What one man can do!

30 November

There is a large sycamore tree across the rear here in our community area, and it still has leaves on it. That is a bit of surprise really cos last year it had dropped them all by mid-November. All the other deciduous trees have lost their leaves, so why just this last one I wonder. Anyway …

Earlier in the year we bought Tom one of those small two-ring table top cookers for his flat. A few months later he decided to up and move to Antrim, so we had the cooker back here. Since then it has sitting here getting in the way and looking out of place. Last week I offered free to the local Streetwise group and it was picked up this morning. That’s the second item we have rehomed in this way the other being a black leather rocking/swivel chair that was only being used to fill a place in the living room. The only person to have used it was Tom when he came over here for the odd meal.

Streetwise is a useful local site that helps keep us up to date with what’s going on. One member is our local councillor, who won the seat from a Tory simply because he showed up for important environmental meetings and events where the Tory didn’t. Well, Keith is a Green Party member and stood as such, so by winning he has hopefully taught the main parties a lesson.

Keith speaks out on any issue where the environment is under threat and so keeps us informed too. He has also shook up the whole council a good deal too by videoing the council meetings and posting them on YouTube. The rest of them don’t like it but it is legal and they can’t do anything about it. I think the single biggest issue he took on was the so-called town plan. This plan had been delayed and delayed but because Keith didn’t let them off with their excuses, and their secrecy over it, it was finally published earlier this year; only around five years late. Surprising what one determined man can do eh?

As time goes on I get more and more confused over HS2. As far as I understood it, nothing certain has been decided and the official ‘Go head’ has not been given. So how can Greasy George announce that part of it will be brought forward by six years to 2027; and that’s the opening date, not the start date. To me that shows that the whole thing is a done deal and only needs to be rubber stamping by a vote in Parliament. Now the folks who live on the planned route from Brum to Crew don’t have as much time as they had hoped before they lose their homes. Considering the recent court case where compensation was paid to some property owners over it, I wonder what effect this will have and how much more that is going to cost them later.

As I said yesterday, I’ve been trying to get some refills for my digital pen – and very trying it is too. Our local stationery shop doesn’t stock them and from what I’ve seen on the Staples website, neither do they. I’ve even looked on the Staedtler website and the only refills I can find there are for pencils and colour inks, I only want a dark blue or black. This was an expensive pen when I bought it and if I can’t find refills then I’ve lost a lot cash again. I’ve not given up though, I’ll see what I can find elsewhere.

Jan is off getting ready to go and get Kile from school. His nan has just called to say he is ill and needs to go home. I hope he’s not playing silly sods again, as he has been the last few weeks.

Today’s photo is of course … 

Kile in pixel-packing mode.

Today’s funny …

At school, Little Johnny's classmate tells him that most adults are hiding at least one dark secret, so it's very easy to blackmail them by saying, "I know the whole truth." Little Johnny decides to go home and try it out.
Johnny's mother greets him at home, and he tells her, "I know the whole truth." His mother quickly hands him $20 and says, "Just don't tell your father." Quite pleased, the boy waits for his father to get home from work, and greets him with, "I know the whole truth." The father promptly hands him $40 and says, "Please don't say a word to your mother."
Very pleased, the boy is on his way to school the next day when he sees the mailman at his front door. The boy greets him by saying, "I know the whole truth." The mailman immediately drops the mail, opens his arms, and says, "Then come give your Daddy a great big hug!"   

Roast beef for dinner for someone and a gadget that won't work yet.

29 November

Looking out the window right now, I’m very pleased I have no plans for going out today. That wind that blowing out there is pretty high, much better to stay at home and keep warm. Jan however, is out to church as normal for a Sunday morning. He plan is to call into Asda on the way home for a few odds and ends that we need, although we are not desperate for them. If it’s raining she won’t bother though.

You will know about me handwriting my latest literary efforts and how long it’s taking to get typed up. Well, the other day I found a CD for my Staedtler digital pen, end of problem I thought. I’d actually forgotten I had this wee bit of kit and I didn’t know where it was. Of course you will know that misplacing things here in Jaronland. Actually, this time I found it in a pot under my desk where I keep all my pens not currently in use. I’ve even charged the base receiver too.

It’s still not ready though cos the ink cartridge as has dried out. So that means I need to buy some new ones of course, but that won’t happen until I have installed the software. It that won’t work with W8.1 then it’s a big waste of money – again. It looks like it has installed so tomorrow I shall be off out into town to get some now cartridges.

I had the bright idea that the Parker roller ball cartridges might fit, but they don’t, far too thick. Pity really cos there must be a hundred of them here, all left from when Dave was out spending cash on stuff he knew he would never use. To give you an idea of what I mean is the pen I now use for general use around here; I’ve been using it since 2009 when we first came back here from Atherton, and I still haven’t had to change the cartridge. So much waste he left behind.

I saw a photo of Kile on Facebook today, which in itself is OK, I’ve posted them too in the past. However, I don’t recognise the name of the poster. I’ve reported it to Facebook, not because there is anything wrong with it as such, but the comment that came with it was a huge breach of trust in my view. I’ve sent her a PM but she hasn’t replied yet and I have a feeling that she won’t do so either. I’ll let his mum know later though.

Right now I’m sat here with the mouth-watering aroma of roast beef wafting around, but sadly it’s not ours. I’m not sure which of the other three flats it’s coming from but I have feeling that it might be Sandra, or perhaps from the house just feet away from us. Anyway, it’s making me very hungry right now.

This will be a short one then, so today’s photo … 

Three meet up, St James’ park, London.

Today’s funny …

An elderly couple are in church. The wife leans over and whispers to her husband, "I just let out a long, silent fart. What should I do?" The husband replies, "First off, replace the batteries in your hearing aid!"        

Too early and danger ahead

28 November

For Reading Addicts is one of a number of Facebook groups I read. Yesterday they asked a question; What are you reading currently? Well, that was pretty obvious and I replied, ‘Facebook right now … ‘ But then I went on to say ‘I’m reading Career of Evil in hardback and Alien Hunters on me kindle.’ The Alien one is another space opera and so far it’s doing fine in the entertainment stakes. The basis is that one human is out looking for ‘woman’ who has been sent to him for protection by his father. He himself is being chased through space by a group of cyborgs who are also looking for the same woman. Right, got that?

Steel is the name of the human and in his rush to leave Earth he buys a space ship and heads off into space where he then finds that ship has a crew of aliens, three different races; not quite there yet … During the escape from Earth and the cyborgs, Steel picks up his brother and his ex-girlfriend, another alien (I won’t worry about that at the minute). Buying the ship has also bought the ships mission, and that is hunting for aliens making a pest of themselves. And yet the crew itself is made up of two humans and four aliens. So now I have a group of aliens chasing a load of other aliens. Oh yes, the ‘woman’ they are looking for is also an alien, the last of purple skinned beings who died out when their world was destroyed by … yupe, another alien race. Well, the book has the right title at least.

Last night I made a mistake; oh dear, how sad, what a pity, never mind! I’d got it in me ed that the time of my scan was 9.15 this morning. So I set the alarm for 7am; up we got, and I started sorting out the paper work to take with me. That’s when I noticed the right appointment time, 9.50. We got up an hour too early. The whole thing in the scanner took around 45 minutes and they did confirm I do have a brain in me noggin, which is good to know at least. What I didn’t know was that order was for scans of lower and upper spine as well as my head. Anyway, it all went off without any problems and were back home sitting drinking tea at 11.20, after being out for just two hours.

And guess what, I forgot to take a magazine with me this morning so I called into smudges place in the Hussy and bought a Maily Dale and Computeractive. That little scanning department is running very well. As I was ready, the guy in there came out and as I came out the lady who was next was sat waiting she was taken in straight away. Very slick system, and no complaints there. BUT … I didn’t get to read either the paper or magazine.

The paper is now read and there’s a lot of stuff in there to cover but one item, no, two items caught my attention. The first one is a photo of young boy with bandaged legs lying on his hospital bed. They also copied his letter to Santa; it begins, ‘Dear Santa, please help the police to find the men who shot me?’ How touching is that? The poor lad was caught up in gang war somewhere so I really do hope the cops can get those prats who shot him! The next one to catch my eye is again a part Christmas story and another little boy.

It seems that this year one of the most wanted presents is a remote controlled drone. Do you fancy one – no, not me! These things do have their uses of course, but do the general public actually need them? I don’t think so. A lot of the people who are after them are idiots and selfish prats who don’t care what happens to others or their feelings. All these prats want is to be allowed to do what they want when they want too. Now then, the second little boy …

He and his dad were visiting one of their friends and as they were leaving to head home the friend launched his drone. As he was bringing it in to land, it clipped a tree and crashed to ground, after hitting the boy in the face. One of the unguarded blades sliced the boy’s right ball in two and he has now lost that eye. He also faces at least two more operations before he can have a prosthetic eye fitted. Even then he won’t be finished with it because as he grows he will need to have that eye changed every couple of years. Fellow Brits, get used to hearing stories like this as they will increase as time goes on. A much bigger danger is that there have been a few near misses when drones have been flown too close to airplanes. One day there will be a collision and loss of an eye will be least of it.

Today’s photo … 

One of the trees down the road a few weeks ago.

Today’s funny …

Blonde: "What does IDK stand for?"
Brunette: "I don’t know."
Blonde: "OMG, nobody does!"