St Swithin's Day

Thursday. 6.30 a.m. So, the wearing of face masking is no longer going to be compulsory! It will no longer be going to be a legal requirement in certain circumstances, for example, when you go shopping and in other enclosed spaces. I'm so glad about this! Wearing a confounded mask means that my glasses steam up and my face ends up like it's been in a sauna, breathing in my hot breath, and it can make me feel really sick and starts off my cough. You can't have a decent conversation with a piece of fabric across your face which makes communication very difficult. I think it's about being responsible for yourself and being able to make your own decisions. 

The Government is considering bringing in a tax on sugary and salty food products, such as chocolate bars, breakfast cereals, crisps, and other products. It might sound like a good idea in an attempt to reduce dietary-related medical problems, such as obesity, diabetes, stroke, and other illnesses. But there again it's the nanny state controlling people's lives. Just educate people to understand nutrition and what it's better to eat, for example, five pieces of fruit and vegetables a day, a lower intake of salt and sugar, more fibre, eat less fast food. Learn where food comes from, for example, how milk is produced and processed, what goes into fast foods, and other matters. Just start by relating science and domestic science, less reliance on academic results and more on practical matters.

So, it surprises me how the British people have just rolled over and let authoritarianism take complete control of their lives since the covid-19 pandemic began back in March 2020. Nobody has commented on how our lives have been overturned by some totally draconian legislation that takes power away from the individual and puts it in the hands of our politicians and in some cases those who have really no political power and aren't democratically elected. We're not supposed to leave our homes unless it's for 'essential' shopping, such as for food or a medical emergency, we're not meant to meet up in other people's homes unless it's our immediate 'bubble.' Does nobody question any of this? I can't believe how easily British life has been controlled, no dissent of any sort, or if there has been, it's immediately stamped on, disallowed, no mention in media, television, or print. I worry because think about how easily the German public allowed the Nazi party to infiltrate their society and prevent any form of disagreement with their legislation, how they closed down any form of dissent, and, again, total CONTROL?! It just goes to show how far we've gone, in a very short space of time, and all for the sake of our 'safety because of this confounded virus. It's a question 'you must' all for the sake of protecting the NHS, this great monolithic construct, which may be a good force in one respect, but is overwhelmed with bureaucracy, over-manning, poor management and become some sort of beneficent aunty who hands out freebies left right and centre, a bit like great aunt Freda arrives and we expect to get 6d for being a good boy or girl. Or a packet of sweeties or other presents.

Today is St Swithin's Day, which means that if it rains (according to legend.) then it's supposed to rain for forty days, and if it's warm and sunny, then there will be forty days of warm and sunny weather. So, let's see what happens if it rains, or whether we get forty days of warm and sunny weather.

So, the weather is bright and sunny! Does it need to stay this way for twenty-four hours for it to remain fine for the next forty days? Let's wait and see!

Later. 4.35 p.m. I'm working on the plot of the next section of my novel (or whatever it is. Not sure it's officially a novel.) I'm using the internet, which is a valuable source for such research, particularly as you have videos on YouTube and news reports, data such as statistics, locations, etc. Just great. I am building up a fair amount of information before I can do the actual writing, which is the easy part. The playwright is supposed to write his plays in around three weeks, but I suspect he has done preparation before he puts pen to paper, such as the plot, characters, and incidents which happen in each act and scene, so he can then sit down and do the actual writing. Well, considering he's written around 70 plays, he must know what he's up to. I don't think I could write a play because I find dialogue difficult and it's not easy making it convincing. I find prose far easier. The fact is when we talk we don't speak in neat sentences, and we certainly don't always wait for the other person we're talking to, to start speaking. There are overlaps, incomplete sentences, and so on, making dialogue used in plays very false. Natural speech doesn't have 'cues,' where you wait for the other person to finish before you begin, although to a great extent, to be polite, you do wait, but not always.