Category Archives: current affairs

current affairs, environment, photography, thoughts, topographical

London Bridge Sheep


All dressed up and …, originally uploaded by cliffpatte.

Earlier in the week around 500 Liverymen and Freemen of the City of London, many dressed in their royal blue robes and straw boaters, exercised their 11th century right to herd their sheep across London Bridge into the City without paying the bridge toll.

The procession was lead by Lord Mayor of the City of London, and part-time sheep farmer, David Lewis. He was accompanied by his official bodyguards, the Company of Pikemen and Musketeers, in their uniform which dates from the time of King Charles I.

While I was aware of this ancient right, I was not aware that it was ever exercised, and I’m delighted it is! It is these strange and ancient rights which add so much of the colour and eccentricity to English (British) life and sadly too many are being abandoned.

Further reports at, inter alia, Times Online and Daily Telegraph.
And further photos from cliffpatte at Flickr.

Hat tip Jilly at jillysheep.

current affairs, quotes, thoughts

Quote of the Day

Today’s Quotation of the Day:

It seems that the Republican Party in the United States has made an audacious bid to retain power by running Mr Burns and Marge Simpson as candidates for president and vice-president.
[John Doyle, TV critic, in his 2 September 2008 column]

Well it cracked me up, anyway.

books, current affairs, quotes

Zen Mischievous Moments #145

1 Comment

Misty over at Momentary lapses of insanity has come up with some absolute gems of proofreading errors, all of which are perfectly OK according to Microdaft’s spellchecker. Her list includes these classics:

Mrs X lived in a charming country cottage, almost completely covered in hysteria.

Paul was overjoyed at the opportunity to be reunited with his long lost brothel.

Her train of thought was cuddled to say the least.

A large croup had gathered by the monument.

They managed to get themselves the lead prat in the play.

Alice somehow managed to get her knickers in a twit.

The farmer won the prize with his fine new bollocks.

Poof reader required, contact …

beliefs, current affairs, history, memes, personal, photography, thoughts, topographical

My Olympic Meme


My Olympic Meme, originally uploaded by kcm76.

As I don’t believe in the Olympics — not as they are currently run and administered anyway; the ideal is fine — here is a rather jaundiced view …

1. olympic-games-1948, 2. Field Hockey-Washington, DC: PhotoID-97421, 3. poussée bobsleigh, 4. kelly holmes, 5. Ancient Greece, 6. way to heaven 天堂口。, 7. Day 196: That’s Logic, 8. Sunrise – River Dart, Totnes, 9. Dorthea, 10. commonsense, 11. Heirloom Tomatoes, 12. road to nowhere

The concept:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste the html into your blog or Flickr stream (the easiest way is to copy the URLs and then head over to the fd’s flickr toys link above and use the mosaic maker).

The Questions & Answers:
1. What is the closest the Olympics has ever been to your hometown? London, 1948
2. What is your favorite summer Olympic sport? What Americans call “Field Hockey”
3. What is your favorite winter Olympic sport? Bobsleigh
4. Who is your all-time favorite Olympian? Kelly Holmes
5. If you could go to the Olympics, where would you want the games to be held? Ancient Greece; and all the contestants would compete in the nude just as in Ancient Greece
6. What is the symbol or predominant color on your country’s flag? A cross
7. If you were a member of the Olympic Committee, what sport/activity would you add to the games? Logic
8. What sport is your least favorite to watch? Darts
9. You get two tickets to the Olympics, who would you ask to go with you? Whoever buys them both
10. Hey, you made the team! You’re going to the Olympics – what’s your event? Commonsense
11. The Olympics asks you to bring something to represent your hometown or home country – what would you take? A tomato; well my home did used to be one of the largest areas under glass in the country, growing glasshouse crops etc.
12. Congratulations! You won a medal! Where are you going to display it when you get home? Nowhere

Created with fd’s Flickr Toys.

beliefs, current affairs, freedom of speech, quotes

Democracy in Action

3 Comments

This is today’s Quotation of the Day entry:

If somebody tries to stop the march to democracy, we will seek them out and kill them! We must be tougher than hell! This Vietnam stuff, this is not even close. It is a mind-set. We can’t send that message. It’s an excuse to prepare us for withdrawal.

There is a series of moments and this is one of them. Our will is being tested, but we are resolute. We have a better way. Stay strong! Stay the course! Kill them! Be confident! Prevail! We are going to wipe them out! We are not blinking!

[George W Bush, during a 2004 videoconference with national security and military officials. Quoted in Lt Gen Ricardo S Sanchez’s memoir, Wiser in Battle: A Soldier’s Story an at www.mydd.com/story/2008/6/2/114955/1042]

I was going to say this is scary, but it isn’t; it is obscene (and that’s a word I don’t often use). What price democracy and Christian tolerance now? Anyone still like to argue that Dubya isn’t dangerous and bigoted?

amusements, beliefs, books, current affairs, memes, personal, pleasures, sexuality, thoughts

Finish this Sentence Meme

I stole this meme from Girl with a One-Track Mind and Troubled Diva because I liked it’s zen mischief potential. My objective is just to complete each of the following sentences. Your objective is to work out which are serious and which aren’t.

  1. My uncle once: sailed the ocean blue
  2. Never in my life: have I taken illegal drugs
  3. When I was five: I looked like Prince Charles
  4. High school was: much better than I realised at the time
  5. I will never forget: and that isn’t the only resemblance I have to an elephant
  6. Once I met: a man in a kilt
  7. There’s this girl I know: who is unattainable
  8. Once, at a bar: I met a Colonel with a dog
  9. By noon, I’m usually: in need of lunch
  10. Last night: I didn’t have sex on the beach
  11. If only I had: the power and the glory, for ever and ever, Amen
  12. Next time I go to church: I’ll be taking photographs
  13. What worries me most: is politicians
  14. When I turn my head left I see: something sinister
  15. When I turn my head right I see: a right tit
  16. You know I’m lying when: I keep quiet
  17. What I miss most about the Eighties is: not very much
  18. If I were a character in Shakespeare I’d be: a lion whelping in the street (Julius Caesar, Act II, Scene ii)
  19. By this time next year: I might be retired
  20. A better name for me would be: Zanzibar
  21. I have a hard time understanding: why people need religion
  22. If I ever go back to school, I’ll: be in a time machine (’cos neither of my schools exists any more)
  23. You know I like you if: I kiss you
  24. If I ever won an award, the first person I would thank would be: grateful
  25. Take my advice, never: admit that you know
  26. My ideal breakfast is: a full English
  27. A song I love but do not have is: a John Mayall mouth-music track from the ’60s that I can’t now identify or find
  28. If you visit my hometown, I suggest you: search out its history
  29. Why won’t people: think
  30. If you spend a night at my house: you’ll be solicited by a pussy (or two)
  31. I’d stop my wedding for: a KitKat
  32. The world could do without: religion and politicians
  33. I’d rather lick the belly of a cockroach than: do a bungee jump
  34. My favourite blonde is: Michaela Strachan
  35. Paper clips are more useful than: a grapefruit and Marmite sandwich
  36. If I do anything well it’s: only to lull you into a false sense of security
  37. I can’t help but: be a perfectionist
  38. I usually cry: inwardly
  39. My advice to my child/nephew/niece: if it harm none, do as you will
  40. And by the way: there’s always toast at the end of the dragon

I’m not tagging anyone for this, but feel free to borrow (or steal) it if you like it. If you do use it, it would be nice if you left a comment here.

current affairs, personal, sexuality, thoughts

The Tipping Point

Gulp! For some unknown reason, lunchtime conversation turn to how long we’ve been married. Yes it’s a long time: 29 years come early September! And Noreen commented that we must be close to the tipping point where we’ve been married for longer than we haven’t. I said I thought we should both have passed that point — having done a quick order of magnitude guestimate in my head. And so it turns out on doing a proper calculation using a spreadsheet. Noreen (being slightly the younger) passed the tipping point in the middle of August 2007. Whereas I didn’t get there until 5 May this year. That, plus the prospect of our 30th wedding anniversary in September 2009 and that I am rapidly approaching 60, suddenly seems quite scary. Oh and I passed the tipping point with my employer back in December 2002! Eeekkkkk!!!!!!!

amusements, current affairs, memes, quotes, science, topographical

Zen Mischievous Moments #141

The “Feedback” column this week’s New Scientist contains this item …

Thanks to Terence Dunmore for alerting us to a report in the 11 June issue of Professional Engineering about the UK’s new Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations (WEEE regulations). It warns readers: “If you are a producer of WEEE, you must make sure it is disposed of in an environmentally sound manner, including the treatment, reuse, recovery and recycling of components where appropriate.”
Dunmore is puzzled. “Isn’t the local sewage department already doing just that?” he asks.