Bits of news stories.

Well, I finally saw a little bit of the Tour de France. In the bar last night they were showing a recording of what looked like most of the final stage: shots of the peloton riding through the rain in the outskirts of Paris, dangerously thin racing tyres on wet roads, the Sky Team riding into the centre of Paris, lovely shots of Paris seen from the air. Of course, you could not hear any commentary because the other television set in the opposite corner was belting out pop music videos. So it goes! 

Our daughter tells us they have had torrential rain over the weekend - probably the same weather front that gave them rain in Paris. This morning we had cloud and drizzle. And it continued all day. But both here and in the UK the summer is predicted to return. A friend of mine back in Manchester has been complaining and putting in her central heating. I think she exaggerates! 18 degrees does not really call for central heating and big jumpers!

Now for some odds and ends I found in the newspapers.

From the Sunday Times:

“Ministers have drawn up plans to send in the army to deliver food, medicines and fuel in the event of shortages if Britain crashes out of the EU without a deal. Blueprints for the armed forces to assist the civilian authorities, usually used only in civil emergencies, have been dusted down as part of the “no deal” planning.

Helicopters and army trucks would be used to ferry supplies to vulnerable people outside the southeast who were struggling to obtain the medicines they needed.”

I couldn’t read any more than that as the Times online demands a subscription.

Stingy tory paper!


Note that the article talks about having to ferry supplies to “vulnerable people outside the southeast”. Even in a crash-out-of-Europe-with ;o-deal-Brexit situation it seems than other southeast will still be more privileged than other parts of the country! More seriously what kind of mess is the UK staggering into?

From the Independent:

“Trump has threatened to “shut down” the government unless Congress passes legislation that would fund his proposed wall across the US border with Mexico.

In an early morning tweet, he demanded a raft of changes to the country’s immigration laws, adding he wanted “great people” coming into the country. “I would be willing to ‘shut down’ government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall!” he wrote. “Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country!” “

That sounds like a plan!

And from I don’t remember where, but possibly somebody’s post on Facebook:

“People who want British citizenship have to make an affirmation of allegiance to the Queen and loyalty to the UK. Now I'm a British citizen, I have been all of my life, I was born here, however I have never made an affirmation of allegiance to the Queen and have no intention of doing so. So why do people who seek British citizenship have to make this ridiculous pledge?
It boggles my mind. What do the government think it will achieve? Does it mean anything? If a person was intent on doing harm to the UK and wanted citizenship to enable this in some way, they would make the pledge, so it doesn't protect the country. Why bother with it?”

Personally I have not pledged allegiance since I left the Brownies, where we all had to say: “I promise to do my best, to do my duty to God and the queen...” The rest of the promise I have completely forgotten.

 How long before the PM ends every speech with “God belss the United Kingdom”?

And finally, I read about an ice cream parlour in downtown Washington called Presidential Scoops, supposedly so named because when ice cream is served in the White House President Trump gets two scoops while everyone else gets just one. And so customers are not asked if they want their ice creams super-sized but “Do you want it Trumped?”

The owner has named each ice-cream after an American president as chosen by an online poll, including Nixon’s cookies and cream crumble, Lincoln’s decadent pretzel, JFK’s America’s birthday cake, Jefferson’s Monticello ripple, Carter’s patriotic peanut, Reagan’s raspberry truffle, Obama’s strawberry jubilee and Trump’s extra rich chip. His own favorite is Washington’s vanilla beans.

And the slogan of the shop is “Making America sweet again”!