Salut!

Beirut, Macron and face masks, Trump and Kim Jong-un: a day in tweets

A Middle Eastern city I love on the strength of a single visit 12 years ago is in ruins and in mourning.

Like so many others, including those compiling early news reports, I initially assumed the devastating Beirut explosions would turn out to be an act of terrorism. It now seems extreme criminal negligence was the cause.

Couldn’t agree more. By far my most memorable little trip when love in Abu Dhabi. A grotesque event adding to the crisis-led misery that already existed

— Colin Randall (@salutsunderland) August 5, 2020

The perils of auto-correct. I know I wrote "living in Abu Dhabi".

Just part of an idle day when I spent far too much time on Twitter, which began after Mme Salut spotted this notice outside a shop near the seafront at Saint-Clair, Le Lavandou:

A shopkeeper at Saint-Clair, Le Lavandou acknowledges the French dislike of being told what to do. But no need to phone Paris; reluctant mask-wearers can communicate their désaccord directly as Macron is on holiday at the nearby Fort de Brégançon pic.twitter.com/1oEvjm1Tdh

— Colin Randall (@salutsunderland) August 5, 2020

Britain, formerly of Europe: dark humour on a dark day

Some of us, but not a majority unfortunately, believe Britain has made a terrible mistake. But the deed has been done and the rot, I am sad to say, started in Sunderland, with that whopping vote for Leave early into the count.

I hope Stephanie Perez, one of the France 2 reporters whose work I admire, enjoyed her trip there though I suspect she found Edinburgh, today, more convivial. And for their sakes, I hope any Nissan workers in Sunderland who actually voted for Brexit don't find the choice rebounds on them with a vengeance when the company looks again a investment decisions.

Mark my words: teenspeak and the language tsar

What is the correct age at which adults should start complaining about teenagers? Probably about 35. It is as much a function of old age as noticing how much younger police officers are these days ...

Are the teenagers of today really a bunch of moronic, monosyllabic idlers whose inarticulacy renders them unemployable?