Things have been a bit busy this week! But here I am with the rain pouring down and listening to Chet Atkins with Mark Knopfler. Just what I need today.

Service of Thanksgiving for Herself’s Dad today and I should have been taking her there and joining in. But I was up last night with problems at both ends and am still in that state! So Plan B is that she went up on her own, with the cold lunch for 10 made early this morning and will overnight with sister. Back tomorrow. There are some weird bugs about. And I feel really bad not being with her.

I sent the following letter to the D.Telegraph (don’t worry, they won’t publish it):

Seeking to enjoy the Young Musicians’ final I was reminded brutally that modern music is wholly unmusical and without merit. Which reminded me that modern art is inartistic and real filthy beds, dead animals or drunken explosions of colour lack any merit. Meanwhile many of today’s children are inarticulate, innumerate and illiterate. So from whence come the people who teach our young to be inept and unable? And who is teaching the teachers to sabotage our cultural life?

But have you any kind of answer to my question? Looked at objectively, our so-called civilisation here in the UK (oops, sorry, bliar has destroyed the UK - but you know what I mean) is seriouly uncivilised and getting worse week by week. Public bad behaviour, untaught and undisciplined children, gross levels and types of crime, ever lower standards everywhere - the list could go on for ages. What on earth is driving this ever downwards? But it’s reaching catastrophic proportions and we all seem to be sleepwalking down the slope. And no-one is kicking up a fuss. Just one-off grumbles about one-off events. Where’s the National Movement to stop this NOW and turn it around?

Surely no sane person wishes to live in the environment we have now - let alone the abyss into which we are being pitched?

Back to the Young Musicians - the wrong person won it. It should have been the pianist. Stunning. As for the percussionist - as a one-time drum player, including military band, jazz and classical - words fail me. Is he thinking of adding tap-dancing, eating ice-cream and juggling 5 multi-coloured balls to his act? Save me!!

Shades of the film Mrs Henderson - I played the drums in a jazz club in a basement across the (narrow) road where The Windmill Theatre is. Cor, I was wicked in those days!! But you knew that, didn’t you?

Think positive, Dad!! Yeah - got a result yesterday. Four phone points in the house. Two in the office - one for fax / phone and the other for phone. One in our bedroom. One in the living room - with a walk-about phone. Had it for some years and the battery has died. Cheaper to change the phone than buy another battery - if you can get one to suit an old piece of kit. So off I go.

Study phones and find only one that also has an answerphone facility. OK. After some trouble find a Person. I’d like one of those, please. Pause. Gets key, opens doors to stock. We haven’t got one. Oh. Well that’s a bit silly - why is it on display? AH but we have some NEW phones that are NOT on display. Go on, show me. Here’s this one. GOOD - does it have an answerphone feature? (Sighs) Yup - you can see the green button on the pic on the box. Are you SURE? Yup. So I buy it.

Get home, open box, grab instructions - and you’ve already guessed - NOPE. No answerphone. Back in car, down road, ask for The Manager. Made a strong case for being messed about. Much clattering of computer keys. We haven’t got one in stock. Oh. I will credit you for the one you returned, would you like the display one for nothing?

Well, that’s a result. I thanked him a lot. It’s very smart and has all sorts of fancy features, too. It’s worrking a treat.

Time I left. So what’s Dad on about today?

There’s a game called Prisoner’s Dilemma. It was created to study the effect of choosing to co-operate - or not - with someone with whom you negotiate. You will find lots of references on the internet. The bottom line is that you get further by co-operation than by power-play. Depending on the real situation. So I might gain with a power-play today - but what about tomorrow. Anyway -

If your opening approach to others is co-operation rather than isolated power-play - in general you get more of what you want - and less of what you don’t want.

Hey - have a peaceful day - Dad