Bagged #dreamdiary 226

I’ve been out for a day in London with my brother and his family. We’re on the underground heading back to the mainline to catch our return train home. As we leave the underground train, I realise that I’ve left my backpack on the carriage and bolt back to retrieve it. I make it back to my bag, but the doors close and the train starts leaving the station. I call my brother and tell him what’s happened and that I’ll get off at the next station and change trains to come back again and hopefully I’ll make it back before our mainline train departs. That’s easier said than done. I get off the underground with twenty minutes to spare but I’ve still got to change trains to come back. The route to the other side of the platform seems to take me outside the station. It’s snowing and I’m struggling to walk without slipping. I make it to the ticket barricade which is manned by a small boy. As I struggle to find my credit card, a teenage girl pushes in front of me.

Burnham ignited a massive political battle -Beth Rigby unpicks Prime Minister's Speech

So our new fearless leader has just given a big speech. No doubt there’s something in it about pensions and looking after our elderly. But with the price of fuel rising, where is the cash going to come from? The year 2030 has been mentioned; should we be prepared for an expensive year of tax hikes? And that’s assuming that the current administration will still be in power. The ‘not the usual perspective on politics’ is fair enough. The man has just recently lost his father. But there’ll come a time when the government will need to be seen acting to protect society rather than continue to give out handouts.  I wonder where the ‘rocket’ is being stowed. Past policies are being undone. And that creates help for the people now but not necessarily in the future. People will question it but they won’t want to challenge it for fear of becoming unpopular. But at least he looks human in his appearances.

Motherland

This was a fun yet sadistic little series. I love the fact that each character had their own outlook yet is forced to conform to come together for a shared goal but somehow manages to make themselves the ultimate bitch while the children suffer in silence in the process. There’s a little bit of sympathy towards what mothers have to go through and perhaps they weren’t ready to have children and then they happened. It would have been more interesting to focus on a prequel rather than a sequel based on the most selfish characters that I can’t stand. I would have liked to witness Julia go through a divorce at some point but the conclusion was very emotional and should be something that we all dread and should be something that we all dread. Each series seemed short and I would have liked to have seen more mishaps But there are some real heart of community scenes.

Christed Up

It all depends on how dedicated you are to the cause. Is it a day job or are you genuinely interested? Or are you just volunteering for the role because no-one else has come forward? It’s a shame to let traditions die but it might have to be the way if you can’t get the support you need. More importantly, you need to enjoy doing it. Even if you want to get rid of the position, you need to stay positive to convince others that it’s worth doing. You might never ever hear from them again, but if you provide a positive experience and their inquiry is easy to deal with, they’re more likely to help you out next time. If you get into an argument, it might put the final nail in your coffin and force you to leave whatever the consequences may be. Then the organisation will be in the shit but at least you can justify your reasons.

Drifting

Do we give in and give them a push or do we let them do the hard work? Ideally, we’d lie them to figure it out for themselves. We want them to be independent but at the same time we don’t want them to drift through life. We have to drop clues from time to time. We also want them to enjoy the experience without being fearful. We want them to be in control; though we’re still there to keep an eye on them just in case. But we can also take a step back and relax; though we can step in if they get scared or we think that they’re being too dangerous. They’re enjoying their time but someone could step in at any moment and cause a hazard. They also look ridiculously small compared to the size of the thing. Maybe that’s why she’s clinging on. She looks secure though.

"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."

-Oscar Wilde.

It’s important to stay unique. Copying the work or mantra of others might help you to develop skills; but to copy someone else completely is just going to devalue both yourself and them. It would be great if you could completely impersonate them without being discovered. If you’re looking for someone specific; the world is full so you may just have to copy yourself. But you have to get to know yourself first. But it’s quite a factual statement. How do you know for sure? Will there be a battle to see who is the best? Probably. You may struggle to find your uniqueness in the process. And it’s important that you don’t lose yourself or forget about your past. And it’s also important that you don’t worship others who try to follow the same path. There may be too many for you to get into that game. It’s better that you create your own.

Powering the County

These things seem like massive scales but they’re really good fun. The view over the hillside is excellent too. If you time it right, you might be able to make out the smoke of the local heritage railway. But you’ve got to put the effort in to have a good ride while having a partner that will work with you to yank the chain at the right time. This little one seems exhausted to try to get the thing started but she’s determined to give it a try. The young could be powering the country this way in the future. They might be powering some of the country right now by having a turbine hidden deep underneath the hill. Rural communities might have to rely on this sort of power so that its traditional infrastructure isn’t dug up. Either that or it’s an interesting way to weigh kids without their knowledge.

Unstoppable Force #empress 28

Meanwhile, the empress was taking great pleasure in her new size. She was constantly looking for ways for her subjects to please and amuse her. If they wouldn’t, they would be sacrificed for food; either as a sacrifice themselves or put to work farming nearby fields. Soldiers would just create labour camps across the lands that she trod on. Anyone who wouldn’t comply would be killed and cooked. There seemed to be no shortage of people, as they’d always get excited when they saw the royal banner though these days they were likely to see their empress first. It would give them reassurance after the monstrosity. No-one would be spared. The generals thought it be best to steer the empress to their borders where she could confidently destroy the enemy populaces. But getting control and persuading her would be quite a feat. Perhaps they could train a team to please her while heading in the right direction.

Natural or Man-made?

Once again, the land of blanks has conjured up another rubbish image. This could be the inside of my jacket pocket. It’s amazing how nothing is the same when you get up close and personal and zoom in on it. It would be nice to think that this is some kind of forest. Maybe I just need a new phone. Perhaps you can make out an island or two amongst a sea of oceans. Or maybe I’ve dropped my phone into a puddle. It could even be algae or some kind of fauna growing in a pond. Or it could simply be the grass at night. The different shades could reflect different amounts of moisture or angles of the blades of grass. I almost thought that I could make out a face but the screen may need cleaning. There is something creating layers and steps on the centre left. It could be a gateway to another world.

Taking the Telly #dreamdiary 225

I’m desperate to watch TV. It seems to be an addiction. I seem to be breaking into people’s houses to do it. I’m supposed to be delivering newspapers but I’m learning peoples’ habits as I travel. When I know that a house is unoccupied, I can either snap the door handle to gain access to the lock or kick the door in. If someone comes, I just move onto the next home. I wonder if I can get through an entire program before someone discovers me. If I had somewhere to stay, I could just take the TV with me, but I seem to be homeless. If I could find an outlet somewhere that I know that I’m not going to be interrupted then I’ll be happy. In the meantime, I’m just wondering around looking for the next house with people leaving their doorstep. Sometimes I pass houses that I’ve already been inside and there’s a police car outside and people are taking photographs.

Face or Head?

It’s hard to know which is which, but it’s probably more likely to be the hand. It doesn’t matter if it’s a selfie or not. There’s not many instances where you have your phone pressed against your face; unless you’re taking a call while the camera’s still running. Or you might have zoomed in on someone else’s face. There’s not much else it can be other than skin. But how has this occurred? The shutter has been pressed in a quick attempt to return the phone to the pocket. There’s no marks or scars and the smooth colour suggests that it’s someone quite young. Maybe they stuck their hand out to attempt to stop the picture from being taken and to cover up the lens. Or I could have just dropped the phone in a patch of soil. If it wasn’t for the photos that preceded or followed this picture, I might have mistook it for another time and place.

Can I legally unplug or remove anything my neighbour has plugged into my outdoor outlet without getting into trouble?

 For god’s sake, grow a spine! They’re stealing your property. Are you going to let them enter your house and eat your food next? So long as you’re sure that you’re the bill payer and it’s your property; it’s yours to do with as you wish regardless of the situation. Even if it’s a life-threatening situation, you still have the right to unplug and they should have probably told you beforehand. But it’s very rare that this is the case. You might want to see if your neighbour has any problems with their supply first just to be on the safe side. Otherwise, go ahead and remove the cord and place it back on their property. If they complain, ask why it’s there in the first place. Make it clear that this isn’t OK. If they’ve asked your permission, or you already have an agreement in place, you’ll need to let them know the reason that you’ve changed your mind first.

The Flexibility Method #habberley 24

Maybe she’s happy to be outside, but something’s caught her eye that’s made her grin. Is it something’s that the photographer’s done or is it the goats in the paddock beyond? It looks like they’ve got their own playground set up or at least a see-saw. Is it just for them to play on or is someone training them as part of a circus act? It could be a new petting zoo feature or a whole show; either on-site or filming them elsewhere where they’ll perform a stunt for a bit of food. I’ve always wondered if those animals sometimes get overfed. Maybe the famers have to switch them around. But if the pen’s on a hill, wouldn’t it be easy for them to do a trot or a jump and a skip to jump over? Maybe they like their home too much or they’ve worked out that they can jump back in again if they need to.

The Big Cheese

The rat is back! At least we think he is; although it could be a different he or she. We think it’s because next door has put a bird feeder up after their bare basic garden renovation and he’s come into our garden afterwards for a bit more of the natural life. He’ll have a wander around and he’ll go for a dip in the pond until we tap the windows to scare him off. But we don’t want him here spreading his germs in the first place. In come the poison rocks. They’re easy to install; though they’re more like pods rather than the blocks that we usually get which don’t seem to be available any more. The whole box comes with a pair of disposable plastic gloves but I’m not sure if you’re supposed to pierce the pouch, though it’s the only way to mount it in the trap.

Hold on Tight #habberley 23

Get your leg over! That’s what we want to shout. It’s probably not appropriate for someone her age; but then again it is literal and practical advice. The little one is waiting patiently but it would be so easy to give her a little push and she’ll slide off onto the floor. She might be on the way out anyway. A little hand might be coming out to help her by grabbing to steady her fall. The trouble is that she might be blamed for pushing her if she’s even touched as it’s unexpected. She could also be accused of being unsisterly by not helping out. She could cheer her or taunt her but then she could be accused of putting her off. She could also  try to get revenge by doing the same to her and recreate what she thinks might be the same conditions. It’s all part of spending too much time together and they need to learn boundaries.

CAMRA has revealed new data which shows that dozens of much loved pubs have burned down in the past 10 years. CAMRA believes destroying a pub should be a criminal offence, and we want to see councils produce local enforcement plans to set out clear deterrents.

Wouldn’t burning a building down count as arson which would be a crime anyway? I suppose it wouldn’t count if you deliberately burnt your own property and just want to dispose of it to sell the land or rebuild something on it without declaring it a crime afterwards for insurance purposes. It’s all a matter of cost; though it may be a terrible waste of resources and the rubble wouldn’t do your public image any good. But this law is effectively talking about transfer of ownership. This is why so many owners are willing to market their premises as a restaurant so it seems that there’s a change of use before it’s disposed of. It’s a difficult decision as you could be seen to stand in the way of progress and it must be something that would benefit everybody. No-one wants to be left with an eyesore. So, will councils end up buying these to create community projects? It’s going to be a difficult one to solve.

The Tube #habberley 22

Who needs YouTube when you’re on the tube? Although I suppose that you could end up on YouTube after an attempt on this tube as your fail is recorded. As well as climbing over it, you could also attempt to crawl through it or even beneath it for a full commando challenge. Of course, someone will want to attempt it while someone else is on top of them which should cause them to lose their balance. Someone could also become stuck underneath They might need some help to pull them out. Pushing will only make it worse and more painful but it might be the only solution. And that’s after the fact that you could be boxed in from either side. It’s going to get hot very quickly in there, and you could start to lose oxygen too. At least there’s no sharp bits; although you could get grazed as you come out over the edges.

Sing Me a Song

It’s going to be a bit boring with no backing music. She might try and seek some out though. But I think I’d have preferred it if she played a song at random. I hope that there’s a large database. She might even ask me questions on what I want the song to be about. The first song is about dogs, and there’s a military accompanist tune with it. There’s quite a few verses, and it’s very creative. The next song just gets on my nerves but there’s only one verse and no musical accompanist. After that I’m treated to another music less number which has lots of verses. At first I’m thinking it’s just going to be the lyrics to a pop song, but then it’s more of a nursery rhyme. The next one is short and sweet and it’s about friendship, and it’s a proper musical number. I wonder how many of these there are.

'Run you fools, you will die'; Meet the unit of Russian defectors fighting for Ukraine

It sounds like a line out of a movie. But who’s saying it? Is it a threat to kill them if they run away? Is it a group of people volunteering to commit treason against their military? Perhaps they could take control of the military as well if they have enough resources, or fund their own country. But they’ve actually left home. They might not be allowed to return if their identity is discovered, and they’ll have to prove where they’ve been and what they’ve up to during this time. But if they operate from the other side, it makes things easier for them. Some of them have even served on the other side before defecting, recognising the evil that’s occurring. But fighting back this way may not give the home side much persuasion to follow suit. It might be more humane to rescue the injured Ukrainians which will steer you out of trouble.

Dominion #henley 3

Turning left, we continued through the housing estate then turned right onto Riverside Gardens which is a cul-de-sac. We followed the path around the bend until it faced north then on the left-hand side a concrete footpath emerged between the houses and some woodland. This footpath bore southwest to cross a stream to lead to another road, then we turned right to head north onto another footpath. This took us along the river for a short while, then at the junction we turned left to head west back into the car park. We saw quite a few sights on this walk, but this church was the most impressive building. It must have had quite a bit of influence in its day with its long wall built across the field to display its domain. I wonder if these rent agreements still apply, or if the church chose to sell them off for a big lump sum. Bet it wishes it didn’t now.