Goodness me

I can’t help thinking I’m an egalitarian. The word seems to connote more or less what I stand for, morally speaking. It cements the aims of all those who want to lift our species out of the life old Hobbes described as natural: ”solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”. But ever since the Americans crystallised the principle – ‘all men are created equal’ – plenty of gainsayers have ensured that some are more equal than others. They have used pseudo-science, pseudo-religion and pseudo-economics to justify their belief in the subjugation and humiliation of other races and creeds. Not to mention politics where we witness so-called social democrats identifying members of their clubs who have unsuitable views about equality.

Of course the best strategy for my opponents is to deny the principle – which in their book gives them licence to deny their hypocrisy, their dressed-up inhumanity, their sense of innate superiority. Their  tribes just play their cards more skilfully, they’ll say; and devil take the hindmost. But I can’t hope St Peter will deal with them in the end; so many of his adherents agree with their flawed conclusions. I just want them to know they can’t fool everyone with their arguments.

Down Under Part 2: Splendid Sydney

Having taken repossession of the girl child, we left Melbourne and flew to Sydney. We had booked our accommodation, a small cottage in Bondi Junction, via Air B&B, the first time we had used the service.  It seemed to work reasonably well, though once again we were slightly stunned by the prices being charged for fairly modest lodgings. However, having realised what property costs in that city, we realised that though expensive, it was unlikely that we were being ripped off. Continue reading “Down Under Part 2: Splendid Sydney”

The Land Down Under . . .

Part 1 – Marvellous Melbourne

We arrived at about 06.00, some 30 hours after having left home but without proper sleep for about 42 hours. Harare, Lusaka, Dubai, Melbourne. To say we were shattered would be an understatement. What was worse, we had a whole day to kill before we deemed it wise to get some shut eye. Air crew generally claim that in order to acclimatise, it is best to stay awake during the day, regardless of when you arrive or what time your body is telling you it is and only sleep at night time. Easier said than done. Continue reading “The Land Down Under . . .”

Shrugus Shoulderus (Sean Connery)

Lost a fiver today.

 

It’s alright, don’t feel sorry for me. It was my own fault. Fell out my pocket. Not got a Clouseau where it went. Like Cato the Younger I took this hit with a resigned Hardy look at the fourth wall and remembered the famous Roman quote by Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis “What’s for you will never go by you.” Though I’m sure it was originally in Latin,

Quid Leatherus testamus numquam Cheerioyou.

 

Faux amis

I read Sheona’s comment about grammatical errors and opened the linked page.   I scanned it once, twice, a third time – but nowhere could I find a grammatically distorted cupboard.   Then I stopped and turned my thinking brain on.   Oh dear, silly me.

Because the subject was French, my past-its-use-by-date subconscious had translated placard to cupboard rather than retaining it in English.   Totally illogical.   There was the placard right in front of me in the photo with a glaring grammatical error, as bad as or even worse than a misplaced apostrophe in English.  I felt suitably stupid, although relieved that clarity had eventually been restored.

Recounting this gives me the opportunity to tell you all about an article I read yesterday in an Australian newspaper, which was on the subject of the Catholic Church’s response to a long list of recommendations on changes to make to deal with the large number of cases of child abuse which have been uncovered in Australia, as they have in several other Western countries.   The article suggested that changes would be needed to cannon law.

The subeditor definitely needs shooting for that one!  😎