What is the point of humans?

We all know that in this country fraud is king. Not King Charles III, he is doing quite well as it happens, but I am referring to the billions lost from both government coffers and private citizens’ bank accounts. It seems all too easy, in the case of benefit fraud a report has shown a million an hour(!) is lost to benefit fraud and some errors. Simply completing an on-line form will set up a chain of events that might culminate in some payments. False claims are easy. Use the name of an existing person or someone who has just died or something like that and pending the checking procedures which are usually either lax or late or are never done, money will arrive in the bank account. Obviously the bank account is genuine but not really linked to anyone in particular. I am no expert in fraud I have to add but the facts are it is a growing problem. It does say something about the mindset of the British people. Too many now are what I would call, ‘work-shy’. Where I live I believe more than 50% are either ill or too lazy to work. Frankly the work that is available tends to be paid at the national rate. Something like £9.00 an hour. On top of that most employment is part-time, i.e 16 or so hours a week. It means that most people are also dependent on government handouts. Can you understand why so many want to brave the Channel in rickety dinghies to come and ‘enjoy’ the goodies this country has to offer? You may ask ‘What goodies are we talking about’? Yeah, indeed. As it usually means a slow descent into the criminal underworld. We are good in that as well. Having been born in the Netherlands I have always been aware of the Amsterdam drugs world. The ‘Walletjes’, the ‘Warmoesstraat’, but also the ‘artists’ quarter the ‘Leidsche Straat’ and ‘Govert Flinck Straat’ were sort of ‘linked’ to drugs. Going into one of the many cafe’s there, you would very quickly meet people who could supply anything you required. But it is not just there, it is all across the world. A bit sad to know that humans are working hard at their own demise! A good question to ask is ‘ Is the Universe built this way’?

Possibly, there is a ‘coming’ but also a ‘going’, everything has a ‘beginning’, everything also has an ‘end’. If you take humans as an entity and compare this to the genus Dinosaur, you will notice how fast humans have run through their development as a lifeform. In literally a few thousand years we have gone from grunting hairy apelike forms to a bald speaking biped with enough gizmos to allow them to lay back and enjoy the Spanish sunshine. I have to say though that we should ask ourselves this question – ‘What is the use of humans on this planet’? Indeed, what IS the point of humans’?

Some thoughts on 2022

Well, so Christmas is over for another year. It has been a time of some upheaval I’d have to say. Politically as well as socially. Despite what is reported in the papers I have not seen much deprivation, I know it is around but I think it is hidden. Traffic is worse than it has ever been, possibly also because of the bus, train, plane strikes and delays. For myself I have had some ten days of a severe chest infection. Still don’t know why and how I caught it, probably someone who I passed in the street and looked me in the eye thinking, he needs cheering up! Fortunately, the NHS does still work well unless you need to go to A&E or need an ambulance. The antibiotics I have took to me like a thermonuclear device. Almost the same day, the temperature dived down to its usual level. The itchy throat took longer but the wheeze went after a day or two. So, all is well with the world but don’t ask those who experience one of those very bad winter storms in Canada and the US. Blizzards are not the fun some people think they are. Blizzards are absolute killers. In the meantime we will have to start shifting some of the items that has been bought as presents. It has always amazed me how we seem to make them useful! In years gone by I just gave a lot away to family members. The kids find interesting ways to make them useful, if only for a few weeks! Then I would say 50% of all that has been purchased prior to Christmas will have disappeared. Don’t ask whereto, but I still find stuff in hidden cupboards we had in the 1980’s!

Well, thinking about this year of 2022, it has been a bit of a rollercoaster. Old Rishi, our newest and latest prime minister is making a bit of a name for himself as a ‘toughie’, it remains to be seen how well he will perform with the present strike upheavals. You will realize as I have over a number of years, politicians in the main are just theatre performers. Look at something on TV when a politician speaks, the words are invariably always the same, ‘Working hard’, ‘We know what we have to do’, ‘We have a plan’ etc etc etc. There must be some school somewhere, the School of Platitudes I think it would be called, that teaches this stuff. Oh and there is a dress code as well. I still stand by my original idea that British politics is stymied by class, a faith in a British Empire amongst others. The frank truth is that the UK is weak, debt ridden and the only empire it has, stands on the Blackpool beach front. It is weak not because of its great peoples, English, Scots and Welsh hardworking citizens but of weak rules and even weaker enforcement. But things could always be worse. If Rishi can finally get the acts together and he has just about two years to do so, get the Armed forces up to scratch, get the debt under control. But most of all get the nation’s health system fixed. I have said in the past, a free NHS is a dream and like all dreams could evaporate like smoke in the wind. It just does not work. Of course we should have a medical system that works for all but if you give something for free, it will be taken advantage of. But no doubt, we shall talk about that during 2023! Have a great time and keep taking your medicines!

Too much talk, and not a lot of action

It is going to be a rough winter by the looks of it. Not just because of the war in Eastern Europe but there seems to be a jet-stream that drives the rainier weather southwards letting in the cold eastern winds. Even colder when I look at the shenanigans called the World Cup. The one thing England is good at is talking up a good game. Plenty of pundits around here who are just shouldering themselves onto the BBC Chat programs and if you listened to them we already have won the trophy. And then reality sets in, the truth is England is not really as good as they think. The game with France a case in point. I thought for a long time we were just trundling along. My 90 year old neighbour walks faster than that! Anyway, as I have always thought, in the end the real matter is fought out in the matches themselves, not on the TV channels. So, the dream will have to wait for another 4 years! As a matter of fact if we look at all the big teams who have left for home, we can see the downward spiral of the western nations, generally speaking. Big money does not make hungry players.

I have mentioned this before – there is far too much talking and little action in this country. What I also find difficult to comprehend is the fact that politicians, local politicians as well, do not tell the whole truth when asked a particular question. Planning processes in particular are a big problem to understand. Sometimes the decisions that are made defy the local opposition. It makes you think that the process is circumventing for what it was set-up for. For me, I believed it was set-up to safeguard the interests and wishes of the local population. I now know I was completely and utterly wrong. The process is geared to the financial interests of both, developers and the governmental bodies. Politicians would defend themselves by saying “You have voted us in to look after YOUR interests”. The facts are that it is hogwash. As soon as people are elected their personal opinions no longer count, they follow the party line. The party line is mostly NOT looking after the interests of the electorate. They would say it is in the national interests. Well, that’s all well and good but what if it goes awry? As it does very often? Besides, what ARE the national interests? Like the NHS? Defence? Social inclusion? Already three items that seem to be problematic, in other words not looked after very well. To me it appeared that the Conservative government just never really put the hard facts on the table. Pussyfooting around in the hope no-one would notice the national debt rising to astronomical levels. Eventually that has to be brought down and there are only one or two ways to do that, more productivity and tax increases. Don’t ask how, I have always said “ Who do you think is going to pay”? Well guessed, US. You and me. Perhaps curtailing our profligate lifestyles as well. Have a look what ‘profligate’ means! In the meantime, have a great Christmas and if you managed to buy a fresh turkey, spare me a leg!

Stash the Champers and do some work!

For all those people who come to the UK, I hope it will work out well for them. Especially at this time. Cold and sometimes stormy. But if they came with the idea of free money, free housing, free this and that, I am afraid there will be a harsh awakening. Despite what they say on the Continent this country is not a free-for-all. In reality this is a country still with quite a bit of poverty, class ridden mentality and big diverse areas. Even worse, it is governed by incompetents. Too many believe to be an MP is an easy job, Just sit on plush green leather seats and shout ‘Hear, hear’ from time to time. And no worries at home because all you have to say to worried voters is ‘We are working hard, and doing everything to solve your problems’. Then go home and finish the bottle of champers. Can anyone tell me it is not so?

Ever since coming over to Blighty have I needed to look after myself and my family. I never had help nor needed it. Yes, I have been lucky, learned the languages of the land, English, Welsh and classify myself as a competent writer. There is no point in feeling sorry for yourself. It only took 6 months to find my first job and I haven’t stopped yet. So, all I can say is don’t give up, keep looking and don’t think about where you came from. It is no longer really relevant because you made your choice and now must abide by it. The biggest problem I think we have in the UK, we welcome new arrivals as much as possible but too many do not integrate. It is quite remarkable to see what I call, Ghetto building. Although I believe in freedom of expression, I also understand it comes with certain rules. In this country we have built up a wonderful (for the most) set of laws to govern our behaviour and social living. It is not perfect, but it has worked for most of the time, even at times of stress. To abide by these will mean an easier way of living for everyone, and rich or poor to get on. If that would fail we will be looking at open street warfare, as indeed it has shown in other countries. 

I admire the Chinese people who have mostly well integrated and run businesses across the nation. I also realise that these thoughts of mine look one-sided, from a single point of view. Nevertheless I think it is mostly true. It certainly needs improving, the whole system of immigration, dealing with migrants and their needs. It is no good to have a free-for-all, that has never worked and just creates an almighty mess. It is one of the failures of politicians to get a grip. Perhaps, as I said before, too many bottles of champagne. I know the arguments, mostly about what is known as ‘Human Rights’. Excuse me? What ARE human rights? Is there a right to live, to life? Is there a right to food? To shelter? I am afraid to say that there are NO such things. They do not exist in the natural world. It is only the human world that has ‘established’ such options and I hasten to add, badly at that. Ask a African citizen who lives on a dry patch, no water for miles unless a deep well has been dug or a pond soiled with animal waste, and living in a mud hut what human rights are. Ask a human living in Ukraine what human rights are. The short story is simple, we in this country need to shut up and start work on improving the situation in this country. So, stash the champers and do some work for a change. Good luck!

Ed: Blighty is a slang word for Britain.

We need to re-learn the use of the word NO..

It is actually a great privilege to be able to understand another culture and language. I am not talking about Wales on this occasion but what us Welsh speakers call Yr Iseldiroedd. Translated to The Lowlands. In other words The Netherlands or as I tend to say Holland. Basically Holland is only the two coastal provinces, Noord and Zuid (North and South Holland). I am from the north. But to come to the point – Reading a report about planning problems and concerning development in the Netherlands which apparently has thrown up a big problem. They have or are close to having, run out of space! Meaning where can they build the new houses, the infrastructure accompanying, the factories to provide work? Even worse, where can they now have land to grow their produce? The demand for housing is taking precious agricultural and forested bits (as much as is left still) resulting in the government scratching their heads about how now to deal with the ever increasing migration all western countries experience. They also want to re-wild vast tracts to save the indigenous flora and fauna as well as accommodate the millions of overwintering visitors. This has to be the result of planning failures and yet again lax political governance. Being afraid to say NO.

This is precisely what we see in this country, the United Kingdom. But I think particularly so in the English bit, England. Wales has only 3.5 million citizens and is pretty strong in governing its national parks but even here there are pressures. England has 55millions to deal with and London as well as the Midlands (Birmingham et al) are ever increasing in size. Also thanks to unbridled migration. It must be said that the European open borders makes the problem worse than we are experiencing. What happens with the boat migration is that we tend to get single young males, not many families. This tends to fuel the criminality here when these people find it difficult to assimilate. There are a plethora of problems to overcome. Scotland has 5 millions and vast open spaces of a mountainous type. The problem is the same all over, how to equally share the incomers and also the needed money to develop the infrastructure. But as now very noticeable in the Netherlands there is an end somewhere. We need a coherent, and well-working development policy or policies and very much include in those the need for green spaces. It has been known that even the so-called Green Belts have been under pressure. It is really time to put our thinking caps on – WHAT do WE want? How do we want to live? Even how and where we build houses? The truth is we just cannot keep building houses – where I live the Council has made a big mistake, literally plonking houses (estates) in one place forgetting the necessary infrastructure. The result? Vastly increased traffic clogging up the small roads and valley towns where most people park in the road on both sides, making it worse at certain times of the day. The air quality has taken a big dive! The one doctor’s Surgery is now entirely dependent on Locums as the main owners have taken ill due to stress. The towns inhabitants cannot make dentist appointments as the books have closed. All this is a failure of proper planning and unwilling to use the word – NO.

Netflix, the way to live...ask the Royals

Woohoo, the Netflix series about our Royal family begins! Apparently according to some of the people I know, this is the end of the royal family. Is it? That’s news to me. Mind you, with the inclusion of the wonderful Meghan, it could well be. May I ask a question – Why do we bother to watch such cr*p in the first place? For a start the royal family is not so different from my own. Plenty of little arguments, such as I am the boss and you are a cleaner of tonight’s dishes. Disagreements about how everyone sees the world around. One of them is so pro-America that we all have urged him to move quickly and disappear. Yes, that is family life. And I am absolutely sure that the royal fam is no different. They have our full support, as it is leave them alone. I don’t believe we want to hear daily reports about what they had for breakfast or whether the inscrutable Meg let one off in the bath. I like that, there is nothing better. Makes you believe you have a spa whirlpool after all. Cheap! 

OK, so they are filthy rich, but are they really? So what, but fair enough they are not the only ones, this world is still governed by money and possessions. It is the human condition! That’s what all of us are like! Why do you think this world is on the brink? It is because of us, no other animal has done that, ever! In the past a species became so numerous it outgrew its space and available food. So it disappeared, that’s called extinction. But with us it is slightly different, we are not extinct yet, we’re still working on it but in the meantime we are already 8 billion strong and nearing the cut-off point. I might have that wrong and we have already reached it and are now in steep decline. Food supplies diminishing, space diminishing. There you go, a forecast in a nutshell. 

So, there are more pressing problems than reading or viewing the lives of one family. In any case Netflix’s ideas of what the royal family is and does are very much tinted by the way Americans think. To be sure, my views are tinted by watching Dr Pimple Popper. So, Americans are pretty much overweight (oops, sorry, can’t say that anymore so let’s now call that ‘inconveniently burdened by a love for calories’). I came up with that after having enjoyed my third bar of ‘Mars choccie’. So, there it is, life is basically pretty simple. We either work on it and do something or we do not and slowly sink in the muck. All life obeys basic rules. You forage and eat or you starve and die. You find a place of safety or you die. You keep on moving or you die. Can you see where this is going? If not, please buy a Biology book. 

Ed: Dr Pimple Popper is an American docu-series about a dermatologist who treats people with lipomas and other skin conditions like cysts. It is quite an eye-opener because until I watched the first one, because I had never heard of 'Lipoma'. The series is mostly shown on Freeview or Freesat in the UK. But I must say, I am a fan of Dr Sandra Lee!

Another storm in a teacup? Seems it is...

Another wonderful example about Woke Britain in the news today. Lady Susan Hussey has had to resign from her position as a Lady-in-Waiting. Well, she’s not waiting any longer but is gone. Talking about Virtue-signalling – what is this all about? Well, apparently she asked a ‘black British charity boss’ (terminology by BBC News) where she came from? Ms Fulani, actually a British born citizen felt ‘Interrogated’. Probably because Lady Hussey who is 83 is hard of hearing and did not understand the replies she received. Right-O, what next? Ah, now the virtue-signalling gets into overdrive, even Prince William’s spokesperson (man, woman, IT, or non-binary spokesperson) had to state ‘Unacceptable and deeply regrettable’. Gosh, we are throwing some nice grammar around aren’t we? Ms Fulani obviously had to go onto Radio 4’s Today programme to explain about her being ‘abused’. OK, first of all may I ask why in all honesty did we listen to such rubbish again? 

As most of my readers, friends, neighbours know, I am from another country. Yes, on this planet. I have been asked many, many times, where do you come from? My stereotype answer was always, ‘I have come to teach you how to manage water’. Invariably, they said, ‘Oh, you’re from North Wales then’? Bright people here, you know. Apparently I have developed a North Walian twang. I used to explain ‘I’m from Holland’ but now I say ‘Bangor’! Then we all laugh because a lot of people will say, ‘Duw, Duw, North Wales, I go on holiday there’. And I reply ‘Oh, you’re the one owing money to that pub in 'Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch’? You hopefully see that I have no problem and neither do all my friends with the fact I was not born in this country. By the way, the town is commonly referred to as 'Llanfair PG'. It is the longest name on any rail station in Wales.

So OK, I’m not black but one of my friends is and I know quite a few more. One is from Nigeria and I started of by asking him if he was one of those princes who had received a million quid and needed to bank it with somebody like me? After that and a bit of backslapping we became friends. The problem is if you start virtue-signalling you will have no friends but enemies. 83 year old ladies were born in a time when the tint of skin around here only coloured during the summer. The social strata of Ladies-in-waiting is a bit circumspect anytime, it is usually not the run-of-the-mill stuff us ‘normal’ people deal with on a day to day basis. But to take this case as far as ‘explaining’ on radio how ‘offended’ one is shows me that Ms F has not quite the managerial expertise required to run an organisation like a Charitable company. However, it is the way this country goes now. Virtue-signalling is the new ‘Must-do’ activity to become known and (in)famous. It simply means cash! But I did not expect the Royal household to come out like that. I expect the BBC to do so and people like those who have a go at Mrs Rowling because they don’t know what a woman is. It begins to look that everyone with a preconceived idea about how to live life now has found the Internet and Facebook or Twitter and spouts the most idiotic ideas. Just button up the cakehole people and go back to sleep!

Ed 2/12/2022 - Well, the media has gone into overdrive about Lady Hussey's predicament. There is even a transcript of what was said. My God, please people get a life! An excellent example of WOKE BRITAIN. With all this going on, may I just be allowed to carry on worrying about my heating bills? At this moment I am no longer sure if this country has a backbone!