The Sunday Rumble: 14.10.18

Eeeeks! Who would want to be a POTUS?   Well, if the 'Big Don' was unsure what it entailed being 'Mr. President', he sure as hell is finding out the hard way today.  The whole silly world is 'shocked, I tell you, shocked' over the mysterious disappearance of some Arab journalist called Khashoggi who is, of course, being a journalist and also for working with the 'WaPo', nigh unto sainthood!  The fact that he is a former friend of bin Laden and a dedicated supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood has not yet reached the MSM, particularly the WaPo!  Still 'n' all, as they say 'over there', something must be done, Mr. President, to those horrid Saudi 'murderers' even if it means losing not only a much needed ally but also '$illions' in arms deals which will put tens of thousands of American workers on the dole.  Incidentally, that non-stop cackling you can hear is the Iranian mullahs laughing their socks off, er, they do wear socks, don't they? 

 

Enough, my life already!   I have today issued an edict from here in Chateau Duff that henceforth all Royal weddings are forbidden!  Or at least, the details are to be withheld from all media outlets.  If I see one more utterly tedious story about the latest Royal nuptials I will go mad, I tell you, mad  . . .  Oh, and that goes for 'Strictly Come Dancing', too!

 

Les temps perdu:   Sometimes, and on a selective basis, it is nice to revisit past times and I am exceedingly grateful to Mr. Silvio Canto, Jnr at The American Thinker  who reminds us that yesterday was an anniversary of the birth of 'that woman' who was born in 1925.  Sorry, but from my meagre memory of poetic quotations, all I can think of to write is "Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive" when Maggie Thatcher's government began.  I am tempted to compare her to the present incumbent but it is too, too depressing!

 

Ah yes, Paul R. Ehrlich, remember him?   No, I thought not and I must confess that I had forgotten him which is a pity because there is nothing funnier than a genuine, er, 'scientific' swot who is always and forever completely and utterly wrong in all his predictions.  I can vaguely remember years ago in my early blogging days sneering at his ludicrous predictions, and cheering when I learned that the late (alas) Julian Simon had won his bet with Ehrlich who, being an apocalyptic, shroud-waving forecaster of the very gloomiest kind reckoned that the price of several different metals, which he chose, used in a variety of industries would rise through the roof due to scarcity and depletion.  Their prices actually fell!  Ehrlich also said that the greatest threat to the population was, er, well, population and that unless strict rules were imposed to control the growth then, well, it was the End of the World!  All total 'blx', of course!

 

Is Australia real?   Oooops, that was rather clumsily put, let me explain before the wrath of AussieD and Andra descends on my innocent head!  Last night I watched half of an Australian movie called "Goldstone".  The setting was in the middle of Australia, than which you could not find a more totally empty place outside of a vacuum!  The long shots showed a zillion acres of nothing, absolutely nothing, but sand and more sand, some rock and distant - very distant - mountains.  Every ten thousand acres or so, there was a single, weedy looking tree but how it got there and how it survived I do not know.  I was reminded of "Waiting for Godot" and any minute I expected Vladimir and Estragon to wander in!  Frankly, being something of a anti-Peeps grouch these days, I was tempted to emigrate.  However, in the film, from time to time in the, er, storyline, a police post would suddenly appear in the middle of nowhere.  Then a bar, equally empty but where its customers would came from was a mystery.  Then, and this made me giggle, in the middle of all this empty nothingness, a 'knocking shop' appeared manned, or perhaps 'womanned' is more accurate, by five oriental girls.  In my admittedly brief meetings with 'Aussies', I have found them to be very sociable, particularly when the beers starts to flow, but the Aussies in this film could barely put more than two words together.  So, my appeal to my Aussie friends, if I have any left, is simple - is that the way things are in deepest, emptiest Australia?

 

Beware La France!   So there was this very decent British chap, wearing bright clothing and cycling along a well-used mountain cycle path in rural France and minding his own business when - bang! - suddenly a local hunter shot him dead!  I don't wish to make light of it because it was a double tragedy for the man on the bike - and the man with the gun.  Even so The Telegraph reports:

It is the latest in a series of hunting accidents in which people have been killed or severely wounded.  Last year a 59-year-old hiker was shot dead by a hunter in the southern Drôme department, and a woman sitting in her garden was killed by a stray bullet fired by a hunter.  In 2016, 18 fatal hunting accidents were reported in France.

Mon Dieu!

 

"O, wad some Power the giftie gie us":   To hear oursels as others hear us!  Yes, I think I need some advice from my old e-pal, 'Jimmy Glesga', on this story of a bust-up on Medway Council when an exceedingly Scottish councillor was asked to speak slower by an English councillor because he couldn't follow the words.  Needless to say, the Jock, originally from Glasgow (need I say more?), went off on one and whilst he didn't threaten to "put ma heed in wi' ma bonnet on' he did become exceedingly cross.  My sympathy is entirely with the other man who is, like me, half Scottish.  I listen regularly to 'TOOOORKSPOOOORT' in the mornings which features the very Scottish Alan Brazil sometimes accompanied by the even more Scottish Ally McCoist.  I would understand more listening to Radio Bulgaria!

 

What's the Chinese for 'I told you'?   Fascinating piece at Zero Hedge reporting that there have been sporadic outbursts of violence by ordinary home-owning Chinese because of the falls in property values.  The government is now scrabbling to do what it takes to stabilise prices but we all know how good governments are at that sort of thing!  Here in the west we are familiar with the ups and downs of market forces but in China where they are enjoying wealth undreamed of hitherto, the anger could be exceedingly rough!

 

'Mutti' Merkel might not feel too well tonight!   According to early reports based on exit polls, the voters of Bavaria just gave her and her party an almighty kick up the backside.  What's the German for 'ohdearwhatapitynevermind'?

 

 

No more rumbles today

 

 

Comments

[Cuffleyburgers]

No Duffers this time I must disagree.

For decades the saudi johnnycomelatelys have been causing mayhem, most spectacularly on sept 11 2001, without ever being held to account.

Now their oil reserves have effectively been nullified as a strategic asset by fracking, it is time to drop them as partners. I realise that will strengthen Iran but personally, I think you are confusing me with somebody who could give a shit.

[Whitewall]

That Arab journalist has apparently been done away with according to the media. I'm not willing to believe any media over anything political right now. This may be a case of 'something happened' and then 'what the media says'. Somebody may end up looking bad, just not sure who right now. In the Middle East there are no 'good looking' actors. They know how to deal with themselves.

[Timbo]

The “Big Don” could say something about not having permanent friends or permanent allies, only permanent interests.

[Whitewall]

Ehrlich is part of an old inventory of hysterical retreads who are kept on a shelf for who knows what.

[Whitewall]

Hunting accidents are why I stick to fishing these days!

[Peter Whale]

The Chasse (hunt) breakfast starts about 7.30 am the hunters are not allowed to let their guns off until after 8.00 am So the first half hour is brandy and pastis to fortify themselves before the main event where the guys with the dogs go and round up the local boar and deer and push them towards the hunters who have sometimes continued their extended breakfast. They seem to think guns and alcohol are a good mix. The rules are they are not allowed within a hundred metres of habitation or rivers.

[Cuffleyburgers]

Perhaps olly robbens could be persuaded to take up cycling.

Except apparently it's too late.

[FrankC]

Fully agree with you about Royal weddings. After months of speculation in the papers I thought it would calm down after the event. Silly me.

[Whitewall]

Germany and now China have 'Deplorables'?? Who knew there could be so many 'Normals' on the planet?

[Whitewall]

https://pjmedia.com/spengler/german-press-reveals-saudi-spook-saga-behind-khashoggi-disappearance/

[Andra]

Well, there's not so much in the middle of Oz which is why we all live around the coast. We keep the kangaroos and emus in the middle bit.

[Bob]

Trump has vastly exaggerated SA's weapons purchases from the US:

https://www.newsweek.com/how-much-us-weapons-sales-saudi-arabia-trump-1167693

And he's bragged about his personal business ties with them:

https://globalnews.ca/news/4545128/donald-trump-saudi-arabia-business-ties/

[AussieD]

Andra has it spot on. You can fit all of Europe into the middle of Oz [no I am not suggesting that is a good idea] and it has the population of almost two thirds of three fifths of bugger all.

However if you do find someone be prepared for a considerable time socializing.

Way out in the middle there is a place called Birdsville where an annual horse race is conducted and people from all over Oz go to it. Have been to Birdsville but not to the races.

https://www.birdsvilleraces.com/

There are also two great train trips in Oz. The Indian Pacific which goes from Sydney to Perth and back of course. Three days and nights on a great train trip and also the longest straight stretch of railway track in the World across the Nullabor Plain. The other is the Ghan which goes up the middle from Adelaide to Darwin. Both travel through vast distances of spectacular areas of emptiness in terms of people.

A lady called Dorothea Mackellar summed this place up.

https://www.dorotheamackellar.com.au/archive/mycountry.htm

[John Duckett]

I have flown across Australia twice, at night.On both occasions there were a few lights on the coast and then several long hours of complete blackness until reaching the coast on the other side.It seems that even the very few who live in the outback don't leave a light burning at night.I suppose there is no point as there is no one to need it.

[Whitewall]

AussieD, that climate looks to be bone dry? I'll bet some people attending the races get sudden nose bleeds? I would especially if the least bit of dust is present. I saw a photo of a camel in the promo...did someone introduce one to the area?

[Michael F Adams]

I have sought high and low to find someone (over here) who says, "still and all." I think it might be in the Northeast. (Perhaps?) We do not say it in Texas. Still and all, it's a useful place holder in a sentence, something like a zero in math.

JK, have you any other examples?

[JK]

Part of the valuation of the weapons sales Bob is that, owing to some "particulars" some special handling equipment is required to do the transfer from the ship to the port handling facilities.

In this, somewhat unique instance, the completion of the transfer[s] requires a third country's participation owing to the sole Persian Gulf country having that capacity would be Qatar.

And the Saudis at the moment aren't so happy with the Qataris.

So who to turn to ...?

[JK]

Maybe Michael.

Problem for me to provide such examples is, as David's alluded to in a recent post would be the clear spelling to get the gist across.

An' David's on an' on at me to translate Hillbillianese into English enough as it is without me attempting the Ol' Scots into modern Hillbillianese and then onto into English. A right smart peck a' cantankery I ain't in no present state to stab at since the weather's turned down.

[Whitewall]

Michael, in my part of North Carolina I still hear the phrase 'still and all', but it is broken into 'still' meaning a bit more to be said, followed by 'and all' meaning 'and all that sort of thing'. This assumes the listener has gotten the gist of what was said. We don't sound near so good as David would when saying it though...

[AussieD]

G'day Whitewall,

It is as dry as a chip usually. When it does rain it turns green overnight and the wildflowers are amazing. Only lasts a very short time and then it is back to dry and hot.

The camels were introduced when the telegraph was built from South to North up the centre of the continent way back. When it was finished the idiots just turned them loose instead of killing them off. End result is we have herds of wild camels.

The irony is that we export them to "the Hairies" in the Middle East as racing camels as they are superior to the ones they breed themselves.

If you don't like heat and dust the Centre is not the place to be but it does have its own harsh beauty.

[Loz]

No doubt Erdogan is squeezing The Don's balls in a vice tighter than the one used on Khashoggi in his final moments as we speak. Dirty Erdy will extract whatever concessions he wants from The Don in exchange for not uploading the gruesome video and audio evidence to wikileaks and blowing US ME policy out of the water forever.

The joy of living outside of rules based systems is upon us. Gangsterdom reigns.

Blighty is about to sail into that deep joy, with the Westminster cretins at the helm and no "Seasoned Ostfront SS Veterans" to stand in for us.

God help us.

SoD

[David Duff]

SoD, are you really suggesting that the Brussels "cretins" are wiser than ours? You should remember that at least the "cretins" in Westminster are *our* cretins over whom we have some control and influence. Can you say the same for the Brussels cretins?

[Loz]

Some control and influence?

Even if you'd voted in the opposite direction in every single election you were eligible for since the day you were born it wouldn't have made an iota's worth of difference to your life or anyone else's, or anything.

In your entire life you've never even had the chance to directly vote for the PM because you've never lived in a constituency where a party leader was the MP.

And you've never chosen a member of the cabinet or anyone in the House of Lords no matter where you lived.

And yet you whinge on about the EU executive!

SoD

[David Duff]

Quite right, SoD, I have never had the chance to directly vote for a PM - because we have developed a parliamentary system, not a 'Presidential' one, for which I am exceedingly grateful!