Well the powers that be have been spared the tongue-lashings in recent weeks, due to my attention being focussed on things closer to home. However, I can't let the latest monuments to idiocy pass by without comment!
Our occasional supplier of power, Escom is still at it..... it has become a bit like the old politician joke "how can you tell the Escom spokesman is lying?" "Because his lips are moving."
Amidst urgent applications to Government for a 60% increase in electricity tarriffs, to cover costs, we hear that the top brass have voted themselves further outrageously generous 'bonuses', which incredibly, are performance linked. (I can only assume that the link is in inverse proportion to performance!)
At the same time WHILE WE WERE IN THE MIDST OF THE BLACKOUTS, and being told to be patriotic and use less power for the sake of the nation blah blah blah, Escom had the audacity to sign yet another contract with a neighbouring country, guarenteeing them power at a substantially reduced rate. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Meanwhile, not to be outdone, the powers that be in charge of fighting crime (who seem to be under the illusion that this means fighting victims of crime while doing everything possible to make life easier for criminals) have now decided that they want to ban the carrying of 'non lethal weapons'. Included in this definition are all self defence items such as pepper spray, sticks etc.
This is one law I have every intention of breaking flagrantly. We already put our lives and security on the line by going for a simple walk around the neighbourhood, and I am certainly not going to let some fat-cat politician, who has his own army of personal body guards looking after him 24-7, deny me the most basic right of self defence, since no-one else in power is going to do anything about defending the average law abiding citizen!
Luckily, if I do get arrested, you will not need to worry about me, because, in line with their policy of making things as comfortable as possible for criminals, my rights in prison will be well cared for, and I will be having a nice break with a tv in my cell, and all my meals paid for by the law abiding suckers who remain out there.
Where's my pepper spray, I'm off for a stroll!!!!
But before I go, here are the promised photos from the gathering of the clan. Please excuse the horrible quality, too much noise and activity, not enough light, general chaos, but at least family from afar who read this can see a little of the event!
The host, Aubrey, bewildered by the men going mad with cameras on one side, and the reunited sisters trying to catch up on a year's news in 10 minutes on the other!
Even the toddlers were getting in on the act with cameras.
The guests of honour, Connie chatting to my sister Ali, and Dad chatting to nephew Pete.
The morning after..... breakfast on a cold and rainy deck at the guesthouse.
While little Jake didn't mind at all, 
Ethan decided the best bet was to snuggle up and sleep off the excitement of the previous night!
After the lunch at the beachfront restaurant, we said our farewells and tackled the 3 hour drive back to PE on VERY full stomachs! 
While all this was going on, little Felicity cat stayed home with the big cats, and kept an eye on Fergie to make sure he didn't miss a spot.
6 comments:
Great Rant.. I've really missed them ;o)
Nice to see any family enjoying each others company.
Sorry to here about this new law which will effect you. It is enough to make your blood boil. Years ago I was attack by some youths and one threw a brick at me which hit my leg and left the full imprint where it landed... I disarmed another who had a baseball ball and stood on his neck while trying to keep the others at bay until the police came.. I was glad to see then turn up as the rest of the youths ran off. The police arrested me for having an offencive weapon... the base ball bat. I was also charged with assault on the youth I had pinned down. I was placed in hand cuffs and led away. I was kept in a cell over night before all the charges were dropped. The youths had given false names and addresses and escaped without charge. It makes my blood boil at times that we are supposed to leave ourselves open to injury before anything is done.
I do enjoy your rants.. they get me going for sure.. ha! Have a great weekend BTW
Tom
Loved to read about it.
Easter Greetings Suzy!
Nice to see your country is keeping up with ours. Criminals have all the rights it seems. A couple of years ago, late at night someone threw eggs at the back of our house. My husband grabbed a golf club and ran up the garden, and over the fence. He didn't catch the culprit (probably a good thing) but at least they knew he wasn't going to take their vandalism sitting down. With all the unexpected exercise, and then having to hose down the house on one of the hottest nights of the year before the egg baked onto the siding, he was not a happy camper. Had he caught the culprit, he would have been charged for carrying a weapon, and under the Young Offender's Act the rat would have walked away without being charged..!!
wow, I'm not sure whether to feel good that your countries experience similar things, or a bit scared that if the more 'civilized' nations have lost so much sense of perspective, what chance do we have of getting our powers that be to see reason?!
Tom, hectic story, I hate injustice so reading this left me simmering on your behalf!
Sheila, just as well he didn't catch them! Although I suspect it would be a great story to dine out on in years to come.... grandpa arrested for running down street with golf club! To be honest we had a few scary moments in court recently when testifying against the intruder that stabbed me a while ago. We wondered how we were going to respond if asked about Max hitting him with the broom to try and prevent him getting away, because we had visions of the criminal getting off scott free, and Max being carted off in chains! Luckily his lawyer was a real dodo, who was clueless about the case, and didn't go there! Hehe.
Have a wonderful Easter
It is a tricky subject and here in Canada we have had that law for quite some time and of course we have had some irate citizens as well, I understand your frustrations.
By the way, the photos look great and everyone looked like they had a lot of fun!
Great photos great rant, I'll bake a cake with a file in for you.
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