Here's a more bloggish entry where towards the end I do get a little political perhaps. We've discussed politics here before and if you wish to engage in debate about anything I've expressed here then please do, all I ask is that we keep it civil.
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My electric kettle died today. I woke up, emptied kettle, half filled kettle, plonked kettle on power supply base and switched it on. And… bugger-all. It be dead, no go, kaput, lifeless. It was manufactured by Breville and was 12 years old, so not a bad innings.
Checked plug fuse, that was ok. Opened base, 240 volts present at switch but only have continuity to negative side of element when switch in closed position, positive side from switch to element is open circuit. The switch looks and feels like a relay type affair and is sealed so can’t repair.
So short of bypassing the positive side of the switch to the element with a piece of wire, there seems to be nowt I can do. The switch unit looks problematic to replace, even if one was available to buy. Figure it’s twelve years old and has a fair amount of limescale so I bin it, head down to Argos at Lewisham and buy another Breville kettle which is all black and lights up, looking really far out and groovy. You will note my use of hip sixties vernacular there.
Returning home on the DLR (that’s the Docklands Light Railway for those unfamiliar with the inner London transport systems) I cop the front seat and I wonder how other passengers would react if I made out I was an engine driver, steering the train and making ‘w00-woo’ and ‘chuff-chuff’ noises or perhaps breaking into a chorus of Train Train or Chattanooga Choo Choo. I’m sure many folks make out they’re the driver in that position or perhaps I am the only loony in this neck of the woods, who knows?
I see on the BBC news that a 15 year old was stabbed to death at a North Romford Community centre in Essex and note with some annoyance the BBC refer to this area as ‘North London’. So when did Essex have London post codes?
More interesting was the picture of the community centre on the BBC news showed it was flying the England flag, the red cross on a white background depicting St George, England’s patron saint. I thought to myself I do see this flag flown publicly in many places and also the Union Jack flag flown in even more public places.
And this fact makes a nonsense of the dozens of Facebook posts and memes I see from whingers who constantly claim we’re not allowed to fly the British or English flag as it offends immigrants. This is the self-pitying card being played to stir up hatred and mistrust of anybody who might be a little different from ‘us’ and specifically against Muslims. The people who post these mistruths are usually closet racists and would have us believe that every Muslim is a member of Al Qeda and intent on carrying out terrorist atrocities in Great Britain. Indeed, they say there’s nothing every Muslim would like better than for Islam to rule worldwide with the establishment of an Islamic caliphate.
Which is a nonsense, the common sense dictates that the majority of Muslims – in the UK and worldwide – just want to live peacefully and be left alone just like the rest of us. Having said that, I like to think I’m not foolish and recognise that there is a real threat from Muslim terrorists and that hate preachers do operate in some mosques attempting to recruit the likes of suicide bombers.
Similarly I object strongly to certain factions trying to establish Sharia law and can only agree with the more disagreeable elements of society who state that whoever lives in a certain region should adhere to the laws of that region.
But all this tosh about British lawkeepers, councils, schools and universities etc banning the Union Jack and English flag? 99.9% rubbish. There was a labour politician, a councillor I believe, who stated that anybody who flew the flag of St George was a racist and I can only say I think he was a complete pillock. The fool made that statement around seven years ago and the whingers regularly bring it up even now. I wonder if he realised how much harm he was doing when he said that?
You want to fly your English flag? Go ahead and fly it. If you have a British passport then fly your flag and feel proud. For myself, I care not for flags or nationalism but I can understand others wanting to show their colours.
Right, got that little rant of me chest, just ate a late lunch accompanied with a tin of Black Grape, when it goes down and I have fully digested my sustenance, I will partake of some alcoholic beverages which may be either Guinness, red wine or maybe even a dash of cognac, it is Sunday after all.
Did they play "Up The Junction" (one of my favourites) which I just found on YT - that lead singer must have a painting in his attic, because he hasn't changed very much has he?
