Fireworks All Around

I don't like to rant. I don't like to espouse my unsolicited opinions. But sometimes situations really get my goat! (By the way, why do I always use animal euphemisms?) How do people get on television as 'experts' in their field? Are any qualifications required? Must they submit a resume? Are their credentials verified?

I am referring to a program that I was casually listening to earlier as I was working on something else that required more of my attention. These 'legal experts' were bantering around the topic of presumption of innocence. One of these 'experts' that I had already and quickly developed a dislike for said "This is America! In America, we are innocent until proven guilty! This is NOT England where you are guilty until proven innocent!" Uh oh. I immediately looked up at the television so I could glare at this woman who made this statement  and I could forever identify her in my mind as someone that knows NOT what she is talking about. And I hate to say it but I was angry. I was angry that a person can get on television and spout untruths. Someone that might not know any better might have heard her say that and made the mistake of thinking that in England people are guilty until proven innocent. England has a much older civilization than we have here and most of these ideas that we have adopted along the way such as 'presumption of innocence' came from them. Anyway, I just had to get that out of my system. I just wish that before making a statement especially when many people are watching that people would research their subjects more thoroughly. (Like who was Paul Revere?) As I asked in the beginning, are NO credentials required in any field these days? Okay, rant over. 'Nuff said.

Knightsbridge Hyde Park, London

I came across this picture that reminded me of an interesting story. Once upon a time, Andrea, Becky, Tommy and I were in London together. We had been out site-seeing all day. We were so very exhausted. We had been over at the Tower of London and maybe Buckingham Palace too. I cannot recall specifically now but what I can recall is that we had been several places not exactly close together. There had been a lot of traveling on buses and in taxis and trains and walking involved. Our feet were aching. We were suffering jet lag in a major way. Even though we had a full day, our itenerary was still full for the evening. We were scheduled to go on a "Jack the Ripper" tour beginning at 10 pm. We had one tour drop us off here at this hotel located in Knightsbridge. This was probably not a good place for us to stop in retrospect. However, it is where the tour people suggested we meet them. The people at this hotel looked at us all like we were the proverbial Ugly Americans. They kept asking us if we could 'sit someplace else' and 'stand someplace else' and asking us what exactly were we doing. We would always explain that we were to meet a tour there and they would act somewhat aghast and say "You are to meet a tour here???" as if we had said we were to meet the Pope there. Periodically, the doormen would ask us if they could hail us a taxi. After being asked this so many times, we got the bright idea to go to the hotel restaurant...not the fancy restaurant, mind you. Even we knew that would never pass muster. We went to more like the 'cafe' of the hotel. After we quietly seated ourselves at a table so as not to draw attention, a cafe personel waiter-type person walked out of nowhere just to ask us if we would mind sitting at the cafe bar. We complied. What else could we do; foreigners in a foreign land as we were. Okay, here comes the sad ending to the story. After we endured numerous insults and condescending scowls from the hotel staff, our tour bus shows up and we are so very thrilled! At long last, we can join up with travelers like ourselves and leave all of this snobbery behind!!! Oh no, the tour bus was overbooked and alas, we were left standing on the sidewalk watching our "Jack the Ripper" tour drive off in the cold London night. We finally made use of one of those doormen, "Okay, you can get us a taxi now." They were happy to see us go.