You in your small corner, and I in mine.

The “Westminster Village” doesn’t appear on any map. It’s not a place but a state of mind. It’s inhabited by those who walk the Palace of Westminster‘s corridors - the: politicians, journalists, researchers, lobbyists and politicos. They have in common the belief the Palace of Westminster is the epicentre of the Universe, and if someone sneezes in the Palace all of humanity must take notice.

The above is natural behaviour, we all think we are important, and if you’re a politician then very important! We make our mark on the World by our actions. If those actions are trivial then by inference we are trivial. That thought is unacceptable to the ego. I am important, therefore my activities are important, therefore everybody else must accept my activities are important. We become involved in activities, work, family or hobbies and believe they are worthwhile activities.

The need to attribute a degree of importance to activities has consequences. Sometimes common sense and judgement can be distorted by our commitment to activities. The Chairperson of a flower arranging group can become very upset if the group’s activities do not go to plan. A suggestion by a member to make a minor change to group activities can be perceived as a threat to human existence!

Within every group or organisation, there are power structures. The combination of self-importance and power can make a volatile mixture. I am a member of a Residence Association, some years ago the committee started to do their own thing - not consulting members or even informing them of decisions take. A group of members decided to form a group to oust the committee and replace them. They ran a campaign, the central plank being Consultation and Communication. They called an emergency general meeting and they were successful in replacing the committee. Within three months, there was widespread dissatisfaction with the new committee - they didn’t consult. They said they were too busy running the Association.

Lord Acton in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887 wrote:

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

How very true, when one of the residents questioned the attitude of the new committee, she was told in no uncertain terms, if she criticised the committee she would be sued for slander.

Today I leave you with a question. Who is the person in the picture? What is his name, and what position does he hold?

The answer will be given tomorrow, together with its relevance to today’s blog.

A Fond Farewell & Thanks

My premature and precipitated exclusion from Jazz’s Exciles message board prevented me from saying my goodbyes.

I take the opportunity to send a message out to cyberspace in the hope it will reach those who have been my friends and acquaintances on the board.

To Welsh Gardener. It was always a joy to read your posts on the BBC and the present board; and a pleasure to exchange messages and banter. The flowers are for you. I hope the sun will shine on you in West Wales, so that your garden and life will flourish.

To the posters on the Technical/Computer board. Skull & Ian Mac, thanks for all of your advice. Reading your postings was both educational and entertaining. You increased my knowledge of computers tenfold. There were the odd disagreements on the forum, but this made the board even more gripping to read. I will never forget the Sunday morning when Windows XP decided to self-destruct, your advice and guidance brought me back from panic. To all the posters, may your life be free of: spam, viruses and spy ware.

Underdome, thanks for your PM, hope your music career flourishes. Every cloud has a silver lining, being excluded from the board will give me more time to meditate.

To the posters on the Sports board, especially those who posted on the 2007 RBS Six Nations Rugby Championship thread, your postings and humour made the life of this Wale’s supporter just about tolerable. I was looking forward to a World Cup Thread but now that is not to be.

Ponty Cyclops, Ant, I’m sorry I was prevented from responding to your Wale’s Rugby shirt joke, it cheered me up no end. I’m now going to devote my time to advising GJ so that Wales will get back on track.

Finally best wishes to all the past present and future members of Jezza’s Exiles message board. My only advice don’t criticise the Allotment/Gardening board it’s sacrosanct.

If a member of Jezza’s Exiles Message Board happens upon this blog, I would appreciate it if you would send a PM to those mentioned above, conveying my best wishes.

Jezza’s Exiles part company with YesBut

I post, or rather up to this afternoon, used to post on the Jezza’s Exiles message board. Used to, because today, without notification my board membership was suspended.

Subsequently I received this email message from a member of the message board’s administration team:


“I was suspicious from the start I have to say. Do you want to plea bargain?
You a funny and amusing poster no doubt about that so a shame to loose you.”

In response to my request for further information I received a reply that I had concocted and put in place a devious (my word) plan to “attempt to disrupt the forum” (their words).

Now what, you might ask, was this devilishly disruptive action?

I had proposed for discussion the suspention of an undersubscribed section of the message board dedicated to Allotments & Gardening and replace it for a trial period with one devoted to seeking and providing advice on subjects such as: health, sexuality, personal problems, etc.

Let it be a warning to you, don’t mess with gardeners, or else.

The sad thing about the whole affair, apart from me being excluded from the board, is Jezza’s Exiles message board was set up after the BBC, without consultation and with little notification, closed a number of its message boards.

So having, in the company of a number of posters, been put out into the cold by the BBC, I now find myself once again homeless.

I would appreciate any suggestions of a message board I could join which has a lively discussion on: sport, technology/computers and general discussion.

Cold porridge, smoking and your chance to be famous.

I didn’t have time yesterday to write a blog. Only time to write two pieces for submission to NewsBiscuit:

Police investigate links between the Cash for Peerages scandal and Norfolk turkey cull.

&

Virgin Media NewsBiscuit Deal

If you want to read them, the link is given below. But first, let’s get back to yesterday, I went out early, dressed for a nice spring day. Unfortunately it soon became a cold wet winter’s day. I got home late afternoon freezing cold, fingers numb and teeth chattering.

To warm up I drank a steaming cup of Lemmon & Ginger tea, while soaking my feet in a bowl of hot porridge - a practice not to be undertaken by the uninitiated. The secret is keep your feet moving; stay still for 4.67 seconds and the porridge solidifies; then there is no alternative but to seek the assistance of the Fire Service to free you, using thermal lances. Would you believe it, some people actually eat porridge - that would stop anyone from farting.

Traditionally the Scots would make enough porridge to last the winter, pouring it into a draw for storage. They would then slice out a daily ration. No wonder they always look constipated.

Talking about looking miserable, last week I passed these two specimens of humanity. Each locked into their private world, taking a nicotine fix. I’m so glad I gave up smoking twenty years ago. But if I was a smoker, I don’t think I would join in the practice of huddling outside the office door dragging on a fag, (for American readers, no not that - fag is the English colloquial name for cigarette). I would either go to work in an office where smoking is permitted - though from April the law requires all work areas to be designated non smoking. Or I would envelope my body in nicotine patches. It’s obscene and undignified to huddle in corners taking a quick drag. A cigarette should be smoked, (if at all), while drinking a cup of coffee, talking to friends after a good meal.

I have an excuse, for starting smoking fifty years ago, the relationship between smoking and cancer was unknown, (or if known kept quiet by the cigarette manufactures). Why do, particularly, young girls smoke? Are they that stupid that they think it looks “cool”? Perhaps we are witnessing evolution in practice, the stupid are culling themselves, leaving the intelligent to inherit the Earth.

People say, YesBut you’re a Grumpy Old Fart, who are you to accuse others of being miserable?

Bookmark this blog and NewsBiscuit Click her to read, remember to give high ratings only to pieces written by YesBut.

After you have given them a high rating, come back here and enter your name on the list on the left; and I promise I will mention you in my next submission to NewsBiscuit. Just imagine the resulting fame: requests for personal appearances, rubbing shoulders with ‘B’ list celebrities, asked to appear on Celebrity Big Brother. Fame and fortune is within your grasp.

Roger, Roger (?)

Two nights ago in dream I clearly saw the face of someone who was a manager in the company I worked for twenty years ago. I never worked with him, he was in another department, and I cannot think of any reason for him appearing in my dream. His name was Roger - - - (?). Now that’s the problem, while I clearly see his face and am confident his first name was Roger, for the life of me I cannot remember his surname. For the last two days I’ve been trying to think of the name, annoyingly it’s a blank. It’s the same when watching TV you recognise an actor, but just can’t remember the programme you saw him / her in.

Guess that’s a sign of old age. The price you pay for being a Grumpy Old Fart! For two days I’ve been trying to trick my brain to dig deep into its memory bank and disclose the answer. Having imaginary conversations “Roger - - - (?) told me, have you seen Roger - - - (?), “ all in vain. I guess sometime in the past I must have emptied my brain’s recycle bin.

Just had a bright idea. I could try one of those photo sharing web sites, there might be a photo of Roger on there. No Roger didn’t have a beard.

In the world of Google, there is no such thing as the unknown. Surely if I enter “Roger + Name of the Company we worked for” out would pop the answer. Lets try.

Well do you know that Kenny Rogers sang “You gotta know when to hold ’em know when to fold ‘em . . .”. Isn’t that interesting? No I never worked with Kenny Rogers.

I have a feeling he had a Scottish name. Back to Google.

Do you know the most common Scottish surname is Smith and the 100th most popular Hay. Bad news Roger’s surname isn’t in the top 100. I suppose I could ask Jeeves. First I better test how bright Jeeves is before asking him.

Asked Jeeves if he knew about this blog, Would you believe it he didn’t. Asked him if he knew me “YesBut” and got the reply “Yes But Is It Good For The Jews? Now that was very relevant - I don’t think. If Jeeves hasn’t heard of YesBut there’s no chance of knowing Roger‘s surname.

I think there is a need for a Web Page where obscure questions can be asked and everybody comes together to answer it. Now what can it be called?

Iconic Images of the World

Two days ago I wrote about the iconic buildings of London, deliberately leaving out The iconic image. What are the buildings or geographical features that are universally recognised as iconic images?

Let’s start in the USA: the Golden Gate Bridge, the Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore, are on the list; but surely the abiding images are the Manhattan Skyline and of course The Statue of Liberty. For over 120 years the statute has represented hope and a promise that the future can be better. It was the first site of America seen by millions of European emigrants. During the period of the two World Wars it was an image of friendship and support. In the World of 24 hour rolling TV news, the power of a single image is transitory; it will be interesting to see what if any message the Statue of Liberty will convey in the future.

In South America the two great geographical features, the Andes Mountain Range and the great Amazon River are not visual icons. The image must be the statue inaugurated in 1931, standing 125feet high on top of the Sugarloaf Mountain with its out stretched arms looking over Rio de Janeiro, its Crisco Redentor. The art deco styled statue of Christ the Redeemer.


Let’s cross the Atlantic Ocean to Europe to London, the most recognisable image of London must be Tower Bridge. What a structure, both beautiful and absurd; but above all practical. At the time it was opened in 1894 the Pool of London was the busiest port in the World; so any bridge constructed had to allow access to the pool, hence the bascule design with the opening central span, (in the first year of operation it was opened 6160 times). Due to the frequent opening of the bridge an upper pedestrian walkway was incorporated in the design. However pedestrians preferred to wait and watch the ships pass under the bridge. Unused the upper walkway became the haunt of prostitutes; being 290 feet above the River Thames it became the location for people to choose to jump to their death. It is now part of the exhibition of the bridge’s history.

In 1968 London Bridge was replaced, the old bridge was sold for US$2.5 million to Havasu City, Arizona; it is rumoured that when they unpacked the crates they were surprised to find only blocks of stone - they thought they were buying Tower Bridge, which is incorrectly called London Bridge by tourists.

Other European icons: in Paris the Eiffel Tower and standing above Montmartre the white Basilica of the Sacre Coeur. Obviously St Mark’s Square and the canals of Venice.

Africa? A one time icon which has faded metaphorically from view Table Top Mountain, Cape Town South Africa. The two icons which will remain prominent and located within tourist walking distance from each other: the Great Sphinx of Giza and Khafre’s pyramid. The Sphinx was a common image seen in books from childhood, what a surprise I had when I stood before it thirty years ago to see how small it is - and they say the camera never lies!

So to Asia, and another structure which looks deseavingly large in photographs, but whose diminished size in reality doesn’t detract from its beauty. Constructed in Agra between 1632 to 1648 by Emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his wife Queen Mumtaz Mahal, the white marbled Taj Mahal is beyond description. It was the Shah’s intention to have an identical black mausoleum built for himself on the opposite bank of the Yamuna River, but he was betrayed by his son Aurangzeb.

Other Asian icons: The Great Wall of China and Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

In Australia, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and in its shadows one of the most distinctive buildings of the 20th century the Sydney Opera House. If the UK has an abysmal record of constructing public buildings on-time and on-budget, it diminishes into insignificance compared to the tortured history of the Opera House construction. Not only did its Danish architect Jon Luzon resign (never to visit the completed building), but for a decade the Government of New South Wales was thrown into turmoil.

What of 21st century icons? Will buildings constructed in Dubai, Shanghai and other cities become icons? Only time will tell.

Not to plan

They say God has a sense of humour, He /She (or even They depending on your beliefs) must have, to give humans the ability to plan - and then to sit back and watch as things go to pot. Today’s Master Plan was to write a blog about World Icons. But 10.30 last night I received a phone call from a relative of a friend, inviting himself and his family for lunch.

So this morning Mrs YesBut pointed me in the direction of the market and gave me a push out into the cold 1st March air. Just arrived back, with chicken and fruit. Now drinking a hot cup of Lemmon & Ginger tea in the hope of worming up the old bones.

At this point I must wish you all a happy St David’s Day (Dydd Gwyl Ddewi)(the patron saint of Wales) .Today you must all wear a leak or a daffodile, the national emblems of Wales. In Wales little girls will be dancing and singing, wLearing the Welsh national costume.

So having wished you all Dydd Gwyl Dewi hapus, I must log off and help prepare to welcome our guests