Meanwhile in Germany…

Today the German regions of Rheinland-Pfalz (my home Bundesland) and Baden-Wuerttemberg (my grandmother’s home Bundesland, a place where I spent a great deal of time in my youth) had regional elections. For the uninitiated, the upper house of Germany’s parliament is composed of members appointed by regional parliaments in proportion to the population of the regions so this has national ramifications. Rheinland-Pfalz tends to be fairly centrist and independent. It has produced a number of centre-right Minister Presidents as well as centre-left, even when national politics were in favour of Merkel’s centre-right coalition. That in today’s climate it chose to retain its Social Democrat/Green coalition is no surprise. The shock came from Baden-Wuerttemberg where, for the first time, the Greens will have a Minister President and form a coalition with the Social Democrats. For those in the UK think of the Greens becoming the dominant party in Oxfordshire and forming a government with Labour. For those in the USA think of the Greens governing with Democrat allies in Utah.

Twitchy on Sunday Mornings?

I’m not a twitcher, not really – but I am interested and my friend, Craig who helped me with the swift boxes had offered to lead a walk this morning helping a group of us identify birds by their calls.

“We’re meeting at 10am,” he said, “at the top of the lane. But don’t forget that  is will be an hour earlier body clock wise.” Craig has a wonderfully measured approach to life. He considers things and speaks with gentleness and authority.

Now I’m not an early riser, if I don’t have to be – and the weekend is catch up time – but I really thought 10 am on a Sunday morning, even though it would feel like 9 am wouldn’t be too difficult.
I hadn’t taken into account Cycloman’s schedules. Maybe because I hadn’t actually been told them?
On Friday a colleague asked about his cycling plans this weekend: would he be doing the Islip one? I didn’t know.
So when he arrived home on Friday I asked. Continue reading “Twitchy on Sunday Mornings?”

Mark Steyn: Do-gooders in a land with no good guys

http://articles.ocregister.com/2011-03-25/news/29193259_1_military-action-gadhafi-arab-league

Mark Steyn usually has a take on politics which very much is in accord with my own – why else would I enjoy his writing, I suppose you could ask…
Continue reading “Mark Steyn: Do-gooders in a land with no good guys”

Blonde moment

The NSW spoke the other day for some forgotten reason about, and I quote, ‘the Four Horsemen of the Acropolis’. “Whaaaaaat?”, she declaimed to the corpsing wreck on the floor.

A Zangada was also famous for gems such as “muslim nets”, “mongolia paint” and her best ever to our daughter-in-law, “Jane, he’s got a cough.  Give him a spoonful of Cuprinol” (Cuprinol is a wood preservative.  Calpol is the children’s cough medicine).

It’s Sunday.  Feel free to indulge.

OZ

Freezing on the Nuese River

“The Nuese River is another large body of water that can be as bad or even worse than Albermarle Sound in a blow”.

Thus spake the cruising guide, and today it was blowing hard and cold (the high was about 45F (7C)) not bad if you are in the backyard, but standing on a pitching boat, not fun. We made about 60 miles altogether across several other open stretches that were not photogenic. Just as soon as we ducked into a narrow man made channel around lunchtime we came up on a tug towing a whole menagerie, a dredge and seven barges followed by about a mile of bundled dredge pipe. A polite request to “Squeeze past on your port side” was answered with “Sure, come on up captain, there’s lots of room for both of us”
Lots is a bit of an exaggeration.

But we pushed past at our top speed (a blistering 10 knots).
Continue reading “Freezing on the Nuese River”

Beards – Yay or Nay?

Firstly, I take no credit for this blog, my beloved BBC started the idea with an interesting article the other day about men in uniform and being clean-shaven (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12740975), but it got me thinking.

(Incidentally, the chap in the article should get off his ‘yuman rites’ horse and accept the rules if he wants to join. Silly idiot, I really hope he loses his court case)

I hate shaving, but have always done so due to my job and general upbringing and most recently as my cherished wife hates the feeling of bristles as I peck her on the cheek and variations thereof.

I have to say though, if I can get away with it on my days off I try to not shave as apart from the time it takes, my skin is still sensitive even at my great age.

Beards do seem to be making a come back, the 70’s and early 80’s seemed to be the last heyday – many sporting and fashionable wannabes have been supporting beards of the very bushy variety recently – especially amongst Super 15 rugby players. I have noticed with great amusement the last few years of “Movember”, where moustaches are grown for charity in the month of November.

Alas, I would love to partake for the right charity, but despite needing to shave every day, I can’t grow any facial hair sufficiently enough to qualify as a beard or moustache! I’m just not hairy enough!

So, fellow charioteers, what does facial hair say about a gentleman these days? Is it just a fashion, a fad, a religious statement, an image? Does it suit some and not others? Do you still wonder ‘what’s he got to hide?’, and then, linking into the BBC article above, should men in uniform be forced to shave?

I say yes, but that is not surprising as I have to as I mentioned earlier. Am I a dinosaur? Modern Western Society certainly couldn’t impose an equivalent on women…or does it?

I’d have to say in conclusion to my own thoughts, beards are fine, I just don’t like them when they signify a religious symbol, but that’s just me! But I would like one just for a day…..  😀