The Meerkat Muse: 30th of July, 2025

August is nearly upon us, how has July ended, and what has occupied this meerkat for the past couple of weeks?

Site Neglect

I haven’t been able to find the motivation to develop Meerkat Prompts. I’ve been too busy with author projects, whilst the day job has been sapping my energy. I need to correct this particular malfunction, and I might start with pilfering prior prompts from Meerkat Musing’s previous incarnation. There’s certainly a lot of material there, waiting for me to sink my teeth into.

When Silence is Golden

Having recently felt a little out of sorts, one of the things I wanted from the past couple of weeks was a generally stress-free environment at work, and sometimes that would mean no over-the-top filling of a silence. Sometimes, silence is what I prefer. This is not always possible, especially in a retail-sales role, and it is unreasonable to expect everyone to be quiet for my benefit, but sometimes I swear people talk for the sake of it, and I honestly get it, I get that some people are naturally chatty, or they hold a lot of energy, and need a means to release. I am not one of those people, at least not most of the time, and sometimes all I want, all I need, is peace. I am quite happy to not fill a silence with conversation. Alas, I rarely get that sort of peace.

The general headaches at work have led me to booking an interview with somewhere else. There is intrigue here, and risk, as there is in all things, but I am not enjoying my existing job, and I cannot shake the belief that I need a change.

Confronting an old Fear

This meerkat does not like going to the dentist. I guess this doesn’t make me unique, but I have some pretty big reasons. As a cub, I broke a tooth in half in a cycling accident, and this led to several unpleasant trips back and forth to the dentist, which didn’t come to an end until many years later, when I was an adult. There is obviously pain associated with the experience, and lots of stressful memories attached to that.

As an adult, dentistry delivers not only the immediate physical pain, but the financial pain as well. It is not a cheap venture, even on the NHS. However, what with a filling seemingly coming loose (or worse, a tooth getting broken), I can’t exactly ignore it. Well, I can, but it would be ill-advised!

The Flood

OK, so flood is probably too strong a term, but on the 19th it rained, and rained, and rained. Serious thunderstorm alerts had been issued across the south of the country, though these didn’t materialise in my neck of the woods. Nonetheless, it was extremely wet! It can probably be argued that we needed the downpour, because the earth has looked parched, and the grass has turned an unhealthy shade of yellow. I was at work, so I was spared the worst effects of the rain, but my wife was dragged into London by my daughter, who wanted to attend some sort of anime thing. They were stood outside in the inclement conditions for ages!

A Spam Surge

I awoke the other day to a batch of spam comments. Thankfully the filter caught them. This is slightly unusual, as since the reset of Meerkat Musings I’ve been spam-free. I’m hoping this doesn’t mark a sea-change in my spam fortunes.

The Passing of Legends

I cannot claim to be a lover of his music, but few have left as indelible a mark on the music scene as Ozzy Osbourne. The frontman of Black Sabbath made a name for himself as the face of heavy metal, owning what was originally intended as a derogatory label, and transforming it into a genre all its own. A trailblazer who did not shy away from being who he was, Ozzy paved the way for so many others, and then he did it again via a reality TV show about his family and himself. Credited with reinvigorating the reality TV genre, The Osbournes also provided a gateway for new generations to discover Ozzy’s music. With his final gig, he raised millions for charity. What a way to bow out!

It’s also been announced that former WWE wrestler and sports personality Hulk Hogan has passed away. The larger-than-life figure provided huge entertainment for millions, and like Ozzy, will not be forgotten.

Quietly Fuming

Having lost orders and custom more than once to a nearby branch of my employer, largely due to the deliberate and underhanded antics of their manager, it is deeply ironic to receive an email from that showroom, regarding an order I placed. The fitter who placed it did not tell me he had a quote, and I am not in the habit of stealing orders. If I were, turnabout would also be fair play, but I have always tried to hold myself to a higher conduct. If this manager kicks up a fuss, I’ll be inclined to flip them the bird, because they’ve been playing by their own rules for years.

I have a very low tolerance for bullies, so I don’t intend to take this laying down. It has certainly enhanced my desire to leave, and the only thing restraining me from issuing a particularly cutting exit statement would be my respect for my existing colleagues.

The Rebirth of the Left?

More than 300,000 Britons have signed up to a new political party, founded by former Labour MPs Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana. The formation of this new party is in response to the failures of the Labour party, which has drifted toward hard-right policies ala Reform, in a bid to try and counter Reform. Among the more reprehensible positions of Keir Starmer’s Labour government, there is the slashing of benefits for the poor and needy, and a failure to reform Britain’s ailing, privatised water and energy industries to any meaningful degree.

It remains to be seen what sort of policies Corbyn and Sultana will introduce, but we certainly need a true left-wing party to combat the increase in right-wing populism, and Labour certainly cannot be counted upon to be that party.

When it Pours…

What with various things pissing me off with work, the last thing I needed was a call from the wife, telling me we had a leak in the kitchen ceiling! I swear life is testing my patience with these last two weeks, and I am growing sorely fed up.

It’s all relative of course, but it does seem like everything is proving annoying and frustrating of late, and I really need life to stop punching down for a bit.

Tattoo Number 10!

I am hoping to get my 10th tattoo done on Thursday. Whether or not this happens on Thursday is dependent on my tattooist having enough supply of red ink. I should find out today if I can get booked in. Here’s hoping!

Ending on a High

Moving away from the gloom, let’s celebrate something. Let’s celebrate England’s Lionesses, who have not only won back-to-back European Championships, they’ve also become the first England football team to win a major tournament on foreign soil. Whereas the Lions have bottled the last two finals they reached, the Lionesses have roared, again, establishing themselves as one of the best sides in women’s football. The fighting spirit and utter determination (one player played the entire tournament with a fractured bone in her leg!) easily eclipses the Lions, who could learn a thing or two. Congratulations once again to the epic Lionesses!

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