tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84067862024-03-28T15:10:58.245+00:00In The Village, Astcote, NorthamptonshireAstcote's in Northamptonshire, England. It's where I wake up most mornings, again.Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.comBlogger444125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-81996116773216891512024-03-28T15:09:00.010+00:002024-03-28T15:09:57.775+00:00It's a mad worldThings are not improving in the world. Indeed, I am becoming increasingly frustrated with the Powers That Be on several fronts. There is the farcical situation in Scotland as from a few days time when people will be able to drop in at one of hundreds of Reporting Centres and make accusations anonymously against whomsoever they please which will be recorded by Police Scotland and, extraordinarily it seems, listed as a hate crime on one’s police offences record which would be visible on any DBS documents that have to be provided to an employer for many types of new or continued employment. <br /><br />In order to make a complaint an individual appears merely to state that they have been offended by something said and this might even apply not only to something reported by a child as being said by a parent or by a fictitious character in a story. <br /><br />From April it will become a crime to use “threatening or abusive” behaviour with the intention of stirring up hatred on the basis of religion, age, disability, sexual orientation and transgender identity. The definition of what comprises “threatening” or “abusive” appears to favour the perception of the reporter rather than any evidenced belief or views of the person accused. So if I lived in Scotland I could pop into one of these Centres and claim that a neighbour or just someone in the street or at work was saying things or behaving in a way that I found threatening or abusive and that would be that for the person concerned. No-one will be checking whether anything was said or not, never mind the extent to which it might be threatening or abusive or the degree to which I might wish to cause trouble for anyone by such action. It’s all crazy stuff and actually quite scary and those journalists who have had the courage to start writing about this are comparing the scene up across the border to life as it might have been with Stasi intervention and reporting my people on one another in East Germany in the 1960s. I use the word “courage” in the previous remark as you may have figured out that the journalists themselves could well find themselves reported as they, by showing disagreement or objection to the new law, could be regarded by some as expressing threatening or abusive behaviour, depending upon the words used and how they are perceived by someone north of the border. You see they could even report me for writing this as it will be visible to any demented soul in Scotland who may wish to claim that I am threatening or abusive.<br /><br />What particularly strikes me about all this is not so much the content of the legislation but the fact that anything like this has been allowed to develop in Britain. Have our politicians no belief in freedom of speech any more? Are they too scared to upset someone by defending our rights to say and think what we please without fear? Is this not so fundamental as to eclipse all other matters that parliament needs to deal with? We gave Scotland devolution in order to placate demands for more independence and allow Scots to have a government more reflective of their own beliefs on the assumption that, certainly on local matters, those who live in or around an area are more likely to comprehend and deal with matters arising there. At no point did we in the United Kingdom as a whole reckon on the government at Edinburgh, whatever colour it may be, making decisions on matters such as gender, disability, sexual orientation etc. These are issues on which there probably needs to be no legislation whatsoever but, if someone can think of something that needs to have rules then those rules must surely have much wider application that just to those in a particular location within the United Kingdom.<br /><br />There is a policy whereby the British government at Westminster, responsible for the whole of the United Kingdom, should step in when a law is proposed for one of the devolved countries which has implications for the nation as a whole and surely if anything needs to be so protected it is the right to free speech throughout the UK.<br /><br />That I should need to question such freedom being at risk when there is a Conservative government at Westminster is all the more extraordinary. It is as if no-one really cares. With almost everyone now expecting a Socialist government to take over at Westminster within a year we are, as the old Scots bloke used to say in the Dad’s Army TV series, “all doomed, we’re all doomed.” Except it isn’t funny.<br /><br />Then it is now more than two years since Russia invaded Ukraine and have effectively demolished vast areas, cities and claimed ownership of substantial tracts of the country in the East and South East. At first there was great hope when Ukraine showed just how good they were at defending themselves and, with great moral support from across the West generally, set about pushing back Russian advances. Now so many governments seem to have found excuses for not sending equipment or ammunition. The United States promised huge assistance but just a handful of guys we’ve never really heard of before in charge of making decisions have simply stopped anything happening. Promises broken left, right and centre. We all mouth our determination that Russia should not succeed but we seem to do very little about it. <br /><br />The prospect does now loom that Ukraine will shrink to the parts to the West of Kyiv and south down to Odessa but maybe not even including that old city. Ukraine have virtually destroyed Russian naval capabilities in the region but nevertheless look like losing access to their own coastline and to become landlocked and unable easily to export anything as effectively as they used to.<br /><br />Why are we so frightened of actually doing something which would end the nightmare for the Ukrainian people? Concerted action by a combined force representing a range of countries from Europe, United States, the British Commonwealth and whoever else cares which puts troops on the ground and equipment where it needs to be is what is needed to call Putin’s bluff. The only reason we don’t do this is because we are scared. We are scared on several levels. The obvious one is the threat that Putin and his comrades utter about flattening London with a nuclear attack or causing a tsunami by blasting somewhere in the ocean nearby that floods the British Isles. (Or for those in other countries replace London and other locations as appropriate.) We do have systems to intercept missiles. Ukraine, with its comparatively low-tech (initially, at any rate) detection systems managed to knock out the vast majority of Russian missiles of all sorts, including some pretty advanced stuff. There’s nothing very different about spotting a nuclear missile on its way and knocking that out before it causes any damage. So we should have some confidence in our defence systems and the fact that anything thrown at us would most surely see the return in Russia’s direction of a whole barrage from every NATO country which would certainly result in the complete destruction of Russia as a viable place to function militarily from that moment. We should know that Putin knows that and he simply is not going to fire anything like that at a NATO country. Perhaps we are scared that our depleted Army, Navy and Airforce resources would not function well and allow damage to be done here, even if it were not of the disastrous nuclear type. That is a reasonable fear as there is no doubt that we have far smaller troop numbers and equipment numbers than at any time before. We thought all that old-fashioned sort of fighting had stopped years ago. We watched how the US got beaten soundly in Vietnam and reckoned we wouldn’t even try. We did well to wrest back the Falklands from Argentina but they were hardly the most challenging of enemy. We stood by after 9/11, 7/7 and atrocities many since, talking about how bad everything was and how terrible terrorists are but hardly excelled ourselves in the field of battle in the few places we did have a go. No-one talks about Afghanistan any more. So, yes, Britain may not rule the waves these days but, with all the NATO allies and especially with France rampant at this particular time, we should not show such fear and we should say we need to do this. Someone needs to help Ukraine and the only way to do that is to be there and show Putin that he really will bring a whole load of shit down on himself and his countrymen and women if he does not withdraw.<br /><br />There will almost certainly have to be an uncomfortable few weeks when Putin will not want to be shown as being beaten and some pride will need to be swallowed, I fear, with some gains by Russia being allowed to stand. I suggest a sort of independent control placed in the Eastern areas where, quite frankly, there is little Ukraine interest any more and the extent of devastation inflicted by idiot Russian attacks has rendered the areas pretty damn useless for anyone anyway. I would expect Crimea to be placed under similar independent control while people sort out its history and just who should govern the place. Ukraine has a lot of history on its side in that respect but there are some Russian arguments too which deserve attention before the place is either sliced up or given to one or the other. Otherwise Ukraine should be restored much as it was and it should be Russia that pays the whole rice of reparation. That cost will be huge and would need to come from duties from whatever products they sell in future as well as sale of whatever assets we have already acquired and do not need to return. Putin will probably escape prosecution by some means, the most likely being such a protracted and lengthy process of accusation and evidence-building, or even deciding how to go about it, that he either dies or retires comparatively gracefully and we let him get away with it because we can’t be bothered to do anything else. <br /><br />The big thing I would insist upon would be the removal of all nuclear facilities from Russia. It would be unreasonable to expect them to be given to a NATO country but they most definitely should not stay there to allow some future foolish president to start this all over again. We have enough trouble in North Korea with unpredictable people more concerned with threatening us than feeding their own people. So who would look after the massive arsenal I don’t know and I would even suggest that the whole operation is done quietly and secretly, behind the scenes. That avoids embarrassment for the stupid people who started all this and also stops the world being obsessed with it all. I don’t particularly want anyone to get away with the terrible damage and suffering they caused in Ukraine but in the crucial period of negotiations on matters we need the co-operation of people in power in Russia today until it’s all said and done. <br /><br />Then, by all means, we can shout victory, give Putin the biggest V sign in the history of the world and jail anyone we don’t like over there. Hopefully the Russian people will eventually come to their senses and become weaned off the diet of Socialist TV and newspapers and start to appreciate what life should really be like for free people as we assist new broadcasters and publishers slowly to get real facts and a range of different opinions voiced in their country. With a bit of luck they’ll elect some decent leaders in years to come and we might even return some of the weapons.<br /><br />I don’t expect many Russians will want to visit Scotland for a while, though.<br /><br />Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-11598196589899302352023-10-27T10:16:00.001+01:002023-10-27T10:16:58.280+01:00Index Librorum ProhibitorumThe University of Cambridge’s national library has been accused of blacklisting books in a “sinister, Orwellian and alarming” new decolonisation drive, after officials asked lecturers to flag “problematic” books that might be “offensive/harmful”.<br /><br />Examples of “problematic” books are being sought from across the university’s colleges, with officials planning to draw up guidance for librarians and readers on how to cope with them.<br /><br />In a memo sent to college librarians, the University Library said: “We would like to hear from colleagues across Cambridge about any books you have had flagged to you as problematic (for any reason, not just in connection with decolonisation issues), so that we can compile a list of examples on the Cambridge Librarians intranet and think the problem through in more detail on the basis of that list.”<div><br /></div><div><i>[Free Speech Union article from Freddie Attenborough, Communications Officer, 27/10/23]</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>This is quite wrong. I am beginning to despair of academics and middle managers in this country, not to mention the total lack of courage of what sems to be the vast majority of those in charge to stand up to them.</div>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-14984769382714495842023-10-17T13:30:00.003+01:002023-10-17T13:30:24.606+01:00Latvia: a few days in October<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxiDT6lq8mukwYjpnmLDFudMIB_5ntyaO3cABc4kxgtWLlr1aRZgTdZ5sO74n9Rx80eAdau18fXMFlDtyZP4DIqJYbOAk8S5CUdQZTRKjvNxbcFalJ_aqtRurY1Sugyv_JaTBhRsZ9gVOpADYJ9BmIzUGR3QjmF-pF-XbRZBEhzYdRnH8oIYzDpw/s3524/IMG20231004165604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2058" data-original-width="3524" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxiDT6lq8mukwYjpnmLDFudMIB_5ntyaO3cABc4kxgtWLlr1aRZgTdZ5sO74n9Rx80eAdau18fXMFlDtyZP4DIqJYbOAk8S5CUdQZTRKjvNxbcFalJ_aqtRurY1Sugyv_JaTBhRsZ9gVOpADYJ9BmIzUGR3QjmF-pF-XbRZBEhzYdRnH8oIYzDpw/w640-h374/IMG20231004165604.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One of the first things you notice about Latvia is that you can see a long way, there are lots of trees, usually in the distance and everything is very clean and tidy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47NO8RyeOU-kCdNFEIrmrbuJnuRy30mKhozE_EPO2-yXnoz_hueVetAwDN58sUgA1m_QZ4Qw6SIqfhkiZr12N31boTzuT0eZmQr7Wf9dV321X-8z0wlNEhbxoAalXaUx39XlZ75pSVB48uGrI4IL8E08rL7z4tENIlY9Fg3kVaEqRTlPHXUh2Aw/s4096/IMG20231004173231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47NO8RyeOU-kCdNFEIrmrbuJnuRy30mKhozE_EPO2-yXnoz_hueVetAwDN58sUgA1m_QZ4Qw6SIqfhkiZr12N31boTzuT0eZmQr7Wf9dV321X-8z0wlNEhbxoAalXaUx39XlZ75pSVB48uGrI4IL8E08rL7z4tENIlY9Fg3kVaEqRTlPHXUh2Aw/w480-h640/IMG20231004173231.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">They also like green, and odd shades of green. This is a library and an apartment block in Juanjelgava.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG70431p5x7oRiP4_HEKYkIc-2lp64Tmkg-UCKo8L8t_GBe5lZ_dhv4nD9D1bMLPjsjAMVHUvBWVMvlWhuD3wWJyAJ-0GdfgDYKNb0FfFHtouceiy4ZBIO-M3EvuSMocNON5O9vN4O7eVsXRQ3EDysyKbCNFedOC0WH3M8zo7pdLX7f9KN3aWJhQ/s4096/IMG20231004172059~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG70431p5x7oRiP4_HEKYkIc-2lp64Tmkg-UCKo8L8t_GBe5lZ_dhv4nD9D1bMLPjsjAMVHUvBWVMvlWhuD3wWJyAJ-0GdfgDYKNb0FfFHtouceiy4ZBIO-M3EvuSMocNON5O9vN4O7eVsXRQ3EDysyKbCNFedOC0WH3M8zo7pdLX7f9KN3aWJhQ/w480-h640/IMG20231004172059~2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here in the main street of the small town old timber houses still stand. The pavement and roads are all clean and fresh with many Latvian flags flying but the old buildings seem to lack that element of pride in external appearance found across the old Soviet countries.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV7TeKuUNnu1Jt2ELwhpErMt-QFMhKX4VdOcNAYWPKDLbd9qx7OxGZX-1lSl1BVCiULytlofZH0wAPZcUUPEErLDbZZ1bxiL0zArspuAW0pWVGi7-Z9GmEl3xb03wWlEMPYLoWFQaKPMS9TOwMkssm1D1XQDowYKJ5yFxYeCiJLD_ZrBID2bI0_A/s4096/IMG20231004165916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV7TeKuUNnu1Jt2ELwhpErMt-QFMhKX4VdOcNAYWPKDLbd9qx7OxGZX-1lSl1BVCiULytlofZH0wAPZcUUPEErLDbZZ1bxiL0zArspuAW0pWVGi7-Z9GmEl3xb03wWlEMPYLoWFQaKPMS9TOwMkssm1D1XQDowYKJ5yFxYeCiJLD_ZrBID2bI0_A/w480-h640/IMG20231004165916.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">At one moment the sky is blue and then, not much later . . .</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kzaJj8HFA3m_rfsCtWK5_FQqKoZzxklTMX5rovBmeJDQ_nOT9FwkvJpDYq3R5jPK3WPrpTcOy456QSMrGE6zZ4yzSTyxsycYru0qV2AFqdQKg84OX1IM6eCNGHOQl2eHSUNbvCK7bDtgQroY60mxJZ4pVfRDbNfMD_1SmvPeG2E27RMO8L92eQ/s4096/IMG20231004165638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kzaJj8HFA3m_rfsCtWK5_FQqKoZzxklTMX5rovBmeJDQ_nOT9FwkvJpDYq3R5jPK3WPrpTcOy456QSMrGE6zZ4yzSTyxsycYru0qV2AFqdQKg84OX1IM6eCNGHOQl2eHSUNbvCK7bDtgQroY60mxJZ4pVfRDbNfMD_1SmvPeG2E27RMO8L92eQ/w480-h640/IMG20231004165638.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">October rain clouds appear.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On our visit, rain was forecast for all day, every day, from 4 - 12 October. However, as the photos will show as we go through our travels, there was actually very little rain in the day. Most fell at night or late afternoon / evening and we seldom had to shelter or use windscreen wipers! We might have just been lucky but the Latvia we experienced was cool and crystal clear.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3GdEvaigaYRXGIRDnm2Uqi3-i-4sbClewrKcLO89RXvJGu7wcaFp_CWmN8QAZ9kf1GVyp0qoKhlBFHtEHiBxWzeTR7MsvOHl3obB2cdYhx4_X9QQFV9jcQc55EwFeCPGUAc4dl28ymQ9WzqXYTQDoAAe2QCdWO8a2AJF5Vwi6vW45RGexTHayA/s4096/IMG20231006135234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3GdEvaigaYRXGIRDnm2Uqi3-i-4sbClewrKcLO89RXvJGu7wcaFp_CWmN8QAZ9kf1GVyp0qoKhlBFHtEHiBxWzeTR7MsvOHl3obB2cdYhx4_X9QQFV9jcQc55EwFeCPGUAc4dl28ymQ9WzqXYTQDoAAe2QCdWO8a2AJF5Vwi6vW45RGexTHayA/w640-h480/IMG20231006135234.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's not easy to stop on Latvia's main roads. They have wide grass verges but slightly lower and I could never be confident of getting back on the tarmac again if I did decide to stop. Instead I found it simplest to wait for a convenient bus stop to check a route or look around. It was the same if you took a wrong turning; the road may be dead quiet but not quite wide enough to make a three- or, more likely for the bigger car we had hired, seven-point turn safely. There were turns but all at right angles into small vehicle-wide unmade tracks which, again, prevented a chance to turn back. Often we finished up in some woodland where we finally found a place on the track to make a turn!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There are many parks and all seem well-organised and attractive to tourists. Above is a park near Gauja where there are many well-marked pathways (and the only car park where we had to pay to park). The toilets at every place we stopped were excellent, even those plastic portable box types seem to be regularly cleaned and kept nicely. Those in fuel stations were amazing, compared to the dreadful facilities we're used to here in Britain.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_oIo6uBclzMLAVYCuQ6P_OKu2m3AoBQ6X-3WcXwWI3JdfVZ0Ydf4AnU7i_6S0s2JEJhB94VLLem3fuiJZ6zy2S-ncQimyVv1jkxiecr9L56WTNWhcQS4epmJAeOz2yXgzyPZx5g_FU0e3hixpzVqx3U2S3I4jlDBYHbo12Rt_bOPBlN3XHL6Kw/s3264/IMG20231006143155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_oIo6uBclzMLAVYCuQ6P_OKu2m3AoBQ6X-3WcXwWI3JdfVZ0Ydf4AnU7i_6S0s2JEJhB94VLLem3fuiJZ6zy2S-ncQimyVv1jkxiecr9L56WTNWhcQS4epmJAeOz2yXgzyPZx5g_FU0e3hixpzVqx3U2S3I4jlDBYHbo12Rt_bOPBlN3XHL6Kw/w480-h640/IMG20231006143155.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Gauja river looks muddy but I am not entirely sure why. It looked pretty clear to me at the time.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQAHzgVdm2mMzDW9TizyDO06nS62D-gbG3SZWkWwoLzLK37muYwY2OmmKI_SRGy2hlCrVNGDIDI2Df1ifgvJe8E1q-GK2w6_H2mypox60aj7Ao8VqD4Lp7Da8UwFnzk4AY9vljsh0RRYFD9h9GJ0Ey6xXKI1VLUFZAs2IT0x7SYAPwhZalPIZlw/s4096/IMG20231006170245~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQAHzgVdm2mMzDW9TizyDO06nS62D-gbG3SZWkWwoLzLK37muYwY2OmmKI_SRGy2hlCrVNGDIDI2Df1ifgvJe8E1q-GK2w6_H2mypox60aj7Ao8VqD4Lp7Da8UwFnzk4AY9vljsh0RRYFD9h9GJ0Ey6xXKI1VLUFZAs2IT0x7SYAPwhZalPIZlw/w640-h480/IMG20231006170245~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This particular park also had a cable car running from the nearby town across the huge forest.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUruyzzRq1y66wtyr3a9gpaHZeUOei8y2CEsvod62uPkMbK9F13Ss4pJKcCku-xiDEh8itqvwITvBJ3hRjh0NKaPNiESHY_fyYyINlXsO0O_8PGRIk1j2LiQZtYn9UTZmYTMD6DkSdzdF1UtcJM8w90tMuS-LpoLu3J2wBKL0hm3tvtr0gJ5ayiQ/s4096/IMG20231006170550~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUruyzzRq1y66wtyr3a9gpaHZeUOei8y2CEsvod62uPkMbK9F13Ss4pJKcCku-xiDEh8itqvwITvBJ3hRjh0NKaPNiESHY_fyYyINlXsO0O_8PGRIk1j2LiQZtYn9UTZmYTMD6DkSdzdF1UtcJM8w90tMuS-LpoLu3J2wBKL0hm3tvtr0gJ5ayiQ/w480-h640/IMG20231006170550~2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Autumn had just stared to produce some colours other than green.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7iGeOmMX3sAeqXnyCzj6K0k65KulXAD7BcNO5aKBJsnaRbQfJmAbm0ikLRISxbCg31Lyd0GeSXfsynr_Dn_JyriE4oTo_CGnYdSQ953UxZlPszhUe-hVCdwMseSExobIq8ixQlZkxpHPjL5CskVGIKdPDqEv99tcJE5TE1u954lOSZLul45dDQ/s4096/IMG20231006174127~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7iGeOmMX3sAeqXnyCzj6K0k65KulXAD7BcNO5aKBJsnaRbQfJmAbm0ikLRISxbCg31Lyd0GeSXfsynr_Dn_JyriE4oTo_CGnYdSQ953UxZlPszhUe-hVCdwMseSExobIq8ixQlZkxpHPjL5CskVGIKdPDqEv99tcJE5TE1u954lOSZLul45dDQ/w640-h480/IMG20231006174127~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Latvia has lots of castles.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWxCKmwrSV8WT0jDc6O7gkVZLQsGf8ihiE41FSStoXKQ3Q873V-V4TSgyibufjUJHY4VH5JDqBtLsjO7msPWR1dVLyqFTZ3VubUfAVrhYEK05dI3uriUA9wtM_8PMQLphqakjq0HNko_aVPDQYz_yUiphZ8l8w6kYUhaxv1a8CI9XPV1-4tZXQg/s4096/IMG20231006174417~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWxCKmwrSV8WT0jDc6O7gkVZLQsGf8ihiE41FSStoXKQ3Q873V-V4TSgyibufjUJHY4VH5JDqBtLsjO7msPWR1dVLyqFTZ3VubUfAVrhYEK05dI3uriUA9wtM_8PMQLphqakjq0HNko_aVPDQYz_yUiphZ8l8w6kYUhaxv1a8CI9XPV1-4tZXQg/w480-h640/IMG20231006174417~2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Every view seems dominated by trees.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_Z6tS2VsaQNJn8Mn22tNvZtE4xvyrKaRmwNJq-8YXXSO1XFtesg8DWYQGYoxspLnwTg95GAR_X5tLiSQVvF215fn8LE6gVal4V971ulem4kSRKfHfgB14YoGFlAYahfRIt6JIHbnILTi9ETaIAePXgBigH_fRgYKeNGhd2ZbnviSbhyEZMDM2w/s4096/IMG20231007123606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_Z6tS2VsaQNJn8Mn22tNvZtE4xvyrKaRmwNJq-8YXXSO1XFtesg8DWYQGYoxspLnwTg95GAR_X5tLiSQVvF215fn8LE6gVal4V971ulem4kSRKfHfgB14YoGFlAYahfRIt6JIHbnILTi9ETaIAePXgBigH_fRgYKeNGhd2ZbnviSbhyEZMDM2w/w480-h640/IMG20231007123606.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A path in a forest near Koknese. More trees, of course.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguamKfhP6CUxh5nk62iM2-zZx4gzNTg5XKrrC9QBTtV7AYIF8xsbTMSQVU-ZF_UDwYatr4BTvNsxtQQG9L1nlty28v_mvNQD06MTXRomBM_0IvRLfjVG6-9166MmI2gO6THyVz3ELTcS_-X-4Ii7GtsRtPHaHB5NpcpOK1Z0KUpV9Lu9OhsS-7_A/s4096/IMG20231007123717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguamKfhP6CUxh5nk62iM2-zZx4gzNTg5XKrrC9QBTtV7AYIF8xsbTMSQVU-ZF_UDwYatr4BTvNsxtQQG9L1nlty28v_mvNQD06MTXRomBM_0IvRLfjVG6-9166MmI2gO6THyVz3ELTcS_-X-4Ii7GtsRtPHaHB5NpcpOK1Z0KUpV9Lu9OhsS-7_A/w640-h480/IMG20231007123717.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Daugava river is impressive and runs from Riga right across the country. Almost the whole of its length provides beautiful scenery.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrkTfncdf4pL-vz2_122Q4D7rOTTFumUhHeM03Dah5LZ3ttLk_aDAPJZUcGwr9ukPGHsFuU5kJGbazX7pdGm1iKa4c5qb6Wx-N9C7erw6XKoc2RvDenOv9FSk9QjB7v1SGbH8Clpddo_Dmr9G6A8Z5XSN6NxM_SuB0OjlU7aekWHBKEpsHr0Ysw/s4096/IMG20231007124118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrkTfncdf4pL-vz2_122Q4D7rOTTFumUhHeM03Dah5LZ3ttLk_aDAPJZUcGwr9ukPGHsFuU5kJGbazX7pdGm1iKa4c5qb6Wx-N9C7erw6XKoc2RvDenOv9FSk9QjB7v1SGbH8Clpddo_Dmr9G6A8Z5XSN6NxM_SuB0OjlU7aekWHBKEpsHr0Ysw/w480-h640/IMG20231007124118.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There is plenty of room for people in these places. Nowhere did we find annoying bodies spoiling the view, nor litter of any description at all.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBu3AeyDySUwcPInhc8kRsSWqLzBrNtw10OPh0womJYIHeEGdBjrp6oUKsYpWNacC-INNUDGQZqN_1_tOuBYZl4RIxjwhBZHWqmY2ktXA4s_Kbk8XX8bTv5GULiMgkA0H5MY4ix360fmVRUPfTvmXErHalfm2bM21yLQ9_v0CtATn2OHpfXfcwxw/s4096/IMG20231007125550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBu3AeyDySUwcPInhc8kRsSWqLzBrNtw10OPh0womJYIHeEGdBjrp6oUKsYpWNacC-INNUDGQZqN_1_tOuBYZl4RIxjwhBZHWqmY2ktXA4s_Kbk8XX8bTv5GULiMgkA0H5MY4ix360fmVRUPfTvmXErHalfm2bM21yLQ9_v0CtATn2OHpfXfcwxw/w480-h640/IMG20231007125550.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Old castles in varying degrees of dilapidation or rebuilding are open to clamber around, with plenty of those classic 'frames' for photos!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_C9nsLdz1hNjiFEDpUXMPnCiHeML6I0xdyOMQwO8O5XUH7SEsVQ26VFgX9YK_3j7ldwXbZQSRXNXSE4-chAfoNLuEh6OP7vx7IEhKPP2Q19EaCfFL517ueZ-DL4W0HoSNGyUKCPhDe7OElhGbO3EVJ3-tuq_j6fUV3tpU9KgL0qC6SQMYrkeQw/s4096/IMG20231007125609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_C9nsLdz1hNjiFEDpUXMPnCiHeML6I0xdyOMQwO8O5XUH7SEsVQ26VFgX9YK_3j7ldwXbZQSRXNXSE4-chAfoNLuEh6OP7vx7IEhKPP2Q19EaCfFL517ueZ-DL4W0HoSNGyUKCPhDe7OElhGbO3EVJ3-tuq_j6fUV3tpU9KgL0qC6SQMYrkeQw/w480-h640/IMG20231007125609.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6U6vX4u_S6ZQ9OGjxFL0bhXbQfShCvQ8jwZ3IyF_9czKpyOnk_wxDcJmDed1oVLCnenk91cfeCWvA2DWq9AggTfyv7RlntNgGEkBO-7EBaE9bfuTXOo__gzuJMfXyCXdURW6x9HJMg2Jp7s48O1C5AkMUlBIY4dcu4mJhu3SEQTxuoAYcM8h-Q/s3264/IMG20231007125729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6U6vX4u_S6ZQ9OGjxFL0bhXbQfShCvQ8jwZ3IyF_9czKpyOnk_wxDcJmDed1oVLCnenk91cfeCWvA2DWq9AggTfyv7RlntNgGEkBO-7EBaE9bfuTXOo__gzuJMfXyCXdURW6x9HJMg2Jp7s48O1C5AkMUlBIY4dcu4mJhu3SEQTxuoAYcM8h-Q/w480-h640/IMG20231007125729.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-opAhbxOKOD9OP7lNGA6Gu6Lu428RLUuT3QxneX3I_WiQudAOanOr2PkDfTFTbyHFaNKpmLisaXDXgvamGZgvYagUrvwr_bC2WROPm6cnCt3yWtHpj6haq4Mml4gYd9NZjYWzdcGrzPuxSvuGw9kZuYJxIcuuYHILY1Lvp7IUHJD_ea8QNa2LQ/s4096/IMG20231007130125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-opAhbxOKOD9OP7lNGA6Gu6Lu428RLUuT3QxneX3I_WiQudAOanOr2PkDfTFTbyHFaNKpmLisaXDXgvamGZgvYagUrvwr_bC2WROPm6cnCt3yWtHpj6haq4Mml4gYd9NZjYWzdcGrzPuxSvuGw9kZuYJxIcuuYHILY1Lvp7IUHJD_ea8QNa2LQ/w640-h480/IMG20231007130125.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The blue skies continued to defy the predictions of rain.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-lq1rATxBL0Lv6AXN9a6iSnHbanCCHQ2oDOq1CJYc4B2rWBDJMt7aRF9sybMKYzz_HO7M1mkLu15dM-gFb5ZCUloYKRRFBLB2r0RI8SOcmfC2QBFyg3FgbNUQpzxpuSSLgZhusEOBRBC92i0TzrkU-CloAzLPnXyneX6yGprxLE4GaeKCx4orw/s4096/IMG20231007132649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-lq1rATxBL0Lv6AXN9a6iSnHbanCCHQ2oDOq1CJYc4B2rWBDJMt7aRF9sybMKYzz_HO7M1mkLu15dM-gFb5ZCUloYKRRFBLB2r0RI8SOcmfC2QBFyg3FgbNUQpzxpuSSLgZhusEOBRBC92i0TzrkU-CloAzLPnXyneX6yGprxLE4GaeKCx4orw/w640-h480/IMG20231007132649.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1-QgNW1WHfkgsHopt_7Hi3Kb9TqKYCPcWNcvU_ByZkNtYEYRFLzcw1WZsG5XJNgclIEtM24qycZMJoJ-1uYIkJv8VfyoWWB_0tA7P_RkOQ91tjXhqqm5U4Ybzq8o_gx6ZMWBD32q0fpStoj17UJdr025B4wNrid3g_iBu-IrWIUvfwp22a1WEdQ/s4096/IMG20231007134816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1-QgNW1WHfkgsHopt_7Hi3Kb9TqKYCPcWNcvU_ByZkNtYEYRFLzcw1WZsG5XJNgclIEtM24qycZMJoJ-1uYIkJv8VfyoWWB_0tA7P_RkOQ91tjXhqqm5U4Ybzq8o_gx6ZMWBD32q0fpStoj17UJdr025B4wNrid3g_iBu-IrWIUvfwp22a1WEdQ/w480-h640/IMG20231007134816.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In many parks or park-like spaces artists have erected timber structures.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0j8P4cGTbMZL8530B5MdvOp4zkwVhfiD2i20OKERYJVKF6IADSlspsipK7iU9AJsCltSW1dKnuzwjg176BSaavbnMcTWI0N7X-43iC5tInh4bRfQFNlgjGlkB-gEhcjeuOHJjG6kA3cHAnnECAhZJVgiV3_feV2h2hIGwOkhC3v6d50HwLdtqQ/s4096/IMG20231008130402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0j8P4cGTbMZL8530B5MdvOp4zkwVhfiD2i20OKERYJVKF6IADSlspsipK7iU9AJsCltSW1dKnuzwjg176BSaavbnMcTWI0N7X-43iC5tInh4bRfQFNlgjGlkB-gEhcjeuOHJjG6kA3cHAnnECAhZJVgiV3_feV2h2hIGwOkhC3v6d50HwLdtqQ/w640-h480/IMG20231008130402.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Riga old town. All the streets are cobbled. Clean buildings here of classic design.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSE-9Qcji3myZdUecyut7KkKa30ONW7YzVmFY4K7Tn9gW48vL8wCSfox9CthDZrI42237cmmaDWtAcr-KhbAyT8ZOECLwPFHOlNI0TvqUmKgmM-cX4VGA1Zjs5rFAQF3UQSYBDc-umb6OjAhfBOG_llpHYkeZYIOOgU6fjtpHTTYbsJvw9sUafg/s4096/IMG20231008130559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSE-9Qcji3myZdUecyut7KkKa30ONW7YzVmFY4K7Tn9gW48vL8wCSfox9CthDZrI42237cmmaDWtAcr-KhbAyT8ZOECLwPFHOlNI0TvqUmKgmM-cX4VGA1Zjs5rFAQF3UQSYBDc-umb6OjAhfBOG_llpHYkeZYIOOgU6fjtpHTTYbsJvw9sUafg/w480-h640/IMG20231008130559.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmuYomQ5zuN3S9C7Jt0ubvAeONef7hs7s7EgyTz3WPF0EvKYDdJRh9Q8Bz7CL7l9aTIfacsosadINjuhG5KZnP0PFuQsDTORHB31wchlOGZCOs8CDKYIg69BPgjdm6Kzx2Xhju4rwzB22A63oCLfprLPIsoH1j0W4I2M7A3kNbUkVVgGr9_tkNQ/s4096/IMG20231008130806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmuYomQ5zuN3S9C7Jt0ubvAeONef7hs7s7EgyTz3WPF0EvKYDdJRh9Q8Bz7CL7l9aTIfacsosadINjuhG5KZnP0PFuQsDTORHB31wchlOGZCOs8CDKYIg69BPgjdm6Kzx2Xhju4rwzB22A63oCLfprLPIsoH1j0W4I2M7A3kNbUkVVgGr9_tkNQ/w480-h640/IMG20231008130806.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYJ7AHyktz38CtOckawz6riD5y-TymOwylg-9_BL0qGbH4akimwSsEZb6QK4qOYJGSBnd8Tp_NEOGSmfSW8k5WvIAsgj0E7jQ3BF8j6WkmDwDpOzOElR3VngPu-S6JmlChFZECp4DH0gDZJkJDaDppsTyXnFVJe3dmpXJEmRKEbntl3Sx6v2udw/s4096/IMG20231008131121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYJ7AHyktz38CtOckawz6riD5y-TymOwylg-9_BL0qGbH4akimwSsEZb6QK4qOYJGSBnd8Tp_NEOGSmfSW8k5WvIAsgj0E7jQ3BF8j6WkmDwDpOzOElR3VngPu-S6JmlChFZECp4DH0gDZJkJDaDppsTyXnFVJe3dmpXJEmRKEbntl3Sx6v2udw/w640-h480/IMG20231008131121.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXPOC3FjJzUgVYa8TGCzz7ticbipkjWmOv3Jvsqp_hiU_EArqBdRyph2-d2hQiS109EiAoCvLrqiDmZlAfJIjVSBbf2pZX5-IUaujkZT92cXPnWi6bDWam-FOAUa58L1RayNQllsFuhyphenhyphen6nanJTJUiyOdJMQzvsjdqeDE0W1tzlbUHwsnhdPlU7A/s4096/IMG20231008131545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXPOC3FjJzUgVYa8TGCzz7ticbipkjWmOv3Jvsqp_hiU_EArqBdRyph2-d2hQiS109EiAoCvLrqiDmZlAfJIjVSBbf2pZX5-IUaujkZT92cXPnWi6bDWam-FOAUa58L1RayNQllsFuhyphenhyphen6nanJTJUiyOdJMQzvsjdqeDE0W1tzlbUHwsnhdPlU7A/w480-h640/IMG20231008131545.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjuINVwD2xIFF8o8zct9o74q_7zA9zhSfWQ_hBQ7JzhaV6Cnw9u_aqkLHoTTJV8Fm1XvzQjxh6PwKXJaY6nZ7ej_O3mypRzjf-rqVq88hPiOiq3fMqoacTJCjptT99QOCdHPVTIzGNzAXNAlmTrKoLiUDKG_eHXf3OUNcLVzkFLmGZ6RHrzPomQ/s4096/IMG20231008132003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjuINVwD2xIFF8o8zct9o74q_7zA9zhSfWQ_hBQ7JzhaV6Cnw9u_aqkLHoTTJV8Fm1XvzQjxh6PwKXJaY6nZ7ej_O3mypRzjf-rqVq88hPiOiq3fMqoacTJCjptT99QOCdHPVTIzGNzAXNAlmTrKoLiUDKG_eHXf3OUNcLVzkFLmGZ6RHrzPomQ/w480-h640/IMG20231008132003.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIf-c0fyX3JuMB103rLZpcmK-tyL2wA7HtBZzImkKrImp8CycPLi2rC72EyGGsP8qHk7-Dmg05upK2HfpikN53-LEvo4Pvse2qK1m3qmbwEaQPfaY3RgyX0lt9mvBa2PPWbhxARJQvsS1jLQVcLVLJcKO6JnL7qh3hv90B-3ZwJnVDGdXNYZXOQ/s4096/IMG20231008132320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIf-c0fyX3JuMB103rLZpcmK-tyL2wA7HtBZzImkKrImp8CycPLi2rC72EyGGsP8qHk7-Dmg05upK2HfpikN53-LEvo4Pvse2qK1m3qmbwEaQPfaY3RgyX0lt9mvBa2PPWbhxARJQvsS1jLQVcLVLJcKO6JnL7qh3hv90B-3ZwJnVDGdXNYZXOQ/w480-h640/IMG20231008132320.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vaY_KZp7cQDlVsuDip9G3g6ogFYyHomNrM_jYbbfC_x85fakYIcuK3iu8DrF7OjGOEfGSqxEquk3uZDiXpu3-G87zyH2PocaUlBEZY8D3YVv7KvGK9nLhA7qniPPc6hWv4D8zGH3vZth8QBXny7RjCu6XZRQhkmfElZ0o5w9PDq1gsEHOjOJVw/s4096/IMG20231008132329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vaY_KZp7cQDlVsuDip9G3g6ogFYyHomNrM_jYbbfC_x85fakYIcuK3iu8DrF7OjGOEfGSqxEquk3uZDiXpu3-G87zyH2PocaUlBEZY8D3YVv7KvGK9nLhA7qniPPc6hWv4D8zGH3vZth8QBXny7RjCu6XZRQhkmfElZ0o5w9PDq1gsEHOjOJVw/w480-h640/IMG20231008132329.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkFf8f_BRW4k7uPpt9KkxllUh5FFCAeaaUCxwfjoV36meG0ombSHM6kUp66t_qxc1g0W7ppEVxDU5GvKUgdXqKH0XYApedI2jRsqSOT24ySzHuhx6jWl_LAl5aVBMD9Cv-cknNwc7YfLVKpSqpel2LbROb0oQ8PEuwHQqC4CWPxjyQF3QTysUag/s4096/IMG20231008145327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkFf8f_BRW4k7uPpt9KkxllUh5FFCAeaaUCxwfjoV36meG0ombSHM6kUp66t_qxc1g0W7ppEVxDU5GvKUgdXqKH0XYApedI2jRsqSOT24ySzHuhx6jWl_LAl5aVBMD9Cv-cknNwc7YfLVKpSqpel2LbROb0oQ8PEuwHQqC4CWPxjyQF3QTysUag/w640-h480/IMG20231008145327.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jurmula is the seaside resort close to Riga. A very long and attractive beach.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlVrQWgSXirKSwIkG1c6TfW9oN6mO4CPMKBao9OnTVvNU5rt2s7J75LFE-EwNow72g0sSOZYfUIy4_b9nXoW6gOKdGlJDXan5ebHnM0aLuSvDp8cN4HK-YA4nZguDR6AIfgQYahyClyQmsqaTLD2FdtToenxObfSeLu67f5yOBBwzxTyBh2wQWQ/s4096/IMG20231008145358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlVrQWgSXirKSwIkG1c6TfW9oN6mO4CPMKBao9OnTVvNU5rt2s7J75LFE-EwNow72g0sSOZYfUIy4_b9nXoW6gOKdGlJDXan5ebHnM0aLuSvDp8cN4HK-YA4nZguDR6AIfgQYahyClyQmsqaTLD2FdtToenxObfSeLu67f5yOBBwzxTyBh2wQWQ/w640-h480/IMG20231008145358.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On our visit the wind was more like a gale and it was all we could do to stand vertical. Huge waves like this are rare.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLWKyF_CWQgSMQMFSUur1ezj48FB0OsuZ3g4PrjjkBWNijk2E121RqZCTJEbMBqTjfFXvR9A_Z9JBswdicnSzXouKGNUIxhgGZEHNn_7mRMvr6jwjsk5ZDvDdI0wEt1glGDTQycUP2MMD897RaLPIHC7Wxalz25gpBNbdx1-r5L_fDhAaX-NuqA/s4096/IMG20231008145412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLWKyF_CWQgSMQMFSUur1ezj48FB0OsuZ3g4PrjjkBWNijk2E121RqZCTJEbMBqTjfFXvR9A_Z9JBswdicnSzXouKGNUIxhgGZEHNn_7mRMvr6jwjsk5ZDvDdI0wEt1glGDTQycUP2MMD897RaLPIHC7Wxalz25gpBNbdx1-r5L_fDhAaX-NuqA/w640-h480/IMG20231008145412.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We had come down this stairway from a nice apartment block but getting back up was not quite as simple.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWa4vFs6f430irrQ23KT0ETBtVpwh0TyBqy6SkToXiHP4befNKWGO0PrmWGQcYOOhvoMKBPav0DCRUmKsCEAICEAkT4MoccBUPZgVcVYZiKcNs-g_uy12HcVZRJu7anjq_02fKgUQHgYsJ6K0z0xjPPTfzHPqKWuTbmAYv67592rIlgQ-V-qZ12w/s4096/IMG20231009143308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWa4vFs6f430irrQ23KT0ETBtVpwh0TyBqy6SkToXiHP4befNKWGO0PrmWGQcYOOhvoMKBPav0DCRUmKsCEAICEAkT4MoccBUPZgVcVYZiKcNs-g_uy12HcVZRJu7anjq_02fKgUQHgYsJ6K0z0xjPPTfzHPqKWuTbmAYv67592rIlgQ-V-qZ12w/w480-h640/IMG20231009143308.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We had planned to visit Rundale Palace Museum but caught a glimpse of this place near Bauska on the way.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh941k_3nZWeEwScqtAbd5uACGFbIvJFI0u3tsAlYRnn77m5O6mKwDS7IdOIUlWhdNKjI_cdVTkiMfz-DtI0wFCtLJGnpl9PpWUf8Csi9O-ELEcVwC6OXSpW7MGShb9gx4IF8UTMI4vFYv3wg2YBZnOO4QcjxYdMlvgWESIIV7WmBWuq8yRurkquQ/s4096/IMG20231009143558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh941k_3nZWeEwScqtAbd5uACGFbIvJFI0u3tsAlYRnn77m5O6mKwDS7IdOIUlWhdNKjI_cdVTkiMfz-DtI0wFCtLJGnpl9PpWUf8Csi9O-ELEcVwC6OXSpW7MGShb9gx4IF8UTMI4vFYv3wg2YBZnOO4QcjxYdMlvgWESIIV7WmBWuq8yRurkquQ/w480-h640/IMG20231009143558.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This was a marvellous castle that had been very recently opened, with much very clever and sympathetic reconstruction.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrr3f6HEdBdQnjJfbDUMGsF9CTbqfzoyiMe3kyWlylR23XVZyjcWJlh5hqiqlKBv3GVZyKgd6Q-QxCXya5NdXurolx3k276RlEBH54WvCbetrB_nWbmkTyTKRJLhvVyiVYvCeGuoyWMKayxp2eZuz-dRQ9-tYEqjK8MEko2uVmF8PpCmAthYOEdA/s3264/IMG20231009145243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrr3f6HEdBdQnjJfbDUMGsF9CTbqfzoyiMe3kyWlylR23XVZyjcWJlh5hqiqlKBv3GVZyKgd6Q-QxCXya5NdXurolx3k276RlEBH54WvCbetrB_nWbmkTyTKRJLhvVyiVYvCeGuoyWMKayxp2eZuz-dRQ9-tYEqjK8MEko2uVmF8PpCmAthYOEdA/w640-h480/IMG20231009145243.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Inside there were rooms galore at every turn, some with displays which would not have been out of place in a museum in England, some that were just empty but with splendid windows and views.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY5Ge-DH56_bB9B_G8qcOykyZuhbzKUlvppm_WcaeXBTAdED5X1_HYEC3-jWTh_xqYbs3TbACxDAdNHoC7V7Pnbvx6vH5ZyopGV6WNlvzNYJXkt7ngsGoneoSWGqHnyoPk5x0dZ46JkGVhat3OTpkAcsEXHLCGGomdHrxjxIjGFHv09DvIj34qcA/s4096/IMG20231009152209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY5Ge-DH56_bB9B_G8qcOykyZuhbzKUlvppm_WcaeXBTAdED5X1_HYEC3-jWTh_xqYbs3TbACxDAdNHoC7V7Pnbvx6vH5ZyopGV6WNlvzNYJXkt7ngsGoneoSWGqHnyoPk5x0dZ46JkGVhat3OTpkAcsEXHLCGGomdHrxjxIjGFHv09DvIj34qcA/w480-h640/IMG20231009152209.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDxqtwUlGasX04M8HtN4LMkc27Vle86Ds1_x_L7siBoZFo1EUt8B3xoPii1EKVgF6xS4Oo0XuwtXGo4X-rDMT47M_4A_yORwy-lXtupqs9BxgsZEBq6A5VHFLO8cjrY1ZnRYp-zb63N1XHOMW-kTE9GwNC020ZpF4N0UtYX2exku0Q6Utf1nMlg/s4096/IMG20231009155404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDxqtwUlGasX04M8HtN4LMkc27Vle86Ds1_x_L7siBoZFo1EUt8B3xoPii1EKVgF6xS4Oo0XuwtXGo4X-rDMT47M_4A_yORwy-lXtupqs9BxgsZEBq6A5VHFLO8cjrY1ZnRYp-zb63N1XHOMW-kTE9GwNC020ZpF4N0UtYX2exku0Q6Utf1nMlg/w640-h480/IMG20231009155404.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fOKoxDCmx0arDmTtGJZgBWHmJ-DuhZKuscLCpgvWh7ZAGMXrKOxcqt_3BSnKvdHA300lYrh4qe3BBvWdaDclZZdx_sH-CxBHZjdVWX6t0N5y0U_24C7I4aWD1b50cKyb971TzMwJucRgMoL76Eol3FkU6hKGMyBD_GCIuN6RHmAoC8yDMSU64g/s4096/IMG20231009160038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fOKoxDCmx0arDmTtGJZgBWHmJ-DuhZKuscLCpgvWh7ZAGMXrKOxcqt_3BSnKvdHA300lYrh4qe3BBvWdaDclZZdx_sH-CxBHZjdVWX6t0N5y0U_24C7I4aWD1b50cKyb971TzMwJucRgMoL76Eol3FkU6hKGMyBD_GCIuN6RHmAoC8yDMSU64g/w640-h480/IMG20231009160038.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Rj2b0-GtDnVHGGCJv0IM0PKt8l3O8vS2u0N1N6biFuq-Rd-oRKXGLdtyzpxkMARtadXosWT-_7aDRg_KsOw1b8wwZLUANPRLP4G5nZrKB1yw9_lI4sD6n6qHpxzk0pcVUAA6-g544gKJOIxyDAMq5UDmV4C4004QT6Tlr-nSlAOmt6QTHgdlmQ/s4096/IMG20231009152923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Rj2b0-GtDnVHGGCJv0IM0PKt8l3O8vS2u0N1N6biFuq-Rd-oRKXGLdtyzpxkMARtadXosWT-_7aDRg_KsOw1b8wwZLUANPRLP4G5nZrKB1yw9_lI4sD6n6qHpxzk0pcVUAA6-g544gKJOIxyDAMq5UDmV4C4004QT6Tlr-nSlAOmt6QTHgdlmQ/w480-h640/IMG20231009152923.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPpsjCwA__lpfe7ipKu838QS6_JlUDR89P25-T2rLlxeIb0-Z-phByn4L3uF-IYAIwakNcHp1yRB9UcsecGhgKa19CEnmO6_ycjANdPARsayz8gtpZBi0W1WZqJDpZ6RlzW6l5ZLNrm2lGDrwuJfYvLwdBMB3MparR3w0Z6MjRCP2Xt41aQtrWg/s4096/IMG20231009161148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPpsjCwA__lpfe7ipKu838QS6_JlUDR89P25-T2rLlxeIb0-Z-phByn4L3uF-IYAIwakNcHp1yRB9UcsecGhgKa19CEnmO6_ycjANdPARsayz8gtpZBi0W1WZqJDpZ6RlzW6l5ZLNrm2lGDrwuJfYvLwdBMB3MparR3w0Z6MjRCP2Xt41aQtrWg/w480-h640/IMG20231009161148.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Outside there were yet more cellars and rooms to search round.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRIjf8vRlcS_CKh9yt3DlgQ4hykXh3aX3pNfZADyh6r5u2k-Mtpq-FpW6MBuPiwyntCIEByqL7AqfE9maaGWY8c7r78wtXv_qtg0QNFVenWOLU46mlwTiV-K99vs1NY1VNMwuaUfaqggXiO313OdUXldlOhQ68t-GM9zOiP__TOVBLspLmKgqSQ/s3264/IMG20231009161239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRIjf8vRlcS_CKh9yt3DlgQ4hykXh3aX3pNfZADyh6r5u2k-Mtpq-FpW6MBuPiwyntCIEByqL7AqfE9maaGWY8c7r78wtXv_qtg0QNFVenWOLU46mlwTiV-K99vs1NY1VNMwuaUfaqggXiO313OdUXldlOhQ68t-GM9zOiP__TOVBLspLmKgqSQ/w640-h480/IMG20231009161239.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3Q1PagySAdPP9-A66eCThtj7dz1QYQwH4eirB6z1BgkXTYtEQC68otnfvk-WPi-b0rCGZc5e5Fb2G7mxEQDAqxNW-o1mvkwI89KvRulVl1xlMMwDTJSFf7nJITHz9pY7F42o8aTGthXuXOI6BLiC3K2NG3boApurZMdKojPrK-ZcOndAaADfVw/s3264/IMG20231009162408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3Q1PagySAdPP9-A66eCThtj7dz1QYQwH4eirB6z1BgkXTYtEQC68otnfvk-WPi-b0rCGZc5e5Fb2G7mxEQDAqxNW-o1mvkwI89KvRulVl1xlMMwDTJSFf7nJITHz9pY7F42o8aTGthXuXOI6BLiC3K2NG3boApurZMdKojPrK-ZcOndAaADfVw/w640-h480/IMG20231009162408.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Remarkably, it was possible to reach the very top of the tallest tower.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXPwacgNYwiMmO7oFpsYlZlMLdICUmG-Xbjztbh7a8EBw9mFJs1OXP-ilEc2-_24vdMMfYKZlygWYtvdyffTM12y-UDVm_AuVaXseg_iADiJGcNYEtwUm7X7m-ArSSnGJvoalcDrbLspp4BKgbiV_WpbMVMqaYF1guPbxWnFr97rEN0yrtiYSlA/s4096/IMG20231009163229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXPwacgNYwiMmO7oFpsYlZlMLdICUmG-Xbjztbh7a8EBw9mFJs1OXP-ilEc2-_24vdMMfYKZlygWYtvdyffTM12y-UDVm_AuVaXseg_iADiJGcNYEtwUm7X7m-ArSSnGJvoalcDrbLspp4BKgbiV_WpbMVMqaYF1guPbxWnFr97rEN0yrtiYSlA/w640-h480/IMG20231009163229.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjkb6QuvweIpBChyphenhyphen1x4_eoyuleBfML_CUrmFzZUaNRiaes6iICfIXgfHOQibZRrLmhRSJNxuF52uAQeWs3Ueiu7ULCCiVktP91ZizImEvDcscmo7N2PUg3Qjp-gQ8bFVWZHQs6DiUmpW_UHi8oKQR-nsWEGOa0PB9j7ZFGE0ur6OQemufLF2BnA/s3264/IMG20231009163341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjkb6QuvweIpBChyphenhyphen1x4_eoyuleBfML_CUrmFzZUaNRiaes6iICfIXgfHOQibZRrLmhRSJNxuF52uAQeWs3Ueiu7ULCCiVktP91ZizImEvDcscmo7N2PUg3Qjp-gQ8bFVWZHQs6DiUmpW_UHi8oKQR-nsWEGOa0PB9j7ZFGE0ur6OQemufLF2BnA/w480-h640/IMG20231009163341.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUmEqYxC9pAo7hy_kwaldEIA4wKcf5CooBmRcTeCtcbxrSS3_O3SfICJGy8L_BUdg9_cOeq2V-eianOwocfTAhyb1hJ5WGbBqOubIX01MZBJwsJcqT0cmaLjHcpmcGJLeUxL0aIYnjgRMvLNclwmfhBT1qPa4DiL6TXdvRRHxX0c91o5_vxZkaQ/s4096/IMG20231009161454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUmEqYxC9pAo7hy_kwaldEIA4wKcf5CooBmRcTeCtcbxrSS3_O3SfICJGy8L_BUdg9_cOeq2V-eianOwocfTAhyb1hJ5WGbBqOubIX01MZBJwsJcqT0cmaLjHcpmcGJLeUxL0aIYnjgRMvLNclwmfhBT1qPa4DiL6TXdvRRHxX0c91o5_vxZkaQ/w640-h480/IMG20231009161454.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is the Lielupe River, another wonderfully attractive river flowing straight through forests galore.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDBA3CBzU1MNuLOBAtCNAuUB-lUk4H-OwXHLFA3MbPysb9JnnedUYFjs0gelBH7GxIXR3Q0_HJqtwmpWkv32wMIctXzAhNPBwWhG9jPf3qlIYMCeVfvnIwlFvot5oYQJFKwKETFWZqMrzRsEr3umUM1hNf1czyNQOa8Lb9D90Mxe2bux-Gqt6wA/s518/bauska%20road.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="379" data-original-width="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDBA3CBzU1MNuLOBAtCNAuUB-lUk4H-OwXHLFA3MbPysb9JnnedUYFjs0gelBH7GxIXR3Q0_HJqtwmpWkv32wMIctXzAhNPBwWhG9jPf3qlIYMCeVfvnIwlFvot5oYQJFKwKETFWZqMrzRsEr3umUM1hNf1czyNQOa8Lb9D90Mxe2bux-Gqt6wA/s16000/bauska%20road.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The journey back was interesting to say the least. My TomTom navigation device suggested the yellow route, some 120+ km. Google said take the pink road, nice and direct and only 50km. Whilst I understood that the shorter route might not be as fast and probably a lot more twisty, I preferred this to what might just have been a tedious normal road back.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Very shortly after leaving Bauska we encountered a sign to say that the surface might be uneven for 2.9km. It was a bit bumpy but just an unsurfaced road with a few potholes so nothing that seemed too bad. Once the 2.9km was done, however, another sign announced another 3.3km of the same. And so it continued! Not only was the surface getting worse but heavy rain earlier in the area had led to the potholes filling with water so you couldn't be sure how deep they were. Some holes stretched across most of the road and you did just have to hope that the water wasn't too deep.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The car I'd hired was a new Toyota Corolla with a pretty but very vulnerable front spoiler and it certainly was not the ideal car for this kind of trek. So we had to approach the unknown holes very gingerly to ensure that there was some chance of the tyres remaining inflated and wheels vaguely round in shape and suspension and steering bushes staying intact. At one point a huge lorry with a trailer, both laden high with timber, passed me which will give you some idea of my pace.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Most of the journey was spent on the wrong side of the road or wending left and right in search of some vaguely manageable surface but we only met a couple of cars going in the opposite direction so no trouble there. At Valle we crossed the P73 which was tarmac and much more pleasant-looking. However, the sign saying an uneven surface for the next 3km might just have been telling the truth so we carried on, firmly believing that there was no way the whole of the next 20km would be as bad. They were but we made it and the delight on finding some lovely smooth grey tarmac near Juanjelgava was great. We would have celebrated with a few drinks had we had any to hand.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Next time I shall hire a Jeep-like vehicle. Whilst the main roads are really excellent, there are many, many interlinking tracks which look like they're main roads on the map but actually are just tracks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJ__Qseuu3FD3wXGuxud4LF7v_4a_qAGyloPZnf1U_Wk8wUusAJi7Xzb4fMy1F64__hA5d-D4nhktnFfARUUqYL34HavIGpGEgxckptV4CEuKDT5gvvbaCZJJ5sPw42M5wUjxx2YOVU1CCb1ss6m0GkxVV9TCHopMzSY4soPopYrOgnM0NZmvsg/s4096/IMG20231010124732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJ__Qseuu3FD3wXGuxud4LF7v_4a_qAGyloPZnf1U_Wk8wUusAJi7Xzb4fMy1F64__hA5d-D4nhktnFfARUUqYL34HavIGpGEgxckptV4CEuKDT5gvvbaCZJJ5sPw42M5wUjxx2YOVU1CCb1ss6m0GkxVV9TCHopMzSY4soPopYrOgnM0NZmvsg/w640-h480/IMG20231010124732.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A smooth track - but not all are like this.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaG9TRzZPch9i6b5J4RRwnICB_rn_PrDSBlPLIDnvuQfk2qB1ojBQ8-HbjawSApxlxmU20O9bMgk9QmUFhQi6NLrtygXTE8-AoUZJXAh-hA49oe3BXDnFskQ1IkvtRjKgmaHgPfntrF-qU5W_i-gwuNkWqKdnTRlne4sZR4ZhCE4Ag8twtNA7Biw/s4096/IMG20231010132129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaG9TRzZPch9i6b5J4RRwnICB_rn_PrDSBlPLIDnvuQfk2qB1ojBQ8-HbjawSApxlxmU20O9bMgk9QmUFhQi6NLrtygXTE8-AoUZJXAh-hA49oe3BXDnFskQ1IkvtRjKgmaHgPfntrF-qU5W_i-gwuNkWqKdnTRlne4sZR4ZhCE4Ag8twtNA7Biw/w480-h640/IMG20231010132129.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The other side of the river Daugava from Juanjelgava has some beautiful scenes.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_NsZ7vt0z7WY1BTmlgpWKkL4Yofk-gvS5BVTskOKOD_r_Vc98NdQJanQFaqMecNtrLJKWlgy1_LDGUxI6_kUOyx9A4Hr8uUJ6OrV3LvfuOD_kmuNsoSZI8rdWqi40b0tPwV48n0OCg-40G7-HxYYeRlG7N_ha1lcSKTOO-u_2pDzbXLhjsDjxw/s4096/IMG20231010132355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_NsZ7vt0z7WY1BTmlgpWKkL4Yofk-gvS5BVTskOKOD_r_Vc98NdQJanQFaqMecNtrLJKWlgy1_LDGUxI6_kUOyx9A4Hr8uUJ6OrV3LvfuOD_kmuNsoSZI8rdWqi40b0tPwV48n0OCg-40G7-HxYYeRlG7N_ha1lcSKTOO-u_2pDzbXLhjsDjxw/w640-h480/IMG20231010132355.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtLV8mWgnQ_yzacxRpUKKg9F9a4mYj7PhXVBK8L9Gsyu7SlGhvPoPuecO8TjSiSUef_Disr-vUx4qDowSR51t2Xgf-9pgexK-x_k8lwjWOx9JK71hC1GumvJemmUfCBUQb8PJd1d-Q0h8oxJuSG0oxEHXUS2s2CfwF71nSZcoU2iAHi5A7B3FWA/s4096/IMG20231010132719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtLV8mWgnQ_yzacxRpUKKg9F9a4mYj7PhXVBK8L9Gsyu7SlGhvPoPuecO8TjSiSUef_Disr-vUx4qDowSR51t2Xgf-9pgexK-x_k8lwjWOx9JK71hC1GumvJemmUfCBUQb8PJd1d-Q0h8oxJuSG0oxEHXUS2s2CfwF71nSZcoU2iAHi5A7B3FWA/w480-h640/IMG20231010132719.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In the summer, boats are available for rent or travel from either side of the river.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhr44wUEAisJtIA7bV0l608lh6-RIZ8SsCShg9ws6Dd3rwx7S0p7bErPb7NfZEra8czOugVH2wu4E5Li_6stbpg7DvKLe6iOhcYrW7r8VfukDswzYndy312s85FGLZU6ll3Xm0YaYVQElxFQPxRrmCLhidld78GIaK7cZEg_DyMKP_7N2bAv0Fg/s4096/IMG20231010132821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhr44wUEAisJtIA7bV0l608lh6-RIZ8SsCShg9ws6Dd3rwx7S0p7bErPb7NfZEra8czOugVH2wu4E5Li_6stbpg7DvKLe6iOhcYrW7r8VfukDswzYndy312s85FGLZU6ll3Xm0YaYVQElxFQPxRrmCLhidld78GIaK7cZEg_DyMKP_7N2bAv0Fg/w640-h480/IMG20231010132821.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDrdaTPsYDzlCYyhqHg5Accv69FhUS8z91N0wVZCRl2E78Eg1K9cmnVYQ3NgoCa-wuf_9RtEjgN8UH0ZnZi-VtrZpJUnMVzFQrqEUvyJTf6ThbCjlBVw395SMZWfaQ_dAVEgDF5LYYw5DDRdYN_ItUanUXfXgS7Rt4tf3tFqnrR3ctl_UrAjo-A/s4096/IMG20231010141520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDrdaTPsYDzlCYyhqHg5Accv69FhUS8z91N0wVZCRl2E78Eg1K9cmnVYQ3NgoCa-wuf_9RtEjgN8UH0ZnZi-VtrZpJUnMVzFQrqEUvyJTf6ThbCjlBVw395SMZWfaQ_dAVEgDF5LYYw5DDRdYN_ItUanUXfXgS7Rt4tf3tFqnrR3ctl_UrAjo-A/w480-h640/IMG20231010141520.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">An arboretum on this northern side of the river is a peaceful and pretty place to visit.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_J10n043fnmm7UWcIFE9jq_pIU5ngws_xtkkLAsirw_6afhVe_6QEYFuuKyRkF0E86AYc4VxoBA4wHHgZ8HVuZgfvIAGjl2IvH9GJH1rzuWqP3HE8HbYCsZmrucQhZGUyhv6Qm3yIpRqTKvsDbpscTc7dBzMvYKerDWNpBF0oBKZ1EXFOwf7wcA/s4096/IMG20231010144014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_J10n043fnmm7UWcIFE9jq_pIU5ngws_xtkkLAsirw_6afhVe_6QEYFuuKyRkF0E86AYc4VxoBA4wHHgZ8HVuZgfvIAGjl2IvH9GJH1rzuWqP3HE8HbYCsZmrucQhZGUyhv6Qm3yIpRqTKvsDbpscTc7dBzMvYKerDWNpBF0oBKZ1EXFOwf7wcA/w480-h640/IMG20231010144014.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Another castle was here once too.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zqlaet5juZJySGXX-h1ocyocV-e9Nue7XvizNWUShv1qrtn0J7iPSJLA64h9sM7f18BhRvqhbPkKUFpTX7kmzde-4RfGJPogxLTK3wybo8J7_2VK2uOYvQ79viYEzgzFiVvYzqD8aWsX_CG8h7m4PfcgvuqLtpCmtHr6qIAGJ02SjmeSRBLSkQ/s4096/IMG20231010155700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zqlaet5juZJySGXX-h1ocyocV-e9Nue7XvizNWUShv1qrtn0J7iPSJLA64h9sM7f18BhRvqhbPkKUFpTX7kmzde-4RfGJPogxLTK3wybo8J7_2VK2uOYvQ79viYEzgzFiVvYzqD8aWsX_CG8h7m4PfcgvuqLtpCmtHr6qIAGJ02SjmeSRBLSkQ/w640-h480/IMG20231010155700.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You'll see plenty of these churches - a noticeable design and colour scheme which makes them appear quite modern when they may date back hundreds of years.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjPEXb6OxT-Z2HrW2SqVh11uaFHC6opxjr1Vy_6FPoO05nrj19vgAs7VwoAgv4vlnQOVTDMHHoW-V6Vwj4LCTcS0VYQfQJQMpAKvE6fJNiG89-NKExBK2J3HsmQHCJV7fFHE_poKU_Fjl6pwr9oAkFRrApMdCFh4mYvNBRHVp72Ur-7aaq1qsmQ/s4096/IMG20231010160941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjPEXb6OxT-Z2HrW2SqVh11uaFHC6opxjr1Vy_6FPoO05nrj19vgAs7VwoAgv4vlnQOVTDMHHoW-V6Vwj4LCTcS0VYQfQJQMpAKvE6fJNiG89-NKExBK2J3HsmQHCJV7fFHE_poKU_Fjl6pwr9oAkFRrApMdCFh4mYvNBRHVp72Ur-7aaq1qsmQ/w480-h640/IMG20231010160941.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqWwlFo9P1IvQtUtLFJmaAxL4qeRM6UHlrxc55eLnNIH6O165LCwBaVCnKPx8Z4kVWMS3r1f3NQyhbcdH6mnfl15OntvxKuMh-L1HKK9OZQk2WFlr5goWmd5-Kphg7ZTgVfMVHjXg3QBGcRf7ueZteHPR5a5eRBtKcUfQrFklhrkn3yMvzP0EhQ/s4096/IMG20231010161536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqWwlFo9P1IvQtUtLFJmaAxL4qeRM6UHlrxc55eLnNIH6O165LCwBaVCnKPx8Z4kVWMS3r1f3NQyhbcdH6mnfl15OntvxKuMh-L1HKK9OZQk2WFlr5goWmd5-Kphg7ZTgVfMVHjXg3QBGcRf7ueZteHPR5a5eRBtKcUfQrFklhrkn3yMvzP0EhQ/w480-h640/IMG20231010161536.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUki7lgLyVkB77JVbSC0KUfx5x9kVareDkQ1WHMnZvC0lJeAWWWwd1u_ig1GiUwAf30wl_ZCu_HmrgcADKXBRrEVUZqKAJuCbrDroqwp077RnIIEjlyAtu26MEDzb_Z6BAtDwo_WQPwhKNl7Smy9zxm60NpOmKHfHdJgK8AmJefDsILqPu90Pb1w/s4096/IMG20231010161720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUki7lgLyVkB77JVbSC0KUfx5x9kVareDkQ1WHMnZvC0lJeAWWWwd1u_ig1GiUwAf30wl_ZCu_HmrgcADKXBRrEVUZqKAJuCbrDroqwp077RnIIEjlyAtu26MEDzb_Z6BAtDwo_WQPwhKNl7Smy9zxm60NpOmKHfHdJgK8AmJefDsILqPu90Pb1w/w640-h480/IMG20231010161720.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbigamX63ARgU-6KezSUUtNsZOuBSGBEkyXAumKJ3yHwK4-aY7pn7QfXHugNdOR1bkjfeMwcTVt84VUIFGvuIZBvryplVdaZUN7f7bfFSe4Txgz-JPFfRNv9YMskPN2j1BSugKq_oEBkk2R-B8G155TbRXW1gSAROlH4sqVbeIomE0Oxz099Pzw/s4096/IMG20231010161753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbigamX63ARgU-6KezSUUtNsZOuBSGBEkyXAumKJ3yHwK4-aY7pn7QfXHugNdOR1bkjfeMwcTVt84VUIFGvuIZBvryplVdaZUN7f7bfFSe4Txgz-JPFfRNv9YMskPN2j1BSugKq_oEBkk2R-B8G155TbRXW1gSAROlH4sqVbeIomE0Oxz099Pzw/w480-h640/IMG20231010161753.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Latvia, a truly photogenic country.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-66103265015746567982023-10-17T11:43:00.002+01:002023-10-17T11:43:57.326+01:00One war might end another<p>I felt I had to write about what is happening in and around Israel in my last article. I felt that I should support Israel but I think like many people I wasn't too sure that Israel was good and Hamas were bad and that Israel could also be bad too if they wanted and that there was a good chance they'd be very bad indeed to the Palestinian people rather than just Hamas people and that would be difficult to justify. After listening to some interviews and reading some articles, however, I felt much more confident and able to write as I did.</p><p>With a much better understanding of the Soviet Union's history and Ukraine, I have been writing for many months about the terrible things that have been happening in Ukraine, hoping each time that there might be some glimmer of light for the good people of that nation. So far it has just remained very gloomy. Ukraine has made some advances in the South and steadily troubles Russian sites here and there by hitting planes, equipment or significant buildings but they haven't managed to pull off those decisive hits or advances which could bring the end-game closer.</p><p>Russia appears to have an endless supply of bodies to put into the fight. They are predominantly pretty useless and little more than bodies but sufficient to absorb enough of Ukraine's bullets and attacks to make progress slow.</p><p>With supplies from Iran and North Korea now getting through and increasing for Russia, our support and supplies seem to be at best level but probably starting to dwindle for Ukraine. Certainly the new Israel - Hamas war has taken almost everyone's focus away and the West are now wondering just how much more they can help Ukraine when they may be soon need to be ready to assist Israel in the escalating war in the Middle East.</p><p>All we need now is China to decide that it is a good time to make a move on Taiwan - maybe just a blockade or two but enough to divert enough of our ships and forces to permit someone else to advance elsewhere. A really determined effort by Russia to get a grip on Kiev, a strike by Iran on Israel, an accidental launch of a North Korean missile . . . any of these actions now seem feasible and would almost certainly be of benefit to Russia and the anti-Israel cause as we would simply bluster and say what we'd do but not actually <i>do</i> anything.</p><p>Even if there is no big 'success' for Russia I fear there is even less chance of any big 'success' for Ukraine (unless Israel feel inclined to give them a hand with some air power while their up in the sky). I do hope that Israel does give Hamas, and, if necessary, Hezbollah and Iran a bloody nose in the very near future as that will demonstrate that someone we support is prepared to say enough is enough and actually take some action.</p><p>Should such action lead to response which we are unable to ignore either contractually or morally then perhaps, at last, we too will have a chance to give Russia a kicking and send those pathetic bodies back home where they will be needed to help Syria or some other god-forsaken place in that awful area.</p><p>I have this feint hope that the Middle East war that is going to start, if it hasn't already, will help clear the air over Ukraine and give them some hope and a chance to reassert their borders after all. If Britain is drawn into battles with enemies of Israel then, whilst all hell will let loose, one does get the impression that Ukraine will come out of the winter stronger and better-supported and better-protected for 2024.</p><p><br /></p>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-12076396680071532482023-10-17T11:03:00.002+01:002023-10-17T11:03:20.336+01:00Just what is Palestine?<p>I wish I had paid more attention in History and Geography classes at school. If you asked me to draw an outline of Israel, Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Jordan . . I would get none of them right. I might have got them in about the right area on that eastern bank of the Mediterranean Sea but that's about as good as it gets and I have no idea where Palestine is. Here's a map to help anyone as poorly informed as I am. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpGfyzXzpXdMLdnIcagUezxWDFHqNS1T_MipcWN8Y0a13mL1rXRLhqjj1Up6bffycAmqFE5mybfDF9GW9hgnB1yNwT8vSQO6gUx41aZk4yMC7OVHTiDtq6iXOXxWBOzp5NXs8T0_kLsfEc6JqKGdLpGAgmo1zeNTQAso-xRsWvRgAS0MdPB4VK2A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="866" data-original-width="1008" height="551" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpGfyzXzpXdMLdnIcagUezxWDFHqNS1T_MipcWN8Y0a13mL1rXRLhqjj1Up6bffycAmqFE5mybfDF9GW9hgnB1yNwT8vSQO6gUx41aZk4yMC7OVHTiDtq6iXOXxWBOzp5NXs8T0_kLsfEc6JqKGdLpGAgmo1zeNTQAso-xRsWvRgAS0MdPB4VK2A=w640-h551" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is a bad area and seems to be where trouble has always been brewing. I can't remember a time when something bad wasn't happening in this area. Now things really are looking grim after the most awful attack by Hamas terrorists from Gaza which killed over 1400 people in Israel, shocking, deliberate execution of civilian men, women, children and even babies which breaks every rule in the book of decency. Unsurprisingly, Israel has hit back and, as I write, everyone seems to be saying they should be careful not to overreact, start a regional conflict, World War III and so forth. No-one appears to have suggested that Hamas might have given some warning of their proposed attack or consider whether it was reasonable to shoot people who were simply having a meal with friends or celebrating at a music festival, or chop down someone running away, or take children hostage, parading mutilated bodies of girls in the back of trucks as they drove through town almost unchallenged. </div><br />There seems to be an underlying dislike of Jewish people and, whilst I don't think Israel is home to Jewish people alone, this translates to simply disliking Israel. I read about this in places far and wide - from Labour Party troubles with historic antisemitism in its ranks to bad treatment of Jewish people in some neighbourhoods of London, to say nothing of some organisations which appear to believe that Israel shouldn't even exist and, of course, we should all be aware of the appalling atrocities carried out by Germany's Nazi forces and sympathisers in World War II. Following recent events, many national leaders have made it clear that they 'stand with' Israel and some of us are committed to support Israel militarily too but I sense a reluctance, much as we have remained on the side-lines, watching what happens in Ukraine, we remain conveniently distanced from that strange area where we are not entirely sure about who belongs where and whether Israel has been mean to Palestinians in the past.<p></p><p>There is, however, also a far more disturbing hatred of 'Israel' which appears to have been fomented by external forces but nevertheless appearing as big demonstrations in British towns and cities. I don't see many Israeli flags being waved and some institutions even seem to be nervous about displaying the Star of David for fear that they'll be attacked. A casual observer on the streets of most of Europe would take the view that the world takes the Hamas side and whatever they did was bad but somehow kinda justified by something in the past and that Israeli forces now need to be very careful and would they please give notice of whatever they're thinking of doing and maybe we'll be charging them with war offences if they don't behave well and are not nice to people in Gaza. It's extraordinary. Have we all been conned by the very clever Hamas-supporting international groups who feed the media and twist the story. Read the BBC accounts of events to date and these are hugely sympathetic of the plight of Palestinians and how worried everyone is that the Israeli IDF will 'overreact'. After the first day's reporting and subsequent quotes from carefully-worded statements by politicians left, right and centre we read very little now of any sadness or loss or pain that the Israeli people may be suffering. You do get the feeling that even the BBC are not very keen on Jewish people.</p><p>I need some better context for all this in order to have confidence in saying more. I want to say that I believe that Israel has every right to seek out every single supporter of Hamas, and Hezbollah while they're at it, put them on trial and lock them away somewhere for many years. If some innocent civilians get hurt in the process because the cowardly terrorists hide amongst civilian families, in schools and by hospitals then that is a price that Palestinians must accept for permitting terrorist organisations to flourish and take control of so much of their lives there. After all, Hamas supporters were, I think, elected by Palestinians at the last election for government. Presumably voters were aware of their views then so maybe cannot be regarded as totally innocent after all.</p><p>I am still not well-enough informed, though, and so turned to this excellent article by Roger Kimball in The Spectator's US edition yesterday.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>It’s so cute when politicians like AOC and Rashida Tlaib, to say nothing of hysteric undergraduates and ill-informed lefties across the country, complain that Israel is an “apartheid state” that is illegitimately “occupying” the land West of the Jordan River from the Golan Heights down to the border of the Sinai Peninsula. </p><p>Responding to the murderous attacks on Israeli civilians by Hamas on October 7, AOC decried “the occupation of Palestine” while Tlaib urged “ending the occupation, and dismantling the apartheid system” that can “lead to resistance.”</p><p>Hermeneuts of the world, unite! What does Tlaib mean by “resistance” here? Slaughtering innocent partygoers? Incinerating and beheading babies? Indiscriminately raping then murdering hostages? And what is the force of “lead to”? Is it meant to suggest that Israel is somehow to blame for such acts of “resistance” because — because why? Because the Jewish people occupy the place that was 1) their ancestral homeland and 2) with which they were reinvested by the Balfour Declaration of 1917, by the victorious Brits after World War One and and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, explicitly to provide a “national home for the Jewish people,” and 3) by the creation of the state of Israel in 1948?</p><p>What group of people do they think belongs there? </p><p>“Palestinians” is the usual answer. </p><p>But who or what are the “Palestinians”?</p><p>“People from Palestine,” you say. </p><p>But what is Palestine?</p><p>From time immemorial, Jews occupied the spot history knows as “Judaea.” What happened to that? Gibbon said that Hadrian, who ruled from AD 117 to 138, was one of the “five good emperors.” Maybe so, but there is a reason that the Jews proverbially accompanied any mention of Hadrian with the imprecation, “May God crush his bones.” </p><p>Hadrian brutally put down the Bar Kokhba revolt of AD 132-136 and, in an effort to stamp out any remnants of Jewish nationalism killed, or exiled the entire population and renamed “Judaea” “Syrian Palestine.” </p><p>The “Palestinians” that we know and love today were an invention of the KGB and their puppet Yasser Arafat, an educated, middle-class Arab of Egyptian origin who devoted his life to murderous anti-American mischief. (Among other things, he arranged for the murder of Cleo Noel, the US ambassador to Sudan.)</p><p>Ion Mihai Pacepa, the former chief of Romanian intelligence, defected to the US and wrote about the links between Arafat and the KGB: “Arafat was an important undercover operative for the KGB,” Pacepa wrote in the Wall Street Journal:</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Right after the 1967 Six Day Arab-Israeli war, Moscow got him appointed to chairman of the PLO. Egyptian ruler Gamal Abdel Nasser, a Soviet puppet, proposed the appointment. In 1969 the KGB asked Arafat to declare war on American “imperial-Zionism” during the first summit of the Black Terrorist International, a neo-fascist pro-Palestine organization financed by the KGB and Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi. It appealed to him so much, Arafat later claimed to have invented the imperial-Zionist battle cry. But in fact, “imperial-Zionism” was a Moscow invention, a modern adaptation of the “Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” and long a favorite tool of Russian intelligence to foment ethnic hatred. The KGB always regarded antisemitism plus anti-imperialism as a rich source of anti-Americanism.</i></p></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Somehow, those details are omitted by the “pro-Palestinian” lobby in their pursuit of ecstatic antisemitism, as is the inconvenient fact that “prior to the PLO Charter being released in 1964, no one referred to Palestinians with the same intent as used today. There is a reason no mention exists prior to that moment. The KGB had not created the fictitious people until that time.”</p><p>Don’t believe it? How about this statement from Zuheir Mohsen, a senior PLO leader, in 1977: </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>"The Palestinian people do not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity… Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct “Palestinian people” to oppose Zionism. Yes, the existence of a separate Palestinian identity exists only for tactical reasons."</i></p></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>The history of the Levant makes for a complicated story, not least its recent history. I will not try to tell it all here. But the idea that the Jews are illegitimately occupying territory that really belongs to “the Palestinians” is a politically-motivated historical falsehood that only an unhappy terrorist or a half-educated Western leftie, could believe. </p></blockquote><p>Maybe you know this already. I certainly was not aware of such a Palestinian state. It explains why I couldn't find 'Palestine' on a map. It doesn't help solve any of this crazy conflict, of course, but I can speak now with a little better understanding and try to argue with all those people waving Palestinian flags and shouting bad things about Israel. </p><p>Lastly, with all this woke stuff from the last few years going on, you really do have to wonder that it is entirely OK to rant and rave publicly about how bad the jews are or how much you might hate Israel or Israelis or those people you see in North London with long sideburn hair, odd black hats and often a beard but dare to criticise Black Lives Matter or object out loud to kids getting treatment to reassign their gender or just feel uncomfortable peeing next to a man in a frock and you're in big trouble. Does any Pride supporter really think that gay, lesbian, queer or whatever people would last more than five minutes in Hamas-Hezbollah Land? If anyone's backing the wrong side then they are. But so too are an awful lot of ordinary British people and I can only assume that it is because they're either stupid or just ill-informed. Like I have been.</p><p><br /></p>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-81491177540418767472023-06-20T18:56:00.004+01:002023-06-20T18:56:38.297+01:00Complete and utter nonsense. A stupid, pointless invasion continues.<p>And so it goes on. Here we are in late June 2023, a year and a half since Russia started killing people in Ukraine for no apparent reason that anyone has adequately explained to me. The total pointlessness of what Russia has been doing for all this time is remarkable. Nothing of any value to anyone has been achieved, other than roubles in the pockets of a number of senior military people, several of whom see war as a business and one hell of an opportunity to make money.</p><p>Pages have been written about Putin's desire to change the very existence of Ukraine. Some say he wants the country to be totally absorbed into Russia, others that he wants it simply deleted. Some say it is a nation of Nazis and yet all the evidence of how the population of Ukraine have been treated so far points very much to the Russian leaders being the ones who have been behaving like Hitler's German leaders did in World War II. I appreciate that Russia will want to use propaganda to attempt to maintain some control over the Russian people generally and, more specifically, to give their troops some reason for what they're asked to do, but how can so many people believe such nonsense as is being written and described in speeches or presented on their TV screens or in their newspapers?</p><p>It really is all complete nonsense. No-one has been able to give me one reason for the invasion. No-one can give me any reasonable explanation for killing so many innocent Ukrainians. No-one can explain why vast areas of Ukraine are now flooded, with tens of thousands of families losing homes, farms losing crops and, so very sadly, huge numbers of animals perishing, not only as a result of the dam being destroyed but also since day one from missiles destroying buildings, mines now all over the place and so many families who might have once looked after them having had to leave the country.</p><p>What have we done? From what I can tell we have provided Ukraine with just the bare minimum to enable them to fight back - but no more. Russia appear able to prevent any significant Ukraine advance through a never-ending troop replacement at the front line. There may have been some minor regaining of control over some villages and towns in the East but the prospect of Ukraine forces being able to push Russian forces back to where they were in February 2022 is really not something we can realistically envisage, much as though we would want to. Of course, this sort of stalemate position is better than what might have been the case had we done nothing but I would not want to be the Western leader who announces that the Ukraine people should be thankful for small mercies.</p><p>When I say 'we' I mean all of us who believe that what Russia did and has done since to be wrong, indeed, more than wrong, very bad, disgusting, appalling, criminal, hateful . . . add your own terms. There can surely be no-one in what I'll loosely refer to as the West who can in any way justify supporting Russia's actions to date. </p><p>In February 2022 I advocated that we had to do much more than shake our heads and send a bit of money or some equipment, whilst adding a proviso that this must only be used in defensive operation or to support attack within the Ukraine borders. We needed to have troops on the ground and in the background too, advising and supporting the rapid removal of Russian troops and restoring previous borders as an urgent priority. We should make it clear that we have no truck with the Russian people and do not propose to start bombing Russian sites but we would be prepared to take out any site in Russia from which missiles were fired and caused losses in Ukraine.</p><p>I said then that we could not possibly justify standing back and just watching what may or may not happen. We had plenty of supportive words and gestures - and slowly equipment and funds and training support have been provided too - but Russia has never really felt threatened. Indeed, it has been us, and primarily Britain, that has been threatened by Russia with damage threatened ranging from missiles hitting a city here to the whole British Isles being demolished in a tsunami created by some explosion of some sort that they claimed to be capable of creating. We appear to be terrified of what might happen if we do start fighting, as opposed to standing on the touch line and cheering.</p><p>What would Russia really do? Faced with troops from all the NATO countries, plus a few more who can be persuaded to be on the right side of history, Russia would not take long to count who might support their side. China would not, nor would India who really only wanted cheap oil. Iran and North Korea have to be the only two realistic propositions of support for Russia. North Korea may have a few missiles but I would seriously doubt their reliability and I am of the view that the country has its own problems with a very under-nourished population with an army that may be numerous but not able to do a great deal other than threaten South Korea. Iran hasn't got a great deal more than drones and some aircraft, being some way off any viable missiles of any threatening nature. Russia would threaten to drop some nuclear bombs here and there but they would have to get through countries' defences and just one red button pressed would instantly result in a mass of their weapons bases and no doubt some cities too being hit by the West. In a matter of days it would be obvious, if it hopefully weren't clear earlier, that Russia does not stand a chance of winning against such opposition and if the current leader doesn't recognise that then there will be several who will and, one way or another, it all stops dead before the world ends as we mistakenly seem to assume it inevitably must.</p><p>A new leader in Russia can explain away the idiocy of a previous one, especially one who disappears, as Putin would. They can accept 'losing' as they can claim not to have supported the whole thing in the first place. The West would assist them with the phrasing to make it easier and less embarrassing, of course. </p><p>There is a risk, yes, that some people in countries other than Ukraine get killed and injured. It could be your town that gets hit by a Russian missile that does get through our defence system on that dreadful day when World War III appears to have begun. No-one wants their town to be hit. But no-one in Ukraine wanted their towns to be hit and look what has happened. They have been hit. Friends and relatives have been killed, injured, their children have just disappeared. But if you'd asked them what they would do if threatened by Russia then they would unanimously have said "We will fight". They would have accepted the risk that they, and some friends a little further away might get hurt. Sometimes risks have to be taken. If you say to your opponent that you won't take the risk then he has a wonderful opportunity to continue to do bad things and pursue whatever crazy purpose he may have in Ukraine in the full knowledge that we won't dare to do anything. Just as we have really not done anything. And we should not fool ourselves into believing that we have been so generous and brilliant in what we have done. If we'd really wanted to help we should have shown Putin just what the stakes really are, that we are prepared to take the risk because it's the right thing to do. We want to be able to sleep at night in years to come, in the knowledge that, whilst a bit late, we did finally take action and brought this thing to a conclusion that was right. </p><p>NATO needs to send troops in very soon, with full air support and, ideally preceded by umpteen secret missions to disable as many of Russia's attack systems as possible and some smart efforts and hacking to free the Russian people from all the garbage they get on TV and in their media.</p><p><br /></p>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-2154481585348951062023-02-12T20:05:00.001+00:002023-02-12T20:05:30.008+00:00The infinite beauty of the impossibly real.<p>I am trying to imagine what it must be like to be intelligent and kind-natured and living in Russia, born and bred there - a good person who somehow manages to discover and be aware of the facts as to what is happening in Ukraine and how the world at large is viewing developments.</p><p>Let's call her Tanya. She has her own apartment in Rostov-on-Don, close enough to the border to be quite badly affected by any nuclear dust if the wind were blowing in the wrong direction at the time of any explosion in Ukraine. Probably close enough to see tanks and troops going West and not seeing any coming back for the past year. Her TV and radio tell her that her country is conducting a <i>special military operation</i> to remove Nazis from Ukraine. I am not sure whether she was also told it was to bring that country under Russian control but that seems to have been implied as, indeed, that the vast majority of Ukrainian people actually want that anyway.</p><p>It's no big deal in February 2022 when the Russian troops and tanks roll over the border and head for Kyiv. No great public announcements, life carries on pretty much as normal at first. After a few weeks, however, she starts to hear about the howls of protest not just from Ukraine but from every European country, except Hungary, Transnistria and Kaliningrad, and particularly loud anger and astonishment from the United Kingdom and the United States as well as all the rest of the British Commonwealth from Canada to New Zealand. Suddenly she's not permitted to leave the country. Even if she could take a flight somewhere the plane would have to be Aeroflot and would only be permitted to fly over a limited number of territories, no other airline now serving Russian airports and most countries banning Russian flights from entering their airspace, never mind landing. </p><p>She wonders why there is a huge exodus of women and children from Ukraine, mostly to Poland and Finland but many also to England where the British government is paying families £600 a month to help provide a room for a Ukrainian woman, more if they have children too. What is so fearful that so many people left homes and husbands in such a hurry? It does seem quite strange.</p><p>Putin appears on TV and at various other places to tell everyone how this <i>special military operation</i> is just a small necessary action to rescue Russian people in Ukraine and remove the Nazis that he says are controlling things and how it is necessary to protect Russia and its people from the advance of NATO with US and European troops and armour expected to be building up on the border because of Ukraine's developing friendship with the West. Many of Tanya's neighbours and colleagues believe what they see and hear on Russian TV and Radio and in the state-controlled newspapers. They see Putin as a strong protector of all that they love about Russia. She can hardly argue with them. That would not only make day-to-day life difficult and tense for her and other members of her family but could also get her sent to jail, following new legislation which bans anyone referring to the <i>special military operation</i> as a war or invasion or anything except a helpful move by nice Russian troops to remove nasty people making trouble somewhere in Ukraine.</p><p>And anyway, she does have some respect for President Putin. He had made Russia a lot stronger and restored national pride after what many Russians had seen as loss of identity and influence when the Soviet Union was broken up in the 1990s. Generally, things had been going quite well. Some dissidents had disappeared and leaders of any opposition parties struggled to get the same airtime or, for that matter, any votes in elections, but the Russian Federation was a nation that we could do business with, travel to and it had McDonalds restaurants. She was quite pleased he had 'got Crimea back' although she had not really liked the way it had happened. But not many people died and the whole business about which nation should run Crimea had always been a bit dodgy. This latest action, though, worried her.</p><p>She started to read what was actually happening. It wasn't just the clear evidence emerging that this was a genuine invasion and that innocent civilians were being killed when missiles and bombs blew up apartment blocks and city centres but that Russian troops were suffering very badly. Things were not going as planned. They completely failed to reach Kyiv and almost the entire batch of tanks and equipment in the north had been lost, as well as almost all the soldiers inside them. No Nazis were being killed as far as she could make out, only people who had been threatening nobody, just going about their daily lives or, in the case of Ukrainian troops, trying to defend their towns and villages and actually doing it remarkably well. About 120,000 Russian soldiers have died in this year according to the internationally-respected organisation counting them on the ground. The true figure is likely to be double that when untreated injuries of another 300,000 are taken into account.</p><p>She learns that this was not just luck but countries like Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, Finland and Britain had immediately provided a lot of very valuable resources to Ukraine which had enabled them to maintain a strong defence. She watched as international verified sources confirmed that wave after wave of her country's troops were being sent in to replace those dying and how, over time, the sheer number of Russian troops made progress possible. But that 'progress' was the most abominable treatment of women and children in towns like Bucha, where hundreds have been found shot or beaten with their hands tied, women abused in the streets and left to die there in other towns. Populations, or those hundreds that remained, in some other southern or eastern towns were forced on trains and removed to Russia. News is still today awaited by their families as to where they are and whether they're even still alive. Talk of Nazis - who was it that used trains to remove and kill vast numbers efficiently? Tanya tries hard to think objectively and base her feelings and conclusions on facts but she does start to wonder just how her country could be doing these things to people who, until a few months earlier, now a year earlier, happily co-existed for the most part.</p><p>Then she starts to read about just who is actually doing the killing and now commanding operations in Ukraine. It is essentially a business. The Wagner Group, employing prisoners and almost anyone they can find in nations far and wide, including Syria and Iran, that wants to fight and have a chance of earning good money and their release, are very much in control of what happens on the ground. They have mostly made up for the early mistakes of ill-informed and very ill-equipped Russian troops and have demolished almost all the towns of any importance in the East and South. Just Odesa remains which, oddly, they have left for now. Huge battles have been necessary, real war, real invasion, real atrocities to achieve what is now a sort of <i>status quo</i>. Russia, or shall we say some paid individuals, control much of the Donbas and Luhansk region as well as a swathe of territory across the south. But that's all. The rest of the country is pretty free from fighting. There is little power and air raid sirens warn that missiles are still a threat every night but few land anywhere near their targets.</p><p>Tanya wonders what will happen next. Her news tells her nothing she can really believe any more. People are not talking as much as they did at the start. There is a feeling that all is not well. Britain and the United States, even the EU are regarded now as enemies. Reports say that they are about to attack Russia. She can scarcely believe that this could be true. What she can read reassures her a little but there are also many Western writers who feel that only by other countries actually getting involved will Putin and his advisers see that they need to negotiate sooner rather than later.</p><p>She doesn't think about the nuclear option. No-one does really. It's so terrible and is something no-one can actually appreciate unless they happened to have been around Hiroshima or Nagasaki in the 1940s. We may have a fear of nuclear war but we don't really have a clue. Tanya is much like all of us across the whole world - we close our minds to the possibility and seek only to consider what else can be done.</p><p>With more and more access to reports of what is happening she can only feel more sad. There is no obvious answer. At least the state-controlled media there tell her everything will be OK, that Russia is winning the . . . oh, no hang on, nearly said 'war', nearly completing the <i>special military operation</i>. It's almost better to turn off all the news and try to concentrate on a good book or watch a film, make dinner.</p><p>Tanya asks a friend in the West for more information about how he thinks it will all end. He runs through scenarios which she's already read or worked out for herself. Basically, whatever happens will not happen quickly. Very few countries will feel like forgiving Russia for what they've done and, indeed, there will be a demand for massive reparations before any trade can restart other with rogue nations like Iran, parts of corrupted India and North Korea. Even sympathetic Hungary won't be allowed to deal with Russia. Russians themselves are not to blame but they will get blamed. Despite her outward-looking nature and kindness, Tanya will suffer by not being able to travel for years, from not being able to participate actively in what much of the rest of the world is doing. Fun things like Eurovision, Olympics, sport generally, festivals, opera, ballet, the Arts as a whole will be self-contained for years with little external involvement. Children will grow up with a very jaundiced and rather inaccurately guessed view of the rest of the world.</p><p>She will carry on probably much as she did before, just wondering always what might have been and what is really going on across the border. She knows that they're not Nazis in Ukraine and that many good people will be busy there rebuilding towns and cities and factories and schools. Her English friend will be there too. She'll wonder what he looks like now but knows she'll not see him again as she's not normally the sort to risk what the new Russian regime would do to anyone caught trying to escape the country. But maybe now she's not 'normal' any more and has heard that the Finnish people can be very helpful if you can get to Vybourg. . . </p><p>Or, if you think about it, this would be a good time for Tanya to move to Crimea. The area could get some sort of special status, under shared administration and much less dominated by Soviet state controls for a few years, during which movement of people across borders may be much less problematic.</p><p><br /></p>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-71850258801759772782023-02-05T21:35:00.000+00:002023-02-05T21:35:20.148+00:00There will be trouble ahead . . .<p>That's the question many people are asking and, quite honestly, no-one knows. Some excellent writers who really do seem to know what they're talking about in <i>The Spectator </i>see a kind of stalemate developing. Much as we had been optimistic following the recent progress and just the fact that Ukraine had halted much of Russia's advance and had even started to take back some areas, some fear has crept in that there will be trouble ahead. It looks very much like Russia has built up considerable troop presence and is stretching Ukraine's defence preparations in two, if not three directions. The next wave of attacks is likely to come from troops trying to make progress from the South East to secure Donbas and Luhansk regions once and for all and prohibit much Ukraine advance in the direction of Crimea. By sheer force of numbers one would expect Russia to have some chance of success and then to be able to call for a ceasefire with the intention of holding those Eastern areas as a condition of withdrawal elsewhere.</p><p>It is highly unlikely that Ukraine will agree to any loss of land and will insist on withdrawal to the pre-February 24 positions and, indeed, will not simply give up the desire to bring back Crimea to its internationally recognised placing as part of Ukraine.</p><p>Russia will not agree to that, nor will they cease their demands for Donbas and Luhansk and the international community may wish to take their side on that just to get this war finished, as they will see it. The problem is that these areas, like Crimea, are now almost completely populated with people who prefer to be under Russian control. This may seem odd if they have been watching anything other than Russian TV but most probably haven't, everyone who in any way supported being part of Ukraine having left long ago. Crimea is almost completely 'Russian' in that respect with those residents who remained and do support Ukraine making very little signs of this for fear of being carted off somewhere and disposed of. They live quietly in hope as I guess several families in the East still do. But the vast majority of 'residents' in these disputed areas will vote to stay Russian in any poll, however independently that poll may be organised.</p><p>This, coupled with the difficulty that would inevitably be associated with any attempt by Ukraine to take full peaceful control of these places, with their populations as they stand today, being virtually impossible, with much resentment building up and that makes its way into the minds of those helping to decide things elsewhere. Even here in very supportive England, I can imagine much less enthusiasm being expressed for Ukraine to continue to fight when a peace deal is offered. They will almost be obliged to take it. I doubt that they will, however, and they'll simply fight on.</p><p>Russia will have no choice but to keep piling in more and more troops and my guess is that if that's all they do then that stalemate will be the result. A little movement here, a little movement there. A lot of Russian lives will be lost, far more than Ukrainian and it will be Ukraine's hope that the numbers become so vast that they really start to have an impact upon what the Russian public believe is happening. In all this unresolved mess I see mistakes being made and sooner or later a town other than in Ukraine gets hit and the huge risk of other countries being dragged into the war becomes reality. At that point, maybe, there will be some last ditch attempts to get some form of agreement as Russia really would then have to expect a lot more support, if not direct action in, Ukraine.</p><p>In the absence of a mistake or bombs being dropped somewhere in Europe or some dirty nuclear attack to bring this to a close, I can only see two outcomes that might work and allow both sides to stop. One is where some agreement is made that the disputed areas will get some sort of independent government. They're not ceded to Russian control, nor are they left solely under Ukraine administration but run by some independent entity that also represents both sides as well as the interests of those living or desiring to return to live there. For some considerable time this will need to run so that the population of the areas can settle into whatever natural grouping it would have done had 2014 or this war never happened. </p><p>It has to be wrong that Russia simply walks away with Crimea as a prize, with the international community agreeing that it's all Russian from here on. Similarly, it would be wrong for any area to be so regarded at the outset. Maybe after some years, some rearrangement of borders does take place as these areas are not going to function as completely independent nations and will need to be part of one of the other. That new border has to be right and fair and to work or all this will just happen again one day.</p><p>As this stands, if I were to suggest that Ukraine might lose a single square inch of its land then I would be shouted down and told that simply can't happen as it would be seen as allowing Russia to have bullied them and having somehow won, especially with all the destruction to homes, lives, livelihoods and the economy generally. So Russia will have to suffer considerably more financially in order that they pay for the damage done and this, too, needs to be part of any agreement, however and whenever it is reached. Anything less simply will not be accepted. </p><p>Refusal to agree to any peace deal will see international support ebb away and maybe Russia has already worked that out and is banking on Ukraine just being worn down over the years. Russia can keep finding troops to die even if there is no significant advance. They'll win eventually on that basis.</p><p>The second outcome is that we all get involved. NATO or, at the very least a few strong nations, join Ukraine in the fight and call Russia's bluff. Indeed, if they're effective enough they could cause Russia to withdraw very quickly and then it would be Russia who would be likely to lose the support of any international minds should they start firing missiles at anyone else. That's when they lose. And they lose all of the land in Ukraine, including Crimea. Perhaps even a new administration is ordered for Russia itself, much like Germany had to be controlled after World War 2's defeat.</p><p>Because Russia is a nuclear power and does have a lot of weapons, this would be dangerous and messy but I believe showing Russia that we are united and strong in hating this dreadful business that they started in 2014 and now wish to continue will convince them that their best policy is to stop. That way maybe they can say they don't lose and some face is even saved by people in charge there. Be that as it may. Providing tanks will help but I still want to see real help on the ground and in the air and, indeed, in Russia too where smart technology and highly secret attacks on key infrastructure could stop the threat of those weapons ever going anywhere.</p><p><br /></p>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-26445941328027137142023-01-20T19:21:00.004+00:002023-02-12T17:38:23.329+00:00To my German friend . . .My friend in Germany wrote to me wondering whether his country should agree to send tanks to Ukraine, believing that it would simply lead to even more deaths and he was scared that a result might also be Putin, on the verge of defeat, pressing the big red button. I had to respond in quite forceful terms!<br /><br /><blockquote>Regarding Ukraine, without support Russia will simply take over the country. The Ukraine people will fight hard with whatever they have but they will eventually lose just by the fact that Russia can continue to send more and more troops in the old-fashioned style of war in which no-one cares about the lives lost as long as they win. So, in very simple terms, whoever has the most troops wins. And Russia would, after losing many thousands of more men, take over what was left.<br />If that is the outcome that some people prefer then don't give Ukraine any more assistance.<br /><br /><br />Personally, this seems wrong to me for two reasons: (1) It was wrong for Russia to invade in February (and, indeed, in 2014) in all interpretations of international law and in how their troops have behaved since in many instances of torture, rape and more crimes, and (2) because Ukraine people will still try to defend their homes and families until the bitter end there will be a huge loss of Russian and Ukrainian lives in such an ending.<br /><br /><br />There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that all of the European countries plus the whole of the British Commonwealth plus the Americas plus Japan at least should demonstrate their support for Ukraine and how bad they believe Russia's actions have been. They have mostly done this in words and a good number have backed up their words with actions to provide real military assistance of one sort or another.<br /><br /><br />The logic is simple. Russia's terrible actions must not be allowed to succeed or there will be little to prevent Russia or another country doing something similar again. There is a solid international majority that says this is wrong and has to stop. Unfortunately, the leaders of most international countries have been less strong in their actions and that has enabled Russia to make some progress and to feel confident that they can eventually win, albeit slowly.<br /><br /><br />The introduction of tanks and armoured vehicles as well as an increased availability of missiles and ammunition generally will make a massive difference to the next few months, according to every military intelligence assessment that I read. It allows Ukraine troops to advance. At present they cannot do so across open ground which is easy to cover with bombs and missiles which simply stop ground troops and prevent any advance. With armoured tanks and similar vehicles Ukraine would have a significant advantage and would be able to retake all the land taken by Russia at the beginning and also to advance to Crimea. Russia has plenty of men but very few vehicles left now as so many were destroyed. They are also running low on missiles and no-one is really sure how quickly Iran or North Korea can supply more, The drones are also running out or being more effectively taken down by new defence action supplied by the west.<br /><br /><br />Once Russia has been pushed back to the original borders then Ukraine will not seek to advance further so no-one is threatening any Russian in their own territory. This has to be the preferred outcome, followed by compulsory funding by Russia to assist rebuilding all the damaged cities, towns and villages they destroyed. No, of course, this is not what the Kremlin and whoever is in charge will be happy to see and no doubt there will be no agreement but there will be a de facto defeat of Russia in this action. By making it very clear at that point that Ukraine is then part of NATO, or an area that the international community at large will protect in future, Russia will have to recognise that any further attempt to enlarge its territory will result in war with more than just Ukraine. That is a war they will understand cannot be won and the Russian people will also be aware that they have been badly misled by their leaders. That may even lead to a change of leadership in Russia but, on that subject, I am not so sure at this time.<br /><br /><br />The only threat that remains is the nuclear one. This has been much debated recently. Some people believe that Putin would press the button. The majority, by far, of intelligence analysts say that this would not happen. No-one has threatened Russian territory so the main reason to fire at you or me or another country does not apply. It would have to be some crazy act, like a child lashing out at a parent in a bad mood, or someone banging a desk in anger or frustration. Putin is not crazy. He knows that any nuclear explosion would cause just as much damage for his troops as for Ukraine and the likelihood of wind blowing radiation dust back across Russia is very high. Indeed, that could result in more problems than the explosion itself. He also knows that this would be crossing a red line that the US and some other nations have defined. One nuclear missile fired into Ukraine would result in an almost instant massive increase in traditional weapons and, I believe, other nations' forces on the ground and, importantly, in the air over Ukraine.<br /><br /><br />There would be considerable devastation but a quick end to the war would occur with so many more countries actually involved. Without any actual attack on Russian land Putin would not risk any weapons being fired at another country. I do not believe another nation would fire a nuclear weapon in response and WW3 is not imminent.<br /><br /><br />There is also the real question as to the state of Russia's nuclear arsenal. Much of it is ancient now and many suspect that only a small proportion are serviceable but even those may not actually be able to be fired successfully. There is a large risk of some of these weapons actually exploding on Russian land and not reaching another nation or, possibly worse in terms of the next stage, one or two fail to be correctly guided and land on a NATO town. Putin is, as I said, not crazy. He knows this. The nuclear threat is a threat that can not be relied upon. <br /><br /><br />So, in summary, this is not a matter where it makes sense to call for peace and be worried about huge escalation or Eilum or Astcote being obliterated. It is not 1960. There is a way to stop Russia and prevent any more loss of life. That is to stand up to the bully and show him that we can make Ukraine far stronger than he is. We have already shown that Ukraine is Russia's equal! Now we need to finish the job and force Russia back to where they started. If Putin has any sense he will quietly retire and let someone else take over and pretend to the Russian public that everything is good. "We punished some bad people in Ukraine and now the Special Military Operation is complete" is what Russian TV programmes and newspapers will announce. End of story.<br /><br /><br />So your government really must stop the stupid delay and get on with doing whatever it possibly can to support the rest of us. Tanks, vehicles, ammunition, technical workers, whatever you can give to this cause, please give it now. Staying quiet and hiding away, hoping that no-one drops a bomb will not help anyone. Indeed, it will simply encourage someone like North Korea or Iran to use theirs as their leaders are crazy and will see Europe as a bunch of weak nations scared to do anything to help another.<br /><br /><br />1. Promised support delivered quickly will save a huge number of lives by producing a quick end<br />2. Actual delivery shows Russia that we all mean what we say. 'Support' is something we do, not just something we say.<br />3. Neither Putin nor any current Kremlin leader will fire a nuclear missile at a NATO nation<br />4. They recognise the huge risk for themselves of any detonation in Ukraine<br />5. In any threatening situation there will be people who are scared. That is understandable. But there will also be people who are strong and brave and smart enough to protect those who are scared. Sometimes it is necessary to say that something is very wrong and to take action to prevent it. That action may entail risk of disaster but without action there is certainty of disaster.</blockquote>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-33501573791324471672023-01-04T13:10:00.005+00:002023-02-12T10:53:05.850+00:00Maths and the NHS<p> I don't know who is now advising Rishi Sunak. James Forsyth has recently transferred from The Spectator to his political team and I had previously been impressed with his writing and argument when discussing the government's actions so I would be surprised that the latest releases are his responsibility. Whoever suggested, however, that it would be a good idea to say that students should continue to study maths until they're 18 needs their own head examined.</p><p>Firstly, I should make it clear that I am something of a mathematician. I love numbers and have Pure Maths and Applied Maths A Levels and really do enjoy solving quadratic equations and wondering aloud about topology, doing sudoku and various other games involving numbers. But I am slightly bonkers. It would not expect the population at large to be like that. I would expect them to be able to do some simple sums without needing a calculator and to be able to recognise that some numbers are simply either too big or too small to be sensible answers to a question that might arise in daily life. That's all. And these are numeracy skills which are around Level 1 or 2 at most and are currently pretty much unavoidable at schools and colleges as things stand.</p><p>I was under the impression that almost every student does pass some basic numeracy test before leaving and those that don't get another go at College if necessary. Numeracy NVQs at Level 1 as I recall had virtually 100% pass rates even at Dunstable College where neither the standard of teaching nor the standard of student behaviour or English comprehension was particularly great at the best of times. You had to be pretty thick not to pass or to suffer from some other problem which meant you probably shouldn't have been put in for it in the first place without some extra guidance and support.</p><p>The sort of maths that comes later is the more awkward stuff, maybe involving triangles or the terrifying matrices. I can't imagine integration being on the agenda for all 17 year-olds. "Differentiation is a science; integration is an art," my St. Albans School Maths master used to say. There's no way any student should be made to study either unwillingly.</p><p>So I am very much concerned at what Rishi Sunak is getting at, or what he hopes to achieve with this announcement. Yes, by all means, let's have a more numerate group of students entering the workplace but there is already sufficient testing. Perhaps the teaching and type of testing could be improved but that's about it and I certainly don't think we should spend too much political capital losing votes by forcing everyone to 'do maths' every week. It would be better that 'Social Studies' or 'Black history lessons' or 'White privilege / diversity training', however, now I think of it. Bit I can just see Labour lining up a series of advertisments featuring attractive modern schoolgirls looking bored at their desks in a 70s-style classroom with a boring-looking teacher covering a blackboard with white chalk equations and symbols in 2024.</p><p>Think again, Rishi. And sack James if this is his first idea in post!</p><p>What has got everyone's attention recently is the NHS. Or, rather, the lack of S in the NH. Labour, of course, see this as a free ticket to government and there will be cries of how badly the Tories have done with all the crises being reported within and all around the National Health Service. Christ, even the nurses are on strike and junior doctors are regularly searching for posts in Australia. It is so easy to stick this one of the Tories, as Labour will continue to do, probably dragging the Brexit £350 million for the NHS bus poster out again too.</p><p>Secretly, however, I suspect that Labour are thanking their lucky stars that they're not in government at the moment as they wouldn't be able to do much about it either. </p><p>The problem is not of the government's making. It is simply the case that the National Health service is incredibly badly run now. It's vast, it's hugely complex and collapsing under its own weight. As we all get older and live longer we demand more treatment for ailments and cost a lot more money as both the time spent under care and on drugs to help us soar ever upwards. Unless the funding for the NHS is similarly linked and increases vastly ever year in line with the need then something is going to break. I don't hear anyone willing to give that commitment as the implications for us tax-wise, would be too high.</p><p>It is necessary to separate the service from the administration and management as far as possible. The former does need the continued expansion in one form or another but the latter should not. That may then lead to a more acceptable element of funding year to year. Non-service costs really could be frozen in total, if not reduced. I suspect that there is a huge amount of waste from a lack of joined-up thinking, centralised purchasing can be a double-edged sword too, without sufficient thought given in negotiations on prices payable and quality receivable. Management and middle management salaries seem very high in comparison to equivalent job roles in other employment. Many staff are being paid substantially more than MPs or company general managers with considerably more responsibility. My guess is that a massive amount could be saved by cutting swathes of NHS Management posts without anyone actually noticing.</p><p>This still is unlikely to be enough in the long term, though. I just can't see how we can continue to provide a free service to everyone. Times have changed. We could offer a free service for day-to-day care and advice and for hospital treatment to treat serious illness and injury to everyone as before but with some differences. Non-essential treatments should be chargeable in most circumstances. So someone who wants bigger boobs shouldn't be able to get them installed on the NHS unless there was some genuine psychological support for the spend. Basically, much more limited cosmetic work for free. </p><p>Develop lots of local centres where people can get some treatment and care and advice without having to go to a big town hospital. I am sure many of the simpler, less invasive and more general treatments can be delivered this way without the need for main ward services.</p><p>Help people that have to go to hospital get out quicker by using more recovery areas, like what used too be called convalescence. This needn't be on the East Coast as many seemed to be in the old days but might even be incorporated in the local centres too.</p><p>Incorporate care in the home and Care Homes in the service so that there is some continuity in everything.</p><p>Now for the big change: provide all this free but require anyone in employment or self-employment to have private health insurance in addition to their normal NI payments. All treatment and care is costed and debited to our NI accounts. That's for everyone and a charge is made for those with insurance. Private medical care also remains available so if the person has used alternative facilities there would be no NHS charge in such a case, or maybe just a partial charge for initial investigation or consultation perhaps.</p><p>Everyone continues to get treated and no-one is turned away through lack of funds or given less good service. It is simply that there will be a bill for everyone in future and those who can afford to pay more will do so. Their insurance premiums will rise as they age and earn more. It is almost an extension of National Insurance but does not just gather more money to go into a bottomless pit. the funds are directed to pay the bills arising.</p><p>The administration and management side of the NHS should be mostly a fixed cost and calculable so that the required amount can be drawn from the normal payments made by everyone through National Insurance. These might be included in the 'bills' to be provided for each interaction with the NHS too but I need to think about that a bit more as there is an element of the cost that needs to be billed to everyone and I can't figure out yet whether that can be covered by the basic NI contributions alone. If it can be then I'd say that it needn't be featured in the 'bills' for interaction, that would be only for the occasions when the person used the service. </p><p>No-one would actually pay these bills but they would be valuable reminders and aid accounting for the NHS generally, making it much more like a business that can compare income with expense. Insurance funds would meet many of the bills, of course. I cam also imagine a scheme whereby someone who goes through life with very little use of the NHS will benefit, possibly by a credit in older age or an entitlement to free or subsidised home or Care Home care.</p><p>Perhaps there might be a scheme whereby some of the unpaid 'bills' accumulated by someone are deducted from one's estate on death, subject to all sorts of caveats to ensure fairness, continuity of spouse entitlements etc. I don't know about that but, again, there is a sense of payment for health care by those who can afford it which, whilst frowned upon and shouted at by left-wing politicians, may not actually be so bad an idea after all.</p><p>One thing is certain. The government should resist any more payment increases for any NHS staff at this time. It is now time for the NHS management to try and do the job they are very nicely paid to do - run the service. They need to decide what their priorities are. At the moment I fear that they are more about causing trouble for the Tories than helping people who fall ill.</p><p>Nurses need to think more about this aspect and stop believing all that they read and are told by their trades union representatives. If their lives are hard and the work is tough then is it really the government that is to blame? Who is really determining what they do and when each shift? Who is being paid a whole lot more than them for taking no personal risk or doing no long hours or night shifts at all? Who could set about recruiting more staff?</p><p>NHS managers.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-62283126604842226512023-01-01T17:45:00.001+00:002023-01-01T17:45:21.040+00:00Who will rescue Britain from the Woke Brigade?<p> Here are in 2023 and it's time to put this country to rights now. The Conservative government have really let us down, in my view, over the last few years. And I am normally a pretty passionate supporter. Well, I was a supporter of David Cameron and Boris and I have a lot of respect for Rishi Sunak. The less said about May and Truss the better, although I do not blame them for the things that have gone wrong at all. It's society that has changed and the attitude to a key group of unknowns in positions of influence in organisations which effectively control our lives.</p><p>The main things that have gone wrong for me all tend to be concerned with freedom, freedom to say what we like, write what we like and, for that matter believe for what like. There's also the freedom to drive a car running on petrol in a city and the freedom to decide for myself whether I need a mask or can meet more than three and half people on a Tuesday morning in Tescos and the freedom to fly somewhere without a portfolio of paperwork and worrying about the contents of my bag being in the wrong size of plastic bag.</p><p>I had always thought that it would be socialists who would be more inclined to take away these freedoms, to want to control me more with the Nanny State imperatives but all that has annoyed and frustrated me has occurred under a Conservative government.</p><p>The main loss of freedom has been the advent of 'woke' in our daily lives. I am not going to list all the examples of what I find wrong or just plain bad nowadays. It's actually the whole concept that's wrong. There have always been charities, NGOs and CICs who get money from government for their activities to champion 'minority' causes, be they in regard to sexual preference, gender, ethnic background, disability or whatever. We've tended to leave them to their own devices. We might not particularly wish to support some organisation that speaks for left-handed Tamils with one leg but we don't make a fuss as for every one we don't particularly agree with. </p><p>These organisations have mostly existed in a sort of grey, little-visited world in the past, with one or two notable exceptions and no-one has really paid them a great deal of attention. Lottery money and our tax has funded many of them and they've provided a large number of well-paid jobs for groups of people with a passion for the causes. Slowly, however, with a great deal of help from some top class legal advice and the Equalities Act 1970, many have found ways to influence staff in HR offices across the country and convince middle managers and boards or controlling bodies in councils, hospitals, public employers generally, academic institutions and more that policies need to be updated to comply with legislation. Now, no-one wanted to be seen not to be doing their bit as regards diversity, equality of whatever in the early 2000s but now it has been taken to a whole new level.</p><p>The 'woke' thing really stook off a few years ago when almost every organisation wanted to show how they supported minorities and wanted it made bright and clear so that no protesters would damage their buildings or directors' cars. The big 'minority issues' have been race and gender, with sexual preference getting a close third as far as I can determine. These have dominated discussion and all the organisations dealing with them have had a surge of funds and interest and support in so far as all those organisations and institutions have needed reassurance that they're behaving as they should be, whatever that may mean. And there's the rub. 'Whatever that may mean' is how the legislation has been interpreted and given rise to even someone saying something which offends someone else being seen as a crime. For all I know, I may already have a string of Hate Crime Incidents reported against me for the things I have written or said over the years. I know that I take my life in my hands if I criticise the dreadful Black Lives Matter people and say how embarrassing I find the whole business of taking the knee can be with some colleagues at work. I am white and, apparently, privileged and usually get a ten-minute lecture should I dissent from some woke idea when mentioned. I tell you, objecting to anything woke is hard work.</p><p>Organisations are now very fearful of being on the wrong side of the argument (or even the law, as it stands) and the risk of being sued by a member of staff or a student or a client adds to that fear to such an extent that they feel they need protection. Along comes one of those charities, NGOs or CICs - think Stonewall for it is they who are more than anyone else responsible for this disaster - and gets someone appointed as Diversity Manager or Lived Experience Director, or even good old-fashioned Personnel Manager will do and they arrange lots of training sessions at huge expense. Who provides the training? Oh, people arranged by Stonewall or one of the others, of course! Even more money flows into the coffers and these groups are now seriously well-managed and well-funded in the vast majority of cases, with government keen to ensure they get what they need. Even government departments are now getting this new training and staff being told how they need to re-examine their attitudes to black people, or whatever minority or shade of gender is the flavour of the day! So once government staff themselves get either indoctrinated by the message or genuinely get convinced that it's all good stuff then so too do the Ministers they advise who decide what you and I need to do to keep out of trouble.</p><p>Before we know it Stonewall has effectively robbed us of so many freedoms - especially the one to criticise Stonewall - that we're not just dumbfounded but simply dumb. We dare not speak out or we'll be shot down in flames by some clever activist who has rehearsed answers to almost every question we might wish to raise or idea we may wish object to. It's not that there might not be alternative views it's just that we're not allowed to express them as someone may be offended and sue the company who own the room where it happened.</p><p>It's not only Stonewall but they're the one we hear about. The training has been going on for some time now and seems to have started after some black chap in America died when he refused to accompany the police quietly to the local station and they didn't treat him very well. After that the world went mad and many of the so-called black minority organisations were on a roll and could do no wrong.</p><p>Now staff are being told that as well as their grandparents being responsible for slavery or something they also need to specify their pronouns, whatever that means, and by no means should they twitch or raise an eyebrow should someone walk into the room with a large penis poking out from under a flowing dress and say his name is Keith/Miss/Their. That's a microaggression, apparently Very bad. Don't let any facial expressions upset someone. Better wait until Keith has left the room and then join the rest of the crowd and burst out laughing.</p><p>Some staff in a government office had been fired because they refused to go along with the pronoun thing. Since when was that a condition of employment? What happened to having to agree to a change of contract terms? I give up. Well, I nearly do. But I hold out some faint hope that there are enough people out there who really do agree that enough is enough and the whole woke business needs to be cut out of our society. Completely. I totally want to respect every minority and treat them nicely and I don't care what colour you are or whether you like to dress up on Fridays. I don't even care if you want to wear a BLM badge and go down on one knee at football matches or when meeting the boss. It's your choice and you're entitled to your choice. Just as I am entitled not to want to do those things. And if I want to say something rude about some prophet in private at home then I would consider it unreasonable if my kids were to report me and I find myself with a criminal record in Scotland. </p><p>It can be done. The government could amend legislation to make a lot of this 'training' unnecessary or even desirable from a legal point of view. They should immediately ban such training across the board and review the funding of every body getting taxpayer or lottery money above a certain level, looking at exactly where the funds go and whittling out some causes which don't merit any public funds by virtue of being essentially plotting to change Britain or remove sections of British society from history.</p><p>Academic freedom of staff to express their views and students to do so too must be restored, if necessary by amending the basis on which institutions get our money. No more cancelling speakers because someone doesn't like what they may say. No more getting away without being arrested for damaging property or statues just because the property of statue might have been associated with some disagreeable action in Britain's past. No more National Trust lectures on how bad we white people are or were when the properties they're responsible for looking after were built. No more museums deciding that this or that artefact must be put out of sight or have a message attached explaining how bad the white man was who dug it up or how we shouldn't have been in that place anyway.</p><p>By all means let people write about whatever Britons may have done wrong in the past but where we are providing information to the public, let this be an even-handed and fair account showing several viewpoints or sides to the history involved. This, finally, brings me to the BBC and much of television's output these days. There, too, the HR departments and production and writing committees have been taken over by the Woke Brigade, giving rise to tediously biased stories every night in soap opera discussions and casting as many ethnic minority people as possible in new series, lambasting government and business in documentaries at every turn so that a casual observer of Auntie's output would think the country is one third BAME, one third LGBTOOQ+ and the other third can't be bothered to object.</p><p>Well I do object. I find a lot of mainstream television now almost offensive in how so much more time is given to opinions and causes which I don't believe need such highlighting, if, indeed, they're relevant at all. Dr. Who had really awful story lines a few years ago. Now it seems to be compulsory that there is a non-white face in every news bulletin and ITV don't escape criticism with the laughably 'correct' group of black, brown and olive people replacing the whites in adverts. I understand that some departments now have to write a report justifying why they recruit a white person for a post but this is not required for a non-white recruit. That's mad and, like the concept of positive discrimination, which we heard of a decade or so back, absolutely stupid! The Spectator magazine managers have a wonderful way to recruit new interns; a team of people strip the applications of anything that might identify the age, gender, background, locality of the applicants and they're all asked to complete an aptitude test. The people deciding who should be interviewed have no idea about whose material they're looking at and the decisions as to who gets an interview are based purely on the scores given to the tasks and tests. Brilliantly simple, inexpensive to set up, takes a bit of organisation but totally fair and meets every criteria for whichever flavour of diversity or equality or opportunity you like best.</p><p>Put that sort of thing in place across businesses and organisations throughout the country and give the job to the people best qualified or suited to the job in every case. Argue against that if you can.</p><p>Finally, there was a YouGov poll conducted recently which should be more widely circulated as it really does put into perspective what has gone wrong and may explain why the government have been so stupid recently. In every case listed the perception of the proportion of the population who were in a particular minority was hugely over-estimated. Not by a small amount, but hugely so. There are about one half of one percent of the population that is transgender. Just over one in a hundred say they're gay or lesbian. A fraction more are bisexual. But when asked, people's average estimates were around ten times as many! They thought that 20% of the British population was black. It's a mere three in every hundred, that's all. Watching the BBC, you get the impression that their people casting the presenters for their programmes were the survey's responders.</p>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-51636096530078582772023-01-01T15:37:00.001+00:002023-01-01T15:37:15.199+00:00The Nuclear Elephant in the Room<p>So that's the end of 2022!</p><p>What a year. At the beginning of the year I was in Ukraine. I remember walking back in -20°C temperatures after an evening of celebration with friends who lived in Zhytomyr and asking them what they thought about the stories of Russian forces accumulating on the Eastern border. They either didn't believe there would be an invasion or, if they did, were not very bothered about it.</p><p>A few months later we were sending them money to repair their house after missiles had damaged it. Their wives and daughters had gone to Finland. Finland and Sweden had applied to join NATO, although everyone seemed a bit relieved that Ukraine wasn't a member. That meant we could all sit and watch and say how terrible it all was but not actually do a great deal to prevent Russian troops doing whatever they wanted in Ukraine.</p><p>The United States, United Kingdom and a few other countries did eventually send some weapons and useful equipment but it has only ever been enough to prevent Russia taking much by way of territory. It did not prevent dreadful killing in towns that will become famous when war crime trials begin in years to come, not the devastation of huge swathes of Ukraine in the south and east. There is now a sense of deadlock and all Russia seems able to do is fire increasingly ancient missiles at key infrastructure targets so damaging electricity supplies and water provision. </p><p>Experts' views as to what will happen in 2023 vary from the optimistic one of Ukraine slowly pushing Russian troops back to the original borders, some even suggesting they might take back 2014's loss of Crimea, to those who expect to see little change, an advance or two here, a setback there with Russia unwilling to settle for anything less than achieving what they intended at the start, the domination of the whole of Ukraine and being content to keep throwing whatever troops or missiles were necessary to do so. Ukraine gets continued equipment-only support from the West which is sufficient to allow people to cope but there's no let-up in fighting in the disputed areas.</p><p>No-one has predicted, however, the other outcome. The one where Russia wins. The one where they use a modest but effective nuclear device and blast a complete town away, kill a million people and suggest that tomorrow it'll be another town unless Zelensky surrenders. Enola Gay above Vinnitsa but with a Z insignia instead of the girl.</p><p>We would all hold our hands up and say how wrong it was and how terrible we feel about it but, seriously, would we actually do anything even then?</p><p>Those of us who have friends and relatives in Ukraine would say, without a doubt, "<i>Yes, it's time to get involved. The bullies have to be stopped. We're going in, maybe even starting by taking out some of Russia's missile bases and being offensive at the start rather than messing around on the defensive only. Putin needs to know we're not going to take any more. The line's been crossed</i>."</p><p>There are, however, rather greater majorities everywhere of people who don't know anyone in Ukraine and, whilst, yes, it's a bit sad that they're getting nuked and it's all bad stuff, their view is that if their country gets involved then they're putting their friends at risk. "<i>If we go in and kill Russians then they'll fire stuff at us and bye bye Birmingham,</i>" I can imagine someone saying. OK, I've never liked Birmingham but I still wouldn't want it nuked or even blasted by non-nuclear devices. Governments simply are not going to respond in kind, whatever Joe Biden might have said.</p><p>Things will be appallingly messy. Zelensky may well not give in but, with what would inevitably be more equipment, maybe even some air support at last because we all feel so bad about what has happened, feels that he has to fight on and take the loss. The Ukrainian people won't give in, even if Russia carries on and flattens every town. Those that survive will hide and wait for a chance to regroup and fight back in small pockets of resistance here and there but their country will largely have ceased to exist. There will be little for all those who left to go back to. Eventually, it would have to be accepted that Ukraine will be a land of much toxic soil and for a decade or two something of a wasteland. Russia will claim it as Russian territory but no international bodies will recognise that and Russia becomes regarded and treated much as North Korea is, mostly ignored and regarded as irrelevant to any future trade or development by anyone other than North Korea and, no doubt, some Africa states of dubious decency.</p><p>We'll be talking about it for years to come, debating how we might have avoided it, what we should have done next and so forth. Someone may try and take out Putin or he just gets removed quietly by others who, whilst supporting the initial plan, are not particularly happy about their newfound position of little value or influence in the international community. Even if he just dies naturally there'll be another to take his place and there's not going to be any big change there for a while.</p><p>I'm quite glad no-one has predicted that one. It is, though, the Elephant in the Room, isn't it? We know that it has been recommended as action by some of the more impatient and uncaring of Putin's advisers. Provided that he doesn't cause any collateral damage to a NATO member then we will not respond in kind. So Putin can throw more or less what he likes at Ukraine and no-one, no-one is going to hit him back.</p><p>Except, that is Ukraine. And that brings me to suggest my own idea of how this could turn out: we rapidly provide Ukraine with a whole load of long-range missiles of all shapes and sizes, and the facilities to fire them and manage them effectively, which Russia would have to admit could cause some serious damage to some of their towns and cities. This might just, possibly only just but it's worth a try, stop the bully as it would mean, for the first time, he might get seriously wounded rather than just losing old equipment and idiot backwater town recruits should he attempt to make such a move. Indeed, I would advocate that Ukraine would be perfectly justified in demolishing Rostov-on-Don now as they've already had Mariupol and several other towns flattened anyway. I hope they don't as I have friends who live there but I can totally accept that, after holding back from killing Russian civilians for a year whilst Russia gaily murders and rapes Ukrainian men, women and kids, there are limits to such restraint. One more bad move by Putin could break that resolve of the Ukrainian military leaders to stay 'good'. And we should give them whatever they need now.</p><p>That ought to ensure Putin does not go nuclear or throw his toys out of the pram and devastate even more of Ukraine by some other means.</p><p>It's not an ending but I believe it would accelerate a change of attitude in Russia, even amongst the people there who might finally get to know the real truth of what's been done in their name. Indeed, I would strongly advocate that we also use all our technical expertise to get the truth out to the Russians. Can't we take over their broadcasts or hack into their internet and provide free access to the world's sites so they can see what everyone else is saying outside China and North Korea and those few states in Africa.</p><p>Perhaps some will even be able to read this and appreciate the frustration of many of us here in Britain at how even reasonably intelligent Russians appear to be so easily controlled.</p>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-47219076486845561002022-10-19T14:07:00.006+01:002022-10-19T15:07:14.377+01:00Help. Let's have more HI. Less AI.<p>Help. A little assistance with a query about a service or product. It doesn't seem much to ask but try getting someone to respond in any meaningful way to a problem these days. In recent weeks I have tried to get help from several banks, a hospital, an insurance company an on-line sales organisation and Google and in every single case I have got nowhere. I have not even got nowhere fast - it's been a slow, tedious and very annoying process every time.</p><p>On the occasion when I have finally found a human to speak to I have suggested that they try their own system and relate at their next management or training session to the boss their own experience, if not mine. Many people do seem to be sympathetic and yet nothing ever changes. I can only guess that the middle managers who have put these systems in place have no desire to admit that they may have made a mistake and so their bosses don't get any direct evidence of the failure and any statistics which might reveal some dissatisfaction are either hidden or, if shown, regarded as something now which applies across the board and so there becomes a sort of feeling that if everyone in the same industry is suffering the same way there is not a great deal they need to do about it.</p><p>It all starts with the telephone system or an on-line page which asks you to select the area for your query. Often you may not actually know which of the many choices offered are the most appropriate. On the phone, you select one and hope for the best, only to be told, usually several steps down the line, that there is a 63½ minute waiting time or, horrors, there is no-one available to take your call and please try again later. Brrrrrrr. All this is, of course, interrupted every minute or so by a voice claiming that their website has all the answers you need and just go there and you'll not need to phone anyway.</p><p>On the web page you might have a list of possible questions that they think you were going to ask. None match what you had in mind. Others, a little more advanced they believe, try to second guess your query from the freestyle text you can enter. This works even less well for me. You search all over an organisation's page for a phone number, email address or some other way to get help. Cleverly, all help and contact links seem to bring you back to the same place. Very occasionally you might reach a page where there are some more options. One might be to have an online chat. You type in your question and hope. No, it's not a person but the same search engine as you encountered before which tries to second guess your query based on what you type and gets it quite wrong.</p><p>Once or twice I did find a human at the other end of the chat line. But all the human was able to do was the same as the telephone choice system elsewhere - refer to some sort of flowchart. She asks the questions and, depending on my answers, is guided through the chart until she reaches a conclusion - I need to speak to a representative. Yes, I knew that. Thanks. Just tell me how.</p><p>My questions are not Masters degree level challenges. I might need to make a transfer of funds which cannot be done by one of my banks online for some reason I don't understand. I have a problem to resolve with a customer of the online trading company. I want to change an appointment. I have a website built with Google tools and want to get Google to promote it so that people using Google can find it more easily. You'd think that would be the sort of thing Google would love to help me with. They even have AI systems now for lots of their services. Their telephone staff seem to lack even human intelligence, though, as the first encounter I had was almost robotic as the girl struggled to work through her flowchart of responses and actions to be recommended to the caller.</p><p>The nice chap in the States that I did finally get to speak to was human and did have a little more intelligence but all he could do was sell me some advertising. He did understand my query and that I would not buy any advertising until I had made some charges to the website to make it work better with Google but was still unable either to tell me who I should talk to or to head me in the direction of someone who could actually help. He finished up emailing me a link which I had hoped would be to an individual who might be in a senior enough position to straddle both Google's technical and advertising departments and advise me accordingly. The link just went to a page where I had started several days ago. The 'type a word and we'll try and find out where you need to be directed' sort of page. AI that is more artificial than intelligent regrettably.</p><p>One thing that seems evident to me is the standard of competence of the individuals that we interact with in these conversations. It is very poor. We are often dealing with one of the lowest levels of staff in the organisation who follow a sort of script or the flowchart type thing I've referred to before. They're not doing anything more than a computer program would do. They seldom have much of a clue as to the problem you have or your own situation or any experience of your business or activity. I might not expect that from the first person I deal with but I do think we should get to speak to some more senior people at a much earlier stage. </p><p>There is a lot to be said for putting smart, knowledgeable people on the enquiry lines for part of their day. They would minimise the time that it takes to deal with queries and also be better placed to make changes in an organisation where the level of customer enquiries merited this. </p><p>The stupid phone choice systems and on-line help flowcharts need to go as I doubt they help anyone very much at all. Give everyone a phone number and an email address. Employ extra staff - there are plenty of people available - to answer those calls and make more senior staff time available to take calls referred to them. Get teams to check emails and pass them to the right people and make sure they're actually dealt with in a reasonable time. If things go crazy and there really are times when the phones go mad then have a system where people call you back. This is so much better than making us wait. And the music . . . what is that! No-one I have ever heard from has any desire whatsoever to listen to that 'holding music' which is nearly always of terrible quality and at an uncomfortable volume to boot. Mad. Don't tell us to consult a website. We're calling because we want to talk to someone. Let us talk to someone. And let that someone be human and intelligent, please.</p><p>It this really too much to ask? The whole nation seems to have been totally conned and taken for a ride by idiot middle managers who think a program some organisation has flogged them to 'manage' calls will answer all their queries and ours too. I know of none, anywhere, that has been in any way a success.</p><p>Some organisations which have got it right are First Direct Bank, PayPal (once you find their number!) and UK2.Net domain management. The customer service from these three has been remarkably good in my experience. In every case I have had access to a comparatively senior, intelligent member of staff who gets what I need, understands what I say and knows what to do to respond and retain my business.</p><p><br /></p>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-87059544116755467352022-10-15T17:46:00.005+01:002022-10-15T18:10:55.672+01:00Green And Pleasant Land Matters<p>A few years ago this was a happy place with amusing articles and pictures of life in the village. I am so sorry that it has turned into my series of log-winded moans about what is happening in the world but, to be honest, there really isn't much happening in the village. In 2020 COVID-19 sent the vast majority of its residents scampering for the safety of their homes, bolting the doors, refusing to see visitors and getting food delivered from Tesco or Ocado vans. They're an obedient lot. The Government said they had to be locked down and so they did. A few of us needed to keep a business going and I made one or two trips each week to the Post Office in a nearby village where I could also buy an 'essential item' or two in case my trip was queried by some officials. I genuinely did expect to be stopped by Police from time to time. We had seen reports of people walking in Derbyshire in a way that was apparently illegal and so this seemed just as ridiculously feasible at the time.</p><p>To be quite honest, my life and activity didn't change a great deal throughout the COVID period now that I can look back and see what happened. I was able to make many trips to Ukraine which must have relieved the boredom and, by good fortune, this area escaped the high level lockdown too for almost all the time. I do believe that we should all have been left to make our own decisions about our activities and health and that the mass of Government regulation and expenses was largely wasted. Having said that, it is easy to write in hindsight but I really have never supported the way the State was able to rule our lives or restrict our activities. Obviously, the remarkably successful development of a vaccine was marvellous and many people did many good things but I was very glad to be able to burn sacrificially those horrid masks we were forced to wear a little while ago. Some people are still wearing them - looking like Chinese tourists in London. The Chinese always seemed to have them, presumably believing that our cities are as bad as theirs for pollution, although why they didn't just visit some more pleasant, beautiful and definitely pollution-free places in this country and discard the masks I do not know.</p><p>All this regulation stuff was what did for Boris. I rather think that his views on lockdown were similar to mine but he seemed to forget that, whereas no-one was too bothered about what I was doing from day to day, the eyes of many disgruntled people or downright enemies of the chap and his Party were very much focussed on the parties, cake and whatever may have been in the glasses at various occasions. He was totally screwed and probably could not believe how it became not just headline news but stayed on the front pages of newspapers for weeks on end. A very, very effective campaign by people who disliked Boris and the Conservatives generally was able to gather support not just from obvious sources like the baying Labour voices and almost everyone in the North who hate 'Tories' anyway, especially posh-speaking ones, but also from much of his hitherto solid Conservative rank and file membership who had been so keen to follow the rules and do as they were told who were quite upset that they were effectively being told <i>to do as the boss says not as the boss does</i>. That didn't sit well with that section of society either.</p><p>I really had no objection to the parties, cake or whatever but I did feel that Boris handled things poorly. He may well still be Prime Minister had he opened up the nation at the very start and said "Sorry, chaps." </p><p>I really do wish he were still Prime Minister as Liz Truss is frankly a huge embarrassment. I can imagine how many Americans must have felt when Donald Trump was holding forth on this and that and generally making a fool of himself. We pitied the States then, and yet we recognised something in the Trump style which did work. He did seem to know what he was doing ninety-nine percent of the time and he did have balls, personality and was the guy that you'd want on your side in a fight. Mrs Truss has so far shown no personality, no determination or cohesion of policy and has also made seemingly illogical decisions and made no attempt to explain herself in words of one syllable. She strikes me as a little dim and way, way out of her depth. I voted for her, believing that she was the most likely to continue to support, and, indeed, beef up, support for Ukraine and reckoned that she might eventually become more of a leader in time.</p><p>Now, I would like the Conservative Party to arrange a replacement as soon as possible so that we can, hopefully, all get behind one individual who has some talent and can engender respect across the world as well as appeal to voters in Britain. I do not believe there is any great likelihood of a massive Labour victory in 2024. Voters have seen nothing much of interest in anything that Labour is proposing and are unlikely to trust them any more, especially if things have started to get better by then. What could be more concerning would be the rise of the Liberals as the natural go-to party for disillusioned Conservatives. No-one has any idea of what they stand for nowadays and any coalition with Labour could be scary with Stonewall, Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil type of organisations' supporters taking charge.</p><p>As it is we are seeing the country run in many places by Stonewall, Pride and people who believe everything pushed out by Black Lives Matter, and a whole raft of organisations that have sprung up to bring sex and gender into mainstream debate and communications. We have a situation now whereby some universities and colleges, many government-funded bodies too, are obliging their staff to do crazy things like add their preferred pronouns to signatures, include the Black Lives Matter logo, and the Pride one and others to communications. Although one particular organisation has since said that its 'instruction' to do so was intended as a 'please think about doing' so the damage is done. Many people will have felt they had to do so to avoid being sacked or accused of not supporting the trans community. How many people are there in this community? Are they all supporters of BLM and Stonewall, and Pride? Do they all agree that everyone should now be calling themselves <i>Alice, He, His</i> or whatever now? I doubt it. There are a million minorities in this country and each deserves respect but we can do that by being human, kind and polite. We do not need regulations and we most certainly do not need Black Lives Matter or Stonewall, each awful organisations that have erupted in our HR departments midst since some bloke died resisting arrest in America. </p><p>I do not want any institution or firm or body or organisation that is in receipt of taxes I pay to be in any way associated with BLM or Stonewall. Or a whole raft of others who will no doubt be getting massive funding from Councils across the country anxious to show that they are doing the right thing in this wacky woke world in which we now exist.</p><p>I am trying to recall when I first heard or read the word woke. It is an odd word and would have stood out like a sore thumb but I can't tell. It just seems to have grown and become more common over the years. I am thinking that I had not heard the word before 2018. It was after BLM too, so that dates it to May 2020 at the earliest. I dislike the word a lot but I am not sure why. I think it is because it is the past participle of wake and so a part of a verb in my usage. I woke up at 8am. It seems to be similar to the woke in 'I woke up to what was happening". But "to be woke" makes no sense to me. I can be awoken, maybe even, at a pinch woken but I cannot be woke. At least that's what I thought. It seems that I can and the dictionary does define woke as an adjective, first appearing in 2017 and meaning <i>awake to sensitive social issues</i>. So I could be woke after all if that means <i>aware of</i>. I feel that <i>awake to</i> implies some essence of agreement that something has to change so the jury's out on that.</p><p>So far, I have disliked and genuinely oppose just about all that I read and see being done in the name of woke. How has this come to pass? It appears that organisations like Stonewall and Pride really have managed to get a shoe-in to so many of our institutions and so persuaded umpteen thousand of those counties' middle managers and executives in HR posts that we desperately must use their services, running courses and something akin to re-education camps for some, to show us white people how terrible we all are. In 2020 the Government said that they would be cancelling all Race Bias Training in the Civil Service and, I understood, all Ministries including the NHS, arguing that it was effectively useless. However I see many training websites still offering Race Bias Training, including some that are run by the Government themselves as quangos!</p><p>I remember something called Black History Month back in the late 1990s at college. Lecturers were obliged to include material relating to this history of black people or their countries, as I recall. More often than not this involved some nice curry in the canteen and posters in classrooms where cut out shapes of Jamaica or Fiji were stuck on sugar paper. They stayed up a long time and often were brought back for Inspection when the glue had dried out on some of the fallen cut-outs leaving the original bright colour of the sugar paper standing vibrant in the otherwise very faded purple, blue or magenta colours that sugar paper always was. I didn't do much by way of posters or celebration of Black History myself. It seemed a bit odd. Why did we never have a Yellow History Month, Brown History month or even a more polite Asian History Month perhaps? My college in Dunstable, Bedfordshire had a massive number of Pakistani students, mostly doing IT or Business Studies as a way to maintain income benefits for their families for a few years more rather than their attendance, such as it was, being, for all but one or two, any real attempt to complete sufficient BTEC assignments to have a chance at university entrance. I can remember maybe four students that I would call black. But they came from countries as different as Uganda and somewhere in America. They didn't see the point of Black History Month either as they and their parents had been here for a long time and, whilst they might have some interest in their parents' or grandparents' roots, the posters and menu were not of much significance to them. And the Asians, as a whole, were pretty much ignored completely until Ramadan or maybe some Festival of Lights came along for a day or two. Then we'd have a few posters again but nothing like Black History Month. Month, for heaven's sake!</p><p>At about the same time I remember the Academic Board being presented with a draft document which was proposed by some very serious woman as our Equal Opportunities Policy. At least I think that it was Equal Opportunities that came first. Equality and Diversity came later. Probably some variations in between. Let's say it was Equal Opportunities. I have regaled readers of another blog on education matters about this particular event in the past and how my suggestion that we merely say <i>we will treat everyone the same</i> fell on deaf, if not somewhat stunned and, one set of amused ears. I mean, why say more? Where does that take us? By attempting to specify who might be needed to be treated equally one is almost implying that they're not in the first place. By attempting to list all the minority groups you're almost bound to miss out one and they'll have something to complain about. Then you have to think about what activities are to be dealt with in this policy - from how we handle admission enquiries at the outset to telling people they've failed their exams at the other end? And all that comes between.</p><p>We finished up with a 96-page document which no-one ever read and I was branded something close to but not quite, obviously, racist. All I had wanted to do was to put respect for all people, including majorities as well as minorities, as a fundamental duty which we should all not even have to sign up to but was simply <i>the right thing</i> to do. If there were instances where our paperwork or a procedure might offend someone from some minority or another then we should fix them. The time wasted drafting those 96 pages, and probably another 96 for each of the subsequent new policies required, could have been considerably better spent. If we'd been asked to dig into our pockets and pay for that time then the whole thing might have been different - but time paid for by our taxes doesn't feel as if it is a cost coming directly out of our earnings.</p><p>I am probably very fortunate not to be involved directly in such matters now. Because I would have refused to add any BLM or Stonewall or Pride logos to my correspondence and not wished to have <i>Hill, He His</i> on my name badge, suggested that instead of Black History Month we have White History Week for a change; because I would have slapped some students on the back either to congratulate them or wake them up from time to time, refused to attend training sessions designed to correct my attitude to white supremacy or whatever similar bollocks was on the menu or, more likely, did attend and tried to argue a few points with the tutor doing the PowerPoint show; because of all this I would have been in trouble most, if not all, days and, at best, encouraged to retire gracefully. At worst, I would be visited by the Police investigating a 'hate crime incident' as no doubt one or more the things I had done could have triggered someone to say how upset they were that I'd said they were only there because their parents told them to be there.</p><p>There was just one trans person in the classes I taught that I was aware of. I did get a shock when someone who had worn a suit and looked definitely masculine one week walked in in a bright blue dress and wig the next. I couldn't help but stutter in whatever Level 3 Business Studies lecture I was giving that day but I regained my composure and made no big thing of it at all. This was at Vauxhall Motors' premises in Luton where we ran an outreach course for employees to gain more qualifications and the students were all in their 20s or 30s. At Dunstable there were none. A few professed to be gay but no-one disputed whether they were male or female. Every single one was, in 2010, happy to be one or the other. No-one wanted or needed a <i>Don't Know</i> or <i>Unspecified </i>box to tick. Even the chap, er, sorry, student, at Vauxhall signed on as a bloke. I do accept that I was temporarily troubled by what to call him, er, them, no, that's rotten grammar, I give up, the person. I managed to avoid needing any <i>hes </i>or <i>shes</i>, though, throughout the 30-week course and we got on fine.</p><p>So I can accept that we need some help in how we address trans people but they are so few and far between that I do feel we can take care of that without special training and expensive organisations instructing us for fear of a visit from Mr Plod. I would simple chat to them and agree what to do. End of story. I also refuse to accept that there has been a sudden massive splurge of people who have become trans or declaring some other variant between or outside the confines of male and female. Nor has there been any requirement for me or any of my colleagues or students to know anything at all about our colleagues' or students' sexual preferences. Indeed I would be surprised if many of the staff I knew would admit to any! <i>"Sex, old boy? No idea. Can't remember!" </i>So I couldn't give a toss about anything to do with the LBGTQOO+ community or whatever it is called these days. And why don't they call it the NLBGTQOO+ community and let us <i>Normals </i>in. By <i>Normal </i>I mean men or women who don't give much of a toss about all this and get on with their lives as men or women, probably having relationships with the opposite sex if they're lucky or just remembering old times. Now by calling myself <i>Normal </i>I could be implying that everyone else in the group is abnormal. Insofar as 94% of the population in 2020 defined themselves as heterosexual or what I've loosely called normal then that seems fairly clear. The others are all minorities, some minute minorities and certainly not what one might encounter <i>normally</i>. As individuals they're not abnormal but their preferences are. It is not meant as an insult, it's just a way to emphasise the point. We're spending an awful lot of time pulling our hair out and defending dismissals or statements, re-educating grandad and making sure that we don't upset university students by allowing someone to speak their mind about something or we try to warn them that the content of an old film might have a reference to <i>Tranny </i>or <i>Poofter. </i>A horror<i> </i>film might even have a shock at some point. Oh dear.</p>The National Education Union, Britain’s largest teaching union have a resolution to develop a definition of transphobia, passed at the last annual NEU conference in the spring, and now looks likely to be adopted.<br /><br />The proposal suggests that anyone who expects trans people “to participate in discussion or debate about their rights and/or identities” is transphobic, and cites “propagating ideas, concepts and misinformation harmful to trans people and which erase and ignore trans history” as examples of transphobic behaviour (while neither outlining what is meant by “trans history” nor what “ideas, concepts and misinformation” would be considered harmful). It further defines transphobia as a “rejection of trans identity and a refusal to acknowledge that those identities are real or valid” or the “incorrect use of pronouns”.<br /><br />While protecting trans pupils, trans teachers and trans support staff from harassment is a worthy aim, it’s clear that this proposal goes way beyond legal compliance and would have the effect of rendering any challenge to gender critical ideology or the agenda of transrights activists as a form of extrajudicial hate crime.<br /><br />That’s problematic because, statistically, it’s inevitable that in a mass membership organisation like the NEU many members will reject the central tenet of gender identity ideology, namely, that sex is a social construct, and instead believe that sex is binary and immutable. Is the NEU effectively saying to all its fee-paying members that don’t want to go along with gender identity ideology that it regards them as ‘transphobic’ and no longer wants to represent them or defend their rights? As member relations campaigns go, it’s certainly daring.<br /><br />And what about the policy’s effect on staffrooms up and down the country – will it have a chilling effect on free speech? If this definition is accepted, anyone who says: "You can’t logically self-identify as the opposite sex", will be a transphobe. How many teachers will be too scared to speak up in schools and they will just go along with the NEU policy? It becomes something you can be dismissed for. Just like that.<div><br /></div><div>All this is happening in Great Britain today. I look around and these topics of racism and diversity, Pride and BLM feature increasingly in news reports and those delivered by the BBC, as well as many new series produced by them, seem to feel that we all need to be educated, with a dreadful Dr Who series from 2019 or thereabouts and even the presenters or teams of people sat on chairs to debate matters seem to have to obey some rule of one from each minority wherever possible. I can almost hear the Programme Manager at a W1A-type meeting shouting <i>" . . . OK, if there's only one make it a black woman first choice. Asian woman second, then black bloke. Gay white next. But no old white bloke on his own . . ." </i>You may grin or grimace but I have no doubt whatsoever that they is a list of preferred minorities! Nothing to do with knowledge or ability.</div><div><br /></div><div>Basically the Conservative government has been well and truly set-up and I suspect there is not a great deal anyone can do now. These things all happened under the radar. It was so difficult to refuse <i>to take the knee</i> at the time. Rather than risk offence many of our leaders and stars of field and screen did so. The police did and the BLM movement must have thought it was Christmas with all the money that poured in. Never to be seen again, but that's another story.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have been reading the Spectator recently and have been particularly taken by Rod Liddle's articles and occasional ramblings in the magazine or on-line. So far, I have not disagreed with a single word that he's said. That's unusual for me but we seem to be of a like mind. He is a member of the SDP. I presume that is the Social Democratic Party which I really had thought had died out some years ago. I recall the two Davids, a bustling woman and a few others launching it but had no idea it still existed. I have just read some of their aims and policies and there's nothing in there I would disagree with. Might I suggest that Rod and I see what we can do to persuade a few of the more intelligent Conservative and Labour MPs to switch allegiance? Something has to change. </div><div><br /></div><div>I expect to see the Online Safety Bill redrafted to refer purely to the safety of children and a campaign to prove just how preposterous much of this woke training is, together with effectively removing any publicly funded associations by organisations with Pride, Stonewall and BLM and others. No-one denies their right to exist but I believe many would prefer they raise funds directly without taxpayers' support. The same applies to a vast array of organisations set up to garner charity, lottery or similar funding but which have objectives which need rather closer examination. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is a green and pleasant land, in places. It certainly remains so here in Astcote but I do fear for some other parts. The Conservative Government need to start running this country again. At the moment it seems effectively to be in the hands of assorted Socialist HR and local government personnel who, with their cronies in much of the media now, are having by far the greatest impact on this pleasant land. We need a Green And Pleasant Land History Year.</div><div><br /></div>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-77221489220737492062022-10-08T19:29:00.002+01:002022-10-08T19:34:48.406+01:00Keep taking those iodine tablets . . .<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNRgZTpVoriK1jzb4iwKVxNVzb9OW4PNBq3E9gJYWQeoP9aTYxc5Q47LBvoeemDF2h3hNUzDIl40Ys0vyvLblpNmUPT4HR7_OMBP8XiUTvd1cOEf1Djuv_HvhzbObT2M5hEpQUiMPb-eGdldlRnmI-wipn2xdZtV0AgH82oCcfcfJvFrwCN38/s618/kerch.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="618" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNRgZTpVoriK1jzb4iwKVxNVzb9OW4PNBq3E9gJYWQeoP9aTYxc5Q47LBvoeemDF2h3hNUzDIl40Ys0vyvLblpNmUPT4HR7_OMBP8XiUTvd1cOEf1Djuv_HvhzbObT2M5hEpQUiMPb-eGdldlRnmI-wipn2xdZtV0AgH82oCcfcfJvFrwCN38/w640-h312/kerch.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There was something very satisfying about the news of a bridge being blown up today. It was also quite surprising and I am pretty sure it has taken many people by surprise, even those who claim to know what is going on in Ukraine rather better than I do.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The bridge is the Kerch Bridge which was built by Russia following their annexation of the Crimea region in 2014. The Russians need that bridge to enable support to reach their front quickly. Now they'll need to take a longer route and it does seem to be a most significant gain by Ukraine. Ukraine has, since I last wrote, made remarkable advances and retaken a large amount of land and some key towns in the North East, with Russian troops pushed back, in some cases we're told they're scampering back, to the 2014 line. Even in the South, Ukraine troops are making advances around Kherson and there has been a lot of positive news about the places returning to Ukraine control.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the same time Putin has enforced residents of the areas that Russia have been controlling to vote for their towns and villages to become part of 'Russia'. People really have had no choice - anyone seen to vote (and it seems that their voting intentions are seen) against becoming part of Russia is regarded as some sort of Ukrainian agent or generally undesirable and likely to end up in prison or carried away on some excuse or another. There may be one or two people who genuinely do prefer the apparent peace that they believe might stabilise in their town, and the money and employment offered by new town governors, but I doubt they number more than 5% at most. The other 95% will have voted the way they did merely to stay alive and well and living in what they hope will become 'Ukraine' again. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am actually surprised that the votes we have been told about were not 99% in favour in every place. The same tactic was adopted in 2014 to justify the takeover in Crimea and some less definitive Russian control of towns in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. We didn't believe it then and we don't believe it now. No way have Ukrainians voted to be Russian after all that they have seen happening in their streets and fields.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So I have been fully expecting great efforts to be made to pull those areas back and it is encouraging that, even as Russia attempts to set up some administrative systems in some places, they are being driven out by Ukraine's advance. What I had not expected was any effort to retake Crimea. I had tended to think that there might have been some historical anomalies in how the borders were drawn whenever the whole area was divided up by whoever did the negotiations back in the 1950s. My knowledge is poor on this but I have heard quite strong arguments asserting that the Crimea region might not have been so obviously a part of Ukraine. That doesn't mean that it was necessarily a part of Russia either and certainly these doubts were no justification for the 2014 invasion. It does mean that, at that time, I felt there might be a good reason for both sides, and international advisers, to look again at the map and thrash out something and, of course, consult properly the population there. Forcibly taking it and conducting a dodgy poll in 2015, however, did more to damage Russia's interests in the Crimea than help them in my view. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had rather thought that suggestions that Ukraine might want Russia to withdraw not only to their 2014 positions but also from Crimea were extremely optimistic, whilst laudable aims. Now I am beginning to believe that they could actually do it and that would most definitely not go down well in Russia. I can imagine the population at large in Russia not paying a great deal of attention to the 'special military operation' ending more or less with the Russian troops where they started and no great change to any borders - and neither the extraordinary amount of damage to Ukraine's cities and towns nor the great loss of Russian lives and equipment would be broadcast to them and they'll look the other way to a large degree if they do happen across any real data that shows Russia in a bad light anyway. To lose Crimea would be another story. And that's why there is going to be some massive escalation in due course.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Putin simply cannot let the Ukraine advance continue and, whilst the bridge being damaged doesn't exactly make it much easier for Ukraine to retake Crimea, and there is still a huge amount of work to do in the South, it has become something that more and more people now see as feasible. Before it was a sort of dream and no-one I knew considered it part of the current plan.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My guess is that there has been a significant amount of support from other countries under no national flag, maybe UK, maybe Lithuania, pretty definitely Poland and Estonia and there are people there on the ground making a difference. Ukrainian troops are getting some better weapons and lots of training too and they seem to be applying all this new-found knowledge and ability to most impressive use. If this is, indeed, to be a tipping point in this war then now is the time that whatever we can do needs to be done as it will have the best chance of success while Russia is clearly on the back foot. Before they can regroup, rearm and generally figure out the next move we should make ours. Throw whatever we can in to help Ukraine and get every European country to join in. USA too, and Canada and Australia and whoever else we can get on board. Leaders like to be on the winning side and they can be now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The one question remains, of course: will Putin hit the nuclear button? I think it is likely that he will, with a small but nasty missile hitting some infrastructure or town in Ukraine as a threat to show what he can do if we don't cease the assistance. That will alienate a lot of support within his own country, though, and start a major divide between the Russian population who will be unable to avoid the publicity of such action. No 'special military operation' now. This will not be what they thought they could ignore and look the other way about. They managed to ignore Bucha, children being hit, massive civilian causalities and other ghastly crimes committed in their name but nuclear war they'll not be able to let pass as if it hadn't happened.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If they're lucky the wind will not blow any radioactive dust their way. But there will be a response from the West and several weapons bases will be hit almost straightaway and no military commander will risk going along with Putin's next steps, whatever they may be. The writing will be clearly on the wall for Russia as a whole at that point. However mad or bad his colleagues may be, they'll not risk escalation in full knowledge that more will come their way, however many missiles they may have. No-one except Putin signed up for that sort of conflict. We need to call their bluff and soon we will have a great opportunity to do so.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There's a long way yet to go but I am finally feeling positive about Ukraine's chances of not just regaining control of its territory but settling this on Ukraine's terms, not those of some committee.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But my friends may need to keep taking those iodine tablets.</div><p></p>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-35286067906281911072022-06-27T12:22:00.002+01:002023-02-12T17:23:06.324+00:00Four months later. It is still wrong.<p>It's been four months and three days since Russia began the destruction of Ukraine. As several military experts predicted, Russia has managed to take effective control of a band of Ukraine stretching down the eastern side and across the south. Their progress has been very slow and painful for both their own troops and, of course, the people living in those sectors. Occasionally they have been repulsed. Efforts to attack Kyiv came to nothing and Kharkiv, whilst still vulnerable, seems to have never surrendered and at the time of writing remains very much under Ukraine control and not Russian.</p><p>Missiles today flew across Zhytomyr, a town which has escaped the worst of the fighting and damage to date. They may have been intended for military training targets or transport facilities but also damaged buildings and people. There had been some definite relaxation in places at some distance from the occupied zones, such as Lviv and Zhytomyr and even Kyiv, with visits from foreign leaders and pictures widely broadcast of Boris Johnson strolling with Volodymyr Zelensky in the sunshine. I doubt now, though, that I would feel safe anywhere as we move towards what must be the next phase of this terrible war.</p><p>What I just cannot understand is the logic of what Russia is doing. I appreciate that the original plan may have been to take over the country in a rapid exercise and bring its government back under Soviet control which Russia imagined the people might generally put up with and so put a stop to any further development of support for Ukraine by the West and, primarily, NATO. I don't recall reading anything about anyone in the West being particularly concerned about invading Russia. To the best of my knowledge no-one in Ukraine was planning to seize any Russian territory in February 2022. Yes, Ukraine, and to a lesser extent, some other nations, disputed the action taken by Russia in 2014 to take over Crimea and there has been constant argument about where the eastern border should run, but no-one was about to give Putin any particular trouble.</p><p>There was no love lost between Ukraine and Russia and there were certainly matters to be resolved but there were many families in Ukraine with relatives in Russia and many Russians with families in Ukraine. Many people lived in one country and worked in another. Although Ukrainian had been made the official language for the country's business activities, Russian was still widely spoken and accepted as normal across the country. People spoke both languages and no-one really objected, other than a few hard-liners. It was, after all, not that many years since Ukraine and Russia were simply two republics in the USSR, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. We talk of 'Russia' now and often mean the whole of the rest of the USSR but that's really quite inaccurate. Russia is the Russian Federation now and, whilst it is a large area on the map, 'Russia' does not include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belorussia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan, not to mention Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania which are now in the European Union. Russia is still big but nothing like as influentially big as what we used to think of as 'Russia', i.e. the Soviet Union.</p><p>So Putin's talk of wanting to 'reclaim' the territory called Ukraine but which he does not recognise as an independent nation now seems bizarre - unless he also proposes to do the same with all the other errant states. I guess some may remain friendly and would welcome a new overarching Soviet banner but most would not. Georgia and Armenia have already had some border troubles and now fiercely defend their independence and support Ukraine in words but don't do much of material value.</p><p>And that seems to be the way things are across the world. Everyone says how bad it is. How terrible that a whole country is being destroyed - and I mean destroyed as some cities appeared to have completely disappeared, population included - with no industry or infrastructure remaining of much use to anyone who might wish to return one day. What on Earth can be the point of causing so much destruction? Let's say Russia does, eventually, take control. What have they got? A massive wreck that would cost a fortune to rebuild. A fortune that Russia neither has nor would be able to acquire. An unwilling, slave-like population would be forever resisting their control and fighting locally would go on in pockets here and there. No amount of policing and new government would prevent chaos and no economy would be restored without people willing to work to help Russia and that is one thing no Ukrainian is going to do in such circumstances. So 'winning', if one can call it that, achieves merely massive debt, continued fighting in places for years and years and what would be an empty vessel of a nation that Russia would not be able to afford to fix or manage.</p><p>Putin may have the satisfaction that there would be no NATO forces any closer than Poland but that would have been the position anyway as NATO were not exactly enthusiastically supporting any membership for Ukraine before. Indeed, with Finland and Sweden now becoming members it could be argued that he has achieved the reverse in terms of border security.</p><p>So I am at a loss to comprehend what this is really all about. And because this whole action by Russia has been so destructive, so bad, so inhuman and, whatever one's religion, so evil in all respects, so totally unjustifiable on any grounds that I can think of, it simply cannot, must not, be permitted to succeed. The United Kingdom and one or two other countries have helped Ukraine to some extent by supplying weapons and no doubt our assistance in training the Ukraine military has helped them survive this long, but it is nowhere near enough. I doubt that there will ever be sufficient assistance if all we do is supply weapons or advice. From Day 1 countries should have been prepared to assist militarily. If Russia had seen that we were serious in our intent to defend Ukraine then they would almost certainly have had cause to think twice about their actions. As it has been, we shout and moan and complain and wring our hands. It hurts no-one. Our sanctions have little impact and some even argue that they have enhanced Russia's economy with far higher fuel prices for their gas and oil. Other sanctions they will largely find ways around and the population will not be badly affected in terms of day-to-day life. I do think that the population must, however, at some point realise that they have been severely duped and surely the average Russian has a similar intelligence to the average European and will eventually see that what their country had done is wrong and needs to stop. I fear that we cannot wait for such realisation to dawn on the addled heads of the Russian populace, though. That will take years. Ukraine hasn't got years. Action is needed now. Countries should now show just how annoyed we all are with events and make it abundantly obvious to Putin that he either leaves Ukraine now or his troops will be defeated. We're not threatening to bomb Russia yet but we will do whatever is necessary to return Ukraine territory to its original lines on 23 February 2022.</p><p>The fear that everyone does seem to have and which has to be the only reason I can imagine feasible for not taking any action is that of being attacked ourselves. We are afraid that there will be a missile landing on Milton Keynes, Buckingham Palace or, more likely, some military place where we have lots of special weapons. Actually, it is not us that are frightened it is the leaders of our nations. They do not want to be the ones who cause the missiles to be fired. They worry that we would blame them for the deaths and injuries which would be the inevitable result. I can see their point. As things stand only Ukrainians get killed or injured. Only Ukrainians lose their properties, business, livelihood, possessions, families, children. Only Ukrainians suffer at the moment. So that's OK. We're safe as houses here in the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Malta, Switzerland, Estonia, Lithuania, Italy, Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Finland, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ireland, Hungary, Romania. Moldova and anywhere else I've forgotten in Europe . . . we're all OK, Jack. Qh dear, what a shame. People's lives, their whole world, are being totally devastated in Ukraine. But we're OK. Better keep it that way.</p><p>This is wrong. I hope that some leaders will also conclude that this is wrong. And go fight. Send in our planes, drones, defence systems, missiles, whatever we have that they need and the people to help them do it. Do whatever is necessary to stop Russia in its tracks now. Send them home and start repairing Ukraine. And send Russia the bill.</p><p>"Russia has nuclear weapons" is what most detractors say. Russia even claim to have some new supersonic missile which can reach us here in the UK in a few minutes. So that is why we don't take any more action? Because someone might fire something at us? But it's OK for Ukraine people to be fired on every night and day? Just not us, thank you very much. On that logic, just having a nuclear weapon seems to mean that you can wave it around and basically do whatever the hell you want . . . oh, hang on, don't we have nuclear weapons? And don't the United States, France and Israel? (Pakistan, India, China and North Korea do too but I can't see them taking our side in a fight - and probably not Russia's either). So why don't we wave ours around and, with France and the United States, at least, make it quite clear that we're quite capable of firing stuff in Russia's direction if it proves necessary. However crazy you might think Putin may be, he is not going to risk taking all of us on. Only Ukraine (or, possibly Moldova too). He won't even nuke them because his own people would be affected if the wind blows radiation their way.</p><p>So can someone please stand up and start making plans to put this great wrong right. <br /><br /></p>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-64022545305199763802022-06-16T18:01:00.001+01:002023-02-12T18:03:04.652+00:00A Different WorldIt's becoming a very strange world and quite the opposite of what I had expected in one particular way. <br /><br />One would have thought that the internet would have provided free transmission and sharing of information and, whilst there would always be a load of rubbish on websites, it would be much more difficult for governments to succeed with propaganda and downright lies about other parts of the world.<br /><br />Now we learn that students in Hong Kong will no longer be taught that the city was a British colony from 1899 to 1997. All reference to this will be deleted from textbooks and China already has in place quite impressive filters on what data can be searched and found in this respect.<br /><br />We have also become familiar with what would be amusingly farcical if it were not so serious; the increasingly regular news items on Russian TV which show empty supermarket shelves across the whole of Britain, Jeremy Clarkson's comments about soon needing to consider eating children or neighbours and there being no bread anywhere here either. They, of course, also continue to accuse Ukraine of inventing stories of destruction and civilian casualties every day.<br /><br />We can verify almost any news we read. Sometimes very easily, sometimes it can be a little more difficult but the conspiracy theories and most copied drama we see on Facebook or in our email inboxes seldom stand up to much investigation. It seems that people in Hong Kong, China and Russia cannot. Moreover, many prefer not to question what their governments, teachers or TV presenters tell them and the thought of making an enquiry arises less and less frequently. <br /><br />They really are now living in a different world. <br /><br />We've known North Korean people are cut off from much knowledge about what happens outside their borders but that has been the case for so long we kinda ignore it, and them, for that matter. We may eventually be able to ignore Russia but I am not at all sure about China.Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-26001371108165739272022-04-27T17:13:00.001+01:002022-04-27T17:56:42.417+01:00He, she or it. 517 School Policies. This is Britain in 2022. <p>Something's gone wrong in this country. I think it has also gone wrong in many other parts of the world too but I can only write about the one I live in. </p>There are now 517 officially recommended policies which schools should have documented and implemented. I am sure that, if I searched, I would find a similar number for Further Education Colleges and Universities. Then, no doubt, any firm that has any dealings with government departments will find that it needs many of these too.<div><br /></div><div>How on earth have we come to this? I suspect two forces at work; one is the Woke Brigade and the other is the inclination of people to sue organisations. The Woke Brigade I will come to in due course. The inclination of people suing organisations has definitely developed considerably in the last few decades. This has been the foundation for many Health & Safety rules and regulations. Once upon a time, an employee or visitor might have an accident - a genuine bit of bad luck or actually a case of their not being very observant and tripping over something. Unfortunate but that was the end of it. No-one was to blame, no-one deliberately caused the accident and there may even not have been any injury of note. Then someone consulted a solicitor who reckoned that he could obtain some significant damages, and some income for the solicitor too, by suing the organisation. Even without physical injury it could often be claimed that someone had still 'suffered' and deserved compensation and, with defence in Courts costing a fortune, organisations would often just pay. This, of course encouraged more and more and organisations were advised that they would need to have to be able to show that they had taken all steps reasonable to prevent these accidents in order to get suitable insurance cover and/or some respite from the Courts.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am rather unconvinced that there are now less accidents at work than there used to be, despite all the rules and regulations and despite all the policies introduced and the never-ending stream of training now virtually compulsory for staff.</div><div><br /></div><div>If for 'accident' you now say 'offence' then we now have to beware that anything we do might cause offence to someone. By 'do' I also include 'say' as now much offence seems to be taken by some individuals on what we may say or write in conversation or material, even that which is not designed for general publication or hearing. It seems that such 'offence' could be taken by someone in connection with a comment regarding race, belief, colour, gender, sexual orientation, height, weight, age, accent, ability, disability, attire, residence . . . in fact, I am not sure there is anything which might not 'offend' a particular person who is determined to delegate control of their motions to this new attitude of existence.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is now a hate-crime to do, say, almost think something which another finds offensive, quite regardless of whether there was any reference or direction of a comment or action to that person. That person can report you to the police and the police are duty bound to record the complaint on your record. It seems unnecessary that you are informed of this and if you are not approached by the boys in blue to seek some explanation (not that I can see how that will make any difference to the record anyway) then it remains there for others to see. That next DBS check, for example, or a reference check may well reveal that you have a number of these hate-crimes registered against you and may have a major impact on your ability to be employed, take on a contract or be allowed to rent a property, open an account somewhere.</div><div><br /></div><div>There are so many minority groups of which someone could claim to belong to and those groups would be the first to support their allegation of 'offence'. We used to talk of 'equal opportunities' but it wasn't long before that was deemed inadequate and we needed to be more specific about which minority group a policy would be introduced for and, almost by implication, not doing the same for another minority group could be seen as ignoring them and the ridiculous spiral of nonsense has been the result we see now.</div><div><br /></div><div>The 'hate-crime' thing has to be the worst recent development and I cannot imagine how it has managed to become part of British legislation so quickly and, seemingly, without most of the population even being aware it existed. Next on my list of hated, yes, I'll use the word, hated developments is the ridiculous nonsense about a man 'self-declaring' that he is a woman, or vice versa. As a consequence a man goes to a women's jail, can use women's toilets, changing rooms and goodness only knows what else. How the hell did that happen? There can be no doubt about one's biological components: you are either a man or you are a woman. You are a male or you are a female. There is no argument. You may dress differently, prefer to be treated as something different and you may have had all sorts of operations and treatment to attempt to change your physical appearance from one to the other, with varying degrees of success. I maintain that it is quite reasonable to go along with someone being referred to in most circumstances as being of whichever gender they prefer and we have for generations had what we called 'trannies', transsexual people who were men dressing and behaving like women and, to a lesser extent, women dressing and behaving as men. With the exception of those bearing a doctor's certificate that they have completed to a certain degree the physical transformation and/or who have some legal change of reference gender, biological males should not be permitted to use female toilets, changing rooms or similar facilities.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you're going to talk about 'offence' then surely there would be a real case where one could reasonably expect a woman to be offended by some bloke offering full frontal views to all in the room or, more worrying, not showing any body parts but merely enjoying gazing at those around him. But, no, it seems that I am on the wrong side of the law and should accept that if someone wishes to be considered a man or a woman then so be it. No questions asked. Similarly, a kid at school can claim that they want to be a boy or a girl, with parents seeming to have little say in the matter. Weird or what.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then we have those who wish to be called non-binary. I think this means they do not wish to be considered as either a man or a woman but merely a person of indeterminate gender. Perhaps the word indeterminate is wrong here as it implies one might actually try to determine, maybe by asking a question or looking closely and that would be offensive and something else to add to your DBS print-out.</div><div><br /></div><div>There may be other variations but my head is beginning to hurt just trying to explain them to myself, never mind you. I turned to outrightinternational.org for assistance on this. They tell me:</div><blockquote><div><b><i>Gender identity</i></b> refers to a person’s understanding and experience of their own gender. Everyone has a gender identity; for some people, it corresponds with the gender assigned at birth, and for some others, it does not. Gender identities are expansive and do not need to be confined within one collectively agreed-upon term. There is no one authority that dictates the boundaries of gender, except the individual concerned.</div></blockquote><div>Well that could mean anything! You are what you think you are would be a shorter way to put that, I think.</div><blockquote><div><i><b>Gender expression</b></i> refers to the ways in which a person chooses to present their gender to the world around them. This can include clothing, mannerisms, pronouns, names, etc. However, it is important to note that while things like names, clothing, and others can be an intentional part of a person’s gender expression, these things also do not necessarily need to have a gender attached to them. This is to say that a person’s gender identity can sometimes inform a person’s gender expression, but a person’s perceived gender expression does not dictate their gender identity.<br /></div></blockquote><p>OK. Whatever you may be, this is what you give the impression of being. </p><blockquote><div>Collectively used terminologies can be helpful for societal understanding and acceptance, as well as for advocacy work.</div></blockquote><p>Yup. The lawyers. And give something a name and it exists and is immediately a minority that requires legislation, rules and can take offence even if you've never heard the expression before.</p>So here we go:<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote><div><i><b>Agender</b></i><br />Agender means that a person identifies as not having a gender. A person who identifies within this term often will consider themselves as either having a type of non-binary gender identity or as not subscribing to any gender identity at all.<br /><br /><i><b>Cisgender</b></i><br />Cisgender is commonly used to refer to people who identify exclusively with the gender that they were assigned at birth. <br /><br /><b><i>Demigender</i></b><br />Demigender is a term used to partially identify, or feel a connection, to a particular gender. For example, demigirl or demiboy. These identities vary by person but hold in common the fact that there is not a full identification with one gender, only an internal leaning towards it. <br /><br /><i><b>Gender Questioning<br /></b></i>Gender questioning describes someone who is questioning all or parts of their gender (identity or expression) and does not wish to identify themselves to a specific gender identity.<br /><br /><b><i>Gender Fluid<br /></i></b>Gender fluid, like gender questioning, is a term that can be used to describe a person’s gender identity, expression, or both. Gender fluid describes a person who moves fluidly between genders, or whose gender shifts over time.<br /><br /><b><i>Genderqueer</i></b><br />Genderqueer describes a gender identity that can not be defined as exclusively masculine or feminine. Genderqueer people experience their gender in all unique ways (hence the name). The impossibility of defining the term is part of its appeal for people who identify as genderqueer. The identity can include elements of feminine, masculine, or non-binary identities, or none of these. In part, it can be seen as a rejection of association with a label. <br /><br /><i><b>Intergender</b></i><br />Intergender describes a gender identity that is a mix of both masculine and feminine identities. Intergender is not the same as Intersex. Intersex people can identify within any gender identity or expression. <br /><br /><b><i>Multi-gender<br /></i></b>Multi-gender describes people who hold more than one gender identity. This can be further specified by bigender, trigender, etc.<br /><br /><b><i>Non-Binary<br /></i></b>Non-Binary is widely used to describe a gender identity that can not be categorised as masculine or feminine. Non-Binary people experience their gender in all different ways. It could be experienced as a combination of male and female, neither male nor female, nor something completely independent of notions of conventional gender identities. Non-Binary is an expansive umbrella term, and many gender identities discussed in this article fall under it. <br /><br /><b><i>Pangender</i></b><br />Pangender is a gender identity where a person identifies as all, or many, gender identities. This is similar to Polygender, although Polygender is more limited.<br /><br /><b><i>Transgender/Trans<br /></i></b>Transgender is used to describe any person who has a gender identity that is different from the gender that they were assigned at birth.<br /><br /><b><i>Androgyne/Gender Neutral<br /></i></b>Someone who expresses themselves in such a way that they do not wish to be perceived as any one gender.<br /><br /><i><b>Boi/Boy/Tomboy<br /></b></i>These terms describe someone who expresses themselves in a way that is traditionally described as “boyish.”<br /><br /><b><i>Butch/masc<br /></i></b>Butch, or masc, describes someone who expresses themselves in a way that is traditionally considered “masculine.” While commonly used by female members of the LGBTIQ community, the term can be, and is, used by everyone.<br /><br /><b><i>Femme</i></b><br />Femme is used by people who express themselves in a way that is traditionally perceived as “feminine.” Femme can also be used as a gender identity, but it is most commonly used as a term to describe an expression.<br /><br /><b><i>Gender Nonconforming<br /></i></b>While occasionally used as a gender identity, gender nonconforming is most commonly used to describe a gender expression that is different from cultural stereotypes associated with that person’s perceived gender or their gender assigned at birth. <br /><br /><b><i>Māhū</i></b><br />Māhūs, of indigenous Hawaiian and Tahitian culture, are people who embodied both male and female spirits. These people were often given honorific roles, as their fluidity was seen as a form of spiritual liberation.<br /><br /><b><i>Bissu</i></b><br />In Indonesia, the Bissu are priests who either present as male with a female spirit, or vice versa. Their duality of gender allows them to serve as a conductor of spirits, hence their role as priests.<br /><br /><b><i>Khawaja Sira<br /></i></b>Specific to Pakistan, although close in relation to other cultural third genders in the region, the Khawaja Sira are people who do not identify as male or female and have been seen as “chosen people,” with the ability to give curses or blessings. They commonly serve as gurus.<br /><br /><b><i>Two-Spirit<br /></i></b>Two-Spirit is a cultural third gender used amongst over 150 indigenous tribes across North America. While the word varied prior to colonization, the meaning remained the same. Two-Spirit individuals refer to people assigned male at birth who go through special rituals to determine if they also hold a female spirit. Similar to other indigenous cultural third genders, Two-Spirit people held an honoured role in their societies. <br /><br /></div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">I think it will be pretty obvious that all these new terms, that we're supposed to know and write policies about and avoid causing offence to anyone who says they are one of these, are just ways of saying either <i>I am a man </i>or <i>I am a woman</i> or <i>I don't know/don't care</i>. So I'll treat those who are or seem to be a man as a man, those who are or seem to be a woman as a woman and sod the others. I mean, if you don't know what you are then it's a bit rich to expect us to know how to treat you. Well do our best but don't expect miracles and don't demand some special policy to be developed for you.</p></blockquote><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">They go on to say that "this is certainly not a complete list, and sadly, many cultural third genders were erased after colonisation spread a strictly binary view of gender". Looks like us rotten English people screwed up some chances of a third gender amongst our other dreadful sins in the past". <i>Third genders??</i> Good grief? What's that?<br /></div></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">Then we have the matter of colour. You can say someone is a person of colour but not that they're coloured. Good luck with that. If your black then you're black and it seems you have to be proud that you're black and you can say you're black but I may be in trouble for saying that you're black. I get into even more trouble by criticising Black Lives Matter, an organisation which achieved almost God-like status and could not be referred to in any other than a positive way without one being regarded as racist and, ping, another entry on the criminal record at the cop shop.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><br />From Douglas Murray, writing in the New York Post:</i> </blockquote></blockquote><blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;">One year ago the details of BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors’s real-estate empire emerged. She owned four homes and seemed to be shopping for more. And this month we found that BLM, funded by well-meaning gullible folk who gave generously to the cause, bought a $5.8 million California mansion.</blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"> <br /><i>And from Taki in The Spectator:<br /></i></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><p>Far more important than the facts of BLM co-founder’s riches are some facts revealed by the Brit canary in the coal mine. Here’s what Douglas had to say in a nutshell: left-wing papers like the NY Times and Bezos-owned Washington Post, plus CNN and MSNBC, pretend that racism is a pandemic and unarmed black people in America are killed with impunity by the cops. Among liberals, 40 per cent believe the figure is between 1,000 and 10,000 annually. <i>The actual number in 2019 was about ten</i>. For any of you who failed maths at school, as I did, the big lie by the lefty media simply multiplies the number by 1,000. Just think of it for a moment. Platforms supposed to objectively inform the public leave them misinformed a thousand-fold in order to discredit the police, and to convince the world that Uncle Sam is a racist beast.</p></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">So please don't ask me to donate or in any way support that organisation or take the knee as so many of our leaders and otherwise respected people did, mostly because they felt obliged to, especially with the amazing slew of propaganda that dreadful organisation managed to produce. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">I remember trying to get the Academic Board at Dunstable College in the late 1990s to reduce a massive and unwieldy Equal Opportunities Policy to one simple and readily understandable sentence. "<i>We will endeavour to treat all staff and students with respect and provide opportunities for everyone, whatever their background, religion, beliefs, gender, race or physical or mental impairments"</i>. They opted instead for a 40 page document which no-one ever read after the meeting and which was, itself, based on a draft from another College which was a copy from another institution . . . and originally a Department of Education suggestion. Since then the DofE and their subsequent re-inventions have been busy.</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">All this has happened under a Conservative government! This is the stuff of the loony left but they were supposedly thrashed and sent packing with Corbyn. Clearly not. Or maybe now it is of no matter who is in Government. The power to affect our lives is now in the hands of those 30-somethings on committees left, right and centre, well, left mostly, in schools, councils, local government, nationalised bodies, quangos and so-called minority groups. I fear that it has all gone far too far and there is little hope of normal life ever returning. These people are everywhere, usually female, from one or other minority group loud, good debaters with quick put-down lines for anyone opposing them at meetings and definitely not Conservative or in any way supportive of the elected Government. In fact one wonders who gave them the power they do have. They were almost all not elected but appointed. Probably by some manager anxious to tick a box.</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">I would very much like to see a massive rebellion against all things woke. Let us return to being the normal, mostly decent and caring people that the British are and always have been. We can show you that we do not need legislation to treat people the same. We'll show you that it is quite natural to prefer the company of some people than others, that we work better with some than others and not something anyone should be offended by. We can tell jokes and will more than often laugh more at ourselves than at others. Idiots will say things they shouldn't but there is little actual offence taken when people joke about white people or Christian religion but we run the risk of being beheaded if a white person even tries to explain a joke about a black person or a certain Islamic religious bloke. Maybe a brown person would be in trouble too, I don't know. But i do know a teacher in the West Midlands is still in hiding several months after trying merely to tell his class about the dreadful killing of staff in a French publishing agency and encourage debate about the images.</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">I really do not know what has happened to this country. Do you? Read on. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">Here are the 517 officially-recommended policies, which may or may not cover all you need. [Acknowledgements to policiesforschools.co.uk]</p></blockquote><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><br /> Safeguarding and Welfare of Children School Policies<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Acceptable Internet Use and Agreement Policy</li><li>Administering Medicines Policy</li><li>Advocates and Independent Visitors Policy</li><li>Anti-Bullying Policy</li><li>Anti-Cyber Bullying Policy</li><li>Anti-Violence, Aggressive and Anti-social Behaviour Policy</li><li>Child Sexual Exploitation Policy</li><li>Child Gone Missing On or Off Site Policy</li><li>Confidentiality Policy</li><li>Dealing with Extremism and Radicalisation Policy (Prevent Duty)</li><li>Dealing with Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence</li><li>Designated Teacher for Looked After and previously Looked After Children Policy</li><li>Disclosure and Barring Service Checks Policy</li><li>Domestic Abuse and Operation Encompass Policy</li><li>Drones Over-Flying the School Policy</li><li>Eating Disorders Policy</li><li>Educational Visits Policy</li><li>Educational Visits and Terrorist Incidents Policy</li><li>E-Safety Policy</li><li>Emergency School Lockdown Policy</li><li>FGM Policy</li><li>Intimate Care Policy</li><li>Intruders Policy</li><li>Knife Crime Policy</li><li>Looked After Children Policy</li><li>Mobile Phone Safety and Acceptable Use Policy</li><li>Online Code of Conduct for Students Policy</li><li>Online Code of Conduct for Teachers Policy</li><li>Online Safeguarding for an Online School Policy</li><li>Parent and Community Use of Social Media Policy</li><li>Photographic and Video Images Policy</li><li>Positive Handling (Restraint of Pupils) Policy</li><li>Private Fostering Policy</li><li>Pupil Behaviour and Discipline Policy</li><li>Safeguarding and Child Protection Part 1 of 4 Policy</li><li>Safeguarding and Child Protection Part 2 of 4 Roles and Responsibilities Policy</li><li>Safeguarding Child Protection Policy Part 3 of 4 Recognising the signs of Abuse and Neglect Policy</li><li>Safeguarding Child Protection Policy Part 4 of 4 Safeguarding Procedures Policy</li><li>Safe Physical Contact with Pupils Policy</li><li>Safer Recruitment, Retention and the Single Central Record Policy</li><li>School Personnel Code of Conduct Policy</li><li>School Security Policy</li><li>School Trips Policy</li><li>Searching, Screening and Confiscation Policy</li><li>Self-Harm Policy</li><li>Sick Child Policy</li><li>Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Policy</li><li>Students on Placement Policy</li><li>Supervision of Pupils Policy</li><li>Supporting Children with Health Needs who cannot attend School Policy</li><li>Supporting Pupils with Long-Term Medical Conditions Policy</li><li>Troubled and Vulnerable Children Policy</li><li>Uncollected Child Policy</li><li>Visitors, Visiting Speakers and Contractors Policy</li><li>Whistle Blowing Policy</li></ul>Statutory School Policies<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Admission and Attendance Registers Policy</li><li>Admissions Policy</li><li>Anti-Bullying Policy</li><li>Attendance and Truancy Policy</li><li>Biometric Data Protection Policy</li><li>Charges, Voluntary Contributions, Remissions and Refunds Policy</li><li>Collective Worship Policy</li><li>Community Cohesion Policy</li><li>Complaints Policy </li><li>Conditions of Service Policy</li><li>Data Protection and the General Data Protection Regulation Policy</li><li>Data Protection Procedures Policy</li><li>Dealing with Allegations against the Headteacher, Teaching and Support Staff, Supply Teachers, School Volunteers and Contractors Policy</li><li>Disability Equality Scheme and Disability Accessibility Plan for Pupils Policy</li><li>Disciplinary Procedure Policy</li><li>Disclosure and Barring Service Checks Policy</li><li>Equality and Diversity Policy</li><li>Fire Safety Policy</li><li>Freedom of Information Policy</li><li>Governors’ Allowances Policy</li><li>Grievance Procedure Policy</li><li>Home-School Agreement Policy</li><li>Instrument of Government Policy</li><li>Liaison and Transition Policy</li><li>Minutes of Governing Body Meetings Policy</li><li>No Smoking Policy</li><li>Performance Management Policy</li><li>Positive Handling (Restraint of Pupils) Policy</li><li>Pupil Behaviour and Discipline Policy</li><li>Pupil Exclusion Policy</li><li>Register of Business Interests of Headteacher and Governors Policy</li><li>Relations Education, Sex Education and Health Education Policy</li><li>Risk Management and Risk Assessment Policy</li><li>Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy</li><li>School Council Policy</li><li>School Prospectus Policy</li><li>School Staff Pay Appeals Policy</li><li>School Website Policy</li><li>Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Policy</li><li>Staff Capability Policy</li><li>Supporting Pupils with Long-Term Medical Conditions</li><li>Teachers’ and Support Pay Policy</li></ul>School Health and Safety Policies<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Accidents and Emergencies Policy</li><li>Administering Medicines Policy</li><li>Alcohol and Drugs Misuse Policy</li><li>Allergies Policy</li><li>Asbestos Policy</li><li>Asthma Policy</li><li>Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Policy</li><li>Communicable Diseases Policy</li><li>COSHH Policy</li><li>Diabetes Policy</li><li>Display Screen Equipment Policy</li><li>Disposal of Nappies and Personal Protective Equipment Policy</li><li>Educational Visits Policy</li><li>Educational Visits and Terrorist Incidents Policy</li><li>Electrical Safety Policy</li><li>Emergency School Lockdown Policy</li><li>Epilepsy Policy</li><li>Fire Safety Policy</li><li>Health and Safety Part I of 3 Policy</li><li>Health and Safety Part 2 of 3 – The Curriculum Policy</li><li>Health and Safety Part 3 of 3 – Safe Procedures Policy</li><li>Legionnaires’ Disease Policy</li><li>Lone Workers Policy</li><li>Management of Health and Safety Regulations Policy</li><li>Manual Handling Policy</li><li>Medical and First Aid Policy</li><li>New and Expectant Mothers at Work Policy</li><li>Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Policy</li><li>PE Safety Policy</li><li>Portable Appliance Testing Policy</li><li>Premises Manager Policy</li><li>Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Policy</li><li>Risk Management and Risk Assessment Policy</li><li>Road Safety Policy</li><li>School Crisis Management Policy</li><li>School Crisis Management – Arson Attack Policy</li><li>School Crisis Management – Asbestos Disturbance Policy</li><li>School Crisis Management – Bomb Threat Policy</li><li>School Crisis Management – Chemical or Biological Contamination Policy</li><li>School Crisis Management – Child Gone Missing Policy</li><li>School Crisis Management – Communicable or Infectious Diseases Policy</li><li>School Crisis Management – Dangerous Weapons in School Policy</li><li>School Crisis Management – Evacuation of the School Building Policy</li><li>School Crisis Management – Flooding Policy</li><li>School Crisis Management – Gas Leak Policy</li><li>School Crisis Management – Outbreak of Fire Policy</li><li>School Crisis Management – Physical Assault on Pupils or School Person Policy</li><li>School Crisis Management – Re-Occupation of the School Building Policy</li><li>School Crisis Management – Road Accident Policy</li><li>School Crisis Management – School Security Policy</li><li>School Crisis Management – Severe Storm Policy</li><li>School Crisis Management – Severe Weather Warning Policy</li><li>School Disaster Recovery Policy</li><li>School Minibus Policy</li><li>School Toilets Policy</li><li>School Transport Policy</li><li>Sick Child Policy</li><li>Sharps, Blades, Needles and Syringes Policy</li><li>Slip, Trip and Fall Accidents Policy</li><li>Smoke Free School Environment Policy</li><li>Stress Management Policy</li><li>Swimming Safety</li><li>Traffic Management Policy</li><li>Travel Code Policy</li><li>Voice Care Policy</li><li>Working at Height Policy</li><li>Workplace Environment Policy</li></ul>School Improvement School Policies<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Assessment Policy</li><li>Classroom Observations Policy</li><li>Co-Curriculum Policy</li><li>Continuing Professional Development Policy</li><li>Curriculum Policy</li><li>Curriculum Intent, Implementation and Impact Policy</li><li>Curriculum Planning Policy</li><li>Dedicated Headship Time Policy</li><li>Differentiation Policy</li><li>Emotional Health and Wellbeing of Children and Young People Policy</li><li>Involving Pupils in School Policies Policy</li><li>Involving School Personnel in Decision Making Policy</li><li>Leadership and Management Policy</li><li>Leadership and Management Structure Policy</li><li>Leadership Development and Succession Planning Policy</li><li>Marking and Feedback Policy</li><li>Monitoring and Evaluation Policy</li><li>New Standards for Headteachers Policy</li><li>Outside Agencies Policy</li><li>Planning, Preparation and Assessment Time Policy</li><li>Policies and Procedures Policy</li><li>Preparing for a School Inspection Policy</li><li>Professional Learning Communities Policy</li><li>Pupil Participation Policy</li><li>Pupil Premium Policy</li><li>Quality Assurance Policy</li><li>Reducing the Impact of Poverty and Disadvantage on Pupil Attainment Policy</li><li>School Effectiveness Policy</li><li>School Improvement Plan Policy</li><li>Self-Evaluation and School Improvement Policy</li><li>Senior Leadership Team Policy</li><li>Standards of Excellence for Headteachers Policy</li><li>Target Setting Policy</li><li>Teaching and Learning Policy</li><li>The Resilient School Policy</li><li>Using Data Policy</li><li>Vision into Action Policy</li></ul>Special Educational Needs and Disabilities School Policies<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Administering Medicines School Policy</li><li>Advocates and Independent Visitors Policy</li><li>Alternative Provision Policy</li><li>Anti-Bullying Policy</li><li>Calming Room Policy</li><li>Disability Equality Scheme and Disability Accessibility Plan for Pupils Policy</li><li>Disabled Access Policy</li><li>Dyslexia Friendly School Policy</li><li>Early Help Policy</li><li>Inclusion Policy</li><li>Integration of Pupils into a Unit Policy</li><li>Looked After Children Policy</li><li>Manual Handling Policy</li><li>Mental Health Policy</li><li>Pupil Behaviour and Discipline Policy</li><li>Pupil Premium Policy</li><li>Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Policy</li><li>Supporting Pupils with Long-Term Medical Conditions Policy</li></ul>School Community School Policies<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Charitable Fundraising Policy</li><li>Community and Local Industry Links Policy</li><li>Community Cohesion Policy</li><li>Distribution of Leaflets and the Display of Posters Policy</li><li>Employer Engagement Policy for BTEC Courses Policy</li><li>Establishing a School Food Bank Policy</li><li>Marketing the School Policy</li><li>Police and the School Liaison Programme Policy</li></ul>General Curriculum School Policies<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Academically More Able, Gifted and Talented Children Policy</li><li>Access to Fair Assessment Policy</li><li>Animal Friendly School Policy</li><li>Blended Learning Policy</li><li>Character Education Policy</li><li>Co-curriculum Policy</li><li>Developing the Use of ICT Policy</li><li>Digital Competence Framework Policy</li><li>Educational Visits Policy</li><li>Educational Visits and Terrorist Incidents Policy</li><li>English as an Additional Language Policy</li><li>Examinations Contingency Plan Policy</li><li>Extra Curricular Activities Policy</li><li>Financial Education Policy</li><li>Gardening Activities Policy</li><li>Homework Policy</li><li>Home Learning Policy</li><li>Internationalism Policy</li><li>Key Person Policy</li><li>Management of GCE and GCSE Non-Examinations Assessments</li><li>Online Lesson Policy</li><li>Outdoor Education Policy</li><li>Outdoor Learning and Forest Schools – Procedures Policy</li><li>Outdoor Learning and Forest Schools – Responsibilities Policy</li><li>Performing, Visual and Multi-media Arts Policy</li><li>Promoting British Values Policy</li><li>Public Examinations Policy</li><li>Reading Policy</li><li>Reading for Pleasure Policy</li><li>Recognition of Prior Learning Policy</li><li>Relations Education, Sex Education and Health Education Policy</li><li>Remote Learning Policy</li><li>Road Safety Policy</li><li>School Readiness Policy</li><li>Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) Policy</li><li>Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development Policy</li><li>Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) Policy</li><li>Swimming Policy</li><li>Teaching Hours Policy</li><li>The Teaching of Politics Policy</li></ul>School Curriculum (England) School Policies<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Art (England) Policy</li><li>Citizenship (England) Policy</li><li>Computing (England) Policy</li><li>Design and Technology (England) Policy</li><li>English (England) Policy</li><li>Geography (England) Policy</li><li>History (England) Policy</li><li>Languages (England) Policy</li><li>Mathematics (England) Policy</li><li>Model Music Curriculum Policy</li><li>Music (England) Policy</li><li>Physical Education (England) Policy</li><li>Relations Education, Sex Education and Health Education Policy</li><li>Science (England) Policy</li></ul>Early Years School Policies<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Accidents and Emergencies Policy</li><li>Admissions Policy</li><li>Complaints Policy</li><li>Confidentiality Policy</li><li>Confidentiality – Parent Involvement Policy</li><li>Disability Equality Scheme and Disability Accessibility Plan for Pupils Policy</li><li>Display Policy</li><li>Disposal of Nappies and Personal Protective Equipment Policy</li><li>Early Years Foundation Stage Policy</li><li>English as an Additional Language Policy</li><li>Equality Policy</li><li>E-Safety Policy</li><li>Fire Safety Policy</li><li>Foundation Phase Policy</li><li>Health and Safety at Work Policy</li><li>Intimate Care Policy</li><li>Key Person Policy</li><li>Outdoor Learning and Forest Schools – Procedures Policy</li><li>Outdoor Learning and Forest Schools – Responsibilities Policy</li><li>Photographic and Video Images Policy</li><li>Play Policy</li><li>Pupil Behaviour and Discipline Policy</li><li>Settling Children into Nursery Policy</li><li>School Crisis Management Policy</li><li>School Readiness Policy</li></ul>Environmental School Policies<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Adverse Weather Conditions Policy</li><li>Anti-Litter Policy</li><li>Eco-School Policy</li><li>Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship Policy</li><li>Energy Management Policy</li><li>Gardening Activities Policy</li><li>Recycling and Waste Minimisation Policy</li><li>School Travel Plan Policy</li><li>Sustainable Development Policy</li></ul>School Finance School Policies<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Anti-Bribery Policy</li><li>Anti-Fraud and Corruption Policy</li><li>Budgeting and Financial Planning Policy</li><li>Charges, Voluntary Contributions, Remissions and Refunds Policy</li><li>Debt Recovery Policy</li><li>Handling School Cash Policy</li><li>Procurement Policy</li><li>School Finance Policy</li><li>School Fund Policy</li></ul>General School Policies<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy</li><li>Bereavement Policy</li><li>Bilingual Communication Policy</li><li>Celebrating Success Policy</li><li>Communicating with School Stakeholders Policy</li><li>Copyright Policy</li><li>Cyber Security Policy</li><li>Dealing with Sensitive Incidents Policy</li><li>Dealing with Subject Access Requests Policy</li><li>Dealing with the Media Policy</li><li>Digital Competence Framework Policy</li><li>Equality Impact Assessment Policy</li><li>Ethos Policy</li><li>Extended School Policy</li><li>Meetings Policy</li><li>Management of School Records Policy</li><li>Ramadan Policy</li><li>School Data Retention and School Data Management Policy</li><li>School Documentation Policy</li><li>School Rules Policy</li><li>Sharing Good Practice Policy</li><li>Volunteer Helpers Policy</li><li>Vital School Records Policy</li></ul>School Governors School Policies<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Governors Allowances</li><li>Governors in School Policy</li><li>Governors Written Statement of Behaviour Principles Policy</li><li>Induction of New Governors Policy</li><li>Instrument of Government Policy</li><li>Minutes of Governing Body Meetings Policy</li><li>Register of Business Interests Policy</li><li>School Governors and School Governance Policy</li></ul>Parents School Policies<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Home-School Agreement Policy</li><li>Parent and Community Use of Social Media Policy</li><li>Parent/Carer Code of Conduct Policy</li><li>Parent Involvement (Engagement) Policy</li><li>Parent Involvement Confidentiality Agreement Policy</li><li>Parental Responsibility and Change of Name Policy</li><li>Parent Teacher Association Policy</li><li>Parent-Teacher Consultations Policy</li><li>Same-Sex Families Policy</li><li>Volunteer Helpers Policy</li></ul>School Premises School Policies<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Asset Management System Policy</li><li>Buildings Maintenance Policy</li><li>Calming Room Policy</li><li>CCTV Policy</li><li>Cleaning Policy</li><li>Disabled Access Policy</li><li>Display Policy</li><li>Facilities Management Policy</li><li>Fire Safety Policy</li><li>Grounds Maintenance Policy</li><li>Lettings PolicyProcurement Policy</li><li>Personal Property and School Property Policy</li><li>Premises Key Holders Policy</li><li>Procurement Policy</li><li>School Minibus Policy</li><li>School Premises Policy</li><li>School Sports Facilities Policy</li><li>School Toilets Policy</li><li>Signs in Schools Policy</li><li>Smoke Free School Environment Policy</li><li>Traffic Management Policy</li></ul>School Pupils School Policies<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Academically More Able, Gifted and Talented Children Policy</li><li>Attendance and Truancy Policy</li><li>Careers Policy</li><li>Child Employment and Children in Entertainment Policy</li><li>Child Gone Missing On or Off Site Policy</li><li>Child Missing Education Policy</li><li>Early Help Policy</li><li>Eating Disorders Policy</li><li>Emotional Health and Wellbeing of Children and Young People Policy</li><li>Free School Meals</li><li>Head Lice Policy</li><li>Home Tuition Policy</li><li>Integrating Pupils into a New School Policy</li><li>Integration of Pupils into a Unit Policy</li><li>Involving Pupils in School Policies</li><li>Looked After Children Policy</li><li>Mental Health Policy</li><li>Outside Agencies Policy</li><li>Pastoral Care Policy</li><li>Praise Reward and Celebration of Achievements Policy</li><li>Private Fostering Policy</li><li>Private Tuition Policy</li><li>Pupil Behaviour and Discipline Policy</li><li>Pupil Absence on Medical Grounds Policy</li><li>Pupil Exclusion Policy</li><li>Pupil Participation Policy</li><li>Pupil Premium Policy</li><li>Safe Physical Contact with Pupils Policy</li><li>Same-Sex Families Policy</li><li>School Based Counselling Policy</li><li>School Council Policy</li><li>School Readiness Policy</li><li>School Refusal Policy</li><li>School Rules Policy</li><li>School Uniform Policy</li><li>Searching, Screening and Confiscation Policy</li><li>Sick Child Policy</li><li>Student Leadership Policy</li><li>Sun Protection Policy</li><li>Supervision of Pupils Policy</li><li>Supporting Pupils with Long-Term Medical Conditions Policy</li><li>Supporting the Health and Wellbeing of Pupils Policy</li><li>Transgender Friendly School Policy</li><li>Troubled and Vulnerable Children Policy</li><li>Uncollected Child Policy</li><li>Travel Code Policy</li><li>Walking to and from School Policy</li><li>Wraparound Care Policy</li><li>Young Carers Policy</li></ul>Health and Wellbeing School Policies<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Alcohol and Drugs Misuse Policy</li><li>Breakfast Club Policy</li><li>Dedicated Headship Time Policy</li><li>Diabetes Policy</li><li>Emotional Health and Wellbeing of Children and Young People Policy</li><li>Drugs Policy</li><li>Food and Fitness Policy</li><li>Free School Meals Policy</li><li>Head Lice Policy</li><li>Health and Well-being of School Personnel Policy</li><li>Hygiene Policy</li><li>Managing the Impact of the Menopause at Work Policy</li><li>Mental Health Policy</li><li>No Smoking Policy</li><li>Nutritional Standards Policy</li><li>PE Safety Policy</li><li>Physical Education (England) Policy</li><li>Physical Education (Wales) Policy</li><li>School Sporting Events Policy</li><li>School Sports Facilities Policy</li><li>Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) Policy</li><li>Stress Management Policy</li><li>Sun Protection Policy</li><li>Supporting the Health and Wellbeing of Pupils Policy</li><li>Swimming Policy</li><li>Swimming Safety Policy</li><li>Work-Life Balance Policy</li></ul>School Staff School Policies<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Acceptable Use for School Laptops Policy</li><li>Alcohol and Drugs Misuse Policy</li><li>Anti-Bullying and Anti-Harassment at the Workplace Policy</li><li>Career Break Policy</li><li>Charging Staff Policy</li><li>Conditions of Service Policy</li><li>Conflict of Interest Policy</li><li>Continuing Professional Development Policy</li><li>Contract of Employment Policy</li><li>Dealing with Allegations against School Personnel, School Volunteers, the Headteacher or another Pupil Policy</li><li>Dedicated Headship Time Policy</li><li>Disciplinary Procedure Policy</li><li>Flexible Working Policy</li><li>Grievance Procedure Policy</li><li>Health and Well-being of School Personnel Policy</li><li>Induction of New Staff Policy</li><li>Involving School Personnel in Decision Making Policy</li><li>Job Share Policy</li><li>Lone Workers Policy</li><li>Lunchtime Supervisors Policy</li><li>Managing Apprentices in Schools</li><li>Managing the Impact of the Menopause at Work Policy</li><li>MAT Chief Executive Officer and Leaders Pay Policy</li><li>Maternity Pay and Leave for Teachers Policy</li><li>Mental Health Policy</li><li>New and Expectant Mothers at Work Policy</li><li>Newly Qualified Teachers Policy</li><li>Performance Management Policy</li><li>Personal Property and School Property Policy</li><li>Personal Relationships at Work Policy</li><li>Planning, Preparation and Assessment Time Policy</li><li>Play Policy</li><li>Premises Manager Policy</li><li>Private Tuition Policy</li><li>Reducing Excessive Teacher Workload Policy</li><li>Redundancy Policy</li><li>School Personnel Code of Conduct Policy</li><li>School Personnel Dress Code Policy</li><li>School Staff Pay Appeals Policy</li><li>Shared Parental Leave and Pay Policy</li><li>Social Media Policy</li><li>Staff Absence and Leave Policy</li><li>Staff Capability Policy</li><li>Stress Management Policy</li><li>Support Staff Policy</li><li>Supporting LGB+ and School Personnel Policy</li><li>Teachers’ and Support Staff Pay Policy</li><li>Teaching Staff Policy</li><li>Threshold Assessment Policy</li><li>Time Management Policy</li><li>Voice Care Policy</li><li>Whistle Blowing Policy</li><li>Working at Height Policy</li><li>Working at Home Policy</li><li>Work-Life Balance Policy</li></ul></div></blockquote>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-22917161823713186012022-04-22T19:49:00.002+01:002023-02-12T17:10:15.808+00:00Ukraine, nearly two months later . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-wu0Z7vuREzpjCYmbU0FdnSFPTu_dQuo93nRtvPzMZ4q2-phPWEB4jps5JvpWxtS30YDm6Il1gdwPWTgspArzfyUdfYoT-f0hToQ3VjiynOeZGBVb2V00D5EoWtkMOldz7y61vY32LF-k6M4vC8j-KUOHxgcu8FjI13hib_aI50I1joGxlw/s275/kharkiv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-wu0Z7vuREzpjCYmbU0FdnSFPTu_dQuo93nRtvPzMZ4q2-phPWEB4jps5JvpWxtS30YDm6Il1gdwPWTgspArzfyUdfYoT-f0hToQ3VjiynOeZGBVb2V00D5EoWtkMOldz7y61vY32LF-k6M4vC8j-KUOHxgcu8FjI13hib_aI50I1joGxlw/w400-h266/kharkiv.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>In my previous post I noted how I had learned that Ukraine men would fight and not give up easily but, nevertheless, expected that, by now an unpleasant situation would have arisen with Russia trying to run the country, businesses reluctantly trading as part of the Russian economy but those who chose not to fight accepting that life needs to go on and secretly hoping that there would be an opportunity to put things 'right' again once more decent leaders took over at the Kremlin. I expected that there would be a large number of military people still actively disrupting Russia's attempts to run things, with varying degrees of success. In some cities and towns I could imagine resistance being particularly effective and there being little impact from the invader's presence other than it being a thorn in the nation's pride. In others resistance is troublesome but no match for Russia's supposed superior numbers and general might.</p><p>I was quite wrong again. </p><p>What has transpired is absolutely appalling, dreadful and downright evil behaviour by Russia's troops who, at the same time, have achieved very little. Indeed, at the time of writing, Russian troops have been taken out of all areas apart from the Donbas region in the East and along the South coast areas. Russia failed miserably to take any towns or cities other than some small areas in the East where there had been fighting and no real success by either side since 2014. Aided by a great deal of equipment, training and resources from other countries, the Ukraine fighters have achieved a lot and surprised everyone.</p><p>Whilst the bravery of Ukraine men and some fortuitous supplies and assistance here and there has prevented Russia from taking control of anywhere, Russian bombardments, missiles and general destructive activities have destroyed vast swathes of towns and cities in the East and South. Kharkiv looks wretched, once a large, vibrant and pretty city. Mariupol looks like something from an apocalyptic movie, almost every building either flattened or blackened, scarred by an extraordinary amount of bombs and missiles. Many other towns look almost as bad - even outskirts of Kyiv have been badly damaged and we now read reports not only of residential property being blasted out of existence but the people living there too, nearly all women, children and old folk who either chose or had to stay, also being killed - shot, many executed after being tortured or subjected to the cruellest of degrading acts by the invaders.</p><p>However much one tries to understand the reason for Russia wanting to take control over this area, this destruction and wanton killing is almost completely incomprehensible. What is the point of destroying infrastructure, resources, factories, food production, power generation, civilians? If you wish to steal a neighbour's car a normal person certainly wouldn't dream of wrecking it first. If you wanted their house, a normal person wouldn't dream of destroying its roof and walls and its contents. What has happened there is more like one of two things: a sort of punishment, revenge for such successful resistance and the massive loss of life and equipment experienced by the Russians, much like a mother might in the old days have whacked her child if he didn't behave as she wants, or as a bully beats up some kid who refuses to part with a toy, or could it be simply that Russia just doesn't care and if vast swathes of Ukraine become ugly, concrete-strewn dusty fields over the years then so be it. They simply don't care.</p><p>I feel it is a bit of both but mostly the former with two types of individual doing the damage. The first type is the frightened and very inexperienced young Russian boy with a gun in his hand or weapon at his disposal. Faced with resistance he just fires as one might in a video game. Shooting first and asking questions later does make some sense to this kid. He is scared, he's seen many of his colleagues blown up in tanks stuck in the mud or troops killed, cornered by Ukraine military and he reckons he may be next so he shoots whoever is approaching him. He probably has no idea of the procedure he'd have to follow in taking a prisoner, never mind a bunch of prisoners. They may only have been six or seven old women shouting at him but he simply had no idea what to do. So he shoots them. And the little girl that was with them. That I can understand although that doesn't in any way excuse it, of course. What I can't understand is the rape and torture and execution of people with their hands tied behind their backs. That's a different story altogether and shows some sort of planned intent, not just an instant defensive reaction.</p><p>And that's where the second type come in. The more experienced fighters brought in to support the Russian army from Chechnya, Syria and other countries. These men are tough and used to war and know how to win skirmishes and don't panic or just react blindly or stupidly. They'll have decided what to do and just go in and do it. If they need information about where Ukraine fighters may be hiding then they'll get it one way or another. If they just fancy the look of a pretty girl, or boy, I suppose too, then they'll take what they can get as no-one's going to stop them. They rule the roost but are no chickens. In many ways they may prove to be the worst aspect of the whole thing when bodies start to be counted and stories begin to be told. I doubt they're operating under any guidance other than the most loosely-worded instructions to take a town, village or factory.</p><p>The Russian forces themselves have been pretty useless but these mercenaries and some groups, like the Wagner Group, are the ones who have caused the real damage. They don't care. It's not of interest to them who lives or who dies, What remains or is destroyed.</p><p>Add to the equation the missiles fired from distant fields which have landed in almost every town, ostensibly to destroy some military targets but, in practice, merely destroying hundreds of homes instead and you have a recipe for this dreadful scene which we now can see unfolding.</p><p>Forces backing Russia - I can't honestly say Russian troops - now do appear to be likely to take some sort of control over who goes where in the Donbas region and, to a lesser extent, along the South coast from Mariupol to Odessa. </p><p>I suspect that Putin might like now to stop and claim that he has taken these two tracts of Ukraine and ended the 2014 project in the East successfully and effectively closed off Ukraine's economy by sealing off access to the sea through ports in the South, as well as opening a corridor through to Transnistria in Moldova, which has been pretty much cut off to date. Whilst not exactly a defeat of Ukraine by any stretch of the imagination, this could be presented in an uplifting and meaningful way to justify what the Russian people must be beginning to see has been more than some military exercises, or whatever terms the Kremlin insisted media use instead of war or fighting, killing, bombing or destruction. He could probably hope to get away with this and no-one would ask about the earlier huge losses or many thousands of young Russians dead.</p><p>This might even be seen as a way to bring some sort of 'peace' in the country. Ukraine people thus expected to brush themselves down, fighters to put down their guns and people who ran away to return to the places that remain Ukraine and start rebuilding property, infrastructure and lives.</p><p>But no, this is not going to happen. Putin may well make 'success achieved in the South and East' his message (and hope people forget his earlier statement of intent, de-militarisation and de-Nazification) but only Russians will be listening and only Russians will be foolish enough to believe him. The rest of the world will not accept Russia simply walking away and pretending nothing untoward happened. For 'untoward' read 'criminal'. That's what Russian-supporting forces have been in many, many instances already and, I fear, there are plenty more yet to be documented and even more offences to be committed and atrocities enacted, either planned, in revenge or in desperation. Ukraine will continue to fight in every single place. They will receive more weapons, more training, more money and, I do believe more actual manpower and military support too, and we will see some more terrible scenes but we will also see Ukraine gradually retake all the ground it has lost and a very different outcome to that which anyone might have expected.</p><p>There may ultimately be an area to the East and in the Crimea where some independent control is instigated for a period. Over time the people in these areas will be able to determine for themselves how they are governed - by Moscow or by Kyiv or even by themselves. Russia's actions of late, however, cannot have made the Moscow Option more likely - which just goes to emphasise the stupidity of the whole affair.</p><p>For Ukraine elsewhere, though, there will eventually be a remarkable sense of achievement when it does come to the end. There will be an absolutely massive amount of work to do to rebuild the bricks and mortar but that can be done in a positive manner and I believe there will be plenty of financial support to help this happen and to happen quickly. Cities like Kharkiv and Mariupol, as well as countless others we know little about today but which will have been badly damaged, will need to be redesigned in some cases, with the opportunity to take advantage of new techniques in materials and design and cityscape generally which will be fascinating to watch and, I'm sure, for many residents to become part of.</p><p>With Russian influence considerably diminished, Ukraine should benefit from the desire of Europe to assist and welcome them into a trading fold, although I don't see much chance of EU membership for a while. Their economy will need to improve very much and there are many questions about how they manage banking and finances generally, with a tendency to corruption in the past amongst rather too many of those in positions of influence and power. They won't get into NATO either but let's just say that I don't see NATO being fooled again by any future Russia moves.</p><p>Russia itself will be a much poorer and rather unwanted country, much like some of its neighbours like Kyrgystan or Tajistan, perhaps, which were also members of the USSR, like Russia and Ukraine had been. We seldom see or hear much of these places now. Russia is a vast geographical state, though, and no doubt will try to be heard but whether we believe what it says, or even want to listen, depends a lot on the extent to which it changes over the years. Russian people will have a hard time in any discussions with the rest of us as they will take some time to come to terms with the total deceit to which they were subjected by their leaders and media. Parents in Russia refuse to believe adult children in Ukraine about what happens now in 2022 and it will be very difficult for any of them to admit that they were wrong. Few people will want to visit or deal with Russia whilst it maintains its silence and lies about events this year. How can we go if we find ourselves arrested for talking about it? At the moment even talking to each other about it could land us in trouble, never mind actually trying to tell residents there the truth! How can anyone do business if every email or phone call is subject to a similar test? I hope no-one, either because they really want to see some Russian scene or because they want to trade there, allows themselves to be gagged and accepts the restrictions which I expect to remain for some considerable time yet. No, leave Russia to stew. Any Russian people who are prepared to listen and accept the facts of 2022 are welcome here and I hope that more and more do leave the country of repression and of no freedom. </p><p>Russia once so proud will soon be a mere shadow of its former self and no amount of parades or holidays celebrating this or that military event will make any difference. Russia as we have known it will soon be dead. RIP Russia. Long live Ukraine.</p><p>All of this is the friendly part of this world's hope, of course. That is all. I may, again, be proved completely wrong and some very different outcome emerges. This may drag on for years with just enough support from us to keep Russia at bay in most parts but not enough to push them back. That does require us, or someone, actively to get involved. We need to grasp the nettle of war to end this quickly and achieve maximum advantage for Ukraine. We need to put ourselves at some risk of being hit by a missile from somewhere a little north west of Moscow. Every single person in Ukraine at this very moment is subject to that very same risk. We cannot hold our hands to our faces and peep through our fingers any longer. There is a monster. We don't like it but it needs to be defeated and Ukraine is a little kid in its grip who will cease to exist if we just turn away and hope someone else does what we dare not.</p><p>So, yes, there are still many different ways that this can end. I know which way I'll vote for.</p><p><br /></p>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-20984750979525354702022-04-22T17:53:00.000+01:002022-04-22T17:53:01.137+01:00The lady doth protest too much, methinks.A colleague sent me a link to a poll type of thing regarding the request by the United States for the United Kingdom to extradite Julian Assange. The general gist was to ask Boris and Priti Patel to resist on the grounds that Assange would be sentenced to 175 years in prison almost as soon as arriving in America.<br /><br /> I have to admit to being less well-informed on matters Assange. It has been a curious affair that I have never been able to get my head around, as I suspect has been the case for most politicians who would prefer that the problem simply goes away as they are unlikely to benefit, whatever the outcome. From what little I do know I have a lot of sympathy for the chap but I don't think he has helped himself either. There are ways to obtain information and ways to release it and I fear that he or his associates took their eye off the ball in both respects and opened the door to enable authorities to prosecute them.<br /><br />Some secrets deserve to stay secret. Some don't. Probably most don't, in fact. However, to preserve the security of those that really do then laws and regulations have been constructed and need to be enforced for the benefit of those few. That system certainly may need review and the legislation may be poorly drafted but people who wish to expose the wrongdoings of a state need to do so in a way that doesn't get them caught.<br /><br />The effect has been in this case that the general public is not aware in any detail of the events which Assange and his associates seek to share with us but, instead, have had headlines about his past and his being holed up in an Ecuadorian embassy and various other matters and very, very little memory now about what he actually wanted us to know.<br /><br />In summary, it's a cock-up on all fronts and my guess is that, if it falls off the front pages and becomes less talked about then a deal will be made and the guy will not have to serve the ridiculous 175 years as some suggest and will be free but with some restrictions. The UK would prefer not to have to make a decision on this at all and are generally annoyed that the US has not done the sensible thing and swept this business under the carpet as a subject for historians to debate in the year 2525. There are idiots in the US as well as in the UK Civil Services, however, and there is an arrangement between the two nations that we will co-operate on matters such as extradition without argument. Assange and his people know this and have known it since day 1. They've hoped that people might have seen the sense of dropping the case but their supporters have not exactly helped that happen. It was the only way to resolve this and now he may well have to face the music over there.<br /><br />Believe me, though, the support that he will have will be considerably louder should any nasty punishment be likely and it should be to the people that are requesting his extradition that we should be writing or, if unsuccessful, to the judges on the case if and when it starts.<br /><br />I had to apologise to my colleague for sounding less than hopeful, but I don't see this particular protest achieving very much. If the US didn't request then wouldn't need to respond. The main threat is prosecution in the States for spying and it does seem, now that I have read more about this, that that is a bit extreme and there is a case for refusal to go along with an extradition request where the grounds for the request are political. I think the US will be effectively shooting themselves in the foot by following that line for long as the case will then be expected to cause much more rebellion and noise and, indeed, encourage more normal people to start reading all the stuff that has been put online for us to see. At the moment few of us have bothered but expect organisations soon to start digging out the juicy stuff and headlines will be all over the place when it could have all been, beneficially for everyone, left to become of interest only to the few.<div><br /><div><br /></div></div>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-56186903898423666972022-02-26T13:35:00.002+00:002023-02-12T16:49:47.681+00:00Ukraine. What happens next?To answer many questions regarding this, how it affects us, my friend's citizenship, what happens etc., is not easy. But I'll try.<div><br />Initially I had written outlining what I reckoned would be the most likely scenario. That was Russia taking control of the government and calling the whole country part of Russia with new passports, Russian laws and regulations applying, enforced by Russian police and troops and so forth. I'd said that people wouldn't be happy and resistance would continue but the majority would need food and to earn money to buy food and so shops and factories would re-open and life, of a sort, would resume.<br /><br />However . . . when I attempted to check this with Olga I realised I'd got it wrong. Yes, my likely scenario of Ukraine ceasing to exist and being part of Russia may be right but no, the vast majority of people will not accept that. They will simply not give up and continue to fight. It doesn't matter what happens in a legalistic way to them, they're not giving up and will continue fighting in groups, or joining together to create safer spaces here and there, making bread and gathering food and doing whatever they can to take back control in any place that becomes vulnerable.<br /><br />So they will slowly diminish in numbers as they get killed by Russian troops or taken prisoner but no-one is going to submit to Russian police or start working in a Russian-controlled factory or store. So Russia will have to repopulate businesses and factories with people from elsewhere if this part of the continent is to continue to produce goods and trade. Being unable to trade with Europe will also have a big effect and it is conceivable that large areas will become unoccupied and turn to dust, although China might help and be a new trading partner but it will not be Ukraine nationals who man the machines or equipment or communications systems. They will, 90% of them at any rate, continue bashing away at whatever targets they can reach with whatever weapons they can get hold of.<br /><br />It is a strange scenario to consider for me, as I'd been inclined to think that day-to-day needs would take priority and people would succumb, albeit secretly still hating the new occupiers, and use the new banks and shops that Russia sets up. But no, they won't. They'll get by without money and fuel. It'll be rough and children will be educated by parents at home. The internet and phone system may well collapse for them too although the brighter ones should be able to tap into the new Russian cables or whatever. Life will be basic and dirty for her son and family, as it will be for everyone, whether they were the company boss before or a bus driver.<br /><br />This will go on for some considerable time. One of two things will follow. The resistance numbers fall quickly as nasty weapons wipe out people or massive troop imports arrest them and take them away. That's basically it and all is lost. Someone else will take over her apartment and chuck away her paintings and all that she has in the world that's not here in a tiny house in Astcote. Or, and we must cling on to this hope, the many protests around the world lead to a decision by one or more other nations to do more by way of support.<br /><br />If such support is provided reasonably quickly then resistance numbers will be likely to be maintained and Russian equipment and troops may not be as successful in quelling rebellion. As has been seen so far, small amounts of resistance have kept Russian advances at bay in some places for a while. Heavy missiles and bombardment, though, could quickly wipe away such pockets and support which prevents Russia, or makes it much more risky for Russia to use more advanced weaponry, is, therefore, vital to be maintained and increased now.<br /><br />There is a distinct risk of war with Russia happening, either by deliberate action or mistake. Required to fight then on several fronts against a rather more powerful mass of forces may well result in the eye being taken off the Ukraine ball and resistance will succeed even more effectively and even remove Russian troops from the country. That is then , though, a problem for the rest of us as we all become vulnerable to whatever Russia feels able to throw at us. At that point I believe very much that internal resistance in Russia will have developed to a point where Putin may either be obliged or, conceivably forced, to stop. I would expect a smart assassination by special forces but I would also not be surprised if wealthy and powerful people in Russia decide that enough is enough as those otherwise currently futile-looking sanctions do actually begin to bite some in the arse.<br /><br />Even if air support is not provided by NATO, some undercover or anonymous support could be organised and would make a huge difference without causing WW3.<br /><br />So these are the likely scenarios as we see them. There is considerable violence and loss of life and pain to come in all events. <br /><br />Olga has a visa permitting her to live and work here until sometime in 2024, at which point she'll need to apply for an extension after passing another English exam or whatever further requirements may then apply. If Ukraine does cease to exist then so too will the validity of her passport but I believe the Home Office will find a way to cope with that at the time. So she is safe and expects to continue to be so. To visit her family, however, will be impossible for some considerable time as we see it, whatever develops in the short term.<br /><br />Russia, as Ukraine may well be called then, will allow her to return, assuming there are flights there once more, but it is unlikely that she would get permission to travel to come back to the UK again. I would also most certainly be <i>persona non grata</i> in Russia! So only when either her family or friends get out of the country, should they ever have a chance to do so, or in that golden hope of success in retrieving Ukraine from the grasp of Putin, will she be able to greet them again. She is resolved to that being some years in the near-worst scenario, never in the worst where they're killed or imprisoned, six months in the best.<br /><br />Anyone reading this will no doubt have concluded that this really only ends well with the removal of Putin. That will almost certainly only be possible if he dies, either of illness or being whacked as he is not going to be deposed. My guess is that there are plans in place and they may save the day for us all if someone has the guts to enact them.</div><div><br /></div>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-24500815008953246712022-01-31T19:52:00.000+00:002022-01-31T19:52:00.099+00:00Driving has just got really scary.<p>This year there will be a lot of very rich families or relatives of squished pedestrians or cyclists.</p><p>I think most drivers will recognise the occasions when they have most closely smashed into the rear end of some other vehicle; it's when someone in front of you does something unpredictable. For me, the classic example is, when approaching a roundabout, you see a car a little further ahead of you, waiting to pull out. You glance to the right and see that there is likely to be a gap in the traffic and your brain says that the car in front will have started off on to the roundabout. You glance back. It hasn't. Your brain got it wrong. He didn't move. He still could go but doesn't. That glance to the right may have taken no more than a second, probably significantly less, but at 60mph you're doing 88 feet per second. Even at a modest and undoubtedly legal 30 you'll cover more than 40 feet in that time. I don't know the stopping distance at 60mph or 30mph but I wouldn't be surprised if it's a lot more and you're so ruddy lucky if you don't smash into the back side of that car.</p><p>I fear that we're going to be having a lot more of these scary moments. The law has changed. Now some one walking or riding a horse, bike or motorbike will be able to assume priority in crossing a road at a junction. So you may be coming up to a left turn and, whereas before you'd be entitled to expect that the people on the path, or cyclists coming up to cross the road into which you're turning, would look and see you indicating and wait until you've passed. Now they don't need to do that because you, driving the car, are expected to look and see who might be about to cross that road and stop to allow them to do so. Whereas you in your car are pretty easy to spot - probably one vehicle, with a flashing orange light and in a position that looks very much as though you're going to turn, and probably doing a respectable 29.5 mph too and so likely to squish a person or cyclist in any impact - the pedestrian, of which there could be several, especially in a busy town high street, or cyclist, weaving between the people, bushes, lamp posts and trees are much, much more difficult to spot or, indeed, predict. They won't squish you or cause any harm other than a scratch to the paintwork or a small dent. It's pretty damn normal to assume that those likely to be squished will take a bit of care and do their best to avoid getting squished.</p><p>Now, it seems, overnight. It's all reversed. Those pedestrians and cyclists can simply carry on their way, crossing roads without a care in the world. And if they are squished, they or their families get rich as it'll be your fault as the motorist. Your insurance will pay massive sums and we'll all get bigger motor insurance premiums next year.</p><p>Not only that but if you do approach that junction carefully, look as best you can for any signs of pedestrian or lycra-clad life and do suddenly spot the possibility that a girl on a skate board might just make it to the kerb before you arrive and slam on the brakes then I'm going to be the poor sod behind you and it'll be my fault and you'll get your car repaired and the skater kid will be far away by the time we get our mobile phones out.</p><p>So all those walkie-talkie people chatting about wine, women or whatever as they stroll on and off kerbs in front of cars with dodgy brakes, those cyclists with ear buds that cancel out all background noise so they can peacefully listen to James Blunt while flying up the inside of a big truck actually indicating to go left and even those motorcyclists who sit on that blind spot by your rear wing and can't be seen as you check your mirror before indicating and pulling out to overtake the cyclist in front who is weaving around and not paying any attention to you anyway, all of them are somehow now in the right? We nasty, horrid people who sit in our nasty, horrid cars will be in the wrong if you get squished, which surely you will be as we're not saints. Some of us do drive a little too fast. Some of our cars are less than perfect. Some are legal but only just got through the MOT. Some have sharp pointy bits at the same level as your private parts. Some of us don't try and predict every conceivable movement of the people around them. We'll check for some kids near schools or playgrounds and for old ladies crossing after getting off a bus. Some of us simply won't see you because you're at a blind spot or come out of nowhere at a bushy junction. We'll do our best but we will fail if you folk on two feet or two wheels don't start being a bit more damn careful and less entitled!</p><p>The new laws are a disaster. </p><p>I should add that I am perfectly aware that in Ukraine pedestrians and cyclist already have this priority. the difference is that everyone knows this and has been aware of it for years and years. It's kinda bred into people driving there and it a fact that the vast majority of people walk and ride in cities or large towns where there are marked crossings and traffic lights for pedestrians too. Where there isn't a crossing or light then the pedestrians and cyclists are actually pretty careful, despite having that priority. Here no new road markings are being considered. We drivers are just expected to change habits of a lifetime in a day.</p><p>I should also mention horse riders. They should get priority because it is a damn sight easier to control a bike than a horse when a car flies by with a couple of feet at 80 mph. Horse riders are invariably polite and take great care as they don't want the animal hurt. I will always treat them with great respect and happily dawdle at 6mph behind one on a country lane until it's safe to pass. </p><p>Bikers and people can get out of the way much more easily and the idea that a cyclist should ride in the middle spreading his or her backside in the middle in full view of my dash cam for later viewing is preposterous. It takes them but a second to ease back and to the left, let me slowly past, even at a few feet without any real risk of squishing. Hogging the centre will invariably make a less patient version of me want to do damage to that rear wheel if not the backside itself. Unfortunately, the GoPro or helmet-cam cameras now look back as well as forward and it all gets recorded and they do so much like reporting us to Jeremy Vine or the Police, usually in the reverse order, so it's not a good idea. If I do find myself in that position I may well turn around and take another route. It would, indeed, be quite pleasant to meet them on a blind corner coming in the opposite direction with my sharp pointy piece in just the right position. For a change, I might even be in the right and a squishing of a cyclist might not be automatically my fault.</p><p>And yes, sod Holland. We're not flat. In our 20s and 30s, Brits have kids not bikes.</p><p><br /></p>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-43706677359922699492022-01-31T18:44:00.002+00:002022-01-31T18:44:30.476+00:00One year later: at last, a little freedom.<p>A few days ago most of the legal restrictions on our behaviour here in England were withdrawn. Some shops and premises may still ask us to wear a facemask but the social distancing, rules about how many may eat here or there and legal requirements for a facemask have gone. We are now, as I advocated we should be a year ago, responsible for our own behaviour and for the assessment of the risks we face.</p><p>It does, indeed, very much look as though the whole set of restrictions have been of little actual impact on the progress of the virus over the years. There is a distinct possibility that we might have been better off with good <i>advice </i>but not regulation, with businesses mostly continuing and not being forced to close and, in most environments, left to individual decision as to where we go, with whom and whether masked or not.</p><p>I am sure there will be plenty of reports written in years to come but I do feel very strongly that we will never again be asked to give up our freedoms of behaviour and association and movement again. It was a mistake but a mistake that is easily forgiven. Even I thought it reasonable at the time and may well have been persuaded by the 'science' and the 'data' which all looked terribly scary.</p><p>The fact is that those who make these decisions were advised by others who worked on scenarios for what might evolve. None, and I mean none, of these scenarios were even close to what actually transpired. Neither the numbers being hospitalised nor dying from the virus came close to even the most optimistic of predictions. But, as I have said, it is perfectly reasonable to accept that those who were making the decisions were unable to question those statistics in any meaningful way at the time. More recently, as other nations have taken fright once more as the omicron variant runs riot and bangs up infection numbers again and they have started locking down once more, closing borders and all sorts of other stuff, Britain has <i>dropped </i>the regulations. We have seen the numbers of infections rise, yes, but we have not seen any particularly dreadful rise in people becoming seriously ill. Some may say Boris and Co. took a chance last month when we were relieved of the legal burdens. It has proved correct. Denmark has done the same. Others will follow.</p><p>It is, of course, so difficult to argue with that person who screams at you about the extra risk that someone might die. It's true, by having less control there is a chance that someone , somewhere will do something stupid and cause someone else to be infected who is particularly vulnerable and they die. It is equally possible that fewer people will die as a result of more being able to be treated, perhaps in a particular way as a result of business developments that help the economy pay for more research which in turn make better treatment available, or more people to provide it through more freedom of movement. It is less easy to get across to the shouting person on Twitter who hates the government but it must be attempted.</p><p>Freedom from regulation and individual responsibility will, I am sure, lead to no more deaths or damage to health overall and, indeed, I maintain that it will help an awful lot of people suffering through frustration or worry at the moment, be that for a business that is barely surviving or some kid next door with a pervy parent.</p><p>The big thing that has made all this possible, and to which I referred one year ago, is vaccination. I had my first a year ago and now have had three. We've since had Delta, some other variants briefly of concern and then Omicron. The vaccine has dealt with all of them very nicely. I got a cold a while ago. It may have been COVID. It may not. I didn't care too much as it was just a cold and now it's gone.</p><p>That's what will happen now and next winter and, no doubt, in winters to come. People will catch colds. People will get the 'flu. Some may get some type of COVID-22 or -23 for all I know. But no more people are likely to die or get seriously ill than would be the case with colds, 'flue etc of old. We will naturally keep away from people and places where we think we might catch something. We will naturally avoid passing whatever we might catch to anyone else. We don't need laws telling us to behave that way. It's normal human behaviour. It has done us proud over goodness knows how many hundred thousand years and I'll bet on it continuing to do so.</p><p>The biggest threats have always been when people try to control us, be that as generals controlling soldiers or someone telling me what I can and can't think. Leave me alone. I want to live, not exist, please.</p><p><br /></p>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-76407651706489929942021-02-13T12:01:00.003+00:002021-02-13T12:31:28.624+00:00Repeat after me: I am definitely going to die but probably not for some considerable time nor from COVID19<p>For many months now I have been doing my weekly shop at Tesco in Towcester early on a Saturday morning. This avoided the necessity of queueing and, more recently, with queueing not being required, also meant that I encountered few people when travelling round the aisles.</p><p>This morning I woke up a little later than usual and so my visit was at about 9am instead of 7:30am. There wasn't a huge difference but I did notice how many more people were around as I moved from the bacon to the bananas. I hesitated often, waiting for someone to move their trolley or leave room for me to reach for some butter. It was only later that it dawned on me that I had been vaccinated three weeks earlier. I was now most unlikely to get COVID19. Even if I did, or a variant of it, I was more likely to be involved in a motor accident on the way home than be seriously ill as a result. The COVID19 family of viruses now should be, to me, of no more concern than 'flu as I have had to look out for in all the years before.</p><p>That's quite a thought! It's over. For me, and for all the 15 million others who have now had their injection. We're really not going to get ill from this thing. But it seems very clear that this thought has not really had much, if any, impact on the vast majority of us. It was most odd. I was still slightly scared of other people today. I remember getting particularly worried a month or so ago when a supermarket in Zhytomyr became very busy. I was struggling both mentally and physically to make some space for myself, holding my breath until I could take a gasp which may not contain droplets of the virus I was sure must be being exhaled by at least one of the many people who had come into the warm shop from a freezing outside. I had to get out and it was such a relief to breathe the cold but cleaner air in the street outside. That was then. That was when I was vulnerable and might die from getting the virus, for all I knew, or, like many others we would see on TV, become extremely ill and have to be treated in hospital. Hospital, sadly the one place where it seems people almost definitely do get the virus if they haven't already got it. But that was then. When Ukraine's data for new cases, and certainly the lack of apparent effort by anyone other than the trolleybus ladies to minimise infection meant that I knew I was taking a risk being there. This is now.<i> I am not going to get ill</i>. Well, certainly not any more likely to get ill than in any other year. I have to tell myself this repeatedly and still don't quite believe it.</p><p>I am pretty certain that I am actually one of the few who is even thinking this far in the direction of positivity or optimism. I reckon there are massive numbers of old folk still huddled indoors and keeping as far away from anyone else as they possibly can, protecting themselves and 'doing the right thing', letting the State tell them what to do and until it tells them to circulate, act naturally again, this is their life. Locked away and at a distance. They feel safe that way. Why change? Someone says that there may be a variant that their particular brand of vaccine may not control. Someone else reminds them that 90% efficacy means that 10% of people may still catch the virus. These people will usually reckon that they could be one of those 10% and logic is on their side as, yes, they <i>could</i> be. But probability is not on their side and this is what the whole country is soon going to have to wake up to. Yes, some people will still die, even after having the vaccine, even after having the second dose. Indeed, we all have a 100% chance of dying at some point in the future. But the chances of dying from COVID19 are very small, even without the vaccine, With the vaccine they are already at a level which makes several other activities in which we are engaging without a second thought far more risky. We need to think now that COVID19 is like 'flu in many ways. We may still get it but it is highly unlikely to cause us serious problems and extremely, genuinely extremely unlikely to give those of us who have been vaccinated, and an awful lot of others too, any problems now.</p><p>Try and let this thought settle in your mind. </p><p>Yes, there are still dangers. We can carry the virus and transmit it to someone else. As that person may be vulnerable or at a particular risk of a problem from getting COVID19 then we do need still to maintain social distancing. Indeed, we are, at the time of writing, still under Lockdown anyway so none of us can circulate or greet people in the old-fashioned ways, get close to anyone we don't live with or have something called a bubble with. So it can only be a thought. But let it be a good thought. Let it grow and develop into some kind of confidence that this thing is beaten. Just as soon as the majority of the population have had their vaccine injection and there is no new nasty mutation of the virus then we will be free again to live pretty much as normal. Actually, it should be <i>as normal</i>. </p><p>Once other countries have also defeated the virus or have adequate provision to treat it, it does appear then we should be able to travel freely again too, with people not being subjected to crazy restrictions on arrival or for us to have the same inflicted on landing elsewhere. Already I know of some countries where I could, if the law permitted, fly and not face all sorts of requirements before entering. There may continue to be a few places where the virus has not been properly controlled and risks remain by virtue of a new strain having developed. We should avoid those places and ensure people don't come here from them also. But these places are unlikely to be on our normal schedules for where we want to go. I will be more than happy to have my travels restricted to a few places in Europe, Ukraine and Malta for as long as necessary!</p><p>I do understand why I am having to stay at home and being careful with who I meet and how close I get while the rest of the world gets vaccinated. I will be frustrated however at a delay in lifting the Lockdown once all the vulnerable people and, say, over 65s have been vaccinated and no further nasty strains discovered which might still kill me. I will also be frustrated at a continuing plethora of restrictions to travel to places I wish to visit where I see no great risk either to my health or those of the people I may meet there. A test before I travel should be sufficient, plus proof that I'll be OK by virtue of my injection. If they're being really careful then, OK, put me in quarantine too when I get there, just in case I am carrying something, but not in some hotel at £2000 a throw and I certainly should not need this on my return to the UK.</p><p>If I don't visit a place with nasty new stuff and we're all pretty much vaccinated to the hilt in the UK then I am not going to cause anyone any harm by returning to my own country.</p><p>So, I shall remain patient. But not for long. From here on the delay is purely for the benefit of other people. Let that thought develop. It really is just like 'flu now for me and that didn't bother me. I was familiar with the probabilities then. We all need to be familiar with the probabilities now.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406786.post-42580824926262196612021-02-10T14:26:00.003+00:002023-02-12T16:37:36.505+00:00Overkill<p> A PCR type of test costs about £150. If I go to visit Olga in Ukraine as things stand at the moment I will have to purchase a test before I can fly back and then two more during my period of quarantine on my return. The pre-flight test is, presumably, to ensure that I don't have the virus and so will not be bringing it back to the UK. So I am not entirely sure I know why I need another test two days later. It is highly unlikely that I will have picked anything up on the way back but I suppose there are several places where that could be possible - the bus from Zhytomyr to the airport, people I've been near at the shops or in the street or travelling to get the result during the day or two since getting the pre-flight test. So the next test I have to have on arrival would reveal that but after then I am in quarantine and not in circulation so the third test does seem a bit over the top. The extra costs in Ukraine already more than double the bill for the visit when my tickets are normally only around £50 but the further £300 hits hard.</p><p>The press and all the talk at the moment is about people who just want to have a holiday or escape to the sun. There was a distinctly envious tone in many conversations I overheard on this subject when, just before lockdown, some people were in a Tier that permitted travel abroad. I was not flying for a 'holiday'. I was visiting my friend in a grey and damn cold town in Ukraine. Yes, I enjoyed my stay but I would have much preferred to have brought Olga here if it had been possible. Until she gets a visa then I need to be the one who does the travelling. I think it is a pretty normal and acceptable thing to do; visit a loved one. </p><p>OK, so there are people in the UK at the moment who cannot be close to their close family members. The difference is they can see them, get within two metres and, in many senses of the word if not quite all,<i> meet </i>them and see how they are getting on, talk, laugh and communicate easily. I have been vaccinated so I won't catch anything from my friend and she is content to take the chance that she won't catch anything from me. People here can also have 'bubbles' and many I know use this to get closer than two metres so I don't think I am doing anything particularly bad or irresponsible. It's just the 'flying' thing that seems to bother people.</p><p>Things were not helped when we saw pictures of some people called 'influencers' enjoying the sun and expensive surroundings of hotels in Dubai, one of the countries that had accepted quite willingly people from UK (until very recently) and these people were able to use the excuse of 'business' to travel even if they came from a Tier 4 area or even after lockdown were able to travel legally. These 'influencers' are mostly attractive young girls who promote make-up or clothing products through video blogs and, although I am sure they really do not need to make the videos from holiday resorts, they probably do produce a better look than a semi detached suburban garden in Surrey in February. As is often the case, though, a very small number of people can make a big splash and papers like The Sun and jealous journalists were able to wind up Mr & Mrs Disgusted in Tonbridge Wells. Business travel is permitted and if people can get away with that as an excuse, good luck to them. They are not hurting me and, as they tend to stay where they are and not return in a hurry, they are not likely to either. The trip will be expensive for them and, should they come back soon, they'll need to do the same quarantine and have the same tests as me so I cannot complain about them, other than wishing that they'd not hit the headlines as that inevitably had an influence that the 'influencers' had not intended!</p><p>Now I'm locked down. I can't fly anyway. I did think about making it a business trip but I would need to make that genuine and, being in quarantine for 14 days, that's not easy! So, whilst there is a contact there in the die-cast model business that I could be going to see, I'm not inclined to do that. If this lockdown carries on for too long, though, I may reconsider that. As it stands I am going nowhere. </p><p>I wonder why we need to have all these restrictions together. Lockdown, travel bans, quarantine, testing. It's overkill. The talk now is that travel restrictions could remain until not only all of the UK has been vaccinated but the rest of the world too. All we need then is that, just as the last jab goes in someone's arm in Greenland, a new strain appears and worries the hell out of ministers again and we're back where we started while we wait for the recipe to be adapted on the vaccines.</p><p>All this is going to carry on for some time, I feel. So my request is that some exceptions are made for people like me so that I can take a flight to visit my friend. And I do think they can cut back on the quarantine - or the tests - one of the two. If we're still in lockdown I don't need to be isolated as well and certainly don't need two further tests. By the time lockdown gets lifted if I did have anything it will have gone or made itself obvious. If we're not in lockdown but still otherwise banned from travelling abroad then put me back in isolation if you must but I really don't need those two tests as well.</p><p>There comes a time when we will have to accept that, vaccinated, we are extremely unlikely to be seriously affected by the virus and so should be permitted to get on with life as normal. And 'normal' means visiting those we love. </p><p><br /></p>Andrew Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00976984938460821874noreply@blogger.com0