New Agenda on Sunday. is out! Edition of 19th November 2017

https://paper.li/f-1346065353#/

Good morning everyone.

Meanwhile, back in Jersey, a story caught my eye which actually caused me to chuckle. I suppose I should not laugh as it was a "crininal" act, but there was something about the events which grabbed my probably warped sense of humour. A member of staff at the Old Court House, a hotel and restaurant in St Aubin, saw a man sitting alone in the upstairs bar area and told him that if he wanted to stay in that area he had to eat. It transpired that the man was in fact homeless, but never the less ordered a Prawn cocktail, Rib eye steak with vegetables, wine, a bottle of Dom Perignon and a room. Producing a driving licence as identification, the man did not pay but later was seen by staff wandering off to his £150 per night room, clutching two further bottles of wine. The following morning it was discovered that there was no sign of him and his bed had not been slept in. He was later arrested and charged with "criminally and fraudulently obtaining food and lodgings". Sentancing him to repay the hotel for losses, he was also bound over to be of good behaviour for 12 months. Michael Andrew Phillips told officers that he "had very little recollection of the evening".

My e-mail inbox and my front door letter box, and no doubt yours too, is being bombarded by interminable adverts, leafleats, circulars pamphlets and other unsolicited forms of literature, all advising me that "Black Firday 2017" has arrived. Black Friday, another American invention which occurs with monotonous regularity every 12 months inducing us to spend inordinate amounts of money (usually credit cards) on every item imaginable, the majority of which we neither want nor care about. The problem that I have with "Black Friday" is that it lasts for all of 240 hours or 10 days if you prefer and no sooer ends than it is immediately replaced with "Sonic Saturday" or "Manic Monday" or some other nonsensical label, heralding another 10 days of "shopping opportunities". This manufacturer/shop and store foolishness is no more than a cynical invention designed to induce people to spend money and to generate more profits for companies. This obscene feeding frenzy lasts right into Christmas Eve and then the "Sales" commence. Is there no end to this insanity?

I find it very sad, if not tragic, how the world and is media can, quite rightly be incensed and outraged by the ethnic cleansing being inflicted upon the Rohingya people by the military and government of Myanmar and yet at the same time be completely insensible and silent on the ethnic cleansing being carried out in Jerusalem and the occupied territories of Palestine by the Israeli government.
There are indeed double standards being exercised by the international community for the last 70 years concerning the plight of the Palestinian people.

Swing Low Sweet Chariot!

England 30pts Australia 6 pts. Perhaps the scoreline does flatter England a little, but on a very wet day with the ball like a piece of soap, the Twickenham crowd, the watching TV audience and even those like me who had to watch recorded highligts (because I refuse, point blank, to pour even more money into Rupert Murdoch's already bulging pockets by subscribing to Sky Sports), were treated to a thrilling game which on balance seems to be the right result.

Thr Australian people generally, refer to us as "Whinging Poms". Strange then that the whinging on this occasion came from the men in Gold shirts who were not happy with the referee or the TMO.

Have you been watching "Howards End"? We missed the first episode but caught up with the "action" on BBC Player last night.We turned off about three quarters of the way through and shall not bother to watch the remaining episodes. Why do the producers/directors and other production people of modern day drama believe that it is absolutely essential to drown out the dialogue from the actors with loud, intrusive and over bearing ", music" practically throughout the entire programme. I have complained to the BBC on numerous occasions about this obsession on other programmes but have never received a response. Perhaps they are deaf as a result of the incessant and overpowering "music".

Still no snow! The forecasters are still predicting the white stuff. White Christmas?

Have a nice week