Archive for the ‘Current Affairs’ Category

It’s Olympic Time Again

Friday, August 5th, 2016

It’s difficult to comprehend that it’s four years since Britain won a record haul of medals at the London Olympics. As I write this piece, the opening ceremony to the Rio Games is less than two hour away. And yet the Olympics are already shrouded in controversy.

Some of the star golfers, Spieth, Johnson, Day, and McIlroy  pulled out of  the Games because of concerns over the Zika virus and an apparent lack of security in one of the World’s most dangerous cities. The Russian track and field team are banned from the Games because of drug and substance abuse, but the IOC in their infinite wisdom decided to leave the fate of other Russian participants to the individual Sport’s Governing Bodies who promptly decided to allow Russians to participate in all the other sports.

Participants in water sports such as sailing, rowing and canoeing could be at severe risk since Rio’s sewage system is pumped directly into the ocean. It sounds mela dramatic, but it was reported that body parts were recently washed up near the beach volleyball venue. It was also determined that the air quality would not meet the standards of the Western World.

Two or three athletes were mugged in the Olympic Village, and yesterday a Moroccan boxer was arrested for attempting to rape two chambermaids in the Village. Meanwhile Team GB athletes have banned Brazilian cleaners from entering their rooms after kit was stolen.

A Greek athlete has been expelled after failing a drugs test, and Olympic athletes from several nations have posted videos in the internet showing horrendous conditions inside the Olympic Village. It’s not surprising then that the multi-millionaires of USA’s Dream Team (basketball) have chosen to stay on a luxury cruise ship moored in Rio Harbor.

Day one of competition is yet to begin and we already have had sufficient drama to provide material for the complete works of Shakespeare, a Greek Tragedy and a British “Carry On.” Indeed it is a farce. The Olympic competitors are mere pawns in what has become a giant financial circus; lining the pockets of drug barons, media moguls and fat cats in the financial capitals of the world.

It was rumored that Brazilian football legend, Pele, would light the Olympic flame, but he has declined the invitation due to ill health which is very convenient, so has not to tarnish his reputation with this debacle. Another significant individual who will not be present at the Opening Ceremony is Brazil’s President. She is currently suspended from office facing impeachment over allegations she manipulated the Government budget.

But despite the pollution, security issues, muggings, and allegations of sexual harassment, the IOC has buried its head in the sand of the beach volley ball court, and declared that the event is to celebrate ecology, diversity and joy. Fingers crossed, let’s hope we are not counting body bags on a daily basis.

 

 

EU, UK, BREXIT and The Seven Dwarfs

Wednesday, February 24th, 2016

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Bashful: Great, I’m spared 4 months of analysis and thinking. Nigel Farage, George Galloway, and Boris Johnson all think we should leave the EU. That’s me for staying in!!

Doc: IDS, Gove, etc, want to take us out, so they can rip away the rest of our human rights, make us all slaves, and kill off the rest of us who are ill, old and disabled. Fear politics all over again. Yet another reason to stay in.

Happy: Despite their policies in UK which I disagree with, I am afraid to say that I agree with them for not being part of EU. It may not necessarily be for the same reasons but ultimately I’m out!

Bashful: Why do you want to leave, Happy?

Sneezy: Why would you want to stay, Bashful?

Bashful: Ok. Very short answer.

Bashful: Original founders of EU were motivated by a desire to avoid a third world war starting in Europe. Coincidentally this is the 100th anniversary of the battle of Verdun which only involved the French and Germans. I think that motive is still a strong fundamental. Economy: It makes sense to me to stay in the biggest trading group in the world. There may be petty bureaucracies but that applies everywhere and there is a general acceptance that these can be improved.

Bashful: Wales has received some benefit from the EU financially but it is also encouraging to be part of a group that contains other small nations with minority languages who share some of our concerns rather than being dominated by our monoglot neighbor. This may be romantic but I emotionally like the idea and practice of travelling more freely through Europe – we took the train from Kings Cross to Barcelona via Paris. Fab! I’m Welsh, I’m British and I’m European. I’m an internationalist. Finally the problems that face Europe as a whole will be better dealt with if the UK remains a member.

Sneezy: World War maybe, but there are still wars going on all over the world. Not clear pulling out will change things. Biggest trading group? In decline! Also we will still be trading just as other non EU countries can. The EU also needs to trade with us. “Petty bureaucracies” – are you having a laugh calling the EU that??? Yes CAN be improved BUT hasn’t been in years and won’t be. Agree, Wales desperately needs to stay in. Had more than “some benefit”. Huge EU grants help to prop up a weak economy. You’re worried about being dominated by a monoglot neighbour but not a federational bunch of bureaucrats? Are the Swiss finding it difficult to move “freely” through Europe then?

Bashful: It’s a tough call, and I can see both sides but I think EUROPE is truly a greater vision than the alternative. And Visions don’t come easy!

Sneezy: Agree Bashful, but they need to go to Specsavers!

Happy: There are a few reasons Bashful for wanting to leave (too many to type with thumbs on a phone so I’m not going to go into detail on here but to try to offer an answer for you… I believe the system that is currently being used by the EU is not workable and the system that is needed to make it workable is not acceptable to the main established countries, including GB. Listening to DC when he announced deal, I could see nothing in what he said that actually made it beneficial to remain in EU with the changes being proposed, they are very superficial. We could have all of those things he announced if we left EU and have a greater say over all the issues the deal covers.

Happy: We will obviously still have a close relationship with the other main countries and will obviously continue to share info regarding terrorist groups/threats and national safety. There are several scaremongers saying it will be a complete break from everything but the reality is the relationship that currently exists will still remain. Also The EU obviously want us to stay as it strengthens the EU with GB in where as it weakens the EU if we leave. There are several countries such as Germany and France who would not have the current system that exists but are not able to exit due to the agreements they made. There you go, a few things to think about

Bashful: just pure speculation, Happy. No one knows what lies ahead if we leave.

Happy: You may say so Bashful! ? Anyway, to answer your ‘non-point’…when I left RBC I still kept in contact and relationship with certain folk. My relationship with some is naturally better than others but nonetheless my relationships remain. When I left Manchester for Cardiff the same thing applied. Now relationships may change for better or worse, grow closer with some and grows apart with others but the relationship remain. By leaving the EU we are not going to cut off all ties with Europe as if they don’t exist or as if there has been no history between us for the last 60yrs. That’s worse than a sudden case of amnesia. For the sake of national security we need to share intelligence with various agencies / governments but we don’t need to be part of the EU for that to continue. That relationship will remain whether we are in or out. You can take that as a given. If you think we will become hermits and lock ourselves away you are very wrong. There will be some changes regarding some funding and laws that Europe has introduced for our benefit over the years and there will possibly be some teething problems but these won’t be difficult to resolve. We are a sovereign land and have been established for centuries…your ‘pure speculation’ comment only plays on the fear element of the in campaign and doesn’t actually embrace the topic. You can pull that out with every question thus avoiding answering difficult questions and also avoids engaging in proper debate. It’s a cheap tactic that politicians will use far too often during this debate. I encourage you not to copy their lead but to consider the facts and reason wisely not just base your decision based on who stands for which side.

Sleepy: It wasn’t difficult to travel before, just the odd border check, which nowadays can only be a blessing. Blood pressure goes up every time they pass another stupid law. We are the second biggest contributor and they treated the re negotiation with such arrogance and disdain. I do not want our finances governed by Poland’s prime minister. I’m out.

Dopey: If corruption, greed and inefficiency are reasons to shut down the European project then we might as well shut down governments, corporations and humans in general across the entire planet.

Happy: For the record, I am happy to engage in the topic and willing for my mind to be changed, however, given my position as it stands is to vote out on the basis that what we have currently in EU has been built on broken foundations, it may be difficult for me to change my mind. These foundations are not going to be dealt with ever and the idea that the public has for voting ‘in’ on the idealistic notion that things can change is simply not accurate. That is not the deal being proposed by DC or Europe. It simply won’t happen. The best of both worlds idea that people like is not on the table and it is in my opinion currently dangerous to make this assumption.

Grumpy: One thing that does accrue from being part of the European is access to a greater spread of expertise in developing legislation. It’s true that the process can be time consuming but the vast majority doesn’t disadvantage the UK. What they do bring is some consistent standards across the community and agreed ways to deal with disputes.

Key to Abbreviations:

EU: European Union, formerly known as the Common Market

BREXIT: British Exit from the European Union

IDS: Ian Duncan-Smith, British Government Minister

Gove: Michael Gove, British Government Minister

UK: United Kingdom

Fab: Fabulous

GB: Great Britain

DC: David Cameron, British Prime Minister

RBC: Royal Bank of China

 

 

That Was The Week That Was

Wednesday, June 10th, 2015

 

The first week of June has proved to be quite eventful. Earlier in the week it was reported that Charles Kennedy the former leader of the Liberal Democrats had died suddenly at the age of 55. Mr. Kennedy was an MP for 32 years until he recently lost his seat to the SNP avalanche at the General Election. Mr. Kennedy was quite unique in politics; he was honest, personable, articulate and very intelligent.

He had the courage to oppose the Iraq War and was vilified by all around him who collectively stepped on the Bush/Blair bandwagon. He never lauded over lesser souls when he was proved right to oppose the war, and his leadership of the Liberal Democrats was a decisive factor in the party winning 62 seats at the General Election in 2005. Sadly he was a victim of the demon drink and was forced to resign as leader as the cracks began to show.

Later in the afternoon, breaking news revealed that the corrupt  weasel, Sepp Blatter, President of FIFA had announced his resignation. Four days earlier he had been re-elected for another term despite five of his cohorts being arrested on corruption charges. It would appear, but not confirmed, that the wolves were circling the 79 year old demi-god and he decided to jump before being pushed thus ending a despicable 17 year reign. However, he will remain in office until a new President is elected in December which is quite inexplicable.

In the newspapers on Wednesday, the 40th Anniversary of Leeds United’s appearance in the European Cup Final was recognized when they lost 0-2 to Bayern Munich. Critics will argue that they were the victim of poor referee decisions, but I have no sympathy for that club. They were cynical, unscrupulous, dirty, and deservedly received their comeuppance.

Cracks are beginning to show in Brendan Rodgers’ control over Liverpool FC. They failed to qualify for the Champions League having spent millions on mediocre players in the summer and Steven Gerrard has retired to earn mega bucks in a cosey environment at LA Galaxy. The American owners of Liverpool assured Rodgers his job was safe for now, but unceremoniously fired assistant manager Colin Pascoe and first team coach Mike Marsh.

I can’t imagine Liverpool’s former legendary manager, the late Bill Shankly, allowing his erstwhile assistants Bob Paisley and Joe Fagan to be fired by the Board in a similar manner. Rodgers who is never short of a word or two has some explaining to do.

We are a few days away from celebrating the bi-centennial anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo; a battle which changed the course of world history.The other day, I came across a giant statue of the Duke of Wellington astride his horse, Copenhagen, located in a nondescript park on the outskirts of Aldershot. I believe he deserves a more prominent spot in the confines of a London square or outside the Houses of Parliament to receive similar recognition as the Nation’s other great statesmen Winston Churchill and Horatio Nelson. 

I was driving passed Stonehenge and was caught in a traffic jam. Nevertheless it gave me the opportunity to take a closer look at the giant pig farm which abuts the A30, and is located less than  half mile from the World Heritage Site. I’m not a pig hater by any means but I thought it incongruent to allow a piggery so near to Stonehenge. They can’t really argue that the pigs were there first, can they?

The week ended with a flourish with Barcelona deservedly defeating Juventus 3-1 in the Champions League Final, and American Pharaoh becoming the first horse in 37 years to win the Triple Crown of American horse racing: The Kentucky Derby, Preakness and the Belmont. Congratulations to the winners, commiserations to the losers.

Footnote: Wellington’s monument was originally placed on Constitution Arch in the City of London, but regarded as a bit of an eyesore by Queen Victoria. It was later moved to Hyde Park and eventually found its way to Aldershot, home of the British Army.

 

 

 

A Flying Visit to Blighty

Friday, May 15th, 2015

I was in England last week which proved very eventful. On Sunday, the Cambridges’ named their new baby girl Charlotte Elizabeth Diana which covers all bases. I came across a picture in one of the tabloids where a “Queen look a like” was changing the new arrival’s nappy. Priceless!

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I barely survived the cattle truck which Delta Airline laughingly calls “Economy.” Delta is certainly economic with its space for passengers, time spent by flight attendants looking after passengers who also just happen to be paying customers, and very economic with the quality of food tossed at passengers.

I furtively negotiated my way through passport control and customs, and took a shuttle to pick up my rental car. Luckily it was a Bank Holiday and the roads were lightly trafficked, and my first destination was only an hour away. I spent the rest of the day  with my son and two of my grandchildren which was the main reason for my visit.

The following day I headed south west to visit with my daughter and two more grandchildren. The drive down to Devon from Aldershot on the A303 was very pleasant. There were swathes of  patches of yellow fields mingling with their green counterparts, and as the sun was breaking through the leaden skies. Stone Henge  appeared on the landscape. I’ve always claimed the best view of Stone Henge is driving along the A303. Stone Henge loses its mystique when viewed close up; rather like Gloria Swanson in “Sunset Boulevard.”

I was listening to the radio in the car when news broke that one of my football heroes, Jimmy Greaves, had suffered a massive stroke at the age of 75. He is arguably the greatest goal scorer of all time when you examine his goals to matches ratio. All his goals were scored in the cauldron of the top flight of English and fleetingly Italian football. Forty four goals in 57 appearances for England is a far superior strike rate compared to Bobby Charlton,  Lineker and Rooney. I wish you a speedy recovery Jim.

I was very fortunate to spend two days of quality time with my grandchildren before heading back  to reunite with my son and grand daughter. Aldershot is the home of the British Army the numbers of which have been drastically reduced in recent years. The Gurkha regiment based in Nepal was also a victim of Government cuts, but the actress Joanna Lumley campaigned successfully to have the British Government take care of ex Gurkha soldiers and their families. Little did she realize that hundreds of Nepalese would be housed in bed and breakfast guest houses which forced them onto the streets of Aldershot during the day. They aimlessly roam the streets until they can return to their accommodation. A number of Nepal restaurants has sprung up around the town to take advantage of the Gurkhas’ nomadic existence.

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Thursday was time for the people to cast their votes in the General Election. The Polls were predicting a  hung Parliament with the possibility of Labour forming a coalition with the SNPs. Ed Miliband, leader of the Labor Party had produced an ill-conceived “Tablet of Stone” (literally) comprising his Party’s six pledges should they win the election.

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I spent an entertaining night in my hotel room watching and listening avidly has the election results began to roll in. The political interviewers on British TV are for more savage on politicians than their American counterparts and I had really missed the cut and thrust of a British Election night.

The Conservatives surprised everyone including themselves by winning 330 seats and an outright majority. The Liberal Democrats who had formed a coalition Government with the Tories for the past five years were obliterated. Conversely the SNP (Scottish Nationals) won an unprecedented 58 seats re-igniting calls for independence for Scotland. Hello, didn’t they have a Referendum last September where 55% of the Scots voted against independence?

The following day I flew back to Atlanta, but not before I heard three Party Leaders, Ed Miliband (Labour,) Nick Clegg ( Liberal Democrats,) and Nigel Farge (UKIP) had resigned. Each in turn had been hapless, opportunist and fantasized to no avail. The British people had spoken.

Cheers mate.

The Biggest Turkeys for Thanksgiving

Friday, November 28th, 2014

It’s the day after Thanksgiving and thanks to my Big Green Egg we enjoyed a succulent, juicy turkey for dinner. On the subject on turkeys listed below are some of the biggest ones for 2014:

  1. Barak Obama. I’m not going to validate this bozo by giving him his official title. How many other presidents would have sat back and allowed Americans to be beheaded by a terrorist organization? Answer; only one: HIM. This is the man who allowed Putin to bully him and Ukraine without any meaningful recourse.This is a man who should be impeached for overriding Congress and abusing his Executive Powers. This is the man who claimed that France are America’s greatest allies.
  2. Alex Salmond. The Scottish Independence vote had no chance with this used car salesman at the helm. He did not have an answer when UK Government informed him Scotland could not retain the Pound Sterling as a currency should they gain independence. The Bank of Scotland pulled the rug up from him when they announced they would move to London should Scotland win independence.
  3. Frank Wren. the general manager of the Atlanta Braves threw millions of dollars at mediocre players not fit enough to lace the cleats of former greats Chipper Jones, John Smoltz and Greg Maddux. Malcontent BJ Upton was given $75 million to behave like a clown in center field. Dan (Mr Magoo) Uggla was mercifully released but is still owed $19 million. Frank Wren was eventually shown the door, but not before he ensured  $65 million is tied up with the remaining years of Upton and Uggla’s contracts.
  4. Mayor of Atlanta and his Chief of Transportation. In January, heavy snow and frozen ice conditions were forecast well in advance of the anointed time. These two gentlemen chose to ignore the impending storm and the City of Atlanta was brought to its knees leaving thousands of motorists stranded.
  5. Head Coach Mike Smith of the Atlanta Falcons. Clearly Mr. Smith missed the seminar on time management. Two games were blown this season due to his  incompetence at controlling the clock when his team were minutes from victory. The game staged in London against the Detroit Lions was more embarrassing since it was played out on a global stage.
  6. Luis Suarez. The little man chose to audition for the new Dracula movie by biting a chunk out of an Italian defender in the middle of  a World Cup football match.
  7. Brendan Rodgers. Tasked with replacing Dracula wannabe, Luis Suarez, Liverpool spent $190 million on a bunch of “garden shed” players. After a winless November, Liverpool are languishing in 12th place in the Premiership and struggling to remain in the Champions League. Meanwhile Rodgers is adamant that he is the greatest manager in Europe.
  8. Tom Watson. Eight time major champion and former winning Ryder Cup captain was plucked from the knacker’s yard to right the floundering American ship. Unfortunately he was completely adrift from his players who could not relate to a “legend;” some young and immature enough to call him granddad.
  9. Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return. Hollywood’s animated movie has not fared very well; Box Office: $19 million, Budget: $70 million, Return: 27%. The only thing that will be “Frozen” on this movie will be its assets.
  10. The Welsh rugby team. Wales have not beaten the All Blacks since 1953 when Bleddyn Williams was captain and the late Cliff Morgan was fly half. It’s not a mental thing dummy. They are quite simply better than us.
  11. Everyone who left Southampton FC in the summer.

Speaking of New Zealand, bring on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Choices

Friday, October 17th, 2014

This particular post has rumbled around in my head for a few weeks, so some of my reference may appear to be outdated. Nevertheless, I must stop procrastinating and put pen to paper.

The recent result in the Scottish Referendum made me realize that we all make choices in life; some life changing, others regrettable while many are mundane decisions that we are required to make out of necessity in our daily routines.

Scotland had the opportunity to free themselves of the English yoke, but The First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond chose to confirm the mantra that former First Minister of Wales, Rhodri Morgan, placed upon him as resembling a used car salesman. He continued to assure Scottish voters that they would retain pound sterling as their currency when they had achieved independence. British Government representatives were equally adamant that an independent Scotland would be required to adopt another currency. Equally damaging was the Bank of Scotland’s statement that they would move to London should Scottish independence be achieved.

These two factors were sufficient to dowse the flames of a Scottish revolt, and normal service  resumed almost immediately. It’s a shame the vote was lost. The next ten years could have changed the face of politics in Britain never mind its culture and intricate history. Many of the Labor Members of Parliament represent Scottish Constituencies and without their numbers it is unlikely that Labor could achieve a majority to form a Government.

I believe most citizens of the USA would agree that Obama has achieved immortality by becoming the worst President in history. Therefore it was somewhat  of a surprise that he was re-elected for a second term, and even more of a mystery how he was re-elected when nobody will now admit voting for him. Democracy gives the people the opportunity to elect candidates of their choosing which is tantamount to placing a loaded gun into a child’s hand.

Several years ago I made the choice to emigrate to America. It was the right thing to do on a personal and emotional level, but it proved disastrous in terms of my career. America was lauded as the place to make one’s fortune, a place to re-invent oneself where age was not a barrier. Believe me reality can bite you in the butt.

Europe retained the Ryder Cup yet again by comprehensively defeating their illustrious opponents the good old US of A. The Americans were so miffed that Phil Mickelson savaged his captain Tom Watson in the post match press conference. Tom Watson is a legend of the game and appeared to be an excellent choice to captain his team to victory. He was captain when they won in 1993 on British soil, but unfortunately appeared to be out of touch with his players. Watson was old enough to be Jordan Speith’s grandfather for example.

Watson couldn’t win  matches for his players, but he chose the pairings for the four balls and foursomes. Some of his pairings proved to be bizarre, but ironically his decision to pair two young rookies, Speith and Reed, was a bold and successful decision. However, some of his other choices led to  his downfall.

Reeling from only two wins from the last ten meetings in the Ryder Cup, the USPGA decided to form a “Task Force” to examine ways of creating a team capable of winning the Ryder Cup in two years time. The task force includes former players, current stars and former captains all of whom have a habit of losing. Conspicuous by their absence are the two winning captains for USA in recent times, Ben Crenshaw and Paul Azzinger.

One could argue that it is wrong to look back on your choices in life. To a certain extent I agree. However it pays to return once in a while and learn from them. The secret is not to dwell on the negatives, but move onward and upward with no regrets.

My last concluding thought on choices; this blog is approaching one million visitors and I have submitted 160 posts over the last four years. I’m seriously calling it a day when I hit the two milestones of one million visitors and 200 posts unless I receive some positive feedback. But don’t discount me emulating Frank Sinatra.

A Review of 2013

Sunday, January 12th, 2014

January: We thoroughly enjoyed celebrating the New Year in Savannah, Georgia with our friends Jimmy and Kathy. Savannah is a walking city oozing history and Southern charm providing you sidestep the projects and homeless which applies to any city in the world. A bloody Mary at Chubby’s on the riverfront was one of the highlights.

February: We were subjected to our first dramatic incident of the year when a couple of our friendly neighbor’s (I use the term figuratively) trees came crashing down onto our property. In Georgia damage to one’s property is deemed to be an Act of God and the neighbor is devoid of responsibility. Nevertheless, $1900 for a bunch of firewood is too rich for my tastes.

Pope Benedict XV1 resigned/retired making him the first pope to relinquish office since Pope Gregory X11 in 1415.

Swansea City won their first ever trophy in their 100 year history by demolishing Bradford City 5-0 in the Capital One Cup Final. Unfortunately they appeared to suffer from a cup hangover for the rest of the season by only winning one more win in the Premiership.

March: We spent a delightful time on the island of Bermuda which is steeped in British colonial history.  We booked a cozy little retreat through “Vacation Homes by Rental” which my wife picked out on the internet. The owner had done a fabulous job converting a two-storey brick built storage building into a modern residential unit. We paid a visit to the “Swizzle Inn” and eventually “staggered out” after several rounds of the local brew “dark and stormy.”

Wales annihilated England in the final game of the Six Nations Championship. The media had made England hot favorites to blow away the Welsh and win the Grand Slam and Championship. Maybe that’s all Wales needed to romp home 30-3 and claim the Champions crown for themselves.

April: I made my first fishing trip which is odd when you consider I lived on the coast for over forty years. Panama Beach, Florida was an ideal location for my virgin fishing venture and the icing on the cake was catching a 4 pound  Spanish mackerel (the fish increases in size each time I mention it) at my first attempt.

A bomb exploded in the crowd as runners crossed the finish line during the Boston Marathon on April 15. Three spectators were killed and 264 were injured.

May: Talk about a roller coaster month. My granddaughter Alice Violet was born on the 21st and four days later I was admitted to hospital with appendicitis. I was assured by medical staff it warranted routine surgery and I would be out within a couple of days. Unfortunately I developed complications and two days turned into a two week stay.  New medical terms, ileus, nasogastric tube, and PICC line, became very familiar to me.

Alex Ferguson retired after managing Manchester United for nearly 27 years. His resume of 13 premiership titles and two Champions League wins is unprecedented in the English game.

June: The roller coaster ride continued. My grandson, Alexander Charles, was born the night (7th June) before I was to be discharged from hospital.  Weak as a kitten I was looking forward to flying out to California on the 14th to celebrate our 20th Wedding Anniversary. Not so fast old man, there’s another twist in the tale.  On the eve of our departure, we were subjected to a violent storm and four massive trees came crashing down in our backyard, one narrowly missing our house and another landed on our neighbor’s roof. Miraculously our friend told us to go and assured us that he would take care of the situation. Reluctantly we obeyed and had a wonderful time on the Californian coast.

Sopranos star James Gandolfini died aged 51.

July: Tension was in the air again with my stepson experiencing severe headaches and numbness down one side of his body. He was subjected to a series of tests at Emory Hospital and was diagnosed as having an AVM (arteriovenous malformation) in his brain. It was determined that he would require surgery to remove the AVM.  On a lighter note, Andy Murray became the first British player to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936. The British Lions defeated Australia 2-1 in a series down under thanks to a nucleus of Welsh players.

August: My stepson underwent brain surgery and I transformed into a drill sergeant to help him embark on a slow road to recovery. Fortunately he was in good shape physically and the prognosis was good. Meanwhile my wife started a new job and coped magnificently bearing in mind her husband and son had recent spells in hospital.  England retained the Ashes by a flattering margin of three tests to nil.

September: Summer was nearly over and it was a time to recharge the batteries. Atlanta had suffered one of the wettest summers in years. What was the point in emigrating all those moons ago if I couldn’t enjoy blue skies sitting in the hot tub?

October: We flew over to England to see my new grandchildren. Not so pleasant was encountering the obnoxious British motorist. Happily my children and grandchildren were in rude health, and one couldn’t ask for more. It was great to meet up with Archie at the Salutation Inn in the picturesque village of Castlecombe.

Landscapers transformed our back yard resembling a war zone into a potential green oasis.

November: We stayed at home for Thanksgiving in Atlanta for the first time in years and became acquainted with Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Swansea City and Cardiff City played each other for the first time in the Premiership. The result was not good for a Swansea Jack, losing 0-1 to their arch rivals from the East. To add insult to injury, the goal scorer was a former Swans player, Steven Caulker.

December: England suffered the ignominy of a whitewash in the second Ashes series of the year. Bizarrely, Graham Swann announced his retirement in the middle of the series. Obviously he saw the writing on the wall and didn’t care for the script. Despite a 0-5 thrashing the captain Alistair Cook and coach Andy Flower were not dismissed.

Nelson Mandela, prisoner turned president, anti-apartheid icon, and father of modern South Africa died aged 95.

History was made in the James household when we cooked our second turkey of the festive season. My family and I wish you a happy new year, and on a personal note we would like to look forward to a healthier one.

Quit Lolly-Gagging Around and Write Something

Saturday, December 21st, 2013

This blog, and any subsequent blog for that matter, is dedicated to my son Shaun who is probably my only regular reader. He’s learned a couple of things about his dad and grandfather by reading some of my meanderings which makes the occasional blog worthwhile.

 So where was I? Last month I was intrigued by the response from America to the death of Nelson Mandela. Some hack in the Deep South called him the greatest African American who ever lived. Think about it folks. Then was the case of the sanctimonious TV reporter who quite correctly stated that Mandela was instrumental in ending apartheid in South Africa, but conveniently forgot that while slavery was abolished in America in 1865 it would take almost a hundred years for civil rights laws to be passed, and subsequently an additional couple of decades for the Black man living in America to have anything approaching equal rights.

This conveniently brings me onto Barack Obama, the first Black president of the United States who has tried his level best to bring this once great country to its knees. Excuse me; I digress. Not wishing to miss an opportunity to bolster his ego Obama was giving a eulogy at Mandela’s Memorial Service. Standing a mere three feet away was a gentleman producing sign language for the deaf whom the Establishment later discovered was a load of gibberish. It also transpired that the gentleman signing gibberish to a worldwide audience had a criminal record. Obama later distinguished himself by self-photographing with his arm around the Danish Prime Minister who just happened to be a blonde bombshell. Michelle Obama’s body language sitting alongside the hapless President was priceless. She resembled a bulldog licking urine off a stingy nettle.

I know it wasn’t supposed to be amusing, but again American TV news stations concentrated on the fact that Mandela was instrumental in bringing the Rugby World Cup to South Africa in 1995, and latterly the FIFA World Cup in 2010. Maybe I was reading it wrong but it kind of trivialized Mandela’s accomplishments in uniting a divided nation. Mandela was truly a great man, and one feature that impressed me was the fact he was incarcerated for 28 years, but never held a grudge or sought revenge against his captors.

And now for something completely different: I have been a lifelong supporter of Tottenham Hotspur which is no mean achievement when you consider Spurs have not won the title since 1960-61. They have had many great players over the years, but somewhere in the depth of White Hart Lane there is a self-destruct button.

Following Tottenham’s humiliating 0-5 defeat at home to Liverpool last Saturday the much maligned manager Andre Villas-Boas was fired after just over a year in charge. My gut reaction was to whole heartedly endorse his sacking, but now I have to question whether the right man was held accountable.

 Spurs have adopted the ridiculous European management system where they employ a Director of Football (Paolo Bandini) who is responsible for signing players. He assembles a squad and then hands them over to the team manager (Andre Vilas-Boas) to produce a successful formula on the field.

 In the summer Spurs reluctantly agreed to sell their best player, Gareth Bale, to Real Madrid for $100 million. Spurs spent the money on signing 7 new players. The Portuguese manager asked his chairman to buy Hulk, Moutinho and David Villa as he planned for life without Bale, but none of whom were signed.

On the contrary, Villas-Boas objected to the acquisitions of Lamela, Chadli, Ciriches and Eriksen, a quartet who cost Spurs a total of $85 million, but his judgment was overruled. Villas-Boas became the fifth managerial casualty in the Premiership this season, and soon to be followed by Malky Mackay who has upset his demonic Malaysian owner at Cardiff City.

 Finally a word about my home town team Swansea City; I watched them recently struggling to take a point off lowly Hull City at home and it was like watching paint dry. They enjoyed 67% of the possession in the first half and failed to have one shot at goal. Admittedly they are recognized as a passing team, but they don’t appear to have the personnel who can pass with purpose and tempo.

Coming soon; I will be publishing my review of 2013. I know I’ve whetted your appetite but control yourself and chill out over Christmas.

 

The World We Live In

Tuesday, July 16th, 2013

My friend, George presented this post on Facebook yesterday, and I thought it was worthy of reproducing it on my blog:

For the last few months I have watched from a distance the goings on in Florida. You ALL know what I am speaking of. I do NOT admit to knowing all of the facts. However the events of the last 24 hours or so have inspired me (for lack of a biter term) to write this. For those of you who truly know me, I really try to think things through before committing my thoughts to paper, or in this case the World Wide Web. My intention is not to take sides with anyone OR to offend anyone of you. So, with that said, please read this with an open heart and mind. And know that I love you all.

This entire unfortunate scenario pulls at me on so many different levels. I have three children as most of you know, two of which are boys ages 21 and 19. If ANYONE were to harm my children in any way, shape or form, my response is simple. That person or persons better hope the authorities get to them before I do. Is that vigilante justice? Perhaps, but like many of you, I feel that you can do what you want to me, but NOT to my children. That isn’t an idle threat. IT’S A PROMISE.

However, I also believe that our society has gone off the deep end. Crime, murder, theft, rape and other nonsense has become the norm rather than the occasional incident. I also believe that we are citizens have the right to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our property from those who attempt to harm, steal or infringe on our basic right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Does that mean I believe in taking matters into your own hands? Of course not, but what would YOU do if you felt that your home, your family or your neighbors were in danger? It’s a terrible quandary for sure.

I only know what has been reported in the media with regards to that night in Florida. And as I read from someone else who posted here, only two people will EVER know what truly happened that night. And unfortunately one of those individuals is no longer with us. Everything else is complete speculation. What I do believe in all of my heart is that bringing racism into this is wrong and unnecessary. I have to ask, let’s say that a black man shot a white kid who was trespassing or whatever. Would racism enter into the equation? I do NOT pretend to know what was going on in the mind of either one of these people. I think that the bigger picture should be that a young man lost his life in a situation that was very unfortunate and more than likely completely avoidable.

If a finger should be pointed at someone, maybe we should check the justice system and specifically the prosecution team in particular. Two days ago, before the verdict, I spoke to a friend of mine who is a very good and knowledgeable attorney. We chatted at length about the case and specifically the trial. His opinion was simple. THE PROSECUTION BLEW IT. He said that Mr. Zimmerman was going to be acquitted because of this. He also said begrudgingly that it reminded him of the Simpson trial where the prosecution also blew it. He had been following the trial closely because he IS an attorney and he studies cases like these much like I study recordings to learn different styles of music and so on. He also said that while a 6 member all female, all-white jury was not ideal for the prosecution, it certainly is a FAR cry better than an all-male all-white jury. Who better to gain sympathy for the loss of a child than a mom? So, in his opinion you cannot blame the jury. You have to blame the prosecution team as well as the laws in Florida.

One thing that REALLY makes me angry is the threats of rioting and so on. That is akin to destroying an entire breed of dog because a few of them have been guilty of bad behavior, or condemning an entire race of people because of a few individuals. I am not sure what rioting will solve except for driving a LARGER chasm between ALL races and creeds, which is CERTAINLY not what needs to happen. It’s ok to be angry. But I think that anger directed at the wrong person or persons is as dangerous as a lethal virus that spreads rapidly. Whether you are a Christian, a Buddhist, an atheist or whatever, our goal as a society SHOULD be less violence, less conflict and more togetherness and cooperation. Advocating retaliation towards an entire race of people or lashing out at innocent people is just wrong. And to blame white people, black people or whomever for the actions of one man or a few men is also wrong.

My friends, I don’t know what the answer is. When I end my posts here I usually end with the phrase “peace to all”. That is not some hippy, trippy thing that I say to be groovy. I MEAN IT. I have longed for peace in my life and have been on a journey to find that peace and will continue to do so until my last breath. Have I found it? Yes, for the most part. Do I struggle with that concept daily? Of course, but its events such as this debacle in Florida that can be revealing in so many ways, the LEAST of which is how we as a “civilized” society handles the aftermath of such an ordeal. Personally I have not encountered any sort of animosity directed at myself. Do I think there will be? We shall see.

Sequestration, Emeritus, St. David’s Day

Monday, March 4th, 2013

Picture if you will a power struggle of monumental proportions taking place in one of the world’s largest and richest corporations. The CEO and Chairman has just resigned. It is rumored that his resignation was triggered by scandals at the bank owned by the Corporation, and allegations of sexual misconduct at the highest level of the Corporation.

The Corporation is allegedly filled with internal strife among its most senior officials. The press has been eager to publish lurid stories of intrigue and conflict, and has been used as a tool by competing sides in the Corporation to influence the selection of the next CEO and Chairman.

Rivalries between departments, vendettas between individuals, naked ambition, calumny, backstabbing and intrigues are endemic. You may be wondering what giant corporation he is talking about. Could it be Exon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell, Wal-Mart, or General Electric? It’s none of these conglomerates because I’m referring to the Vatican which represents ecclesiastically over a billion Catholics.

Pope Benedict did the unthinkable by resigning last month. The first pope to do so in over 600 years citing ill health and fatigue which is not surprising since he is 85 years old. Here is the remarkable thing you are seldom told about a papal death or resignation: every one of the senior office-holders in the Vatican – those at the highest level of its internal bureaucracy, called the Curia – loses his job.

A report Benedict himself commissioned into the state of the Curia landed on his desk in January. It revealed that ‘The Filth’ – or more specifically, the pedophile priest scandal – had entered the bureaucracy. He resigned in early February. That report was a final straw. The Filth has been corroding the soul of the Catholic Church for years, and the reason is the power-grabbing ineptitude and secrecy of the Curia – which failed to deal with the perpetrators. Now the Curia itself stands accused of being part of The Filth.

Benedict realizes the Curia must be reformed root and branch. He knows this is a mammoth task. He is too old, and too implicated, to clean it up himself. He has resigned to make way for a younger, more dynamic successor, untainted by scandal – and a similarly recast Curia.

The Curia are usually quickly reappointed. This time it may be different. It involves scores of departments, like the civil service of a middling-sized country. It has a Home and Foreign Office called the Secretariat of State. There’s a department that watches out for heresy – the former Holy Inquisition which under Cardinal Ratzinger dealt with, or failed to deal with, pedophile priests.

The Curia is a big operation. It maintains contact with all the bishops of the world, more than 3,000, in 110 countries. The Curia oversees the hundreds of thousands of priests who care for the world’s 1.2?billion Catholics. The flow of information, and money, in and out of the Vatican is prodigious.

Last autumn Benedict ordered three trusted high-ranking cardinals to investigate the state of the Curia. This was the report that was delivered to him just weeks ago. It was meant for Benedict’s ‘eyes only’ but details of a sex ring and money-laundering scams last week reached the Italian weekly Panorama. Then the daily La Repubblica ran the story.

The timing of the report has coincided with fresh allegations of priestly sexual abuse in Germany. Meanwhile, Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles and Cardinal Sean Brady of Ireland have been accused of covering up pedophile abuse.

I’m sure there are thousands of priests around the world who are sincere in their beliefs and genuinely want to help people and spread the word of God. But when did the Cardinals become so corrupted and egotistical that their faith has evaporated only to be replaced by the pursuit of power and unimaginable wealth and riches?

What is Sequestration? Sequestration is a term used to describe the practice of using mandatory spending cuts in the federal budget if the cost of running the government exceeds either an arbitrary amount or the gross revenue it brings during the fiscal year.

Simply put, sequestration is the employment of automatic, across-the-board spending cuts in the face of annual budget deficits. In other words it reinforces the general consensus that Obama’s presidency is utterly inept.

I just celebrated St David’s Day in Atlanta by setting off a few rockets kindly given to me by a Southern gentleman who was sympathetic to my plight. I don’t begrudge extensive celebrations in America on St Patrick’s Day (after all there are over 42 million Irish Americans) but spare a thought for another Saint on March 1st.  It’s not publicized very much but six presidents have Welsh ancestry including arguably the greatest President, Abraham Lincoln.