Friday, February 22, 2008

Moaning Minnie

Meaning

A habitual grumbler.

In origin an item connected with war - and my body certainly seems to have declared war on me at the moanment!

I've spent the last week with the foulest of doses of tonsillitis: Bad enough to give me the impression I am perpetually drunk - without the alcohol. Not the nice bit of drunk - the, bit where you go - Oh, bugger it - too much ...

Was waking every hour, had to drink to ease the dryness of the tonsil which was burning, but which burnt wetter after the drink!

One stage there was blood!

And to top it all - the local schop (was a typing error - but that's what it has become, a Schop!) had no ice cream!

I ask you: What on earth is the point of having tonsils if you can't have icecream when they declare war on the rest of the body?

Saturday, February 16, 2008

A New One Every Day.


Parting is such sweet sorrow!

Welcome to the world of self-determination and true responsibility.

Flags are a symbol - of statehood - which requires the Kosovo population to take care of all its citizens.

The politicians there have a chance to not play the ethnic card!

More BBC

The issue is participation in the (supposed) 'non-political' Olympics.

If there is no connection between politics and the Olympics, why order athletes to give up their right to free speech?

Why does China care - if there is no connection?

I like China and the Chinese - I've lived and worked there - but I have no illusions: China could do a lot to stop the Sudan slaughter: It chooses not to.

Any pressure put by individuals on it to change its mind is welcome.

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Bum Bite!

What was that about two glasses of wine?

Just been 'ecg'd and the doc said something wrong - stop drinking more that two glasses of wine (a week).

Going to France for a re-diagnosis - just know they'll prescribe wine as part of my daily diet!

Let me make this clear - death before dishonour!

(I have to compete with a father who dropped dead in a parked car just outside a pub.)

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Awaiting moderation

SENT: 05-Feb-2008 06:54

COMMENT:

Not the most pressing issue in the world - and certainly not the most interesting.

Hopefully the 'issue' will be resolved today - then we can go back to getting some real 'international' news.

Will say that the fact one of the candidates can openly admit he doesn't 'believe' in evolution - and can still be seriously considered intelligent enough to run such a dangerous country as the USA scares the living daylights out of me.

Imagine such 'fundamentalist' views being expressed elsewhere.

COMMENT STATUS:
Awaiting moderation


The more I think about it - the more frightening it is - a serious and supported Christian fundamentalist in power!

What next - a pope who believes in exorcism?

Sunday, February 03, 2008

ME

You will, of course, notice the the T-Shirt!

(The Thin Man)

The demolition job one is able to do with those wine glasses is amazing - and lets you say you only had a couple of glasses of wine the night before with perfect honesty.

Do think I am in training to play Falstaff though.

Saturday, February 02, 2008

UNPUBLISHED

DEBATE:

When is advertising inappropriate?

SENT:

31-Jan-2008 06:32

COMMENT:

"image appeared to link teenage girls with sexually provocative behaviour"

- errr: What is the age for consensual sexual relations?

Teenagers (male and female) don't act in a sexually provocative way on a daily basis?

For goodness sake - visit any town centre on a Saturday night and see real provocation!

COMMENT STATUS:

Unpublished

DEBATE:

Should scientists develop 'synthetic life'?

SENT:

26-Jan-2008 06:47

COMMENT:

"use engineered genomes"

Not quite "Creating" - Engineering.

I wish the journalists would be careful what they say - the knee jurk respondings might be good for the board but only show the woeful lack of understanding of the majority of people on the subject.

Life was NEVER created - it developed from inorganic materials - those conditions might be copyable in the laboratory.

This is nothing to do with that - it is about genetically ENGINEERING a new "species".

COMMENT STATUS:

Unpublished

DEBATE:

Should scientists develop 'synthetic life'?

SENT:

25-Jan-2008 18:41

COMMENT:

Of course they should.

Some one will abuse it - but the benefits, on the whole, will be massive.

The biggest problem will be the legal bru-ha-ha over the copyrighting.

(As for all the anti-cloners: I do hope you don't eat apples - all grown on cloned trees for generations).

COMMENT STATUS:

Unpublished

DEBATE:

Is Europe becoming a platform for terrorists?

SENT:

17-Jan-2008 03:13

COMMENT:

Europe has always been a 'platform for terrorists'; Conrad even wrote a book about it a century ago. Home grown terrorism is nothing new.
Love to know the figures for recent years in
America - comparison for gun deaths vs terrorist deaths!
Or Road accidents vs terrorist deaths?
Or smoking related deaths vs terrorist related deaths?
Much
Ado About very little - too many knee jerks in this 'have your say.

COMMENT STATUS:

Unpublished

Why does the BBC have a site for comments if they don't keep it serviced?

Never rains ...

but can get really cold!

Made it through my birthday yesterday - call from my sister cut off by a tired old battery which can't seem to keep its charge - mind you, it might have something to do with dropping the phone down the toilet just before Christmas (don't ask!).

Meant to do some work on my Shakespeare blog but got distracted: Ended up making lists of books for the local British Library to wheedle out of the (anything but-) British Council.

Meant to listen all the way through one of my Wagners - got stuck on the 80's pop on the tv.

Meant to eat well - ended up with oven wedges and fried onions covered with beans and a dubious substance called cosita (sometimes translated as the bits of pig no sensible person would eat unless covered by even worst looking beans).

As they say around here - "Viata este Greer" (bbke).