Saturday night was Opera Night.
At the Buccleuch Centre in Langholm, 'the muckle toon', we saw Verdi's opera Macbeth.
Witches, Tantrums, Ghosts, poor judgement and as Shakespeare had it, but Verdi didn't:
'Vaunting ambition that o'er leaps itself and fall down on t'other side'.
It seems to me that the least we can expect from those who lead us is competence.
Once Macbeth started murdering he simply couldn't stop until Macduff finally stopped him.
Much of what happens once a Government is elected is that it should manage its affairs in such a way that the interests of the governed, both those who have elected and this who haven't are served equally and efficiently.
And we all know this.
People recognise good managers when they see them and deplore bad management when they encounter it.
Working people especially.
But all of us in our daily lives can experience the frustrations when matters are not handled competently and can enjoy a sense of well being when they are.
To a large extent thoughtfulness lies at the heart of it.
Whenever decisions are taken quickly and without proper reflection they have to be changed or altered or remade.
So in a family a parent who constantly changes the rules will find that children become confused, unsettled, irritable, simply because they have arrived at a point where, they can't do right for doing wrong.
Then emotions tip over and as in the advert about insurance the sense that there may be trouble ahead grows.
The latest fiasco to hit the headlines and become the talked about item of news is the £1.7 Billion we apparently owe the EU.
Immediately the news breaks the tantrums begin.
Podiums are thumped.
Threats are made.
The anger it seems is real enough.
But then we discover that it has been known about for some time. It is a mechanism that has been implemented because the British Economy is out performing the wider European economy.
That it is not a Bill for this year it is a Bill for eleven years and is therefore a relatively small annual sum which even when it is rolled up is less than 0.6% of Britain's contribution.
Even the FT that august institution in its leader stated that: (Mr Cameron's response is) 'an exaggerated response to what is a somewhat modest issue'.
It's hard to know what is happening as the toys are thrown out of pram, ill considered words are ill chosen to describe the experience of those living in Britain's Towns and Cities, those on welfare and immigrants are held responsible for Britain's deficit whilst, apparently our economy continues to grow and we continue to promise tax reductions to all and sundry.
It seems that, as in the Opera, Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo sitting in judgement at his dining table, so Mr Cameron is constantly unsettled by the sight of Mr Farage raising a glass to toast his growing popularity.
At the Buccleuch Centre in Langholm, 'the muckle toon', we saw Verdi's opera Macbeth.
Witches, Tantrums, Ghosts, poor judgement and as Shakespeare had it, but Verdi didn't:
'Vaunting ambition that o'er leaps itself and fall down on t'other side'.
It seems to me that the least we can expect from those who lead us is competence.
Once Macbeth started murdering he simply couldn't stop until Macduff finally stopped him.
Much of what happens once a Government is elected is that it should manage its affairs in such a way that the interests of the governed, both those who have elected and this who haven't are served equally and efficiently.
And we all know this.
People recognise good managers when they see them and deplore bad management when they encounter it.
Working people especially.
But all of us in our daily lives can experience the frustrations when matters are not handled competently and can enjoy a sense of well being when they are.
To a large extent thoughtfulness lies at the heart of it.
Whenever decisions are taken quickly and without proper reflection they have to be changed or altered or remade.
So in a family a parent who constantly changes the rules will find that children become confused, unsettled, irritable, simply because they have arrived at a point where, they can't do right for doing wrong.
Then emotions tip over and as in the advert about insurance the sense that there may be trouble ahead grows.
The latest fiasco to hit the headlines and become the talked about item of news is the £1.7 Billion we apparently owe the EU.
Immediately the news breaks the tantrums begin.
Podiums are thumped.
Threats are made.
The anger it seems is real enough.
But then we discover that it has been known about for some time. It is a mechanism that has been implemented because the British Economy is out performing the wider European economy.
That it is not a Bill for this year it is a Bill for eleven years and is therefore a relatively small annual sum which even when it is rolled up is less than 0.6% of Britain's contribution.
Even the FT that august institution in its leader stated that: (Mr Cameron's response is) 'an exaggerated response to what is a somewhat modest issue'.
It's hard to know what is happening as the toys are thrown out of pram, ill considered words are ill chosen to describe the experience of those living in Britain's Towns and Cities, those on welfare and immigrants are held responsible for Britain's deficit whilst, apparently our economy continues to grow and we continue to promise tax reductions to all and sundry.
It seems that, as in the Opera, Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo sitting in judgement at his dining table, so Mr Cameron is constantly unsettled by the sight of Mr Farage raising a glass to toast his growing popularity.
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