We're Doomed

Private Frazer used to say "We're Doomed"

Well, if we are (and I hope we are not) it will be because people are just stupid. I am not myself immune from the stupid bug but there are hoards of folk, including politicians, who have acted and spoken with little thought as to the consequencs.

Paul Joseph Watson (below) sums it up well - as he always does. Stupid people do not follow the rules, then they change their tune.

To my shame, I posted on a blog I follow that I remembered the fuss over the Y2K bug and likened the current situation to that. I fell into a trap because I feel the media people do hype things, and news is not news unless there is plenty of speculation involved (this is why I do not listen to PM on the BBC). So, when we should believe what we hear, they have already lost their credibility.

What we need is accurate reporting. Stop crying "Wolf" and get people to understand what is best. Stop dragging up experts who contradict each other.

I was taken in

During the Brexit fiasco I was completely taken in by Jacob Rees-Mogg. I thought his calm erudite manner was good. What did he achieve? Where is he now? As far as I can see he liked to pontificate in his posh 'dulcet' tones. I was fooled.

However, I am currently very impressed with the new Chancellor Rishi Sunak who oozes confidence which does not seem fake. He talks well, has a no-nonsense approach and, for me, is a calming influence at this critical time.

Well done that man.

Also, Boris is doing a good job and does not come across as the buffoon some people have made him out to be. I do not believe Teresa May or David Cameron would have commanded the same authority as either of this guys.

Just saying!

Guitar Stand

We have several guitars at school for which I have bought stands. We were lacking one stand so I decided to make one in the carpentry shop (I run the evening woodwork activity).

I am rather pleased with this.

We are an island

So they want to control / eradicate and generally keep Coronavirus at bay?

No they don't. What they want to do is have life as per normal and attempt to prevent it from taking hold in the UK.

News for your Boris. We are an island.

If the worst comes to the worst we should close the channel tunnel, stop all incoming flights and shipping and isolate ourselves. There will be problems with trade, food imports and much, much more so my solution is pretty half-baked: but it could be a solution.

Many years ago my father told me that what saved us in WW2 was the English Channel. Having built the tunnel all sorts of things can get through but, so far, rabies has not.

Taking communion - hygiene

I have never particularly liked taking Holy Communion. It just happens that, as an organist or choir director, I have usually managed to receive communion early; before the congregation and the choir. This has meant that the chalice has not passed many lips and not too much saliva can have found its way into the communion wine. I have not had communion for a very long time as it is not celebrated at the school chapel where I preside.

When I fill in as an organist during the holidays (wherever it is) I do not go to receive, but that is another story.

This post has to do with advice read out at the church where I played today and all over the county, if not the country. The last time anything like this happened it was as a result of the fear of AIDS. Back then there was the silly advice that 'germs' cannot live on the silverware from which communion vessels are made. I ask you!

Today the advice has reasonable parts: no tincture, the host NOT to placed directly into the mouth of receivers but into their hands. Also, when exchanging the Peace (which I hate anyway!) the right hand is to be used for shaking hands, reserving the left one for receiving the host at communion. This is silly. I am right handed. Were I to receive communion I would - as I have always done - place my right hand over my left.

I am afraid that I do not trust people and hygiene. Stay away!

Tuba Skinny

Over the last week or two I have discovered Tuba Skinny and I cannot stop watching them. How I wish I could play like that. Shane Cohn is superb and the clarinet parts are always exciting. In fact they are all great. They also feature Erika Lewis whose voice is really cut out for this style of music.

Visit TUBA SKINNY

Diction

I listen to Radio 4 Extra a great deal. Yesterday they had a programme (Funny you should ask - but that link may not work after a while) featuring some old comedians (Sid Colin {who he?} John Junkin, Barry Cryer).

I was struck by the clarify of diction and superb pronunciation of all their words: a real joy to hear. It got me thinking.

I regularly say to my choir at school (and to the school as a whole during hymn practice) that the letter 'T' is falling out of fashion. If you listen to the radio of TV you will noticed that t's are often dropped within a sentence but often at the end. Thus, "Get out" becomes "Geh ow". It is called T-glottalization.

Later I heard some programme in which 'modern' people were having a discussion and it struck me that my brain was actually working overtime to decode what they were saying; so poor was their diction. I guess we do not notice this (well, I do) from day to day but the juxtaposition during the day of 2 radio programmes made this clear to me. What will diction (and the English language) be like in 50 years time? I shall not be here to find out.

Don't get me started on 'the' (thuh) becoming 'thee' before a vowel. Others have noticed!

And where have Blogger put their spell checker?