Tuesday, September 19, 2017

WHEN PARANOIA TURNS TO MADNESS.

No one would argue that every nation and state has a responsibility to protect its citizens. But to what extent should they go to exercise their guardian ship? 
Today in England we saw the NANNY STATE in total overdrive.
What happened?
Why, a suspicious package was spotted under a bridge on a major motorway leading out of London.
Was some one sent to examine this bucket, or barrel, or box or what ever it was?
Absolutely not. 
Instead the WHOLE MOTOR WAY WAS SHUT DOWN FOR OVER FIVE HOURS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
 Robots and remote controlled sniffers were brought to the scene. Helicopters flew over head. Special police units were flown in. The army bomb squad was put on stand-by and all the experts studied the situation from long distance cameras. And what, may we ask, was in the barrel?  Nothing but corrosive chemicals that some truck driver had dumped to avoid going to the HazMat section in the local landfill.
Give us a break!
Two hundred thousand vehicles and some four hundred thousand people were held up for five hours. This amounts to the loss of two million man hours over a barrel of waste oil.
Surely Shakespeare has a play written about such nonsense. Yes, It is "Much ado about nothing."
Perhaps the terrorists are not the only people we need to protected from. The national nannies have become just as great a pain.
Jubilate 

Ian


Sunday, September 17, 2017

THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING RING.

If this had been an oversight or a loss by a privately run firm, heads would have rolled and a huge dragnet would have been set in motion. Not so when the institution happens to be the British Museum. Entrusted to their care was the priceless Cartier Ring. This irreplaceable piece of Jewelry had been a centre piece in their display until 2011. Then, in a general rearrangement within the museum, the ring went missing.
The police were not informed because, as was presumed, it had been simply MISLAID. However, after SIX YEARS of sorting through drawers and boxes the staff  have finally reported the ring as missing and PRESUMED STOLEN.
Well, well!
As one police spokesman drily remarked, it was probably an inside job and the chances of recovery after six years are slim to none.
Such a blasé attitude. Such incompetence. Such lack of professionalism, and we must add, such chicanery.
But in case your mind is boggled, just think of the words of Jesus Christ concerning the universal human neglect of something exceedingly more precious then the Cartier Ring. 
 Marks Gospel reads thus:
"What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
Two questions to which only we ourselves can supply the answer.
Breakfast with Ian. Maybe you can think about this simple post while you are enjoying your tea and toast this morning!
Jubilate.

Ian