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A post office run took us to the village, a journey that now requires me to raise my hands beside my head as blinders to the savagery that has taken place.
Besides a whole row of inoffensive, lovely trees that were felled, debris from many others has turned that section of road into an ugliness.
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It reflects the belligerence of our government.
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Now that the snow is melting rapidly, it is splattered with mud, adding to the eyesore.
Hence the need for blinders.
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Every time we come past there now, I start spitting epithets which are becoming evermore creative.
Inevitably, as we carry on into the village passing the homes of government supporters, the language deteriorates.
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Yesterday afternoon, I found myself unable to summon up a sufficiently vile title for the two poisonous individuals who attacked President Zelenskyy.
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Talk about days that live in infamy.
9/11 was shocking.
The sell-out of our allies was gutting .
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Many towns and villages here display posters of their heroes fallen in conflict as far back as the civil war.
If I was a relative, I would take down their image in utter disgust. For what purpose did they die?
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In Yosemite National Park a flag was draped upside down briefly, the signal for distress, as a protest against lay-offs of park employees.
Elsewhere, people have simply removed their flags, no longer proud to display them.
Such is the state of the USA. SHAME.
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My language has become quite colourful these past months, though I have to confess people tended to tell me I had “a way with words” long ago.
Most of them I learned from my father, although there have been quite a few modern additions.
Only twice, that I can remember, have I actually sworn in public.
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Once was after a particularly tiresome going-over by security officials in Calcutta airport.
My pal Tim, who had been processed speedily, was much amused at my annoyance and the sight of him laughing was too much.
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The other time, I was pushed over the edge by a woman at the medical clinic talking down to me as if I was half-witted, when I’d been repeatedly given the run-around.
She deserved an earful, but it was only a single word that “offended” her and I know she’d heard it before.
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Now, to be perfectly honest, – I was guilty of using naughty words in the back offices where I worked.
As far as I was aware, no-one was offended, or I would have attempted to restrain myself. Certainly, there were no complaints lodged.
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What is the purpose of swearing?
According to an AI Overview (!):
It serves to relieve pain and to release adrenaline, negative emotions, anger, rage and frustration.
God knows I had plenty of all those.
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But, I did not use slurs or insults, nor did I attempt to *incite.
(*I might yet get to that!)
So, quite controlled, really.
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Less so now, I’m afraid, as I feel insults are warranted for certain types of behaviour, such as attacking one’s allies who are in need, which deserves every kind of abuse.
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What does it all amount to?
Words have power only because we allow them to.
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Being called a bad name is hurtful if you care about the person who uses it.
If you are not invested in that person, surely it couldn’t matter less what they say? Unless they spread lies, of course.
But the sort of word you might say if you stub a toe, who could that possibly offend?
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Combinations of words of course, such as those hurled at President Zelenskyy, are intended to be deeply offensive.
Especially when the speakers have the temerity to demand that their target should apologise.
He, who could not get a word in edgeways.
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My mind often takes me to the title of a 1958 book: The Ugly American.
In one vignette, a Burmese journalist says, “For some reason, the [American] people I meet in my country are not the same as the ones I knew in the United States. A mysterious change seems to come over Americans when they go to a foreign land. They isolate themselves socially. They live pretentiously. They are loud and ostentatious.
They are not all in foreign lands.
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The ugly American was in fact just an ugly American man who lived simply with the locals, coming to understand their needs and helping them.
A fictitious character based on a real person.
Having lived in Asia in that same period, I have the impression there was truth in the story.
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Regrettably, it is the loud and obnoxious who are remembered.
Especially when they are the leaders.
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To lighten things up, let me finish with a funny story.
It was my dad who mostly swore, but there were times…
(Forgive me Mum):
When we lived in Laos, foreigners depended on frozen food that was brought in by air or train.
To help out, the embassy in Vientiane allowed British residents to store food in their large freezers
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Mum and I went over one day to collect a few things.
The office manager opened the freezer and mum peered in: “Oh,” she said…
“We’ve still got that sodding turkey!”
The man nearly fell in the freezer. Mrs Smith was a nice lady! The funny thing was, she didn’t even realise she’d said it until I told her later.
Europeans would be reassured to hear the opponents of that idiot Trump protesting more loudly.
https://sticrihome.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/wp-17408486920261166466759100746060.jpg?w=500
Brilliant!
Did you ever get to eat the sodding turkey?
I did not! Mum was not a fan, so I don’t know how she came by it.
Thank you, Carolyn, for your frustrating thoughts which I share where Trump is concerned. His aggressive behavior was unforgivable. I never used to swear as I thought that well-phrased put-down works better. But stubbing one toe is another matter. I love your sky!
Joanna
You are right, of course. The trouble is, when I am angry I can never find the right words!
Yep!
Putin is crazy. Trump is crazy. Zelensky is a fraud. I fail to see anything metaphorical in mud on snow, but poetry isn’t my business. Business is business, though and so far “they” have fired far fewer than the annual attrition rate of federal employees which averages between 100 to 150 thousand. The 75,OOO who took the buyout just got themselves a 9 month vacation on the way out the door. With or without the current regime the government is a bloated money pit. I wonder what tiny percentage of the money wasted on Ukraine could have harvested the islands of plastic in our oceans?
Zelensky is a fraud? My grandchildren’s school has quite a number of Ukrainian children in it who fled here with their mothers to escape the Russian bombing and aggression. Many are not going back home because their husbands/fathers have been killed in the conflict. Russia marched into Ukraine expecting to destroy the Ukrainians ‘in 3 days’ but the country was galvanised behind their leader. I would love you to explain to them how much of a fraud PRESIDENT Zelensky is!
Where is all the money? Why didn’t he save his people all the grief? Neither party in the conflict had motivated soldiers and yet hundreds of billions from global sources have evaporated, his country is ruined, his leadership is in question…And he wants more money? Come on. His golden parachute is lined. Heroic would be doing something, long ago, to save his country and his people, not the daily slog of a half assed “containment.”
Perhaps over here we remember more about standing up to the aggression of far superior powers. Might be wrong but being sold equipment ‘worth’ squillions doesn’t put squillions in your pocket. It is not possible to label yourself as all powerful without accepting responsibility
Standing up to and overcoming are two entirely different pursuits, as Churchill would tell you, and the platinum plate in my father’s head was testament. It’s not about attire, it’s about attitude.
Exactly. And it’s not about not wearing a suit. I did not seek in any way to belittle anything that America and the American people have done for world peace, but I cannot find defence for what your current president is doing. I totally respect your opinion and your right to hold it, but I certainly cannot share it – any more than you can share mine, so no point in falling out about it. There is a price to pay for peace and it is always worth paying…
He was given the equipment and the EU, UK and US have all sent billions in loans and restructuring money that seems to have evaporated. The war needs to be over. The waste in human life, infrastructure and $ needs to stop.
The waste in human life definitely needs to end, but it will sadly grow bigger with a rewarded Putin given free rein to take what he wants. I will stop now and wish you peace my friend.
Peace is the operative word in all of this.
As long as it is not glory
Zelensky was mugged by Trump/Vance, yelling at the poor man who has spent the last three years trying to save his country from a now even more emboldened Putin. Even the press corps and the ‘disrespect’ question because he wasn’t wearing a tie were set up! I imagine Winston Churchill would have been similarly attacked for his boiler suit in WWII. All stage managed for American TV. Hopefully it will have backfired massively there as it has throughout the rest of the world – except, I imagine, Russia and North Korea – whom the US now appear to vote with. Perhaps there is a strategy involved but the bullying and shouting was shameful
About 25 years ago I was walking across Trafalgar Square in London to get to a bus stop when I was stopped by having my armed grabbed by an American tourist with a woman who I presumed was his wife. He said to me, “Excuse me sir, do you speak American?” I replied that I spoke English, and smiled. He seemed offended, and his wife rolled her eyes at me. Then he asked me for directions to Buckingham Palace. I showed him to a bus stop for the number 15, eastbound. I advised him to buy two £1 tickets and get off at Aldgate East Station, where he would see the palace across the road.
It was probably only about 40 minutes each way out of their way in the wrong direction, but a valuable introduction to the British sense of humour.
Best wishes, Pete.
Oh very good Pete. I’m sure they didn’t “get” it though!
😂😂😂
With everything that’s happening in the world these days, it’s really difficult refrain from swearing. Unfortunately.
Wow, Carolyn, I can’t keep up with all your posts! Here, we’re battening down for cyclone Alfred, as where we live is in its path.
Now, onto the US…
I was disgusted and appalled at the treatment of Zelensky by Trump and Vance. Shameful! Especially from someone who dodged the war because of “bone spurs”.
Zelensky has shown nothing but leadership for the past 3 years in his war-torn invaded country.
After volunteering in Ukraine for 4 months, this show of disrespect from a couple of P*tin-bought bullies at this level of politics was repulsive. Trump thinks he’s playing a “card” game and is on a game show, as he stated the interview was good for ratings! What a vile creature!
I saw the news about the cyclone. Scary. I hope everyone stays sae. I have a friend who is on a ship currently in that part of the world. One assumes they would reroute! I’ll look for updates on the news.