As old Groucho remarked, “I don’t care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members.” And my prejudice is now fully justified by the very idea that the word ‘marriage’ might be misused/re-interpreted/ hijacked to include seeking supernatural approval for conjoining ‘members’ of the same gender (Gerrit? Sorry, Vicar).
The EU has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, an award somewhat tarnished by the previous recipients. Herman is here disclaiming his latest poetic masterpiece to his fellow conspirators.
A political caption is called for, perhaps in verse.
… All Cyprus have to do is:
Win European Nations Cup Division 2C – the win against Slovenia put them top with two wins from two.
Beat the winner of European Nations Cup Division 2D in a straight knock-out – likely to be Norway or Greece.
Beat the winner of European Nations Cup Division 2B in a straight knock-out – Israel are favourites to win that
Beat the winner of European Nations Cup Division 2A in a straight knock-out – Netherlands currently lead the way
Beat the winner of European Nations Cup Division 1B in a straight knock-out – Germany, Ukraine and Poland are possible opponents
Beat the third-place team from European Nations Cup Division 1A in a straight knock-out – Georgia, Romania, Russia and Spain are among the Division 1A sides.
ONLY THEN WOULD CYPRUS QUALIFY FOR THE REPECHAGE COMPETITION
Win a repechage semi-final against a team from Africa, the Americas or Asia.
Win a two-legged final against the other semi-final winner.
Piece of cake 😀 Go Moufflons!
So far this December, in the deep south-east of England, apart from a few snow flurries a week ago, we have had mainly sunny days and frosty nights in these here parts. In fact, it is a beautiful sunny day as I type. I wonder how long it will be before the water companies are bleating about drought and hosepipe bans!
I am now witnessing my first Minnesota storm. In the past 24 hours over a foot of snow has fallen and the wind has been terribly assertive in making its presence felt. While not yet utterly cold, that will be tonight when the temperature is set to fall to -24 C, I can now make a few observations about the weather and how it is dealt with.
The snow is nothing new to me. It snows in Germany, it snows in eastern California. The wind is notable but I have seen a number of gales in my life, nothing unusual in that. What is striking is how poorly the weather is handled. One would think that Minnesotans, infamous for living through some of the worst weather in the developed world, would have some sense in ploughing streets and pavement. None. None at all. The roads are covered with snow and the ploughs simply drive around doing nothing. In California that has never been the case, is not the case. The ploughs operate at all times during a snow storm keeping the roads clear and well-sanded.
My observations have been based on my walk to grocer’s and back, a total of just over two miles. A pleasant stroll in pleasant weather, a journey of slips and falls with a dozen eggs to think of as it is today. Naturally I have concluded that I will remain for the rest of the day in my warm flat drinking tea, looking at the snow fall through my windows, and being somewhat less than enthusiastic. A bit of good news is that I will be on a flight next week to Sacramento for Christmas before heading off to Germany and the UK.
Oh, the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we’ve no place to go
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow
– not that we have any choice here in the Baltic Badlands ‘cos we have a snowstorm right now and are promised 10 inches today. Very pretty – not.
Oh, a sparkler would make me better
I’d don a thick warm sweater
And write rude words and show
That I don’t much approve of the snow
I have just received my first Christmas card from the UK, needless to say I do not anticipate many more!! It cost £1.90 ($3.05) to send it here and exactly the same size card to go to the UK costs $1.05! THREE times LESS!
You have no doubt seen all the hoohaa about legalising the smoking of pot in WA? Yeah, well, they legalised the smoking but you aren’t allowed to buy, grow or deal in it! I am awaiting the falling of pot as manna from heaven! I swear these people are as daft as they come! Last year they voted to privatise the sale of liquor and the prices roughly doubled, vaguely reminiscent of turkeys voting for Christmas!
What is it with Hillary and Northern Ireland?
She just can’t keep away – even when she’s in charge of her country’s foreign relations and the happenings in a small part of a relatively friendly European state must be of minor significance – both personally and politically.
I’m sure that all of my cherished colleagues on the Chariot need no warning about this. I saw in the library where I do voluntary work in France that someone had donated a copy of “Sex and the City”. Having heard the name, I thought I would have a look at it. On the front cover the Sunday Telegraph describes this work as “Jane Austen with a Martini”. You wouldn’t need a martini or any other cocktail to knock you out. This tedious, badly written book will have put you right off before you can reach for your cocktail shaker. Marie Claire describes it as “Hilarious … a compulsively readable book … bite-sized chunks of irrepressible irreverence.” This probably says more about the low standards of that magazine and about the French sense of humour than anything else.
One line did please me. “Reputations are like cat litter. They can be changed daily.” Would you like to comment on that, Max Clifford?
Boadicea's Chariot 
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