Peace in our Time?

Hi Everyone

This week, Trump flew back home from Israel and later Egypt, declaring that he had achieved peace in the Middle East. If he really believes the words he is uttering, then he is deluded. Now, those are not my words but the opinion of a BBC journalist who has reported on Middle Eastern conflicts and politics for almost thirty years. From my viewpoint, the more I read about the situation, the more confused I become with my sympathies moving from one side to the other on an almost daily basis. What I do know is that the whole situation is like my efforts to solve a Rubik's Cube,  almost impossible. To make matters worse, there is absolutely no trust between the two warring parties, and my impression is that either of them would readily acceptable if the present ceasefire failed. Anyway, now I see that Trump is back on the Putin trail to achieve peace in Ukraine. That too is still a tough nut to crack. I just hope that one of our experienced correspondent does not consider that he is deluded on that one too. 

For those of us approaching middle age, there comes a point where decisions have to be made, so this week the Main Contractor and I made the decision that we no longer wanted to do any further air travel. The flying itself is no problem, but getting to and from the airport, surviving passport control in two airports, the possible delays, and handling luggage is something that we cannot or do not want to do anymore. We have long advised our friends younger than ourselves to do everything they can for as long as they can, something that we are fortunate to have done on our many memorable holidays and road trips. Fortunately, we still have good health, mobility, a car and the desire to visit and experience new places. I mentioned our decision to our neighbour and said that we may have to consider a coach tour holiday. Oh, he said, you mean a tea room and toilet trip. Watch this space.

I read this week that a lady who was eighty one years of age was homeless and living on the streets of our city. It did not give any details of how she came to be in this position or what help she was receiving. Predictably and almost inevitably, many people posted on social media that it was a terrible situation for the lady and for a number of others in our area,  asking why this was happening when compared to the relative comfort and warmth experienced by illegal immigrants in our hotels. In another news item, a lady who had apparently many years of experience in local government and, in particular, housing matters, was offering a solution to the problems surrounding illegal immigrants in hotels. Her idea was to persuade or perhaps instruct local councils to make social housing available to the illegal immigrants currently in hotels. Can you then imagine the reaction of people on social media, and in particular, those who have been on local council waiting lists for months or even years for a home? It seems to me that we do not have a solution for anything. We cannot stop the boats, we have no short term solution to the people living in hotels, and there is no immediate solution to social housing demands. A toxic cocktail.

Just a Thought:

My friend completed a Rubik’s Cube in seven seconds. He dropped in a tin of paint.

Who invented the first aeroplane that would not fly?  The Wrong brothers.

What's the best thing about dating a homeless woman? You can drop her off anywhere.

Brian