Next time we watch Chinese gymnasts performing it might be well to remember this:

I came across this one – Number 69A:

O proud left foot, that ventures quick within
Then soon upon a backward journey lithe.
Anon, once more the movement then begin,
Command sinistral pedestal to writhe.
Commence thou then the fervent Hokey-Poke,
A mad gyration ,hips in wanton swirl.
To spin, a wild release from heaven’s yoke.
Like frantic dervish surely canst go, girl.
The Hoke, the Poke, banish now all doubt,
Verily I say, ’tis what it’s all about.

Nothing new under the sun, is there?

I’m house/dog sitting for friends from HK.  They are posted here in London but have gone home for their annual leave for a month. The house is in Mortlake, near the Mortlake Brewery, (once Watney’s, now Budweiser,) where my Grandfather worked before the war, commuting daily from Millwall on his twin-pot BSA.

The riverside here is OK, not outstanding, but pleasant for a stroll and walking the dog – at least as far as the Ship inn, a so-so pub but a nice place to sit on a summer Sunday afternoon.

I thought this made an interesting composition…

And I have been adopted as a surrogate Granddad – this is Julian, my friends’ boy.  He is two and a bit, so our vocabularies in Cantonese are about the same 🙂  (Though I can usually mangle my Mandarin to get by in most situations.)

The damn BBC commentators at the Olympics, (are we allowed to write that word?) are murdering the lass’s name each time they try to say it. Is it to much to ask that people who work for our flagship broadcaster pronounce people’s names properly? It’s Jessica. Ennis. You illiterate oafs.

On the other hand, I have just finished watching the BBC Shakespeare series, ‘The Hollow Crown, and, you know what? That was worth the licence fee for this year. The series covers the four plays from Richard II to Henry V and it is superb – I cannot recommend it highly enough. The production, locations and cast make Shakespeare highly ‘accessible’ without any need to dumb down the language or make any other alterations to allow people to ‘relate’ to it.

I do urge you to get hold of it – all four parts can be downloaded if you don’t have access to BBC iPlayer 🙂

I’m sorry, I know it is entirely the wrong reaction, but this made me snort tea out of my nose…

Blind health and safety adviser falls to death under tram

This is a disgrace.

LCpl Isimeli Baleiwai, known as ‘Bale’ to his friends, is facing deportation from the UK after serving 13 years with the British Armed Forces. Bale is a foreign and commonwealth soldier from Fiji who was recruited by the MOD when he was 18.

He has served in 5 operational tours including Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. His wife Kim is British and they have two young children a boy of 3 and a girl of 6; both British. Bale left the Army voluntarily to provide stability for his family.

He applied for British Citizenship in March while still a serving soldier, but was refused FFS! He appealed the decision, but received a letter from UKBA on 14/07/2012 stating he had until 9th August 2012 to leave the country. LCpl Bale was fined in 2011 after appearing on CO’s Orders for fighting with another soldier who instigated the fight. This was a purely military affair – which many of those of us who have served will know all about – there was no police involvement, no trial and no criminal conviction and therefore no criminal record. they’re chuckin him out!

I was going to add to my comment on TR’s post that it would be well to have a very large smile on his face should he ever consider – not that he would, of course, being the gentleman that he is – uttering a sentence with ‘men,’ ‘skirts,’ and ‘silly,’ in it where there was any chance that one of thee chaps might overhear it:

which reminded me

Bugger the Olympics, settle down with some beer and popcorn for some real sporting action.

Picture:  Daily Telegraph.

Can England keep their number one ranking?  Can South Africa knock them off the top spot?  Weather permitting – and allowing for the fact that, for whatever reason, the powers that be have decided to make this a three Test series rather than the five tests they should be playing – shake hands, Ladies and Gentlemen, and come out fighting.  May the best team win.  (And may South Africa come second 🙂  )

I’m quite a fan of this show on TV – he says displaying a touch of plebeianism around the edges of his usual impeccable sense of good taste – so I thought I’d get the t-shirt. (Confirming more than a touch of plebeianism around the ed…)

The nice young man in the boutique stall in Shepherd’s Bush Market sold me this instead…
Continue reading “Sons of Anarchy”

Manhunt launched for gunman who shot dead policeman

Why on earth would anyone shoot a dead policeman? It may be bad form, but is it even a crime to shoot someone who is already dead?