The Interpretation Of Facts And Figures

 I should have paid more attention during school / college.  Well, luckily I did, more so at college and later on.  I love that meme where the chaps dying breath is "I got through my whole life without using Algebra!"  Or did you?

But here's the thing, go to say, Facebook or X or your <insert favourite social media or MSM here> and start to look at what they are actually showing you and dissect the data you are given.

Today, I saw a map of the UK and on it were coloured dots of all the windfarms, solar panels and so on.  It was a pretty messy thing and the dots overlapped and blotted out large areas.  No one questioned the blindingly obvious which is how large are these dots compared to the terrain location.  A few counties were obliterated in dots so they must have covered around 4 or 5 miles per dot - it was nothing other than propaganda and whilst whoever (well meaning or not) used it to demonstrate a point it actually made people angry and upset which is what it was meant to do but it bore no relationship to reality.   There are no windmills here and whilst there are a few solar panel fields, they are few and far between but it looks like there are hundreds.

Another one to look at is charts and graphs.  In recent news on Ukraine and the USA and EU funding of that war there are some graphs going around that they show demonstrate that the US isn't giving that much compared to the EU and UK.  The figures don't add up and the argument isn't how much, we know it is substantial and in the multiple billions, it's why a US citizen who doesn't even know where the Ukraine is is paying their tax dollars for it.  Hilariously people say that it is to prevent Russia invading the US?  Really?

So graphs and diagrams are simple ways to show things that fool the viewer or reader.  I like the use of Logarithmic scales on graphs - that really looks scary or my all time favourite is skewing the X and Y axis so that the point you are making shows up large.  The other trick is to only show the period that demonstrates your headline and so missing out a whole dataset is prevalent in climate change charts as it shows huge rises in temperature (say) but only compares it to recent not great  historical data.  The reason?  If they did it would not support their narrative.

I had so many people over my working life produce data and tables that when properly produced and delivered with all the data meant that they could be analysed, understood and a decision made on what you were presented with.  That's the point, I had to make decisions based on this.  My job was to challenge and check the data, assess it and then take appropriate actions.

If the data is false or made up (God preserve me from assumptions - to assume makes an Ass out of U and Me) the whole thing is useless and serves no purpose whatsoever apart from, possibly, someone trying to pull the wool over my eyes.  Lying or misdirection etc.

These things should be delivered as accurate and impartial.  These days, you can fact check pretty much anything if you take the time do some research and review what's presented to you with an inquisitive and challenging manner.  Start to ask why the chart or data is there in the first place?  Is it real information, is it backing up a position or is it plain propaganda?

Simple things are to look at Electric Vehicle sales.  Apparently they are taking off and doing well?  To check this, go and look at how the manufacturers are performing?  Note the numbers of closures, lay offs and the difficulties they have, look at their financial reports.  Go look at the Auto magazines and go past the hype, look at the massive discounts and at the registrations and mileage of the new vehicles.  Then ask why there is no real second hand market for them and you'll start to see a very different picture.  Once again. politicians have got involved in setting a market's targets and it's not what we, the buyers, want.  They've imposed all sorts of silly tariffs onto the manufacturers and additionally made cars un affordable in the process so the market is collapsing.  The companies are collapsing and yet to read what they are saying, see the adverts and the like, you'd think we all drive electric vehicles.

Take climate and warmest year eva! Records exist that show that the 1930s were much warmer than today as was the Medieval warm period and the Roman warm period but you never see those on a graph because it will skew the narrative they are pressing ahead with.  Any graph that went back will also show that there's been no catastrophic warming at all.  Compared to recent history (geological) we are still in an ice age, the poles haven't melted and for many periods there were no ice poles at all, look it up and check the data.  

Go back to the basics.  Who makes money from all of these things?  Who benefits? Who employs the "experts" and does their continued employment rely on continuing the narrative? Why do research if it leads to you losing your job?

Hang On Lads, I've Got A Great Idea!

 As that great film, The Italian Job, concludes with the coach hanging over the abyss and the gold sliding towards the back of the coach we are left teetering on the edge ourselves.  Did they get the gold, did they lose it all?  It's an interesting twist but I think back in the day the bad guys were never allowed to be seen winning. It was a simpler time back then I think.

I see that today's great idea is to change our picture on Facebook and elsewhere to "Stand with Ukraine"  I imagine candles will be lit and so on but the pressing matter of ending the war and keeping the dead, injured, missing etc below the 1,500,000 mark (the worst European disaster since Stalingrad) is being missed and the slaughter goes on.  I really don't care too much about some spat and I'm pretty certain that, as many things these days, it was stage managed in a way so that those who had drifted away returned with renewed vigour and support and dare I say, step up to the plate and sort this out FFS.  

What on earth has all that bloodshed and destruction done?  Well, I'll give you a clue.  Go and follow the money, let's see what's behind it shall we?  These days it looks to me as if we can control things from our cosy western living rooms and we haven't a clue what it is like.  We get our information from our own state propaganda machines and we are constantly lied to by our governments.  

You feel you want to do what I'd have probably done 30 years ago with disputes at work and that's to figuratively knock the two protagonist's heads together and knock some sense into them.

Here, those with already heightened Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) are flipping out and having mental melt downs and why?  I suppose these days you have to get angry with something or lose your temper with someone and why?  I don't get it.  These people have about as much knowledge of foreign affairs and diplomacy as I do which is the square root of sweet fanny Adams.  The game is being played, the pieces on the chess board are moved to a plan and we are not party to that, have no influence over it and have no idea what the endgame is in mind.  So why all the wailing and gnashing of teeth about some school ground ruckus in the playground?  

I think it is some sort of Psyop myself, designed to bring the Europeans into line by getting them to rally around the bullied school boy.  But....., I've been wrong before.

I really wish people were focused on stopping the bloodshed rather than wanting to finance further weapons and prolonging the agony of, what is, an unwinnable war.  It was always going to be so despite the West's wet dream that they could beat Russia.  Getting off on this by sending someone else's sons off to fight your proxy war.  

So, keep changing your profile picture, flying your flags and rearranging your TDS allowing you to vent your spleen and at the same time reinforce and embolden our lords and masters.  

Nice Lads - Good To See

 I've had some nice lads here working on re pointing the front wall and repairing bits around the house.  They've done a nice job, interrupted by rain and the like but they've always been good humoured, polite and they've done a really nice job.  It's drawn comments from the neighbours so that is good (I think).  Maybe they'll get some more work, I hope so as it's nice to see some honest hard working, polite workmen.

My cold has come out now but I really could have done without it, but these things happen I suppose.  I am meant to be out for breakfast tomorrow and so I hope it will have gone way by then or at least be manageable.

So I must go and give a positive review for the lads and their work.  It certainly looks to have improved the wall which was in a bad state of repair.  I'll give it a blast with the pressure washer later in the year to clean the bricks themselves but they actually look very good as it is.

Cold Out Of Nowhere

 Blast it!  Sore throat and now sneezing my head off!  Where did that come from, I've hardly been out recently if the 48 hour is to be believed.  Just what I don't need as the bricklayers are her and the butcher is a just about to arrive.  I feel like bleh!

a couple of Lemsips and a big hit of Vitamin C will hopefully allow me to get through the day.

I don't think I've had a cold for around a year though so should count myself lucky I suppose but it's one of the fill your head up and affects your ears too.  Fingers crossed I can shake this off.

I've setup the new telescope so grandson 1 can see the planets all aligned today/tomorrow.  

Reconnecting To Old Friends - Mind Whir

Why you may ask is my mind whirring?  I think it is because I know now what I didn't know then.  

Have a listen to this and see if you can see what the problem is?

 Yes, it's something like that but not entirely.  It's the same with a number of the friendships from back then.  We were good friends and now I look back and think to myself, oh my goodness, that's what they meant!  I'm not very good at picking up signals at all and here I am looking back and suddenly it all makes some sort of sense in that neither of us were asking the right questions and not just this occurrence.   

I wonder what would have happened as, of course, I probably wouldn't have had the same course through life had these things happened in the order they did but blow me down, there's photos of us just being good friends and we all used to hang around together.  

Later on there's a photo of someone else and she's looking at me in a way that sort of confirms what I felt at the time but didn't act on.  

Too late now but these insights and what their ramifications may have been are interesting.  You can't change the past but you can imagine what it might have been like.  Are they regrets or just an insight?  It is often stated that "I wish I'd known then what I know now" and I can see why that would be.  I would have actually asked the question, been more certain about my ground, understood that the signs were all there but I wasn't as quick on the uptake as I should have been.  Certainly in one case I am sure of it.  Life would have been interesting indeed had that happened.  It's the same with another friend who I just hadn't realised was making lots of signs and I was just being a thicko LOL.

The band, Bear's Den are well worth a listen to.  This series of First Loves is a particular favourite but I mustn't listen for too long as it does make me a bit sad.  

Shakes Head In Disbelief - Yet Again

 You have to wonder how these people got to power and what made them think they were good enough to do the job they were voted in to do?

I recall that they said they'd freeze council tax and energy bills.  Mmm well council tax had gone up as has my energy bills, not just by a small amount either.  A 5 or 6 pence rise in my kerosene and add some VAT to that sounds OK until you realise that I use around 2,500 litres a year.  Our electricity bills have, I'd suggest gone up almost double in 5 years.  Green taxes and idiotic reliance on medieval technology will do that, although our politicians still adhere to something that failed to work hundreds of years ago. 

So I shake my head once again as we can all go back and see on YouTube and elsewhere these promises made and within a year broken.  Not just one promise either, all of them.  I have no idea quite how they are going to fix the hole they've made themselves but it will be funny, in a ghoulish kind of way, to see what happens.  We are being laughed at and rightly so, our silly leaders are making grand quotes and gestures as if they, and they alone, can bring peace and stability to regions way out of our control.  It's the "My dad's bigger than your dad" school playground sort of stuff that you used to hear when immature and at primary school.  Did they ever grow up?  We all know the answer to that.

You often hear that we want the adults in charge and perhaps soon, if it all goes down the toilet, that might happen but watching all this unfold in front of our eyes is both fascinating and painful at the same time.  Sort of sadomasochistic I suppose and as my friend used to say "You pay good money for that in London!"

Respect - Or The Loss Of It

 I remember being told to respect my elders and betters.  There are few left to respect these days I think.  The odd person you see or hear but generally, the "celebrities", the newsreaders, the reporters and worse of all, the politicians are odious characters.

The BBC, once the bastion of reporting was stating that the AfD party in Germany were far right like the party that was voted in before the second world war?  Huh?  The National Socialist Party were voted in and they were, as the name clearly states, socialists. The brainwashing that goes as reporting these days and the use of weaponized words actually doesn't have the affect that they want, it does the opposite, it makes me suspicious and ultimately these words lose their power as they are invariably used out of context and they no longer shock which is when you should reserve the use of such words to impact what you are saying.  Everything these days cannot be the way they describe them and we've run out of adjectives to use.

People are desperate to stay relevant and the trouble is, the more they do that the worse a job they make of it.  "It is better to keep one's mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."  We are being played and our time as a big power in the world has eroded fast in the last few years.  The robot Prime Minister we have now doesn't seem capable of being a big stage player and has no real say in matters even though he thinks he does.

So respect, how do you earn respect?  How about not taking me for a fool, not taking my money, not being a complete dickhead when you speak, not acting like a spoiled child when criticized.  How about answering a question truthfully, not lying all the time, not blaming anyone but yourself because, you know, you're in charge now and the buck stops with you.  Because these people have never held down a real job (no matter what their CV might say) they don't have the character or mentality to tackle the work ahead of them in a controlled, disciplined and planned manner.  Without proper planning and good management failure comes as a complete shock to them, they thought that writing it on a bit of paper would make it happen, they don't seem to have a clue.  Called to high office, they haven't a scooby.

Earn our respect by doing the things that need doing no matter how hard they are and by doing them for the benefit of all especially us, the tax payers who they come to time and again to prop up their failures.  People only have so much tolerance and so much money too.  A laffer curve ought to be etched into everyone of their portfolio cases so they continually have the reality of their actions before their eyes.  Socialism hasn't worked EVER.  It cannot work in the way they want - a big state produces nothing and consumes everything it comes into contact with. It stifles everything and rewards no participants with the diminishing wealth of the working classes who were meant to benefit from these policies.

When will the people withdraw their consent?  When will they stop the bread and circuses and see through this awful period in our history?  I think it is gradual but more people need to wake up.

Deceit and Dishonour

 Surely these things in high office are to be frowned upon and indeed they should be whiter than white so to speak?  Not our lot in government now - there seems to be a daily exposé of untruths and downright lies if we are honest about it.

I cannot say that I am a Policeman or a Doctor or trained professional but if I were a politican I can claim to be many things.  The recent on is the Business Secretary who states he is a Solicitor.  Well. no he isn't, he did train to be one but no, he isn't one.  His CV and many other documents state that he is.  These people have no shame though and despite this being pretty serious, they come out with some old bollocks about it.

None of them appear to have actually done' any of the jobs they say they have and all of them seem deficient in the ability to do the job or to actually tell the truth.  

We had this in business and the thing was, despite what our bosses stated, to test them in difficult circumstances and see if they pulled through or buckled.  The three year men we used to call them for that is how long each job role lasted before they were promoted through their incompetence and then, just before they were found out, they'd leave and go to the next company ready to cause havoc there.

One of the most amazing things was my old boss took on an "Electrician" and sent him to site where he turned up in his shiny new shoes, tool box and extremely smartly dressed.   There was something strange but he seemed willing and pleasant enough.  My foreman set him to work and I went to see him and took one look at his work and asked him to redo it.  Even I, a few years off the tools could do better.  He did another go and I called the foreman and we went to see him when he then admitted that he wasn't an electrician at all, he just chanced his arm.  I bollocked my boss and asked him how he'd taken on these guys.  He'd placed an advert and conducted rudimentary interviews, didn't vet them with anyone, didn't ask to see their union card or their trade card and just took them on.  

As an aside he'd managed to take on two of the very worst (blacklisted) people too and so I had a lot of fun to come on that but I digress.

So why is it acceptable that these people lie? Why do we, the paying public stand for it?  Are we so worn down by these corrupt officials we let them get away with it or are we hoping for some sort of miracle to get rid of them?   They really are the worst bunch you've ever seen and some of them can barely string together a coherent argument but you'd not like to be near them out in the street or down the pub they look deranged and the sort to break out into violent disorder as they are foul and spout incontinent verbiage.  Evil acid tongued no nothing liars the lot.

I enjoy how enraged they are by Donald Trump.  They sound pathetic and make out like they really matter in world affairs anymore.  Not one of them is statesman like or politically astute enough to realise that we as a country no longer matter and Europe is not faring better.  We've been called out and found wanting and we are making ourselves look and sound irrelevant on the world stage.  Amateurs could do a better job than this lot, really they could.

Oh well, I suppose we need to give them enough rope and let themselves run as fast as they can.  I don't know if they know how irrelevant they actually are and what a car crash awaits us all as we hurtle headlong down a blind set of very dark, foggy  alleys.

Preserve Us From Experts

Can there be anymore massive a Red Flag than  "Experts Say", "Scientists Warn" or "Environmentalists state"?  

Of course not.  It's all bollocks and is often accompanied with weasel words like "Could" "Might" "Opinion" - it's headline grabbing deflection and generally is to be ignored as it doesn't move anything on, it's packed with assumptions and generally based on computer models and adjusted data.

Start reading things with the actual data produced where you can go and verify it yourself.  Just one example was a recent one about Polar Bears and someone getting upset that they have licences available to cull certain Bears.  BUT THE BEARS ARE ENDANGERED you hear them cry.  Go look at the data and you'll see that some populations may indeed be, but others are thriving.  You need to go beyond the headline and see through the tugging at your heart strings.

We have a problem with Deer that no one appears to be addressing because they are all like Bambi and no one wants to harm them, they're cute.  Mmmm, tell that to the farmers and land owners and you might be surprised.  If you've ever hit one in your car then you might also realise what a danger they are that way too.  I don't expect the townies to realise, they don't live with them but the population is out of hand and they need to be controlled.  So many do gooders live in the cities and I'm sure if they lived out here they might actually appreciate the problems we have.  

These well intentioned, but generally badly informed, people know what's good for us and have a full conviction that they are right and we are not.  There's no room for discussion about it.  They actually ruin the countryside that they don't live in and are pretty much ignorant about how we live.

Anyway, experts eh?  God preserve us from these "elites" and let us just get on with our lives free from these people.  

To Stifle Or To Stimulate

 I see this all the time.  "We are going for growth", "We need to stimulate our economy" ad nauseam.  And, what do they do?  Yes they push up taxes, push up National Insurance, hike local taxes, mess up the roads, make car traps to raise revenues and increase the costs of parking and the hours that you can park are extended overnight and at weekends.  

What exactly are our councillors and politicians smoking these days?  They have all lost their minds but in reality they aren't that bright to have lost them.  At least we know where all the village idiots now work.  Have ANY of these people worked in business, do any of them live lives like us?  I do my own revolt to this by no longer going (unless forced) to town, f*** them.  You'll not get money from me and the shops wont get trade from me either.  A bit harsh you say but it's ridiculous that they are driving customers and businesses from the high street.  Next they'll be cutting the number of spaces, narrowing the roads so that you can only use a push bike and that will be it, dead centre of town.  It already looks like a battlefield of pound shops, charity shops, nail bars and Turkish Barbers, the last bank went last year I think and no one is ringing the alarm bells about it.

Growth, a word written on paper but of no substance in the minds of these people who honestly think that by saying something it will magically happen! They have no idea how it all connects together, no understanding of the utter bollocks they spout.  Have you listened to them?  Energy can be magicked out of the sky without a problem, it will solve the world's problems we are leading the way on this!  But even if you agree that CO2 is a problem (dear reader it isn't it is life itself look it up) the headlong rush to affect 1% of the world's CO2 estimated in the trillions - yes trillions with a T wont make an iota of difference ever ever.  It cannot be done, "the science" should tell them that but it's zealotry not science, its dogma and ideological gobbledegook.  

It's like running the 100 metres with your shoelaces tied together, each and every turn they cannot detach from their heads that you cannot have both growth and repressive environmentalism as bed fellows - it never worked before and given the trillions already thrown at getting nowhere in the past 50 years, what makes them think they can do it now, other than writing it on paper and hoping it will be done.   Their God like proclamations mean nothing without the power to actually do something about it and asking for the wrong things gets you nowhere.  

Get some business people into running the country and see what that will do for you.  

I see our esteemed leader is talking of putting 30,000 troops into Ukraine.  Does that sound like a good plan to you?  Is that wealth creation and looking after our interests?  30,000 against 1.3 Million - interesting odds.  But if he can't stop illegal aliens invading our shores what chance will he have against the Russians?  All they need to do is order some Rubber Dinghies off Amazon and they're through!  

Such is the feckless leadership in this country, wondering why we are heading into a mess of their own making and being unable to understand how they got there.  Any sane person can see the problems and I like that the EU and UK are getting all upset about the way Trump is going about things but wake up, we aren't who we used to be, we are weakened by all these woke policies imposed on us, by the destruction of our economy and the outsourcing of our industries to India and China because of our green zealotry. The EU too have followed socialist ideology and this is the outcome, you don't matter anymore, your economies and ours are failing and rather than hurting the BRICS countries, you need to wake up and see what those markets are like compared to ours, do some homework and watch the demise of the West before your very eyes.

It's late, we need to wake up, populism is rising and it probably needs to as we are at a turning point and need to steer away from the iceberg we've just navigated and accelerated towards.  

We ARE Better Than These "People"

We are better than the rabble that pretends to look after our interests.  Left alone we would probably be able to prosper and certainly wouldn't have the ugly politics and moral bankruptcy of those who think they know better than us.

I believe we are innately good, of course a few bad apples, of course there are.  But, we are generally good but societal pressures make us bad.   Take the high ground, do good, be good and try and demonstrate a higher purpose.  There's a lot of anger and selfishness around but you don't need to be like that.

Don't be the angry driver waving your arms at me because you are breaking the speed limit and want me to get out of your way when I'm just keeping within the limits.  The person who drives furiously at you down our one track road and expects me to jump out of their way.  The angry person who bumps into you whilst looking at their iPhone and then curses you for not getting out of their way.   It takes nothing to be respectful, polite and pleasant, nothing at all.

I worked in a shop and found many people were kind and polite but a few were ignorant, didn't use pleases or thank yous and treated you like dirt.  I very much doubt that they would have liked it had they been in the same position.  It costs nothing to remember where you came from and it costs nothing at all to say thank you, please or compliment someone on a job well done or for helping you out.  Always say thank you no matter who it is.  The till person, the shop worker who helped you find something, someone answering a question or serving you food it defines who you are.  The Amazon delivery person who turns up in the pouring rain, a grateful thank you is going to do them the world of good and I am always grateful that something that I want has been safely delivered.

Thanking people who come to your house to give a quote shows that they are appreciated, telling them whether they've won or lost the quote and a brief explanation why.

Why is it so difficult for people to be pleasant to each other?  I like to think that Karma will indeed reward these people.  Many instances I've seen where their ignorance and vitriol are rewarded appropriately.   Having said that, I suppose I shouldn't revel in their discomfort but I suppose that's just being human too and seeing someone get their just desserts after being particular obnoxious is a sort of reward in some way?

Have a look at this video, it moves me in many ways but it also points out that despite those who say they are here to help you, you may have to help yourself but there is good out there and it's generally us, not those who want the power from us but use it only for themselves forgetting who they represent.  

Ugh People!

 We went to see an exhibition with the grandchildren yesterday.  We had no problem parking but when we came out there were people trying to park and waiting for spaces to appear.  A quite nice woman asked if we were going and we said yes.  She seemed alright but, the car behind was some crazy waving at me yelling, pointing at her head etc etc.  Now I had to settle in 4 people and then back out and it wasn't helped that where I needed to reverse into was blocked by this crazy!  

So I reversed slightly but they didn't move, then drove forward and edged back again.  Eventually I just reversed so close that they finally got the message.  All the while they were waving and I just hoped that they didn't steal the place off the lady who had asked.  As I am trying to drive out I've then got a head on car going the wrong way towards me probably seeing I was moving and racing to get to the space! 

Why don't people either go to the three other larger car parks or just be patient and also not steal spaces off others who have waited.  I find this sort of mental behaviour quite abhorrent really.  Most of them should, join in with me now, you know my words. "Grow the f**k up!"  It's pathetic, it really is.

And so onward and upwards and off to the local shops and once again, there's the clown world parking - they have to stop double parked so they can get to their shop yet 20 paces away are open spaces.  But no, stop me and those behind whilst you, who's universe revolves around you go about your business oblivious to everyone else.  Confront them and it's not them but you who are in the wrong. 

We live down a small, quite long single track road.  I have learned to now just stop my car and let those coming the other way manoeuvre past me.  They drive like lunatics (not all granted) and yet it's pot holed, speed ramped and we have plenty of wildlife too from Pheasants to Deer, it's a Bridleway so we have Horses and dog walkers, Badgers, Squirrels, you get the picture.  A few of us have SUVs but there are quite a lot of small saloon cars and they seem to be the  ones rushing to get somewhere.  The other day I saw one of these small cars coming at Formula One pace so I pulled into a passing area and as luck would have it, on her side of the road to pass me was a monster of a puddle which she saw too late, hit and speed and made a muddy mess of her car.  Karma.  So I don't try and pass these people at speed as they do but just let them work their way around.

I think it is the same lady who when I was having heating Kerosene delivered wa getting super angry.  The lane is only big enough for a car or tanker and he was delivering 500 litres to me.  It's not that much in terms of time maybe a 5 minute job at most.  She was beeping and then came to the end of the drive and was grumbling about missing her gym class or some such, so it gave me great pleasure to say I'd go and tall to the delivery driver.  We quite enjoyed spending extra time and slowing the delivery right down.  She had to wait and when he climbed back into his cabin she realised she'd have to reverse to let him past as there's no way he could have gone backwards.  Ho Ho!  Karma once again.

Why people don't allow enough time to do things, aren't planned (I knew where every car park was in case they were busy) and so on I don't know.  All that happens is they get angry and impatient and stressed.  It's not necessary.  As my old School RE Teacher used to say "Impatience make Inpatients!"  

Falsehood and Dishonour

 Some will recognise these words:

AI Tells me:

"In the Bible 

2 Corinthians 6:8 says, "through glory and dishonour, slander and praise; viewed as imposters, yet genuine". This verse means that people should serve God regardless of whether others honour or despise them.

In Freemasonry

In the Third Degree Ceremony, there is a passage that refers to the "stain of falsehood and dishonour". 

In the Master Mason ceremony, there is a demonstration of the principle that it is often better to die than to be subjected to falsehood and dishonour. 

The ceremony also teaches loyalty to fellow men. 

In general

Dishonesty can have negative consequences, such as lowering self-esteem and increasing negative affect. 

In the workplace, dishonesty can lead to self-deception, which can lead to erroneous predictions of future success. 

Some people see lying as a distinctive wrong, while others see it as morally equivalent to other forms of verbal deception."

I am an adherent that you should be honest and truthful and there is something terribly wrong with you if you continue to lie to me.  We all know that old adage of "Q: How do you know when a politician is lying to you?  Their mouths are moving!" Today's motley bunch hold us in contempt and appear to lie non stop, right in your face, blatant, dishonest and treat us like fools.  

I used to enjoy it, being treated like a fool that is.  Why?  Well, it's the last thing I am and so my retorts sting badly when I eventually break cover.  I was reminded that my ex housemate had a very deep and slow voice which people mistook for a slowness of mind on his part.  Believe me, he was never slow of mind and in the 70s was one of only a few computer technicians I knew.  He was exceedingly bright, amazingly intelligent and people only found out a little while after they'd think they were taking the mickey out of someone who they thought was "a little backward".  He too enjoyed correcting the record shall we say.  Both us us enjoyed the word play and intellectually getting even.

J D Vance, vice president of the USA just tore a strip off of our ruling classes in the Munich Security conference and sort of suggested that perhaps they ought to start listening to us, the voters and the people.  You could see the shock and the denial from the German geezer was a sight to behold, almost reinforcing what was said with the Philistine Pig Ignorance we have come to expect from the EU and most of our "leaders" these days.

They've ignored the very people who put them in power, who they are there to serve and they've lost their moral compass (if they ever had one) and continue to be in denial about the impacts of their policies.  How formerly intelligent people have such shrivelled brains is beyond me.  But then, perhaps you've had the same experience I have.  There were very, and I mean very, few people who became bosses who didn't completely lose their technical or management abilities when they became Big bosses (Directors head of department that sort of thing).  Their decision making capabilities and their policies were completely at odds with all the good things (generally) they had done to earn the position.  They turned on their former colleagues, made stupid policies and generally destroyed working environments.  I'd say 80% of them did this.  Of the 20% only say 5% were brilliant managers.

Is it built into our DNA to turn into a complete arsehole the moment you get authority?  Is lying and contempt for your fellows a natural gravitation away from being someone good?  I have no idea.  I used to like our phrase about these people "His men would follow him anywhere BUT only out of curiosity!" 

I like to think that in the main, except for one particular incident, I've always tried to do the right thing and have been prepared to walk away from my job if they didn't like it.  The exception was where I was forced to do something, quite against my will.   made my stance clear about it, had to do it and regretted it.  But, a few weeks after I did that I left the company, started in a new industry on a lot more money and benefits and never looked back.  They were left with myself and part of my team leaving and then they had a big problem as no one had any idea what we really did.  One of the Directors came and took my mobile hone from me as he wanted one (they were very rare back in the day) and then complained that it kept ringing.  It was the 24 hour help line!!!  Silly sod another one who deserved exactly what he got - no good asking me, they'd taken the phone off me and could work out what to do with it as it was no longer my problem.  Anyway, it cost them half a department eventually.  A few weeks earlier it had also cost them half of the businesses turnover as my boss, Mr. Intelligent (Sarc) decided to barge in on a meeting with a prospective customer and proceed to destroy all the good work we had done up to that point.  

I like that the customer wrote to the business explaining that he was delighted with my team and myself but he had to withdraw the contract as he was unimpressed with the Director that barged into the meeting uninvited and he felt that they could not work with us if he was part of the proposed management team.  Of course, that was my fault.  So many people are like that, God knows why?  

Be open, be honest, don't be an arsehole. 

Helicopter View

one of the biggest things I learned was to use a technique called the Helicopter View.   It's a good analogy for dealing with problems and whereas, as an engineer I was used to diving in and fixing a problem in a sort of single minded macro view, the helicopter view allowed me to tackle problems completely differently and look at things in a whole new way.  

It pulls away from the immediacy of the problem and allows you to think about the totality of things.  I use it a lot as it allows me to view things in the world somewhat differently to others.  A global view of the world and what is going on soon wakes you up to the idiocy that is happening here in the UK.  Our weak feeble minded politicians have been navel gazing for far too long and are under the impression that they have a big say at the table.  I'm sure the world looks on in awe (oops that was a bit sarcastic).  I see our people saying great things and demanding particular actions and yet, no one with any sense would take their bleating realistically.

The UK no longer has the influence it thinks it does.  Frankly we've given away any authority we had at the alter of woke ideology and our financial acumen is in dispute.  Our headlong leadership (opp more sarcasm) into net zero is also showing what a bunch of clowns we are.  Continuing to push the awful war in Ukraine, that has taken 1.6 Million lives so far and then to poke the Bear further by making them a NATO country in direct opposition to what you said you'd do proves you a liar and not someone who keeps their word, as well all know now, the present incumbents doubled down on the previous pile of excrement and none of them have told the truth.

So helicopter this if you can, trace the money, trace the reasons why and look at the overall world picture.  No one is coming out of this covered in glory at all.  Higher fuel prices,  huge debt, lives lost, trade diverted, inflation (wait until you see that work through). Huge swings in prosperity away from Europe and the West.  Go look at the BRICS economies, look at how they control almost everything except aerospace at the moment.  Russian sanctions impacted European economies but look at India, China and their trading partners. Get up in that helicopter and go and look at the power these countries have.

I was impressed that certain goods are banned or attract tariffs.  They just get around these and the BRICS markets are bigger than Europe and North America and so they don't need to trade with us.  What's the point of trying to sell say a few hundred cars to the UK when they can sell tens of thousands to Brazil?  

I can go on about this but we need to raise our eyes and look beyond our puny economic woes and see where the next threats are coming from.  Get up to high altitude and look for yourself.  

Service - At Last

 Gosh, I emailed late yesterday, got a response back, came to see me this morning and I have a quote and they can start pretty soon which is brilliant.

Wow, finally someone who was not only responsive but also courteous and turned up when they said too.  Excellent.

The other company turned up but in reality they were a little too expensive but they turned up and were pleasant.  A bit too rich for the blood perhaps though.

I am glad about that as I need to get things sorted out for the house.  re-pointing the front wall may seem a bit extravagant but it needs to be sorted out as the frost has got into the mortar and I'd rather give it a new lease of life now than if it falls down!  I can then get my hedgerow sorted out too.

Which Got Me Thinking More About Kindness

 I mentioned that the women I knew were kind, sure there were some nasty ones but once you've left school and go to college yo no longer associate with those who gave you a hard time but gravitate towards those whom you have good relations.

It occurred to me that, of course, there were plenty of people who disliked me and gave me a hard time.  A lot of that is because of my personality type.  Being an INTJ is difficult and lots of people don't know how to handle us.  Then as I was just mulling it over a flashback to a situation where I was a young up and coming technician who was plucked out of the pool because I had a specific skill for understanding complex control systems and I could scan multiple drawings and see problems in them - it's a pattern thing that I can notice things like this.  A number in a series that is out of place, a connection that is in the wrong line and so on.  So I became a young wizzkid I suppose and now it dawns on me, all these years ago, that the reason I was treated quite so badly was that I could do something other people could not and maybe I was a threat to them?  I don't know, I liked to be around clever people but something must have affected people who'd lose their minds in anger sometimes.

All it did to me was to make me work harder, learn more and move around jobs.  I look at how people are losing their mind over Trump and Musk and I wonder if it is some sort of problem people have that they cannot work with people or perhaps they've been found out and karma is coming down the road fast towards them?  I'd say I'm pretty much a dark horse and keep my cards close to my chest in business, not so much outside of that area.  The thing is that perhaps I scared these people somehow?  I'd always have run ins with the vast majority of my bosses, there were only a handful that I really excelled working for, two of them were women and they were scarily good but they knew that I'd get the job done, would leave me to it and I'd only have to go and ask and they'd put things in place for me.  A couple of men too were good but the rest were chancers who had no idea what they were doing and who made decisions that weren't thought through.

What they'd hate is that I'd challenge their decisions where needed and I'd produce data and plans why their decision wouldn't work or be suitable and then they'd get angry and tell me to implement it.  I'd document my objections, tell them what might happen and blow me down, it would come to pass.  Then they'd explode and I'd make the situation worse by giving them a copy of what I'd told them would happen.  I wasn't a diplomat! 

So back to it, all this mistreatment was because inevitably these guys would screw up all by themselves and then they'd come after me.  I didn't help myself as I'd probably make the situation worse :-) I see this in the world now.  Cr@p decisions made by inadequately prepared specifications, a wrong grasp on facts and figures and no planning, ROI, work on risks or knock on impacts.  It's pitiful.  When you point out that there's a problem they actually use words like "I don't care" or "No it's not" and there's absolutely nothing there at all.  They don't listen and they make stupid decisions as if just by making them it's going to solve things.  Then they get angry and yell and are nasty and for what purpose?

It's a nasty place at the moment.  We are run by intellectual lightweights who hold idealogy above real life actual data and who's idea of an impact assessment lacks any coherent argument, planning or cost benefit analysis.  The reason is?  None of them have been in business or understand the totality of what it means to approach the self inflicted problems in a holistic manner.

Anyway, as I daydreamed this meeting I had with a technician who couldn't see the problems I was highlighting it struck me that all they saw was a threat and all I saw was the danger of wiring up some components in a way that would potentially kill someone if installed as shown.  I wonder if all displays of anger are based in this inadequacy to be open to discussion and more likely to protect their own necks?  

That's It I Think

 You are no longer in their life and haven't been for years and there's no need to reunite or reconnect in some ways.  It was a period of your life and theirs that you were present in, no matter how long for or indeed how deep the relationships were at the time, now it doesn't really matter.  You are no longer part of their lives and they are no longer part of yours.

Longing for something different is perhaps a failed and false illusion.  For over 35 or 50 years they just haven't been in your circle of friends, they didn't experience what you did and you didn't experience what they did.  We were all too busy working our way through life's rich tapestry, grafting, working hard, getting into our own troubles and getting out of them and they weren't there and neither were you there in there lives.

It sounds blindingly obvious but the mind has a romantic view of the past and I tend to have a rose tinted view of those who I was close to.  Of course, it is just that, an idealised vision of what was and I think what I'd have liked it to be and "if things were different" what sort of life I'd be living now.  It's fantasy of course, destined only to happen in a parallel universe.  Contacting after all this time has awakened feelings that I had at the time.  I often feel that in these daydreams I have that the ladies in my life would finally look at me and see the way that I look at them and ask "How long have you loved me?" and I'd say with a slight tear in my eye, "All my life".  And I have really but perhaps not in the way it might sound.  There are a small number of women who have been special to me in all sorts of ways.  Recently finding them again after so long presents me with the possibility that if things had been different what would life be like now?

It is a theoretical fantasy filled hypothetical conundrum for I wouldn't change my children or grandchildren for the world but... What might have happened?  It goes nowhere of course, it's the mind playing tricks on me and it's taunting because in my own way I loved everyone of them, they were different to all the other interactions I had with other girls at the time, they were kind, knowing, gentle, patient and above all good friends, quite platonic friends when all said and done.  We may have held hands, danced at a party, stolen the odd kiss but that was it mostly.  I probably should have asked one of them out I suppose but I never did.  I was horribly shy and not confident at all.  Give it a few more years on and I got better once I had a proper relationship.

Yes, it is strange that I know how they are, have heard the fill in of the last 35 years and they have heard mine, similar tales and similar joys and woes and now, I'm not overly interested in getting back together again or pursuing it further and I don't thing they are either.  A polite exchange of historical facts and we continue with our lives no matter what we meant to each other all those years ago.

The realisation that none of us are part of our current lives is mutual and you can't make a gap that far go away again I think?  We are all so different now, shaped by our experiences and the roads travelled.  Our paths appear parallel but in reality they couldn't be more different and yet the same.

There's No Going Back Is There?

 It's interesting that the last time I met  my old friends was way back in 1990.  Thirty five years ago.  Stuff happens and you drift apart not really meaning to but emails and addresses get changed and that's how it happens. 

It wasn't a coincidence that we reconnected at all really.  I thought it was but realised that I'd seen my friends face and something must have started my mind churning and the memories of his wife, another old friend of mine where playing with me and then I realised that it was him just without his beard.  He's changed a fair bit (haven't we all) but his wife, hardly at all.

We exchanged messages and caught up with 35 years news in two exchanges.  We both have sojourned through our work and our adventures, have children, have grandchildren etc.  All are retired and that's about that really.  There's nothing here to go forward.  The great times we all had were back in the 1970s and early 1980s.  We have lived different lives since then.  We went to visit when we had our eldest and showed her off on our way on holiday and that was that.

You drift away, quite rapidly I think, we used to exchange cards and the like and then nothing.  He and I shared our 21st birthday party and we all used to play badminton every Sunday, go to concerts together (a memorable one being Rod Stewart initially cancelled through a snow white out and rescheduled for New Year's Eve).  The car broke down at New Cross late on New Year's Eve.  We got the train home and went back the next day to fix a leaking hose and limp the car back.  We were able to fix our own cars back then.

Oh well, we all move in different spheres and different directions and I'm not sure what I'd expect really.  It's nostalgic of course to look back at all the fun and mischief we got up to, sharing the house, brewing our own beer, the fat cat falling down behind the TV (bloody thing deserved it), parties - turning the clock to the wall above the fireplace if you had "company" and we often did.

But that was then and this is now.  Did I think we might meet up and pick up where we left off?  Probably not, it's been too long and what's the point.  I suppose if we met up it would only be interesting for me not for anyone else and my children and theirs were far too young to remember anyway. I think it's best left like that too.  

There's a certain longing for the "old days" we were at peak of our youth and young adulthood, strong, fit, slim, good looking, beautiful even.  The lady he married does hold special memories for me though, she really was nice to me in an arm around your shoulder sort of way.  She is one of the very special people you come across in life who was fun to be with, never toyed with my shy quiet ways and treated me like a brother I suppose.  A beauty in mind and body, and she still looks just as I remember her all those years back.  I was, of course, too shy to ever ask her out and to coin a phrase used today I'd have been punching way above my weight if I had.  

I am pleased she is happy and they are still together and their family are all well and enjoying life.  Good on them. 

Thank Goodness That's Over

 I very rarely suffer headaches, I get a few but one a year maybe.  Yesterday I had a headache and dry mouth (I did hydrate) and by the time I arrived home my head was pounding and I even took a few Ibuprofen before getting to bed.

It was my ex mother-in-law's funeral and whilst I don't actually have any problems with my ex, my kids and my ex brother and sister in law, it's actually old friends I have a problem with.  I mean they smile right enough but actually I can feel the burn, if you know what I mean?

The lady was very kind to me as was her husband also sadly no longer with us and I wanted to support my daughter who wrote and delivered the eulogy.  

I hope that there wont be too many of these things to attend as they are stressful.   

Through Children's Eyes

 One of the great things about being a grandparent (possibly a parent but you are sometimes too busy to notice) is the level of excitement that a child can get from something that, to us, appears ordinary.

My grandson showed an interest in the Moon and planets and my daughter asked me if I still had my telescope.  Unfortunately it broke so I gave it to a charity who said they could repair it and use it.  Great as I couldn't get an answer from the manufacturers or distributors!  So I said it was broken but I'd happily buy him one.  It duly arrived and he was so excited by it and it has really sparked his curiosity and got him interested even more.  When you see his obvious joy and enthusiasm you get to remember what it used to be like to see things for the first time, experience things and be in awe of what's around you.

I thought as he liked that I would get him one of these planetarium projectors which has gone down a storm too.  It's meant to be a calming thing but he's buzzing seeing the planets and the moon right up there on his ceiling.  There are a number of different slides and so I am pleased that he likes that too.  So, my other grandson will be getting a telescope and projector too.

We quickly forget what it is like to be amazed at things, to be enthralled with a view of an animal, a fossil, the night sky, trains (who doesn't like a train trip) and so on.  So much so that we as adults do not find the joy in these things.  Seeing my grandchildren and watching their reactions is precious and a blessing and it reminds me to try to get the joy out of life once again, the spirit of being alive and observing and enjoying it.  Recently working in the garden I can see why people enjoy that - I'm not a great gardener but I can get the attraction.

It's difficult to be conscious and in the present moment though as we become jaded through our life's journey I feel.  It's remembering to enjoy these things and the joy of a child is just the tonic to do that.