These were all Queens of England. Who are they and what are the names of their husbands?
Mission Complete – Thank you Everyone!
On Nursery Rhymes
In the early 70s I was studying for my National Certificate in Electrical Engineering. I was now 30 something, before ‘Friends‘, and at a time when being 30 meant being an adult and not some late developing adolescent. It was also the time when, for reasons unknown to me, it was decided that engineers lacked ‘culture’, and so lessons in ‘cultural studies’ were an essential part of the course. Having two young children at the time,my chosen subject for a particular presentation was Nursery Rhymes and their origin. Janus’ post on the poetry competition reminded me of this. The nursery rhyme books are in the loft, but unlike the 70s when there was no Internet available to me, I don’t have to search the loft for them.
Continue reading “On Nursery Rhymes”
Oh, how I know this feeling.
Bearsy, have you been phoning Downing Street again?
The Rime of the Nascent Maunderer
‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’. The muse took me, here is: –
The Rime of the Nascent Maunderer
It is a nascent Maunderer
And he stoppeth on MyT
“My God you’re weird” they all did cry,
“Is this a ‘pop’ at me”?
Continue reading “The Rime of the Nascent Maunderer”
England’s Rugby Captain and a Modest Proposal for English Football
First posted MyT March 8th 2009 – revised and reposted tonight to pass the time before the Six Nations kicks off. Revised again for displacement activity on 29/11/11
Some time ago, I had a brilliant idea for how the English football team could win the World Cup, possibly in perpetuity. Being a Scot, I tried to forget it but it kept popping back. I think I should share it with you as it could have the side effect of saving England, which is probably, on balance, a ‘good thing’.
In bowls, there is no nationality rule. You play for the country you live in. Thus, one of the mainstays of the English bowls team for years was Andy Thomson from Fife who still speaks with an accent that makes Naughtie sound Cockney. Over in Australia, the former World Number 1, David Gourlay from Ayrshire, walked straight into their team as soon as he emigrated. Continue reading “England’s Rugby Captain and a Modest Proposal for English Football”
Bulging Bivalves Bringing Beaucoup Bucks
According to the Wall Street Journal, business is booming for purveyors of the World’s largest bivalve.
Geoducks (pronounced Gooeyducks) are being sold for record prices and the Squamish and other native Americans, harvesting them from Puget Sound in the Northwest are selling them to the Chinese in time for their new years celebration. They sell for up to $1 per ounce and a big one can weigh 30 pounds so that’s close to 500 dollars each, a lot of clams for one clam.
What’s happening in Egypt?
This is a report by an Egyptian student copied from another site I visit. It is quite long, but contains some interesting views – from someone who should know a little about the subject, rather than the pundits in our own press. The views are entirely those of the author and the original is here.
The Story of the Egyptian Revolution
One week ago, Egypt was a stable authoritarian regime, prospects of change were minimal and every expert in Washington would have betted on the endurance of its regime. Today, Egypt is in a state of chaos. The regime, even after using its mightiest sword is not able to control the country and the streets of Egypt are in a state of utter lawlessness. As the world stands in awe, confusion, and worry at the unfolding events, perhaps it is important to write the evolving story that is happening in Egypt before any reflections can be made on them.
Contrary to pundits, it turns out that the Egyptian regime was neither stable nor secure. Continue reading “What’s happening in Egypt?”
Salute.
Every now and then, we score one for the good guys:
A retired Indian Gorkha soldier recently revisited those glory days when he thwarted 40 robbers, killing three of them and injuring eight others, with his khukuri during a train journey. He is in line to receive three gallantry awards from the Indian government.
“They started snatching jewelry, cell phones, cash, laptops and other belongings from the passengers,” Shrestha recalled. The soldier had somehow remained a silent spectator amidst the melee, but not for long. He had had enough when the robbers stripped an 18-year-old girl sitting next to him and tried to rape her right in front of her parents. He then took out his khukuri and took on the robbers.
“The girl cried for help, saying ´You are a soldier, please save a sister´,” Shrestha recalled. “I prevented her from being raped, thinking of her as my own sister,” he added. He took one of the robbers under control and then started to attack the others. He said the rest of the robbers fled after he killed three of them with his khukuri and injured eight others.
Whacko of the week.
Gatwick airport security.
Ken Lloyd was about to jet home packing a nine-inch tall replica of an armed British soldier in his hand luggage. The innocent £135 souvenir – bought during a visit to the Royal Signals Museum at Dorset’s Blandford Camp – triggered a scanner alarm, prompting security intervention.
Lloyd explained to the Sun: “As the figurine was pulled from the box, the security search officer contacted her supervisor. The SA80 rifle ‘could not pass’. My wife Julie asked the staff to take a reality check. It’s a 9in painted model with a rifle that is part of the figure.
Don’t you feel so much safer now?
If you pay peanuts….
Boadicea's Chariot 
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