Guns, guns and more guns

23 September 2013

Up to around three years ago Bracebridge Street, Marlborough Road and Norman Avenue here in Dorktown were two way roads.  They are fairly narrow road, about three cars width plus a bit on each side with parked cars along the full length of the street.  The result was that traffic was often at a standstill while one car reversed to allow each other to pass.  Eventually someone came up with the idea of making them one-way - and we all breathed a sigh of relief!  Bracebridge Street was used for entry off Queens Road, the main road and flow was t'ther way for the two others and it was working very well, even if traffic low on Bracebridge Street increase a good bit; up till last Friday lunchtime that is.

Armed police raided a house at the Queens Road end of Bracebridge Street at 1pm.  A man and a woman were arrested and taken away.  But the street was closed to all traffic during the operation.  Oh what fun that would have been!  The congestion would have been pretty good seeing as all the traffic for the three roads would have to go along Queens Road, a busy road at any time, round the island and back down to turn left along Edward Street to get to the top end of the other two roads.  Police haven't said what it was all about yet but I shall be interested to hear about it later.

There's a photo in today's News under a headline, "Police ask the public to hand in firearms."  I've counted 14 hand guns in that photo.  Why anyone needs a hand gun I just don't know.  Guns have one use, and one use only, to kill and maim another person or animal.  There is no reason for the general public to need and own any firearm!  Sports shooters will try to claim they are exempt but as far as I am concerned they should not be exempt.  Some farmers may have a need for a shot gun for controlling pests on their land but other than that all gun ownership should be banned! 

Look at the US for Gods sake!  Look how many times they have mass shootings over there.  Yet the Constitution says that they have a right to bear arms.  Here is Amendment 2, or at least part of it ... "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."  Those 27 words have a lot to answer for!  In 1791 when this amendment was ratified it was needed.  Now it certainly isn't, yet the gun lobby is very powerful and that's why they don't change the law over there.  As always in these situations I wonder just how many have to die before anything is done.

Today's photo is of a sunset in Weston earlier this year ...

And a funny ...

 Once there was an old man sitting on a bench in the park crying. A younger man walked up to him and asked "What's wrong?" The old man replied "I am married to a sexy 21 year old woman who gives me two blowjobs a day and we have sex the minute I get home from work and right after dinner." The young man had a strange look on his face and asked "What's so bad about that? It sounds to me like you have a great sex life." The old man replied "I can't remember where I live!"       

Going out, egging on and new films

22 September 2013

Sunday morning, bright and sunny and I'm not going off for the day.  Why?  Well, if I do it's just for the sake of it seeing as I have no reason to actually go out apart for just going out.  Besides, with Jan being out for most of today anyway I should be able to get some writing done.  Fred Cooper is calling out to find out what I will have him doing next - or not doing ;-)))

There's been a programme on telly about bouncers in pubs in Newcastle.  I recorded them and the first one was OK but this morning I tried to watch the second one and gave up for it really started properly.  Even the short section I did see was just drunks making fools of themselves by shouting at each other and the cameras and trying to look clever and original.  All they achieved was to look drunk and stupid.  I get the feeling that when the cameras are out in town the drunks start to play up to them.  Same as the criminals; they also try to look clever and try to play up to the lens but of course cops are not stupid, something the crims need to learn.  I've been wondering if it does anyone any favours having the cameras teams out and about with the cops.  Perhaps in their own way the cameras actually encourage these people to greater and greater excesses.  Of course, I do like to watch the cops shows so in that way I'm just as much to blame as anyone else. 

We love watching films too.  The other day we bought three new ones, The first one we tried was called The Beach and to be honest it was bloody awful!  Don't waste your dosh on it.  The next one was The Impossible, a true story of one family's survival during the tsunami on Boxing Day 2004.  Jan chose this one and I'm really pleased she did because it was a terrific film and well worth watching.  The last one of the three was Flight, which we watched last night.  Again a great film, but there again I've yet to see a dud from Denzel Washington.  The idea of flying a jet-liner upside down is mind-boggling at least. 

Now upside down airplane shots I'm afraid I but do have this one ... 

Chopper Coppers in the skies of London on Marathon day one year.

Today's funny ...

The phone rings & is answered by my wife.
(Heavy breathing...)
"Do you have a tight arse with no hair?"
"Yes, he's watching TV - can I say who's calling?"              

A stabbing, spitting and a story's base

21 September 2013

Another young man has been stabbed and has died from his injuries; that's the second such incident in Brum this week and the fourth in the last six months.  So many young lives wasted for nothing.  Just what is going on?  Why this need to carry knives in the first place?  And why are they so easy to get hold of?  While we were in Weston earlier we had a ride out to the Clarks Shopping Village and while we were there I went into a shop that sold cooks knives.  I'm looking for a particular brand of knife that I used to have when I was in the army.  Anyway ... I ended up buying a fairly expensive 9" cooks knife.  The guy who sold it actually apologised because according to law he has to age the age of anyone buying such a knife.  If that is right then how come there are so many knives out in the community? 

There's a stall on Brum indoor market that sells all sorts of pointed objects, I've bought a few odds and ends there in the past and I aways have a look as I go passed the stall in case I see the type of knife I'm looking for.  But the things, there's loads of 'hunting' knives, machetes and hand axes on display there too.  In other areas I've seen ornamental Samurai sets on sale as well the same items as above.  But why are they on open display even?  How many kids have to die before positive action is taken to stop the slaughter?

We were having a quiet ride out most of yesterday and Jan has fallen in love with a new Sony bridge camera with 50X zoom on it.  It looks quite good actually but it was also suffer from the same problems of shutter delay as every other compact or bridge camera.  We'll see how things go but seeing as we already have a Nikon bridge camera and two Nikon compacts I'm not sure we really need a new Sony one too.

We have been watching the Dom Littlewood show on BBC every morning about anti-social behaviour and one of the regular comments by the public who are asked to name their pet hates on these lines, most of them said spitting on the streets.  Well, while we were out yesterday we pulled into Morrisons car park and as we did a man spat just as we pulled in to the parking space beside him.  As I got out I challenged him and he claimed he didn't even know he had spat.  Then it was all excuses as to why he did it but at no time did he acknowledge he was wrong to do so.  This man was an elderly man, well, older than me anyway, but that shouldn't make any difference, indeed, he should know better.  But here's the rub ... he was of one of the racial minority groups, but not Asian.  Sad to say it but older Asians do tend to be the worst offenders on this issue followed by young while men.  No matter what racial group they belong to, none of them will admit to doing wrong when challenged over it.  In the case of the young white men you're likely to get a load of abuse or even get thumped for doing so. 

Now then ... one of my all-time favourite films is War of the Worlds, based on the book by H. G. Wells.  The CD of the musical version of the story by Jeff Wayne is also my favourite CD (or is it Tubular Bells ... can't quite decided ;-))) )

Whatever, H. G. Wells was born on this day in 1866 in Bromley, Kent.  Now there's a thought, the story itself in based around there isn't it?  Interesting that ... ... ...

Back to our ride out yesterday ... a number of times we have driven past a sign pointing to a country pub called The Dog.  We've gone down there a few times and it's been closed, but yesterday it was open and we went in.  Just lately I have been running around with my 30mm macro lens on me A77 and enjoyed using it.  But yesterday I was kicking myself for not having my 10-35mm lens.  Why?  Well, have a look at this ... 

It's just two panels of a four panel display on the front of bar in The Dog.  The Roaring Meg real ale I enjoyed too.

And yet again the Sage has spoken, but perhaps with a warning ...

Two medical students were walking along the street when they saw an old man walking with his legs spread apart. He was stiff-legged and walking slowly.
One student said to his friend: "I'm sure that poor old man has Peltry Syndrome. Those people walk just like that."
The other student says: "No, I don't think so. The old man surely has Zovitzki Syndrome. He walks slowly and his legs are apart, just as we learned in class."
Since they couldn't agree they decided to ask the old man. They approached him and one of the students said to him, "We're medical students and couldn't help but notice the way you walk, but we couldn't agree on the syndrome you might have. Could you tell us what it is?"
The old man said, "I'll tell you, but first you tell me what you two fine medical students think."
The first student said, "I think it's Peltry Syndrome."
The old man said, "You thought.... But you are wrong."
The other student said, "I think you have Zovitzki Syndrome."
The old man said, "You thought... But you are wrong."
So they asked him, "Well, old timer, what do you have?"
The old man said, "I thought it was GAS... But I was wrong, too!"

Godiva, brothers and writers and films

19 September 2013

Have you heard of the Lady Godiva story?  It supposedly happened in Coventry years ago when I lady rode through the town naked in protest against the high and unjust taxes being levied by the local Lord.  All the towns folk went indoors so as not to view the lady; all but one that is.  Peeping Tom sunk a peek of her.  The city took the story to heart.  In Broadgate, the centre of the city, there is a large bronze statue of the lady and her horse and not far away is a large clock where you see Godiva ride past and Peeping Tom peeping through some part open shutters. 

There have been a number of re-enactments over the years, one of the biggest was the giant Godiva ridding to London as part of Cultural Olympiad last year.  Personally I didn't see much point to it; but het ho, others did.  And yesterday there was another one here in Dorktown, well, sort of anyway.  The lady concerned was a brunette not a blonde; she wasn't naked but was dressed head to foot in pink.  Finally she was taking a 4500 name petition in support of Ridding for Disabled to the Council House.  Even the local European Muppet Person got in on the act.  Daft I calls it!

Today would have been my brothers birthday.  He would have been 63 today if he hadn't died in 2009.  All too often people assume that because we were brother we loved each. Nothing could be further from the truth!!!  We both loathed each other and only tolerated each for the sake of our mother.  To me Dave was a boring, drab man with little intelligence and even less ambition; that's why he was still living at home with mother instead of getting married and having kids.  To him I was always a traitor to the family for leaving home and joining the army.  He used to accuse me of  being a snob and thinking that I was better than they were.  Where that came from I don't know!  Well, 58 was a young age to die, too young really.  But perhaps he was better off going when he did seeing as when we started sorting out his estate and mothers affairs, we found a lot of irregularities.  If he had lived he would have to answer for them and I don't think he would have been able to deal with it at all, I really don't.

Another book got thrown out the other night; this time  Jo Nesbo.  Didn't get on with that one at all.  Stephen King was on the telly today because his new released a fallow-up to The Shinning.  I haven't read that one and perhaps I should do so.  Anyway, King was not at all pleased with way the book was filmed saying that the characters had been altered.  But surely that's normal when books are turned in to films?  I always thought so anyway.  The old saying of words and pictures comes to mind here. 

 

And so to photo ... 

The real Godiva on her hoss!

And funny time ...

The wife left a note on the fridge.......... "It's not working!!! I can't take it anymore, I've gone to stay at mum's" I opened the fridge, the light came on and the beer was cold. God know's what she's on about....