Povey Prattle

When I saw my letter carrier today we reminded each other that there would be no postal delivery on Monday 14th Oct 2019. because it  is a public holiday,   (officially called Columbus Day ). The good letter carrier added "but we can't call it Columbus Day any more,  because about o ne hundred and fifty years ago ,   Christopher Columbus did or said something which was bad". SUCH UTTERLY APPALLING IGNORANCE   I HAD TO SET HIM STRAIGHT? 1.  "In Fourteen Hundred and Ninety Two , Columbus sailed the Ocean Blue"  not  " about  one hundred and fifty years ago" 2 .  Despite  what my letter carrier said, the official name of the Public Holiday is still named  Columbus Day.  It should be otherwise (more tomorrow).   But for now, how sad it is that my letter carrier dated the European invasion of north, central and south America to about 150 years ago; and that "apparently Christopher Columbus said or did something bad

Seen in our neighborhood.

I wrote yesterday about the nonsensical and unintelligible statements of professional bureaucrats,  in the public and private sectors. See   https://jmichaelpovey-retiredpoveinsarasota.blogspot.com/2019/10/bureaucrat-man.html ---------------------------------------------------------------  Bureaucrats apart,   the woman on the street sometimes cuts through the cr-ap, and nails it In this case it was a voter in Boris Johnson's Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency. When asked about her M.P. (the U.K.Premier), she had this to say: (via Sky News) “Don’t you ever mention that name in front of me,  that filthy piece of toerag,”  the woman said. Oh such beautiful, simple, and eloquent use of the English language.  More direct than the Orwellian language of a thousand and one bureaucrats. -------------------------------------------------------------------- URBAN DICTIONARY explanation of "Toe Rag". https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Toe%20Rag

You may remember that recently I "spoofed" some of the language in official, or semi official public statements.  I was mocking the pompous nature of "officialese". Here is an actual example,  taken from the Bristol (U.K.) Post. It's from the management company of some residential apartments, in response to a dispute about the placement of a CCTV Camera. A spokesperson for the management company said: "BNS are aware of the tenants request and have liaised with his landlord and the Directors of the Residents Management Company as appropriate whilst acting fully in accordance with industry best practice and within the terms of the Lease. ""Furthermore we have acted on behalf of our clients and in doing so have conformed with GDPR regulations and fulfilled our duties in the interests of the Leaseholders within the development. "                         WHAT?

He stood outside my local 7/11 store, all bare footed as he was. He moved to the door and opened it for me. I thanked him. He followed me into the store and began to look at the various "food" offerings: One of the store clerks/cashiers announced to all and sundry,  in a loud and seemingly hostile and scornful tone,    "he doesn't have any money". The Clerk/Cashier had  the right information, but the wrong tone. I sidled up to the barefoot man and handed him a few bucks.Now he did have some money to buy some 7/11 fast food It was not because I am especially gracious or compassionate to street corner panhandlers.   It was because the store clerk's "attitude" bothered  me.

Here we are in 1956. L-R  Ann ? (a cousin of sorts from Lowestoft UK) who was visiting us in Bristol, U.K.; My twin sister Elizabeth ; me ; and my best friend Jeff  -  he and I have been friends for nearly Seventy Years . I am twelve years old, a skinny kid.  My twin had beat me to the growth spurt and puberty. My pal Jeff was younger but huskier than I. (What adventures he and I had as children. Great Urban adventures! ) 

With thanks to my Facebook friends who posted these.  (My apologies for the F Word). -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------