What 2020 made me realise

2020 lockdown made me realise - 

That I am really comfortable with my own company,

That I don't need to be around people to be happy,

That I can entertain myself,

That my life does not revolve around meaningless partying, clubbing, drinking,

That I still love reading and learning,

That music still soothes the soul,

That education will not be an easy journey but the rewards will be worth it,

That life is enjoyable no matter what happens,

That cooking is a simple pleasure when shared,

And

Stupidity is universal but seems to affect governments disproportionately. 😂

Bad Arguments

I am regularly disappointed to see critical thinking/logic escape citizens when issues are raised in the public domain. In plain language, people tend to argue from emotive viewpoints, whether that emotion comes from tribal affinity for kind, or from ‘feelings’. Many persons have no clue what lies in the backdrop of issues. Worse, they do not understand the implications issues may have politically or legally.

Sometimes, issues go far beyond what citizens allegedly ‘know’ or think they ‘know’. One recent example, ongoing for many months, is the sad saga of a Chief Justice (CJ) with a pattern of breaking rules.

“…with a pattern of breaking rules” … now I expect a lot of people to jump on that phrase like a Rott on a roti. Why? Well, about half will see a black man being persecuted. Another large percentage will get side-tracked about who is making the complaints, e.g. Martin Daly, LATT et cetera. In both instances those who make the fallacious arguments will not look at the facts… that the CJ did break rules in several different matters (I will not rehash these, they are out in the public domain and this is not about the CJ per se).

The core issue is ONLY about whether the CJ broke rules. Did he? No? We need evidence. Yes? We need evidence. Don’t know? We need evidence. His behaviour in office is suspect and therefore, one way or the other an investigation must be done.

Fallacious arguments are common. You may well ask what a fallacious argument is… or what is a fallacy? It is simply ‘an error in reasoning’ or wrong thinking. It is NOT an error of fact. There are approximately 300 bad arguments made on a daily basis. Examples are: Appeal to Tradition, Appeal to Normality, Reductio ad Absurdum, Fallacy of Composition, Fallacy of Division, Cherry Picking, Sunk-Cost Fallacy, Self-Sealing Argument, and Shoehorning.

Here is another example of bad thinking. An employer ‘disciplines’ an employee using an improper or unfair process. The employer arrives at a decision, but insists the decision is fair. Employee points out that the disciplinary process does not meet the rules of natural justice so is procedurally incorrect. Employer insists that it is not a legal matter, it’s ‘our internal policy’.

This is a classic example why so many disputes end up in court, costing both sides time, expense and goodwill. Ask yourself why… go on.

It is because no internal policy can ignore legal rules. We all must obey the law and any employer attempting to discipline without reference to law will ultimately lose if he ignores the law in favour of some ‘policy’ which breaches the rules. The law should guide your policies.

People who want to contribute to their societies in meaningful ways, should know spotting and refuting a bad argument is essential.

Bloggers, Racism and Politics

“Are we going to discuss date and time of the sacred event? My view is that we gather our protesters and then we compromise date and time. Give these niggers a box of vital supply and run a hose we’ll have them there all week.”

“Go learn about your (obscene language deleted) own race Stephen Mathison. Niggers like you should remain cleaning the white man latrine! You need the whips again to crack on your back! No wonder the white man does call your type stupid nigga! You want to talk about other race well come let me teach you about yours (obscene language deleted) breath.”

The above are two quotations from the article: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/When-bloggers-attack-298732221.html 

Granted, politics is a dirty game, but this UNC government is sinking to new lows – or, maybe reaching as high as they can? They are paying bloggers $6000 per month (one in picture) to denigrate the Opposition in general and Keith Rowley in particular. These people have resorted to the nastiest language in promoting sedition and racism.

Now, I'm not above criticising where it is due, and this government has really raised my ire, and to those who blindly support the racist, nasty views of these paid bloggers, I hope that you know your government can lose the  upcoming elections.

Where would that leave you? You are left without support, possibly without jobs and friends because you are burning your bridges behind you. Do you think after the depths you have sunk to, that another government will hire you, or any company will want to be associated with you? Especially after you (journalists), in the vilest possible ways, denigrate people you formerly worked with in the industry and may one day soon have to go job hunting in that same industry. I guess you should hope for some land to plant, oui.

Two classics

 

Herring under fur coat

INGREDIENTS: 2 thick salted herrings, 5 potatoes, 4 carrots, 3 beets, 1 small onion, 250 g mayonnaise, parsley and dill

1. Boil vegetables until they are fork tender. Boil eggs hard.
2. Peel skin from herrings, cut them along the spine, removing the bones. Cut herring meat into little pieces.
3. Grind potatoes, carrots and beets. Chop the onion.
4. On a big round  plate place a layer of potatoes (whole portion), then spread mayonnaise evenly on top in a thin layer.
5. Then make a layer of beets using 1/2 of the beets, then a layer 1/2 of the carrots,1/2 of the chopped onion and then– pieces of herring meat spreading mayonnaise evenly on top of each layer.
6. Place a layer of the remaining onion, a thin layer of mayonnaise,  then a layer of remaining carrots, a thin layer of mayonnaise and finally the remaining beets.
7. On top pour the remaining mayonnaise.
8. Let it soaked overnight.
9. Decorate the dish with chopped parsley and dill.
10. Serve as a salad in its own right, or as an accompaniment to a main meal.

Some things about Scotland you may not know

The photo above is a panorama of the Scottish highlands, and lies on the way to Ben Lomond. It shows Loch Tulla in the valley. The Bridge of Orchy is under repairs.

The above shows a panorama of Loch Lomond at sunset. Loch Lomond is the largest body of fresh water in the UK, holding more volume than all the rivers and lakes of England and Wales combined… or so the guides said.

This photo shows the beginning of Loch Lomond, at Balloch. To the right rear of the building is a children’s play park and entrance to the hiking/cycling trails. The boat in the middle background is the Maid of the Loch, a paddle steamer that is currently being restored. Her ‘twin’ is the oldest steamer in active service, named after lawyer and writer Sir Walter Scott.

Loch Lomond is also known from a famous song, the chorus of which is very recognisable:

O ye'll tak' the high road, and Ah'll tak' the low (road)

And Ah'll be in Scotlan' afore ye

Fir me an' my true love will ne'er meet again

On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomon'

Wemyss Bay in early sunrise.

It was only when I visited Scotland that I began to see the rich (and I do mean RICH) history of the Scottish people. Listed below are some famous Scots and their accomplishments:

1. James Young                       Inventor of Paraffin (kerosene)
2. James Young Simpson      Pioneer of Anaesthesia
3. Robert Liston                       Pioneering surgeon noted for speed in surgical procedures
4. George Forbes                   Scientist and inventor of carbon brushes for electrical motors (still used today)
5. Sir Walter Scott                   Lawyer and writer
6. David Hume                         Historian, writer and noted philosopher
7. Robert Burns                        Poet
8. John Logie Baird                 Inventor of television
9. John Boyd Dunlop               Inventor (independently) of the modern rubber tyre
10. Robert W Thompson           Inventor (independently) of the modern rubber tyre

A more complete but still partial list of famous Scots can be found here.

Travelogue 3

Luhansk (Lugansk) is a small(ish) town in the Ukraine. One thing I was impressed with is the architecture and landscaping that are occurring now. These buildings belong to rich people, let’s make that clear, but money can buy a lot including good creativity.

This house occupies near one block, and is built almost like a castle.

The landscaping looks amazing in the sunset.

The front has a mixture of plants ranging from cherry blossom to grapes and firs. The vines are grapes, not ivy.

 

 

 

 

 

The ‘tower’ seems to be a nice place to chill out but I was impressed with the wall… must have taken a lot of patience to cut and fit slices of stone together. That wall by the way, varies between 12 and 20 feet high and more than a foot wide, and is long enough to circle the property.

No plastering in sight so it might well be that it stands because of the fitting of the stones.

 

 

 

This one is built out of BIG wooden logs fitted together. I was prevented from taking a better photo by a huge dog who looked at me as if I was his Last Supper. As you can see though, it is still being built. The logs are held in place by ropes and by careful cutting of the wood to make perfect fit.

Some o those logs are more than 22 inches thick.

 

 

 

This photo is of a plane in front of the aviation club. Looks like a single person fighter that was planted there but there was no one we could confirm that with, as I passed there on a public holiday and the club was closed.

 

However, the plane has battle scars and this more than anything had me thinking it is real.

 

 

 

Not too far from here is an actual circus…. a fixed building outfitted and used by different circus acts, seen below.

Travelogue 2

One of the pleasures of travelling, for me at least, is trying new foods from the various places I visit… the local cuisine can be daringly different or sometimes familiarly similar. The Ukrainian local cuisine is a blend of both, and at first glance is very healthy… similar to a Mediterranean one.

Cold and hot soups, filled with vegetables… meat dishes of various kinds, baked, fried, BBQ’d, boiled even (but since my heart attack, I avoid fried foods)… I took a fancy to two types of fish salad made by my friend’s mother.

In the first, to the far left, you can see decorations of black olives and potato chips… yes, the kind that comes out of a pack or a Pringle’s can. The one on the right is loaded with vegetables, corn, herbs etc. Both had different tastes, which made tucking in a real treat.

 

 

The dish to the right is  'pelmeni’ (Russian, in Ukrainian it is vareniki) which is like wontons… a thin flour wrapping filled with meat. This particular dish was pelmeni with mushrooms. To the far right is a cabbage salad. It was topped with lemon juice and was very tasty.

The best food is home prepared, in my opinion. I like the traditional flavours that come through, as opposed to the taste of  dishes from restaurants… though to be fair, even those are nothing to scoff at as I said in my last post.

Travels

I leave today (in about 3 hours) to visit my pen friend in the Ukraine. I’m going to a place called Luhansk (alternative spelling Lugansk), which is about 800 km from Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.

I shall post some details of my trip as it happens.

When animals behave like humans

Security officers beating customer

This video was hard to take in, especially hearing that old man squealing.

 

Police duncey slaps man

No explanations needed.

Changing world

The world, as we know it, has become infinitely smaller. Twenty years ago, I had to write ‘snail mail’ (letters by hand, routed through the postal system) and wait a month or six weeks for a response. now, we have email, text messages, MMS messages, Skype, WhatsApp, Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, etc. This changing world has made contact a different ‘dance’ if you will.

Which brings me to my rant this morning.

Lately, I’ve been getting ‘friend’ requests from people I don’t know, usually friends of friends. Not that it’s a bad thing, it does increase the ‘social’ network, but me being the Grumpy Old Man that I am, I ask myself, “What’s the point?”

My ire is raised because:

1) These are persons I will never meet.

2) I do not know them, will never know them, and have no interest in knowing them.

3) Accepting a ‘friend’ request merely means a person added to a list but with no further attempt at communicating. No messages, no emails, no contact…

Alternatively, some of the requests come from people I went to school with, more than 3 decades ago... I have never had contact with them since, never intend to contact them, and we weren’t friends even back then. So.. why?!

It’s inconceivable to me that I would be even remotely interested in renewing or maintaining contact.

But flashing through my mind, is “What is going through theirs?!”

I cannot fathom the workings of a mind of what could quite possibly be a deranged person… or am I just paranoid?

As a Grumpy Old Man too, I raise my eyebrows, because clearly, coming from married women (mainly), there is no nookie involved. Heh Heh. But the puzzling part is, why would a woman, married and with kids, want to contact an unknown man? I mean, how would your husband take that?

I think maybe the world is changing too fast for me, and I can’t keep up. Sigh.

A 9 minutes love story

Are words really needed?

Some photos

 

Cherry Blossoms, 7 PM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These ducks are nearly 30 lbs each.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A pond at the park, 7:30 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This swan came posing for photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Punks and I took these photos at a park a few days ago.

Expectations

I haven’t been blogging as much lately. Usual reason: there is only so much crap I can sift through from the newspapers.

Good news though. My (rather large) family is visiting for the Christmas and is expected today. Punks is well pleased. Not pleased enough to stay home from school to greet them (commendable eh?) but excited all the same.

Lots to do, lots to see, lots to experience. First Christmas in England for the family, so I hope they enjoy it.

Oh, adding a new hobby – I’m taking up the guitar.

Anyway, I gone. Have to make room for Christmas goodies.

animals - Here in the UK too!

Well the Cap has been watchin’ carefully what goin’ orn up here in his beloved home land. As allyuh know I doh tolerate animal behaviour. I have, of course, been totally disgusted with what’s been happening – but had to keep a low profile. At this time I’m sending this from The Netherlands!! I dus’ it oui!! LOL.

Scenes in London

An animal feels justified in doing what she’s doing.

The scene below is in Birmingham. Jumbie will know of this shop I’m sure.

Sick–stupidity.

Thought for Tomorrow

“Myths are tent pegs which secure the status quo. In the law, mythology operates almost as powerfully as legal precedent in inhibiting change.”

- Baroness Kennedy in ‘Eve was Framed’

Just fluff

I have not been posting regularly on this blog for a number of reasons. First of all, my brother is here from Trinidad on a visit. Secondly, I have assignments running out my rear end… a whole lot of reading (I have nearly 40 text books for 2 courses running from February to October). And finally, this year, Punks finally turned 13… entering the teenage years.

Yesterday was her actual birthday and we took her to her favourite Chinese restaurant for sushi, which she loves… I don’t see the need to charge extra to eat boiled rice wrapped in raw fish, but hey, they do charge extra per person. I told Punks I had rice at home and I could have bought her a whole slab of raw fish… she could have stayed home and knocked herself out. We’d have saved about £90 for the evening out. The things we do for our kids… at least, the things I do for mine…

Anyway, I am on a countdown as well since I am visiting Trinidad when my brother is going back. We’re booked on the same flight. After being married last year and separated from Mrs Jumbie since, it’s time I paid her a visit. After all, my anniversary is next month. (^_~)

Of course, I have to tote my text books and my laptop and gifts… Anyway, that’s my small update. Time to get back to housework.

Oh Gord dat gyul could wine!

Look how much uman go vex ‘bout dis video eh!

Umhhhh!!

nastiness too in a first world country...

I does have tuh laugh oui! Ah mean dis country – Englan’ nuh – have all dis high tech, great transport and engineering systems, great health service, and yet quite a fraction of dis society behaves like blasted animals. I’ve written about dis before. Ah mean is like dey should be treated more like animals, you might t’ink. Well in another sense if you trying to bring people out of being like animals you have to up their game, instead of treating dem as dey deserve.

You mus’ be wondering what on earth sparked the above thoughts. Well, it’s the contrast between the photo below and the first world health system I recently encountered.

Eef you normally indigenous to dis first world nation you eh go see nuthn wrong in dat picture. I was passing in my car, stopped in traffic and saw this (left). And I began wondering many things: “What dee ass she sitting dey in the middle of a public footpath for? Is she crying? Is she ill? Ain’t she concerned about germs and dirt getting up she backside? Has she the education or intelligence to know that she shouldn’t be sitting there.”

Well, August go be twenty-one years I over on dis side of the water – and it never fails to ketch my eye when I see people doing nastiness. See my comments under “Bitching about baths”.

Jes to be clear.. and to give a full scene to the picture. She was actually sitting calmly listening to her headphones and not in any distress. That much I could observe when I passed by. To the right of her is a bus stop, so she’s probably waiting on the bus. Other possibilities are that she could have a painful foot and desperately needs to sit right in the middle of the footpath.

Well I could reason too dat “I’s a free country and people can do as dey please, solongst dey eh break no law.” Absolutely! Ah mean dey eh have no law against nose-picking as yet. However, it is certainly inappropriate and unacceptable for people to be picking and flicking in public – innit? So my point is that in a free country people should still demonstrate a degree of awareness, appropriateness and intelligence. Note though that appropriateness is often defined (in large part) by what is customary amongst the herd.

And deese people go sit dey on dat grong and go home and sit on dey settee (aka sofa or somik), put dey feet up on dee settee.. all kinda nastiness. One t’ing ah know, I doh have all kinda weird people visiting my house. I cool so oui.

Royal Wedding preview!!!

Tune een nuh!!

Royal Wedding Preview!!