Happy New Year 2018? - Sustainable Development - Transforming our World

The United Nations 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development - https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld

This PoA identifies 6 areas areas of critical importance for humanity and the planet - The 6 P's are:-

People
We are determined to end poverty and hunger, in all their forms and dimensions, and to ensure that all human beings can fulfil their potential in dignity and equality and in a healthy environment.  

Planet We are determined to protect the planet from degradation, including through sustainable consumption and production, sustainably managing its natural resources and taking urgent action on climate change, so that it can support the needs of the present and future generations.  

Prosperity We are determined to ensure that all human beings can enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives and that economic, social and technological progress occurs in harmony with nature.

Peace We are determined to foster peaceful, just and inclusive societies which are free from fear and violence. There can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development.

Partnership We are determined to mobilize the means required to implement this Agenda through a revitalised Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, based on a spirit of strengthened global solidarity, focussed in particular on the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable and with the participation of all countries, all stakeholders and all people.

 

So, forget about all the resolutions we all make & then break every year. Lets do something really worthwhile.

No pressure then!

Christmas is an Opportunity

There are two Christmas Carols which reduce me to tears, although I am, at best, an agnostic - "Silent Night" & "Oh Holy Night". It is the music of both of them which I find deeply moving, but it is also the underlying message.
www.41051.com/xmaslyrics/oholynite.html

As many of us enjoy all the special food & drink, opening our presents & being with loved ones & friends over Christmas, I wish we could pause & really think. Think about how we might do the whole thing differently.

The Christmas message seems to me to be about hope, love, peace & ending opression. It isn't about what presents you got or how much you spent on food & drink. Adults don't believe in Santa & many of us also don't believe in the virgin birth & other tenets of Christianity. But we should believe in the moral compass which makes us human & should make society function more fairly for all.

Lack of religious belief shouldn't stop us from thinking of others at this time & doesn't absolve us from actually doing something about other peoples suffering. Christmas is a real opportunity to be kind & generous & thoughtful towards others who are not as blessed as we are.

Unfortunately it is only too easy for both religious & non religious people to walk on by the less fortunate both in reality & metaphorically. The song "Streets of London" has been a favourite of mine since the late 60's.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiWomXklfv8

If each one of us took every opportunity to not walk on by, we could really change things for the better for a lot of people. People in the UK & in the wider world.

If you do anything this Christmas take the opportunity to make someone who is less fortunate smile.

Best Political meaningless phrases of 2017

Strong and Stable - Cons
Britain Together - UKIP
One Nation - Lab
Squeezed Middle - Lab
Hard Working Families - Cons
I'm very clear - Just about everyone!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39730467 - Why politicians keep repeating themselves

I am more & more irritated by politicians who seem to think we - Won't notice if they:- Talk in meaningless soundbites - Don't answer a question - Waffle on so listeners lose the will to live & ignore these facts - Patronise us - Treat us like mindless masses, incapable of thought & understanding of difficult concepts - Lie, prevaricate, deflect the conversation.

Life is too short to count the number of politicians who say "I'm very clear". It seems to be the phrase of the moment. It is a complete misnomer & is meaningless. The politicians maybe want to give the impression that they are transparent - really?! They are trying to say that they have a plan, they know what they are doing - really?!

We are in difficult waters. We need people governing us who:- Can communicate effectively & truthfully - Have thought about their policies & made decisions on the basis of the best available information - Make decisions in the best interests of the people who put them in power & those who didn't. 

Not in the interests of retaining that power past the next election. Decision making needs to be long term. They need to have thought through the possible consequences for years ahead & have a plan. We seem to have the opposite. People who make decisions on the hoof as a result of consulting focus groups & so called expert advisors, many of whom have an axe to grind. Lobbiests, who don't understand the word impartial, seem to hold sway. Many are paid substantial sums by vested interests with deep pockets.

We do live in something that passes for a democracy, but it isn't working properly. It isn't "fit for purpose". It needs a complete overhaul. But who will do it? Not many of the people whose interest is served by keeping the monolith going with all it's faults. 

We need an independent, qualified, group of people to really examine our Government. Soon.

A Charity's Not Just for Christmas

Do you give to charity - Which charity/ies, How do you chose, How much each / annually, What percentage of your wealth do you give?????

I've thought about these questions over the years & I do give, on a regular basis. I have personal criteria for the charities I select - I support women, children, the homeless, disasters, (natural & man made), education, (it's the route out of poverty for everyone), ecology - Usually smaller, niche, charities like Micro Finance, which make small, low tech interventions which actually work & change lives.

I don't give to the huge charity businesses, they get enough money from everyone else & I'm not convinced I agree with the superstructure which supports them. I don't like "Chuggers"- I don't like been stopped in the street or people knocking on my door. I don't like being sent useless labels & pens. I don't go for the big business / celebrity aspect of charities, which now hog a huge proportion of aid like "Comic Relief" or "Children in Need".

There is a website, Charity Choice - http://www.charitychoice.co.uk/ which gives you reports on charities you are interested in donating to, so donors can make informed decisions. Some donors just give randomly or emotionally. Some respond to a catastrophe. Some give a percentage of their total wealth or of their income. (Muslims give 2.5% of their total wealth - Zakat). It's a personal choice.

The thing is, if we can afford to, we should try to balance what we have against the suffering of others. Christmas is a good time to think about that. Big Corporations & Governments could & should do a lot more, but that doesn't let us off the hook, to continue the fishing analogy. We shouldn't store up our own personal basket of fish. We should try to share. Individual generosity can make a huge difference.

The End of Days - Fundamentalist Evangelicals

I just got a post on Facebook from an organisation called Jerusalem Dateline / CBN, purporting to "Pray for peace in Jerusalem". "CBN is a global ministry committed to preparing the nations of the world for the (second) coming of Jesus Christ through mass media" - (Copied from their website). 

This is NOT a reputable or impartial news website. It is a voice for fundamentalist evangelicals who believe in the "end of days", which may come sooner than we think given that we have a President of the USA who has just enacted a piece of legislation, which all sane Presidents before him refused to, in recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. I've been to Jeusalem & the West & East Banks - This is not the way to peace.

The thing is, people accept the initial message. Who would not pray for peace in Jerusalem or any of the many other trouble spots in the world? But, are we daft enough to believe that the only way to save the world is to allow Armageddon? Do we really think that only those who do believe will be saved? No.

But this lunatic fringe is very wealthy & powerful, particularly in the States. They are also very tech & communications savvy. So their pernicious message gets through in insidious ways. They utilise modern media to reach their tentacles all over the world & there are people who accept what they say at face value. Particularly in countries who have populations who are less well educated than we are in the developed world.

This may just become a self fulfilling prophecy. It's certainly a part of many world religions, Abrahamic & Non Abrahamic. The lunatics are (almost) in charge of the asylum! We are certainly in a period of "tribulation", which may be necessary before we can have a rebirth of a new, more sane, world order.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_time

I just hope rational thought & sanity will prevail - for my Grandchildrens sake. Hopefully I won't be here - I will have discovered whether there is life after death.

Pornography & Politicians - Damian Green

I didn't think I had ever seen pornography, but then I read the definition - "Printed or visual material containing the explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity, intended to stimulate sexual excitement". So how is this different to a lot of what we see on TV nowadays? I have seen male female, female female & male male sex acts in very explicit detail on my TV in my sitting room all the time.

Wikipedia, as usual, gives a wide description of pornography.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pornography

So what is obscenity? - Obscene behaviour, language, or images - Offensive, rude or shocking. Usually being too obviously related to sex, or showing sex. Again, I think I have seen this on my TV.

I'm not sure if I'm naive or prudish. I wouldn't have thought so after 40 odd years of marriage, but who knows.

The thing is, why should politicians, especially male politicians, be any different to any other man. I imagine most men have looked at dirty magazines. Many will have been to strip bars. Many will also have looked at porn on their computers. Porn is instantly accessible, live, & in a way which it wasn't not so long ago. Personally I don't think that is a good thing, because it is also accessible to young people & children.

The things that make the current furore about Damian Green concerning is that it's possible that he did this while "at work", (I use the term losely), & then he may have lied about doing it - UPDATE - Did lie.

The fact that he is a Politician does mean that he is rightly held to very high standards. I couldn't give a toss if he did this at home. I do care if he did this while he should have been carrying out his governmental role & was being paid by us the taxpayers. I also care if he lied, because, as we all know, politicians are supposed to tell the truth!

I also care because I wonder whether the women participants in porn are there because they actually want to be. However according to a sex therapist in "Psychology Today":-
"although a small amount of pornography depicts gruesome behavior, not only does porn not demean women, it celebrates female sexuality—typically without the culturally redemptive context of love, relationship, intimacy etc. This is what people from across the political spectrum find so upsetting. Demeaning to women—that women are imagined as truly sexual beings? Really?"

I think I'm a confused Granny - I don't know what I think about pornography now. Except that I would prefer not to have it gratuitously on my TV screen all the time. It's really getting very boring. How do these actors explain their "performance" to their children?

Changing Faces - Women Today

I was looking at a young womans face on the bus this morning. Her make up was skillfully applied & made her skin look perfect. Unfortunately it didn't match her neck & the rest of her body. It was like a mask. Was she "just another pretty face"? It made me think just how many sayings there are about our face.

https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/face

Our face is probably the most important part of our body. We communicate with it, whether we know it or not. Our expression gives away our thoughts & feelings, "it's written all over your face". We don't have to say a word. If we greet the world with a smile we probably get a smile back, similarly a frown begats a frown or simply makes us look unpleasant.

Some people can mask their feelings using their expression, but then maybe their "face doesn't fit", or they are "two faced" or even "a bare faced liar".

We have to "face up to things" or "come face to face with something or someone". Maybe we "take things at face value" or do an "about face".

Often we may have to "put a brave face on". Or try to "put a smile on someones face". Even deliver "a slap in the face".

Returning to the woman I saw on the bus, I find myself wondering whether young women today realise how unnatural make up often looks. Women seem to think they have to look perfect & spend money & time trying to achieve that.

Looking at women on TV & in magazines so many have obviously false eyebrows. The worst ones are rigid & matching perfection or look like caterpillars above their eyes. You can chose to have threading, tattooing, tinting - all of which ends up drawing too much attention to the artificiality of the brows. Gone are the days of plucked thin lines, now bushy is good.

Then there are the lengthy lashes. You can have extensions, dozens of different false lashes, seemingly magic mascara....The end result is simply, obviously, false.

 

What do modern women do when they have to take their face off? How do they face their face? They must be unhappy with their own face to go to such lengths to make it look different. To make it conform with the magazines, the fashion industry, the celebrity industry.

It's all the emperors new clothes. It's a con by a vast money making industry & women are falling for it. It's making women into Barbie dolls & objectifying them.

Wise up women. Your "face is your fortune". But not to the extent that you literally make yourselves "two faced". The one you were born with & the one you "face the world" with.

Christmas - Being Alone, Solitude, Lonliness - Coping

This is the time of year which is very difficult for a lot of people. They are surrounded by images which have little or no bearing on their actual lives - Christmas. Giving & receiving gifts, Tables loaded with scrumptious food & drink, Parties, Happy Families, Smiling children. Stores & TV adverts deluge us in jolly Christmas music....It's all so false. Whatever reason we originally started to celebrate Christmas in the distant past has been lost, drowned in a deluge of consumerism & superficiality.

People who live alone, however good most of their friends & family are, know they simply have no idea what it's like to be alone - all the time. Coping with absolutely everything yourself & being on your own the vast majority of the time - Waking up every day alone, eating every meal alone, watching TV alone in the evenings.....For some people, knowing that the chances of dying on their own are increasing as time passes. The happy family image is far, far away from so many people's actual experience.

Then there are the "just about managing", the destitute & homeless. People for whom Christmas just highlights how far away they are from the images. The Big Issue sellers in Summertown, P & D, are more concerned about paying their energy bills than Christmas food.

We who are fortunate all spend too much at Christmas. I walked past at least 7 homeless people sleeping in shop doorways in Oxford's main street last Saturday. What on earth does Christmas mean to them? The street was thronged with shoppers carrying packages, walking past as if they didn't exist.

 

Councils are housing 120,540 children with their families in temporary shelter, an increase of 32,650 extra children since 2014. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/social-housing-homeless-children-temporary-accomodation-rise-40-per-cent-over-third-a7853861.html

Whatever income group we belong to, whatever our circumstances,  we cope with our lives - There isn't a choice. We, the fortunate, should stop & think. We should do something positive, not just at Christmas.

Christmas is like Angels breath, it is a mirage, it doesn't exist.

Our Cities - Human Disconnect

I was in Oxford city centre yesterday - a place I avoid if possible - I still haven't been to the new Westgate Centre, despite a shiny new John Lewis store. It was already a city overcrowded with a seething mass of humanity, before this new temple to overspending opened. I simply don't find it at all pleasant to fight my way through all the people. Nothing I want seems worth the effort & I am quickly completely exhausted.

Whatever brings everyone into this beautiful old city, & they do come here for many different reasons, they make it a place that you cannot enjoy. Simply making your way from one place to another is a slow & tortuous lack of progress because of the tide of humanity.

So, I only go in when I'm ushering at The Playhouse Theatre, or when I have something specific I need to buy which I can't buy on line. Isn't that sad? I live in one of the worlds best tourist destinations & tourists are some of the people who are making it a "No Go Area" for residents.

Seeing this seething mass of humanity does make one think about the disconnect there is now between people. Everyone is intent on going somewhere & doing something. In Oxford usually in groups - tourists & students & of course shoppers.  I feel sorry for workers who have to face this every day.

People, either individually, in pairs, or in groups, have their own imaginary conveyor belt on which to travel to their destination at their own speed. People who are in a hurry are constantly blocked & frustrated by people who amble, don't know where they are, or where they are going, or who want to take photos or look. There is usually no human connection whatsoever, other than possibly locals helping non locals. Or the interraction between members of a tour group, usually very large & usually oblivious to the needs of other pedestrians. Or the interraction between groups of students, usually equally oblivious, but louder.

Shopping & Tourism - Joint biggest income generators in a world where making something is becoming more & more unusual. "UK households are expected to spend a total of £3bn during the Black Friday sales despite the fact that only 8 per cent of shoppers plan to buy most of their Christmas presents there". "Britain will have a tourism industry worth over £257 billion by 2025 – just under 10% of UK GDP and supporting almost 3.8 million jobs, which is around 11% of the total UK number".

We are changing the face of our cities, our economy & our interraction with eachother. Our cities are simply marketplaces for spending & consumerism - in a real sense when you look at the huge number of places to eat & drink. I walked past an Italian restaurant yesterday on my way to the theatre & the queue was well out into the street - Blocking the pavement even more! Eating is no longer something to be savoured with family & friends - "fast food" doesn't even begin to cover it.

Not sure I like this Western, largely reasonably affluent, world much. I think the Slow Movement, with it's emphasis on making connections, has got a lot going for it. http://www.slowmovement.com/ 

Nakedness

I used to have recurring dreams that I was naked in public situations. I'm sure a shrink would identify that as an anxiety dream. 

A 14 year old boy who sent a naked selfie to a girl on snapchat was recorded as making and distributing an indecent image. The girl shared the image with his classmates, so technically she was the one distributing it. I wonder why she isn't equally, if not more, culpable? This is not unusual behaviour today, but it raises a lot of questions, not least of which is our attitudes to nakedness.

Obviously there are "Naturist" places in most countries. I'll never forget a holiday in Maspalomas Grand Canaria & coming face to face with a mans dangly bits as I was climbing up a sand dune which he was descending! (I was clothed at the time). There are also still tribal areas where nakedness is perfectly normal, in Africa & South America for example. Then there are the "famous" people in the public eye who parade in the skimpiest clothing which leaves little to the imagination & is far more overtly sexual than simply being naked. Their images are everywhere for children to see. TV & film now leaves nothing whatsoever to the imagination in sex scenes - The actors may just as well be actually having intercourse. Maybe they are? Children can access this, & worse, on their computers.

I understand that we do not encourage the sexualisation of children, & 14 is still a child to my mind, although I imagine that 14 year olds would probably not agree with me. I do find this current case worrying on many levels though. 

Why do we have this prudish & negative attitude to our bodies? What is so offensive about being naked? There are only two variables, male & female, but we do come in different shapes & sizes. 

If  children are curious about their bodies, isn't this normal & part of growing up? Maybe parents should be asking themselves whether they have given their children an informed, healthy & sensible attitude to nudity. Is nudity accepted as a "normal" part of family life? If not, why not? Because if healthy attitudes are not fostered within the family, who else should be doing it? It's too late by the time children get to school. Do we really want our kids educated by schoolyard smut & gossip?

I feel very sorry for this young boy. I can't imagine what harm this media feeding frenzy has done to him. The police have been heavy handed. His mother has ensured that he can't escape continued embarassment in this social media age. He was silly, but aren't you allowed to be silly & make mistakes at his age? 

Sexual Harassment - Touching, Petting, Erogenous Zones & Assault.

The current furore about sexual harassment is worryingly very close to "Trial by Media". Since when are people accused of crimes stripped of awards, made to resign & made into social pariahs overnight? Who gives the media the right to be judge & jury & sway public opinion to the extent that lives are completely ruined?

That isn't to say that I don't completely abhor the sexual harassment, which frankly, is routine in womens lives. I'm 72. I don't believe that there is a woman of my age who hasn't had to put up with sexual harassment of one sort or another in their lives, usually on a regular basis until they reach a certain age.

There is an general acceptance that "boys will be boys" & drunk "boys" will be at the least a pain in the backside - literally sometimes & at worst cause women to be seriously worried about their safety. It has been like that for as long as I can remember. It's the age old women are "whores or madonnas" & there are a lot more whores who are "asking for it" than madonnas who are more of a challenge.

We need to differentiate between the levels of unwanted invasion of our bodies & personal space. At the bottom of the scale is touching. I went to see a film with friends this week & touched N's knee at least twice. I don't think he minded, but in this febrile atmosphere that is classed as assault. Personally I think thats plain silly. But the husband of a friend, who put his hand up my skirt when I had a dinner party, when I was much younger & reasonably attractive, is a different matter entirely. I was shocked but I ignored it. He gambled, rightly, that I wouldn't make a fuss because I wouldn't want to cause his wife embarrasment.

I've never been raped, thank goodness, but I have had much more serious attentions when I have been drunk. I didn't know how to deal with it. I think alcohol plays a big part in this. Both men and women need to realise just how much alcohol changes your ability to make good choices. It supresses psychological inhibitions, slows reaction times & impairs memory. We will all do things when drunk that we wouldn't do sober. I've never been involved with drugs, but I imagine they have a similar effect on behaviour & addicts will do a lot to get more.

If a predatory man stimulates arousal in his victims erogenous zones they will not be thinking & acting wisely, their body will take over & they will be very vulnerable. A man who habitually harasses women, or men, will know just how to manipulate his victim. A serial perpetrator will have this down to a fine art - it's all about power. Power to make someone do something they don't want to & wouldn't normally do. 

The thing is there should be an open discussion about this & how we deal with it effectively both individually & as a society. We need a change of culture & we need sanctions which are effective.
Like smoking in public places & drink driving - it needs to become openly discussed and made totally unacceptable.

By the way boys, don't imagine that this has anything to do with mutual attraction or flirting - It doesn't. There's a difference.

Wisdom

"To think & act utilizing knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense & insight".
"Accumulated erudition & enlightenment". - Collins Dictionary.

By now I feel I should have acquired some. More importantly I should be capable of acting on my accrued wisdom & not responding emotionally or without thought of the consequences. At my age, following the path of Enlightenment (awakening to ultimate truth) & Karma (the doctrine of inevitable consequence), I should be a better person than I was.

I think I am - but I would wouldn't I? It's a subjective judgement.

What I'm wondering is whether every person of reasonable intelligence is capable of wisdom? The evidence would seem to point to the answer NO.

I'm thinking of what gets into the news. Politicians decisions, Dictators actions, Criminals offences etc etc...We seem to live in a world where human beings are very capable of acting without even common sense. Behaving in ways which cause really bad consequences for people & the world we live in, the environment. It is truly disappointing, distressing & destructive.

I'm all for Mindfulness, (being aware, heedful, in the moment). I try - it's hard.

But we can't just think of now. We have to think ahead. We have to try to postulate possible outcomes of our behaviour, both individually & collectively. We have to try to avoid bad decisions & consequences.

It seems to me we have become a society of immediate gratification & selfishness. To hell with the future. I'm a Granny. I can't think like that. I wish everyone could try to aspire to Wisdom.

Pleasure

Some friends came to supper last night. D is a whizz at flower arranging, well someone has to be good at it, I'm certainly not! She bought me a round fresh flower table decoration which is beautiful. It's in the middle of my table & I hope it lasts a really long time, because it is giving me so much pleasure every time I go into the kitchen.

We had a nice meal & the conversation flowed, over a huge range of topics, for hours. It was very pleasurable. Human beings need to interact with other humans. We are social animals.

I am playing my piano. I am improving, but there are still bum notes. It is giving me a lot of pleasure & helping stimulate my brain & keep my fingers mobile.

I am painting my shed. The painting itself isn't particularly pleasurable, but my daughter comes over to help me periodically & we talk - non stop. We catch up with eachothers lives in a way we can't over a quick coffee when the twins are there. When she isn't helping me I listen to music on my MP3 player. I suspect that my singing along to Dire Straits, or even worse, opera, isn't pleasurable for passers by though.

I swim 4/5 times a week. I meet nice people & we chat. The actual swimming is truly pleasurable & theraputic. My brain goes into a Zen state. I am exercising my body - good. But I am also relaxing my brain into an altered state - very good. 

I think, in this busy modern world, we have forgotten how important real pleasure is. Pleasure doesn't need to cost money or have a designer label. Pleasure can be very small things.

 

Met Opera - Magic Flute

I went to see the Met's live streaming of Mozart's "Zauberflote", ("Magic Flute" to us mortals), in my local cinema on Saturday. It is, without a doubt, one of my favourite operas.

Unfortunately the sound wasn't synched with the image for the whole of the first half, which was disconcerting to say the least. It didn't look at all like a live performance.

Although it's the cinema, the tickets aren't cheap, so I was more than a little disappointed. After the screen went dead in the second half, suddenly it was OK. No idea whether it was the fault of the Met or the cinema. No one apologised or explained.

The thing is, although it was an amazing production, I think I am going off Met operas. The singers & musicians are always wonderful. (The Queen of the Night was probably the best I've ever heard). The trouble is, for me, that is what is important -  the music & the story. The Met spends money like it's going out of fashion - it must be all of those philanthropic & hugely wealthy Americans who bankroll it & want the kudos of a truly spectacular production.

Do the costumes really always have to be quite so over the top? Ditto the sets? Does the chorus really need to be quite so huge, some not singing, just adding bulk? Do we always need to have ballet in every opera? I find myself distracted by the whole thing. The puppets were amazing & very beautiful, but I felt over stimulated.

The Met nearly went bust not long ago despite the sponsors. I'm not in the least surprised. Just because you can spend money doesn't mean you should. They have obviously never heard the saying "less is more". They should try letting the music & story speak for themselves. Even for an opera like this which lends itself to wonderful costumes & sets.

Whats more important - the singers & the songs or the sets & the "schmutter"?

We are lucky to be able to see great performances from London & all over the world, but I hope live streaming doesn't result in a competition to outdo eachother like women's coffee mornings when they compete to produce the best cake.

Stealing Time

My mobile stopped working in the house last week. I couldn't send or receive texts. Such a pain. I have just changed over from O2 to Carphone Warehouse's iD mobile - much cheaper. This may be a mistake. It finally started working on it's own - iD did nothing other than send me a ridiculously long questionnaire to fill in. At least O2 sorted the problem out, when I had it before with them, with no fuss.

My "Smart" TV stopped working at the beginning of the week - It was smart enough to tell me there was no signal. My unsmart TV upstairs is still working, so obviously it isn't the aerial. Where the hell do you go from there? It has taken quite a bit of time to answer that question. I let it have a rest, thinking that it might be some temporary problem & it might fix itself - After all it is smart. Unfortunately not. My lovely, & very clever neighbour sorted out the problem this morning. I can, apparently watch TV on the internet. Who knew that was what a smart TV is for?

The wireless mouse on my desktop stopped working mid email this morning. I changed it's batteries - I do know that much. I removed the USB & put it back again - I go for simple solutions. No joy. So I got out the unused wired one. It didn't work either. I'm a big believer in rest & recuperation in all circumstances, so I turned the computer off completely. Both decided to work when I switched on again.

All three of these issues happened suddenly, with no warning & apparently sorted themselves out. My point is that technology is supposed to save time & make life easier. I don't know how long I spent trying to resolve each problem, but it was a long time & was very frustrating.

My Carphone Warehouse man, who is a whizz, told me once that I was lucky I'm reasonable techie. He said my generation won't stand a chance soon if they aren't, because everything is changing so fast & becoming so technology reliant.

I won't tell you what some friends said about Smart Meters. Suffice it to say I'm going to resist them till my dying breath.