Current affairs and personal affairs

It's a stormy night. The wind is howling around the house rather ominously. But the only apparent result is the Bay tree falling over. Not exactly a tragedy. Luckily I don't live in Ukraine.

Russia! Haven't they absented themselves from the civilised world in the worst possible way? The terrible thing is that most of them don't know it yet. In the 1940s Hitler via Goebbels controlled the media. That was then this is now. Not so easy anymore. Putin the old fashioned KGB operative hasn't grasped this. The social media world sees all. You can't suppress a man with a smartphone or a toy shop drone. The Russian people will find out that they are the fascists the bad guys. The Russian army has been humiliated. No wonder they resort to atrocity.

But that's the wider world. In my little bubble, one of my wife's teenage nieces took an overdose. She survived but later had to be sectioned due to self harm. To say I'm upset is to understate it. I used to mind her for her parents. She played with my boys. I drove her to football and collected her. She's a lovely girl. But tonight she's in hospital locked away. I never saw it coming. There's some suggestion was bullied in school but my boys are in the same school. I can't see it. However she has an Auntie with issues and a cousin who had similar problems. However I honestly think she might be lesbian and despite our so called tolerance these days. It might be a factor. My sisters in law are very tolerant in terms of the general world b when it comes to family........

Let's just say experience.



The wider world may be troublesome but family comes first.

Meanwhile my old job calls me back. I used to fly skydivers but gave it up eight years ago. My former boss got in touch and now I'm thinking seriously about going back aged 62.

All this in one week.

Isn't it odd how things work sometimes?

My personal life, doing fine, actually not bad at all.

The world, it worries me. The US schmucks seem as uniformed as the Russian schmucks.

I'm glad I'm a Canadian schmuck.

Hi Marie and Bunny,

It is all relative..... Helga is being rather naughty lately, she starts sometimes, other times nothing. Had a new battery, so it is not that.... try to start her.... not engaging starting motor. Then wait ten minutes and she starts.... I have to fill her up soon, around 12 I shall go and then grocery shop, it means three starts required. Here is ok, the garage start will be a nightmare if she does not. Tesco, not so bad. I can wait ten there. It is not like anything your Niece is going through, bless her. But it is big to me, I guess and that is how things are glaringly relative, yet may seem trivial to others....

Having a bipolar Mother showed me the mental health scene close up, any form is tragedy. I have of course met many in hospital, being treated for other things, often self-inflicted, but I have never worked directly with such in specific mental health surroundings, most of what I know about that comes from experience with Mother. I cannot talk directly of such things, but I have actually feared violence from patients with such disability. As I state, always a tragedy to witness, especially for when it is clearly a permanent disability.  But, many come through, what is often, a short turbulent periods of life, so do not be disheartened.

The Russians are schmucks.... Americans? I do not agree with that. The democracy is not perfect, but it is democracy.... if people find Joe sleepy, they can vote him out, albeit they may get Trump, but no US president will be in power for dozens of years, that is a fact. Finland and Sweden, along with Moldova must join NATO. A line, a Rubicon must be drawn and if they want to be this side of it, they must sign up. Russia would then be constricted westward, should they cross this Rubicon, a pretty hefty alliance would face them! I hate war, but when it is clear that the Russians have a huge, massive territory within their own borders, why on earth do they want more? For heavens sake!!!!!

Celia xx

"why on earth do they want more?"

Wizard's First Rule, people are stupid.

Why do people still believe in God?
Why do people believe Trump isn't lying?
Why do people fall for email scams?
Why do people think the next iPhone is so great they must have it?
Why do we let beauty magazines tell us we are inadequate?
Why do we pay for fast food?
Why do we get forced to think there is a need for a new car each year?