I HOPE THAT YOU'RE OK

"I hope that you are OK" - I commented on Richard's increasingly infrequent blog and was about to inform him that I didn't post yesterday myself because I had an AF spike and wasn't feeling well.

This immediately made me think of 'parallel universing' (a Richard construction) where when someone tells a story, a listener indulges in one-upmanship by telling another, similar but often grander story. Think Monty Python's 'Four Yorkshiremen'.

The Four Yorkshiremen skit was borrowed from the earlier Peter Cook and Dudley Moore - Pete and Dud - in a Not Only But Also skit:

Now that's classic parallel universing.

WELL I'VE NEVER BEEN TO SPAIN, BUT I SURE DO LIKE ...

 ... their attitude.

The World Cup Football has reached the final stage with Spain set to play Argentina on Sunday (NZ time).

I will be barracking for Spain even though I supported Argentina in their semi-final match where they beat England yesterday.

Why do I care? 

I don't really as I don't follow soccer and most sports except that I like to watch the big events sometimes. Normally I wouldn't give a toss as to who wins as New Zealand in my lifetime will never be a contender but this time, due to geopolitical events, the outcome will be interesting.

You no doubt remember the orange idiot raging against Spain at the NATO summit in Turkey recently where Trump got his panties twisted over Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s refusal to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP and Spain’s ban on US forces using jointly operated military bases for offensive operations in Iran. 

Well, during the July NATO summit in Ankara, Trump ordered Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to halt all trade and commerce with Spain, calling the country a "terrible partner" and a "wasted cause". 

Sánchez in turn declared the US-Israeli campaign against Iran an "extraordinary mistake", denied US overflights, and capped Spain's defense budget at roughly 2.1% of GDP and played down Trump's threats, noting they had a "cordial" conversation at the summit and pointed out that similar US threats to halt commerce do not align with EU single-market trade rules. Well done that man!

"Well done that man"

Given this background, wouldn't it be great to see Spain win the FIFA World Cup in the final being played in USA especially when the orange idiot bullied FIFA into playing the American national anthem at the game (unprecedented in past tournaments).

... AND THE GLAD RAGS

Look, I admit it - I do moan about a few things and have complained about women's handbags in the past. See: HERE and HERE but it is forever a bone of contention.

What got me going again today is in finalising our booking for next month's flights to Australia. I've booked to include a suitcase each with a view to taking a small backpack as carry-on luggage to include my iPad, phone, wallet etc. No doubt I'll have to do battle to find overhead locker space for even this as there will be idiots taking on medium sized suitcases as carry on luggage. This has become a given and I'm used to it.

What I've never got used to though is that women will have stored luggage, a medium size suitcase as carry on luggage, probably a small backpack to carry the things like I put in mine .... plus a bloody great handbag that is larger than all the other shit they bring on-board. What's that about?

I also get pissed off when visiting art galleries, museums and public places where carry bags have to be checked in at the front desk. I use a small backpack to carry my phone, wallet and a water bottle and am forever asked to check this in. Going straight through though are women carrying handbags that are much bigger and cumbersome than my small backpack.

Sheesh!

TEARS IN MY EYES

My Trade Me auction for a Spode dinnerset was passed in .

It did have over 800 'views' but only one 'watcher'. 

It's a sad fact of life that nowadays 'good stuff' is largely unwanted or people don't want to pay sensible prices for quality, preferring to buy cheap shit on special at Briscoes or The Warehouse.

Ageing baby boomers, who I'm part of, are dying off and leaving their long-held treasures behind. Most often the younger members of the family don't want this stuff or have no room to store or display it in their modern houses and flats. The charity and junk shops are choc-a-bloc with lovely paintings, glassware, ornaments and classic china dinnerware. Sad really.

Before I listed on Trade Me I asked the owner of the multiple shops at Thorndon Antiques if he had any interest in the set. He almost broke down and tears came into his eyes as he told me that he had no room in his shops for ceramics and dinnerware and that people weren't buying quality stuff anymore.

What to do? I guess I will have to donate it to charity.

NEW POST - THE CURMUDGEONLY INVENTOR

 

DON'T SPIT THE DUMMY

FAKE NEWS

 The orange idiot continues to blather about 'fake news' on anything that doesn't fit his lying narrative or anything which is critical of him.

Today I watched a (real) news report about the Trump administration issuing subpoenas against New York Times journalists over their reporting on the new Air Force One presidential airplane. They have been subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury after a story detailed security concerns with the Qatar-gifted plane that Trump flew to Turkey on.

The airplane at the center of the Times report was provided by Qatar as a $400m gift. It took Donald Trump to the Nato summit in Turkey. Trump however then flew part of the way back to the US on an older-model Air Force One presidential airplane. That happened amid the collapse of the ceasefire with Iran, which shares a border with Turkey and which caused concern for Trump's safety and speculation that the  Qatari-gifted jet lacked certain security systems. The Times reported on these concerns and that Trump flew some of the return trip from Turkey on an older Air Force One that is equipped with special security features at the request of the Secret Service.

Trump subsequently denied any security concerns, telling reporters who were accompanying him that no safeguard-related worries factored into the decision to fly only part of the way home in the new Air Force One.

Of course Trump and his cronies deny this and make out that it is fake news.

This is becoming par for the course with this guy and his gang but it's especially galling that he claims he invented the term and concept of 'fake news (see above). 

While in no way claiming that I invented 'fake news' The Curmudgeon has from day one used this form of communication in this very blog. Careful readers will have seen, on the home page this notice:

They will also have read on numerous occasions my assertion that The Curmudgeon never lets the truth get in the way of a good story - an aphorism often attributed to Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) but that is disputed. I'll claim it then.

Thank you for your attention in this matter.

SHOO OFF!

 I'm going to moan about something now so, if you don't like it you can shoo off and, on your way, look up the meaning of curmudgeon. Look, I'll help you:

You might remember that in previous posts I wrote about the trouble I had with a pair of hiking boots that were not a good fit for me. I gave these away to Robert.

I later purchased some Salomon hiking shoes which I wrote about:

It's turned out that these are hurting my toes and are not what was advertised - WIDE FITTING.

It looks like I cannot get a refund so I wrote a scathing review on Salomons' web page and on a hiking web page. While doing so I noticed that I'm not the only one who has had problems with these hiking shoes not being fit for purpose. See:

I guess I'll be using my Sketchers 'old man slipper' type shoes instead on the Kakadu day hike. While not robust at least they'll be comfortable.

NEW POST - THE WINE GUY

 

SEMPER AD MELIORA

THE LOW SPARK OF ...

 It's a dreary and cold day today with a strong chance of rain so I'm not expecting much news from the blogs.

Robert (or his AI friends) however, wrote a bleak post that's fitting with the weather or in keeping with ancient stoicism or early Christian martyrdom - that I guess continues his religious theme.

I'm not sure what Richard will be doing other than fiddling about with his old instruments. Maybe he'll go and get a haircut.

"I got a haircut today"

I cannot get emails on my ipad or my iPhone so will visit a Spark store today to try and get it sorted. The problem started last week when a message from Spark (received on this computer which is now the only way I can communicate) told me that they had switched over to 4G technology and older 3G and 2G compatible devices would no longer receive emails. As I pay a lot of money to Spark for my mobile (our broadband account is with One NZ) I want them to sort it out. The phone is near new so I don't know why that isn't operating properly but the iPad is old generation so no doubt I'll have to buy a new one - certainly before we go to Australia next month.

Sure Robert, I know that I should be able to receive emails on the ipad using Broadband but it isn't happening. I need Spark to explain themselves.

NO NEWS TODAY

 

I've been very busy doing other things.

You'll find the 'junk mail' in Richards various comments.