Thanks to Dave, John and Jim for their contributions.
Advertisements
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PETULA
As longtime Munguinites know, my absolute favourite pop singer of all time is Petula Clark.
Why, you may ask!
Well, let’s start with versatility. There’s nothing much she can’t sing from ballads to folk, from country to jazz, from pop to rock n roll to show tunes, throw in some comedy stuff too…and in several different languages. And that voice, still pretty, and bang on the note. And if you have musical ears, like I do, that matters.
:format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/A-22334-1474531537-6705.jpeg.jpg)
And then there’s the tireless hard work and attention to detail. I’ve watched her in rehearsals on stage in old jeans and a t-shirt with no makeup, making sure that everything is perfect. Not just for her, but with the musicians, the backing singers, the sound, lights. She is an out and out professional, and I’m privileged to have watched her doing the less glamorous stuff on numerous occasions.
Then there is her dedication to her fans. Send her a request for a signed photograph and it may take a little time, because it will go to Switzerland, and she might not be there for a few weeks, but she will reply. And pretty much after every show she’s there at the stage door or in the bar (much nicer) signing photos and having a few words with fans.
Today she is 86 years old, although if she reads this she’ll not thank me for mentioning it. Because one of the other things that I admire about her is her attitude to ageing. She gets on with it regardless. When someone asks her about her age, she can get a little snippy, which is frankly, unlike her. “I don’t ask you your age”, she is likely to throw at the interviewer. “You’re doing your job and doing it well, and I’m doing mine. Why would our ages matter?”
At present, she’s in the USA, touring an album of English language songs the theme of which is “From Now On”, looking forward, not back, although of course, singing some of the big hits from yesteryear… “I’d get lynched if I didn’t sing Downtown”. She has been on the road for a month and there’s another month of touring to do. Tireless.
Earlier this year she released an album of songs written by Canadian writers and musicians, “Vu d’Ici” (Seen from Here). It was conceived, and recorded in Montréal and toured in the French-speaking provinces of Canada with it.
She was 85 years old at the time and this was her first Canadian tour for 54 years, and still she played to packed houses. Not only that, but the disc made the French Canadian charts.
Her first ever chart hit was on 1954 with “The Little Shoemaker” in the UK. So that gives her a chart career of something like 64 years!
So, I hope you won’t mind me taking up a bit of Munguin’s space to say:
‘Bon Anniversaire, ma chère Pétula. Munguin et moi esperons te revoir bientôt, soit en Ecosse soit en France. Olympia, peut-être? Bisous x”.
After all, Pet has had the privilege of meeting Munguin on a few occasions and pronounced him to be “mignon”! Which he informs me, he most certainly is and she’s ok too!
“YOU’RE PREPARED TO FAIL THE COUNTRY AND PUT JEREMY CORBYN INTO POWER?”
IS THIS SERIOUSLY HOW A STATE BROADCASTER, FUNDED BY A LICENCE FEE, SHOULD OPERATE?
BBC Newsnight has just made its political bias quite clear.
According to the programme, it would be ‘failing the country’ to put Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street.
Personally, I lost patience with Corbyn a while ago.
He’s utterly ignorant of anything to do with Scotland (to be fair, so is his branch leader) and he’s clearly anti-SNP. He appears to believe in independence for anywhere except Scotland. Additionally, Labour has seemed to be rudderless over Brexit. When we needed a strong opposition to the ridiculous charade of the May government, he was found to be not just lacking, but downright hopeless. Labour, the party of abstention.
But he is the leader of the biggest UK party (by membership). If he is duly and legally elected to serve as prime minister because even Tory MPs have no confidence in May, then it’s hardly failing the country.
And, much more importantly, even if it were, why on earth is the BBC so blatantly taking sides? Why do they show allegiance to the Tories?
How can they possibly be believed in any future election campaign?
Biased Bullship Corporation, right enough.
SO, HOW’S IT ALL GOING, THERESA?
Disjointed stuff here about what I’m hearing about the UK’s proposed agreement with the EU as it trickles in.
So, as predicted, it’s all going swimmingly, straight to the bottom of the sea.
The utterly secret deal that everyone seems to know about is causing consternation.
Tradasro @tradasro
Ruth Davidson and David Mundell will be handing in their resignations at high noon. A Tory always keeps its promise.
Of course, we don’t know if any of this stuff is true, because no one, not even the Scottish government has been informed, but as Robert Peston pointed out, Scotland is hardly likely to be happy about the Northern Irish being able to operate within the EU frameworks, while Scotland cannot. Nicola Sturgeon did not demur.
Nicola SturgeonVerified account @NicolaSturgeon
The PM has offered to call me after her Cabinet meeting – I have suggested that we should speak ahead of the meeting so that @scotgov concerns about what is emerging can be relayed to the Cabinet BEFORE they take a decision. She has so far refused. The “respect” agenda in action.
Robert PestonVerified account @Peston
Nicola Sturgeon Retweeted Robert Peston
Indeed. PM’s approach would take Scotland out of the single market (despite our 62% remain vote) but leave us competing for investment with Northern Ireland that is effectively still in it.
And, as Peston points out, the DUP isn’t happy for the exact opposite reason. Although it would likely be of great economic value to their province to remain more closely tied to Ireland and Europe, they want no truck with all the extra jobs. It would mean not being 100% subjugated to Her Majesty and her flag. (NB: Exceptions apply here regarding dinosaurs, gay people, abortions and anything else that suits Orange people.)
Bloomberg BrexitVerified account @Brexit
“We are clear – we will not be voting for this humiliation,” DUP’s Sammy Wilson tweets on draft Brexit deal https://bloom.bg/2DDQxe8
Up to now, it’s not looking good for the prime minister and her plan.
This is going to be one of these days where the news trickles in bit by bit. Unfortunately, I’ll be out all afternoon. But that shouldn’t stop the discussion.
Updates welcome, Munguinites.
THAT MAGIC MONEY TREE ONLY SEEMS TO BLOOM WHEN IT SUITS MAYHEM
The Michelin closure is a huge deal in Dundee.
More than 800 jobs in the company are set to go and most of us know someone who will lose his or her well-paid job. That’s before you take account of the knock-on effect on other business. And for the well-trained workforce, there aren’t that many jobs in Dundee that pay the kind of money Michelin pays.
The reason given for the closure is the cheap far eastern imports of the smaller size tyres that are made in Dundee. Certainly, Michelin tyres are really good, but they are also very expensive. The somewhat illogical move towards larger cars (and larger tyres) and the price are the reasons for the fall in sales. There’s nothing much one can do about that.
However, I can’t help thinking that there may be an element of Brexit uncertainty for the French company. Hundreds of UK and international companies are moving out of the UK. It would be odd if this company hadn’t taken Brexit into account.
The Tay Cities deal is being underfunded to the tune of £50 million. In the meantime, the DUP have secured another billion pounds from the magic money tree that Mayhem keeps in her backyard.
Mundell is being his usual completely useless self.
Over and over again he has made statements, promises and threats on a variety of matters, and over and over again zero has happened. Even his threat to resign came to zilch.
He promised more powers would come to Scotland after Brexit. In fact, Edinburgh will enjoy fewer powers. And, as Clive Ponting has said, maybe Brexit will mean the Tories get what they have always wanted and the Scottish parliament is disbanded
He failed to stand up for Scottish farmers when Gove spent EU money, destined for Scotland, in England.
He assured us that when May paid the first bribe of a billion pounds to her pal, Arlene, that Scotland wouldn’t lose out. It did.
And now he has said that despite the Michelin situation we will get no extra cash… not even get what we were promised in the City Deals.
Despite the utter uselessness of Mundell and the Brits, our own government is working hard to try to retain the jobs in Dundee.
𝗢𝗯𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗙𝗹𝘂𝗳𝗳𝘆 & 𝗥𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁/𝗚𝗼𝘃 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗲. 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲
It’s a worrying thought that John Heffren may to an extent be right. The Tories have little to lose in a place like Dundee and frankly little to gain by working to keep Michelin here. No matter what they do, Dundee won’t vote Tory.
And wouldn’t it suit them nicely if the Scottish government failed?
BEST PLACES TO LIVE IN EUROPE
AND GUESS WHICH COUNTRIES DON’T FIGURE!
Each year, two global surveys Mercer’s Quality of Living Survey, and the Economist Intelligence Unit Liveability Index, measure metrics such as crime rates, healthcare, infrastructure, quality of water, levels of corruption, culture and education, down to availability of sporting facilities and environmental concerns. They then decide which cities in the world are the best to live and thrive in.
The top 15 are:
15 Brussels
14 Düsseldorf
13 Oslo
12 Munich
11 Luxembourg City
10 Berlin
9 Paris
8 Hamburg
7 Amsterdam
6 Helsinki
5 Geneva
4 Frankfurt
3 Zurich
2 Copenhagen
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Vienna-Hofburg-Michaelerplatz-Getty-5a6dd8d4c5542e0036a6f4eb.jpg)
1 Vienna
OWN A PIECE OF HISTORY!
NO, IT’S NOT A JOKE
Trumpy Bear can be yours for only $19,95 (Plus shipping and handling, whatever “handling” might be!). Or so it would seem until you look at the website (linked above).
In the small print at the bottom of the page, it points out that there are two payments of $19,95 plus $6,95 S&H. So the top line price far from being $19,95, is actually $46.85!
A tad overpriced for this tacky piece of tat, wouldn’t you say?
Now, when you stop vomiting, can I just point out that you could get a handsome bear with an orangy brown coat, and stick a duster on his head for a good deal less, as Munguin did with his mate Scruffy Bear.
Alternatively, President Trump-Biscuit is still hanging around Munguin Towers… And he was only 85p!
