Saturday

Unusually, slept late today, not something I do very often but then I was later to bed than usual as I put out that blog late last night on The Real Cost of out of Control Capitalism! , so didn't get up till 10 AM!


Had some toast for brekkie and had intended to do little today with the start of the Tour De France, 3 weeks of great cycling.



After breakfast went to get showered and dressed thinking I would have a quick 30 minute walk before settling in front of the telly! Started to trim my beard and then decided to shave the whole lot off, all I need now is a lollipop and Theopopulos Kojak is reborn! 






Half way through the 'shave' the batteries ran out in my shaver/trimmer (another one to add to the 'Real Laws' over at Julia R Baretts Blog - When you start to trim your beard / hair, the batteries run out half way through leaving you looking like a demented halfwit who hasn't understood the term 'mohican cut')

But, as luck would have it I was looking for a battery on Thursday and found all the double AA's in the 'to be recharged box' and so had recharged 12 batteries over the course of the last two days, so sometimes shit does miss you!

So, having changed the three batteries, mind you I should also say here that my little trimmer has stood me in good stead over the years, having purchased it in Germany circa 1980, so some goods do have staying power, well done Mr Remington.... I finished the shave and cut.

It's now 1 Pm and the TDF starts in an hour, time to get a move on still to have a walk and visit the shops for a couple of bits, need some fresh ginger and chilli's for dinner later, doing a home made Chinese. Off, I set but not before having another debate on socks with the lovely Ishbel, remember the last one, The Great Sock Debate , where I was confused with my missing and or holed socks!

Well, after that I bought seven new pairs of socks but these were special socks, they have the day of the week on them Monday through Saturday, my thinking was if I ever for get what day of the week it is I can always pop my shoes off, have a quick look and bob's your uncle, I'll know whether it is depressing Monday or thank F**k it's Friday!  
Now, you'll also know by now that there is a fair division of labour in the 'casa stronach'.  Ishbel washes the laundry and folds and puts away anything that doesn't get ironed, including socks and shorts, etc. And I iron everything else, do the cooking, keep the kitchen clean and do the gardens.  Ishbel does everything else. So the conversation went like this;

Me: You know when you put my socks away?
Ishbel: (sighs - loudly) Yes
Me: You know they have the day of the week on each sock, yeah
Ishbel: Yeah, and don't start I put the pairs together for you...
Me: Yeah but, when you put them in the drawer why can't you put them together by days, in pairs like Monday and Tuesday next to Wednesday and Thursday and so on. It's not hard.
Ishbel: Get stuffed 


You see, that's when I know I'm right and the argument is won, when Ishbel reverts to the base insults that she has mastered over the last 36 odd years.


Having then won the argument I set of for my walk leaving her to some guy called Mr Grey (!) and saying that I'll only be 30 or 40 minutes.  Now as a reader of the Mr Fat Series  , you will know that I haven't posted for some time, in fact January 28th to be precise.  Don't know why but after 3 years of constant walking and getting down to 19 stone (266 lbs) and going in the right direction but then suddenly I just seemed to lose all focus and have only just, I hope got it back.  But then again I have put a stone (14 lbs)  since then!

I have been out for a walk every day this week and managed to do my target of 11000 steps, so hopefully I am back on track.

As I said, I only intended to 30 or 40 minutes and then come back and watch the cycling  but I ended up walking for an hour and a half and also spent 30 minutes on the gym equipment in the local park as well, which to be honest wasn't as painful as I thought it might be.  This stuff is only 5 minute walk from my front door and I have no idea why I haven't put it to good use before, but as they say better late then never! And even I can't keep be an idiot, surely?






But of course that put paid to the start of the TDF on the telly, but to be honest, while it really is the 'sporting' highlight of the year for me on telly, the first day is usually the time trial and I really enjoyed my own form of exercise. Rather than resting my butt cheeks on the sofa, again.




Talking of the TDF this is a 'sculpture' in a French motorway service station that Ishbel and I stopped at as we drove around France way back in 2004, paying tribute to the guys on the Pyrenees mountain stage... pretty cool.




And this is when they came to London in 2007

While you don't see as much at the actual event as on TV it is still a fantastic spectacle and Marie my eldest daughter love it.  In fact, back in the 90's, when Le Tour was last in the UK, Marie and I jumped in the car and went down to Ashford in Kent.  If memory serves, we didn't have a great view and they went past at such a speed it was all a bit of a blur and it was over, but it was still a great feeling to have been there, on a stage.


Oh! remember I said I was only going out for a short walk, well anything could have happened to me, could have been hit by a speeding disabled pensioner in their little electric buggy with the go fast stripes, there's a lot of them about, and they need to be fitted with bloody speed restrictors, or the pavement could have collapsed and I could have fallen into a gigantic hole in the ground, some of them are that bad in the area, but of course the council has no money to fix anything, or any other number of things could have befallen me.  But, did Ishbel try phoning me on my mobile to see if I had got lost, or worse, well yes she did, as I walked up the path, still smarting from losing the earlier argument no doubt or was it that Mr Gray was keeping her busy........ 


And so, after watching the rest of the prologue I set about making dinner.  decided on home made Chinese today and made:


Chicken with fresh chilli and ginger and sweet chilli sauce 
Chicken with Pineapple and cashew nuts 
Ginger Prawns in fish sauce 
Sticky Pork belly with a honey and soy sauce 
Noodles, Rice and a side salad of cucumber and carrot 



The rest of the evening has been listening to the radio, while watching young Andy Murray falling over at Wimbledon on the Centre Court as he plays Baghdatis


All in all - A good day Hope your has been just as good 


Tomorrow, the ironing awaits 

The Real Cost of out of Control Capitalism!

A couple of stories, just a couple but there are many more out there just as bad, that caught my eye.

From the UK, this one seems to suggest that the stringent budget cuts across the board is resulting in, "public spending cuts causing more road deaths?"  and of course it is also reported this week that Local Authorities, "will have 'no money' for main services by 2020"

And the third story to catch my eye is that Stockton in the USA, with a population of 300,000 is to be declared bankrupt, but to me that is not the story here, as it just surprises me that not more cities and towns are going bankrupt, and I'll explain that in a moment.  No the story is that since they laid off 20% of their Police Force, the crime rate has soared and continues to do so with gang members baiting the remaining officers with taunts asking how long before they lose their jobs!

A couple of weeks ago I commented on 'unemployment' again, and a good Twitter Friend, Ian Beckett who just happens to be a Local Labour Councillor in Harlow Essex, but please don't hold that against him, he is a nice guy; commented that as long as the local community pulled together and created local jobs, all would be well!  Bless him, nice, lovely guy but I'm sure he wears rose tinted spectacles.

It's a lovely thought mind you, if local communities could create enough jobs to put everyone into a placement where they could go out and earn a decent living, enough to be able to live and to pay for rent, mortgage, and living, without relying on state benefit's, but they can't, and they can't for a number of reasons. Not least by the fact that we have created generations of the same families who have never worked and don't want to work.

In fact I was having another conversation with an electrician in my office last week and the thought struck me as we chatted that there will always be a need, no matter how technologically advance we become, for certain skill sets such as:

Electricians and Plumbers, but do you know what I was hard pressed to think of any other jobs that could in fact be jobs for life! Carpenters, Brickies, Manufacturers, i.e. people who make and build stuff.  You'd think they would all be in demand, I think their time is running out too.

And this caught my attention earlier in the week as well, it was a photo of the old Bryant and May factory in London and the tag line was:

"The Bryant & May Match Factory, Bow, London. January 1920. Redeveloped into residential accommodation in the 1980’s the Bryant & May Match Factory was the site of the Match Girls Strike in 1888 that culminated in the establishment of the first British trade union for women. At its peak it’s said there were more than 3000 women and girls working at this site."

(More images of Britain from above, can be found here)

Of course during the 20's and including WWII factories like this one covered not only our country but most of the Western World and like the one above.  Whether they were making matches or cars and trucks, bricks for building or any number of thousands of people were employed on shifts work, twenty four hours a day, 365 days a year, but even with these behemoths with their armies of workers spewing out their goods, there was never a time of 'Full Employment'.

Take a look these:

Dodge Assembly Line 1950's

Modern Assembly line

Now if we couldn't give, and guarantee full employment, when factories around the world were employing thousands of people around the clock with no robotics and mechanisation with computers running everything, what makes governments and for that matter local politicians believe that they can do so now.

And, it can only get worse.  I did suggest that possible electricians and the like will always find employment, but even that is not the case, if we go back to Stockton, near the city dump where a mini  Skid Row has sprung up with tents and cardboard shelters. More than 400 people, a third of them children, sleep at the nearby Shelter for the Homeless.  Shelter Director John Reynolds said,

"I'm seeing people that shouldn't be here, people that had good jobs like electricians, nurses, retail managers, people with businesses, people who were living in four or five bedroom homes."

So all these people in Stockton and elsewhere in the US are living in Skid Row and having to go to 'Food Banks' something we thought we would never see in the UK, think again, apparently,

• 13 million people live below the poverty line in the UK. Our foodbank provides a minimum of 3 days emergency food and support to local people in crisis

 And it can only get worse!

Over 2 million people are unemployed in the UK today and while there has been a marginal decrease in the figures reported in June 2012 the long term prospects can only get worse.  See Unemployment tracker

1 in 4 of school leavers aged 16 and the same  for 21 year old graduates will probably never get a job
.
Technology is racing ahead, and why shouldn't it but the cost of technology advancement is jobs.  It is estimated that within the next fifteen years that the new 'print' technology will be able to manufacture whole buildings, so much for the building trade and the tens of thousands that it employs then; 

within a decade or two, it is likely many homes will have one of these printers in their home, downloading and printing off whatever is needed.
For instance, if you lose the battery cover for your phone, chances are someone else has done the same - and will have built you a plan.
Indeed, your mobile maker may well release these plans for their customers.
Or you may use a printer for cutlery, for toys, or simply anything that you need in your home which isn't electrical or perishable.
It may be a big change, but don't fear it, for as Yoda, might tell us: 'Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2160974/Clever-3D-printing-Yoda-helps-explain-latest-technology-innovation.html#ixzz1zEFu2qne

So, for those who have a home and a job, they'll have printer in it, but they wont need to go to the mall to buy anything, all they need to do is print it out.

And what of the have nots, the further generations, added to those previous generations that don't have a job and will never have one?  Will governments be raising enough in taxation to feed them at food banks or will me see more and more riots on our streets.  And of course if law enforcement and military are being laid off because governments and councils can't afford them, do we revert to creating cities and ghettoes  like that seen in 'futuristic movies, where the peasants and the feckless are walled in with gunships keeping them penned up and away from the 'chosen ones' who had money!

 It just seems to me that no government has any answers to these issues and whether or not they are actually thinking about them is debatable, but one thing is certain, it can only get worse!

If the unemployed figures keep rising then there is less revenue in taxes.  If taxes aren't being raised how can governments, councils and cities pay for the services they need, we are on a slope and someone somewhere keeps pouring oil onto it making it more slippery, year by year and yet not one politician from any political hue seems to be talking about it. It's as if their is a collective sense of 'omerta' in that if we don't talk about it in a serious fashion (if at all), it will go away. It wont and rebellion and riots are the likely outcome.

What do you think?

I'm Gonna Be Rich!!!!!!!!!!!

Haven't seen one of these in a while, must update my spam filters, or maybe I'm gonna be rich, who needs to borrow some of me when I get my hands on it ..........

My Dearest One,

I am writing this mail to you with tears and sorrow from my heart.With due respect trust and humanity, i appeal to you to exercise a little patience and read through my letter i feel quite safe dealing with you in this important business having gone through your remarkable profile, honestly i am writing this email to you with pains, tears and sorrow from my heart, i will really like to have a good relationship with you and i have a special reason why i decided to contact you, i decided to contact you due to the urgency of my situation,My name is Miss. Hope Kipkalya Kones, 25yrs old female and I held from Kenya in East Africa. My father was the former Kenyan road Minister.

He and Assistant Minister of Home Affairs Lorna Laboso had been on board the Cessna 210, which was headed to Kericho and crashed in a remote area called Kajong'a, in western Kenya.
The plane crashed on the Tuesday 10th, June,2008. You can read more about the crash through the below site:xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    After the burial of my father, my stepmother and uncle conspired and sold my father's property to an italian Expertrate which the shared the money among themselves and live nothing for me. 
One faithful morning, I opened my father's briefcase and found out the documents which he have deposited huge amount of money in one bank in Burkina Faso with my name as the next of kin.
I travelled to Burkina Faso to withdraw the money for a better life so that I can take care of myself and start a new life, on my arrival, the Bank Director whom I met in person told me that my father's instuction to the bank is that the money would only be release to me when I am married or present a trustee who will help me and invest the money overseas. 
I am in search of an honest and reliable person who will help me and stand as my trustee so that I will present him to the Bank for transfer of the money to his bank account overseas.

I have chosen to contact you after my prayers and I believe that you will not betray my trust. But rather take me as your own sister.

Though you may wonder why I am so soon revealing myself to you without knowing you, well I will say that my mind convinc ed me that you may be the true person to help me. Moreso, I will like to disclose much to you if you can help me to relocate to your country because my stepmother have threaten to assinate me.

The amount is( $9.8 USD )Million United State Dollars, and I have confirmed from the bank in Burkina Faso on my arrival, You will also help me to place the money in a more profitable business venture in your Country. However, you will help by recommending a nice University in your country so that I can complete my studies.

It is my intention to compensate you with 40% of the total money for your services and the balance shall be my capital in your establishment. As soon as I receive your positive response showing your interest I will put things into action immediately.

In the light of the above, I shall appreciate an urgent message indicating your ability and willingness to handle this transaction sincerely.

Awaiting your urgent and positive response. Please do keep this only to your self for now untill the bank will transfer the fund.

I beg you not to disclose it till i come over because I am affraid of my wicked stepmother who has threatened to kill me and have the money alone ,I thank God Today that am out from my country (KENYA) but now In (Burkina Faso) where my father deposited these money with my name as the next of Kin.

I have the documents for the claims.
Yours Sincerely Hope Kipkalya Kones.
my private email misshopekipkalya01

The Shame of the Irish Catholic Church: Update

Update: 

The Huff Post reports that;

Last Sunday Pope Benedict XVI, told 75,000 Catholics in a pre recorded video message, that the issue of child abuse by priests was " mystery"

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI told Irish Catholics on Sunday it is a mystery why priests and other church officials abused children entrusted in their care, undermining faith in the church "in an appalling way."

The real mystery in all of this is why the hierarchy of this Church still fails to come out and admit that it covered up and contributed to years of child abuse by it's paedophile members, with the additional mystery of why so many people continue to support such a corrupt entity?



My original post on this is here