Wildewire

I'm definitely less productive at the moment than I have been. My morning Facebook binge has gone from around ninety minutes to more than a couple of hours. I'm depressed by people who post their opinions- that the Covid-19 virus was man-made, that it is being disseminated via 5G telephone masts, that the lockdown is a Nazi -(yes "Nazi" plot) etc. Someone I know claimed that people VOLUNTEERING to take part in vaccine trials were succombing to "the Nazi National Health Service". I asked her to explain and she doubled down with more of her OPINION- as we know; opinion overrules science and empirical fact. I decided to unfriend her rather than enter into futile debate. Another friend posted about "this man-made virus". When I asked him to share his source material he talked about governmental management failures, but wouldn't accept that wasn't the same as saying the virus had been man made. This friend is older and [fact] sparsely educated...

An interesting by-product of the Covid-19 pandemic has been the responses of people with extreme religious beliefs who claim that their faith is stronger than the virus. Sadly, for them; the virus didn't get the note and there have been a succession of "pastors" "immams" and others dropping dead from "Covid 19 complications" (AKA their own stupidity and arrogance) and unknown numbers of their "flocks" and their famillies who've been infected and/or died. When one "pastor" claimed that he'd continue his services until he was "in jail or in hospital" just two weeks before he was in a morgue it was clear that he DID understand the risks but flouted them anyway. Well... The pandemic and self-isolation instructions have come at Easter; one of the most lucrative times in the "Christian" calendar. "Churches", especially in America where they pay no tax have business plans built around estimations o...

The doorbell rang on Sunday. It was a guy I'd helped out almost ten years ago when he was suffering abuse from his Thai wife who, once she'd become a mother, told him how she was going to kick him out of their house and make him pay for it until the kid was 16. He was a friend of a longterm lodger. When I met him his wife attacked him regularly- I took photographic evidence and I contacted various social support oganisation and social work officials on his behalf all of whom were poised and ready to deal with a very real issue that men up here refuse to acknowledge. He did nothing. He refused to contact these people who were waiting to help him. I literally took it to the point where I couldn't do any more- he would have to step up. Eventually the various officials, two of whom were embarrassed at their work because of this told me there was nothing they could do any more. I was left feeling VERY exposed, embarrassed and quite annoyed. I didn't cut ties with him imm...

I just hope that we; the people, will be able to hang onto the practical changes being implemented to combat the global pandemic. This is an opportunity for the biggest redistribution of wealth... ever! A little over ten years ago, governments across the world used financial reserves to prop up the failing banking system; the prevailing wisdom was that without the banks world economies would fail. Now that people are unable to work and therefore earn, they will be getting into debt, what will the banks do now? If people can't pay their mortgages, or rent will they be evicted? If they can't pay for utilities, will they be disconnected? Either way; the situation is unprecedented and there will be a moment when we, the people will have the power to make things change for our permanent betterment or we will allow "them" to restore the stinking status quo. Perennially intractable issues like housing the homeless have suddenly been implemented and most people are real...

Well!!! I don't think that 2020 is turning out to be much like many people hoped. I'm writing at the start of the 2nd week of "lockdown" in UK in response to the global Covid 19 pandemic. My experience hasn't been that different from life pre-lockdown TBH; having been unemployed since August 2018, money has been too tight to spend on much beside "essentials". Nevertheless; I've had a very positive attitude since late February when I had a flash of inspiration that reminded me that I was in charge of my responses to whatever happens to me and that being more positive would generate the sorts of vibrations around me to enhance not hinder my life. I watched something which made the point that if you're constantly believing that things won't get any better you'll probably collaborate in making that a reality. Think about it: if you have a mindset that fails to recognise the potential positives in a situation, you won't be able to purs...

So: Prince Harry and his wife have stepped down from duties as members of the British Royal Family, vowed to repay tax-payer's money spent on the house the Queen gave them, to spend most of their time in Canada and to be financially independant. This is in response to the unfettered, unrelenting racist jibes Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has received from the moment the British press got wind that someone nearish to the British throne was courting a 'dusky beauty'. It was sort of polite, if totally clueless at the start: references to Meghan's "exotic DNA" and Princes Michael of Kent wearing a bejewelled 'blackamoor' broach when she met Harry's fiancee. It has got progressively worse; Harry broke with protocol and told the press he wouldn't stand for it, so they stepped up the snide comments and attacks. I became increasingly annoyed. The usual arguments about "The Royals" weren't even dusted off- just rolled out in that particu...

There didn't seem to be much to celebrate! This feeling seems to intensify each year!! But, being STILL broke and out of work, achieving the age of 59, whilst an achievement of sorts, didn't warrant particular effort. I thought for a moment there might have been a reminder on Facebook, but there wasn't which was fine. Luckily, my friend came round with supplies- and a jumper he claimed was too big for him. He didn't know it was my birthday so it became a de facto pressie! Apart from the fact that I'm one lodger short at the moment and therefore my income has almost halved, life is settled into a fairly stressless if unexciting routine. The lodger is only here for half the week so I get lots of glorious time to myself. A big part of my day is looking and applying for jobs. I really don't understand what I'm doing wrong so that I'm not being shortlisted. Is it my age? -My reputation? -My sexuality? Should I pretend to be something I'm not just to...