Subliminally yours,

Bleuebelle’s recent comment on coded messages in heavy metal music reminded me of the infamous trial involving Judas Priest. On their cover version of Spooky Tooth’s, Better by you, Better than me, it was alleged that the song made allusions to suicide. It was claimed two fans heard the message “do it” and they both shot themselves. One died instantly the other (dying much later) had horrific facial injuries. Judas Priest were found not guilty. Continue reading “Subliminally yours,”

The Cinque Terre

I was quite upset yesterday to read about the devastation cause by heavy rain and mudslides in the World Heritage site of the Cinque Terre in Italy.  Just two years ago we spent a very pleasant week there staying in the village of Manarola.  Our hotel was situated just 400 metres from the station, but those metres were almost vertical. Getting to what became our favourite restaurant, Da Billy, provided good cardiovascular exercise.

Four of the five villages are tucked into coves along a short stretch of coastline.  Each has made its living from fishing and from cultivating the very steep slopes behind.  The fifth village, Coneglia, is perched on a clifftop, two hundred and something steps up from the coastal footpath and its railway station.

Continue reading “The Cinque Terre”

Help Wanted

My younger daughter has got religion.  I’m not quite sure how she managed it, being a firmly rational type up until now, but there it is.

The problem is the type of religion she’s ‘got.’  She has joined one of those happy, clappy, give me 10% of your wages and buy the t-shirt, book and other promotional items, evangelical thingies.  I’ve learned that it is orginally an Australian church and there is some speculation about how the ‘pastors, Brian and Bobby Houston managed to build a real-estate empire…

If any of the antipodean charioteers could give me a steer on the matter, I’d be very grateful.  My daughter’s a grown woman and what she does or doesn’t do is up to her, but if these two ‘pastors,’ are at it with her 10%, I’d be grateful for a steer.

Haircuts

Coiffures

Did you know that if you google ‘haircut’ the first page is taken up almost completely with financial gobbledygook with hardly a coiffered head in sight?

I want to tell you about my neighbour’s plan, he’s a modest working chap, married with 3 children (although I think that 3 is one too many) lives in a modest home and employs 3 staff (a gardener / handyman, a maid and a nanny)

His wife works part time at our local medical centre and he’s employed by one of the motor manufacturers in the city.

Well, sad to say, he’s fallen on hard times lately, his employers are working short time (and have been for the last 18 months or so) which has resulted in him getting behind on his mortgage payments and forced him to increase his overdraft facility and credit card usage. He tells me that life has become untenable. Continue reading “Haircuts”