Shakespeare’s words are still as current in today’s world as they were when he wrote them, “Age, I do abhor thee, youth, I do adore thee.”
If we are lucky we will all get older. One of the indignities of the ageing process is that bits tend to drop off, sag or simply malfunction. This is the modern take on Shakespeare’s seven ages of man, and we’re at number six. That means we are on the slippery slope, which is pretty bad, but nothing compared with what is sure to come when the teeth, eyes, gums, bladder and brain start to give out. If this is not yet happening to you it is, for sure, happening to people you care about, be it parents, grand parents or just someone you like or love. Help them to look after themselves.
Right now it feels like we should have a party just for waking up. A prize should be given to the old fart who can remember his name and a bonus given for sitting down without that noise coming out of our mouths, the sigh of contentment that reminds us how much like our parents and grand parents we really are.
It’s a special, secret joy to hear the list of ailments of friends who have a more extensive collection than you. This is not because you’re mean and nasty but rather, because this reflects the honest emotion that you’re just a little bit less unhappy than the other poor bastard.
My dad used to say that it was truly horrible to consider all the indignities of old age until you consider the alternative.
Is there anything we can do about the results of the advancing years?
Well, there are some deficiencies you can do nothing about. Your eyes will dim with the passage of time, your body does change and your memory will simply not operate in the same way it did when you were younger. However there are methods to deal with all of this.
The first and most important thing to do is to take some care of you. It is truly vital that even if you don’t have to do anything you should keep yourself busy. It’s just as vital to exercise your brain as any other part of your body. You must keep your mind active, it’s vital.
Nothing can replace a healthy diet and regular exercise. A healthy diet does not necessarily mean less food, but it should mean more of the right balance of food.
Exercise should means different things to us at different ages throughout our lives. When we’re small kids its about coordination, learning about team games, and how to contribute. It should be about fun and taking part. Recently a friend gave me pictures of myself in the under 11 boxing and football teams at Holland House school in Edgware. We both remember the time we spent taking part with enormous pleasure. I loved all the sport I was encouraged to do, except working out how to climb a rope in the gymnasium. Although I was about 8 at the time, I knew that it was physically impossible for me to take my body straight up a rope so why bother?
Next comes the stage when your body is naturally pretty fit and taking its strong adolescent shape. Now you compete and the harder the better. You learn to win and, perhaps more important, how to handle losing. Then you reach bodily maturity and you are competing because you want to. You’re enjoying the experience, and the benefits of taking part. In England we have lost some of this spirit but still do well enough to prove we haven’t lost all our fighting sprit part of which comes, I am convinced, from the playing fields of our youth.
There is another, not much discussed period after this, when you’re in your thirties. This is when you begin to fully understand your physical limitations but still get a ton of pleasure from taking part. Perhaps you are more suited to individual sporting pursuits rather than team sports. The latter now becomes more difficult to play except within your own age group. When you get injured it takes progressively longer to recover, and it also takes a little bit longer to get your wind back and for your heart rate to drop back to its resting norm.
Personally I played fairly competitive football until my mid to late thirties, and really enjoyed the experience until the injuries were taking forever to heal. There was then a big gap as I searched for something to replace the pleasure I had enjoyed. Eventually, and against my better judgment I was introduced to running (more like jogging) when I was in my early forties. This was also the time I quit smoking, which is probably just as well, as I would have probably killed myself had I tried to do both. The running, with gaps every so often, continued for many years. I started doing this purely for fitness but over an extended period it became an immensely enjoyable experience.
I suppose the first thing to go from the too constant pounding was my knees. They started to ache, and then, as if in sympathy, so did my feet. I developed strange aches and pains that wouldn’t stop until I stopped running. During this period I was introduced to exercise videos, and much to my amazement I enjoyed working out, despite the fact that I’d never enjoyed the gym. Now I happily work out about 4 to 6 times a week to some rather vicious Australian ladies on Sky Sports. Believe me their mix of aerobics, Pilates and outright sadism does the trick!
A great many of my friends and relatives do none of the above. They don’t exercise or have regular check ups and they would argue that they are just as fit and well as anyone else. Of course this is possible, but we are looking at probabilities. It is certainly true that regular exercise, a good diet and regular check ups will benefit the majority and anyone who says different is stupid, they might get lucky, but they’ll still be stupid!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
SpeedTraps
As we’ve noted before in our blog this is the news silly season. Nothing is supposed to happen in the dog days of summer, but this year, despite government being on vacation along with much else, there is still too much to write about.
It’s hard to ignore the bane of every British person’s life, automatic camera ticketing for speeding cars. It surfaced today that the number of fines issued via this system has increased by 400% over the last decade.
This column is not seeking exoneration for all the people who have been photographed while driving too fast, but that is not the point.
No doubt, if there were a camera at every single corner there would be even more speeding tickets issued. But we’re not supposed to be living in a police state and this camera proliferation just isn’t necessary unless the purpose is to punish and browbeat us all into blind obedience.
About ten years ago, speed cameras started to proliferate as if they were the illegitimate metal children of the politically correct. We were told that these cameras were being put in position purely to reduce the accident rate. We were also informed that all the money collected would be spent helping to improve road safety.
The latter has been interpreted to mean that all the money collected would be used to buy yet more cameras to be put in place to fine drivers yet more money to be used to buy more cameras. In the end this small island will be covered in cameras!
The authorities still claim that there has been a concomitant decrease in accidents due to these cameras, but the link is not proven to this writer’s satisfaction. Let’s all see the forensic evidence. If there is a link let’s have a further study that demonstrates the second part of this contentious argument in which more cameras will provably result in even less accidents. If we were to accept this specious argument there must be some point at which we could eliminate all accidents? I don’t believe this and neither, seriously, can anyone else.
We are informed that these cameras are collecting fines on nearly 2,000,000 (two million) speeding tickets a year. This amounts to penalties of more than £106,000,000 ($210 million) each year via camera. This equates to a quadruple increase over the last decade in which the Labour party has been in power in the UK. Is it yet another example of unproven politically correct dogma that blights our lives?
The Conservative party opposition spokesman, David Ruffley, correctly stated that the government is “treating motorists like cash cows.” He went on to state, “The number of tickets issued for speeding has increased 150% under Labour.”
Revenue from speeding tickets has almost quadrupled to £200 a minute since Labour came to power.
The increase has coincided with a massive expansion in the number of speed cameras
Home Office figures reveal that 1.8million tickets are being issued each year, or 4,850 a day. In 1997, only 713,000 fixed penalty notices were handed to drivers.
This is an increase of 150 per cent in only a decade, and it has been compounded by an increase in the value of fines - from £40 to £ 60 - in 2000.
'Coupled with an increase in the basic speeding fine, this means speeding tickets are now raising over £100 million a year for the Government.
'Ministers need to tell us what they are doing with this £100million a year taken from motorists.
'How much is actually put back into practical road safety that does not involve speed cameras?
'Ministers' failure to answer that question confirms the view that for this Government the British motorist is "a nice little earner".
'Is Labour using speeding tickets just to raise revenue rather than making our roads safer?
'Using speed cameras as a cash cow undermines public confidence. The Government needs to rethink ways of improving road safety, including cracking down on uninsured drivers.'
His questions and ours remain unanswered. Meanwhile this intentional and constant attempt to trap everyone speeding will result in every one of us eventually falling foul of the all embracing system, rendering it all meaningless. Surely, when we all break a law it must be time to change that law.
It’s hard to ignore the bane of every British person’s life, automatic camera ticketing for speeding cars. It surfaced today that the number of fines issued via this system has increased by 400% over the last decade.
This column is not seeking exoneration for all the people who have been photographed while driving too fast, but that is not the point.
No doubt, if there were a camera at every single corner there would be even more speeding tickets issued. But we’re not supposed to be living in a police state and this camera proliferation just isn’t necessary unless the purpose is to punish and browbeat us all into blind obedience.
About ten years ago, speed cameras started to proliferate as if they were the illegitimate metal children of the politically correct. We were told that these cameras were being put in position purely to reduce the accident rate. We were also informed that all the money collected would be spent helping to improve road safety.
The latter has been interpreted to mean that all the money collected would be used to buy yet more cameras to be put in place to fine drivers yet more money to be used to buy more cameras. In the end this small island will be covered in cameras!
The authorities still claim that there has been a concomitant decrease in accidents due to these cameras, but the link is not proven to this writer’s satisfaction. Let’s all see the forensic evidence. If there is a link let’s have a further study that demonstrates the second part of this contentious argument in which more cameras will provably result in even less accidents. If we were to accept this specious argument there must be some point at which we could eliminate all accidents? I don’t believe this and neither, seriously, can anyone else.
We are informed that these cameras are collecting fines on nearly 2,000,000 (two million) speeding tickets a year. This amounts to penalties of more than £106,000,000 ($210 million) each year via camera. This equates to a quadruple increase over the last decade in which the Labour party has been in power in the UK. Is it yet another example of unproven politically correct dogma that blights our lives?
The Conservative party opposition spokesman, David Ruffley, correctly stated that the government is “treating motorists like cash cows.” He went on to state, “The number of tickets issued for speeding has increased 150% under Labour.”
Revenue from speeding tickets has almost quadrupled to £200 a minute since Labour came to power.
The increase has coincided with a massive expansion in the number of speed cameras
Home Office figures reveal that 1.8million tickets are being issued each year, or 4,850 a day. In 1997, only 713,000 fixed penalty notices were handed to drivers.
This is an increase of 150 per cent in only a decade, and it has been compounded by an increase in the value of fines - from £40 to £ 60 - in 2000.
'Coupled with an increase in the basic speeding fine, this means speeding tickets are now raising over £100 million a year for the Government.
'Ministers need to tell us what they are doing with this £100million a year taken from motorists.
'How much is actually put back into practical road safety that does not involve speed cameras?
'Ministers' failure to answer that question confirms the view that for this Government the British motorist is "a nice little earner".
'Is Labour using speeding tickets just to raise revenue rather than making our roads safer?
'Using speed cameras as a cash cow undermines public confidence. The Government needs to rethink ways of improving road safety, including cracking down on uninsured drivers.'
His questions and ours remain unanswered. Meanwhile this intentional and constant attempt to trap everyone speeding will result in every one of us eventually falling foul of the all embracing system, rendering it all meaningless. Surely, when we all break a law it must be time to change that law.
Monday, August 4, 2008
CarrotsOrSticks
Do you prefer being punished for your misdemeanors or rewarded for your accomplishments? How could anyone pick the former when the latter is clearly more desirable? Wouldn’t it be better to reward so called socially responsible behavior rather than punish those who are not followers of the politically correct responses?
In the UK the politically correct thought police, otherwise known as our government, both local and national, confront us with punishment rather than inducement.
How else can we describe laws and regulations that will fine people up to £110 ($220) for overfilling your refuse bin?
Or in another part of the country, £1,000 ($2,000) for failing to properly sort your refuse as proscribed.
This madness doesn’t stop with rubbish, but goes on to charge trucks huge fines for entering the low emission zone around London. On top of this, if you have a bigger engine car you have to pay a much higher car tax. To add misery to this charge the government, in its infinite wisdom has backdated this particular legislation to include cars that are up to 6 years old.
These are sure to be ineffective green taxes on our population. You can go on but you have probably got the message.
What would happen if you were to reward the population for doing what’s commonly considered desirable, instead of punishing them for not doing so? An example of this exists in Germany where there are huge schemes in which bottle returns are really well rewarded and as a consequence almost everyone makes sure they do it. That’s one problem the Germans simply made disappear.
In parts of the USA there are payments made to residents for sorting their garbage rather than penalties levied on those that don’t do so. The companies who administer these schemes profit from running these schemes. These are schemes in which no one loses and everyone gains. Perhaps that’s why Britain’s local government doesn’t go down this enlightened path, they’re basically too socialist and petty minded.
Another myth perpetrated in the UK is that the lower the road speed limit the less accidents and fatalities. I have driven in Germany where there are many sections of roads without speed limits and the figures for accidents and fatalities are very similar to those in the UK. Yet in the UK you can’t drive anywhere for more than a short distance without car speed cameras automatically monitoring your car’s speed; why?
I have another idea for these bureaucrats who try to make parking as miserable as possible for us all. In every town in the UK there are parking charges of varying sizes almost everywhere you park your car. This has caused possibly irreversible damage to the small local shopping located in the old town center. This type of shopping has been largely replaced by the out of town supermarkets and shopping malls. One of their great advantages is their convenience, particularly the ease of parking at no charge. You could easily combine the benefits. Charge the highly profitable supermarkets a car parking tax for each space at the mall so that all of the spaces in the town could be made free of charge to the public.
Remember that from today onwards, August 4th, if you are caught in the UK, speaking on your mobile phone (not on a hands free system) whilst driving and having had an accident where someone is killed, you can be arrested, and if, at your trial you are convicted you could serve up to 7 years in jail! The regular sentence for using your mobile phone remains, a 3-point fine on your license and a very hefty financial penalty. This is one occasion in which we can all surely agree that the punishment does fit the crime.
In the UK the politically correct thought police, otherwise known as our government, both local and national, confront us with punishment rather than inducement.
How else can we describe laws and regulations that will fine people up to £110 ($220) for overfilling your refuse bin?
Or in another part of the country, £1,000 ($2,000) for failing to properly sort your refuse as proscribed.
This madness doesn’t stop with rubbish, but goes on to charge trucks huge fines for entering the low emission zone around London. On top of this, if you have a bigger engine car you have to pay a much higher car tax. To add misery to this charge the government, in its infinite wisdom has backdated this particular legislation to include cars that are up to 6 years old.
These are sure to be ineffective green taxes on our population. You can go on but you have probably got the message.
What would happen if you were to reward the population for doing what’s commonly considered desirable, instead of punishing them for not doing so? An example of this exists in Germany where there are huge schemes in which bottle returns are really well rewarded and as a consequence almost everyone makes sure they do it. That’s one problem the Germans simply made disappear.
In parts of the USA there are payments made to residents for sorting their garbage rather than penalties levied on those that don’t do so. The companies who administer these schemes profit from running these schemes. These are schemes in which no one loses and everyone gains. Perhaps that’s why Britain’s local government doesn’t go down this enlightened path, they’re basically too socialist and petty minded.
Another myth perpetrated in the UK is that the lower the road speed limit the less accidents and fatalities. I have driven in Germany where there are many sections of roads without speed limits and the figures for accidents and fatalities are very similar to those in the UK. Yet in the UK you can’t drive anywhere for more than a short distance without car speed cameras automatically monitoring your car’s speed; why?
I have another idea for these bureaucrats who try to make parking as miserable as possible for us all. In every town in the UK there are parking charges of varying sizes almost everywhere you park your car. This has caused possibly irreversible damage to the small local shopping located in the old town center. This type of shopping has been largely replaced by the out of town supermarkets and shopping malls. One of their great advantages is their convenience, particularly the ease of parking at no charge. You could easily combine the benefits. Charge the highly profitable supermarkets a car parking tax for each space at the mall so that all of the spaces in the town could be made free of charge to the public.
Remember that from today onwards, August 4th, if you are caught in the UK, speaking on your mobile phone (not on a hands free system) whilst driving and having had an accident where someone is killed, you can be arrested, and if, at your trial you are convicted you could serve up to 7 years in jail! The regular sentence for using your mobile phone remains, a 3-point fine on your license and a very hefty financial penalty. This is one occasion in which we can all surely agree that the punishment does fit the crime.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
AdoptATony
Once in a while you have to adapt to circumstances. One was my plea for adoption to Bill Gates yesterday. Despite my being an orphan, Bill has not responded with an offer. I am ready, and I would call you daddy or whatever else you’d like Bill. I’d fetch you coffee every morning, and listen respectfully to your every utterance.
Still nothing? OK, it’s plan B, I shall be looking for another adopter.
I was considering making a proposal to the Royal Family, but I’m unsure whether they would readily adopt a middle aged Jewish fellow into the family. I admit that I am not religious, but I am not too confident that I’d want to become the Defender of the Faith, especially if the faith is not my own. But we can adapt if they adopt.
Yesterday we had some of our extended family at home for a get together and it was great fun. We’re very fortunate that everyone gets on sufficiently well to want to repeat these gatherings even when it’s not an official holiday.
Today we are in a playful mood because it’s my wife’s birthday. Grandchildren and children, chocolate cakes, presents and various paraphernalia, have surrounded us and it has been great fun.
Now we’re off to my cousin’s home where the rest of my family lay in wait. We do these kinds of things as regularly as we can to keep our sense of unity alive even when there are no weddings or funerals or other obligatory functions to attend.
Similarly we arranged a Klinger gathering in California a couple of months back. No family is perfect, you can’t ask more than for them to be more than interesting.
All you really want when you discover your family’s attributes is that they are pleasant, maybe even attractive, but definitely not asking you for money!
That’s where you come in Your Majesty.
Still nothing? OK, it’s plan B, I shall be looking for another adopter.
I was considering making a proposal to the Royal Family, but I’m unsure whether they would readily adopt a middle aged Jewish fellow into the family. I admit that I am not religious, but I am not too confident that I’d want to become the Defender of the Faith, especially if the faith is not my own. But we can adapt if they adopt.
Yesterday we had some of our extended family at home for a get together and it was great fun. We’re very fortunate that everyone gets on sufficiently well to want to repeat these gatherings even when it’s not an official holiday.
Today we are in a playful mood because it’s my wife’s birthday. Grandchildren and children, chocolate cakes, presents and various paraphernalia, have surrounded us and it has been great fun.
Now we’re off to my cousin’s home where the rest of my family lay in wait. We do these kinds of things as regularly as we can to keep our sense of unity alive even when there are no weddings or funerals or other obligatory functions to attend.
Similarly we arranged a Klinger gathering in California a couple of months back. No family is perfect, you can’t ask more than for them to be more than interesting.
All you really want when you discover your family’s attributes is that they are pleasant, maybe even attractive, but definitely not asking you for money!
That’s where you come in Your Majesty.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
OverHereBill
There has been a recent trend among the super rich not to leave their offspring money. Not only do they reach this decision, it seems as though they deem it necessary to let us poor folks know. Bill Gates was one of the more recent to take this action. Despite his being worth many tens of billions of dollars he has concluded that his kids would be best served by not having huge wealth to inherit. Bill, thanks for the information but I was hoping you might want to adopt me, as I’m clearly too old to be spoilt by the experience, whilst still fit and healthy enough to make a pretty healthy dent in one or two of the billion.
Bill made his money from owning and developing Microsoft. He was clearly a business and computing genius, a nerd with attitude, and totally adept at making money and crushing the opposition. Gates has a reputation of being tough, explosive and intimidating. Isn’t it strange that such a person sees no moral paradox in his stance on inheritance?
Is Bill just being a good guy, or has he looked in the mirror and decided he needs to give something back to the society that he has so ruthlessly and successfully exploited?
It appears to the sign of a man looking to establish his place in history, in much the same way as one of the greatest philanthropists ever, Andrew Carnegie. This Scottish man made his fortune in the American steel industry in the 1870s; he founded the Carnegie Steel Company, a step that cemented his name as one of the “Captains of Industry”. By the 1890s, the company was the largest, most profitable industrial enterprise in the world. Carnegie sold it to J.P. Morgan in 1901, and he went on to create US Steel.
Carnegie almost totally devoted the remainder of his life to large-scale philanthropy, with an emphasis on world peace, local libraries, education and scientific research. It looks like Bill has been studying his history and decided on the same course.
We all realize that giving away more than $50 billion is a full time job, and that you don’t want to spoil your kids, but isn’t this all a bit excessive?
Warren Buffett, possibly the canniest investor, businessmen and philanthropist in America since World War Two, amassed a fortune that is estimated to be even bigger than that of Bill. He expressed a desire for Bill to spend some time helping to run his immensely successful investment company. Carnegie has an estimated net worth of around US$62 billion, and Forbes magazine ranked him the richest person in the world on February 11, 2008.
Buffett is called the "Oracle of Omaha," and is noted for his almost total adherence to the value investing philosophy and for his personal frugality despite his immense wealth.
Buffett is also a noted philanthropist. In 2006, he announced that he was going to give away his entire fortune to charity, with 83% of it going to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2007, he was listed among Time's 100 Most Influential People in The World.
These men understood how capitalism works better than any of their peers, and worked out how to harness it to their dreams and aspirations. They then went on to create more wealth than they could spend in a hundred lifetimes. They each had more money than anyone could spend or want, and in their wisdom they decided, after experience of such extreme wealth, that they didn’t want that life for their children. This surely proves that some money, to meet your obligations is great, but too much and it’s trouble. Imagine the people begging for help, threatening blackmail, kidnap. Imagine the fear you have of everyone’s true motive, unless they’re as rich as you, and can’t want anything from you. Perhaps the super rich giving away their money is the best defense they can erect around their family.
Isn’t it also bizarre and somewhat gratifying, that all of these ultra successful capitalists choose to give away their fortunes in such an obviously social liberal and almost, whisper this quietly, socialist method?
But Bill, I could handle just a little bit of cash, I promise.
Bill made his money from owning and developing Microsoft. He was clearly a business and computing genius, a nerd with attitude, and totally adept at making money and crushing the opposition. Gates has a reputation of being tough, explosive and intimidating. Isn’t it strange that such a person sees no moral paradox in his stance on inheritance?
Is Bill just being a good guy, or has he looked in the mirror and decided he needs to give something back to the society that he has so ruthlessly and successfully exploited?
It appears to the sign of a man looking to establish his place in history, in much the same way as one of the greatest philanthropists ever, Andrew Carnegie. This Scottish man made his fortune in the American steel industry in the 1870s; he founded the Carnegie Steel Company, a step that cemented his name as one of the “Captains of Industry”. By the 1890s, the company was the largest, most profitable industrial enterprise in the world. Carnegie sold it to J.P. Morgan in 1901, and he went on to create US Steel.
Carnegie almost totally devoted the remainder of his life to large-scale philanthropy, with an emphasis on world peace, local libraries, education and scientific research. It looks like Bill has been studying his history and decided on the same course.
We all realize that giving away more than $50 billion is a full time job, and that you don’t want to spoil your kids, but isn’t this all a bit excessive?
Warren Buffett, possibly the canniest investor, businessmen and philanthropist in America since World War Two, amassed a fortune that is estimated to be even bigger than that of Bill. He expressed a desire for Bill to spend some time helping to run his immensely successful investment company. Carnegie has an estimated net worth of around US$62 billion, and Forbes magazine ranked him the richest person in the world on February 11, 2008.
Buffett is called the "Oracle of Omaha," and is noted for his almost total adherence to the value investing philosophy and for his personal frugality despite his immense wealth.
Buffett is also a noted philanthropist. In 2006, he announced that he was going to give away his entire fortune to charity, with 83% of it going to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2007, he was listed among Time's 100 Most Influential People in The World.
These men understood how capitalism works better than any of their peers, and worked out how to harness it to their dreams and aspirations. They then went on to create more wealth than they could spend in a hundred lifetimes. They each had more money than anyone could spend or want, and in their wisdom they decided, after experience of such extreme wealth, that they didn’t want that life for their children. This surely proves that some money, to meet your obligations is great, but too much and it’s trouble. Imagine the people begging for help, threatening blackmail, kidnap. Imagine the fear you have of everyone’s true motive, unless they’re as rich as you, and can’t want anything from you. Perhaps the super rich giving away their money is the best defense they can erect around their family.
Isn’t it also bizarre and somewhat gratifying, that all of these ultra successful capitalists choose to give away their fortunes in such an obviously social liberal and almost, whisper this quietly, socialist method?
But Bill, I could handle just a little bit of cash, I promise.
Friday, August 1, 2008
YourComments
This is where I try to be brave. As those of you know, who write in reply to my blogs, I do try and respond as fast as I can. However quite a few of you only write to ask me to see what someone else has said, I suppose to confirm their views. I have responded if I thought I could contribute further, and as promised, I have not given more than the first name of any correspondent.
They are real comments and are greatly appreciated, many thanks.
We have edited for space where appropriate, and do wish to make clear that we don’t necessarily agree with the reader’s views. We are proud to note that the comments received have been almost totally positive which is very encouraging.
So here goes, your comments, forming a blog of their own!
“Thank God someone has said something sensible about this. Rules for one different for another? Yesterday’s news was a mixture of contradictions. Having been a victim of “domestic violence” – physical through in partner (hit with an iron), and psychological in another (constant wearing down of my self-esteem) – I get very upset by the “zero tolerance” campaigns which state domestic violence against women is a crime and never acknowledge that men can also suffer. Domestic violence, from either gender, is just that, violent. This year, the news has been swamped with reports of fatalities through knives and guns and asks rhetorical questions: “what can be done about it?” “Are the parents to blame?” In order to send the right message, surely the government should be making it a lot harder to get away with murder, not justifying it.”
Jon on The License to Murder argument
“I think your observations are acute, but I disagree that the main reasons Barak Obama is adored is that he is not Bush. He is an eloquent black man nominated in America. That is a powerful statement and cannot be overlooked in the midst of all the other tumult. What he would actually do in office, is, I agree, absolutely unknowable, possibly promising, possibly very frightening.”
David on Obama in Berlin
“One more thing, I am glad you are open as a thinker, most claim to be interested in external issues are only interested to the extent that it has a reference to their life and unfortunately it does not go much deeper.”
Stevie
“Love what you wrote. Absolutely true!”
_____________________________________________________
“I am not sure about your blog but I distrust everyone in both parties who are politicians. With few exceptions...I know one thing we cannot force our way of life on anyone but if they mess we have to play ball.
The blog is well written and it is expressed also by manpower over here mostly republican but also Hilary Demos...
Sherry on Will Barak Blink?
I was basically just writing to say that I've been reading your blog and how much I've enjoyed it, and also have found it to be both very interesting and informative, thanks! I particularly enjoyed your most recent post and your musings on what democracy means to
Europhiles. I never realized how true that is, it's quite thought provoking.
Matt M. on Europhiles
“The bad thing about being swept up into the madness is you wake up 4 years later and not much has changed and your energy fizzles out and you have wasted a lot of time. It is a PR job, I hope he wins but it could back fire. They all fall down; all hero’s fall in this imperfect world.”
Stevie on the Obama blog
I've read your blogs where possible--some of seems right on and some of it full of shit-- but that's what you get for publishing. Israel...I mean look, it's going to be a lot of rotten compromises and pathetic stalemates on both sides that allow regular people to go about their lives as best they can. The apocalyptic scenarios are a bit silly at this point. Nut job dictators with the nukes and the like--that's a police problem---uninspected cargo containers....uninspected luggage on airplanes---no one has the money to do this because we're bogged down in the stupid war which ought to be a UN- Arab security operation if its to be fought at all. There are National Guard members in this town I'm in who have done four tours of duty in Iraq and they don't have health insurance. They live in trailers because their mortgages went under in the housing crisis. They can't drive to work because they can't afford gas.... etc. Etc. Moreover, most are rejects and petty criminals because no one will go near the army anymore. Christ, you don't invade a country like Iraq if you've read a history book. Not without a UN. /Arab coalition and the mindset that you are going to be there for at ten to twenty years. I was against that. war from the start--I said it would last 10 years minimum...spelled out all the reasons that Saddam can't just buy yellow cake uranium from Nigeria and make a bomb, etc. The stuff you are peddling.... the U.S....Israel...the Arabs.... etc. It’s an old great powers-nationalist-narrative There are multinational corporations now who contract out on security, information, destabilization of governments..."making the world safe for business." That's the real story here.
In any event, cheers and keep the shot gun blasts coming.
Brad.
Very good one. It reflects the feelings and sentiments of many Americans as well. Good questions and true of popularity in general leaders are great but worship is not. Beatles a good illustration.
You writing is clear and to the point and cutting through the BS and this is good.
SJK on the US elections blogs
“Tony this is great!”
Steve on RomeUSA
“Tony, I hope you're getting pick up on this. The material is fascinating and imperative. “
Dick on IslamaConfusion
“Well done. Very interesting!”
K on Museum in Docklands
“Very interesting blog on the elections. I really like your blogs!
Sherry
“You should have a newspaper column!”
Harvey
I think you should have a column it would be wonderful - and you are a bright light when I get your blog
Chip
Thank God for tonybeingcreative and an end to all that uncertainty about the future. Keep being creative and here's to the next hundred.
Neville on 100Up
Many thanks for all your contributions, and for those of you who have made comments but not been included, maybe next time?
They are real comments and are greatly appreciated, many thanks.
We have edited for space where appropriate, and do wish to make clear that we don’t necessarily agree with the reader’s views. We are proud to note that the comments received have been almost totally positive which is very encouraging.
So here goes, your comments, forming a blog of their own!
“Thank God someone has said something sensible about this. Rules for one different for another? Yesterday’s news was a mixture of contradictions. Having been a victim of “domestic violence” – physical through in partner (hit with an iron), and psychological in another (constant wearing down of my self-esteem) – I get very upset by the “zero tolerance” campaigns which state domestic violence against women is a crime and never acknowledge that men can also suffer. Domestic violence, from either gender, is just that, violent. This year, the news has been swamped with reports of fatalities through knives and guns and asks rhetorical questions: “what can be done about it?” “Are the parents to blame?” In order to send the right message, surely the government should be making it a lot harder to get away with murder, not justifying it.”
Jon on The License to Murder argument
“I think your observations are acute, but I disagree that the main reasons Barak Obama is adored is that he is not Bush. He is an eloquent black man nominated in America. That is a powerful statement and cannot be overlooked in the midst of all the other tumult. What he would actually do in office, is, I agree, absolutely unknowable, possibly promising, possibly very frightening.”
David on Obama in Berlin
“One more thing, I am glad you are open as a thinker, most claim to be interested in external issues are only interested to the extent that it has a reference to their life and unfortunately it does not go much deeper.”
Stevie
“Love what you wrote. Absolutely true!”
_____________________________________________________
“I am not sure about your blog but I distrust everyone in both parties who are politicians. With few exceptions...I know one thing we cannot force our way of life on anyone but if they mess we have to play ball.
The blog is well written and it is expressed also by manpower over here mostly republican but also Hilary Demos...
Sherry on Will Barak Blink?
I was basically just writing to say that I've been reading your blog and how much I've enjoyed it, and also have found it to be both very interesting and informative, thanks! I particularly enjoyed your most recent post and your musings on what democracy means to
Europhiles. I never realized how true that is, it's quite thought provoking.
Matt M. on Europhiles
“The bad thing about being swept up into the madness is you wake up 4 years later and not much has changed and your energy fizzles out and you have wasted a lot of time. It is a PR job, I hope he wins but it could back fire. They all fall down; all hero’s fall in this imperfect world.”
Stevie on the Obama blog
I've read your blogs where possible--some of seems right on and some of it full of shit-- but that's what you get for publishing. Israel...I mean look, it's going to be a lot of rotten compromises and pathetic stalemates on both sides that allow regular people to go about their lives as best they can. The apocalyptic scenarios are a bit silly at this point. Nut job dictators with the nukes and the like--that's a police problem---uninspected cargo containers....uninspected luggage on airplanes---no one has the money to do this because we're bogged down in the stupid war which ought to be a UN- Arab security operation if its to be fought at all. There are National Guard members in this town I'm in who have done four tours of duty in Iraq and they don't have health insurance. They live in trailers because their mortgages went under in the housing crisis. They can't drive to work because they can't afford gas.... etc. Etc. Moreover, most are rejects and petty criminals because no one will go near the army anymore. Christ, you don't invade a country like Iraq if you've read a history book. Not without a UN. /Arab coalition and the mindset that you are going to be there for at ten to twenty years. I was against that. war from the start--I said it would last 10 years minimum...spelled out all the reasons that Saddam can't just buy yellow cake uranium from Nigeria and make a bomb, etc. The stuff you are peddling.... the U.S....Israel...the Arabs.... etc. It’s an old great powers-nationalist-narrative There are multinational corporations now who contract out on security, information, destabilization of governments..."making the world safe for business." That's the real story here.
In any event, cheers and keep the shot gun blasts coming.
Brad.
Very good one. It reflects the feelings and sentiments of many Americans as well. Good questions and true of popularity in general leaders are great but worship is not. Beatles a good illustration.
You writing is clear and to the point and cutting through the BS and this is good.
SJK on the US elections blogs
“Tony this is great!”
Steve on RomeUSA
“Tony, I hope you're getting pick up on this. The material is fascinating and imperative. “
Dick on IslamaConfusion
“Well done. Very interesting!”
K on Museum in Docklands
“Very interesting blog on the elections. I really like your blogs!
Sherry
“You should have a newspaper column!”
Harvey
I think you should have a column it would be wonderful - and you are a bright light when I get your blog
Chip
Thank God for tonybeingcreative and an end to all that uncertainty about the future. Keep being creative and here's to the next hundred.
Neville on 100Up
Many thanks for all your contributions, and for those of you who have made comments but not been included, maybe next time?
Thursday, July 31, 2008
FamiliesandWaterPistols
There are times when you are very lucky. For me, such a time is now. I have the joy of being surrounded by my family, for those of you who have shared such an experience you know what I mean, and I can only wish such an experience for those who haven’t been fortunate enough to share it.
On a recent weekend I had my four grand children staying over. Little Ollie is just a couple of weeks old, and is clearly going to be a little charmer. He smiles in recognition and the beginnings of focus as he greedily sucks in the world with his eyes as he drinks milk happily. Every part of him is a pleasure given to us by a generous nature, whatever name you give it. I don’t know about higher beings but I do know that if there is one he or she has been very generous to me recently. I looked up a dimly remembered quote by Robert Louis Stevenson; “I will make brooches and toys for your delight – Of bird-song at morning and star-shine at night.” If I could give these lovely children the world I would.
When I was a boy, two thousand years ago, we used to get on our horse and canter down to the corner street shops where such things were easily available. Now there are very few such corner shops, in fact there seem to be fewer corners!
Therefore I drove my fuel-eating car to purchase some water pistols at the ubiquitous Tesco’s. I suppose I was feeling the need to give the taxman some more money. You all remember that water pistols always came with a simple pump action and were made to look like mini guns whose purpose was to shoot a refreshing and annoying stream of water at our friends and enemies. No longer, now these are sophisticate apparatus, manufactured overseas. These devices operate on Double A batteries that are not supplied by the shop or the makers. You need a Philips screwdriver to open the battery compartment; fortunately we had the necessary equipment and batteries.
It only took a few minutes to undo the impossible packaging to gain access to the wonderfully designed guns that look more space revolvers.
Another few minutes of fiddling and unscrewing got us into the battery compartments where we inserted the batteries. We tested the device and noted it made all the right noises.
The grand children were, by now, hopping from foot to foot in excited anticipation. We filled the guns with water and, careful to go into the garden before soaking the general environment, we then fired the guns. Nothing happened, it was a wet fart on a sunny afternoon, no one can hear it and no one cares. In the kingdom of water activity this was a singularly wet squib.
The kids were distraught, looking at me as if I had intentionally and personally let them down. I was distressed as their perception of me descended from super poppa to my being slightly more evil than Stalin and Hitler combined.
Enormously relieved I handed the malfunctioning weapons to Mrs. Klinger, who is usually able to make anything work with just a withering look and a very strong, well chosen encouraging word or two.
No, even she who must be obeyed was unable to command performance.
It now fell to our number two daughter, Sarah, a frightening genetic hybrid between all that is good from the two of us. She can make a Mac do magic tricks, so she must be a genius. But even the smiling and serene Sarah, Deputy Director of a school no less, could not make these guns ejaculate their water.
Undeterred, the women advanced on the unfortunate supermarket to retrieve our money in exchange for their inoperative water pistols. The shop gave in without any resistance, plainly knowing that the pistols were defective before the women opened their mouths.
I wonder what John (Jack) Cohen, the founder of Tesco would have made of this approach, his slogan was, “Pile it high, sell it cheap” but he built an empire by delivering reasonable quality at a reasonable price.
Clutching this refund in hand the ladies then diverted to Toys R Us. Here they purchased bigger and better looking water pistols. In fact they look more like the water cannon the police use to break up particularly troublesome riots. Of course, you and I both know that the ladies had not learned their lesson. Just because these weapons were made of bigger and shinier plastic they still were doomed to fail the acid test, which is work how they’re supposed to. As Michelangelo said, “Trifles make perfection and perfection is no trifle.”
One of the water cannons didn’t work at all, and the other one’s batteries went down more rapidly than the elevator in the Empire State Building. There were a few moments of joy during which the water jetted forward in a long and happy arc, but it didn’t last. More sadness ensued, more promises given of replacements but kids want these things to work immediately, like us all, they are used to instant gratification. It isn’t much to ask is it, a water pistol that can fire some water?
On a recent weekend I had my four grand children staying over. Little Ollie is just a couple of weeks old, and is clearly going to be a little charmer. He smiles in recognition and the beginnings of focus as he greedily sucks in the world with his eyes as he drinks milk happily. Every part of him is a pleasure given to us by a generous nature, whatever name you give it. I don’t know about higher beings but I do know that if there is one he or she has been very generous to me recently. I looked up a dimly remembered quote by Robert Louis Stevenson; “I will make brooches and toys for your delight – Of bird-song at morning and star-shine at night.” If I could give these lovely children the world I would.
When I was a boy, two thousand years ago, we used to get on our horse and canter down to the corner street shops where such things were easily available. Now there are very few such corner shops, in fact there seem to be fewer corners!
Therefore I drove my fuel-eating car to purchase some water pistols at the ubiquitous Tesco’s. I suppose I was feeling the need to give the taxman some more money. You all remember that water pistols always came with a simple pump action and were made to look like mini guns whose purpose was to shoot a refreshing and annoying stream of water at our friends and enemies. No longer, now these are sophisticate apparatus, manufactured overseas. These devices operate on Double A batteries that are not supplied by the shop or the makers. You need a Philips screwdriver to open the battery compartment; fortunately we had the necessary equipment and batteries.
It only took a few minutes to undo the impossible packaging to gain access to the wonderfully designed guns that look more space revolvers.
Another few minutes of fiddling and unscrewing got us into the battery compartments where we inserted the batteries. We tested the device and noted it made all the right noises.
The grand children were, by now, hopping from foot to foot in excited anticipation. We filled the guns with water and, careful to go into the garden before soaking the general environment, we then fired the guns. Nothing happened, it was a wet fart on a sunny afternoon, no one can hear it and no one cares. In the kingdom of water activity this was a singularly wet squib.
The kids were distraught, looking at me as if I had intentionally and personally let them down. I was distressed as their perception of me descended from super poppa to my being slightly more evil than Stalin and Hitler combined.
Enormously relieved I handed the malfunctioning weapons to Mrs. Klinger, who is usually able to make anything work with just a withering look and a very strong, well chosen encouraging word or two.
No, even she who must be obeyed was unable to command performance.
It now fell to our number two daughter, Sarah, a frightening genetic hybrid between all that is good from the two of us. She can make a Mac do magic tricks, so she must be a genius. But even the smiling and serene Sarah, Deputy Director of a school no less, could not make these guns ejaculate their water.
Undeterred, the women advanced on the unfortunate supermarket to retrieve our money in exchange for their inoperative water pistols. The shop gave in without any resistance, plainly knowing that the pistols were defective before the women opened their mouths.
I wonder what John (Jack) Cohen, the founder of Tesco would have made of this approach, his slogan was, “Pile it high, sell it cheap” but he built an empire by delivering reasonable quality at a reasonable price.
Clutching this refund in hand the ladies then diverted to Toys R Us. Here they purchased bigger and better looking water pistols. In fact they look more like the water cannon the police use to break up particularly troublesome riots. Of course, you and I both know that the ladies had not learned their lesson. Just because these weapons were made of bigger and shinier plastic they still were doomed to fail the acid test, which is work how they’re supposed to. As Michelangelo said, “Trifles make perfection and perfection is no trifle.”
One of the water cannons didn’t work at all, and the other one’s batteries went down more rapidly than the elevator in the Empire State Building. There were a few moments of joy during which the water jetted forward in a long and happy arc, but it didn’t last. More sadness ensued, more promises given of replacements but kids want these things to work immediately, like us all, they are used to instant gratification. It isn’t much to ask is it, a water pistol that can fire some water?
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