Paul Brownjohn @Paulos_the_fog@social.cleverlibre.org
Retired software engineer & woodworker.
Anglo-francophone.
Detest tories. Subscribe to green, leftish radical politics but not to any particular political party!.
Love the EU and all it stands for, moreover, I spent the last 10 years of my career working at an EU agency.
Enthusiastic photographer, especially wildlife and most especially butterflies.
Slightly knowledgeable gardener.
Atheist; loathe almost all religions and pity the people deluded enough to follow them. I make exceptions for Buddhism as it isn't really a religion in the strictest sense of the word as it doesn't postulate the existence of any god, and Jainism which is the epitome of peace.
For anyone who is interested, my header photo is of the most stupendous sunset I have ever seen. On the right is the waterfront of Vientiane, the capital of Laos, on the left is Thailand and in the middle, acting as the border between the two countries is the mighty Mekong river.
Joined Nov 2022
Paul Brownjohn
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Ben Jennings (Guardian) on the #RishiSunakPM's immediate punishment scheme & who should be subjected to it....
Over here in Luxembourg, one can buy "American bread" which is basically chemical bread with a shit load of sugar in it! What the fuck is the need to add sugar to bread?!?!
Thankfully we can also get French bread which by law, may only contain flour, salt yeast and water!
Paul Brownjohn
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News telling me that there are plans to move the homeless people on. To stop them distressing the public.
Well, shoot me for stating the bleeding obvious, but a) they are members of the public, and b) moving them into a home might be an idea.
Is it just me?
Some years back, I had the job of entertaining a bunch of 20 something French girls as visitors; they were associates of a stunt man who did a stunt for a Radio 1 Road show. I ended up taking them back to my home town of Eastbourne mainly so that I could go to work whilst they did touristy things.
Over the weekend we went to the beach. As it was midsummer and very warm, the beach was crowded. When they went to change into their bikinis there was none of the embarrassed towel shuffle so beloved of the British (and I imagine the Americans likewise), they simply took off all their 'street' clothes until they were naked and put on their bikinis. They showed no bashfulness or embarrassment whatsoever about being, for a few moments, stark naked in front of 100s of people. That strikes me as thoroughly healthy and wholesome whereas the British & American attitude strikes me as extremely unhealthy!
Likewise, some years back (in about 1980) I stayed for a couple of nights in a hostel in Chamonix in France. There was one shower for the whole place with around 8 or 10 shower heads in a communal space. There were no separate showers for men and women. Whilst myself and my girlfriend were showering, three American girls walked in, saw me, freaked out, and went running to the lady who ran the place to complain about a man being in the women's shower. At first she couldn't understand what all the fuss was about but eventually the Americans dragged her to the shower where I was still taking my shower and insisted she look. She got a cheery "Bonjour Madame" from me and replied in French "Have you any idea why these American women are so hysterical?" to which I replied "I imagine they are unused to mixed sex communal showers and therefore they believe I shouldn't be here!". She then called them something very uncomplimentary indeed in French, gave an Oscar meriting Gallic shrug, asked me or my girlfriend to explain to them how things work in the hostel and stormed off!
My girlfriend explained to them pretty bluntly that the French don't do prudishness at all and that if the sight of a naked man in the shower freaks them out they had better go find somewhere else to stay!
@harriettmb @ChrisMayLA6
I think it is not unfair to say that it is fuelled mainly by Americans - nuf said!
I had to grind some chilis to make a curry paste and when I opened the grinder I inhaled a waft of chili powder dust. I wouldn't do that if I were you!
Paul Brownjohn
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Daily Mail fury as British Summer Time reduces prisoner sentences by one full hour https://newsthump.com/2023/03/26/daily-mail-fury-as-british-summer-time-reduces-prisoner-sentences-by-one-full-hour/
Paul Brownjohn
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From @Leytonuntidy.
Too good not to share on #SocialistSunday
@KarenawokeKaren Sadly this is the USA to a T
Paul Brownjohn
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It's ludicrous to let a few rich men kill the entire fucking planet so they can have more money. LUDICROUS.
Paul Brownjohn
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Never get tired a this un...
"Years ago, anthropologist Margaret Mead was asked by a student what she considered to be the first sign of civilization in a culture. The student expected Mead to talk about fishhooks or clay pots or grinding stones.
But no.
Mead said that the first sign of civilization in an ancient culture was a femur (thighbone) that had been broken and then healed.
Mead explained that in the animal kingdom, if you break your leg, you die.
You cannot run from danger, get to the river for a drink or hunt for food.
You are meat for prowling beasts.
No animal survives a broken leg long enough for the bone to heal.
A broken femur that has healed is evidence that someone has taken time to stay with the one who fell, has bound up the wound, has carried the person to safety and has tended the person through recovery.
Helping someone else through difficulty is where civilization starts, Mead said."
We are at our best when we serve others.
Be civilized.
Don't trouble yourself, mate, I've been fuck all good at anything I have ever done including all the the jobs I did for a living and I'm fuck all good at anything now. In fact, the only thing I have a gift for is being fuck all good at fuck all!
Paul Brownjohn
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Paul Brownjohn
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I have not yet begun to procrastinate.
I take your point but very, very few fridges or freezers in Europe have catches that lock on closing - all the ones I have ever seen have magnetic closures that no trapped child would have any difficulty whatsoever overcoming by simply pushing on them!!
It's great to see NZ giving these filthy wankers such a hard time - I love it!
I'm not a member of any sexual 'minority' myself but I see no reason why people who do belong to such minorities should be ill treated for their sexuality.
Retired software engineer & woodworker.
Anglo-francophone.
Detest tories. Subscribe to green, leftish radical politics but not to any particular political party!.
Love the EU and all it stands for, moreover, I spent the last 10 years of my career working at an EU agency.
Enthusiastic photographer, especially wildlife and most especially butterflies.
Slightly knowledgeable gardener.
Atheist; loathe almost all religions and pity the people deluded enough to follow them. I make exceptions for Buddhism as it isn't really a religion in the strictest sense of the word as it doesn't postulate the existence of any god, and Jainism which is the epitome of peace.
For anyone who is interested, my header photo is of the most stupendous sunset I have ever seen. On the right is the waterfront of Vientiane, the capital of Laos, on the left is Thailand and in the middle, acting as the border between the two countries is the mighty Mekong river.
Joined Nov 2022
