This week has been Anti-Bullying Week here in the UK, and other places too, possibly.
We all know bullying happens in schools, all the time, but it happens in the workplace too. As a victim, I can tell you it is not good. Personal comments and criticisms, bad language, undermining your role in front of others and a lack of respect do not encourage people to give their best. In my case, going to work could be hell.
A few weeks ago I wrote a short piece about the ignorance regarding travel after Brexit, and the state of the new passports that, apparently, we all want so much.
Jutst two days ago, there was finally some clarification, nearly a whole month since we had entered the transition period.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51585018
Fortunately, common sense has prevailed a little, and existing passports will be valid until they expire, in theory at least.
Interesting to see though that no-one in the UK can make these new passports. They have to be made in Poland by a French company.
And, apparently, people are not happy at the blue colour being really black.
Tomorrow (Tuesday) I am going to the Union Chapel for a discussion about satire in an age of absurdity.
Guests are MP Jess Phillips, actor and impressionist Jan Ravens and tv producer/writer/director Armando Iannucci.
Should be interesting. Not sure if there are any tickets available.
Boris Johnson is our PM. Given his popularity, the Conservative winning margin in the last election and the state of the opposition parties, most people say Boris could be PM for at least 10 years.
Mr Trump’s popularity is at an all time high. People know he is, as someone said, a racist, cheating conman, but no-one cares. One of the books I read recently has suggested that should he lose the next election (unlikely) he will refuse to leave the White House. He has, apparently, been enquiring what needs to be done for him to have a third term. And he has sons ready to take over.
I spotted some pictures on Twitter recently, people having hour long queues at airports (Amsterdam was one, I believe) getting through passport control.
The poster had complained: “This was not the Brexit I voted for”.
I found myself saying out loud: oh yes it was.
And it’s not temporary, it’s forever…
There was someone on the tv recently talking about travel post-Brexit.
Yes, we left, kind of, last Friday. There were celebrations in the streets. I am saying nothing.
So, our passports have EU on them, and we’re not any more, so they are technically invalid. We all have to buy new passports that are the old blue (representing Brtiannia ruling the waves) at enormous cost to us.
So the expert was saying that the old passports should be OK for now. “Should”? Apparently, no-one really knows and you may get problems, but you should not.
Duty free allowances I suppose have changed too.
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