Yesterday evening I took part in an interesting exchange of messages on the four-way system we have going between me, my daughter and my two oldest granddaughters, labelled Fambam by the oldest granddaughter. Last night’s exchange was all about what was going on in Washington. Granddaughter Number One hadn’t been watching the news. In fact I’m not sure she ever does, but instead picks up information from social media and from other members of the family. But she had been receiving disturbing messages from a friend in the USA and wanted to know what was going on. Granddaughter Number Two managed to provide her with most of the details about the crazy Republican mob storming the Capitol.
Interesting that the almost 18 year old was the one informing the 23 year old about current events! She, the almost 18 year old, is doing A Levels in History, Politics and Law and has changed from being a mostly fantasy-story reader (Harry Potter, some zombies, that sort of thing) into an indignant and opinionated young lady. Who says they won’t learn if they don’t have exams to sit? She seems to be doing all right!
The same cannot be said of the USA. I understand they stayed up until 4.00 am to finally do the business of declaring Biden the winner. Here’s something from a news report this morning:
“A statement from Trump following the certification said there would be an “orderly transition” to a Biden administration “even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out.” It was posted on Twitter by aides since the outgoing president’s social media accounts are locked to prevent the spread of misinformation and incitement to violence.”
Yes, “the outgoing president’s social media accounts are locked to prevent the spread of misinformation and incitement to violence.” That says it all. What a sorry state of affairs.
And to think that, having had his four years in the White House, for the rest of his life he can be respectfully addressed as “President Trump”!!
Inevitably comparisons are being made between the way the white Republican mob who stormed the Capitol were confronted by the forces of law and order and the way Black Lives Matter marchers, who didn’t go especially close to the Capitol back in June, were confronted. Here’s a link to an article.
Getting back to our own country’s problems, here’s a post from a friend of a friend:-
“The Tory Crime cartel is considering requiring a negative Covid test for everyone wanting to enter the UK.
Great idea!
Why didn’t they do that a year ago before 70,000+ people died?”
Well, yes! And why are they just “considering” it? When we returned from a visit to Spain last March, escaping from a Spain about to go into lockdown, we were amazed that nobody even asked where all the people going through Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport had come from, let alone who they had been in contact with and if any of them felt at all unwell. More checking was done when I went to the dentist a few days later. And Italy was already beginning to go under!
Why has nobody been setting up the testing infrastructure over the last almost a year? But then, why has nobody been working out an alternative to exams? Why have facilities not been set up to help with home-schooling? Is it because somebody hoped it would all go away on its own?
Here’s a link to Michael Rosen taking a sideways look at the whole business. He’s good at fairy stories.
And here’s another post from a friend of a friend, this time on the great Brexit success story:-
Post:-
“Looking at the determined search by Brexiteers to find British pasta, bananas, and curry, it occurs to me that much of the vaccine currently being distributed is made in Europe. Is there any chance that Brexiteers might step out of the queue, and let the rest of us get vaccinated first?”
And comment:-
“Better not tell them the Phizer Biotech was developed by two Turkish immigrants working for a company in Germany and is produced in Belgium then shipped to the U.K. by DHL a branch of the German post office!”
And here’s another:-
“It's ironic that the melody for Rule Britannia was the theme for a set of variations for piano by Ludwig van Beethoven. 😂 Oh and did you know that the Beethovens Ninth Symphony, the European anthem was commissioned by the British Philharmonic Society? 👍😂😂😂”
Hey! Ho!
Lockdown continues!
So does the cold weather. The weatherman promised us fog this morning but even so it was a surprise to wake up to there being no proper horizon after a few days of bright-blue-sky cold. And the temperature is forecast not to get above freezing all day! Consequently I opted this morning to run along the Donkey Line, where the surface was actually crisp and dry rather than completely icy, which was the state of the pavements around here. Tomorrow there is talk of a new low of -5 or below.
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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