‘There is no great genius without a mixture of madness.’
Aristotle
Makes perfect sense to me! Anyway, I have an eclectic mix of topics to peruse today, ignoring the juxtaposition of the trivial alongside the serious. It’s a question of the good news or the bad? Personally, I always prefer to be hit with the worst scenario first and then anything else is a bonus. However, I have just returned from town and I am still reeling from the obvious sadistic nature of Andrex – this falls into the trivial category, by the way! Admittedly, I am always overloaded when I exit Tesco (I know, apologies but no choice in St Andrews), forever vowing to nip in for one or two things only, but, far from relishing the experience, I end up adding to my Tanqueray Gin and pack of Fever Tree tonic in a bid to curtail the need for a return visit. Thus it is that, forced into an impromptu impersonation of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, on leaving, the journey back to the car is almost possible … were it not for the 16-pack of Andrex whose handles they have done away with! It is well-nigh impossible to negotiate, already weighed down the by Gin and tonic – oh, and the carton of Peroni cans for Manny, on offer – though I do my best. Fortunately, the ‘homeless’ guy on the pavement outside didn’t mind being hit by the 16-pack as it flew out of my hands on my last visit. Well, it’s soft, although it did fly through the air as though perfectly aimed. Suffice to say, a polite student retrieved my car keys which flew in the other direction … Now, I am confident many of you are nodding in agreement reading this and I am sure, if Pop were still with us, he would deem the situation worthy of bursting into print – obviously – but me, I would like to understand the logic? Make more attractive to customer by removing handles and making it impossible to carry? Yep, that’ll do it. Quite honestly, if there were hidden cameras and Jeremy Beadle popped out (it was called Game for a Laugh), I may find it funny but …
Excellent. Almost four hundred words on absolute drivel. I should think about writing for television. Actually, before I forget – and I haven’t got the note I scribbled down to hand – does anybody remember that video which went viral, I think in 2007, merely known as Charlie Bit My Finger? Baby Charlie was perched on his brother, Harry’s knee as their father, Howard Davies-Carr, filmed them so that he could upload the video onto YouTube for their godparents in America. Performing for the camera, Harry was laughing as Charlie kept putting his brother’s fingers in his mouth until Charlie decided to up the ante and gripped the finger with his teeth, all the while staring right into the camera. As Harry’s grin changed to a grimace and he cried out in pain, baby Charlie started to giggle with delight! So simple. So funny. So unrehearsed – and what a bruiser of a baby Charlie was … Fourteen years on, the video has had 880 million views and the family has just sold it as a non-fungible token, or NFT (don’t ask), for £500,000. In total, that little film has accrued £1000,000 for the Davies-Carr family and the boys, now 17 and 15 respectively, are to use the money for university – and, similarly, for their two younger brothers. What an amazing story and lovely outcome. Now, it can’t be that hard, surely, to come up with a completely organic, hilarious video? Perhaps I should get someone to film me leaving Tesco!
Oh, help! I have just glanced at my notes … Let me build up to the real by addressing the unreal: Harry and Meghan’s choice of name for their new daughter. Unbelievable! Having behaved so badly for so long with no thought for the hurt they were causing the Royal family – and Harry’s grandmother, the Queen – they, now, have the audacity to take the Queen’s childhood name, Lilibet, for their own. Lilibet! First used by her grandfather, George V, in mimic of the young Elizabeth who could not pronounce her name, it was to be her family’s name for her for the rest of their days. More importantly, it was Prince Philip’s pet name for her and the one she signed on the card which was placed on his coffin. It was sacrosanct. Less than two months since his death, Harry and Meghan have, already, bought the domain name – ready for business – and ensured that, going forward, the name Lilibet will be heard in every Tesco in the land! Why did they not just name her Diana? Rhetorical. What of Doria, Meghan’s mother? Sadly, that would not have been business-savvy and, isolated from the Royal family – if one is to remain in demand – then the use of the name most personal to the Queen reinforces that link, regardless. Thankfully, there is room for some ambiguity and there are even some who may believe that it was nothing more than a touching tribute …
Finally, raging, as Beverley Turner has, reportedly, been ‘banned’ from any future appearances on This Morning, as a guest news reviewer, following a heated debate about the vaccine which ended in a disagreement with Dermot O’Leary! Amidst talk of the imminent roll out of the Pfizer vaccine to children over 12, Beverley was at pains to re-iterate that ‘this jab is not a vaccine by any traditional definition’ and there is no evidence to prove that it either prevents one catching SARS Covid-2 or transmitting it. Asked by Dermot whether one could argue that it’s no different to getting vaccinated against hepatitis, therein lay a home goal! Quite rightly, Bev pointed out – as she has done from the getgo – that this is very different being that it is ‘a trial drug; we are still in clinical trials’. Dermot’s retort that ‘the finest minds of science have, in an extraordinarily short amount of time, come up with this vaccine’ served only to afford Bev the opportunity to state the crux of the matter: ‘we have no long-term data’ … and that is it! The truth. A new vaccine, fast-forwarded, to much applause – and may that remain so – but vaccines take 5-10 years to trial; to collect data regarding potential side-effects, long-term side-effects. The speed with which these COVID vaccines were expedited prohibits any knowledge of those. Moreover, these are mRNA vaccines, a new format which instructs our cells to make what’s called a spike protein which, subsequently, triggers an immune response. Genius … until it is not! The vaccine is unlicensed and its use only permitted under the emergency legislation in place – well, extended, for now – until the end of September. The side-effects are being monitored, the data collected until the end of 2023. Compensation for injury as part of this clinical trial? Take a look back at my post of 14th September, 2021. The goal posts were moved. Liability can be pinned on no-one, neither government, pharmaceutical company, nor those administering the vaccine. Interestingly, there are no Informed Consent Forms, as far as I am aware either …
What crime for telling the truth? If the headlines are correct, Beverley Turner will no longer appear on This Morning as a guest news reviewer amidst concerns that her views are too controversial. Too controversial? She is, merely, presenting the facts; those available to anyone should he/she take the time to research or wish to know. Intelligent and, most definitely brave, she champions the individual and freedom of choice; the right to choose. She is the voice of thousands, as is evident in her huge support but that voice, apparently, must not be heard. Why? I have always believed that those who are confident in their argument have nothing to fear in debate. To refuse it – or seek to silence those opposed – only serves to raise suspicion. No matter. Programmed to receive, most are, now, too apathetic to notice …
In closing – and in recognition of the damage done – we went to collect an old friend en route to lunch on Saturday. Out she came, mask on and disposable gloves, insisting – as I laughed – that these were required when getting into a car. Seriously? I was in her house for an extensive period only the day before, no mask, no nothing. She has been double-vaccinated. Surely, she is protected? Silly me, there is no definitive proof of that, to date. Sorry? Just wait until the end of 2023 when the trial is complete? As Pop would say, ‘if we’re spared!’.
‘The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.’
Rudyard Kipling
This is Trish, signing off.
