20-02-09 Sunday - The Brexit Lie

It is a lie that Brexit is now “done”, but we have of course left the EU. It looks like Johnson doesn’t want alignment with the EU in any trade agreement, but what gains will we get from diverging? If he is hoping that, by diverging from EU standards, we can increase our international non-EU trade, who will we trade with? Won’t they have standards we will have to adhere to? We will be swapping one set of standards for another, while at the same time creating friction with our biggest trading partner (45% of our trade is with the EU) and making that trade less economical. Companies who currently export to the EU will continue to do so, and they won’t diverge from EU standards. But they will have to complete extra paperwork and may be subject to extra checks during the export process.

Since we’ve left the EU, what has changed? Nothing. We are still subject to its laws, we are still paying in to the EU budget. Yet those people demanding Brexit are happy. We were disturbed by fireworks at 11pm on 31st Jan as people around us celebrated the fact that we had left. I don’t know what will change come the end of the year, but if Johnson is going for a very basic trade agreement, as he seems to be, things like EHIC won’t be available – so travel insurance will be more expensive. UK driving licences won’t be valid in mainland Europe, so we’ll have to get international driving licences. Not all insuperable per se, but added up, it will just be that bit more of a faff to go abroad. Maybe that won’t bother the bare-chested rent-a-mob braying around Westminster, but I daresay even they like a Spanish holiday occasionally. It might come as a surprise when they are in the slow lane for passport checking next year.

I’m disappointed by the way Brexit is now being discussed; I’m worried that there isn’t a real dialogue happening, and I’m concerned that we are all now becoming entrenched in our views and less willing to listen to other points of view.

People do bandy about the concept of loser’s consent and suggest that those who voted for Remain should now fall in line and support Brexit. But I find that difficult, since no-one has offered any reason to now support Brexit. No-one is pointing to any specific subject and saying “see this? This will improve, thanks to Brexit.” In order to get loser’s consent, I think the victor must demonstrate that their path of action is the best option – or, at least, not the worst option. By addressing concerns, one could obtain loser’s consent. But I don’t see anyone addressing the concerns of those who voted for Remain. I hear that we are getting back control of our money, our borders and our laws, but what does that actually mean? What do those in charge want to do with our money, our borders and our laws now that we’ve regained control of them?

If “remainers” are referred to at all, they should get over it, they should back the country, they should listen to the will of the people. We’re currently talking past each other and no-one is listening. Those who voted Remain are being shut out of the national discourse. And that is exemplified by lots of voices on Twitter now, saying that Johnson fully owns Brexit and he will need to own the consequences of Brexit. That’s right, but we’re all going to feel the consequences, and which of us will be able to link those consequences back to Brexit?

I don’t have a solution for any of it, but it seems that nor does anyone else. And the more I think about it, the more glum it makes me.

TTFN.

20-01-03 Friday I - Crockery

We went shopping yesterday and took TY and TE with us. It was a local out-of-town complex (is that a contradiction?) with a Tesco superstore and a Marks & Spencer, and a Next tacked on. The girls had all been given Christmas money, and TE found a nice teddy bear coat in Next that she was able to buy with her own money.

I wasn’t particularly in the mood for sales hunting, but it was good to get out of the house and do something over the winterval period. The days do really run into each other and I have found myself having to consciously tell myself which day it is.

Anyway, then we went to Tesco and TY went off and came back with a plate, a side plate, and a bowl. Apparently one of her 2020 goals was to have her own personal crockery, and she was able to buy them with her Christmas money. Goal achieved by 2nd Jan; sometimes life can be straightforward for ten-year-olds.

My New Year’s resolutions are (1) to buy less comics, and (2) to write more here. I’ve got some things I think about, and it’d be good to get them out of my head and down on paper. Also, I think my life is quite mundane, so writing about specific events might help prove that theory one way or the other. Sometimes it’s hard to recall specific events and what happened as days and happenings merge into each other, so if I make an effort to record that stuff here, that might cement it into my memory as well as create a record for me and others (?) to look at.

Good luck with your resolutions, and Happy New Year!

TTFN.

19-12-30 Monday - Oreo Brownies

TY was given an Oreo Brownies skillet for Christmas, which was a lovely thoughtful present. All our girls like cooking – TMO especially likes making banana bread, but TY turns her hand to most things. Unfortunately we lost the packaging which had the instructions and the recipe, but I was able to find a picture of the recipe on the web, so we were good to go. TY washed and dried the skillet, as per the instructions, and then oiled it. Then she mixed the batter with an egg, some oil and a little water.

She poured the smooth mixture into the skillet, then broke the Oreo biscuits over the top, and dunked some of the bigger bits into the mixture. Then we cooked it in the oven for about 15 minutes.

The end result was quite nice, if a little rubbery. I think that may have been due to too much oil in the mixture. She (we) ate the end product directly out of the skillet with a teaspoon, but we did have to be careful because the skillet was oven hot. I did suggest we leave the brownie until after lunch, but TY was having none of that. Now we’re going to have to find a recipe so that we (she) can make brownies from scratch – that'll be something to look forward to!
TTFN.