Wednesday 30 September 2020

DISGRACEFUL!



Well if there was ever an example of car crash tv then you only had to watch last night's chaotic U.S Presidential Debate.  And in the first of three Debates between former Vice President and the current President Trump, we saw the very worst of Donald Trump. He bullied his way through the entire Debate right up to the closing moment, constantly talking over his opponent Joe Biden.

Apparently a group of watching Debate pollsters concluded that Joe Biden won the debate scoring Biden at 60% to Trump's 28%.  In fact several media observers claimed that Biden didn't really win the Debate, saying that Trump lost the Debate through his outrageous and childish behaviour.

Throughout the chaotic Debate Trump took things to some low points when he personally made an attack on Biden's Son. But worst of all, he refused to condemn the White Supremacists. And how he had the gall to question Biden's College Education was quite unbelievable when you consider that Trump's own School days and his heavily concealed College grades, is itself a very secret and cloudy area.

Once again Trump praised himself  in saying that he had done a phenomenal job in handling the Covid pandemic. And when he was challenged on his tax dodging, he claimed that he had paid millions of dollars in taxes.
And yet when Hilary Clinton tackled him back in the 2016 Elections on why he didn't pay his taxes, he simply responded by saying "Because I'm smart." That itself is a contradiction in what Trump is currently claiming.

Yes the Debate lost any substance by the constant interruptions by Trump. But I believe that Biden held up well under the circumstances, only stooping to Trump's levels once by saying to Trump "Oh Shut Up man."
Apparently Joe Biden is quite happy to commit himself to the Second Debate which will take place soon in Miami.
But will anyone dare to advise Trump that he will have to play it much differently if he's to stand any chance of winning the Second Debate? He is after all his own worst enemy at such events.

But I'm not so sure that I'll be watching the up and coming Vice Presidential Debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris. Mike Pence has some skeletons in his closet. We all know about his thoughts on the LGBT community. And we also know that his appearance at that up and coming Debate will just be a sycophantic eulogy to Donald J. Trump, a man who's legacy is already set in stone and will go down as the worst U.S President in the history of  The United States of America.



Above:  Fox News presenter  and Debate Moderator Chris Wallace, 
who at times struggled with Trump's constant interruptions.


IMAGES VIA BLOOMBERG  -  TEXT AND DEBATE REVIEW BY DEEJOHN.

 

Friday 18 September 2020

THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL, THE ALBERT MEMORIAL AND HYDE PARK'S LAST BURST OF SUMMER!



Well I only just managed to post all these pictures up before Google Blogger implemented their disastrous and inferior Blogger interface yesterday.

Now all I have to do is add some text to some of the images. And I suppose it comes as some relief that many bloggers are up in arms at Google for changing the old reliable formatted interface.

Had I tried to post up all these images today, well it just wouldn't have happened as the image alignment option frankly sucks. And Google knows this. They just have to look at all the complaints on their Help Forum page.

Even the new text layout looks far to wide and stretched out. The fact is that many bloggers are not happy with the new interface. Might this be my blogging swansong? Or will Google Blogger cave in to pressure and return some of the options that are so vitally needed. 

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So on Tuesday this week we had what was surely our last warm Summer day here in London (29c). And I decided to make a visit over to South Kensington to the site of the famous Royal Albert Hall as well as the nearby Albert Memorial.

The Hall itself was first opened by Queen Victoria in 1871, ten years after the death of her Prince Consort, Albert.
Of course we know that the Hall has become a popular center for music and entertainment including the annual Summer Proms, culminating in the Last Night of the Proms which marks the end of Summer. 
And opposite the great Hall is the Albert Memorial, built in memory to Queen Victoria's departed husband Prince Albert who died prematurely in 1861.

Later on that afternoon I made my way home, walking back through a busy late Summer Hyde Park.


 

                           Above: The rear far side back of the Hall showing another statue of Prince Albert.


Situated right opposite the front of The Royal Albert Hall is The Albert Memorial, a rather opulent shrine to Prince Albert, husband and Prince Consort to Queen Victoria.
Apparently it took almost ten years to construct, something I questioned at first. But then if you observe all the intricate statue carvings at the front, then you can see why. The structure is encircled by an array of wonderful white stone statues. 




Above:  The front of The Albert Hall on Kensington Gore, looking directly towards The Albert Memorial.




Below: Rule Britannia sung at The Last Night of the Proms back in 2012 shortly after London hosted the Summer Olympics. 
Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja assists the Orchestra, the Chorus and the audience crowd to raise the roof in a stirring rendition of Rule Britannia.
Apparently this event is enjoyed by several European countries. And the people of Norway are very fond of the Live broadcast.

( Video kindly uploaded to Youtube by Mandetriens ) 





Well, wasn't it good to see the BBC finally get their comeuppance when they tried to have the song words deleted from the singing of Rule Britannia and Land of Hope.
It even took a little bit of persuasion on the part of Boris Johnson to have the words reinstated in the very songs that are the climax of The Last Night of the Proms.

The BBC hate anything that is too nationalistic or patriotic. And it's no secret that just a few years ago they tried to do away with the Last Night of The Proms altogether because it wreaks of national pride. They are a national disgrace. And I for one haven't been following them during this ongoing pandemic.
I'll watch any other channel for updates... anyone other than the BBC...The British Biased Corporation. I would be quite happy to see them defunded.

  


Below: A great little video here telling us five good reasons to visit The Royal Albert Hall via the people from London Planner.




Situated right opposite the rear of The Albert Hall is The London College of Music. And being our last warm day there was many windows open at the front of the building. And all sorts of musical instruments could be heard emanating from the College.


Below:  And so off to Hyde Park to slowly make my way back to Marble Arch.


I was nearly tempted to say back home at last. But not quite. This is of course the famous Dorchester Hotel in Park Lane. And so I grabbed a few shots around the front forecourt.
 

Above:  A beautiful Classic Rolls Royce outside The Dorchester.