Author: bravo22c

A short article in today’s DT notes that most of us say ‘sorry’ if we bump into someone in the street.

I am a firm believer in W of W’s maxim that ‘manners maketh man.’ Good manners and politeness make up the oil that relieves the friction we generate as we bump along with each other in our daily rounds. I always open doors for ladies – even daleks – on the presumption that whoever is in the dalek suit is, in fact, female – give up my seat on public transport to mature ladies or those of a certain age, stand when ladies leave a table, or seat them on arrival…

I believe that all of these little courtesies tend towards making my social interactions that little bit better, and the same for those I meet in my everyday toils. If I’m on the tube in the rush hour and I give up my seat to a lady, it makes me feel good, it makes her feel good, and, who knows, I might get a nice smile to brighten my day.

‘Gentleman,’ seems to be a word that is losing currency, mores the pity, but I’m not giving up.

Following Christina’s post of a couple of weeks ago, I came across this Google maps map of the Empire in its heyday

Fascinating. (If you’re interested in that sort of thing.)

‘Sudanese war criminal wins right to remain in Britain.’

So, it would seem that this mass-murderer(?) serial killer(?) (pick your own descriptor,) cannot be deported to the place where he committed his crimes because someone might be upset with him.

Never mind the fact that he shouldn’t be in this country in the first place, we can’t send him back to face the music. Instead, he is to be allowed to remain in this country, scrounging off me and you – he’e not allowed to work, or study, but he will, of course, be allowed to live at the expense of the UK taxpayer.

Good, innit?

G’day all. I’m back from Cyprus and I find that yesterday was World Blasphemy Day.

‘Anti-blasphemy laws exist throughout the world. In many parts of Europe and North America they have been overturned, although there are anti-blasphemy laws in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Liechtenstein, Iceland, the Netherlands, San Marino and the UK. There are also “religious insult” laws in 21 European nations.

In some countries, blasphemy is punishable by death, such as in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.[citation needed]
Six US states (Massachusetts, Michigan, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Wyoming) still have anti-blasphemy laws on their books, although they are seldom enforced.

My question is this; I am an atheist. I don’t believe in gods, fairies, leprechauns, djinns, or any other mythical creature, so, whatever it is, it’s not my god, so how can I take it’s name in vain?

I have no idea how long it is since I had an actual holiday, as opposed to breaks between contracts where the time was filled with visiting relations, or spent in Cyprus with the grandchildren when their wishes needs must take precedence over Granddad’s – not that I begrudge them the time, of course – but I’ve just managed a short break in Istanbul.

My ex, being the good little Greek Orthodox person that she is, has always wished  to see the cathedral of Ayia Sofia.  She arranged two trips last year, and both were cancelled by the operator, one because of a bomb in Istanbul, and the other because of an earthquake hundreds of miles away, so, when I said I was coming to Cyprus, she asked me to take her and I agreed.   pictures

Well, actually, not this exact day, but nearly, (I couldn’t resist the title,)  the UK Chart Number One was Anne Shelton and Bing Crosby singing ‘Galway Bay’…and the number one song was based on the sales of sheet music.

What was the number one song on your day of birth?

Find out here.

He, (Pistorious) was, plainly, furious at the defeat. In a post-race interview he indicated that Oliveira, who prevailed in a time of 21.45 seconds, had the advantage of having longer prosthetic legs. Indeed, he held profound reservations about some of his fellow competitors, pointing out that Oliveira and American Blake Leeper had lengthened their prostheses in pursuit of an advantage.

“We’re not racing a fair race here,” he said immediately after the race. “The regulations say that you can make yourself unbelievably high.”

Linky thing.

Please note that, unlike some of the usual dippy comments on the article, I have nothing to say about the man, whom I admire as much as any of the other athletes taking part in the games, especially the marathon and distance runners – and the blind five-a-siders.

An early start this week.  A plural award because no civil servant – yes, it’s the civil service, again…is anyone surprised?…is named in this latest example of snivelling bureaucratic lunacy.  A man, a University Professor, who can trace his British ancestry back to the 14th century faces deportation because he was born in India – to British parents when India was still part of the Empire.

Meanwhile, a bunch of raghead terrorists are to take the gubmint to court, whining about how their human right to blow people up in the name of their lunatic branch of organised superstition is being suppressed.

Good, innit?

Link.

The friends for whom I was dog/house sitting for the last three weeks are Hong Kong Chinese.  On posting abroad, they had prudently laid in a year’s supply of staples to bring with them, all their favourite HK brands – or brands that are popular in HK – of course.  I neglected to take toothpaste with me and was given a tube of this brand…

I used to use this brand myself when I was in HK – a bit of nostalgia.  There is, however, a story

Because of overwhelming demand* I advert to the charioteers the return of this popular feature.  This week’s winner put in an outstanding effort to achieve this notable distinction.  I give you Ms Abbie Booth, neighbourhood housing officer of Stockport City council who has informed residents of a block of flats in that fine city that they are to remove  ‘obstructive’ or ‘combustible’ items such as pictures and doormats (!) from communal areas because they could, wait for it… potentially pose a fire hazard.

You really couldn’t make this stuff up.

* Well, I like it.

From the Daily Mail.