Atoms, Parades and wildfires... What a week!

 

Thanks for all the feedback about the Blog, Podcast, and website, great to know that you’re enjoying the content and that I’m bringing a bit of light relief to your busy lives.  Let’s face it we could all do with a bit of a laugh to take the edge of the rigours of everyday life!

We know that some of you have told us that you rarely have time to read my outpourings and that you would prefer to listen via Spotify and the like, which is why we are going to be making some changes to our lineup.  Firstly, I’m thrilled that we are launching a NEW show on Spotify with the very original title of ‘On air with Jezza’ (I know it’s cheesy but you can’t beat a bit of quattro-fromaggi so I’m told!).  The bi-weekly show will include my view of the world news as well as some great sounds and my general ramblings.  My ‘On The Line…’ blog will now be produced once a month, capturing the highlights of both ‘BOARDING NOW’ (my monthly Vlogcast available on Vimeo and YouTube), and the ‘On air with Jezza’ shows.

Greece has dominated my week with people contacting me for advice about their travel plans to visit the Greek Islands of Rhodes and Corfu.  Firstly, I must pay tribute to the rescue services in Greece who are working round the clock to bring the wildfires under control, putting their own lives at risk in a bid to keep everyone safe! 

My first piece of advice is to implore those currently on location and trying to get back home, to remain calm follow the advice and instructions of those coordinating rescue and repatriation.  It’s a team effort and being selfish will only exacerbate an already difficult situation. 

If you are due to travel to either Island in the immediate future your tour operator should be able to offer you a few options to include rebooking for a later date, travel to an alternative destination or of course a full refund.  If you booked flight only your airline will advise you what options are available to you.  Remember to contact your travel insurers as well. 

Ultimately, if you do not need to travel to any region affected by wildfires please don’t!

The Heatwave across Europe shows no signs of abating for the time being, so if you are heading to warmer shores make sure you pack plenty of suntan lotion and are sensible outdoors.  Continuous hydration with water not alcohol will help prevent heat exhaustion etc.  And of course, remember the staff who are trying their best to keep you safe are also having to cope with the excessive heat and may be more frazzled than you so be patient, polite and understanding.

North Korea is celebrating the 70^th anniversary of the ending of the Korean War over the next few days, and if ever we needed a reminder that diplomacy to overcome conflict is vital it’s the arrival in Pyongyang of the Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu ahead of the Chinese delegation, who will join Kim Jung Un and his entourage in a show of strength and solidarity at the celebration parade.  The world has changed a great deal since the end of the Cold War and traditional thinking must change with it, and I think it’s time that the US appreciates the economic power of the Chinese and other emerging economies as the dollars place at the epicentre of the world’s finances may soon be superseded by the Yuan as the currency to do business with.  It’s a pity that a hand full of humans taint the planet for the rest of us, but you already know my thoughts on conflicts.

Nigel Farage is on a quest to oust NatWest of its entire Board now that the Banks CEO - Dame Alison Rose has mutually agreed with her employer that they should part company for the sake of one and all.  If you’ve been following the story, you’ll know that the CEO of NatWest was less than discreet with a journalist when questioned about the closure of Mr Farage’s bank account.  All I can say is that there are plenty of banks out there for Mr Farage to choose from, or of course he might like to invest in a National Savings  & Investment account to help those less fortunate in the UK, to include HM Treasury who may soon be passing the cap around asking for donations to pay off some the nations debts!  

My ‘Me’ time this week was spent at the cinema again.  I decided to brave the crowds and venture to see…no not Barbie…but Oppenheimer.  What an outstanding film this is!  Beautifully shot, with some outstanding performances by a host of well-known faces, this film tells the story of Robert Oppenheimer and his role in directing the Manhattan Project, the development of the USA’s atomic bomb during WW2.  

The film goes much deeper than simply telling the story of the bomb and takes the audience through the dilemmas Oppenheimer and his colleagues faced as they developed a weapon to end the world.  We also witness the communist paranoia that developed in the US post 1945, and how the organs of the state vilified those that had loyally served the nation shattering their lives and making them scapegoats for other’s inadequacies.  I must say that the film resonated with me, and I can see many parallels with today’s global politics.  A great watch but be sure to take a bottle of water and a few sweets with you as it lasts 3 hours…a visit to the loo before sitting down is advisable! 

Have your say! I’d love to hear what you’d like to see in the blog each week? After all this is all about interaction, so knowing what you think, what you’d like to see me writing about and your views of the world in general would be great!  So, if you have something you want to get off your chest or have a fab idea or two drop us a line and we will try our best to include items that spark debate.

Ideas and feedback can be submitted by using the handy form on my website, be sure to select Blog & Podcast Feedback!  I look forward to hearing from you…