“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”
Daniel J. Boorstin
This week it was International Women’s Day which made me wonder who keeps inventing these spurious celebrations. It seems not a week passes that we do not have another event determined by who knows who for the benefit of who can guess who.
Would Mick at Idle Greetings be dragging me into the shop to flog me numerous cards to mark this wonderful event? I decided to chance it and go see my Mum without taking her a bouquet of flowers just because someone said so.
“What are you doing for International Women’s Day?” I asked as I coaxed her old bones out of bed.
“Having a day off from you if I could!” she fired back quick as a flash. I could tell she was not in the mood for extra star jumps.
I decided to research International Days a little further; here is a selection of days just for March. We’ve just had World Obesity Day; coming up next week are World Plumbing Day and World Contact Day. What?
World Sleep Day is this month as is World Flour Day; I kid you not. And a particularly busy March 24th marks World Tuberculosis Day,
International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims plus International Day for Achievers.
When will they ever have an International Grumpy Old Fart’s Day?
Newsworthy?
The local rag is always requesting news stories so I submitted one the other week concerning yet more abuse of public money by the local halfwits. Despite chasing a second time, there was not even a polite “not interested”.
Today’s lead story (Tuesday) – ‘One of the best performances we have seen’ – Bradford man wins big on The Chase.
Whilst acknowledging they have limited journalistic resources these days, that argument falls flat on its face given what they present to us.
Don’t Panic!
I watched Martin Lewis, the consumer expert, this week interested to see if he had any hot tips to avoid the upcoming tsunami of price hikes. The bloke knows his stuff but why the need to treat this as an hour-long game show dressed like Hughie Green?
It did reaffirm my long-held belief that we should be ditching much of the useless academic crap taught in schools for a new subject – Real Life. It will be a cruel reality that those most in need this next winter will suffer more than they need.
Picture of the Week
Today’s standards of spelling are truly worrying.
Who’s The Boss
I bought my Mum a daily calendar at Christmas – I know, last of the big spenders. She flicked it over the other day to see a message: Dementia Friendly Group with Steve.
“When are we going to this one today?” she asked. I looked at her sheepishly.
“We’re not” I confessed “I forgot.”
And with that, she laughed so hard I thought it might be her last breath.
“I had me doubts about you” she spluttered “but when they told me there was only one boy born that night so it must be mine, I’d no choice.”
They call this old-fashioned parenting.
Fear Not
“Those who are intent on causing harm and distress will pay the price.” That’s the stark message from West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin as her first Police and Crime Plan is published.
The local layabouts and wrong ‘uns will be shaking in their beds (written mid-afternoon) at this story with the West Yorkshire Mayor coming out all guns blazing.
I wonder if she has ever tried to report a crime, waiting several minutes to listen to various inane politically correct soundbites before then hoping, just hoping, there may be someone on the other end of the line.
Tackling child sexual exploitation, sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and addressing road safety were among the top issues raised during the consultation undertaken by Mayor Brabin and Alison Lowe OBE, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime.
Where could they mean and who votes for these people?
Slick Marketing
I called at Timpson’s for a replacement key the other day and noticed a promotion offering a free dry clean to anybody off for their first job interview. How worthy I thought.
Inside two minutes I was eight quid lighter for a bit of metal and I knew who would be paying that dry cleaning bill.
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