Proud to be Grumpy

It is six months and some days since we woke-up to Brexit Britain. And still NOTHING IS HAPPENING! Other than the change in who heads our Government. We moved from a lying deceitful failed europhile Conservative to an autocratic harridan obfuscator, (europhile?) Conservative We have learned that, when Government wants to keep secrets, it can. And that when that same Government decides to drag it's heels it gives new meaning to the terms sluggish and lethargic because NOTHING IS HAPPENING. We have also learnt that people, the electorate, given a binary choice, (in or out) can reach a decision, Whereupon our erstwhile political masters, disagreeing with and disrespecting that choice, will attempt to nuance their way to another outcome and yet again NOTHING IS HAPPENING! The Doomsayers, Europhiles and other Remainers have, thus far, been proven to be the greater campaign liars. Their dire predictions of doom & gloom; social and economic collapse have, since the referendum,  be

So: It takes about 70 days for the Brexit Tories  Vote Leave campaign to (try and) get their act together - at last! Vote Leave shut-up shop pretty much as soon as the Polls closed June 23rd., now they are back with a new name and not much else from the remarkable (and clearly unexpected) victory they achieved at the referendum TWO AND A HALF MONTHS AGO. They would have us believe that Vote Leave, as the 'official' Brexit group, won the day. The reality is that they would have failed without massive help from UKIP and LEAVE.EU to name but two of their fellow travelers. Let me be clear, I am passionately pro Brexit.  52% of those of us who voted June 23, voted to leave the EU. After 40 years of being consumed and subsumed by Brussels. The People, The Electorate, The Voters, call us what you will, took, in my opinion, a courageous and far sighted decision to turn our collective backs on the protectionist and autocratic behemoth the EU is fast becoming and engage with the worl

Brexit Referendum - two months on It was June 22nd and polling due to begins in less than eight hours. I'm was not sure that we (Leavers) have done enough to win but I was sure that barring a truly dramatic upset in the polling the Remain camp were the losers, Because, after 40 years of European 'togetherness' a massive segment of the population of Britain wants OUT. If that is not failure then what is? Since the start of the Campaign we had been inundated with what can only be described as an avalanche of Remain propaganda. I think just about anybody who draws a Government Paycheck both here and in Brussels has foamed at the mouth like rabid Chihuahuas, desperate to do their (political) master bidding and convince us that the world as we know it would end on a Brexit vote. And despite their 'Operation Fear', funded in large part with our taxes, they had failed dismally. Then came the results. And the Political Do-Do hit the fan. And there was plenty to go rou

I was here in the UK when the latest terrorist outrage occurred in Paris and visiting the US when San Bernardino happened. Meanwhile ISIS (always prefaced by the words 'so called' on the BBC and other leading media outlets) continues a bloody religious cleansing as it hurtles down the road of unbridled barbarity. During this period I have become increasingly convinced that despite the assurances of our Political Masters in London and their Cousins inside the Washington Belt-Way IT'S WAR . If you should have any doubt in this regard just look at the pictures that our Media put before us at every newscast. The camera can be used to exaggerate but it does not lie. Syria is being devastated by Western technology (weaponry)  and only in the last few days we have been shown the devastation which is Ramadi as ISIS is (almost) dislodged from there. In the name of Allah this internecine conflict is being waged by the two main sects of Islam as they each try to dominate, subjug

I have to say this is (for me) counter intuitive. So why is it happening? In my opinion we are about to be penalized by Boeing Aircraft Corp., who, in the interests of economy, have found a way to reduce the cost per seat/mile on a whole generation of commercial aircraft ill suited to the markets in which they must operate. In short the Airplanes they are building are too small. Boeing has structured a whole generation of Aircraft to fly low density, high revenue, point-to-point routes because that's how they said the industry would develop. The marketplace however, continues to be orientated around high density hub-and-spoke operations, long-haul international and short-haul commuter traffic. Net result is that Boeing is trying to get more 'bums' in each airplane, smaller seats, (new airplanes are being fitted with 17.5 inch wide seats) thinner upholstery for thinner seats, and shorter pitch between rows. the newer seats don't even recline in the conventional man

The passenger experience needs comment. After my second outbound experience at the beginning of February and most recent return, I now feel qualified to at least offer some observations about Heathrow, and the new Terminal 2. First and foremost, allow yourself plenty of time. Wear walking shoes, and if you have any walking or mobility issues, get help. Terminal 2 now follows the newer design philosophy of a central hub with passenger and baggage handling, Security, Customs and Border Control, and of course, a Departure (Retail) Lounge located there. The actual Gates are located at remote locations, at satellite terminals. So when you are told your gate may be 15 minutes walk away - get going - 'cause they mean it! I understand the operational benefit to that system however the need to keep inbound and outbound passengers separate during the entire process creates some strange effects, seemingly endless corridors connected to other endless corridors with sections of travel