The Old Curiosity Shop..
One of Dickens classics, a dark tale which once again manages to highlight many shades of human nature, foibles and the potential for villainy. Still, to this day a valid testimony to the nature of human beings.
Wiki - “It was so popular that New York readers stormed the wharf when the ship bearing the final instalment arrived in 1841.”
Like all good serials, those interested want to know 'what happens at the end'; in fact in any good yarn, it is the end of the tale which keeps folks reading (or watching), right through until the fatal words 'The End' appear.
The tale of Our Man Higgins mysterious absence is a curious one. Set aside the MH 370 work for a moment and consider some basics, he was very 'private' man regarding his personal life. But even so, had he 'died' from almost any 'normal' cause you can imagine, there would be a body; a death notice; friends and colleagues in the media would have made mention and there would be some form of 'marker' to remembrance. There is nothing; had he gone to ground in a remote jungle or mountain temple, sooner or later there must be some contact with the outside world, even if just to pay the beer bill; alas. Have the authorities checked his bank accounts; is anyone he wrote for still sending cheques; are they being cashed ? We just don't know; and if the authorities do know, then they are keeping very quiet about it. It begs the perennial question 'why'. It is also curious that the media have had very little to say about his absence; which, stand alone is passing strange – one of their own – and nary a word? Aye well, I could, but won't parlay that into a tale of abduction by the ET's who pinched MH 370 – but restraint is advised and levity discouraged, for it is a serious matter....
“Those who are serious in ridiculous matters will be ridiculous in serious matters.”
MH 370 is one of those 'serious' matters; deeply troubling in so many ways. One of the most troublesome is the manner in which the 'story' has been allowed to pass from memory; silence upon silence as public interest wains, replaced by the Covid thing and now cost of living and the Green machine hysteria etc. etc..Taking full advantage if this well scripted hiatus is the ATSB; the outfit who, with no particular skill in Search and Rescue (SAR) bumped the internationally recognised AMSA off the job and promoted the incongruous, inept Dolan (a.k.a. Beaker) to the task. Then, the infamous Hood was promoted from clerical duties to being the boss of the ATSB; now handily placed with CSIRO. Two top cover yes men running the shop while good men languished or resigned; and no sign or hint of the missing aircraft. Did Higgins hunt out the foxes in the chicken shed? A fair question; he was not the only one who looked askance at the rhetoric, spin and evasion promoted at the time, but also the threats made by Hood to ATSB staff; which alone begs many questions. Was Higgins asking those questions? Did he ever have them answered? Will we ever know? (Tote is open on that one)..
“Nothing whets the intelligence more than a passionate suspicion, nothing develops all the faculties of an immature mind more than a trail running away into the dark.
But enough of that mystery; one of the many surrounding the MH 370 tale of woe: the real world of today demands attention, although there is little enough to write home about. For example there was a feint hope that the McDonald 'inquiry' into the non airline sector of Australian aviation would at least lead to the three decade old list of pleaded for reforms being examined and even attended to. Time passing and disinterest have just about killed off that slim hope. The latest round of the 'pass the parcel' game has been picked up by Hitch in the AFM and caught by P2 – HERE -:: no further comment required as history repeats. At least 'history' is a constant....
“History, with all her volumes vast, hath but one page”
There's not really anything much else of note worth beating my long suffering keyboard for – CASA continue down the antic road, desperately trying to convince government that what they do and are planning is worth the obscene amounts of money forked out – in the name of 'safety' – HERE – (if you can stomach it). ASA continue to stumble from cock-up to duck up and back again ensuring our EBH makes his KPI while hoping that two airliners don't bump into one another one dark and stormy, the odds against are good – but not infallible and Murphy loves a challenge.. -HERE. Which brings us to the wee Bearded Popinjay and his epic, global altering utterances on the really important matters; like common or garden bird strikes of rogue drones; quick to grab a headline; any headline in his mission of self promotion – but strangely quiet on serious matters like TIBA becoming a routine rather than a rarity. Aye, such is life in the remote, rarefied atmosphere of the great Canberra bubble, isolated, warm, dry and very well fed.
“I was educated once - it took me years to get over it.”
Aye well; I have my own challenges this week; Tasmanian Black wood; some of with beautiful 'fiddle back' grain to make into a pair of matching doors to an elegant dining room; old style with raised panels. I shall only use hand tools, the very thought of brutalising the timber though machinery turns my stomach. First I must see to sharpness – secondly to design, ensuring none of the magical gain is lost in the working. Best crack on – dry dogs being the first order of business – once the coffee is made, while sending silent prayers to the gods that DT fails to notice the wet, muddy boot and paw prints. Fingers crossed..
Selah...
One of Dickens classics, a dark tale which once again manages to highlight many shades of human nature, foibles and the potential for villainy. Still, to this day a valid testimony to the nature of human beings.
Wiki - “It was so popular that New York readers stormed the wharf when the ship bearing the final instalment arrived in 1841.”
Like all good serials, those interested want to know 'what happens at the end'; in fact in any good yarn, it is the end of the tale which keeps folks reading (or watching), right through until the fatal words 'The End' appear.
The tale of Our Man Higgins mysterious absence is a curious one. Set aside the MH 370 work for a moment and consider some basics, he was very 'private' man regarding his personal life. But even so, had he 'died' from almost any 'normal' cause you can imagine, there would be a body; a death notice; friends and colleagues in the media would have made mention and there would be some form of 'marker' to remembrance. There is nothing; had he gone to ground in a remote jungle or mountain temple, sooner or later there must be some contact with the outside world, even if just to pay the beer bill; alas. Have the authorities checked his bank accounts; is anyone he wrote for still sending cheques; are they being cashed ? We just don't know; and if the authorities do know, then they are keeping very quiet about it. It begs the perennial question 'why'. It is also curious that the media have had very little to say about his absence; which, stand alone is passing strange – one of their own – and nary a word? Aye well, I could, but won't parlay that into a tale of abduction by the ET's who pinched MH 370 – but restraint is advised and levity discouraged, for it is a serious matter....
“Those who are serious in ridiculous matters will be ridiculous in serious matters.”
MH 370 is one of those 'serious' matters; deeply troubling in so many ways. One of the most troublesome is the manner in which the 'story' has been allowed to pass from memory; silence upon silence as public interest wains, replaced by the Covid thing and now cost of living and the Green machine hysteria etc. etc..Taking full advantage if this well scripted hiatus is the ATSB; the outfit who, with no particular skill in Search and Rescue (SAR) bumped the internationally recognised AMSA off the job and promoted the incongruous, inept Dolan (a.k.a. Beaker) to the task. Then, the infamous Hood was promoted from clerical duties to being the boss of the ATSB; now handily placed with CSIRO. Two top cover yes men running the shop while good men languished or resigned; and no sign or hint of the missing aircraft. Did Higgins hunt out the foxes in the chicken shed? A fair question; he was not the only one who looked askance at the rhetoric, spin and evasion promoted at the time, but also the threats made by Hood to ATSB staff; which alone begs many questions. Was Higgins asking those questions? Did he ever have them answered? Will we ever know? (Tote is open on that one)..
“Nothing whets the intelligence more than a passionate suspicion, nothing develops all the faculties of an immature mind more than a trail running away into the dark.
But enough of that mystery; one of the many surrounding the MH 370 tale of woe: the real world of today demands attention, although there is little enough to write home about. For example there was a feint hope that the McDonald 'inquiry' into the non airline sector of Australian aviation would at least lead to the three decade old list of pleaded for reforms being examined and even attended to. Time passing and disinterest have just about killed off that slim hope. The latest round of the 'pass the parcel' game has been picked up by Hitch in the AFM and caught by P2 – HERE -:: no further comment required as history repeats. At least 'history' is a constant....
“History, with all her volumes vast, hath but one page”
There's not really anything much else of note worth beating my long suffering keyboard for – CASA continue down the antic road, desperately trying to convince government that what they do and are planning is worth the obscene amounts of money forked out – in the name of 'safety' – HERE – (if you can stomach it). ASA continue to stumble from cock-up to duck up and back again ensuring our EBH makes his KPI while hoping that two airliners don't bump into one another one dark and stormy, the odds against are good – but not infallible and Murphy loves a challenge.. -HERE. Which brings us to the wee Bearded Popinjay and his epic, global altering utterances on the really important matters; like common or garden bird strikes of rogue drones; quick to grab a headline; any headline in his mission of self promotion – but strangely quiet on serious matters like TIBA becoming a routine rather than a rarity. Aye, such is life in the remote, rarefied atmosphere of the great Canberra bubble, isolated, warm, dry and very well fed.
“I was educated once - it took me years to get over it.”
Aye well; I have my own challenges this week; Tasmanian Black wood; some of with beautiful 'fiddle back' grain to make into a pair of matching doors to an elegant dining room; old style with raised panels. I shall only use hand tools, the very thought of brutalising the timber though machinery turns my stomach. First I must see to sharpness – secondly to design, ensuring none of the magical gain is lost in the working. Best crack on – dry dogs being the first order of business – once the coffee is made, while sending silent prayers to the gods that DT fails to notice the wet, muddy boot and paw prints. Fingers crossed..
Selah...