The power of entropy?

On the technical side there's good news and bad news, the bad being the counter has stopped although it was removed from the page months ago, but kept working till last month. But at least my readers haven't all given up, I just don't know how many there are now. I tried to add a new counter but suspect blogger don't like them and wasn't accepted. If anyone can use one here let me know what and I'll start a new one.

Last week was chaotic and busy, but so far have averted all disasters although haven't had the damage to the car assessed yet. My friends who went abroad in 2002 are returning for the second time since, but only to get the visa to stay there, probably permanently. The seven years was not realistic as if you make it that long the roots have already gone too deep. Just the crumbs from now on then. Besides a quick booking tomorrow the week ahead is free so far, not necessarily at the time but would like a quiet one. The weekend was literally a washout if you look at today, sport all day on TV yesterday and a quick photo trip today, plus the gym and that was it. Since randomly finding the first two direction signs on Streetview since it began in March I've been doing that most of the time when home but simply eliminated vast areas of London. It has to be done though as they vanish monthly.

Again I have to trust the system as it stands, starting tomorrow. Not a clue if not raining, I'll probably look to see a blank area on the map and see what photos can be taken there. They'll run out sooner or later but will cross that bridge when I come to it. My school year started turning 50 last month and one by one we'll be falling till next august. I'm probably the only single one and one with no children, but I never followed the crowd. Business wise I was decades ahead as came naturally but women did not. Or exams, but I just had to have enough tuition to work out what to do before I was chucked out.
The unfortunate pattern I see though says the principles of inertia and stasis must rule everything besides the exceptions. That means people always act in their own interests when you need something from them, if they help you it's usually a coincidence as it helps them as well. People may want to see you but often only when they're bored. They will scrounge favours until they are on their deathbeds, not answer direct questions, forget to do things, and all the other selfish and unreliable things most people do every day.

This extends to groups, as they contain people who misbehave in unison, from governments to management groups. Power will nearly always be abused, the worst decisions made as they are for special interests only, and basically a culture of lying even in the face of the truth. Global warming exposes the worst of everyone, the evil bastards who steal our money in the cause, and the poor sods who still believe something anyone over 5 could work out if they took half an hour to analyse it. I have been forced to forge a personal path of truth and development separate from everything else, and the best I can do for others is teach by example. I am free of anger, the rare times it does come I am aware and know it can be taken or left. I stopped being affected by the end of relationships nearly 40 years ago for survival. If I can everyone can. And many more. Entropy is the trend of matter to destruction. If you leave anything long enough it decays. Some people learn not to behave badly but the ones I've tested recently failed every go.

So I expect nothing better, any more is a bonus but the woman last week was a leopard with spots like poor Steven Hendry's. There are a handful of good people I know and trust, but they are not politicians, my bosses, and rarely those who can pull strings in any of my projects. So I go it alone and each time the vast majority simply let me down, as although most would suffer little to help it's not in their repertoire to do so.

Naming and shaming, The South London Press, Dulwich Times (or whatever they call it), The Sun, Harrow Observer and Channel 4 on the media front so far, a whole website, the woman last week, her sister, both major parties in the UK (punish the sick? David Cameron should be struck down with a selection himself and then he'd understand), Barnet council (twice), a resident's association within it, Harrow School, Transport for London (half marks, they tried to help but my cat could have done a better job, even from the grave), Brent council, Hackney council, Southwark council, Spelthorne council highways department, and many more I can't think of at 3am.
There are flowers as well, such as Hertfordshire highways, but that is a different entry. And I'll never expect better now, the chances any of these guys getting you what you want are like throwing five sixes in poker dice.

A week of tossers (so far).

I have so many half done projects at the moment and besides the everyday road signs that are collected simply by hard work the only bigger prize I've got is a rare warning one (although missing the warning triangle). I've aimed too high as usual, apparently, trying to get the earth to spin the other way according to all the fuss my requests seem to cause. Except getting a TV producer to do their fucking job and not leave it to the (unpaid) participants. I have left so many messages and items with so many people the best replies I've managed so far are 'Sorry, it's not us'. Besides one I reported which pledged support to old road signs just before they removed about 6 of them. It's like being in a world of psychopaths as soon as you want anything to do something beyond the everyday, and only shown up what a bunch of shits work in government and media until shown otherwise.
It wasn't always the same, I managed four TV programmes smoothly before it all fell apart when raising the bar. The jump from satellite to terrestrial is the same as A level to postgrad and equally tough to make, as is local to national newspapers. They are sharks, not just known by my experience but others who say how they find loopholes in the law, well one actually, you can lie as long as a) it won't hurt someone's reputation and b) if it might they can't afford to sue you. ie they do almost what they like and keep a fund for damages in case they get it wrong. And I let these cunts interview me...

Well, you can see I've not had a good week so far and see no more ahead. The one time I was given any power at all I used it to help and look after people. Some there still do but that is not what gets them promotion or even recognition, it is keeping a low profile. Keep your head down, do as you're told. And never disagree. Doing your job well counts for squat besides turning up and being seen to be around. Any more is dismissed as not important as it's about keeping the place tidy, not happy. How depressing.

I have been forced to do the right thing then, to forget every job I've passed on to others (except to keep a date to remind them) as once you've discharged your duty (that's a real phrase, I didn't just make it up) you needn't meditate over it but move on. I have a few longer trips ahead and the days are getting longer so I can do them. The first may be on Thursday, no signs, just old places I know. Meanwhile in the background the pile of replies (and a couple of favours) building up is growing, and besides those that take weeks to reply some will just wither on the vine and disappear. I think the TV programme will as it was wrong from the start and can't see that really making it. Now if they drop it it will be for sale and should I be able to afford it can then take it over as I think the cast will trust me as I got them the job. Imagine that, a TV producer by mistake. But I think I know nearly as much about it as they do now after trying to sweep up behind them for a couple of years. Like buying a house. No one better to do it than the buyer.

Well life has managed to piss away a whole day today, first appointment DNA (business term for forgot to turn up), sign I drove miles to had been replaced, and no replies from any corner. I must expect too much but if you look at what you should expect it means 99% of the people we rely on to improve the quality of our life are total wankers. Oh dear. It can't be both so what else is left?

If you want it done, do it yourself

Most people are selfish sods. If your request doesn't coincide with their agenda they will start helping you just to the point it diverges from their own plans and they fuck off like they've just picked your pocket. I've had more bastards do this to me with the sign campaign than usual, plus others who use me to try and sort out their own schemes instead. Unfortunately it shows that few people want to help for the sake of a good cause and because they have the power and we haven't. They are a handful. The rest want something out of it. Normally it's when you can help their career or project. If they start helping and find it's not getting them what they hoped they turn round and run. Two newspapers, council members aplenty and more. In fact, in this project, not one person in authority has done a fucking thing to help. Many started but none have actually finished a single request through to the end and I am left doing the whole lot on my own as usual.

The actual progress has reached to finally getting not only my first pre 1963 warning sign, but the same one I missed on my old block. It had its triangle missing but otherwise in good order. Besides that I've carried on digging up more old direction signs further and further away, including Hertford, near Woking, and a couple of B road signs one from the 1920s in Southwark. And many more roads to cover as the map is still offering new roads as I work through it.
Now if just one person was to turn around and want to help on this not to get a promotion or one of their own ideas get done I will be very happy. Like the Japanese custom, many Brits say yes and mean no and are just wasting everyone's time. And some come to me! They say how interesting it is, and can I give them an interview and then nothing. And this time it's not me as all I'm doing is giving them a history lesson, not entertaining anyone. I have more calls to make next week and this time the people may even be in their office.

Everything else is a mystery but little has been a surprise. It's not that many people are against you, but very few are for. Different motive but same result.