Povey Prattle

 

SMOG    (Smoke and Fog) London, U.K. 1952 It was not only in London. Other industrial towns and cities had these pea-soupers - so called because the smog could be a yellowish or greenish colour. Coal was King.   Electricity was coal generated; Factory furnaces burned coal; Trains were powered by coal fired steam engines; Just about every home was heated with coal fires. I thought that they were "fun", not understanding the deep physical harm they caused.   I should have caught on to this when I blew my nose; only to see bits of airborne smut on my handkerchief.  I did not know that thousands of people were dying because of air borne pollution. No masks of course. (Those of us who are wise wear face masks in the face of COVID 19.   We have grown accustomed to them.  But I remember being shocked when I took a holiday in Vietnam , and saw so many people wearing face masks because of the air pollution caused by the millions of scooters and m...

  Stuffed Pepper, with a side of Asparagus.  One for me, three for friends. Pepper stuffed with Ground Beef; diced German Bratwurst;  diced Onions; diced Celery; and Quinoa. If I may say so:  "not too shabby". What you do when there is not much else to do? (!)

  Sarasota can sometimes feel a bit confining.  It's almost as if the general populace is saying  "why go anywhere else, we have all that life needs here". My friend Ashley L moved here from Virginia a few years ago to take care of her parents.   They live in a gated community where nothing (apart from the squabbles which sometimes break out in deed restricted communities) ever happens. So she and I decided to break out of our respective fish bowls by taking a trip to Cortez, FL. Cortez is the only fishing port on this part of the Gulf of Mexico.  It's a wee bit scruffy, as ports are wont to be, but there is a good buzz in the air.   I've been there a couple of times. This was Ashley's first visit.   We had (as the English might say) "a jolly good time". Star Fish Co (and cafe) Fisherman statue  (with mask of course). Looking out at the Habour My grub. Fries, fish hush puppies, and   FRIED OYSTERS!  I like o...

Sarasota in s outh west Florida has so much to like.   I am (more or less) happy to  be living here. But how I  miss the New England spring - with the Forsythia; the Lilacs; and the Daffodils, Tulips and the Hyacinths. Even more I miss the Autumnal colours : exemplified by this gorgeous photo' of the (in)famous hairpin bend on Route 2 in north western Massachusetts; a route which I traversed many times. Gorgeous in the autumn.  A bit dangerous in winter. ( Photo' via Paul Lucidi)

  Kate (Ames) Finch, and John Francis (Jack) Finch. I never knew them.  Kate died in November 1944, six months after my birth. Jack Finch died in about 1946/7. I have a very shadowy memory (which my Mother validated) of being taken to see him on what was his death bed.  Circa 1920  a handsome couple.

  via my friend Mary L,  written by  Dr. Stephen Ray. President of Chicago Theological College So, here, is the fundamental flaw which continually leads the Left to the brink of catastrophe in American politics. There are too many in the progressive movement who view our political landscape through normative white eyes. This is a problem because it hinders many in the movement from seeing the fundamental truth that when the Democratic Party became the party of women and POC, it became an illegitimate organization/movement in the eyes of conservatives. This illegitimacy meant that neither the party, nor the people it represented, were due any political respect or concern. So, no matter what an electoral outcome, no political ground was ceded by those who had the presumptive right to rule our nation. In this political landscape Mitch McConnell, far from being hypocritical in his dealing with the Supreme Court, is totally consistent. From the conservative vantage poin...

 . Florida before the US election : Circus Maximus Sarasota, Florida is a retiree's haven and completely unpredictable for the US elections. No wonder that every vote is fought here. About preachers, bullies and a few elephants. By  Christian Zaschke  , Sarasota Christian is an acquaintance who spent time in Sarasota, Sep 11-14 2020. The above is the header for his article in Suddeutsch Zeitung. I have a (somewhat clumsy) Google Auto translation of the article (yes, in which you will see my name and mugshot). If you wish to read it please e-mail me   retiredpove@comcast.net