Happiness
There has been a lot of discussion about what happiness is lately.
When you’re a widower or widow, happiness is a big hug from someone, who has suffered the same loss. Sadly, I think many never get that luxury.
How To Move An Agricultural Roller! Or Not!
Some years ago, I needed to move an agricultural ribbed roller from my house to my stud, which were about a mile apart. The roller was built from a series of sections and was about two metres long, with a stout triangular frame at the front to hitch it to the tractor.
I had a Land Rover Discovery at the time, so using some rope, I tied the frame of the roller to the toe-hook on the back of the 4×4.
As I wanted to do it slowly, I felt that six o’clock on a Sunday morning would be best, as there was little traffic about. It took me about an hour, with no mishaps en route.
It was only on Monday, that I found I’d woken everybody up, and they’d all wondered what made the amazing noise.
A Doggy-Bag Story
We had dined in one of Mumbai’s finest restaurants and they didn’t stint on the portions.
And we failed to eat it all!
So they gave us a large doggy bag and told us to give it to one of the beggars outside. We tried to refuse the bag, but they insisted.
In some ways it’s sad that mothers have to beg for their food in one of India’s richest cities, but they have put a system together to help.
Russia And China Give Their View On Freedom
Russia and China have vetoed a resolution from the West and the Arab League to try to end the carnage in Syria.
But then what is going to happen, when their own dissidents protest? After all to Putin it would appear democracy is something to be manipulated for your own ends and the Chinese just feel it is not the right system for China.
I’ve Got a Different Set of Problems
Eighteen months ago, I moved into a house with a very high solar gain. In some ways it’s a bit like living in the Palm House at Kew. Yesterday there was enough sun in Hackney to heat the house up to nearly 30 degrees with the heating off and the windows open.
It is so dry, that I need to have a humidifier going full blast to get the atmosphere bearable. At some times, all I want to do is go back to bed and go to sleep.
I would go out, but the weather is so awful.
James Miller
It’s Snowing in Manchester for a Change
Normally, it rains in Manchester, but tonight as I’m watching Manchester City play Fulham, it’s snowing.
Another disappointment for the Arabs, but at least it’s preferable to play in snow, than in forty degree heat, when they play the World Cup in Qatar.
Huhne Has Been Stupid
When it was first rumoured that Chris Huhne had got his wife to take some of his speeding points, I put up a post.
I said this.
It sounds to me that this case might end up with a more serious charge.
Whatever happened to the beloved criminal quote of “It’s a fair cop, officer!”
It now seems I was right too, as Chris Huhne has resigned with all sorts of consequences according to this report on the BBC.
If he’d taken his punishment at the time, he would now still be a member of the government.
The fact that he didn’t shows how naive he must be. After all, he must have realised that once the story got out he’d be finished, so why not cap the story at the time by losing his licence.
The Ways of Cowboy Builders
I’ve always found that the deeper I probe this house the more I find terrible examples of Jerry’s handiwork. I was talking at lunchtime, with the builder working on the house opposite and I happened to mention that there were no manuals for any of the appliances. He thought that typical, as if you can’t find where anything was bought, you can’t get back at him. I suppose it could almost mean that a lot of things fell of the back of a lorry. It also might mean, why we couldn’t find the serial number on the dish washer at first. I have now.
The Correct Term is a Light Engine
When you have just a railway engine travelling by itself, it is called a light engine!
One has caused chaos on the West Coast Main Line by getting itself derailed at Bletchley, as reported here on the BBC. But few reports have called it a light engine, most have called it a freight train, as it is owned by a company called Freightliner, although it is at present leased to Virgin Trains. So at least they can read, even if they don’t know the correct railway term.
The BBC report says this.
A spokesman for Network Rail said the Freightliner locomotive appeared to have approached a set of points at Bletchley south junction too fast.
This caused the tracks to buckle, damaged wooden sleepers and brought down some overhead cables.
There is as yet “no estimate for the completion of repairs and therefore it is not yet known whether services will continue to be affected on Sunday”, according to the National Rail Enquiries website.
As no-one seems to have been seriously hurt, but many have been seriously delayed and inconvenienced, this will turn out to be one of those stories that will run and run all the way to the Supreme Court. After all the engine wasn’t owned by Virgin Trains, but it was being run on their behalf.
So will Virgin Trains be suing themselves for all the compensation, they’ve paid out to passengers?
Incidentally, I usually go to see Ipswich at Coventry, but won’t be going today. I was going to go and get in by buying a ticket on the gate. But because of this light engine crash, I wouldn’t have been able to get to Coventry.
So should I add my case for compensation to the rest?
No! But, if I’d bought a ticket you could be rest ensured, I wouldn’t be a happy bunny, aif I’d been unable to get to Coventry!
What Do Fred Goodwin and Manchester City Have In Common?
They’ve both lost their title in the last couple of weeks.
The Anonymous Widower 