Normal service will be resumed ...........

I have given in to the music trend. Next thing is need is a chav's Burberry hat to go with my nice new 20GB iPod. What I have to do now is load my CDs into this machine and then move them across to the little white box. I have a fairly good collection of disks but do not listen to them as often as I would possibly like 'cos it means sorting them, loading them into the player, getting settled and then pressing play. I've already got a set of ear-phones that fasten onto ears like oysters; I found you need teenagers ears to use the supplied ones. I can go back to the days when we used to tune in, turn on and drop out but not with exotic substances this time. What I reckon is that even when I've loaded all my music it will not be 20GB and I can sell the CDs to Barter Books and most likely get back the money I paid for the iPod. Another benefit is that I can cover my decreasing hearing syndrome with pretence that I'm chillin' with Willie or perving with Parton.
So, normal service will be resumed when all is loaded. Go - maestro.

Degrees of darkness

This Mark Urban guy is supposed to be a pretty smart cookie. However, someone dug up this comment from him:'Of course, many people are saying they made the mistakes they did because they were relatively inexperienced suicide bombers’ I suppose he can now add a Degree for stating the bleeding obvious to his CV.

This is a real cat

I may have given the impression here that I am exclusively a dog man. This is no more true than the suggestion that I am a (belly dancer's) belly man. It is just that I find cats incommunicative other than when scrounging. However, this is a cat that did get through to me. It was a feral cat in Bahrain. I imagine that being a free-spirit cat is hard at the best of times but in Bahrain it must be something like Superman. The heat is terrible and the locals are handy with heaving bricks at things.

This based itself near our office bungalow. In time, it got used to most of us but no one could get within ten feet of it. We used to throw food to her but she would refuse it all the while we remained in sight. Once we retreated, she would dash in and devour whatever we left - even quite fierce chicken curry. In appearance, she was exactly like the sort of cats one sees in ancient Egyptian manuscripts. A long neck with small head carried high.

She was obviously not totally feral as we saw her shape change and realised she was pregnant. We threw out odds and ends of woolen items and uprated the food. She had the one kitten - wth her above. She did not mature with any maternal instinct but the kitten did not have any inborn fear of humans. It would happily come into the office and the greatest game was to attack the keys of the typewriter when one was trying to write reports. She also enjoyed ataking the paper screwed up into a ball when she  distrated the typist. Mum would come just to outside the door and just put her head round the corner with loud moaning. I don't know what hapened to her as she was still there when I left but I often think back to her spirit of independence in making her own way.

Rolling in the blogs

Since 7/7 (why did we have to adopt the American system of marking disasters with a date?), I’ve started to get an insight into just how effective blogging can be. Hundreds of sans-pied journalists have contributed to just about every aspect of the events of that day. Some of those injured have set out their stories and I can imagine that that has helped with some of the obvious PTSD. We have had Islamic apologists, condemners of Muslims, pro- and anti-Iraq war warriors, conspiracy theorists. Hordes of people are expressing themselves without going through the filter of professional journalism. Given that the main media is subject to the slant of Murdoch, Ted Turner or whoever owns a network and to the curse of political correctness (BBC bombers not terrorists), this can only be a good thing. Some of those blogging may well move into the reporting profession and, hopefully, will take their freshness with them. I think I can say that I have spent more time reading blogs than I have reading the two newspapers we get everyday.
Looking back over that last paragraph, I’ve roused something that does grip my goat with some bloggers. They are the sort who cannot be bothered to do anything other than Here’s a good story (link), what do you think of this (link) so that one is constantly switching hither and yin. If it’s good, stick it on the side as a blogroll. Then there are those who write ‘Me and Janey hooked up late last night and after a boozy reunion we ……… (read more). Another irritant are those who somehow restrict the number of topics one can get to at one time so that it needs constant dragging back from archives. I’ve seen one or two where the daily etc. entries scroll down as they would in a paper diary rather than trying to catch-up on a story by having to go back up when one wants the next instalment.
Another thing that I find amazing is the spread of subjects on which people blog. I’ve spent a lot of time using Google to input all sorts of random word followed by blog. I’ve not yet had a negative report. Even using the rude words seems to work. Already there are loads of blogs on what I suppose one might call the sleazy side of life. I read a while back the supposed story of the high rate hooker who went by the fromage-name of Belle de Jour. This struck me as identical to the porno books published in Paris at the start and mid-50s – Story of ‘O’ and that sort of thing. She has many imitators who – I use the word purposely – exhibit a better knowledge of the velvet brothel than Belle. I spoke about the release that bomb victims might get and I suppose the same applies to these writers who seem to be, in the main, female Some have no qualms about identifying themselves. A lady who lectures on the finer parts of fellatio advertises her book on the same subject – on special at Amazon no less. I go back to a time when women were referred to as lay-dees and I am still surprised when I find a woman/lay-dee expressing her desires and most intimate moments in basic terms on paper or – even more so – on the Internet. Back in a past life (now, sadly, no more), I occasionally had to read peoples’ diaries and personal letters and came across much free expression. But, to find this sort of self-revelation on the web is rather like being told that Maggie Thatcher practised frottage. Not that such things took place but – really – involving her!

John Wayne is not dead

I think this young man owes someone a few hours on his knees in the praying and giving thanks position.

Tanks but No Tanks

I have been thinking more about my fish tank project. It seems rather daunting; there is talk of nitrogen cycles and much other stuff not seen by me since upper Sixth days. Even filling the tank with water has its own mysteries. The water has to be changed by a seriously complicated procedure.
My experience as a kid with fish was dead simple. We had three big fat goldfish – Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill. They lived in a galvanised water storage tank in the garden. No air pumping, no plants, no feeding. Nothing at all in the way of care. They occasionally froze when the temperature went down but resumed their full aquatic life when things got warmer. Nice, simple and uncomplicated.
As I read the care and attention required to keep a few slices of carrot alive, I realised that all I wanted was the end experience of seeing neon-glowing objects moving about in abstract patterns. It is not that I could not soon get up to speed on the requirements; I’m just not interested in that part of the project.
So, the fish thing is dead in the water.
I now have to think of something else, or, horror of horrors, decline any sort of birthday present. Maybe if anyone knows of a shiny pole and a lady dancer?

Letter from America

Recent events have caused many to reflect on what makes Muslims tick. What makes a suicide bomber? How do the really see us?
I may have found something that goes toward getting an insight - certainly how one Iraqi woman feels after a fairly prolonged stay in America. Of all the Islamic 'experts', this woman strikes the best chord with me.

Is murder Islamic?

Read the Friday entry from this guy. He has got the situation just right for my money.

No further comment

It was us who sent the convicts there

Maybe this is why I don't like Australians? The guy may well be right and I certainly support his right to say it, but, does he need to say it right now?

Sun worship

Thanks to Charles Russell, his heirs and successors and any copywright holder for this painting which - I think - well illustrates the theme of sun worship. After the past seven days we have been well served by Ra. One might even say Ra Ra. Whilst this part of Scotland really is Bonny at this time of the year, everything looks so much nicer when shimmering in a heat haze. The horrible oily acid-yellow sheen from the rape has gone, there is not too much plastic growing in the fields and the cereals are a lovely gold. Now is the time to haunt the farm shops looking for the best of the vegetables.
Who knows - maybe even the farmers will be a little bit happy despite the rumours of hard times ahead. The talk of hill farmers being heavily pressed is bad news. They are the guys who really know how to bully the land into production through the jaws of the sheep. If they go, we will be left with large swathes of the land doing nothing. Dept. for the Eradication of Farming Anywhere seem to think the hills will be taken over by vast queues of black, Asian and multi-ethnic people fighting to roam at will, so, that will be another concept of the wonders of multi-racial Britain down and round the pan.
Don't know about you dear Reader, but the world seems dull after the media overload of last week. We were being - sorry about this - bombarded from all sides with news that was horrible in content but almost unique to us here on our "precious stone set in the silver sea, this sceptered isle". It started to have a fascination all it's own when many were shown what goes on in some of the darker spots behind curtains drawn all day and night. Slightly less precious I think although, thank the Lord, still sceptered. For a while, even the unlikely happenings in the soap-operas seemed normal run of the mill events. It is sobering to think that in a number of places around the world, actions such as the attacks on our transport system are quite commonplace, everyday events.

Silence

I was very impressed by the 2 minute silence yesterday. The television reports from around the world showed large crowds all observing this united mark of respect to those who were involved in the events of last week. I did not see even one person fail to halt what they were doing. Drivers got out of their vehicles and all were standing. Even small children were quiet and still. There have been other calls for such a demonstration after other tragic events that were not universally answered and I feared this one would be ignored in the same way. The other thing was the inclusion of all races so it was not just a Bulldog Spirit sort of thing.
We may yet have to face further cowardly attacks on innocent citizens. Were I a terrorist (or, as the BBC avers - a bomber) I would save my efforts and go elsewhere. The 'We Are Not Afraid' banners said it all. It was as much this spirit of resistence as it was respect that impressed me.

Another source of pride has been the police investigation. Evidence sought was prioritised and the work of the CCTV viewers was amply rewarded. There may be criticism about the lack of warning; and that is not a matter for right now anyway, but the enquiry officers may rightly hold their heads high. The simple image of our Queen will be with me for a long time. With her, showing solidarity in this manner is inherited from her parents who were fastidious about showing themselves during the Blitz period of the last war. No shall we, should we, faffing around as there was at the time of Diana's demise. As a Brit it is not in my background to be too demonstrative but right now I'm very proud to be one.
Respect and sympathy to those who have to live on in the absence of loved ones who have gone before to join the Great Majority.

Visits round the World

Removed

USA - Places visited

Removed

Options for Death

http://www.guardian.co.uk/notesandqueries/query/0,,-10562,00.html

Interesting - but is it true?

Note the date - back in 2004. Cohen (I will frown at that name in connection with Islamist plotting) does not say whether this is a reporter-speak collection of theories or totally factual. I repeat it with that proviso but I have not found any retraction of the report. The Luton connection back in 2004 was lucky if this is just bullsh*t.

Terror on the dole By David Cohen, Evening Standard 20 April 2004
Four young British Muslims in their twenties - a social worker, an IT
specialist, a security guard and a financial adviser - occupy a table at a
fast-food chicken restaurant in Luton. Perched on their plastic chairs, wolfing
down their dinner, they seem just ordinary young men. Yet out of their mouths
pour heated words of revolution.
"As far as I'm concerned, when they bomb
London, the bigger the better," says Abdul Haq, the social worker. "I know it's
going to happen because Sheikh bin Laden said so. Like Bali, like Turkey, like
Madrid - I pray for it, I look forward to the day."
"Pass the brown sauce,
brother," says Abu Malaahim, the IT specialist, devouring his chicken and chips.
"I agree with you, brother," says Abu Yusuf, the earnest-looking financial
adviser sitting opposite. "I would like to see the Mujahideen coming into London
and killing thousands, whether with nuclear weapons or germ warfare. And if they
need a safehouse, they can stay in mine - and if they need some fertiliser [for
a bomb], I'll tell them where to get it."
His friend, Abu Musa, the security
guard, smiles radiantly. "It will be a day of joy for me," he adds, speaking
with a slight lisp.
As they talk, a man with a bushy beard, dressed in a
jacket emblazoned with the word "Jihad", stands and watches over them, handing
around cups of steaming hot coffee. His real name is Ishtiaq Alamgir, but he
goes by his adopted name, Sayful Islam, meaning "Sword of Islam". He is the
24-year-old leader of the Luton branch of al-Muhajiroun, an extremist Muslim
group with about 800 members countrywide, who regard Osama bin Laden as their
hero.
Until recently, nobody took the fanatical beliefs of al-Muhajiroun too
seriously, believing that a British-based group so brazenly "out there" could
not be involved in something as "underground" as terrorism. The group is led by
the exiled Saudi, Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammad, from his base in north London.
Yesterday, in a magazine article, Bakri warned that several radical groups are
poised to strike in London.
For all its inflammatory rhetoric, al-Muhajiroun
has never been linked to actual violence. Yet, with the discovery last month of
half-a-tonne of ammonium nitrate fertiliser - the same explosive ingredient used
in the Bali and Turkey terror attacks - and with the arrest of eight young
British Muslims in London and the South-East, including six in Luton, extremist
groups such as al-Muhajiroun are under the spotlight like never before.
Detectives fear that the "enemy within", the homegrown extremists leading
apparently normal lives in suburbia, now pose the greatest threat to security in
Britain. Sayful and his friends fit this "homegrown" profile: three were born
here, two came as young children from Pakistan; all were educated in local Luton
schools; and they grew up in families of full employment - one of their fathers
is a retired local businessman, two are engineers, and two worked in the local
Vauxhall car plant.
The question is: how worried should we be? Is
al-Muhajiroun nothing more than a repository for disaffected Muslim youths who
have adopted an extreme interpretation of Islam - perhaps to cock a snook at the
white establishment - but who are essentially posturing? Or does the group also
perform a more sinister function, sucking in alienated young men and
brainwashing the more impressionable into becoming future suicide bombers?
Although none of the arrested Muslims - aged 17 to 32 - appear to be current
al-Muhajiroun members, rumours have circulated of informal links to the group.
Moreover, parents of the arrested men have spoken anxiously of the "radicalising
influence" of al-Muhajiroun militants who " corrupt" their children at mosques.
Nowhere has this public confrontation between radicals and moderates been
more apparent than in Luton, which has the highest density of Muslims in the
South-East - 28,000 out of a total population of 140,000 - and has long been
regarded as a hotbed of extremism.
Sayful Islam, for one, is particularly
proud of his contribution to Luton's hardline reputation. His exploits include
covering the town with " Magnificent 19" posters glorifying the 11 September
suicide bombers. "When I joined al-Muhajiroun four years ago, there were five
local members," he says. "Now there are more than 50 and hundreds more support
us."
The strange thing is that four years ago, Sayful Islam was a jeans-clad
student completing his degree in business economics at Middlesex University in
Hendon, north London.
The son of a British Rail engineer who came to this
country from Pakistan, Sayful grew up in a moderate, middle-class Muslim family
in Luton. At the local Denbigh High School, he is remembered as one of the
smartest kids, and was selected to attend a science masterclass at Cambridge
University. He would go on to marry, have two children and find work as an
accountant for the Inland Revenue in Luton. He was thoroughly uninterested in
politics.
THEN he met Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammad at a local event. Within
two years, he had swapped his decently paid job as an accountant for an unpaid
one as a political agitator. What turned him into an extremist? And how far is
he prepared to go to achieve his aims?
Prior to seeing the group at the
fastfood restaurant, Sayful meets me at his semi-detached rented home in Bury
Park, Luton's Muslim neighbourhood. He no longer works, even though he is
able-bodied, he admits, preferring instead to claim housing benefit and
jobseeker's allowance. He smiles sheepishly and says the irony is not lost on
him that the British state is supporting him financially, even as he plots to
"overthrow it".
"I made a decision that I wanted to follow what Islam really
said," Sayful begins, sitting on his sofa in his thowb (a traditional robe) and
bare feet. "I went to listen to all the local imams, but I found their portrayal
of Islam was too secularised. When I heard Sheikh Omar [the leader] of
al-Muhajiroun speak, it was pure Islam, with no compromise. I found that
appealing.
"At the same time," continues Sayful, "wars were happening in
Bosnia, Kosovo, Chechnya, Afghanistan. People were being oppressed simply
because they were Muslim. Although I had never experienced racism in the UK, it
opened the eyes of a lot of Muslims, including mine."
But it was the events
of 11 September that crystallised Sayful's worldview. "When I watched those
planes go into the Twin Towers, I felt elated," he says. "That magnificent
action split the world into two camps: you were either with Islam and al Qaeda,
or with the enemy. I decided to quit my job and commit myself full-time to
al-Muhajiroun." Now he does not consider himself British. "I am a Muslim living
in Britain, and I give my allegiance only to Allah."
According to Sayful,
the aim of al-Muhajiroun ("the immigrants") is nothing less than Khilafah - "the
worldwide domination of Islam". The way to achieve this, he says, is by Jihad,
led by Bin Laden. "I support him 100 per cent."
Does that support extend to
violent acts of terrorism in the UK?
"Yes," he replies, unequivocally. "When
a bomb attack happens here, I won't be against it, even if it kills my own
children. Islam is clear: Muslims living in lands that are occupied have the
right to attack their invaders.
"Britain became a legitimate target when it
sent troops to Iraq. But it is against Islam for me to engage personally in acts
of terrorism in the UK because I live here. According to Islam, I have a
covenant of security with the UK, as long as they allow us Muslims to live here
in peace."
HE USES the phrase "covenant of security" constantly. He attempts
to explain. "If we want to engage in terrorism, we would have to leave the
country," he says. "It is against Islam to do otherwise." Such a course of
action, he says, he is not prepared to undertake. This is why, Sayful claims, it
is consistent, and not cowardly, for him to espouse the rhetoric of terrorism,
the "martyrdom-operations", while simultaneouslylimiting himself to
nonviolentactions such as leafletting outside Luton town hall.
He denies any
link between al-Muhajiroun and the Muslims arrested in the recent police raids.
But, as I later discover at the fastfood restaurant, not everyone attaching
themselves, however loosely, to al-Muhajiroun draws the same line. Two members
of the group - Abu Yusuf, the financial adviser, and Abu Musa, the security
guard - scorn al-Muhajiroun as "too moderate".
"I am freelance," says Abu
Yusuf, fixing me with his piercing brown eyes. What does that mean? I ask.
"The difference between us and those two," interjects Abu Malaahim, pointing
to Musa and Yusuf, "is that us lot do a verbal thing, [but] those brothers
actually want to do a physical thing."
Referring to the latest truce offered
by Bin Laden, and Britain's scathing rejection of it, Abu Malaahim adds: "He
tried to make a peace deal. When terrorism happens, you will only have
yourselves to blame."
How far are you prepared to go? I ask.
"You want
to know how far I will go," says Abu Musa, his high-pitched lisp rising an
octave. "When Allah said in the Koran 'kill and be killed', that's what I want.
I want a martyr operation, where I kill my enemy."
Are you saying, I probe,
that you are looking to kill people yourself ? "Yes," Abu Musa says, "to kill
and to be killed." He emphasises each word.
What's stopped you doing it? "As
you know from watching the news," intones Abu Yusuf, "there are brothers who do
leave the country and do it." He is referring to the four Muslims from Luton who
died fighting for the Taliban in Afghanistan, and the two British Muslims, said
to have had ties to al-Muhajiroun, who last April left to become suicide bombers
in Israel. "In-shallah [ Godwilling], there will be a time to go."
It is
hard to know whether Musa and Yusuf are deadly serious or just pumped full of
misguided, youthful bravado. Though I see coldness - even ruthlessness - in
their eyes, I sense no malice. Both young men agree, perhaps foolishly, to be
quoted using their real names, though they decline photographs - thus
illustrating their uncertainty of which way to jump.
Muhammad Sulaiman,
president of the Islamic Cultural Society, the largest of the 14 mosques in
Luton, dismisses al-Muhajiroun as "verbal diarrhoea".
"They are an extreme
Right-wing group - the Muslim version of the BNP," he says disdainfully. "They
think Muslims should dominate, just like the BNP thinks whites should dominate.
They use Islam as a vehicle to promote their distorted beliefs, particularly to
unemployed young bloods who are vulnerable."
ALTHOUGH unemployment in Luton
is just six per cent, the rate among Muslim youths is estimated at 25 per cent.
"They are no more representative of our Muslim community than the BNP are of the
white community."
Sulaiman insists that Sayful Islam and his crew are not
welcome at the mosque. He cannot prevent them praying there, but he will never
give them a platform. "I've told Sayful to bugger off and ejected him many
times," he says brusquely. "Even Sayful's father, who I know well, thinks his
son has been brainwashed."
But Sayful and his friends laugh at the idea that
they are local pariahs. "The mosques say one thing to the public, and something
else to us. Let's just say that the face you see and the face we see are two
different faces," says Abdul Haq. "Believe me," adds Musa, "behind closed doors,
there are no moderate Muslims."
They also mock the idea that they are
attracted to al-Muhajiroun because they have suffered alienation from white
society. "Do we look like scum?" they ask. "Do we look illiterate?"
As they
call for the bill, Abu Malaahim flicks open his 3G mobile phone and, with a
satisfied grin, displays the image, downloaded from the internet, of an American
Humvee burning in Iraq.
Abu Yusuf says: "That's nothing. I downloaded the
picture of the four burnt Americans hanging from the bridge." It's oneupmanship,
al-Muhajiroun style.
Sayful, the only married one in the group, prepares to
go home to his wife and children. Before he departs, he says he has a message to
deliver.
"I want to warn that the police raids - if repeated - could create
a bad situation.
"Islam is not like Christianity, where they turn the other
cheek. If they raid our homes, it could lead to the covenant of security being
broken.
"Islam allows us to retaliate. That would include" - he tugs his
"Jihad" coat tight against the night air - "by violent means."

Male chauvinist pig

Someone commented that I made a sexist remark. Yeah, well, that sometimes happens. My attitude in this respect has not been critiqued since the good old days when such comments were taken as the sign of a male chauvinist pig. That is some way back now. A supervisor who worked for me was fervent disciple of Gloria Steinem and had studied at her feet. Having been through many debates and discussions with her, I can say that I may not agree with the Movement but I would defend to the death their right to talk about it.
If I were to have serious sexist remark intentions there would be more of this sort of thing

There’s a big plasma screen in this hospital emergency room that’s used as a
tracking board, and the PC it’s attached to is in a nearby closet. An ER nurse
watches as IT pilot fish pulls the mouse through the doorway to adjust the
active window on the screen. “We didn’t know that the mouse cord could stretch that far,” nurse tells fish. “Whenever we want to use the mouse, we’ve used two people -- one moving the mouse blindly, the other yelling ‘right,’ ‘left,’ ‘up’ or ‘down.’ ” Comes from here.

Yes- I know the nurse might have been a male. Still, this is enough explanation from me. Sorry if I 've taken a gentle comment as something that merits all the above and, yes, sometimes I am thin-skinned. "If you prick me, do I not bleed?" as the man said (no insult to those of the Hebrew faith)

Whilst it is own-up time, I'd better admit that I sometimes say things which might be - in these modern times - racist or even bigoted. What I am not is mealy-mouthed about it.

No comment needed!

Oldhorsetailsnake tells me this sort of thing is big in Japan.

What I have to suffer

The story to this is that I wanted to have a photo for my picture blog. I briefed Norma that
My head and cap were to be main feature of the shot.
They should occupy the bottom left hand corner of the frame
The head and cap should be almost life size
No buildings should appear in the background. Water and trees only
I set the camera up in wide angle. I stood Norma where I wanted her to be. I put the camera in her hand with the lens pointing outwards. I then told her to go for it.
Ten minutes later I am still posing waiting for OK. I got fed up thinking I must not have heard OK. As I move Norma squeaks that I moved while the picture was being taken. What you see is how she responded to my brief and instructions.
Women - only good for childbirth!
Had the photo worked it would have been captioned 'Forward my Panzer Korps'

Silk purse from pig's ear?

I hold no brief for anyone who attacks my country or countrymen. Black, white or khaki – immaterial. However, despite this I am a little amazed by the sort of outcry we now have that the guys who did it were British, How could they etc. What has gone wrong de dah. My thinking is that nationality has absolutely nothing to do with what they did. Had they been young lads in red tunics who died attacking the evil Mahdi we would have said they died for their country. Had one of the F1 drivers at a Grand Prix had his last sudden pit stop, we would say he died doing what he enjoyed most. How do we know that any of the four did not think they were doing it for their country or were enjoying their self-imposed martyrdom?
What is worthy of debate is the way they attained their nationality. Being born in a country does not make children representative of their birth-place any more than kittens born in a laundry basket are dirty socks. This is where the ‘do they play cricket’ test comes into play. British nationality is something to be earned and not dished out to the progeny of any woman who can drag her distended belly ashore at Dover. There must be proper assimilation into the British culture and way of life. Maintaining a, say, Pakistani life style in the middle of Manchester will only ensure that the characteristics merge and we have some sort of mongrel that is neither Pakistani nor English. The deaths of the bombers emphasise that they had no idea of the English attitude that suicide is wrong. We, the British, are mostly surprised that they thought their deaths would influence anything or anyone.
All this said, what happened does require reasoned thought and action. Just exactly why did they think they needed to do anything? Were they influenced by some older and more evil master? Did they form their own opinion that what they did was the only course of action open to them? If Iraq was the root of things, we need to get some better propaganda out into the public mind. Even – heavens forefend – admit that it was a genuine mistake. My own experience is that, in the end, terrorists win. Kenya. Cuba. Rhodesia. Northern Ireland. Aden – the list is long. They may not get all they want but they make gains. The government realises it cannot defeat terror without taking such extreme measures as will lose it popular support. The terrorists admit that they will never defeat the armed forces against them. They negotiate and both sides compromise. That must be our agenda. What is the position that both sides can accept. Formalise it. Implement it. And then get on with living together – if needs be, even in mutual distrust that does not degenerate to conflict. There are far better things to do than carry bombs about or opening fire ‘to defend one’s self or comrades’.
There is an interesting point of view here.

I may regret this!!

This is supposed to be a semi-serious personality test. I've been through a few of these on management etc. courses and they all seem to say much the same. There's a link at the bottom if you have this sort of morbid interest. Disorder Rating
Paranoid:	Moderate
Schizoid:	High
Schizotypal:	Moderate
Antisocial:	High
Borderline:	Low
Histrionic:	Moderate
Narcissistic:	High
Avoidant:	Low
Dependent:	Low
Obsessive-Compulsive:	Moderate
-- Personality Disorder Test -- -- Personality Disorder Information --

Catch up

Nice to see that the Met can still hack it when it comes to big investigations.
I mentioned a young woman a couple of days ago with hope she would have an answer quickly. Yvonne has now been informed that her partner did in fact die on the bus.
BBC are reported to have edited some reports where they spoke about 'terrorists'. Said it was too emotive a word and they have susbstituted 'bombers' Let us hope that when they come to deal with the final reporting they will be accurate and refer to 'Islamic fundamentalist murderers' This adjustment of history can be a bad thing. We saw what happened when the false story about Himmler got into the National Archives. The BBC has made some very good history programmes (especially the ones about the 39-45 War and Auschweitz). These used film from those times. The validity of any programme about this period may be corrupted by this attention to what is considered to be political correctness. Words mean what they say. If someone causes terror - they are a terrorist. OK, they did it with bombs so they become terrorist bombers. What is so difficult about that?

Voices, voices.

There are voices in my head.
They speak to me.
Telling me to say inappropriate things.
At unsuitable times.

I was in the Mojave Desert branch of Morrisons today. Checking out the very large eggs to ensure that all six in the box were unbroken. Alongside me, similarly engaged, was a lady who I took to be somewhat older than me. Very elegant in general manner, handkerchief/Liberty/Tana lawn cotton shirtwaist dress, sensible shoes, pearl necklace. I had a bad box, she replaced two boxes. As she started to move away I said, “Better times when the little girl assistant in Liptons checked things” She smiled and answered, “You are showing your age” My inner voice said out loud, “I’d show my bum if it got me better service” She burst into giggles, tapped me on the arm and toddled off. Doubtless the bridge club will hear of it tonight.
I used to play bridge when I had a brain. It was consigned to ‘used’ as I got fed up with the post-mortem after every hand and I came to the conclusion that the attraction was the debate and chat. Same thing put me off golf. I was taken to a very posh club as part of some corporate hostility day. I lasted as far as the sixth hole before I was forced to declare that an old whore wound was being aggravated by the swinging. There was no way I could have continued listening to the faux compliments and debate on shots taken. I don’t think I could ever get into something played in what I considered to be a quasi-religious manner. The only time I took part in team sports involved rowing and cycling. Both very much spit and sawdust activities where the post-race festivities are confined to wine, women and song.

Fame by association

My daughter is a whizz at marketing? Well, ain't that great?

Description to remember

Just pulled this off another guy's blog.

My brother Mokiejovis and his
free-with-the-purchase-of-two-fill-ups-at-Exxon wife

Now that is a phrase I MUST try and work into a conversation!

Phew - it's getting warmer.

Today has been really hot. Not too much cloud so we have the full benefit of the sun. The morning walk today started at 6.20 and it was already hot at that time. Normal lunch time walk today was at Berwick beach but when we got back, we were just as hot as when we went - even with the air conditioning going full blast. We had a quick lunch and then ran off to the picnic place where it was cooler with a breeze and we could laze about in and around the water. Thankfully, the humidity seems to be lowish so we do not get the temperature rise from that.

Heatwave

At last we have got into summer.
Don't quite know what temperature we have got to but it is certainly quite hot. There is a lot of cloud here right now so the sun is not too hard to bear. I went to the picnic area for a paddle and pointy nose had prolonged bout of swimming so that is us two sorted. Next item on the agenda is a long soak in a tepid bath with book and gin and tonic - lots of ice, no lemon.
Now the semi-hysteria of the bombing has died down a bit the papers are worth reading again so it looks as if we have again, with our indominatable spirit, triumphed over evil. Let us hope we do not have to do it again.

Danger - Rally cars

The Jim Clark Rally is here this week end. Based in, this year I think Kelso, it follows a number of road-closed mini-circuits around Duns. It is well supported both in terms of competitors and spectators. It coincides with the end of the Duns Festival which also draws quite a few people.

Drawback is that the roads that we are all used to as quiet and friendly suddenly fill with rally back-up such as mechanics, stewards, doctors etc. and people coming for a open-air sing song and individual BBQ. The actual rally cars are no problem other than adding to the traffic. The non-rally guys tend to think they have a long way to drive and not much time.
One also gets the burke with a three-year old Corsa who has put a drainpipe over the last few inches of his exhaust and thus thinks he is the dog's dangly bits. One has to be aware that said idiot is likely to find himself running out of his side of the road on many of the quite sharp little bends one associates with a agricultural area. I tend to stay off the road this week-end. I was interested in rallying when I drove but watching a section of maybe 100 yards whilst being regularly peppered with gravel does not cook my bacon.

So - what next?

Now that the initial drama concerning the events of Thursday is over, we are getting some very perceptive think-pieces in the newspapers and on the areas of TV free from Big Brother and Apprentice. As one might expect, a large proportion are band-wagon jumpings reference national ID cards, civil liberties and intelligence. Noddy’s friend Clarke has already said that ID cards would not have prevented what happened. It also seems that intelligence was lacking insofar as this attack was concerned. So, if we cannot rely or use comprehensive documentation of those we know to be here and on any successful spying, what do we have as a defence? Suspicion would be nice maybe. Were I to see a burly man, wearing a mask, dressed in a striped jumper and carrying a bag marked swag in the area of my house, I would devote some attention to him. But it is never that simple.
Even that sort of simple check for suspicion has been made inefficient in current times. Were I to suggest to an officer of the law that stripey-jumper nicked my Palm pilot, doubtless I would be admonished on the grounds of inciting hatred of blokes in striped tops. A very senior police officer said in a Press briefing that we should not associate Islam and terrorism. Well, right now – who else do we associate with terrorism of this style and extent? Not the IRA surely. They were always most fastidious about giving warnings – even though they were at times late or inaccurate. Their agenda was to spread terror of attacks. This last lot gave no warning and clearly intended to kill as many as they could possibly involve. When we hunted for IRA, we looked in specific places. If we are not to associate Islam with terrorists – where do we look? Whilst there are Muslims who deprecate what is done in their name it has to be admitted that the agenda in their Holy Book includes a lot about infidels and striking them very hard. The Bible has some pretty warlike bits (Judges and James I think?) but death to non-Christians is not part of Archbishop of Canterbury’s everyday preaching. If anything is to be achieved, there has to be very serious inquiry amongst Muslims in this country. Right now though, the police are indoctrinated that they must not hold any such opinion or suspicion.
The plight of those unable to trace family and loved ones at this stretch of time is quite harrowing. Those who have any experience of these sorts of incident can very well guess why they are kept in ignorance – not all bodies are just as if the deceased had died in bed. I was particularly taken by the story of Yvonne – the blond girl. She is so very patient and has obviously done all she can to publicise the absence of her partner. He phoned to say he was on a bus. His mobile phone was found on the bus that was blown up. One feels the need to take her on one side, wrap her up in a big bear hug and tell her the facts of life rather than prolong her agony.
As for intelligence gathering and civil liberty conflicts, I am convinced that the protection of life and limb over-rides all concerns about liberty. We should make it clear that if we feel the need to investigate you and your lifestyle, we may do anything that it takes. If this proves the case, it may all be used without debate provided it comes within the definition of evidence (everything other than mere argument that goes to prove or disprove). If we get it wrong, sue us. We’ll assist and make it easy for you – ONCE WE KNOW YOU ARE INNOCENT. Suggestions that this will make us a police-state as depicted in 1984 are simplistic. The basic personality of our race will keep things clean. We are not Nazi, Franco-supporters or Stalinists.

One under every stone

Sorry, I forget to mention this before.
If you are looking for wild theories about the bombings, have a look at this site. Who did it, warnings given, or - as the Screws of the Weird used to say, all human life is here.

Blitz

The events of yesterday are still unfolding as the forensic work develops. When one remembers the conditions underground at the time of the Kings Cross fire, one can begin to appreciate the dedication of those working on this. Damaged bodies decompose much quicker in the heat underground.
I lived through the London blitz at an impressionable age and can remember the spirit of the people who were under attack then. It was very much a cheery-, cheeky-Cockney sort of thing. There was also the Dunkirk spirit where set-backs did not dishearten us. With the dilution of the British stock arising from immigration and the softer life style of today, I had thought that both the Cockney and Dunkirk spirit were no more - or at least, much reduced.
It seems that I was mistaken to some degree. The reports in the media seem to show that there is still the attitude that we will not let the bastards grind us down. There are already jokes about what happened. Some of the more jingoistic columnists seem to be writing for Captain Mainwaring and Dads' Army but that is a good thing if it increases our endurance and fortitude by harking back to our past.
I was especially pleased that HM the Queen had visited hospitals today. Her parents were particularly keen on this and it was then, as now, a great morale booster.
It is important that those who carried out these killings see that they do not have the effect they might have in, say, some middle-eastern country with all the wailing and knashing of teeth that ensues. Ken Livingstone has also grown in my estimation although I am to some extent happier now he has seen at first hand what comes from the sort of violence he has sometimes appeared to espouse and support.

Thought for the day?

Even on the day on which we actually die we shall probably be assuming that we shall not die and be making plans for the next day!

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Introduction to Buddhism

London has explosions

Reports are that there are deaths and many serious injuries in some six explosions in London this morning.
Nice timings guys! Either AQ or PIRA lost no time in following upon the 2012 Olympics award to demonstrate that the transport infrastructure we boasted about in our presentation was vulnerable. I can imagine the fuss at NSY. Doubtless, a few of the Anti-Terror guys will have deployed to G8. Six crime scenes is a lot to handle forensically so helicopter activity at the G8 site will have increased as they try to get bomb squad blokes back to the Met. If this gets publicised, it will add another dimension to the concern that the bombers sought. Hopefully, the one on the bus - which seems out of the pattern - was an own goal but the benefit of this must be limited if is Muslim extremists who happily suicide bomb anyway. Any structural engineers out there who can comment on explosion in a tube train tunnel - how long is that likely to put them out of service?

Off in another direction

Wander away and look at this - only in beta at the moment so not too much bitching please.

Oh Blimey!

Just heard announcement that London will organise the 2012 Olympics. Jolly good news and all that but.... We will no sooner be free of media hysteria about G8 and MPH and the Olympic bandwagon will start up. The Olympic minister Greasy Towel will be getting her heart out to show us at every opportunity. Ken Livingstone will want as much mileage out of it as possible because it is in his backyard. Lord Coe will be asked to stand-in for the Queen at the State Opening of Parliament. And so on and so on and so on. Thankfully, we should soon be getting the report on Diana - was she or wasn't she murdered - and that might give us a break. I have much more to say but, what the hell, I've got seven years to bitch should I be spared.

48 years!! My God!

Well, I am reliably informed, today is the 48th anniversary of my (one and only) wedding. Never mind it is an old joke but I really would have been out of prison by now if I'd committed a serious crime instead.

I don't think I've any regrets - none that have surfaced anyway. Just to show how stupid I am, I would do it all over again in pretty much the same format. So, thanks Norma for coming on the roller-coaster with me.

 

Edinburgh - inside info

This is from a guy in a position to know

G8 GOING COMPLETELY ACCORDING TO PLAN
Just to prove I’m not privy to any special
intelligence sources, my predictions that G8 would entail sitting on carriers dressed in code 1 and playing cards have been shown to be err… slightly wide of the mark. I’m reluctant to tell you all the latest canteen gossip from the boys who are in Scotland, for fear of being accused of undermining the war effort.All I should really say is that the senior Scottish officers who are reassuring you on Sky News are probably sweating off-camera. Things are not quite going as planned and there is much sniggering from police lines. I’m concerned that when the officers get back on shift, we’ll never hear the end of all the war stories.

Light of my life has dimmed

This was not really so long ago. The good old dear used to struggle up the steepest hills - even on hands and knees sometimes. Now, she is knackered after one flight of stairs. Never mind - she still tries and we cannot ask more than that.

3/10 for performance

One of the demonstraters at the Edinburgh shindig. Don't think too much of what he is demonstrating! Don't think it will get any better if you click on it either.

Hard Times

Nearly caused demise of old fellow dog walker this morning. We were just nattering when he brought up the mess in the park that had obviously been caused last night whilst the Reiver thing was on. He blamed the 'kids of today' for having no sense of responsibility. I replied that they had it too easy - "not like us. Six of us brought up in a rolled-up newspaper" He laughed, turned laugh into choking and turned choking into cynosis. I thought he was a goner. Of course, my comment was a follow-on from this so not very original at all really.

Oops!

Before the hitsquads call at my door, I'd better make it clear that THIS person will NOT be excluded from anything that happens on 14th July.

Due warning!

Just because I have gone soft over 4th July should not be taken to mean that the cheese-eating surrender-monkies will get even treatment when 14th July arrives. Given that they will most likely win the Olympic vote on Wednesday, they will be dancing around in their smelly clothes without needing any endorsement from me.

4th July

Just a small thing to share with any Americans who may be viewing or passing through. Relationships seem to have become a little strained of late - mainly, I suspect, because their President is thought to have influenced our B Liar to go into Iraq. However, even if true, that is just one man - or a relatively small clique - who is wrong. I have met a considerable number of Americans; I worked for an American company for five years. I cannot recall meeting a single one who I would describe as evil or mad. They have a strong sense of right and wrong and religion is more widespread there than in England. I can see they have problems but put this down to a lack of knowledge of things outside USA. A large percentage has never been outside their country; many never travel outside of their state. They - generally - live in good conditions and at ease with their government and cannot realise that there are many parts of the world where this is not so.
Congratulations and respect.

Knights of old

We saw groups like this a number of times over the week-end. The fluttering pennants made them look like ancient knights riding into battle with their ladies pennants on their lances.

Good dog!!

Might be a funny looking perisher but he's got the right idea when it comes to cats. Rock on!

Nightmares

I quite often have nightmares. Sometimes, they are so realistic and vivid that they become night terrors and the images stay with me even when I am sitting bolt upright with my eyes wide open. I can deal with these - sort of - but please, please, please good God, never let me have a terror that this lady is in my room with a bottle full of Viagra.

I'll say no more

About the value of the Live8 and Make Poverty History. Simon Jenkins in The Sunday Times says exactly what I have been trying to get across as my take on the whole thing. Just a few out-takes from his item -

Geldof is to fast politics what McDonald’s is to fast food. He is simply good at it. How can you do nothing, he screams, “watching people live on TV, dying on our screens!”.

The G8 is not a decision-making body but a “conversation” between rich nations. It has no constitution and no executive. The United Nations, not the G8, is the proper forum for collective action onworld poverty.

Geldof is quoted in the International Herald Tribune as claiming that something must be done “even if it doesn’t work”. For him, doing something useless even if harmful is a moral advance on doing nothing

Am I REALLY a dog lover?

Going through the results of my Stat counter, I came across an entry supposedly from Taiwan. I say 'supposedly' as I very much doubt the origin report after Taffy in Russia etc. Anyways, as I was saying, this blog popped up. I have to say loud and clear, that this 1st July entry shows a dog that I positively, absolutely, no way Jose, could ever tolerate. Whoever has doubts about doggy euthanisia should look at this.

Right carry on

My 'cures all pain God knows how' bracelet had lost most of it's magnetism. Whilst it still worked, it was leaving a bright green stain around my wrist so one objective at the Scots Fair was to find a replacement. There seemed to be two places selling them. I didn't like any of the ones at the first place so had to settle for the only alternative. The guy at the stall was a bit flamboyant in the style of his shirt and hair but I thought nothing of it until he was showing me exactly how the dinkie little real brass pin thingy went into the very well designed hole in the strap. He was making a bit too much out of helping me choose a 'tasteful' design for the bracelet. I decided to buy one of those on show. This led to much flustered looking for pen and sales book. Then there was the production of the instructions with salient points being drawn to my attention. I was warned to start off wearing it for no more than three hours, to be aware it might cause tingling in my fingers or a mild headache and that I would feel thirsty the first time I wore it. This was when the devil stirred within me. I put my hand on his wrist and asked in a concerned voice, "It won't make my willy go funny will it?". 'Ooh no - nothing like that. No. No' Perfect match of Frankie Howard and our dear old Ken. Sorry now that Sandy or Julian was not there to share the moment.
I think that Sandy and Julian from Around the Horne show did much to open up the gay world. Their very much over the top performances showed people another side of that inclination that confused many men. Certainly, it was a way of dealing with homesexuality that avoided the risk of a right smack in the mourf and brought them into the general community. I have no concerns about outright gay - and lesbian - people. It is the ones who remain closeted that I distrust. Though maybe Peter Tatchell goes a bit too far with his style of outing, I can see where he comes from. I once had to question a guy who had gay issues. This was in Egypt where we wore shorts - see picture at left. Whilst I was writing his statement, he was stroking my knee. Shame really, I think it was my including this in my evidence that led to him getting a relatively heavy sentence.
Oh yes - back to the new wristband. It works perfectly. Science or subtle suggestion? Don't know and don't care. I had a 'dead' tip on my little finger which is now back to normal. No - it did not (so far) make my willie go funny either.

We don't need no thought control

I can see absolutely no point in B Liar's new attempt to run his little world. All the while that carrying them is optional, no one will bother to produce them if asked. All the fancy bio-metrics will be to no avail if PC Heartbreak wants to check your card in the middle of truly rural England. Don't get involved in protesting very often but this deserves to die a death.

A loving father - many many times over

This is a story that did not seem to make our papers. Given their ability to generate 'news' from any sort of trivia, I would have thought they would have been covering this like flies on a cow-pat. Strange but it was only in Tennesse and, maybe, Georgia that I got the feeling that there were families living somewhere like this. We had friends in Kentucky who used to suggest we not go to somewhere because it was 'tacky' but what they meant it was weird.

Male bonding

You just have to go look at this.
I'm sure it would have helped me remember a good day with my father - maybe this explains why I cannot?

Beginning of the beginning of the end

Well, one day nearer the demise of this Make Poverty History hysteria that is flooding our media. We seem to have survived one Edinburgh march without sheep being seperated from goats and The End Of The World As We Know It. Doubtless there will be much news attention to the great unwashed as they set up their wickies and prance about. It seems their intention is to draw people's attention to the poverty. OK - thank you; you can all bugger off now. I've got the picture. I'm sure even the eight of the G will have gathered something of the problem and the message. They have only been debating it for some five years. Incidentally, why just those eight? Other than Japan, not a single Asian, Latin American or African is a member of the team. Where is China? Where is India? Also, if it is the hangover from colonial days that is to blame - how did Ethiopia get into the caccky? I was there some 45 years ago and Addis Ababa was full of do-goody NGOs and UN bodies. It was the TV report from there that set-off the last fund raiser.
I caught only a bit of the G8 concert from London. It did not strike me as being as good as the last concert. Oh yes - one other question. If increases in aid were any solution, what came of the monies generated in that first concert. Were we transferring funds from rich people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries? The racial-opportunistic crowd got into act by wanting to know why - if the cause was African, why were there not more African musicians? I understand they were given a bone in some venue outside London. On their reasoning, if we had something to raise awareness of HIV, only Jimmy Somerville and Holly Johnson would be automatic choices.

Perth

Off today to the Scottish Game Fair at Scone Castle inPerth. The bossy navigator lady got us there with no problems. It's the third year we have been there so I know the way really but she showed us another route.
I like Perth. It is beautifully situated with a river and rolling hills around. We had good weather - a bit cloudy but that kept the worst of the heat away and we got the full benefit of a good breeze. The stands were up to their usual standards and seemed to be doing good business. One of the plusses for me is that almost everyone there seems to have a dog - or even dogs - with them and one gets to see some rather rare breeds. Plenty of chat whenever one stopped. It is not so 'truly rural' as the CLA Game Fair or the Scottish Show. The only immediate difference is that the tractor park and implements yards are much larger at the Jock Show with very many more animals. On the whole, I prefer the Scots Game Fair. The catering is dire with much attention to burgers - even though they are venison, wild boar or Aberdeen Angus they are still burgers. The small dog got quite freaked out as she is no longer used to seeing so many people and other dogs. I sat down on a bench to wait for Norma and the silly dog jumped up on my lap - much to the amusement of the owners of real dogs. Even finding one Picasso in the vast car park was easy as we had a little yellow duck on the aerial which meant we could see our vehicle from a long way away.

See what I mean

Just have a look at this

Another BigJohn

Nice to find another elderly blogger with something of an attitude that I can recognise. Only problem seems to have been his RAF association though.

Sombre thoughts

My mind seems very solemn today - don't know why but I'm thinking of blokes who died before their time. Even found the piece of poetry that I used to know off heart

No Man's Land (Green Fields of France) - Eric Bogle

Well, how'd you do, Private Willie McBride,
D'you mind if I sit down down here by your graveside?I'll rest for awhile in the warm summer sun,
Been walking all day, Lord, and I'm nearly done.
I see by your gravestone you were only nineteen
When you joined the glorious fallen in 1916,
I hope you died quick and I hope you died "clean,"
Or, Willie McBride, was it slow and obscene?
CHORUS:Did they beat the drum slowly, did they sound the fife lowly?
Did the rifles fire o'er ye as they lowered ye down?
Did the bugles sing "The Last Post" in chorus? Did the pipes play the "Floors O' The Forest"?
And did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind
In some faithful heart is your memory enshrined?
And, though you died back in 1916,
To that loyal heart are you forever nineteen?
Or are you a stranger, without even a name,
Forever enshrined behind some glass pane,
In an old photograph, torn and tattered and stained,
And fading to yellow in a brown leather frame?
Well, the sun's shining down on these green fields of France;
The warm wind blows gently, the red poppies dance.
The trenches have vanished long under the plow;
No gas and no barbed wire, no guns firing now.
But here in this graveyard it's still No Man's Land;
The countless white crosses in mute witness stand
To man's blind indifference to his fellow man.
And a whole generation who were butchered and damned.
And I can't help but wonder now, Willie McBride,
Do all those who lie here know why they died?
Did you really believe them when they told you "the cause?"
Did you really believe that this war would end wars?
Well the suffering, the sorrow, the glory, the shame,
The killing, the dying, it was all done in vain,
For Willie McBride, it's all happened again,
And again, and again, and again, and again.
Our business in the field of fight,
Is not to question,
but to prove our might.
I firmly believe that the old wars were the best. The bosses who stirred things up and decided to send men into battle led their forces from the front. Now, they skulk at home with mealy-mouthed semi-excuses for the decisions they took that have caused grief and suffering for so many. And, let's not forget, many innocent human beings have died as a by-product of the politicians' wrong-headedness. The soldier realises it is part of his contract to die - that does not make it any better when they do but surely the employers' side of the contract is to show due care?

Relationships

My designer (hope that does not sound too pretentious) comments today on a number of coincidences amongst people with whom she has been in cyber-contact. This reminds me of study that claims we all know one another through a ring of - I think - seven people. I know A, A knows B, B knows C and so on until we get to the seventh person. Obviously, any layman testing of this is bound to be inconclusive for we cannot identify every seventh person and then check backwards. I chose some people in the news and found that I could get to most of them in the seven steps. Some of this was a bit tenous where I had to resort to having met the Queen or Mother Therasa. I'd like to get some reference to the scientific explanation of this but Google and I are not conversing today. I did find this which is somewhat along the same lines although it seems to be based upon actual friendships rather than mere contact.
Some concern on the distaff front chez Wood at this mornings weather. We are due to go see Scots Game Fair at Scone Palace in Perth tomorrow but SWMBO thinks we will have to forego if weather is bad. No mention as to her plans for her Saturday away-day if dodgy weather flows over to then. No problems for pointynose and me - I have plenty of wet kit left from tramping hills and she does not care about weather. She is just reluctant to take the first few steps in rain but once out she carries on as usual.
Seems that the saga of people in Wales originating from Russia is solved. The people who run my counter made a mistook when they assigned one of the identities to Russia and it has run on from there. Good to know - I didn't want a load of spooks descending on me and blaming my computer for the cock-up in Iraq.

Wet wednesday

Can't remember where I got this so cannot give a credit.
The spell of sunshine broke today. We had a good start and then it went all wrong. Still, doubtless the farmers will be happy.
I wrote last week about getting a contact report from someone in Russia. I was sufficiently interested to follow it up when it came up again today. The quoted weblog owner writes from Wales and denied knowledge of Russia. I've set The Bond Girls onto it just to see where we get.
Passport is back OK so that is another tick in the Get To Germany planning.
Pointynose is well aware that moles sometimes come to the surface and bimble about. We were doing the walk at the picnic area when she suddenly came alive and started tracking a smell of some sort. She went round into a spiral. At the middle was small gentleman in velvet waistcoat. Sad to say, he didn't get underground quick enough.
Trying to get my lady navigator lost has led me onto some really small and isolated roads - little more than tracks. I got onto a road that I do not recall ever using before and noticed that the roadkill was hedgehogs. Whilst there is a Harrod's Foodhall of game on most roads, I have not seen Mrs Tiggywinkle figure in the stock. Don't know why it was but there were about six in some 300 yards.
Paddy goes for job interview. Recruiter does not want to offer hima job. Sets him a test with paper and pencil to graphically represent 99. Fergal licks pencil. Draws three little trees and colours them in black. Recruiter says what's that then. Paddy says that is the 99 you wanted. Explain says HR bloke. Well says Paddy, that is a dirty tree. Dirty tree and dirty tree and dirty tree makes 99. OK says recruiter, see if you can do it for 100. Paddy makes a small mark at the base of each of the three trees and puts the pencil down. Asked to explain he says that mark is left by a dog. Dirty tree and a turd and dirty tree and a turd and dirty tree and a turd is 100.
I'll get my coat!

Surely this cannot last?

Someone e-mailed me this with comment that not all enhancement is bad. This, of course, is little Katie Price a.k.a. Jordon. In pure monetary terms,she has done very well for herself and had little to start with. This money has come from the Great Unwashed of the British population. I have rather more time for her than the other Paxo-ed girls who strut their stuff.
The 'Cannot Last' of the title comes from the weather. It has been just perfect for the last few days. Everyone seems so much better tempered when the sun shines.
Slightly sicko jokes don't take long to surface do they? One I heard today was ref Whiteley of Count Down who died of pneumonia. Does he get a bonus for using all nine letters?

Have to see this!

I thought I was finished for the day but I was just browsing through the RSS feeds I have set up and came across this.
What a wonderful idea! Sort of asset control mechanism. Ain't technology wonderful.

Poverty

We will all have seen the original TV report that started Live Aid. Since then there have been many further reports that show just what being abjectly poor can mean. I suppose my own experience of this was the Star of the Sea orphanage in Korea. The durability of kids there was amazing. The place relied on charity - in my case, rations and basic comforts cadged, scrounged, bartered and sometimes just plain stolen. Maybe it is because of this that the sight of kids starving is just about the worst for me. These kids in the picture above are living on rubbish thrown out by others who have a much better life style just a few miles away. It does not require the sort of suffering seen country-wide in Dafur or the tsunami for poverty to exist - it can live cheek by jowl almost anywhere. What is really needed is not such money as filters down through the corruption filters but just for someone to care and decide that this is not acceptable.

How's my image looking?

I've read a couple of posts about the new Blogger image up-load not working and valuable works of art getting lost in the miasma of the internet. Well, there cannot be a more virtous Web-virgin than me, so I suppose I should be happy that it seems to work for me. I get the impression that the Picasa2 and Hello route had stopped doing the business and that was correct so far as I am concerned - who know why? So, who cares now we have this - and we didn't even have to upgrade to a paid service to get it!

What a world!

The way in which people can treat animals never fails to amaze me and I already have a very biased view of human nature. I see someone has just treated a hamster to first class travel. We recently had the story of the woman who had over one hundred dogs in a ordinary house and there was the rehoming exhibition of some 200 animals from another hell hole. It seems that the latter two cases involved some poor confused souls. OK – but just how many houses are there in this country that do not get visited by someone or other who should have noticed what was going on and ending it?
But then, given the back-up publicity to the debt relief initiatives, we seem to be unable even to guarantee human beings a proper life. Braw Bonny Brown claims that the debt is cancelled and that is good says he. As I understand it, there are a number of actions that the indebted countries must fulfil if they are to qualify. So, who will help them with that – the planning and the implementation will be quite complex.
The financial and management skills available in some African countries have not been shining examples in what we have seen so far. Will the cancellation of past debts allow the ex-borrowers to come back for more? Most African leaders are proud people who would resent overt outside supervision so what will be done to ensure that past corruption does not bite into fresh funds? The question of debt relief has been kicking around for some while and I do not think it is over yet.

I know the feeling

Really too warm to spend time in front of a hot screen.

Are they remote controlled?

My normal reaction to ladies who have had enhancement carried out is to wonder why? I can quite understand that it is their body and they may do with it as they will. Just what is it that causes them to think that anything so - um - overblown makes them attractive? Here, I would be concerned about the obvious strain on her shoulders. The practicalities of such a body must be limited. One of my most early girlfriends was very well built and it was almost impossible to touch anywhere above her knees without coming into contact with her chest. Way back then, this qualified for a hearty thump and I had a truly Mohammed Ali-type ability to ride with the punch. I think this lady looks deformed - much that my opinion would bother her!
Since my own re-modeling, the addition of a counter has been eye-opening (to continue a theme). I now have the ability to see from where people have connected. Unless something is wrong, I see that I have been connected to someone from Turkeistan. This conjures up all sorts of images. I'm sure it is some sort of adverse propoganda but I see that part of the world as rather grim and industrial or very wild and barren country. The thought that something here caused someone from there to connect with the sort of drivel I manage, is fearsome. Good luck to you whomsoever you may be!

Practically funny

A young boy went up to his father and asked him "Dad, what is the difference between potentially and realistically?"The father thought for a moment, then answered "Go ask your mother if she would sleep with Robert Redford for a million dollars. Then ask your sister if she would sleep with brad pitt for a million dollars then ask your brother if he would sleep with Tom Cruise for a million dollars. Come back and tell me what you have learned."So the boy went to his mother and asked "Would you sleep with RobertRedford for a million dollars?" the mother replied, "Of course I would! I wouldn't pass up on an opportunity like that!" The boy then went to his sister and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" The girl replied "Oh my god! I would just love to do that! you would be nuts to pass up that chance!" The boy then went to his brother and asked, "Would you sleep with Tom Cruise for a million dollars?" "Of Course!" The brother replied. "Do you know how much stuff a million dollars could buy?" The boy pondered for a few days then went back to his dad. His father asked him "Did you find out the difference between potentially and realistically?" The boy replied "Yes sir. Potentially we are sitting on three million dollars, but realistically, we are living with two slu*s and a p0of."

A mad mad mad world

Today, I finished reading what might laughingly be called the ‘news’ in my daily Torygraph but was feeling too idle to get up and be-doing something or other. My eye was caught by a phrase on the Kindred Spirits section of the page. This is a lonely hearts-type thing. Women looking for men, men looking for women and, shock horror, even men looking for men. There is a further section headed Friendship which I assume is for those of the Sapphic persuasion. I’ve never paid any attention to these items before – and don’t suppose I will ever again – but they paint colourful images on my mind which, I freely admit, is some way from driven snow.

Thus, we get things like “Are you a vivacious lady of any race who enjoys wearing strappy high heels?” So, much not doubt what is wanted there then and I don’t suppose that it would be a lasting relationship. Once you have seen one strappy high heel, you’ve seen them all surely. Another caught my eye thus “Rough diamond. 60, gsoh, adaptable, caring n/s seeks friendly tactile older female for home life in SE Sussex” This translates to me as an irritable old sod looking for a housekeeper who will occasionally lay hands upon him. He has low aspirations as suggested by his being ‘adaptable’

There seems to be a pronounced desire amongst the lonely females for males who are ‘tactile’ or who enjoy ‘cuddles’. There are some where they want someone 65+ and also has to be athletic. That’s him into an early grave from over-indulgence then. Some seek to attract attention by painful honesty such as “Grumpy old woman, still working, tall, grey-blonde, drop-dead and wrinkly wltm tallish grumpy funny old man for walking, picnics, fine dining and fun” What happens when the grumpy coincides with a one in four incline, boggy track in a force nine downpour where the picnic basket has been left in the car? No fun or fine dining there then?

I’ll not go too far into the men on men styles – there might be something there that turns my homophobic into homoerotic. I cannot but help noticing a number of stated preferences that the partner sought be military, ex-military, Royal Navy. That guy is missing a trick – what he really needs is a Royal Marine. They are very tactile, athletic, like cuddles and would have no problems with a grumpy attitude.

Weapon fires short while then stops again

I've reproduced this rather than link to it. It comes from a gun-control site and I do not intend to bolster their ideas but I like the sound of this as a good week-end's sport.

Machine-gun fiesta: "It sounded more like what would be heard around the war zones of Baghdad or Mosul in Iraq rather than rural Wyandotte. On Saturday, more than 200 avid machine gun enthusiasts from around the nation gathered for the fourth annual Oklahoma Full Auto Shoot and Trade Show -- and brought with them a full arsenal of fully-automatic weapons. Featuring everything from mini-guns to MG-42s to AR-50s to Quad 50s, the auto shoot drew crowds of nearly 1,500 spectators who, setting up lawn chairs in the shade, sat back and watched the bullets fly. Positioned under a long line of tents atop a ridge, the shooters fired down into an assortment of targets including cars, trucks, buses, washing machines and even a small airplane. Explosions resounded throughout the hills as hot lead tore through car metal and set off "fuel bombs" that were placed in some of the vehicles. "It just keeps getting better and better every year," smiled Mike Friend, owner of "The Firing Line" and co-organizer of the event. "People that own stuff like this need a place to shoot and we feel like we've got a good, safe place for them to do that." Co-organizer DeWayne Convirs, who owns both "The Bunker" army surplus store and the land used for the auto shoot, said the number of people who want to come out and watch the machine guns blaze gets bigger every time. "This is twice the attendance we saw last year," Convirs remarked."
Sounds like good form of stress relief to me.

Various things have been causing me to reflect upon my age; don't worry - this is not depression related. No one can deny that age makes its presence known in many ways. I was even aware of this at about thirty when I thought 45 was unattainable. So, it was entertaining to read this comment on how to survive the matter.

Oh, by the way, if you are looking for something about The Black Dog, then this lady seems to have cracked it. More power to her elbow.

Naturally the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country. This was said by Hermann Goering. Seems to fit in with a lot of the things that are going on now or since 9/11.

Sin and the law

I was often amused when reading about Cardinal Sin who died a little while ago. It was rather a schoolboy sense of humour and I used to try and fit him and his title into little stories. I have to admit that the one that appears in ‘Off Topic' here is better than any I ever achieved.
The Government has gone off on another of its poorly thought out hobby-horses regarding racial matters. I spend time reading blogs by police and legal bods and they are universal in criticitism of the speed and manner in which new legislation is drafted and introduced. This rush-to-justice almost invariably fails to take account of existing law and the new stuff clashes badly. All money for my learned friends of course.
I was talking on the phone to a store in London about something small and shiny. The sales guy had a very broad Scots accent. When time came to do the order I gave him the addess. "Duns - where is that?" he asked. I pointed out that it was funny that I, an almost-Cockney calling from Scotland, had to tell a Jock in London where a place was in Scotland. Not too dour obviously as he saw the joke.
Having struggled with setting up the satnav stuff, I took it with me when we did this morning's walk at Berwick beach and 'told' it to bring me home. We had to drop Norma off en-route and then continue into Berwick. The woman who gives directions spotted we were off course and started her diversion mode. She kept saying 'turn right', 'turn left' or 'do a U turn' I persistently disobeyed her. Any minute, I expected her to go into PMT mode and blow up 'what's the matter with you today? Can you do nothing right?' When we got to the beach the road ended and all that was in front of her was sand and the North Sea so I wondered what she would say about that. However, as we had stopped she was silent.
I have been thinking about how I might present myself as less hideous on the trip to Germany. Maybe a change of image such as this?

Good dogs

My entry about war dogs made me remember this. I cannot now remember from whence it came. They look really angelic but I'd stand with my back to the escape hatch before I said anything like "Dinners - leave"

Dogs life

Here is a good example of an ordinary policeman's interaction with police dogs. The Military Police method of using dogs differed slightly from the way the regular police dog works. For a start, they were designated as attack dogs and that is exactly what they did. Attack. Not for them the genteel grasping of an arm. They did a full-on assault and were not in any way fussy how they did this. Indeed, they didn't too much care who they attacked. Anyone running was fair game. If they felt a bit grouchy and no one was running, they'd see who they could scare into running. One way to ensure that everyone left a training grouind at the end of the session was to shout "Dog loose". Sales of Ex-lax fell alarmingly.
As someone with an interest in dogs, I used to spend time with the dog handlers. Inevitably, I got dragged into the training sessions as a quarry. Because they are indiscriminate as to what they grasp, it was necessary to wear a full padded suit. This covers, supposedly, the whole body from a built-in mask like a fencer wears down to bootees. Hot and cumbersome. I was able to withstand one dog attacks - almost - but stood no chance if two 90 pounders came at me. This was deemed to be such a laugh that I got roped into demonstrations. One night I was doing my best to struggle free when I felt a dog's nose right in my groin. Dog's noses are immediately adjacent to their teeth! This mutt had managed to worm his way under the jacket and into the trousers. What was happening was immediately clear to everyone - including the handlers. They decided to milk the display and encouraged the dogs to more frenzied attacks. I got away without anything more than an almightly scare but that was my last night in a suit.

2+2 = 5

I suppose this is the origin of the phrase "A Blonde Moment"
That concludes the case for the prosecution Your Honour.

Thought for the day

I've Heard it all, I've seen it all, I've Done it all, i just don't remember any of it.

Things you see when you haven't got a gun

Hot or not?
I fully accept that pregnancy is a natural condition and those in such a situation cannot be expected to stay indoors for the full nine months but I today saw a woman in Berwick even more extreme that either of these two. She looked as though she were 12 months pregnant and, other than her bump, was almost anoxeric. She was still able to get into her courting-days outfit of very low-slung jeans and shorty top with junior jutting out like the sort of rubber ring one might see in a kids paddling pool.
I seem to remember that some while back, the advertising standards agency criticised one of our more meaty models who was shown on roadside hoardings and had it removed as being a danger to passing drivers. The girl I saw today constituted the same sort of risk.
Something else to blame on the hot weather - or is this comment something else to blame on my being a miserable old s*d?

Another hot place

This is on the way into Monument Valley from Arizona side. About 110 degrees but very low humidity. Even Norma managed to stand the heat. Great trip - all my John Wayne tendencies came out here. Oh yes! I guarantee not to show my 250 or so shots of the Grand Canyon from my first viewing. When we went back the second time, I locked the camera in the glove box.

Ain't half hot Mum

The warm weather of the week-end will doubtless be described as a "killer heatwave" in the media. I thought I'd have a look through my scrapbook for some really hot weather. This was Bahrain fish-market in, about, 1966. Temperature would have been somewhere about 105 degrees with something like 99% humidity. This temperature would have gone higher as it got to 3 or 4 p.m. There was quite a bit of air-conditioning but most of our time was spent in the open air - down at the beach in the afternoon luckily. There was a system with the military where when it was deemed too hot, a Jolly Roger was hoisted and all military activities were suspended. There was very little temperature drop at night as everything was full of retained heat. Our flat had air-conditioning in the bedrooms. The electrical distribution was frequently overloaded and the conditioning units ceased to blow cold. Many Europeans failed to get adjusted to the heat and humidity but we were OK. We found that one of the solutions was to over-fill with water at breakfast and then again at lunch. This was far better than trying to re-hydrate during the day. Still, we lived through it.

Quite pleased with this image after nearly 40 years but then, it was a Leica that caught it.

Official - sun is here!!

Only a male intellect clouded by the sexual drive could call the stunted, narrow-shouldered, broad-hipped and short-legged sex the fair sex. Arthur Schopenhauer

Yes, well, that kind of surprised me. I had always thought of old Arthur as a bit of a sober sides and not given to such thoughts. I had to labour through his ideas about the human Will when I was doing my OU sociology thing. Looking back with the benefit of this, I can see that he had some sort of fixation. Suppose it was something along the lines of the way some men attribute a life and separate existence to their penis where they end up discussing things with Mr. Willy.

With the warm and humid weather we have had this weekend, I ventured out today in my shorts. Me and dog wandered up to New Craighall by way of various streams and the sea. Sharing chicken sandwiches at Longniddery I noticed that my legs looked like over-cooked spaghetti. Back in the days before we moved up here, I had had enough exposure to get them something like a Madjeorka ten-day holiday tan. Looks as if I’ll have to get along to the vertical tanners – that Killjoy Slink orange is soo attractive and soo now.

I had a blogging life before I came to blogspot. Anyone who wishes to read those burblings can find them here.