Tag: dailyprompt

Eh….yes! Sorry

Have you ever unintentionally broken the law?

I’d be a liar if I said no. And so would a large percentage of everyone else.

The Uk is full of laws. Bye laws, little sub laws that we all fall foul of from time to time. Whether it be parking on a kerb in a hurry, accidentally dropping litter, allowing your dog to foul in a public area we are all guilty.

Come to Leicester and the quality of driving will shock you. There are probably third world countries (I don’t like that term) who have better road behaviours than what you witness up here. No one pays any attention to traffic lights, and by the way, Leicester have more traffic lights per mile than any other town and city in the Uk! Thanks for that you town planners.

Red lights here just mean go faster, you really do take your own life in your hands attempting to cross a road up here. Add to that everyone’s journey is more important than yours, and then that’s what adds to all the speeding and racing on open public roads. It really is utter madness.

Petty theft is high up here, shop owners lose an absolute fortune, however this seems to be a trend across the whole Uk as certain members of the general public decide, “ Damn, why should I pay? Nothing is going to happen to me anyway.” So under the coat it goes and then it’s away. The Police forces here are struggling to address this epidemic that is spreading across our entire country.

Personally it’s something I’ve never knowingly done, but if I did get away with not paying with something for some obscure reason, i very much doubt I’d go back to correct the situation. They’d have been a time when I would have, but I probably would not now. How times and attitudes have changed.

And this is it. It seems that petty crime, the breeding ground for more advanced crime has not been nipped in the bud and the consensus is, if they can get away with it then why can’t I?

Bang – there’s the problem. It needs addressing urgently.

So yes I have broken the law unintentionally on many occasions and I guess that’s the way it will be for the foreseeable future.

Attitudes and perceptions of right and wrong have changed, and in the good old fashioned way of following each other like sheep, that’s the way it will continue going. We lack guidance from the authorities, we have no shepherd to guide us anymore.

We have no law makers or politicians that have the necessary backbone anymore. And without good leaders you will never have committed followers.

Right, I’m off to probably break some unknown law or bye law. And I haven’t even risen from my bed yet. It’s a crime to be awake at this time.

Stay safe. Peace.

Mañana man

If there was a biography about you, what would the title be?

Mañana man

Procrastination, thats me to a tee, or should i really say it used to be. I don’t know, ill tell you what, ask me tomorrow.

That’s me that is 👆

I used to always work in the future, always putting off until tomorrow something that could be done today. Even my bosses knew that i could be relied on to do a job, they just didn’t know when though.

They tried getting me to do daily to do lists, this worked for a while until i turned them into daily tomorrow lists. They gave up in the end and just subtracted 24 hrs off my weekly schedule to make it look like i was being productive on a daily basis. It made them feel as if they’d achieved something. Losers.

It’s probably why i loved visiting our friends in Cyprus so much. The procrastination levels there are through the roof and i thought i fitted in well. My mate would tell me he had a Plumber coming Wednesday, however the key thing he omitted to find out was just on what Wednesday they would be arriving! The levels of procrastination were skill level 2000, these guys were ultra professional.

Over time i have gotten better, but do you know what? It’s never really caused any issues and on many occasions my putting off doing things has fitted in extremely well when there have been changes made to plans along the way…I hadn’t wasted any time, unlike others.

And as for my wife and her numerous 6 monthly reminders..

Ill do it tomorrow

I always tell her it will be done tomorrow. And we all know that never comes.

Mañana man

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all ❤️

1986

What were your parents doing at your age?

When my parents were at my current age it would have been 1986. They were probably doing their best to just get by, and they both had multiple jobs. I remember a few details from this period as there were some significant goings on around this time.

My mother would have been a shop worker in a local store as well as a cleaner at the company i worked for. I would have been in the photographic industry about four years at this time, i would have had a darkroom in the spare bedroom and would have probably been on my third computer at this point. I’d have ditched the Sinclair ZX81 and the Commodore Vic 20 and I’d probably be trying to master the Amstrad CPC464. I loved the start of the computer era, as did a lot of my friends at the time.

I had my first SLR camera around this time and that would have probably been a Praktika. I was saving as much as i could, to try and purchase my all time favourite camera at the time, and in fact it is still my favourite of all time to this very day. A jet black Canon A1.

I know that i was heavily into photography at This time, as i took one of the most iconic photos i have ever taken in my family history, of my father. I have it to this day. He was leaning on a coal bunker in the garden, it was a beautiful sunny day and i took it, and processed the film and enlarged the photos in my little darkroom in the spare bedroom, on a Gnome enlarger. It was a black and white photo and it represented a turning point in all of our lives.

He had just had a heart attack, and he suffered a deep immersive depression that he never really came out of. Please don’t misunderstand me he lived for another 21 years with no other medical issues, however he had changed and became highly abusive to my mum, my little sister and me. He was heavily into alcohol at this stage, and we were paying the price. I had to grow up quick as i became the protector of my Mother and sister, it was hard and i was not prepared. We were the only ones at home at the time as my two elder brothers and elder sister had all left at that point, and boy how we suffered big time. Our lives were changed the very day his heart attack occurred.

He was a very good electrician, he had been an aircraft electrician but was now working for a local building company, he was also a part time baker.

In the next few years my mother would lose all her brothers and sisters as time took its toll. Father would lose his mother and sister and the family began to dwindle in size.

But thats enough of the bad as its all in the past and though i never forget what happened, i have to move on with my own life for purposes of maintaining sanity.

I loved the 80”s as the world was opening up and starting to develop technologically, however i do believe the older generations did struggle. It’s strange really as it is a mirror image for us older generations today, with some of the things that are going on around us currently. Perhaps all generations have their own Groundhog Day periods.

Here are some points of interest that also occurred back in 1986

  • Plans were announced between the UK and France to build the channel tunnel
  • The space shuttle Challenger exploded just after its launch
  • Halley’s Comet makes a show
  • The Soviet Mir space station is launched
  • Microsoft goes on the stock market
  • The Chernobyl nuclear plant explodes
  • Argentina wins the World Cup
  • The M25 motorway – The UK’s biggest car park opens officially

A lot happened that year and these are just a small selection of them. However the dynamics of my family changed that year and what occurred from that point on will never be forgotten . WordPress really couldn’t have chosen a worse time line to talk about for me than this one I’m afraid, but then, it’s good to get it out there.

However, time moves on, wounds heal and we all learn. This is why it is important that we don’t erase our past, otherwise how will we ever learn to be better people and treat others with the mutual respect and belonging they all so rightly deserve.

Have a lovely day, everyone.

Weird Uk laws

If you had the power to change one law, what would it be and why?

I’m going to inject a little humour into this prompt and I’ll tell you why. People see prompts such as this and then go into full dive mode to dig out a law that they disagree with, some rightly so others just because they have fallen foul maybe, and the rest just because it doesn’t fit with how they think it should be.

And then the arguments begin.

Here in the Uk and probably in a lot of other countries around the world, we have a whole load of laws still in place going back to times long past. It’s just like that drawer full of junk you have at home, no one ever has the time to open it up and get rid of all the clutter.

British law is sometimes just like that.

I’m not going to suggest any changes to the law, I’m just going to highlight a small selection of the weird and wonderful ones still in force today.

Here are a few that made me smile. They are still on the statute books, however i suspect they are rarely acted upon these days.

  • It’s illegal to linger after a funeral – A chap buried his wife in 2015 and waited an extra 20 minutes after the funeral as he was in no rush to leave. He ended up with a £160 fine! Apparently the law is there to stop gravediggers being prevented from doing their work
  • It’s an offence to handle a Salmon and look suspicious – WTF! See what i mean about strange laws. Under section 32 of the Salmon act 1986 this covers the suspicious handling of fish, and was aimed at preventing people selling fish through illegal means.
  • It’s illegal to be drunk in a pub – well I’m a convicted felon if this is the case. I must admit i have managed to get away with being arrested for many years now so i suspect this is one of those laws that are pretty much defunct now. The law that covers this is the Metropolitan act of 1839.
  • It’s an offence to be drunk in charge of a cow – the licensing act of 1872 forbids anyone to be in charge of a cow in an intoxicated state on any highway. (I have not been found guilty of this yet, Cows are hard to find in the city)

And the list could go on and on, there are literally hundreds of these old outdated laws still on the statute books today.

But i doubt anyone really falls foul of them nowadays.

Hope this shaped your wonderful faces into a smile…

Have a super day everyone, peace to you all.

Optimism & realism

Write about your dream home.

My optimistic side would say i’d love to live somewhere warm, who wouldn’t? I’d probably live in my favourite destination and that is the Western side of Cyprus. The people are friendly, the weather is warm and even the winter months can allow you the freedom of still being able to wear shorts. Yes, my old aching bones say that, that is the place for me.

However my realistic side thinks different.

I live in an old 1930’s house that did not have an ounce of insulation in its core fabric. Was it warmer back then? I think not. I am in a most fortunate position that our little old creaking, cold and demanding abode is ours. We are very fortunate.

I sit here writing about dream homes, when some people are dreaming for just a home, thats the problem, realising a dream. Sometimes its just out of reach. And here i am now thinking just what an idiot i am when in theory i have it all. Well, I don’t actually have it all, but in the eyes of many I’m well off. But i would have to disagree with that, comfortable yes, wealthy definitely not. What we have has taken a lot of self sacrifice, a lot of effort and more downs than there has been ups. We are nothing if not survivors, as are many others out there. We are bordering on retirement. It’s been a struggle to say the least.

So let’s approach this subject again probably from the angle i should have done in the first place.

I have an old house, it’s comfortable but cold in winter, and i love it. I wouldn’t ever want to be anywhere else and i am thankful for what i have and for those i have around me. I’m thankful to those who come into our little home and share the good and not so good times with us. Why would i ever wish to live abroad when i already live in my dream home. A new location does not fulfil the dream, those around you, the familiar landmarks and all those memories that we are creating on a daily basis are what make that thing of beauty. The bad times we learn from, we move on and become wiser.

This is my dream home. even though it’s bloody chilly.

Stay safe and warm. Peace to all.

Be cautious

You get some great, amazingly fantastic news. What’s the first thing you do?

That’s depends on who breaks the news. Being naturally very cautious, I’d always seek clarification first before sharing it with my nearest and dearest. There is nothing worse than building someone’s hopes up and then knocking them back down like a lane of bowling skittles.

Fact checking always comes first.

Did your parents ever say, “ If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is?”

That ties in with what is written in the first paragraph.

Just like you protect yourself from all that’s bad, and always try to avoid trouble, it’s as plain as night and day that trouble will find you and affect you at some point in your life. And sometimes those occasions come in the shape of good news as misinformation.

You are not now protecting yourself, but all that you love in your life, your family, your friends. Well, it is in my case.

So to cut a long story short.

Fact check, get it confirmed. Check that the news is for you to give. Tell your loved ones. Spread the news far and wide.

And then bloody celebrate like it’s your last day on this earth.

Peace.

Cameo

What’s your favorite candy?

Not sweets, that’s for sure. This is Candy by the 80s funk/R&B group Cameo. This is the second song off of their 1986 album “Word up”

Cameo – Candy

You got to admit the lead singer at the time – Larry Blackmon had some special presence, and a cracking range of Cod Pieces.

And this tune has a knack of getting everyone dancing the same routine on the dance floor.

Ain’t no Candy like a “Cameo” Candy.

Enjoy…

Pic courtesy of t’internet

Work

Do you need a break? From what?

I think I wrote a good time back about creating a good work life balance. I actually stick to that and I’m now enjoying a good separation from my workload much to the displeasure of my bosses who seem to think you are contracted to work for them 24hrs a day, 7 days a week.

Now I don’t like to disappoint people, however excessive hours were affecting both my family life and my health and ultimately that combination would have probably finished me off, and that’s no good to anyone. Now they have me working at my best, and most productive and a recent yearly review was very complimentary to me and my work ethic. So that’s a good thing👍

The real answer to the question that I’ve been skirting around is that I need a break from Work. I’m probably a couple of years away from retirement now, and I’m so looking forward to that. We already have plans in place and I’m looking forward to that final day I leave work and close the door for the last time.

I’ve done my time, it’s now time to give the youngsters a go. Let’s be honest we are only ever numbers at work, and the minute you leave someone else will be doing your role, without there ever being a second thought for you.

You’ve done your time, paid your dues it’s now time to go and enjoy your autumn years.

Peace.

Radio development

The most important invention in your lifetime is…

I had to think about this question and just what has influenced me most in my lifetime.

Radio commenced a good few years prior to my appearance on this earth but it has been the most featured aspect personally within my life.

As a kid of the 60’s and 70’s we grew up with radio being a massive influence to us, all the celebs and stars we knew were probably radio DJ’s and pop stars and all we ever wanted was a small transistor radio of our own to walk around with constantly held to one of your ears. It preceded television that in the 60’s was still really in its infancy, and back then we only really had two television stations that only broadcast for parts of the day.

Radio was the go to medium. Pirate radio stations were popping up all over the place being constantly hounded by the BBC and the government until the BBC gradually softened and realised this was what the younger generation wanted, so all of a sudden we had pirate DJ’s appearing on national radio stations, however they were tightly controlled and governed.

The first item I ever remember repairing was a radio, given to me broken by a neighbour, I repaired it and they were so impressed they brought it back off me, how good was that? At this point my interest in radio was heightened and i realised I could make a living myself, if I wanted to learn. And learn I did.

That’s my personal reasoning for believing radio was the best invention, if you look at how it has affected all our lives, not just in creating a fantastic communication medium, then the effects are long ranging and global. Here’s just a few items that have radio to thank for their arrival into our everyday lives.

  • Television
  • Mobile phones
  • Satellite communications
  • GPS
  • Radar
  • Remote control
  • MRI scanners and many other medical applications
  • Data WiFi
  • And the good old internet probably would not have been born without radio waves to assist it.

These are just a few of the applications that have had their roots in old fashioned radio science. We really have to thank the founders, Heinrich Hertz who discovered radio waves in 1886, and Guglielmo Marconi who sent the first Morse code radio message over a short distance nine years later in 1895.

These two men changed the way the world developed from that point onwards in my eyes.

Radio was and still is, the most important invention throughout my life time.

A day with those who have gone before

Describe your most ideal day from beginning to end.

If just for 24hrs you could be with those you miss the most, those who have gone before you who have left you with so many unanswered questions, this would be the perfect day.

To spend more time with loved ones, to walk another mile with them, hold hands and just look at that reassuring smile, how lovely would that be?

Talking with them to the point that comfort and assurance is restored and having those doubts and worries brushed away. To know they really are happy, well and worry free, and that you are loved and still looked after, wouldn’t that just be perfect?

The end of the day would come, you’d be upset for sure, you’d say gentle goodbyes, but this time you’d be smiling, what a difference to the last time you parted company. You could now live the rest of your life free and without the worries and doubts of your past to haunt you. No more grieving.

Never again to ask the question, “What if?” as you’d already have the answers.

What a lovely day that would be❤️