Life can be bizarre!

 

There is to be a demonstration/protest/march, in London later today, in support of Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas. Originally it was banned, but some clever lawyer claimed that the 'meeting' could not be banned if it was 'static', meaning that the demonstrators will all have to stand still. The organising 'Al Quds' group are hoping for 12,000 people to attend.

Muslim MP Ms Shabana Mahmood, our current Home Secretary, has said that restrictions on the protest - including its location - was a matter for the police. I imagine she doesn't wish to upset the Muslim/Hamas-supporting community; her voters.

The group who are organising the event is the 'Islamic Human Rights Commission' (IHRC) who are closely associated with the Iranian regime.

What interests me the most about the 'demo', will be to see how many WOMEN attend. The IHRC must be the most oxymoron-ish outfit on the planet. Human rights in the Islamic state of Iran, especially for women, are almost non-existent, yet we will possibly see plenty of female hijab-clad Hamas supporters amongst Iran's admirers. Unless, of course their husbands have forced them stay at home! Bizarre.

All together now "We want repression! we want repression! we want repression!". "When do you want it?". "NOW".

We all need to remind ourselves that this evil regime tortures women (or worse) for wearing the wrong clothes, or allowing a whisp of hair to show. Yet they still have many adoring female supporters (as in photo above).

Recently around 8,000 people (it could have been a lot more) were shot in Tehran for demonstrating, so if anything, this protest will prove to them what a liberal and understanding country they're now living in.

Making it someone else's problem!

I don't get into town much these days even though the main shopping area is only a few hundred yards away. Brighton is also quite 'hilly', which I find a problem. It's easier for me to go out of town by car, and do all I need there!

As such I don't see much of any homelessness there may be, although I have mentioned previously about a few people who lived in tents in the Park.

However, having seen this headline (above) in my Msn News Feed, I am presuming that there is still a problem. Usually at this cold time of year, the 'homeless' stay at home; one is more likely to see them in Summer when the weather is better.

Unlike our Government who dither over everything (except raising taxes), our Labour Council is grasping the nettle, and dealing with the 'homelessness' problem by sending Brighton's nomads over to Eastbourne; known everywhere as 'God's Waiting Room'.  

I'm not sure what the elderly population of Eastbourne will make of this. They are used to their quiet, uneventful, OAP-filled, seaside town; NOT having a bunch of drugged-up scruffy individuals, sitting on the pavements with their hands out.

No doubt they'll soon all walk back along the coast to the town they love, and which offers them a much more pleasant lifestyle.

Good try Council, but don't start celebrating too soon.

 

DRUGS

I'm not a drug user, and never have been. As an Art Student, in the late 60's, I did once smoke some Hashish, but it sent me to sleep, so I didn't bother again.

On my early dog-walk yesterday morning, I noticed a small, suspicious looking, plastic bag on the ground in the Twitten behind my garage; an area often used by local crack-heads. It was a small plastic Ziploc packet that contained a number of even smaller packs. It looked very suspicious, so I picked it up (not wanting any small children to find it), and took it home.

Above, is what it contained. About a dozen very small packets containing white powder.

I have no idea what it is, and have no desire to find out. I presume it is either Fentanyl or Cocaine or something similar.

So, what does one do with such a find? I don't know if the Police will be interested, and I don't want to dispose of it in it's present condition. Do I flush it down the loo? Do I incinerate it? Do I bury it in the garden?

Some dealer must be as 'Sick as a Parrot' this morning, and no doubt he'll be seen scouring the area, over the next few days!

Now I have to decide what I'll do with it.

(Some time later). I contacted the Police, and in no time a couple of very attractive and friendly young female PC's knocked at the door, and the offending stupefiants were taken into custody. They seemed very grateful.

Do not be surprised if my name appears in King Charles's Birthday Honours List, for services to the community above and beyond the call of duty. Cro Magnon OBE.

Never a dull moment !!!

Product Test.

I fancied some Fish Fingers for supper, but there were only TWO left in my freezer. Not enough!

Inside the freezer cabinet at Sainsbury's there were two very similar looking packets, which I'd not noticed before. One was for Cod Fish Fingers (the type I had at home), and the other was for Pollock (which I'd never previously tried). They could easily have been confused.

As I'd heard Rick Stein going on about how we should all be buying Pollock rather than Cod (to save Cod fish stocks), I plumped for the Pollock, which were also considerably cheaper; I think less than half the price.

I fried them in the same pan, but kept them apart. As above; the Cod was on the left and the Pollock on the right.

Frankly, taste-wise, I could hardly tell them apart, I had to really concentrate on finding any difference. If anything, I found the Cod to be very slightly 'sweeter', but overall they were much the same. Both very nice.

I served them with some simply fried 'Little Gem' lettuce.

Verdict: Pollock Fish Fingers, 10/10. I shall certainly be buying them in future! 

I'll leave the Cod to swim another day.

 

Starmer in the poo again.

 

Poor old Starmer, I'm almost beginning to feel sorry for him. Whatever he does; he gets wrong.

Tru*p isn't happy with him; nor is Tony Blair. He's being attacked from all sides; even his own!

The US President recently said "We'll never forget the lack of support, from a once great ally". He also told Starmer not to bother with his little warship as the war was almost over! Macron has now helped-out in Cyprus instead. The French President told the residents of Cyprus that if they couldn't rely on the UK, they could always rely on France.

Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves..... Sadly not any more under Starmer. We are now a piss-poor naval nation!

Blair also rebuked him for not having backed the US right from the very beginning.

Of course, with such a huge Muslim population in the UK (who I expect are Labour voters) he doesn't wish to rock the boat. I'm sure both Churchill and Mrs T would never have considered such trivialities; but elections are looming, and he needs EVERY vote.!

This dreadful inditement of UK defence policy comes just as The Army holds a referendum about the wearing of makeup and hairstyles amongst the rank and file. With their new 'Woke' policy on 'gender', they are asking ordinary soldiers if they think they should be allowed to wear makeup and have their hair permed. I have yet to hear the results.

Shadow defence minister, Mark Francois noted "Replacing facial camouflage with mascara will hardly deter Putin". Well said MF! 

I believe that Starmer has now phoned Tru*p to apologise, and to attempt to repair the damage he's caused to the UK. Some bloody hope!

As further response to the Iran war, Starmer is to strengthen laws concerning 'Hostility towards Muslims'. They will create laws against 'Prejudicial Stereotyping', and general 'Disrespect'. It looks as if the pro-Hamas lobby has won yet again. I shall obviously need to be more cautious in the future, of what I say about terrorist groups. 

Oh dear oh dear. 'Will no-one rid us of this turbulent lawyer'???

p.s. I see that our little boat has now left harbour, and is heading for The Med'.

So, how's it going?

 

The new Green Waste bins system (that I was slightly dubious about) is now in operation, so I thought I'd have a look inside my nearest one.

It's been 10 days since they were 'open for use', and I suspect that, just like the nice little plastic boxes that were delivered to every home, the system is being ignored.

I have just looked inside my nearest bin, and there was NOTHING inside, not even the vestige of a rotting lettuce leaf. Rien de tout!

It's not that people here are anti composting or methane-ing. Most people, like Lady M, are very conscientious about recycling, etc. It's just that this is a recycle-too-far, and people can't be bothered.

We already have to sort through all our rubbish, and picking out that cabbage leaf or potato peel is just too much.

Maybe in time they WILL be used, but for the moment they remain unloved. I'm even wondering if the interior stainless steel bins won't soon attract the 'light-fingered' brigade, and they disappear just to end-up in people's gardens (not that I'm suggesting such a thing).

Butter

I'm very keen on butter. 

I think my very first awareness of butter as a product, was in France as a young 10 year old boy; I noticed that not only did it have a totally different taste to my usual post-war butter (which came from NZ), but it was also a different colour; it was almost white. Even so, there was something very 'haunting' about its flavour.

This has now changed and French butter is very similar to standard English butter, and equally uninteresting.

In France I always used to buy the excellent 'Buerre d'Isigny', but I don't see it on offer as much as I used to. It was excellent.

Meanwhile, here in the UK I have become bored with the blandness of the Sainsbury's butter that I usually buy.

In a recent Sunday Times, there was a breakdown of the very best UK butters, and the one that came out on top was Sainsbury's (yes, them again) 'Taste the Difference', West Country Farmhouse Butter with Maldon Sea Salt. The difference in quality is noticeable at once. It's more expensive of course, but you get what you pay for! You could almost eat this stuff by the spoon-full.

I also always have a small pack of Garlic & Herb butter in the freezer. I'm lazy, I know!

People tend to think of butter as just plain 'Butter', but it's not. Look around and you'll find some really nice butters; it's worth having at least one really good one in the fridge at all times.