FACT AND FICTION
People in the UK had a shock recently when they looked at a BBC weather app and heard hurricane winds were coming near London and temperatures would reach 400C in Nottingham!
Not only that but 15,583mph winds predicted for Lincoln.
Not surprisingly it was a mistake – a glitch in the system, but more proof, not that we need it – that you can’t believe all you read, especially if artificial intelligence or social media has anything to do with it.
This takes me conveniently on to the appalling antics currently going on in politics on the other side of the Atlantic.
We’ve watched on our TV screens at the appalling damage and loss of life which have been done by two hurricanes which hit Florida recently.
Trump and other Republican supporters incredibly tried to suggest that the Democrats were somehow controlling the weather and causing the disasters in Florida. This nonsense flooded social media.
Sadly, there were some people who actually believed it. Isn’t it sad that these people who can’t distinguish fact from fiction have the vote and could change the result of the election.
SUGAR AND SPICE
We’ve got used to hearing the most appalling crimes in the UK, people being stabbed, women being raped by police officers – it’s become harder and harder to shock us.
But one crime that shocked and appalled me and made me realise we have sunk to a new low, was the news that a woman had murdered both her parents and then had been living with their bodies hidden in her home for four years.
The 36-year-old woman in Chelmsford, Essex, poisoned her father with prescription medication before stabbing her mother in the chest.
Their deaths happened sometime in June 2019 – but their bodies were not discovered until 2023 after their GP raised concerns about missed appointments.
In that time she had hidden their remains and continued to live there, building a “makeshift tomb” for her father – while telling friends and neighbours that they had moved away, were unwell, or had gone on lengthy trips.
She was sentenced to a life term, with a minimum of 36 years, after pleading guilty to two counts of murder.
She had continued spending her parents’ money after the murders and appeared to have no remorse when she was questioned by police.
Quite clearly she was seriously mentally ill and far from being “sugar and spice and all things nice’ which is what we expect or hope for from the ‘fairer’ sex.
On this subject -how about this…?
A man was kicked and punched, made to sleep on the floor and refused access to a toilet by his abusive ex-girlfriend and has told his story to help other victims.
The man aged 41, took more than a year of therapy to begin to recover from months of emotional and physical abuse from a woman he met online in July 2021.
A charity whose helpline he turned to said male domestic abuse was not as rare as some people may think – and one in six or seven men will be a victim in their lifetime.
He described being isolated from friends and family during their nine-month relationship, losing control of his finances and about £40,000.
He was subjected to daily verbal abuse and humiliation – not allowed to use the toilet in the house or shower without her permission.
Strict controls on his diet meant he lost 4.5 stone (28kg) in two months, while she repeatedly told him she would tell the police he had assaulted her if he spoke to anyone about the abuse.
She was given a 20-month prison sentence suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to coercive and controlling behaviour.
Suspended sentence – it’s a nonsense. If the roles were reversed and the man was the abuser, he most certainly would have gone to prison. Sexes should be dealt with equally under the law.
BUMPY RIDE FOR LABOUR
The British people were full of hope three months ago when they gave Labour a landslide victory, believing things would be better after getting rid of the Tories.
A snap poll by YouGov isn’t good: Sir Kier’s approval poll ratings last week fell to -33 – a drop of 44 points since his post-election high, while one poll put Labour just one point ahead of the Tories.
The poll found nearly half of those who voted Labour in the last general election feel let down so far, while six in 10 disapprove of the government’s record so far, against one in six who approve of the Starmer government.
Great start. It concerns me that people who manage to get to top positions in public office seem to lack basic common sense.
You would think that alarm bells would sound about accepting money to buy clothes for the PM’s wife or accepting concert tickets or tickets to watch football matches.
It’s so important to be squeaky clean when they must know the Tories are looking at any minor indiscretion and make as much political capital as they can over it.
And who on earth thought it sensible to employ a member of staff at a salary greater than that of the prime minister. It’s as if they are living on a different planet!
Will the Budget, later this month change people’s opinion? Only time will tell, but in the short term it looks like a very bumpy ride.
SLOWING DOWN
It’s amazing how you get so accustomed to using something that you fail to spot that it is getting slower and slower. I’m referring to my faithful old desktop computer which has served me so well over the years.
It’s fair to say that we have grown older and got slower together, but when it failed to call up emails I had to take it to a repair shop. They got emails back for me, but then the internet server was slower and slower and that had to go and be installed by another. I’ve now got a new desktop which works so fast it does things almost before I’ve thought of it. It’s like switching from having a geriatric to a young child!
The changes resulted in losing all of banking long ins, and many other functions which I have been taking for granted. The worst was the loss of Facebook which I found to have been hacked = linked to another email address and a password changed 10 months ago.
I’ve emailed Facebook several times asking for help, but have received no reply. A disaster when I haven’t been able to read or reply to all friends’ good wishes for my 80th birthday. Any solutions would be gratefully received.
Also just try switching from using a Spanish keyboard to a UK one. A nightmare. Why can’t life be made simpler rather than more complicated?
