Mis-Speaking & Deniability

Misspeak - "express oneself in an insufficiently clear or accurate way".

Do we believe that is what happens so frequently with Trump, or any other Politician? I think not. They didn't get to be where they are today being unable to string two words together intelligably.

Apparently these are the skills Politicians need:-

1. Writing and Research Skills. ...
2. Public Speaking and Presentation Skills. ...
3. Knowledge of Social Media. ...
4. Understanding Your Audience. ...
5. Crisis Management and Problem Solving.

I wonder how world leaders & Politicians would score on these with different audiences?  You really would think that the "gift of the gab" would rate highly on a politicians resume. Being able to communicate effectively & accurately seemed to be a prerequisite hitherto - but apparently not now in the age of Post Truth.

Politicians everywhere seem to be unable to speak simply & directly, without being open to misunderstanding, on issues important to their electorate. It is deliberate obfustication. Not wishing to tie themselves into a clear statement which may be quoted back at them. Trump is a law unto himself - Truth is an unknown concept to him. May is so far down the line of placating Conservative factions about Brexit that she has no idea what is honest any more.

So many politicians seem to believe that so long as they are woolly enough they can deny anything. Denial has become an art form. That's why they never give direct answers to direct questions. Trump, just lies, says whatever comes into his head & then denies he ever said it.

Then there is Political Deniability - "Plausible deniability. ... In politics and espionage, deniability refers to the ability of a powerful player or intelligence agency to pass the buck and avoid blowback by secretly arranging for an action to be taken on their behalf by a third party ostensibly unconnected with the major player".

Lying & Deniability is actually built into the system. It makes you sick. 

 

Tennis - Wimbledon 2018

I am a fan. I watch every year. I've been watching since the 60s. Not every match - I've  always had favourite people - Usually in the top half of the seeding, (apart from the Brits I've seen come & go). I like the mens 5 setters better than the womens game. I've been lucky enough to go to both Queens & Wimbledon. But actually I think I prefer watching on TV.

I've seen the game & the equipment change radically in 50 years. Not necessarily for the better. The use of Graphite & Graphene for raquets completely changed the game & meant the the balls themselves had to change too - Fast, medium & slow balls were introduced.
https://www.ft.com/content/0790ed2e-1c3e-11e6-b286-cddde55ca122
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/547256-how-the-humble-tennis-ball-has-hepled-change-the-game
Tennis has become a power game, mostly played from the baseline, with very little of the really entertaining rallies fans love. The dominating serve significantly reduces play in each game - Aces are commonplace.

Now  professionals can play, (since 1968), it has become more about the money. Djokovic & Kerber got £2.25 million. Anderson & Williams got £1.125 million this year. Laver, Rosewall & Court would not recognise todays game. Mind you, they probably need that to pay for the huge entourages the top players seem to have.

I watched the Anderson / Federer match & the Anderson / Isner match. I think the time has definitely come to make some changes. Who has the time to watch a 6 hour 35 minute match? Or worse, the 11hr 5 mins match between Isner & Mahout in 2015?

http://www.wired.co.uk/article/next-generation-atp-finals-future-of-tennis-rule-changes

There are things which really irritate me about tennis today. Djokovic pats the ball with his raquet up to 7 times & then bounces the ball up to 17 times before serving by my count. This not only breaks the 20 second rule, it is boring to watch & must be frustrating for the opponent - but perhaps that's the whole point. It is usually the men who do things like that.

Rafa has a whole routine of tells / tics & doesn't care how long anyone has to wait. It seems very OCD. The women seem to just bounce the ball a couple of times & serve - Good for them.
https://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/06/rafael-nadal-ritual-tic-pick-water-bottles

The game definitely isn't what it was. Players are so focussed their personalities are hidden beneath a  face devoid of emotion. Concentration on this shot, this point, is everything. No wonder they become obsessed. Bring back Nastase I say. Players who are entertaining & relate to the fans rather than the corporate sponsors.

It's only sport after all.

Downsizing & the Property Market

According to Zoopla, "the average Brit moves home every 23 years. Over the course of their lives, that means that people will move around 8 times". I don't quite get the maths of that - you would live for 184 years surely? Anyway, I've moved 8 times in 73 years so far.

My home isn't exactly ideal for someone single approaching old age - Too big, 3 floors, 2 flights of stairs & no facility to live on the ground floor. It is modern, light & airy, with a lovely courtyard & balcony, (but not the responsibility of looking after a garden), & in a very good location.

So many people will be in the situation I face of downsizing for the last time. Contemplating a move to a flat or some sort of  "retirement village". The reality, according to BBC "Money Box," is that "according to research, 51% of retirement properties built and sold between 2000 and 2010, and then sold again between 2006 and 2016, suffered a loss in value". The average was 17% but it could be more than 50%. I am amazed.

Add to that the fact that these properties are almost always leasehold, as are flats, & have a variable maintenance charge which you have no control over. It all begins to look like a bit of a poisoned chalice for the elderly.

My question is, given the huge housing problem we have in the UK, why the Government don't step in to give my ever increasing demographic a better option? We don't necessarily want to live in a ghetto for the elderly. Mixed communities are much better. What we need is to get away from the current mindset of a mini castle with it's own land for everyone. We need to look at different models for blocks of flats in Europe. Possibly a mixture of low & high rise, with a lot of accessible green space. Kevin Mc Cloud of Grand Designs has some good ideas about new build communities.
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/04/grand-designs-presenter-kevin-mccloud-seeks-to-raise-50m-to-build-600-homes-a-year

People like me need to be able to free up family homes & move to somewhere better designed for their final home. The impact all the way down the housing chain would be really good. It won't be done well by profit driven private builders. Current new housing is generally badly designed & shoddy.

 

I wish my generation could be encouraged & facilitated to set up private co-ownership associations to convert or build. But that & any other option needs Government support. Think of the wealth we could put into this. We could help in the design process so that the accommodation was really well adapted for our needs, but also adaptable for anyone. An older example of what I'm thinking about is Ritchie Court in Oxford, which I have seen. www.ritchiecourt.com/

There needs to be new, creative thinking, about the property market & how it should meet the needs of real people of all ages. The old ways are clearly not working. I don't necessarily mean actual self build obviously, but self management & financing is posssible for all sorts of people, young & old.

Everyone would benefit - it seems a no brainer to me.