Month: July 2023

Certainty !


List 10 things you know to be absolutely certain.

Here is my list of things I know to be absolutely certain.

    • Death – The one inevitable thing that none of us can avoid. The ultimate destination
    • Taxes – Only the very wealthy come close to avoiding personal taxation. The wealthy or crime-lords.
    • Utility Bills – Gas, Electric, Water, Sewage, Refuse Collection …. etc … etc. Unless you live totally off the grid you have to pay to maintain your living standards.
    • Hunger – We all have to eat. Hunger pains are our body’s way of reminding us to eat.
    • Thirst – We all need to drink to survive. Whilst we can survive quite a long time without food, we really can’t survive without water. Personally, I prefer to dilute my water with alcohol in the form of beer or wine.
    • Dust – If we do no cleaning, our homes fade away under a pile of dust. It’s in the air we breathe and settles everywhere. I read somewhere that if you leave dust alone for seven years, it doesn’t get any deeper. Good enough reason not to clean. Just don’t move the ornaments.
    • Politicians Only Lie – How can you tell when a politician is lying? His lips are moving. When has any government ever fulfilled their election promises ?
    • Old Age – Like death, old age is inevitable. Old age come with lots of baggage. Just when you have time on your hands, you don’t. Your body becomes like that old rusty bicycle in the shed. It still works but reluctantly whilst noisily complaining via creaking and squeaking and groaning.
    • Weeds Always Win – No matter how hard you try, you can never totally eradicate them. Just you pull out that bothersome bramble. But leave one single smidgen off root in the soil, and it is guaranteed to return. Grass grows out of every little crevice from seeds delivered by birds and the wind. Remember, a weed is just a plant in the wrong place.
    • Music Solves Everything – Good music makes you happy, can calm you down when you are angry. It makes you feel like dancing, alone or, better, with other people. Music can transport you to far off places without the bother of packing a suitcase or the tedious queues at airports. For example, close your eyes whilst listening to Echoes by Pink Floyd and you can be standing on a clifftop looking out over a vast landscape with nothing but the sound of the wind and the cawing of the crows.

    Adventure ✔️


    Are you seeking security or adventure?

    I think that I have reached the point where visiting a new restaurant is an adventure.

    So I look forward to more adventures.

    St. Swithuns Day ?


    Well, after yesterday’s rain drenched day, today is dry. But it is blowing a hooley with the British forecasters issuing a yellow alert.

    What then are we to make of the St. Swithuns day prediction ?

    It makes no mention of wind. Hopefully, the next forty days will be dry but free from the wind that is expected to gust up to 50 mph today.

    Dinner Party


    If you could host a dinner and anyone you invite was sure to come, who would you invite?

    On first read of this question my mind went straight to the typical historic and celebrity figures.

    Most of my historic choices like, Ghandi, JFK, Churchill etc. are dead. So that would be a very macabre setting indeed. But I’m guessing the food and drinks bill would be cheap. Given the journey they themselves took through some of the most turbulent times in our history. I wonder what they would make of the world that we now live in.

    As for the celebrity option, I would lean towards those of a musical bent. No deep philosophical thinking is required. Dinner with the likes of David Bowie, Jeff Beck, The Stones, Led Zeppelin, Manitas de Plata, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and the list goes on, and on, and on. What tales they could tell. What a dinner party that would be. No after dinner speeches, just a huge musical jam. What a blast that would be.

    But, descending rapidly back to planet earth and reality. When all is said and done, I would truly only want to invite my friends and family. Historic and celebrity figures don’t know me, they would only be there because I asked. Friends and family would be there because they want to be there. They are the people who I feel most comfortable with. The ones who know my back story, who truly know me. The ones who will come back time and again.

    Maturing ?


    What do you think gets better with age?

    Aside from beef, cheese, and wine ? Why, me, of course.

    Who doesn’t prefer a 25 – 35 day aged steak. So tender and full of flavour.

    Or, how about a mature, vintage cheddar, complimented with a nice wine.

    And then on to me. As I have aged, my palate has improved, allowing me to appreciate the aforementioned beef, cheese, and wine.

    But, as I have aged and my palate improved, so my confidence has also grown. In part, this is down to my own life experiences but also my years at IBM, where they nurtured and encouraged me to be more self reliant.

    Ageing has, in turn, led to my growing intolerance, of idiots, and of loud, rude people with an enlarged sense of self-importance. I’m not sure if this is actually a positive result of ageing, but I have convinced myself that it is.

    Chandrayaan-3: Lift Off


    Congratulations to India on the successful launch of Chandrayaan-3 and best of luck for the completion of its mission to place a lander and rover on the moon, close to the south pole.

    BBC News – Chandrayaan-3: India’s historic Moon mission lifts off successfully https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-66185565

    90 Dwellings – Official


    More profiteering and no concerns for Waterlooville or its residents.

    See my recent post on this subject

    Less WoW More Woe


    After my earlier post regarding a proposed development of 29 flats, I have just become aware of this new proposal.

    This new proposal would place 90 new homes adjacent to the existing West of Waterlooville (WoW) development, which currently has plans for some 2.5K homes.

    So another 99 homes is definitely more woe for Waterlooville residents.

    I don’t intend to repeat my points from my earlier post. Since the two developments are probably less than a mile apart, my concerns are still the same.

    Do We Need This ?


    This is just the latest in a series of proposals for developments in the centre of Waterlooville.

    Courtesy of The News 08-07-23

    Once again, the focus is on residential rather than the commercial aspects of the town. Our town centre is slowly decomposing but nothing is being done to reverse the trend.

    We need the town centre to become a viable commercial centre with traders offering various goods and services where our already increasing resident population can go to spend their earnings. We already have a surfeit of hair salons, nail bars and charity shops. Although some of the charity shops have closed.

    Havant Borough Council (HBC) have subdivided the town by pedestrianising the centre, diverting the A3, and promoting “out of town” style shopping to the west. Free parking there, but still parking charges in town. All contributing to the isolation of the centre. They, HBC, have also used the same strategy in Havant. Just take a look at the traffic chaos that has created.

    Apparently, eight parking spaces is deemed adequate for twenty nine residences.

    I’d like to know where these new residents will be working to earn the money to pay their new mortgages. Where are the jobs ? Yes, many could be working from home. But, what about those who can’t. Waterlooville has direct bus services to Portsmouth, and obviously, destinations further afield are possible with changes. Similarly, rail travel is feasible for a commute to other destinations, but you have to get to the nearest railway stations in Cosham, Havant, and Petersfield. Not everyone is going to want to clamber onto a bicycle. Clearly, the most convenient mode of transport is by car, but with nowhere to park when you get home ? And what about visitor parking ?

    I know, we are supposed to be giving up reliance on our cars. But, really, the infrastructure isn’t there to match the convenience of door to door.

    The News article also cites the impact to local medical services. Appointments to actually see a doctor are rarer than rocking horse poo. And just try and sign up to a dental clinic.

    Over the years, we have been promised changes that would create jobs, provide social and entertainment opportunities.

    Where is the 60 room Hotel on the old BAE site ?

    We were told categorically there would not be a McDonald’s on that same site.

    So far, we have no hotel and none of the jobs that would have created. But we got a McDonald’s !!!

    Similarly, we were told there would be a hotel and conference centre on the Dunsbury Park development. No sign of that or the associated jobs either.

    The modified road system has provided a play area for the local petrol heads to hoon about on. But that’s the subject of a different post.

    Bowling and cinema complexes have been mooted, but nothing happens. “They” say Waterloovilles’ population (approx 66k) can’t sustain these businesses. So, if we want to bowl or see movies, we have to travel to Portsmouth (10 miles), Whiteley (16 miles), or Chichester (15 miles). That’s not exactly carbon friendly.

    It’s time HBC stood up and did something for the existing Waterlooville residents. Force the developers to include the provision of additional services and facilities. How about increasing local taxes on the landlords who allow their properties to remain empty. Might make them reduce the rents, attract new businesses.

    Waterlooville, town centre is ripe. Come on HBC, do something really radical. Make Waterlooville somewhere people want to visit.

    Night Owl ?


    What time do you go to bed and wake up currently?

    What time do I go to bed ? Easy answer, around 02:00, sometimes earlier but very rarely before midnight. Why so late ? I’m usually watching movies, reading or listening to music.

    What time do I wake up ? The answer to this is a bit more complicated. I know that I wake around 05:00 every morning for a pee. Just in time to view the sunrise from the bathroom window. Then I go back to bed and sleep for another couple of hours. However, according to my Fitbit, I have multiple wakeful periods throughout the night that I have no memory of.

    This chart shows my sleep stats for last night. It shows that I was awake for 53 minutes. Well, I know what I was doing for a couple of those minutes ! What the hell was I doing for the rest of the time ?

    I think, they say, you need less sleep as you get older. Not sure who “they” are. My dad used to get by on around 4 hours a night.

    So, typically I get up at about 09:00 ish. So I’m getting about 7 hours shut-eye minus the mystery 50 minutes ….