whether I was relying on 'stamina' - or 'stanima' - in order to complete the ordeal.

More recently - especially when I used to drive up and down the highways and byways of The United Kingdom delivering buses - I would do mental exercises; such as trying to discover the longest word with only one vowel (strengths). I spent ages working that out and was somewhat miffed when, having boasted about the achievement to my daughter-in-law (herself a graduate in English Literature) she promptly resorted to Google and found the same answer within a few seconds.

Anyway; so far as my current thought process is concerned, I'm worried about the way one of my pet hates - the PC brigade - have influenced language for reasons which have absolutely nothing to do with grammar. Words which are deemed racist, for example, are being erased from the dictionary. My own opinion, BTW, is that the word itself is usually an innocent victim because the real problem arises from the manner in which it is presented. I believe, for example, that the word, 'nigger' is used frequently within ethnic minorities; however, if an Anglo-Saxon - or a South American footballer - utters it, there's all hell to pay.

Other examples - such as 'spastic colon' have been removed from daily use in order, apparently, to avoid offending people who suffer from spasms. However, speaking as someone who can quite often be irritable and suffers from occasional problems with my bowels, I suggest that the replacement, 'irritable bowel syndrome' is equally - if not more - offensive!

I do, however, agree with those who feel that there is no place for swear words within the public domain. Speaking of which, I doubt if there is anyone in British history to whom the 'C' word has been attributed more often than Mrs. Thatcher. Paradoxically, I suspect that those most likely to express these sentiments are probably members of the aforementioned, PC brigade. Accordingly, my message to those who proclaim they will 'dance on her grave when she dies', is that I hope she's buried at sea.

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Thoughts

19/7/2012

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No one could argue that the original motives which prompted the formation of trade unions were entirely honourable. However, it could also be argued that, in recent times - in particular - some of their officials seem to have abandoned the original principle of protecting workers' interests in favour of attacking those of employers. As a former member, I feel disappointed because it reflects little credit on the movement. What's more, I'm saddened by the opportunistic use of the Olympics to gain an advantage.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jul/18/heathrow-olympic-strike-border-staff

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-18899474


http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jun/22/bus-strike-olympics-pay-london

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Thoughts

14/7/2012

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Not long after the end of WW2, my grandfather developed an eye condition called glaucoma. As a consequence, he was almost completely blind by the time he reached the age I am now. Thirty years later, his daughter (my mother) developed the same illness and she, too, lost her sight - as did two of her siblings.

When she was diagnosed, my mother was advised to urge me to get my eyes tested.

At that time, I was in my forties (apparently, that's when glaucoma manifests itself) and I was already suffering from the early stages of the condition. By then, however (in the 1980s), medication which controls the effects of the disease was becoming available and, since then, daily eye-drops and regular visits to opthamologists have allowed me to enjoy the benefits of 'normal' sight.

Another condition which has affected me is what is nowadays known as asthma. Inherited from my father, a 'bad chest' has plagued me for most of my life. As a child, I had pneumonia, pleurisy, and bronchitis quite frequently and by the time I reached my fifties, there were a couple of years when I was off work for anything up to three months at a time. Mercifully, steroid-based inhalers seem to have resolved the problem; however, I'm acutely aware of tightening of the 'tubes' if I fail to take my daily 'dose'.

Over the years, in addition to the above, cholesterol and diabetes have also been diagnosed and treated. Nevertheless, by comparison to my ancestors at a similar age, my quality of life is fairly good. However, had it not been for the medication I take each and every day, I would almost certainly be blind, subject to an occasional fit, probably obese, and seriously affected by chronic breathing problems; if not already deceased.

For the time being - at any rate - non of the above seems to apply and that is almost certainly due to the current trend in the UK of practicing 'preventative' - as opposed to 'curative' - medicine. For several years now, government policies have been affected by the need to make savings and it seems that price of the medication is cheaper than the cost of a 'cure'.

I can't help wondering, however, whilst I'm still of (arguably) sound mind, whether  tinkering with the natural aging-process is the right course to follow. Although it seems to be beyond the blinkered understanding of those who take industrial action, the fact of the matter is that if  lives are being extended then the cost of retirement will also increase. It's as simple as that and refusal to recognise the consequences is just plain stupid.

In any event, sooner or later,  someone may to have to question whether , or  not, the  savings made by preventative medicine are, to some extent, cancelled-out by the increased cost of pensions; and, if that were to be the case, who would be brave enough to decide in favour of one - at the expense the other?


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Thoughts

23/6/2012

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If I employed a chauffeur, I wouldn't expect to be held responsible for how he drove; especially if he got me to my destination safely and without breaking the law. Similarly, if I paid an accountant or a financial adviser to look after my income - again, whilst acting entirely within the law - I really don't see how anyone (even a Prime Minister) should have the right to cast aspersions on my behaviour.


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Thoughts

14/5/2012

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Reality TV - or the sort of stuff Simon Cowell churns out - is not something I would normally waste my time watching. In fact, I rarely watch 'Entertainment' on television because news, sport, and documentaries are far more to my liking. That said, however, over the weekend, I was persuaded to watch a segment of something called Britain's Got Talent; and the reason for this is that a Welsh choir was performing.

After the choir had completed their song (an interesting adaption of a Welsh classic called Calon Lan) the usually-smug Mr. Cowell (seen adjusting his shirt to show off his hairy chest at 1.40 on this video)  remarked that he was intrigued to have been affected by something for which he hadn't understood a single word. Not surprisingly, this caused some amusement; not least to myself - because (somewhat uncharitably, I confess), it's my impression that many of the choir - called Only Boys Aloud, by the way, didn't understand what they were singing, either.

You see, coming from south Wales - as most of the choir do - English is their normal day-to-day language. However, in response to years of campaigning by activists, Welsh is now being taught throughout the principality and, as a by-product of this, a thriving 'industry' has been created to cash-in on the demand for Welsh-speakers within entertainment and the media.

Sadly, IMHO, too much of the material on the Welsh-language TV channel, S4C, is delivered to a standard which an amateur dramatic society in England might exhibit if attempting to perform a play in French. However, on a more positive note (no pun intended), programmes which are produced in north Wales are presented far more colloquially by the media. So, it's a mystery to me why S4C don't transfer to Bangor. After all - for different reasons, admittedly - the BBC have been able to move from London to Salford.

n.b.
Although born in Liverpool, my Welsh mother took me north Wales during WW2 and, although I didn't get around to learning how to read or write in Welsh, it was actually the first language I spoke.


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Thoughts

17/4/2012

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A recent newspaper article about the missing little girl, Madeleine McCann, has reminded me how easy it can be to form opinions on the basis of what might be entirely inappropriate assumptions founded on preconceived - and, often biased - notions.

Certainly, from my own point of view, and I'm not especially proud to say this, I was guilty of acting as judge and jury almost as soon as she disappeared. Equally - or, perhaps, more alarmingly - my opinions changed from time to time based on the reports being put about at the time.

For example, when the news broke, even though I was born in the city, the fact that the parents (or, at least, one of them) was from Liverpool created an opinion which was somewhat less than complimentary. Furthermore, when it became known that they had left all three of their children alone in their apartment whilst they were out wining and dining only added to a sense of despair. Paradoxically, however, when it transpired that both parents were doctors, for reasons I would be hard-pressed to explain (or justify) the feeling of disgust mysteriously diminished.

Subsequently, as the years have passed, I've been unable to form a definite opinion of what may have happened. It's only a personal impression and I may be in a minority, but I find it difficult to be fully sympathetic towards the parents because I can't ignore a nagging suspicion that they know more than they're prepared to admit. Furthermore, the curmudgeon in me makes it almost impossible to understand why caring parents would allow a child as young as Madeleine was, at the time, to wear what appears to be eye shadow.


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Thoughts

1/4/2012

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I suspect I may have been one of the first to become qualified to be known in the UK as a Silver Surfer (#1 in this dictionary, NOT #2, BTW). Certainly, my involvement with social networking, for example, started quite early - when, in 2006, it was pointed out that I could to listen to music my elder grandson had composed on Myspace
. Not long afterwards, I discovered You Tube and, a year or so later, I was introduced to Skype.

In those days, my involvement was restricted to an occasional communication with immediate family members across the pond. However, when Myspace seemed to fall out of fashion, I signed-up with facebook and, although it introduced me to more distant relations - and, in time, "Friends" and friends of friends - it seemed to me that it was better suited to the needs of younger people.

Some time later, a newspaper article alerted me to Twitter - which seemed to appeal to those of a more mature disposition. However, whilst I understand it might be ideal for those in 'the public eye', I found it difficult to understand why ordinary Joe Blogs could imagine that their own (often mundane) day-to-day activities should be of the slightest interest to anyone else. Furthermore, an insidious ambition to increase the number of people they could bore the pants off seemed ludicrous (IMHO) - especially since, so far as I can tell, most people who follow each other on Twitter hardly know each other.

By the way, when asked to describe the difference between facebook and Twitter, I suggest that the former is where contributors can be quite rude to those they know - whilst the latter is where people seem to be rather nice to people they've never met.

Anyway, perhaps unusually for someone of my own generation, I had some experience of 'networking' through the medium of this web-site. Originally, a 'diary' of my work as a PSV delivery driver, it developed into a history of some my own and my family's experiences over the years and, rather than use the more 'public' aforementioned social networking sites, I have tended to use this blog to communicate 'personal' information.

Speaking of 'personal' issues, in recent times, the expressions trolls and cyberstalking have become topics for concern on the internet and elsewhere. Now, I don't suppose that many ordinary member of the public are troubled by trolls; however, stalking is a different matter. For example, instances of it have ranged from unwelcome attention to actions as extreme as murder - not something, by the way, with which I'm familiar.

Now, believe it or not, an element of unwelcome attention is something with which I have become familiar recently - which brings me to the point of this particular blog - and that is to confess that, for the first time ever, I have "Unfriended" someone on facebook.

Most who visit this web-site may know that my elder son is a reasonably well-known musician. What many might not know is that some of his fans seem inordinately fascinated by anything connected with him. So, although I'm sure most people know of someone on the internet who seems determined to contribute to absolutely everything, from a purely personal point of view, I found having almost every comment I made responded to in an inappropriately over-familiar manner by someone I've never met extremely disconcerting; in much the same way, I wouldn't be surprised, that someone actually being stalked might feel threatened.

So, to conclude, whilst what I've done is non-negotiable, it is not my intention to cause offence. However, it seemed to be the only way I could send out the message that the boundaries most fans recognise (and for which I'm extremely grateful, BTW) should not be over-stepped.

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Thoughts

22/3/2012

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I've been enormously fortunate, IMHO, to have experienced life from several different perspectives. For example, as a young child, I lived in houses with no gas, electricity, or running water. At around the same time - and in the same area - the most common means of getting from A to B was by horse and cart, or on S
hanks's pony.

At the other end of the scale, in more recent times, I've stayed in the most luxurious hotels imaginable and visited various parts of the world in the most up-to-date aircraft. Paradoxically, it has been during these travels to 'exotic' places that I've witnessed the most extreme forms of deprivation.

Going on from that, after national service, my work experiences ranged from being a bus driver, through various levels of management, to company director (and back again). So, during that time, I've been both a member of a Trade Union and an Incorporated Trades House.

Anyway, although none of the above is intended to 'impress', I'm attempting to suggest that the breadth of these experiences might have given me a greater understanding of life than may be the case for those with less experience; in particular, many of those with whom I have become associated with through the medium of Twitter.

Now, at this point, I'll get straight to the point by declaring that I cannot see why so many - in the most part, apparently well-educated people - are so eager to undermine the current government. As I've said before, I voted for The Green Party; so, I have no axe to grind; but I'm at a complete loss to understand why certain elements seem unable (or unwilling) to accept that the previous government were responsible for the situation which their successors are trying to sort out.

To some extent, I can understand the resentment caused by the 'Thatcher' effect. However, that's no reason to continue to blame the present Tory party. Furthermore, I can assure those who continue to hold that particular grudge, that history will judge the legacy of the union-dominated Labour party of the seventies far less favourably than that of The Iron Lady. Coincidentally, she faced the same problem as young Cameron and Clegg - i.e. sorting out the mess they inherited.

More generally, what I find most difficult to understand amongst those who 'lean to the left' is their failure to realise that the problem with socialism is the Socialists. No one in their right mind could argue against the fact that principles of Karl Marx, for example, are entirely admirable. However, no matter how sincere they may be at the outset of their political careers, too many of those who progress within the system are beguiled by power. The former Soviet Union is probably the most obvious example; however, the UK fares little better when the records of Blair, Mandelson, Prescott and decades of corrupt trade union leaders are scrutinised.

This 'poacher becoming gamekeeper' factor is the main reason that I dislike those who claim to represent 'the left'. Put simply, the moment they assume power, they become Tories. The problem then, however, is  - unlike most Conservatives - their backgrounds are not in management. In other words, they haven't been trained to 'manage'. Is it any wonder, therefore, that they make a bit of a mess of it?

So, to conclude, the next time some of my fellow Twitterarians are inclined to criticise the present lot, stop for a moment to consider why they're doing whatsoever is irking them; because, at the end of the day, votes are what matter and NO politician wants to commit political suicide. So, they won't deliberately upset the electorate.


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Thoughts

19/2/2012

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Following on from my recent blog about cookery programmes on TV (see below) - and having recently become quite proud of myself for developing the skills required to prepare cup-a-soup and toast (almost entirely self-taught, BTW), yesterday, for the first time ever, I made some Scotts Porage Oats.

This morning, continuing with my culinary experiences - and somewhat bolstered by yesterday's success - I attempted to make some porage again and discovered that using a microwave which had previously been set to 'Defrost' doesn't achieve the desired results. Fortunately, however, although my wife was out, I knew her telephone number and she provided instructions on how to re-set the microwave.

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Thoughts

18/2/2012

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There may be many who might disagree (not least, some in my own family) - but, I'm getting sick and tired of seeing cookery programmes on television. Having said that, I don't actually watch them myself because (IMHO) there are few things more revolting than observing people stuffing food into their mouths and, if that wasn't bad enough, they try to describe what they're eating - whilst still eating the bloody stuff!


I suspect the reason why so many programmes are produced (and this might also explain why Reality TV is so prevalent, these days) is that many of those who are featured would be quite happy to pay the TV companies to be seen on prime-time TV. From the chefs' point of view, for example, appearing on TV is probably as good as - if not better - than a full-page advert it a national newspaper.

I suppose there is one saving grace, however, and that is that the TV companies haven't yet (so far as I know) introduced their other rather underhand money making scheme of persuading gullible viewers to pay an arm and a leg to take part in a phone-in; judging which food item is the best, for example.

On second thoughts, perhaps, I shouldn't have mentioned it.

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