Image by floongle via Flickr

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman that she should bring her own shopping bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment.

The woman apologized and explained, “We didn’t have this green thing back in my earlier days.”

The cashier responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations.”

She was right – our generation didn’t have the green thing in its day. Back then, we returned milk bottles, pop bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.
But we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn’t have an escalator in every shop and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.  
But she was right. We didn’t have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby’s nappies because we didn’t have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts — wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. 
But that young woman is right. We didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the county of Yorkshire. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the post, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.  Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn petrol just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. 
But she’s right. We didn’t have the green thing back then.

We drank water from a fountain or a tap when we were thirsty instead of demanding a plastic bottle flown in from another country.  We accepted that a lot of food was seasonal and didn’t expect that to be bucked by flying it thousands of air miles around the world.  We actually cooked food that didn’t come out of a packet, tin or plastic wrap and we could even wash our own vegetables and chop our own salad.  
But we didn’t have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the tram or a bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mothers into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.
But isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the green thing back then?

Many thanks to my Brov for sending this to me.

Image via Wikipedia

I heard on the radio today that if you want to take a baby to the Olympics you will need to buy a ticket for him or her.  I thought I heard wrong but no. Can you Adam and Eve this.  What a cheek!

I think this is wrong: a child, (babe-in-arms) will not be able to participate in crowd participation. Personally I think it would be wrong to take a baby to any sport occasion, the trouble it could cause is obvious to all. But each to their own choice and there’s no way I would advocate stopping people from doing what they like. Freedom of choice is one of those things that are being eroded by people  with money and power. Do I need to explain more?   

I feel the idea behind this is that the Olympic bods don’t want babies there but don’t want to sound big brotherish. They want to stop people from buying tickets (if there are any to buy) for their offspring’s. 

‘We don’t want any kids there but how do we say this without banning them’

I find it hard to think of any where that doesn’t allow babies in for free. Trains, Buses, Museums are some that I can think off that don’t charge for babies. I bet you can think of lots of organisations that allow young-uns in for free.  We went to Centre Parks and they didn’t charge for my little grandson who was 2 at the time, but they certainly charged for everything else.

I feel that we should boycott the Olympics for the misery people that run and came up with this idea. I know it will cost a lot to stage them but with some of the top American sponsors McDonalds, Coca Cola to name two, piling their monies into it. Plus all the monies that we ordinary folk have given in the way of lotto payments, and taxes; can you imagine what extras they will be charging at the arenas once you manage to get there. That after all the travelling the parking fees including congestion charges, walking, train travel which ever way you go.  Some how I don’t think being there going to be free.  Want a flag to wave that’s £10 thanks, want a brochure, that’s another £10. Can of coke. £2, Hot dog £5.  You know what I mean. I think those price are a bit conservative but there you go.

USA Corporation owns the games

Don’t sell your tickets back to them as these may be the only way babies will be able to get them: or rather sold to the parents.

Watch the Olympics on the tele if you so want to and see all those empty stands. 

Don’t get mugged by the Olympic team.

Image via Wikipedia

I would like to thank anyone who stumbled on this blog over the last year a Happy New Year; and hope you get everything you wish for in 2012.  I don’t think some things will change in 2012 and feel that we will probably still be in the same boat next Christmas. ( assuming we are still here after 21.12.12.).  So have a good drink, let off those fireworks and don’t worry about the consequences until after the 3rd.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead.  Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow.  Do not walk beside me for the path is narrow.  In fact, just piss off and leave me alone.

Click here to see the rest.

Image via Wikipedia

So what are you doing today. (30/06/11).  Going to work, or staying at home because the kids are not at school today, maybe you are one of those who stop people going to work.  Right or wrong, striking for your rights is a noble cause and we should carry out our constitutional rights for as long as we are allowed to. 

Burke and Hare, our glorious leaders that we didn’t vote for, will make sure we will all suffer for the sake of the minority, who may or should I say, probably contributed to the difficulties that we now find our selves.  But we all know why we are in this predicament .

My beef today is about the changes they are proposing to the pensions scheme.

Basically as far as I can see,  there is a underlining thought that if the goal line are then more people will die before they can get their pension.  It is a work till you drop pension scheme.  At the same time, young people leaving school or universities are finding no work and so are joining the unemployed queues that are growing steadily each year.  Graduates who left last or even the year before are still looking for work.

In my area they say that there are 32 people applying for every job available.  statistically, this is probably right, but the real picture is that for every job published they can receive over 250 applicants and no doubt a lot more for decent jobs.  Long term unemployed people who are in the system knows that unless the job they apply for pays more than the monies the government allow them, then there’s no incentive to take the job on.  Yes you can get working tax credits, family working tax credits help with council and rent.  The employers know this and low wages are offered in the knowledge that the government will top these meager wages up to a level that will equal or just out way the monies that was available before the job.  A job would have to produce an income at least £200 after taxes, (take home pay) .  This is a break even amount and will, in most cases, not allow any disposable income.

What is the answer, I am in no position to give an answer to this but I will give you my thoughts about this,

The government is extending the age we can retire, hoping that a lot more people will not be able to claim a pension.  Due to terminal complications, or dropping down dead at the workplace.  While at the other end of the scale more and more youngsters will not get a job because not enough people are leaving the workforce. 

My answer.

Drop the age for retirement back to 60, leaving more places for the youngsters to get a job.  This will allow people to enjoy the retirement at the end of their years, while youngsters can go to work.  The money will reverse what is happening now, the young will pay for the pensions rather than the oldies paying for the youngsters dole.  In reality it is only those in well paid jobs that want to work on, while those who work only to keep the wolves away from the door, would like to retire and enjoy the end of their lives. 

See  my views here