It’s fiction, of course, but it’s darn good fiction, drawing just enough on the truth and the verifiable to make it believable. And strong. I’m speaking of the latest episode of Torchwood, which I viewed live last night and have just now reviewed on the BBC iPlayer. Everyone who suspects that governments have lost the plot and have drifted away from the thought that they govern for the people would do well to view this 5-episode eye-opener.
I rather doubt there are extra terrestrial alien life forms up there in orbit, engineering our downfall. It’s unlikely that they need us. More to the point, who needs them, with politicians and governments like ours?
[Shudders. Shakes himself vigorously, and exits stage left for second mug of coffee, wondering all the while if Chicken Little wasn't right after all.]
Mmmmm! Coffee time! I read somewhere yesterday that you’d need to drink 20 cups of tea to get the same caffeine kick as is contained in two cuplets of single-shot espresso. I tend not to trust such easy statistics but it does lend some force to the argument I’ve always held to be true that, while tea is nice, you need coffee for your nerve-endings of a morning.
NEWSFLASH: A neat little truck just came round the close, with two blokes inside and two big revolving brushes on the front, sweeping the kerbside and the gutters, and making a fearful racket all the while. I can’t for the life of me see that this is an economical or sensible replacement for one carbon-neutral old guy with a barrow, a shovel and a brush, and a philosophical approach to life. Road-sweepers, we called them. Probably politically incorrect now. Ah well. Progress keeps on progressing on.
The sun is out in force again and there’s a chance it may be hot later on. Certainly dry. Graham wants me to cut the little strip of grass in front of the house if I can manage it. Actually, on a day like this, with a touch of the philosophicals in my head, I might just find that a pleasant thing to do. Lord knows there’s little else to make demands on my time once the cat litter tray is done.
I agree totally with your assessment of tea versus coffee. Tea is to sit and savor while coffee is a shot of adrenaline to get you going. So have some more coffee and go mow the grass.
I haven’t seen the new Torchwood yet. I think BBC America is a few weeks behind BBC.
I am a huge fan, though.
Coffee sends me right up the wall! Half a cup now and then, in the afternoon is nice with a dry biscuit or something, but a hot cup of tea w/ a spoonful (or two) of honey, in the morning, does it for me.
Road Sweepers – yup! Can you believe they actually come out here on this country road in the Spring and Fall and sweep the sides! In town they go along the curbs with the machine that has two large circular brushes that spray water also (to keep the dust down). A mess – a real mess!
Hope you got your grass mowed. Mine gets it tomorrow!
(No notify today, btw).
Well, after the little strip is mowed, you might pack up the ford and Dolly and mosey off to the ocean.
Road sweeping…..yes I think I saw one once.I think he must have been lost though as it disappeared and hasn’t been seen for at least 3 years.We used to have a man and cart too……once upon a time.
I loved Torchwood and I agree about the government drifting away from the people.It was a real smack in the face for them ,in fact I giggled a lot when they got caught out.Sad ending though.One of the best they ever did.
Street sweepers! My goodness, I had completely forgotten… but thirty years ago when Nancy and I were in London we were amazed at seeing men with brooms sweeping sidewalks all around town. Come to think of it, I don’t recall seeing any of that during several visits there during the 1996 — 2001 time frame.
We have “sweepers” in Korea (public work for people on general assistance) who pick up scraps and cig butts with long tongs (the kind Yanks use to turn the meat on the barbecue).
I had a lovely conversation with an elderly sweeper the other day who had been a teenager working with the UN forces during the Korean war.
I think of us as fish in a bowl for some higher intelligence. They keep us because we amuse them.