I wrote this yesterday and didn't publish as I realise nobody is really interested so I may as well not be interested myself in publishing and concentrate on other things. Blogger may condescend to update the reading lists by Tuesday or Wednesday by which time the last 32 will be midway through the second half, the heatwave will be over, and all this will be old news anyway. This morning I publish and be damned.
Oh woe is me of those who know so little about Great Britain. As we have a net zero zealot in government in the name of Ed Miliband and his fellow net zero zealots in local authority it is decreed that air con is ripped out of houses if already there and it will not be put into houses if not already there. Please you foreigners be aware of this. In my vicinity those using portable air con in their offices of the state who are watched by Stasi type officials they are ordered to turn them off and take them away and never use them again. Camden Council (London) are having complete air con units removed from housing when they see it.
The electric buses In Norwich are not turning on the air con because the drivers say the buses do not have the electric battery capacity to switch it on without risking failure to get to their destinations and return.
Enough of that for the foreigners. Close the curtains and stay indoors and the heat will soon be over, it never lasts very long in Britain. Mind over matter helps a lot along with natural sweat and water taken on board to replace that lost.
The England game is tonight at 10pm when we play Panama. Let us hope that some players are rested as we are now certain of going through to the last 32 whatever happens tonight. Let us hope Bellingham has a fit of spirit and riles them all up.
France entertained with Norway last night to beat them comfortably 4-1 with both countries already through so Norway resting many players, notably no Erling Haaland. France played superbly like winners and must be favourites for the Cup after I see such play as last night. Denbélé with a hat-trick and such entertainment and the team that plays as winners.
I hope that we learn something in England from the games we see in the World Cup and that the VAR is not holding it all in its hands and the game has been allowed to continue with flow and little intervention. No more VAR officials holding the tape measure and the set square to the goal line against the screen with the magnifying glass in the car park next season I hope. Play on and the referees decision is (sometimes) final.
The six girls I have seen officiating, the one with the pony tail referee and her assistants, have been impressive at keeping order and flow amongst the men without confrontations. Perhaps the players are more scared of a woman than of the male referees they are used to. She keeps order well. She referees with certainty and complete assurance.
As I have said before, Andrew Lawrence says it better than me.
The Andrew Lawrence video is so funny. He has a point about being ginger and vulnerable in the heat! Unrelated to this particular topic I just watched a video you may like Rachel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqj_SnTIhNY . I wish I could be articulate like her. Her video needs watching far and wide. I hope you have a good day. x
ReplyDeleteShe is a great woman. Marvellous, wonderful, brilliant and every adjective you can think of. Yes, she can change things that she touches. She has been around a long time and sadly, things are just the same in government and they gradually get worse and worse and worse and there she does not touch. She must despair.
DeleteWe need her in government! It is so true what she was saying. I hate going to museums and places of historical importance now as it is all about diversity, re writing and erasing history. We are made to feel shame about our past. I have just subscribed to the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) where she was speaking at. I need to do something to feel empowered again!
DeleteI have gone off art as it appears that every young contemporary artist has to include a political message in their work. No more Elizabeth Blackadder painting wonderful works of art, now it is all about beating ourselves up for something past and visited upon us. I mention her because she painted lovely cats and flowers and plants and she is one of my favourite artists and there is an exhibition in Edinburgh just starting. Anybody who lives in Scotland is in for a treat and should visit if they can.
DeleteJust looked up Elizabeth Blackadder art. Her paintings are lovely! I am sick of all the political messages too. They are just jumping on a bandwagon.
ReplyDeleteI thought you would like her. . If we were to win the world cup (unlikely) we will probably not be allowed to celebrate with flag waving.
DeleteDamn blogger for not getting it's act together. I have to back and search for my favourites. And I usually come late.
ReplyDeleteI saw England beat Panama so you're climbing up the ladder . It's getting more exciting now. Fewer teams.
I don't think blogger is ever going to correct the reading/blog list problem now, it has gone on so long this time.
DeleteThe World Cup is certainly getting easier to follow now that it is down to 32 and I sorted out my chart but I did enjoy the group stage even though I only watched a few matches. It is good to see the enthusiasm and joy of the following fans of all the teams, winners or losers. And the American stadia are amazing.
I checked your blog during the weekend for updates but found this one and your latest post only just now.
ReplyDeleteThat's very strange about the air conditioning not being allowed where it doesn't already exist, and to be ripped out or not allowed to operate in buildings where it has already been installed. Has this already been turned into an official regulation? I would expect the companies providing the devices and the services protest against it, plus their customers joining them in the protest, in whatever form (a petition?).
My sister watches some of the football matches, especially when England or Germany are playing. She told me how impressed she is with the female referee (she only mentioned one, I didn't know there are six of them).
Local planning decisions are made by local government, as in Camden. I illustrate my post for the benefit of overseas readers who fail to grasp just what is happening in Britain. I use the word zealot with accuracy for the description of our Energy and Net Zero Minister, Ed Miliband. We already have new rules relating to gas boilders, and future installations, and the latest coming up for discussion is the end of heated towel rails in bathrooms and underfloor central heating. I hope that my point of what Britain is falling to is clear.
DeleteEach football match has four officials on the field, the referee and two assistant referees on the touch line and one fourth official who assists on the touch line with general needs with regard to substitutions, players, managers etc. Then there are two in the VAR room with the tv monitors to assist with decision making if necessary. This makes the team of six ladies I described. They work as a team, they are not divided between different games. I hope that helps.
Thank you for explaining about the officials at football matches.I only heard my sister talk of the female referee she admired and simply assumed there was just the one, and was amazed to read of six ladies on your blog.
DeleteHere we also have regulations in place about gas boilers. A few years ago, our government wanted to introduce a new "heating bill" that would have forced many people to have their current heating ripped out and undergo extensive renovation, with all the financial, logistic and mental upheaval such works bring with them - even home owners in their 80s would have been expected to do it, and some said openly they'd rather die as go through all that hassle, apart from wondering where they would find the money for it all.
The government was severely criticised for this, and a heated (!) public debate followed. The result is a much "milder" regulation.
That's why I was wondering whether there would not be widespread protest against such regulations in the UK.
New build housebuilders are given incentives to install heat pumps and if a gas boiler is installed it has to be in tandem with a heat pump or some carbon efficient system. There has been widespread fear that gas boilers were to be phased out but this is currently not the case. Rarely does widespread protest occur in Britain. There has been some protest with the current Labour government which has led to a few U turns, significantly relating to the farmers on agricultural inheritance tax which has now been reviewed and revised by the government.
DeleteHeated towel rails are sinful too, now. Meanwhile, the garage forecourts fill up with unsaleable electric vehicles, because 'we' have to maintain the illusion of 'going green.'
ReplyDeleteYes indeed, as I believe I mentioned to Meike in reply to her comments. As for garages, main dealerships in my area are disappearing and closing due to poor sales. Garages that we have been familiar with for over 50 years are gradually closing, especially the family run ones.
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