Queen Victoria and John Brown

I have just watched. 'Mrs Brown' the story of Queen Victoria and her ghillie/manservant, John Brown who brought her out of mourning following the death of her beloved Albert. It has a great cast including Dame Judi Dench, Billy Connelly a

nd Geoffrey Palmer. I'm a Royalist and a lover of history but this film didn't quite do it for me I'm afraid.

Because Brown's diaries were destroyed by the Royal Family (Victoria's son and heir) we will never know the true relationship between Victoria and Brown although rumour has it that they were secretly married and that she bore him a daughter. Even if that is not true, it's said the lady had a ferocious sexual appetite so I'd doubt that Brown got off lightly! Oh to have been a fly on the wall!

Cyclone

MAGPIE 136

Flying Down, 2006, David Salle

Photograph courtesy Tess Kinkaid, Magpie Tales on Blogger

Absolute mayhem

Outside the eye of the storm

Severe damage abounds

Barbara M Lake

Trinidad W!

September 2012

Use by Date

Hillary Clinton is 10 months younger than I am.

If she can hold down the position of the United States Secretary of State at her age, will someone please tell me why I am being put out to grass because eighteen months ago in a restructuring of the organization, some stupid person copied and pasted from another company's HR policy that people like me have to retire when they hit a certain age  The policy, according to some,  is 'not written in stone' but that is of no consolation to me as I reluctantly count down the months, days, hours, minutes and seconds until the 31 December 2012.  Oh make no mistake, I have my feelers out and there have been several discussions but after almost nine years of blood, sweat and tears together with a passion and love for my job, as the time to clearing my desk and shutting up shop grows nearer, my heart sinks deeper and deeper.

I am sure some people would love to be in my position but I am not ready to sit on a beach and toast my toes - I can do that in my spare time!

You may all be in for one long moan between now and December- either that or an interesting narrative as to how the red tape works!

A Taste of Spice

MAGPIE 134

Breakfast, 1921, Fernand Leger

Photo courtesy Tess Kinkaid, Magpie Tales on Blogger

Kernels

Of ground black pepper

Spice up my

Poached eggs

Just as

 Parts

Of your body and soul

Bring alive my

Taste buds

Barbara M Lake

Trinidad WI

September 2012

Nothingness

MAGPIE 123

Summer Night, Albert Bloch, 1913

Photograph courtesy Tess Kinkaid, Magpie Tales

I saw you

Among those people

Not ordinary people

Like you and me

I called you

You didn't hear

Maybe you pretended 

That you didn't see

I reached out

To touch you

You didn't move

To take my hand

You stood there
Cold and distant
Yet perfectly smooth
Cobalt blue crystal 

I cried out

Called your name

My pillow's wet

From dreaming tears 

Barbara M Lake ©

Trinidad WI

September 2012

Monday 3 September 2012

Good Monday morning friends,

I came into work this morning,  a great deal earlier than I normally do.  It was a wonderful drive in with very little traffic (compared to what would have been an hour later) on the road out of town.  The same could not be said of the traffic going into town.

It was 6.10am and I couldn't resist capturing the sun coming up with my phone! 

Someone on the Internet.....................

I don't normally write about cyberspace crazies who try to upset my world with their rantings.  I learned long ago not to play house with those people because they would inevitably disturb my spirit.

So I was somewhat taken aback a couple of weeks ago when I was attacked on my own Face Book page for having posted some of my thoughts and feelings on the Republican nominee in the race for the US Presidency.  I poked fun at Romney's gaffes whilst he was in London and Israel but have not written or commented at all on his stance on abortion.  I did however share an abc news article on Todd Akin's remarks about the ability of a woman's body to shut itself down in order to prevent pregnancy in the event that she is being raped.  I could not let that one go without saying :  

"Whether you are Pro Life or not, rape is rape and this man needs to keep his mouth shut. A woman's body can shut itself off from becoming pregnant after a rape?!! He makes George W Bush look positively intelligent. Misspoke? Idiot!"

Neither could I stop myself from asking if it was known that in 31 US States if a woman identifies her rapist, the rapist automatically has parental rights. If the woman wishes to abort he is entitled to have a say in that and if she does have the child and decides to go for adoption he also has a say in that.


Well who told me to say that?!!


I was told amongst other things that I didn't know what I was talking about, that I should stay out of American politics and called a weirdo by someone who said she couldn't understand for the life of her why I, as a foreigner,  would take such an interest in her country's politics adding that she would never be interested in the politics of my country.  There were a lot of insults and name calling from her so of course, I deleted and blocked her.

Why am I miffed?  Because one of the people who attacked me is a face to face friend. I could not believe what he wrote on my page to which I replied that if he did not like my views then he should stay away, not read what I have to say and not insult my friends because they happen to have different views to his.  He was an ardent  Obama supporter and campaigner in the last election and has since gone over to the other side.  I was far more disturbed though by the female who attacked me. She has been a 'friend' since 360 days and it was during that time that I provided the shoulder when two of her on line love affairs went bad.  I did not agree with what she was doing but at no time did I ever pass a comment or make a judgement because really, her personal life was none of my business.  I did however put up with her endless e mails, private messages, tears, rantings and ravings for quite some time.  So the type of insults from this woman who professes to be a Christian came as quite a shock.  I always knew that she could be somewhat difficult but never dreamed for one minute she would say what she did.

I am a political animal and I believe more people should have an interest in what goes on in the world instead of being confined to their own space.  I follow what happens politically in countries other than my own very closely.  I said years and years ago that Afghanistan and Pakistan would be major problem countries for the rest of the world and I make no apology for my interest in US politics because what happens in that country ultimately affects the rest of the world.  I also believe that people can disagree without becoming disagreeable but when personal insults fly then it becomes a horse of a different colour.