Fires continue. We have cloud. The importance of keeping a diary. Protests in Israel. And “Plasticine Action”.

 While fires still blaze in Spain and Portugal and temperatures soar crazily all over Europe, we’ve had an oddly cloudy day and fairly cool here in Greater Manchester.

I went into Manchester to meet some old friends for lunch. Every couple of months I arrange to meet these particular friends, former colleagues. Today three of us waited for the fourth to arrive. We tried in vain to get in touch with him. Eventually, after we had lunched and were on a bit of a post-prandial walkabout, he called. He had been into Manchester on the 8th of August and wondered why no-one else did. Today is the 18th! He needs to keep a better diary! Why he didn’t contact any of us on the 8th remains a mystery. The moral of the story seems to be that I need to send out reminders a day or so before we meet! An organiser’s work is never done! 

Here’s a cartoon that made me smile: 

“Apple”. Marco de Angelis. Italian journalist & cartoonist. (1980- ). 

So many different ways to look at fruit! 

On more serious matters there is this: 

“Latest Gaza ceasefire proposal includes suspension of military operations for 60 days, says Egyptian official source

The latest Gaza ceasefire proposal agreed by Palestinian group Hamas includes a suspension of military operations for 60 days and could be seen as a path to reach a comprehensive deal to end nearly two-year-long Gaza war, an Egyptian official source told Reuters on Monday.

The period of suspension would see the exchange of Palestinian prisoners in return for release of half of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza, the source said.”

We’ll see whether anything comes of that. 

Meanwhile there have been massive street protests across Israel on Sunday. Some 400,000 or more joined in. Netanyahu is not impressed: 

“The people who are calling today for the war’s end without Hamas’s defeat are not only toughening Hamas’s stance and distancing our hostages’ release, they are also ensuring that the atrocities of October 7 will recur time and again, and that our sons and daughters will have to fight time and again in an endless war.

“Therefore, in order to advance our hostages’ release and to ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel, we have to finish the job and defeat Hamas,” he said.

And here in the UK a protestor has been arrested for wearing a “Plasticine Action” T-shirt. The arresting office did not his mistake until the time came to charge him. Just another bit of protest!k

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!