Sauber derbleckt - Sense and Sensibility

Been a strange 36 hours.

Yesterday, happened to catch PMQ’s and the Budget on TV while sharing my liver sausage sandwich with Flash. Emotionally one thinks "British Tradition, that's the way we have always done it". Rationally though, the entire Commons set up and the proceedings are a shambles and an embarrassment. Thank goodness most of the foreign offspring of the Mother of Parliaments have adequate and useful seating as well as an orderly system for members to say their bit and in a tone that puts it above the Twitter hate style used by May et al.
 
My tutor, Nogbad, will lecture me on the fact that all the real work of the Commons gets done in small committee rooms where "normal" business like conditions are provided and one has the ability to speak, without a roaring crowd of pathetic schoolboys jumping up and down like Mad Hatters.
 
Then the TV evening was filled with the Bavarian version of the Mad Hatters. The annual opening of the Bavarian Fifth Season: "Strong Beer Festival" at the Nockherberg in Munich where it is mandatory for all Bavarian politicians to be present and even a sprinkling of courageous German politicians. Starts off with the beer hall guests tasting the new strong Lent beer before the real business gets underway. The difference is that here the politicians don’t get the chance to speak but are subject to a Lent sermon from “Mama Bavaria” telling them off for their many sins in the last year. And then followed by a musical where doubles act out the politicians antics. This year it was based on the Kubric/King “The Shining” and an event organised to celebrate 60 years of Political Opposition. Since 1957, Bavaria has been ruled by one party, the sister party to Mrs Merkel’s conservatives but a bit further to the right. The Bavarian Labour party …… isn’t. However throughout the evening, all the politicians from ultra left, ex Communist, to the ruling conservatives (the ultra right, UKIP type, Nationalists were not invited), all got on very well sitting next to each other, slamming beer steins together, laughing and seemingly having a good time. Perhaps when politicians are in common fear of being laughed at, they can unite.
 
This morning, the politics continued as I wanted to see Mrs Merkel’s address to the German parliament, informing them about her ideas on the EU meeting she was about to attend. An excellent speech, I heard every word as well as those of the opposition party speakers who followed. Applause (or not)  at appropriate times but no shouting, gymnastics or antics in the background. I think that if the EU survives some of the coming serious tests for its survival, we will see a greatly improved union and one the UK should and could be part of.
 
Life without emotions would be worthless but always putting emotions before practicalities can lead one down a slippery slope. The UK referendum was based on sensibilities and wholly lacking in sense. I guess the “Rest 27” have a lot to thank the UK for.
 
I then called the UK pensions people to find out what I might expect one day from my NHI payments in years gone by. Not at all Brexit related, simply need some official confirmation to “secure” a mortgage, to put a new roof over our heads. Tried online but that failed, so various telephone numbers that were, eventually but not overly long, always very politely and helpfully, answered. Seems the taped music played while queuing for the next available free advisor is standard at www.gov.uk – Vivaldi Four Seasons – “Spring” at this time of year. However given the piece is often used at marriages, I suspect it may be time to replace it with something more appropriate for a divorce.
 
More appropriate today for our weather would have been another wedding piece but from my, Christian names, namesake and great German and UK immigrant, George Frederick Handel and some of his Water Music. It poured all day. I wasn’t planning on budging from my desk but Angie had been to Erkheim to see what was happening at the EVG bankruptcy sell off. I had sensibly not gone yesterday but was now forced to go as she had bought a few things that had to be transported by trailer and she asked me to help. She had bought some large rain water containers and a large quantity of flax horse bedding bales which were probably some of the only items that were at least ½ price.
 
A sad and somewhat chaotic sight at the EVG. There are no really special deals, simply the stock at slightly (10-30%) reduced prices. Although the Blip photo shows a lack of people that was due to the rain keeping them indoors in the multitude of halls. Emotionally sad to see the EVG pass away but in the form it was being run in, there was little future. Perhaps someone with some good business sense might try something on the site, concentrating on providing unique products and services people buy rather than one’s they like to think they could buy but then get them at a supermarket, DIY store, electrical discounter etc. EVG had everything from a combine harvester to a toilet seat and then not one but 20 types in all colours, with and without dolphins…..