To the Library

And while we are on the subject of Libraries (again... Ed)
Forbes is thought by a multitude of librarians and other interested parties, (as reported by the Grauniad
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jul/23/twaddle-librarians-respond-to-suggestion-amazon-should-replace-libraries?)
to talk a lot of Twaddle!
We may not be technically proficient in the subject of Twaddle but we feel our basic grounding in the discipline of FLAKENEWS qualifies us to offer our own brief disquisition. We shall refrain, however, from bellyaching about the evils of austerity, the callousness of cuts, the hosting  of hostilities, the visiting of the dead and the burying of the sick and all the other Works of Corporeal Murphy. Rather, we shall ask you to consider that libraries are one of the few services provided by a civilised society where we agree to share the use of stuff which we do not own except in a collective sense. While this may not work with donkeys, see Idris Shah and the exploits of the Sainted Mullah Nasrudin, it most certainly does for reading and listening material held in libraries real and virtual and has done in a good way for many thousands of years (on stone tablets no doubt...Ed). This alone would convince me but, of course as the good librarians point out, libraries do more, much more. The fact that some Bald Bozo wants to take over the world and sell us the same donkey twice should not influence us one bit or byte even! He can away and polish his heed!

And now a shelfie from our sponsors.

(Do you not think all these murdery, thrillery things might give people the wrong idea about a transcendentally named Blog the wrong idea... Ed?)

Yes!

Small Orchards of Time and Space

The man is back with Book of the Week.

Raja Shehadeh - Where the line is drawn.

We were discussing time at the dinner table tonight and I thought I would tap into book of the week on the beeb. Almost the first phrase, above, drew me in. Give it a go!

Camino Del Libros

 (Do you not think a spoiler alert would be a kindness at this point...Ed)

Prospective readers who may believe that the 'Butler done it' should visit an optician and a doctor now!

I enjoyed being set up to follow the finely plotted heist only to see the rapid degeneration of the theft into a murderous farce. No such thing as the perfect crime and criminals have feet of clay and hearts of stone. For all their technical majesty and resources the Federal Bureau of Ineptitude were unable to make the closure of a conviction in the face of 'no comment'. So it is up to the plucky and no doubt delightful insurance investigator to pull the cat or rather the Gatsby out of the (swag) bag.
I found it a ripping good yarn and a relaxing way to cope with the recent drought and heat wave.
My only complaint, and this is not damming with faint praise, is that I did not like the ending. It was tricky and neat and all things Grisham. BUT far too easy an ending for Bruce who had committed the most heinous of crimes. In his corner you might claim that he is not a genocidal maniac a mass murderer, rapist or child molester, fair enough. He did however "traffic in stolen books". It is not a defence or plea in mitigation that no books were harmed in the process. The august and wealthy educational institution could stand the hit and the insurance company would, no doubt, collectivise their losses.
 The blackguard was a party to the stealing of the books!
Hanging, drawing and quartering are not enough.
But then I always was a tender-hearted liberal!

Flake News

Have you been troubled by Flake News recently?

Do you feel bloated?
Do you suffer from hair loss?
Do you find yourself subject to insurmountable urges and rages?
Are you afflicted by mood swings?
Has your skin taken on a strange orange pallor?

You may be suffering from  FLAKENEWS!!
This condition can also cause disruption of sleep, rational thought, digestive functions, family and sexual relations.

If you have been affected by any of the above you should seek the advice of a registered medical practitioner. 

Help is available and you may, if you wish, contact Flakeanon a support group for those with the condition or their families, loved ones, political affiliates and persons providing financial services.

Please contact our agents on the Island of Ben Nevis!

(Dear god! No posts for months and then this, this Farage of Alt Facts and Remainer Hokum. It must be the heat...Ed)

I don't need a weather man to tell me which way the wind blows! As someone once said.

White Lace?

Insect with feathers?

Gene, Genie

I have been reading a book, courtesy of the Wonderful Librarians of SLIPS, very interesting as your man would say.
Siddhartha  Mukherjee - The gene

A short ad break 
I am provoked by this tome to start a crowd funding activity to discover the definitive GENE for a bad hair day, let's say we name this gene  BPBHD17. Now, I intend to throw the entire resources of the Buddhist Pizza Research Institute for Advanced Studies in Genetics to seek pending patents on this unique genetic material and will, after due process, form a profitable association for the generation of lots of spondulicks. You may participate if you wish and make contributions via our representatives in the Cayenne Island -usual t&c's, including the pledging of your firstborn as security, apply and will be provided (grudgingly...Ed.) on application.

Disclaimer - I am not a lawyer, accountant or business advisor (IANALABA) and you should seek professional advice where appropriate.
 Sponsored by Buddhist Pizza Enterpises End

A grand wee book (nearly 600 pages, you wouldn't want to drop that on your foot... Ed!)
Some wonderful writing, turns of phrase and ideas that knock your socks off!
On p340 dealing with on the evolution of humanity and the dispersion of the human ' race ' he makes the point that

"We were on the same boat, brother."

A thread running through it is that there is only one race, really, the human race. Recently my feeling is that we are not odds on and close to the possibility of losing it, in a Windrush!

(Is this Blog thingy  not getting a bit wordy, dull and uninteresting... Ed?)

I'll have my photographer rustle a few pictures later on, maybe stone washed Levi's, Wranglers or would you prefer flares?

Transhumance

Yourman Macfarlane has transhumance as his word of the day.
The tweetings that follow it are really interesting/charming. I suppose it is acceptable in a week which has a Monday/Tuesday before it is Good Friday (good anyday I'd say...Ed) enough of that and in which we stuff ourselves with the output from Chocolate Hens which have hot cross bums! Amen.

Bird Brain and Murmuration

The book of the week is  The Wood by John Lewis-Stempel  Read by Greg Wise
 I am reflecting on this and life etc when I notice
Mr Wikipedia asserts that flocking behaviors are controlled by three simple rules:

    Separation - avoid crowding neighbors (short range repulsion)
    Alignment - steer towards average heading of neighbors
    Cohesion - steer towards average position of neighbors (long range attraction)

So there you go. However, I'm not sure I would be able to solve,  continuously, 3 similtaneous differential equations while flying 30 metres (variable) above the ground.

A nice touch in the description of blackbirds - squawking like enraged Ayatollahs.
(Is that not a touch perjorative... Ed?)
To a blackbird, possibly, but you are looking at a man who has enjoyed two filums in the last 24 hours, Dr Zhivago and Brooklyn and who's peace and equilibrium are not to be shifted!

Dead, dead and never called me muvver!

The season for dying. Always a touchy one. Still, a certainty for us all.
Some this season cause sadness and some pass by like clouds casting the shadow of mortality over us!
The traditional piper Liam Óg O'Flynn died at the age of 72  reported yesterday by RTE

He has appeared in this blog before in the guise of Planxty at a time of sadness

The wailing of the pipes is a representation of our grief but it can also be an outpouring of great  joy.
(Nuff said... Ed)
For once!

Breakfast

Best meal of the day, really, but as we progress in age (and wisdom and grace as well surely...Ed!)
I've told you before not Shirley!
On these cold and grey days a little later perhaps. However, that gives herself time to fill up the birds' feeders. I spotted this fella as I was munching on my mixture of seeds nuts and oats.

Marvellous things proton pumps, have I ever mentioned it before.

A Snow Dog's Life

World book day allegedly. Robert Macfarlane has an interesting thought -

Life is books - Life is a beech - haven't we been here before - La vida es un(a) haya

In the meantime here is a wee fella we found on our patch the other day.

(Looks like a dog to me ... Ed)!
Out of the mouths of Babes and Teenagers.

Anyone for Cake?

I can't believe we have been at this for a dozen years.
BP 12 today!

(God almighty, teenagers...Ed!)

e Baa Gum Books!

Well then it's books!

I've been reading them, e-reading them, listening to them, commenting on them, reading about them in various forms and generally getting on like a pig in muck (Is that not too, how shall we say, agricultural a metaphor... Ed!)
It's earthy and a simile if you must;  moving  on. Your man in the Grauniad has a low opinion of the ebooky thingamyjigs.  However,  since he probably earns a good screw selling dead trees to people who should know better, he may have a point.
I grant you e-books have not:
- Brought about world peace and justice;
- Found a cure for cancer;
- Eradicated poverty and famine at a stroke;
- Brought democracy to Messers All & Sundry;
- Implemented a significant programme of renewable energy;
- Cut our carbon emissions by 90%...
(I think I catch your drift. Could we not take a break, sit down have a cup of tea and show a wee picture by way of  ***INTERMISSION *** ...Ed)

***INTERMISSION ***

If you are interested, and you should be, My Europe is a fine anthology of writing on Europe from Patrician Press. 

I'm sure that when all has come to pass, ourselves included, those that follow will say, mystified:-

"YOU DID WHAT...!?"

Deer, dear, dearie me!

An article in the Grauniad about the problem of the deer! To cull or not to cull?
A web of interests and lives.
Cull the landowners (humanely of course...Ed?)
But they include  the  communities such as the  Assynt Crofters’ Trust
Undoubtedly jobs  are hard enough to find and retain in such places.
Hat tip to Bob Mc F and the Grauniad for this
(Sensitively done I thought. Congratulations all round. We will make a blogger out of you yet...Ed!)

Yes. I thought the alternative title for this post:-
Wild swivel-eyed eco-communists destroy local jobs after instruction from long term beardie sleeper, Czech, mole!
was a bit long.

A Stickler

 It has been brought to my notice that certain, so called, bloggers, twitters, commentators and  no good scallywags have introduced a word of the day, week, month, year, Preston Guild in their somewhat lacklustre offerings.
However, I give you an illustrated and erudite alternative commencing with:-

A Stickler

It came up at dinner last night (unfortunate phrase there...Ed)
We deferred to Mr Chambers and his excellent book of words some of which you may care to use. The essence of the debate was -is there such a noun? If so is there a verb to stickle and, as a follow on, is it possible to unstickle?
I'm glad to report that there is a noun and it is possible to stickle but the jury is out on whether in this day and permissive age you are able to unstickle though if you indulge with a consenting adult in the privacy and comfort of your own home I am sure you can!
What does it mean I hear you ask well for god's sake if you can't be bothered to turn a few pages of Mr Chambers or Mrs Collins lexicons you have no business nosing about in these columns.
I will say though I was mightyly impressed by the definition - one who is a punctilious and pertinacious insister.
I can see it all now
- Which sibling is it that is both punctilious and pertinacious?
- My insister. (but I thought you were an only child...Ed?)
You have traduced the sacred commandment of this column not to reveal personal information which may be of use to the Tax or Prosecuting Authorities, consider your wages docked for the week. Lets say a round tenner!
(What is £ 0- £10...Ed?)
Minus £10.  You owe me a tenner and not one of those bitcoiny things you are always going on about!

Time Flies

Like an arrow. The SISKIN quartet.

Boy that should get you out of bed on these cold mornings

And in the Marxist Canon - Fruit Flies like a banana!
(I've trawled The Manifesto and Das Capital until I am sick, sore and tired of your man's verbosity but no bananas nor the dietary preferences of drosophila...Ed?)
Groucho rather than Karl. As you know there are no jokes like the old jokes and if you would like me to demonstrate this I have in my hand a banana...!

No Bad for a Friday night In!

As the weather, politics and the hope for humanity deteriorates a quiet 'Friday Night In'  trawling the old interweb looking for inspiration. A tweet  for a gig at Celtic Connections set me off.   I look forward to hearing it. I then stumbled across Duncan Chisholm who has a new CD out titled Sandwood. Duncan's reflections on that magical place are here  There is a U Tube vid here  
(Spot the old man,  Am Buachaille - The Shepherd, at 1.46. )
Then I tripped over a link to Bothy Culture & Beyond  at The SSE Hydro as part of Celtic Connections 2018. A rare bash if this wee U Tubey thing is anything to go by.

(Are you sure you have not been at the Devil's Buttermilk again with all this depression and stumbling and tripping over...Ed?)

Absolutely not, probably just dementia and in any case I cheered myself up by watching Calvary.  My second or third time of watching. Still not clear who killed the dog! Boy that's a laugh a minute.

Are you reading comfortably?

I read The Waters of Eternal Youth by Donna Leon, the 25th outing for Commissario Brunetti of the Venice Police, last year having  heard a radio interview with her. He  is the protagonist of  her tales of Italian/Venetian coppering and is  without any major domestic traumas in his life or problems with the bottle, the drugs, gee gees, or money. His  only addiction seems to be the works of Latin Historians. I've enjoyed them over the years and when the convenor of our reading group brought this along as our Xmas read I thought I would return and refresh my memory. Place, time, food and all the usual suspects - Paula, Elettra, Vianello, Patta and Scarpa, made this a 'comfort' read. Then I caught myself on! A historical rape offence which was never investigated let alone prosecuted. A murder which was committed to escape any justice for the crime of rape which could not be prosecuted because of the statute of limitations. What is the justification of following up such crimes? Indeed this case produced a further crime by way of concealment. The reason we are given in the fiction is advanced by the grandmother of the child that has been raped. The contessa (two of them at least in this novel) wants to know what happened to her grandchild and is anxious to have some sort of closure on the 'crime', before she dies. A fine play on justice, the law and the vagaries of both. Leon, we agreed in the group, tackles ideas and concerns with some subtlety. She raises debates about  the Vu Cumpra and the New Africans; the problems created by tourism; the effects of climate change; the evils of homelessness and the drug economy! However,  the ending is somewhat schmaltzy. If you like the sun going down on a picture of the wronged and brain damaged 30ish  child reconnecting with the horse of her teenage years in a warm embrace. All brought together by an attractive, empathetic, female, Commissario Claudia, an Olympian dressagist of some repute. (who will be up to no good in the future, I'll be bound...Ed!)
If ever you tire of editing this blog perhaps you could consider this advert for roadsweepers, in Venice, it advises applicants to bring their own water wings!

Jesus Charlie and Motherland

I was scanning through a Grauniad article about architecture when I saw a banner with the lettering, Jesus Charlie. Trying to work out the missing punctuation (it was a fluttering banner...) I spotted the fold which had partially obscured the I in je suis.
Still that could be a powerful campaign slogan - Jesus Charlie - punctuation not supplied and bring your own Charlie.
And now for something completely different:-
Motherland! No, not in praise of and apple pie, an earworm which even now can have me jigging round the kitchen leading the mass bands of  "WORLD PEACE & JUSTICE"  It took me some time after the Beeb series of the same name had finished to find this on soundcloud. May it infect your brain, pleasantly, for some time to come.  Nice one Olie Julian One of the comments on the track left me a little perplexed "Reminds me so much of the Hackney Colliery Band." 
Could be open to many interpretations.  

Candlelit

A StormyNight, an Early Start, Breakfast by Candlelight.
Not that exotic really but a nice effect from the secondary glazing.

Alas, not at Tiffanies and without the benefit of central heating. Brrr!

Adults in the Room?

I have just read Adults in the Room by Yanis Varoufakis. Herself could not believe me when I explained what I was reading. In fact I have had my nose in it for a few days now and been regularly emitting chortles, guffaws , gasps and I don't believe its (but of course I do). A certain lack of attention to domestic detail and response to questions such as  - Do you want a cup of tea now dear or would you like it poured over your ugly bonce while it is boiling hot? elicited distracted and vague responses 
I particularly liked the Swedish National Anthem defence though I much prefer the Icelandic national anthem it is recognised by fewer. The Penelope Postponement. The eurorunaround:- from officials of the institutions declaring this is a political matter and must be decided by a direction from the politicians who then claimed on enquiry that it was clearly a matter for the institutions. Does that ring a Brexit tocsin mon brave? Nobody comes out of this well except perhaps Mrs Yanis, who defended hubby by shielding him physically with her body from a marauding band of anarchists with broken bottles. Boy, those Greek women are tough.  Walter Schauble appears as a cross (very cross) between Dr Strangelove and a pantomime witch! Caramac Christine achieves an Olympic gold in synchronised monetary dithering  and various euro*uc*s as practitioners of fiscal waterboarding that would give the CIA nightmares. You can come to believe anything and the mantra that Greek debt is sustainable is as unbelieveable now as it was in 2015.
Other views of this tome are available There is clearly a 'Hiss and Tell' accusation that can be made but it provides a view of people, processes and abuse that beggars belief (and Greece in passing). The alleged paralysing depression of Alexis, remind you of anyone Godron! The cheek of the American Organs ringing up after eavesdropping on a critical private conversation to seek clarification, dooh!

Cross Words

The Grauniad xword editor (whom god preserve and IMHO is a man of great humanity and self-deprecation) has alerted us to the retirement of Rufus. Good luck to him and a long happy time ahead. One of the few compilers I could countenance recently. The Editor mentions, in passing, the  Clerihew a subtle form of humour and in the right hands and with the right target a devastating weapon.
(Yes the Clerihew did much to bring down the Third Reich and the Berlin Wall... Ed!)

Somebody got out of the office party on the wrong side!

Our Editor believes he is quite arty
He disgraced himself at the office party
His nose for the drink
Has left it quite pink

Mr Wikipedia opines:-

Clerihew
A clerihew is a whimsical, four-line biographical poem invented by Edmund Clerihew Bentley. The first line is the name of the poem's subject, usually a famous person put in an absurd light, or revealing something unknown or spurious about them. Bentley invented the clerihew in school and then popularized it in books.

and reports:-

In 1983, Games Magazine ran a contest titled "Do You Clerihew?" The winning entry was:

    Did Descartes
    Depart
    With the thought
    "Therefore I'm not"?

Seasonal Greetings to all our regular reader(s)

Hazie Daze

Fine day Monday at Lackford Lakes with the weather bright and crisp. All of which puts one in a reflective mood.

(It can only get worse...Ed!)
The old ticker gave a leap of joy as I recognised the flight form of one bird that I had never seen before, to my knowledge, in the feathers, as it were (take that as fast failing memory...Ed.) A kingfisher, which had been masquerading as a little brown job on a pole in the mid-distance, took off and flew across our line of sight. It banked and flashed its finery at us. A Mr Macfarlane had something to say about the weather too, and Halcyon Days, and kingfishers.

I'm so grateful for having RM's word of the day pointed out to me! Nice one B!

Xmas at # 10

Our contact in the far north, a pinko elf in Santa's Grotto, reported a whispered conversation between a tall woman in kitten heels, sitting on Santa's knee, and the big man himself!
She was heard pleading  for xmas to come early this year, the sooner the better!
This strange conversation was confirmed, in writing a few days later, when a letter from a certain address in Westminster to a Mr Claus was intercepted and steamed open. The contents, at least those not redacted, appeared to ask for the same pre-arrival of the festive season and additionally,  for some chocolate coated Castor Oil beans to be sent to a Ms Foster and other parties in the UK (NI branch). The letter was initialled TM (Susu). The Old Fella has replied suggesting that he will not be able to deliver early this year as it plays havoc with the livestock, Hanukkah, and office parties but perhaps in the spirit of cooperation and compromise he might suggest an extended transitional period! Also, do you think he was born yesterday with the chocolate whatsits. As he was one of the first people to get the Breaking Bad Bootlegged Box Set, which he thoroughly enjoyed, he would not be so DUPED. He would have the men in big boots and balaclavas running around the dispatch area at a critical period in the business cycle of the enterprise.
(Let's disregard most of the questions an editor, lawyer, trick-cycalist might have about this blog and your latest entry in particular, what in the name of all that is grub and holey is SUSU... Ed?)
According to some

Sisu is a grim, gritty, white-knuckle form of courage that is typically presented in situations where success is against the odds. It expresses itself in taking action against the odds and displaying courage and resoluteness in the face of adversity, in other words, deciding on a course of action and then sticking to that decision even despite repeated failures.

 A bit of a give away then, if you're Finnished!

It's the Energy Stupid

Mr Naughton had a pertinent column in Th'Observer this Sunday (26/11/17)
(When does he ever not...Ed?)
It concerns the energy consumed by the interweb and all its works and pomps. Big Gigawatts boyo and the 7% of world electricity consumption that is attributed to the digital ec(h)o system at present is only set to grow.
(So easy on the tweets there Donald...Ed!)
Turning to bit coin he points out the absurdity, in energy terms, of the method of production of this form of digital currency. The 'mining' or computing power necessary for creating the little b*g**rs will require the entirety of Ireland's electrical consumption at present and Denmark's in 2020.
(I'm shocked, electrified even. Personally speaking I would rather have The Old Sod and even the Huggy Danes...Ed)
Guilty as charged then!

Those Danes are good II

Interesting programme last night on the Labour party prior to the last election and the aftermath!
One of the MPs followed was Stephen Kinnock, nuff said. On the election night poised to win big he had agreed to talk, not only to the programme makers but also ITV, the Shopping Channel, Battersea dogs home, the Met(to help with their enquiries) and Sky. He muttered that they would probably ask him about 'The Jerrumbly'. His wife, a Dane of some distinction and political nous, sidled up to him and asked sotto danish voce a simple one word question "Why?". Thus was Kinnock Minor saved from falling over backwards and getting his trousers soaked.

G'day

If you need something to get you going in the morning can I suggest Methra - The Rising Sun.
Other tunes are available and more information from the band's interweb thingy Methra.
They are appearing in Suffolk even. God knows if they will find the way in. I hope they are not intending to come by train. 
(You need something these days to crawl from under the doonie. I'll give it a go... Ed)
No change there then!

News from Zimbabwe

So goodbye then Robert! Keith's mum says that there may have been a coup. A good run for your money or perhaps not yours! Much discussion as to what sort of coup it is. Helpfully, my briefing from the Grauniad arriving this morning over the interweb by e-waves suggests it is a Coup de Grace.
Worth the subscription for that alone.
(Should that not be d'Etat... Ed?)
Cherchez la femme!

A Little Danish

Damn, but those Danes are good. A bit too slick, a bit too polished, you think? Away and polish the bolt in your kneck!
NPR gives you a good taste on YouTube here.

The lads of the Danish String Quartet, something for elevenses, other tunes are available. 
(Should that not be neck... Ed?)

Danish, I'm told.

The Windows of Porto

I have not been posting much recently. In my defense, your honour, I cite a bad back, old age, senility and the general paralysis of the insane. However, I have enjoyed reading a number of books from the comfort of my bed of pain. I have travelled to foreign climes, Portugal since you ask, and enjoyed a family wedding. God, I found myself wishing the couple the best of luck, which is pretty thin gruel when you consider what they will have to deal with, better the fair love of my heart.  It was good too, to catch up with members of Herself's large and welcomming tribe. We rounded off the holiday with a stay in Porto and luckily made it back to Stansted despite the Transportations of O'Ryan.
The books below are, I am assured by my records, those which I have read!

Little Boy Blue - M J Arlidge,
The Harbour Master - Daniel Pembrey
The Three-body Problem - Liu Cixin
Nowhere Girl - Ruth Dugdall
Himself - Jess Kidd
I’m Travelling Alone - Samuel Bjork
The Pledge - Friedrich Durrenmatt

A Visit from the Bish

Herself, the head gardener, is inordinately delighted and proud of the Bishop of LLandaff who pays us a visit every year. This wee snap does not do his Lordship justice (as the actress might have said...Ed)

Poppycock!

Collinn Farrell is rumoured to be interested

The world, as you may well know, is in a terrible state of chassis. The weather, it being the height of the English Summer, somewhat cold and damp. Phwatt in the name of all that is good and holy is an old man with a bad back meant to do? Well, since you ask, curl up with a good book from Suffolk  Library. 'A man with one of those faces' by Caimh McDonnell. I won't bother you with details of the plot, the finely drawn characters that grace its pages, the wry commentary on youth, sex, drugs and country music or the dreadful state of a mangy Celtic Tiger portrayed therein. Suffice it to say that if you ever see a guard with a Hurley heading your way and your conscience has the least speck upon it run like feck or drop to your knees, extend both arms sideways, and intone 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani'.

A second volume has been prepared for your delight 'The day that never comes' which makes it sound like one of those Morse thingies, no offence there Colin, wouldn't want you turning in your grave. What with the other Collinn rumoured to be interested. ( Do we not have to be careful here with M'learned friends? He was buried, wasn't he, not cremated? Is there not an unhealthy proximity betwixt the words grave, rumoured and interested?...Ed)

I have in my hand the finest Hurley ever to smote leather or the large arse of a fecking eejit!
Eat your heart out Bunny McGarry.

Smart energy wanted.

I know, I know, I keep burbling on about energy but as the sun sets in the west, I hear the refrain, "It's the energy, stupid!" time and time again. Another one from Carbon Commentary that should knock your socks off if it wasn't summer and you weren't wearing sandals.  I particularly like the downbeat characterisation of the CEO; rings true though doesn't it?

Exytron is a plausible contender for a role as the central enabler of the energy transition. But, please note, the company itself doesn’t make this claim. CEO Karl-Hermann Busse, possibly the most pessimistic entrepreneur I have ever met, is far too aware of the obstacles the company faces. He mentions the inertia of many of the existing fossil fuel businesses as important barriers. He says that they will endlessly talk to him but then never commit to partnership. Perhaps a UK company would like an introduction to Dr Busse? No-one should be worried he is going to over-sell his invention.

(Do you not wear socks with your sandals then...Ed?)

Only if they are electrically heated with renewable energy, eejit!

Christine wants you and your sunbeams.

Nice little story from the ever stimulating Chris Goodall in the
CARBON COMMENTARY NEWSLETTER
 (23 July 2017 Subscribe at www.carboncommentary.com)

Solar in Africa. BBOXX said it had signed a deal in the small West African country of Togo to provide up to 300,000 off-grid kits. 10,000 will be installed in the next year giving light, phone charging, TV and radio to unelectrified rural households. 66% of Togo’s adults have mobile phones and can use BBOXX’s pay-as-you go system. The government said it was sponsoring the BBOXX project partly to increase the takeup of mobile money systems. Another indication of the close link between PV, the mobile phone and online payments in Africa.

Now if only that nice Mr Musk or even our Christine Le G. could  dig their hands into baggy pockets and provide a few (Ever)readies for storage we would all get along just fine!

(Could you bring that light over here, I can hardly see the hand behind my back it is so cloudy and dull...Ed)

Summertime and the lighting is easy!

I'll publish yours if ...

Occasionally BP encourages an open debate between editorial and creative members of the cooperative. The usual parenthetical delimiters  and the employment of ellipses is dispensed  with to encourage a full and frank discussion much like the old catechistic method of inculcating doctrinal certainties.

Has there been a bit of a ruck about the old BeeB and the payment of the workers?

There has, indeed. 

Have some of the troops been what can only be described as peeved?

Deeply, I suspect.

Emily, Jane and the women, have been up in arms about it, have they not?

Monstrously so, I fear. 

Could we suggest some names are quite notable by their absence?

A very taxing arrangement, I would judge.

I hope you are not implying, given the alacrity of m'learned friends to seek redress, any malfeasance.

I would not wish to evade the issue but, allegedly, it is wholly avoidable.

Amen

What's your poison?

I was reading a post in the blog by David Spiegelhalter, Understanding Uncertainty, titled
Medicine, poison poison, poison. 
It contained the paragraph:-

At one unit a day (half a standard glass of wine), they estimate a tiny overall benefit for men and a slightly larger, but still small, overall benefit for women. But the Department of Health appears very eager to avoid the message of “a small glass of something for medicinal purposes”.

 That phrase “a small glass of something for medicinal purposes” pinged my short term memory to the day before when I had seen the women behind me in the supermarket queue load 3 bottles of Sonatogen Tonic Wine on to the belt and cover them with a large bag of spinach. Of course it could be that she was in need of a tonic or was short in the iron department or even that it was her tipple of choice, god bless her. Who am I to point the finger of shame having drunk more than my lifetime's allocation of red wine and other electric soups but I do love that - medicinal purposes.

(I feel in the interest of balance I should point out other health promoting  beverages are available; didn't Harold Wilson enjoy the odd 7 pint party can of Hall's Tonic Wine and your own good parents treat the family to a bottle of Buckfast -Bucky- at Christmas time... Ed)

In vino veritas

ADUP

In line with the use of names to designate a quantity of money:- a pony, a monkey, a grand.
Let me suggest         A DUP =£1billion
On this auspicious day, of course, there may be those who would wish to suggest (an orange) dinosaur! Whatever, must pop out for my annual packet of Jaffa Cakes! It's only polite to offer them around

(Doesn't our own TM, peace be upon her,  have a degree in colouring in ... Ed.)

The future is orange or an austere grey, Maybe!

Everything in the Garden

Summertime and there is a certain uneasiness about the world (I do wish you would avoid the pull of the understatement... Ed.) However, as the sun shines and the butter flies, the bees polish their knees and life takes on a softer feel, for some, it is interesting to reflect on the boon of the land.
Patrick Barkham enumerates the benisons but not without reference to the political in a Grauniad article today.  To quote

A garden is more than a space to recharge, though. As George McKay points out in his book Radical Gardening, the collective endeavour that gardening can often be is evinced by everyone from Gerrard Winstanley’s 17th-century Levellers to today’s guerrilla gardeners. It isn’t always progressive – plenty of fascists revere gardening – but when enlightened gardening meets political power, it can rearrange the way we live. Ebenezer Howard’s reimagining of urban life in the 1890s led to garden cities such as Letchworth, and they continue to inform urban planning today.

McKay argues that allotments are “profoundly anti-capitalist” spaces. Modest council rents never reflect the true land value or what councils could earn from allotment land. Produce grown on allotments is consumed locally, and often swapped. Through allotments, we reject today’s dominant ideology of allocating resources via money and globalised markets.

I love that - plenty of fascists revere gardening - !

I would at this point show a picture of the family estate the pride and joy of us all including the head gardener, peace be upon her,  but I have a bad back, I am a lazy swine at the best and a wee bit of pain finishes me off! (You are excused, just the once, but man up there princess we only have one blog... Ed)

That's Oil Folks

You May believe that we have reached the end times because we have been DUPed. You may believe that we are all going to Hell in a Hand Cart because Washington has turned into a dystopian Trumpington, Mr Kim's ICBMs or whatever. I bet  if you  go to sleep worrying about oil, it is   burning too much of it, getting enough of it,  fighting for it,  stealing it or using it on that squeaky bottom bracket. However, the reason we should have night sweats and terrors is that Central Bankers are at a complete loss as to how to decouple the system and environment of financing (low interest rates, QE and its effects) and our addiction to the oily stuff for the economy and anti-squeakyness.
I am alerted to this by the exceedingly informative podcast - Talking Politics- of a Mr Runciman and in particular by a discussion ( the last 15 minutes of the podcast if you are pushed for time) of the book - Oil and the Western Economic  Crisis- by a Ms Helen Thompson. Both I believe hold professorial posts at a nearby university.  Others are available!
Sweet dreams.  

An Englishman in Madrid

Summer Reading facts no. 92 in a series.

Did you know that the above book by Eduardo Mendoza is 9 out of 10 in the top sellers at the LRB  Bookshop?

Remember you read it here first.

What I can't remember though is whatever happened to Gurb?

A Falling Woman

Not the most significant thing to have happened recently but a sign perhaps or even a portent.

TM does her impression of a Falling Woman.

I hasten to add

In case you  think I May have a down on the besom for any Trumpish reasons it's "just poli'ical". In my defense I would point you in the direction of an inspirational character, the subject of a programme in the 'great lives series' of the British Broadcasting Corporation, Shirley Chisholm.
I proudly wore the badge, "Shirley Chisholm for President",  45 years ago, even though I did not have a pig in the race as my ancestors might have had it!

(Lost, lost! I have no idea what you are blethering on about. Lord save us... Ed)
Keep up there fella, as Commander Hastings would say. we are in for quite a ride.

A Poke in the Eye with a Sharp Chip!

Didn't I tell you this, so called, snap election is more about food than pictures! The puns and possibilities are endless. What joy! She May be a "BLOODY DIFFICULT WOMAN" or she May be an insecure geography graduate with a chip on her shoulder. The degree comes in useful, no doubt,  as she sCurries about the country from one group of the faithful to another. It is a bit like a Safari Supper for the Nasty Party. There are many reasons people visit food banks, hunger and a lack of money for food being just two of them. I'm sure that poke of chips would have tasted better with  Pickles but then where are your chums when you need them and the chips are down. Speaking of which I'm sure Phil (which one?) will help her out with the poke when she tires of the chips. Lynton Chrispy must be heaving a sigh of relief that she was not pictured with a bit of battered cod or an old haddock!
(Phwhat in god's name are you talking about??? I think this democracy stuff has finally got to your brain or what is left of it...Ed)

Read and Enjoy the Video!

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/may/02/theresa-may-liberal-democrats-defectors-south-west-stick-with-tories?

Food for thought and elections

It's that time again. Elections couldn't you just vote without them!

Our political food correspondent writes...
On the menu this election is a choice between 
Strong Glands Table Leadership or a Collation of Chaos

Now here's a little candle lit dinner that went a rye... too much sourdough?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/01/how-junckers-downing-street-dinner-turned-sour?

(Jaysus! Can you not give a bit of a warning when you are about to dash into production again. I was at the sister's looking after the wains when the alerty thing popped up on the old interweb. I nearly spilt me tea all over meself!...Ed)

Bushmills tea is that, without milk?

Indexing we trust? p91

Indexing - now there's a thing.
I bet you haven't given much thought to that while I've been absent from these pages or indeed the pages themselves have been absent. The Grauniad had a nice wee article  on indexing on National Indexing Day by Sam Leith. Undoubtedly a piece of crass propaganda for the Society of Indexers.  We might as well go back to the days of craft guilds, 99 year apprenticeships, permanent indentedness, free beer,  protectionism, pre-brexitism  and so called Trade Unions! It is however very interesting and, of course, contains a 404 for the link to the Society.
Deliberate?
(Do you think we might have an index on this blog? I could knock you up a passable index for a few sovs extra each week. Now we have to take the bairns off on holiday when the schools are out it can be very expensive, and we have been going for over 10 years...Ed)

Expletives -obscene
                  -expressing the negative, p 92

West Wing Mark II

A find in the podosphere. A Mr O'Bama has recently stood down from some job or other and I have not always been appreciative as I might have been! (I very much doubt that he even knew let alone gave a tinker's damn... Ed)
However, the link gives about 40 minutes of thoughts, banter, and a few flashes of what the progressive future might have involved (and hopefully may yet involve). I must say that my one moment of queasiness came when your man O'Bam was discussing what the hell happened if the USA defaulted on its debt. Jokes with the gang about minting a trillion dollar coin aside, nobody knew! You have to give it to him, he did keep the show on the road in some very difficult times. His analysis of how the Trumpet of massive investment in infrastructure will lead to a call much later for a roll back on welfare is very scary. A Mr Freedland, who scribbles for some lowbrow rags from time to time, had an equally scary scenario for this in, The Third Woman, his latest penny dreadful.

Reasons to be cheerful!

Given the winter of our discontents - the Americans have elected an eejit, we didn't get the chance to elect our eejit, The Wall of Shame etc.. Thought you might be interested in a little cheer,

You may have heard of Chris Thile or not, ditto for appreciating his music making but the smile on the face of Yo Yo at about 8 min. 30 sec. in the video says there are reasons to be cheerful.

Thanks to all the wonderful people who linked me through the Interweb, the Grauniad, NPR, to this.
Full disclosure:- I am not able to establish that cats were not harmed in the production of the instruments on which this music was played.
(I'm gutted, truly gutted! I will have to consider my position carefully, very carefully. I was always led to believe this was an animal friendly blog... Ed)
How come the cat never gets anyway near your tongue!

Tess of the Submarines. Maybe!

After a few rounds with the doughty Mr Marr yesterday Tess had avoided saying yes no or even Maybe to direct questioning as to what she  knew and when she knew it. We had dropped a b.....k or even a rocket when the lads were on their nuclear hols off Florida. This would be  before the common people were asked to detrouser  billions of pounds for renewing Trident. Well, you can judge for yourselves if she was being forgetful, vague or a squirming politician.
What intrigues me is the kinetics of the thing. I have it on good authority, The Beeb News Corp, usually quite reliable, that our lads were sunning themselves 200 miles from the coast of Florida when this came to pass. Mr Wikipedia assures me that after huffing and blowing for about 2 mins. a Trident rocket reaches a flight speed of 13,600 miles per hour( Eat your heart out Southern Rail) So if I inquire of my calculator how long it would take to travel  from the the good sub Tessa Maybe and land on the  Sunshine State, the answer is less than three minutes and counting down... ( It would give all those snowbirds a fright too, poor dears, as they are sat around the aircon singing the state song - Old Folks at Home. My geography is a bit sketchy but didn't I hear that Cuba is only 100 miles or so from Florida... Ed)
I heard the same also!

Avid for crime(reading)

I may have mentioned before that I have read without benefit of a book group for many, many years.
However, I joined a small group a few years ago. The advantages are that it is sponsored by a public library which provides a room and about a dozen volumes of the same book each month. Our convenor, a calm and well organised woman (peace and many blessings be upon her) provides us with a wide selection of crime novels  for us to enjoy throughout the year and discuss if we feel so inclined.  The group has men as well as women in it, it does not follow a rigid pattern for contributions, members come and go and we do not have to 'speak up and shame the devil' if we do not wish. Occasionally, we get a stinker usually because a book has been suggested to our group from outside. I always make notes as a commitment to the group and the activity. Here is one from last year.

Mary Higgins Clark - The Lost Years
Notes

Pope finds Thank You note from Jesus. Decides to burn it. Monk feels this is blasphemous. Murder ensues through 5 centuries.
Mariah thinks her dad has found the letter and her mum has killed him. After a bit of twoing and throwing Mariah saves the day, the letter and managed a weak smile as she watched Richard running toward her (Who he? Oh never mind!)... Mariah  felt a sudden peace, a peace that was beyond understanding, fill her being.
Turned out nice again!

Frankie and Johnny

So they weren't lovers after all!
I read in my Grauniad today:-
Split in lay order after senior official was dismissed over distribution of free prophylactics and the Holy See hierarchy sought to intervene.
 (Those subs get away with murder. Split and prophylactics in the same sentence. Fast cars, big cigars, even faster women. They probably wear red white and blue braces. How unlike the code of conduct and dress code of our own humble publication...Ed)
Not many people would wear braces to hold their pjs up, I grant you. 

Energy raw in beak and claw!

Royal Institution Christmas Lectures this year, the subject is energy. Catch the last one this evening Beeb4 20:00 or on the EyePlayer thereafter.
Out for our walk on  Sunday we were entranced for about 20 minutes watching a buzzard working the ground around a small river and large field bordered by woods. There was a stiff breeze and the seeming lack of effort that it took to glide over the area looking for its xmas dinner made me think again "it's the energy stupid". What a marvel of energy it is. Precision hunting machine, power pack attached with renewable energy storage. Amazing what you can do with the old proton pump! Still the poor thing did not get its dinner while we were about.
(Probably too polite to tuck in while you heathens were watching...Ed)

Fiat Lux and a lot more!

Thanks to the excellent Carbon Commentary Newsletter of Chris Goodall a good news video. A P2P Solshare Microgrid Installation in Mymensingh.  When the clowns have escaped from the circus we need a little balance. A good friend has been advised by his US relatives that on January 20th next year the clock will be turned back 60 years. I would say nearer 90!
Best wishes to all (?) our readers and a peaceful New Year.

(Is that it? are we going to be swamped in all this U tubeyfacebookytwittery socialistmedianonsense now...ED?)

Have a good holiday but take care there is a man out there who promises to drain the swamp.