Well the idea of a 'Good News' topic was a refreshing change from the doom and gloom but it's back to normal with the nasty stuff. I don't often weep and I expect it's not 'macho' to admit to it but sometimes events take a hold and emotion kicks in, well for a sensitive old sod like me anyway.
This morning A dear friend told me his son of 42 years with charming wife and two lovely children has been diagnosed with a brain tumour. The size of a walnut apparently and the latest news is it's inoperable - he wont make Christmas, such a sad waste of a young man..
Shortly after this sad news I watched the BBC news and heard about the 71 migrants suffocated in the back of a lorry in Hungary. The details of the total comprising 58 men, 9 women and 4 children almost made me sick.
Life can be a bitch I know but please, there has to be some way we can stop such inhumanity ??
Really interesting observation Theo.
I've never considered what happen if the migrants took to the boats and set sail for the UK !
Well, as we can see with the crossing of the Mediterranean sea water does not protect you from an influx of refugees, - means this position is not soooo much out of strengths. You simply can not send the Navy and bomb canoes and dinghies, once they start crossing the channel. I see Cameron's situation rather as a stalemate-position. Ironically he has talked himself into this situation. Every NLP coach would have a hard job with him.
Here on the exit discussion James H once reasoned very simple on why living in France, mentioning quality of life, considerations on costs etc. If 2017 the majority is for an exit, you as expats will find yourself with even more limited rights, e.g. to vote, if you choose to have your main residence outside the UK. Then more importantly: British industries need the EU market, which makes 60% of its sales territory. Not to mention that many of you British expats may face certain hurdles to obtain their retirement payments after having worked for 40 years and contributing to the pension funds in the UK. Who knows what your conservative politicians then up which another obscure regulations. They are in desperate need for cash ;-)
The fact that the majority of German voters are in favour of her shows just how popular she is. I wonder what the popular opinion is in Germany to her latest immigration policy ? Portly she may be but perhaps there is a warm heart beating inside the hard exterior ?
Cameron is playing it very carefully. Being surrounded by water s his insurance policy so he is in a position of strength as long as he doesn't give in to certain EU pressures. I can't see him signing up to any cobbled together plan conjoured up by Angie & François !
Peter, your'e not cynical! Its that simple: this portly daughter of a pastor from the Uckermark (a sleepy district north-east of Berlin) grew up under the wings of Mr Ulbricht and Honecker. She never faced any constrains with refugees. And she does not face any election rallies till 2017. By then all voters have forgotten the refugee crisis. I think it would suit the lady to be careful, not to make a fool of herself as some kind of "schoolmistress".
The thing is: she is genuine, she is not false. She does not support certain ballistic US / UK nonsense because this would cost her her job and she knows it. Still, being German, to me is this public onlooking "dogoodershow" a bit too mortifying. Doing it like Schroeder to Bush: she could name publicly the roots of the problem. This would leave David in a uncomfortable need for explanation, a situation he is fearing like the devil the holy water when challenged intellectually.
One of the pre requisites of becoming a politician is being two-faced.
What's new ?
The altruistic approach by the Germans is heartwarming but I just wonder what Mme Merkel would be doing if she was living on the island instead or Mr C ?
Cynical MOI ?
Perhaps a bit of extra ordinary rendition on the politicians and multi conglomerates who are responsible for this refugee crisis, nice bit of water boarding huh?
Watched a Rich Hall docu-rant the other night; what it is to be Texan, he was chatting with a comedian friend who's name escapes me, he referred to the etymology of politics, poly = many, tics = parasites. Don't think you can get much more succinct.
Perhaps a moment of being held face down in water, gasping for his last breath then being allowed to go and asking what went through his mind and what he can do to try to prevent these things happening in the future. However, I know full well that that will never happen and I also remember, as others may, IDS in tears over scenes of poverty on a visit to Easterhouse in Glasgow during 2002 and how he said he had his eyes opened in Glasgow by campaigner Bob Holman who organised the visit. Within days the crocodile tears had turned to vehement benefit slashing. I fear Cameron would be the same. Compassion and power never make bedmates.
If something like this doesn't stir the emotions of family man Cameron that what will ?
I am not sure if there is much more for anyone to say.....but, if only we could find a way
to end the tragedy which drives away compassion....lets do it.
I am afraid it can. I have seen things that broke my heart but that as a professional I was not allowed to show whilst working. Let's just say children in war and not being treated for AIDS have both been close to making me lose all faith in humanity.
Can it get any worse than that Brian ?
I'm shaking with anger and sadness...
A very young Syrian boy was found dead in the water on the coast of Turkey, one of 20 or so who died trying to reach Greece. The poor young soul never had a chance to have a real life. He escaped a war which is probably all he ha never known, to perish on his way to safety and the possibility of a real life. If things like this don't bring us back down to earth then I do not know what can. As for people who shout about all of the 'migrants' as if they are a homogeneous group of scroungers, well the less said the better.
Thanks for the info Colin, i'll pass it on.
My father was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 1955. The docs said he wouldn't survive very long but offered him a chance to have 'experimental' brain surgery. My dad, who was a very strong willed person said yes, having nothing to lose. He went into St Barts in London and underwent an operation which involved the surgeon 'simply' drilling a hole about 4 centimeters round in the skull, lifting the tumour with large tweezers (tumour was the size of a ping pong ball) and then cutting around the tissue with a scalpel. They had to cut the right side auditory nerve and other nerves affecting his right side so, he was deaf in one ear, he couldn't open his right eye and a general lack of feeling down the right side so he couldn't write with his right hand and limped on the right side because of the lack of feeling etc.
This was 1955, he managed to bring up a family (wife & three sons), build a business employing twenty people and survive until 2003 in good health until having a heart attack at the age of 86 years.
Anything is possible...
Peter, regarding brain tumours, I too was diagnosed with one of similar size in 2001. This was found out when I visited an ENT specialist because my hearing worsened. His words were " nothing wrong with your ears, you have a brain tumour" Very tactful. Anyway, the next visit to another specialist produced two solutions 1} surgery (knife) or radiosurgery. This surgeon preferred the knife method as that was his speciality but when pressed he said if it was his spouse he would try radiosurgery.
I eventually went to Sheffield Hallamshire and underwent a full day of Stereotactic Radiosurgery (10 hours in a machine) followed by MR scans annually. The tumour had stopped growing thankfully and the only long term effect has been a total loss of hearing in left ear (accounstic nerve destroyed) and slight balance problems but ten years on my tumour has been arrested. This treatment was new and only two centres in UK perform it, but it is worth investigating.
Difficult when we lose our children Theo.
My mother in law was 80 when she lost her daughter, an only child (my wife) when she was only 56. She finds it difficult to accept two or so years on...
Yes, Peter, you' are absolutely right, you haven't mentioned, - I was just reading in comments.
Maybe it is a part of getting older that we witness friends and others around us going away. Of course then it is more tough when friends and people we know are much younger.
I think more hypocrisy creeps in to all of us as we get older Brian. It's probably inevitable as the more we learn the more potentially corrupted the human mind becomes. Personal idealogies and opinions are bound to be challenged as more evidence is available.
Yep, Thomas Paine another great Norfolk man ( there aren't many !) hailed from Thetford. His statue in the town is testament to his acheivements as is the more recent statue of Captain Mainwaring by the river. The Dad's Army museum isn't far away either !
With respect Theo, I purposely didn't bring God into this discussion because it usually provokes unhelpful comments. I don't blame any God for anything nowadays and I have a completely open mind since losing any faith I had.
