I just can’t understand people who believe that Radio 4 is elitist and middle class . . . . I’d like to stay and chat but I must dash …. just caught a bit of the Archers when somebody is describing her stressful life and she’s reached the point where ‘then the au pair left . . . .’
Urban tragedy in the raw . . .
I am fascinated by the BITCOIN and the fact that it is being dismissed as being ‘virtual currency’ because ALL currency by definition is virtual. It is simply an accepted standard – whether it be euros, dollars, pounds sterling or lollipop sticks for baby sitting services, these have no absolute value; simply, an agreed value. In the beginning, we had barter – the exchange of two objects or services at a mutually agreed valuation. It was not always a simple matter, and may have often have ended in difficulty with a conversation that ran: ‘have you change of a suckling pig, my fine fellow? followed by the inevitable sharp intake of breath, and the response . ‘Nay sir, I am fortunate only to the level of a ferret and two small but ripe and tasty damsons.’ So progress brought us to the gold Standard – a much more sophisticated level of exchange, taking as the absolute unit of wealth a substance recognised as valuable because it was shiny. This I feel, says something about the level of sophistication to which humans have evolved, and clearly defines Bankers are magpie’s with briefcases ‘Unkind’ you say? see Dante for much harsher condemnation. Of course, this did not simplify commercial transactions a great deal as the enquiry ‘Have you got change of an ingot?’ would still have been problematic. However it was convenient (and shiny) enough to be used until 1971.
Thus we had arrived, slowly and unsteadily, to the currencies of today ranging from the staid sterling, to the continentally stylish Euro, and the flashy ‘buck’; the unpronounceable Polish Zloty, and Bhutanese ngultrum; the appropriately lengthy konvertibilna marka of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the terse but no-nonsense yen, and finally the dong of Vietnam.
And now we have the Bitcoin BUT why is it that the Bitcoin is causing so much fuss? Could it simply be the fact that it is not under the control of the Banks? No …….. surely not. Mind you, I wouldn’t bet my last dong on that.
Overheard in the pub: ‘Modern chainsaws are so safe they’d only cut half way through your arm before they cut out!’
My questions is this: what sort of mentality is required to put the word ‘only’ in this statement?
This is a great book – beautifully written. And it inspired me to write this song.
on the album
‘New Start, New Day’ by Rowland Jones
On Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon
In yesterday’s Independent, Simmy Richman was looking at how the British perception of queuing has changed. Apparently Aaron Gillies in his new book suggests that: ‘Get to the back of the queue, you prick’ as the modern response. But how much more comforting to read Guy Browning’s description of the British way from his book ‘The British Constitution :first draft:
” In the event of a verbal warning failure, the queue is allowed to seethe with resentment accompanied with barely audible muttering.”
As British as it comes— but then what else could one expect from a man who is named after the leader of the Dambuster’s from a family named after a gravy making ingredient?
