Povey Prattle

As I have been preparing for Saturday's funeral my mind has been drawn to the biblical book of Ecclesiastes.   It is a collection of the sayings of an  anonymous  wise woman (or man), who is known as the Teacher, or the Preacher. I am never sure as to whether the Teacher is  a cynic or a realist, but I am glad for her rich and poetic imagery as she meditates on the vanity  (pretentiousness?)  of life in the face of death.   I especially admire the poetic allusions as they are rendered in the Authorized/King James Version of the bible. Here is the text: Ecclesiastes 12 King James Version (KJV) 12  Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; 2  While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: 3  In the day when the ...

There is a myth abroad that privatizing public services will lead to lead to greater efficiency, and financial savings. It is a conservative myth, one that does not stand up under rigorous scrutiny.   I am grateful for public services. I am grateful because they have to to with service to the wider and broader community.  I think that service is the glue which holds communities together.  Privatization's bottom line is profit , and in that quest for profit,   service takes a lowly place. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have previously written about the Sarasota County (FL) Tax Collector's Office which provides an essential public service with enormous efficiency and gracious staff. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOW IT IS MY TIME TO LAUD THE SARASOTA COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM...

All women are intrinsically devious, weak, untrustworthy, incompetent, deceptive, prone to illness, underhanded, malleable,emotionally unstable, and incapable of wise leadership, That is the view of the would be "misogynist in chief" Mr. Donald Trump. I came to this conclusion following his recent attacks on three of the most competent people in American  public life  Janet Yellen   the Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Senator Elizabeth Warren  Former Senator and Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton. THOUGHTFUL, PERCEPTIVE, AND INTELLIGENT MALES   WILL NEVER CAST A BALLOT  in favour of  the would be misogynist in chief Mr. Trump. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-mysteries-love/201502/12-ways-spot-misogynist

I was late for Church on Sunday 11th because the north drawbridge to Siesta Key was up. Lo and behold a stern-wheeler came splashing up the intra-coastal , a rare and unusual sight.  it was the Capt. J, (normally based in Fort Myers for day trips on the river.) Stock photo'. St. Boniface has its own Capt. J  - Captain Jack Chrisman USN (Retd.) Sunday night/Monday morning I spent "half the night" dreaming about about a robot or drone I was developing to "plate" Caprese Salads, thus saving time for the kitchen staff in restaurants. When I woke up I couldn't remember how to  develop said robot. Monday 12th   It's clear that I am not completely retired.  See these books on my desk. Preparing for a funeral this coming Saturday.

Road reflectors are known as "Cat's Eye"  in the U.K.. Ireland and a few other places They were invented by one Percy Shaw https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Shaw Here is one from the original design, showing clearly how they got their name Those of a modern design can been seen in this photo' from Ireland. Sometimes they are removed.  When this happens the positioning of advisory signs is crucial. Here is a failure! (Originally posted on Facebook by my nephew Richard T) I have a feeling that some rapscallion removed the sign from another site, and placed it here.

via the Revd. Jack C

I am reading and enjoying "The Road to Little Dribbling" by Bill Bryson (Doubleday 2015. It's an affectionate and amusing follow up to Bryson's "Notes from a Small Island". Bryson is an American who fell in love with the glories and quirks of the U.K. American born, he is now a dual citizen of the U.K. and the U.S.A. In "The Road to Little Dribbling" Mr. Bryson reports on his visit to the south coast English town once known as Bognor, and now called Bognor Regis. It was granted the "Regis" part after King George V of Great Britain , emperor of India etc. stayed there in 1929 to recover from a lung disease (see also the English towns of "Lyme Regis" , and "Weymouth and Melcombe Regis " ) George V had been sent there by his remarkably incompetent  doctor, one Lord Dawson of Penn, about whom it was said: "Lord Dawson of Penn Has killed lots of men. So that's why we sing God save the King"...