Hi Everyone
It is a bit concerning when I hear from people from all walks of life that "Britain is Broken". Even if you are a cup half full person, it is hard not to agree. Our health service has the longest waiting lists in history, our roads in many parts of the country are a disgrace, our town centres have deteriorated at an alarming rate, and just in the last two weeks, nearly 200 schools are closed or partially closed through problems with defective concrete with many other public buildings found to have similar problems. Strikes are still affecting our railways and hospitals and now this week our second city Birmingham has declared itself bankrupt with a number of towns and cities facing a possible similar situation. Now if you look at the other side of the coin, our hospitals on a daily basis are carrying out amazing operations and treatment to save people's lives and repair their bodies. Except when the rail workers are on strike our railways, certainly in this area, seem to operate pretty well. Changing shopping habits gives town and city centres the opportunity to reinvent themselves by bringing back living accommodations. There seems to be one common denominator for all these and many other problems - money or, more importantly, the lack of it. For me, however, money is not the only problem. The biggest crisis is a lack of urgency, far too much bureaucracy, and an almost complete inability to get things done quickly. Just one small example, In a nearby road a man with a tin of white paint marked all the potholes and areas that need repair. That was three months ago and since other potholes have appeared and the paint is fading fast. That and many other similar situations are causing people to claim that Britain is broken. There has got to be an answer.
The weekend newspapers have to be filled with something. Sometimes I think that they have more Rubbish in them than even I manage to write. This week we had 2 pages of "28 ways to hone your morning routine". Now I know that it was not necessarily written for those of us who are approaching middle age, but the first obvious thing that was missing is that the very first thing I have to do when I wake up, apart from dashing to the toilet, is to work out what day it is. Another one that stood out for me was "stand on one leg while brushing". It did not say what we were supposed to be brushing but, in any case, I have trouble standing on two legs, never mind one. Another tip was "brave a cold shower". Now that may sound like a good idea to you but I cannot think of a crazier way to start the day. Obviously, among the 28 there were some good ideas but the one thing that was completely missing was "go to work". Perhaps another reason why some think that Britain is broken.
This week in America, a driver phoned the police after he avoided a serious accident as he had encountered a car coming the wrong way down the dual carriageway that he was traveling on. When the police arrived he had the shock of his life as they found that he was the one travelling the wrong way and just to make his day complete, he was also charged with drunk driving. There must be a moral in that story somewhere. If that happened here he would probably get a fine and a twelve month driving ban. In Turkey this week a man has been sentenced to 11,196 years in prison despite the prosecution asking for a 40,562 year sentence. That's more like it.
Just a Thought:
The inventor of white weathershield exterior road paint died while attempting to climb Everest. Rescuers said that he could have done with an extra coat.
My friend had a terrible nightmare that he got arrested for drunk driving. Fortunately, he woke up, drove out of the ditch, and went home.
What's the difference between unlawful and illegal? Unlawful are things like robbery and drunk driving, whereas illegal is a sick bird.
Brian
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