In The News

 According to Ailz (who will have got the information from either the Mail or the Mirror) South Eastern has been rated the second least worst of the railway franchises. This makes me happy because wherever we move I make a point of cheering for local enterprise.

Labour has beaten the Tories in two byelections. This would once have made me happy (especially if it had happened on Jeremy Corbyn's watch) but now that the only significant difference between the two big parties is the colour of their rosettes I don't really care. Oh, all right then, I will indulge in a wintry smile (that could easily be mistaken for a grimace)  because the Tory governments of the past few years really have been utterly frightful...

King Log And King Stork

 It's one of Aesop's Fables...

And it goes something like this...

The frogs in a certain pond lived happy lives but, looking around, saw that most other communities had kings to rule over them- and decided their happiness would only be complete if they had one too.

So they went to Zeus and asked for one.

Zeus said, "Kings are completely unnecessary, but if it would make you happy, here have this..."

And he tossed a log into the pond.

At first the frogs were pleased with their new king. They hopped onto him and they hopped off. But after a while this began to pall...

So they went to Zeus again and said, " That king you gave us: he doesn't do a great deal of ruling. In fact he doesn't do anything at all. Can we have a a king that has a bit of life to him?"

And Zeus said, "No king is best and a king who does nothing is second best. Do you really want to find out what third best is like?"

And the frogs said, "Tell us."

But Zeus said, "That's not how it works. I don't tell, I show."

And the frogs said, "Bring it on"

So Zeus said, "Here is your new king and I wish you joy of him." And he opened his hands and released a stork.

The stork flew down to the pond  and the flapping of its magnificent wings made a great commotion.

The frogs said, "This is more like..."

...As the stork proceeded to eat them, one by one....