Site Meter

Some of the more observant of my readers, (yes, I now know I have some!), may have noticed that I have installed a site meter on the left hand of the blog.

It's got a really cool map function, & can show where my readers log on from. cool eh?

and even better, It's free! you can get yours at sitemeter.com. Nice one guys.

Freedom of speech

In a follow up to my last blog, there is a guaniad story published today. Free speech? mmmmm

"Danish paper sorry for Muhammad cartoons

Late apology after tide of Arab anger and boycott Swedes and Norwegians also affected by fallout

Denmark's largest selling broadsheet newspaper last night issued an apology to the "honourable citizens of the Muslim world" after publishing a series of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that provoked protests across the Middle East.

In a lengthy statement the editor-in-chief of Jyllands-Posten admitted that the 12 cartoons, one of which depicted Muhammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban, had caused "serious misunderstandings". Carsten Juste said: "The 12 cartoons ... were not intended to be offensive, nor were they at variance with Danish law, but they have indisputably offended many Muslims, for which we apologise.""

Danes publish cartoons of Mohammed

From harrys place :-

"Denmark Warned by Islamists

Images of the Prophet Mohammed printed recently in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten continue to inflame the Muslim world:

Some Muslims, who deem images of prophets disrespectful and caricatures blasphemous, have reacted angrily, threatening Danes, calling for goods boycotts and demanding an apology.

Saudi Arabia has recalled its envoy from Denmark, Libya has closed its embassy, and thousands of Palestinians marched in protest on Monday.

Militant groups linked to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah faction issued a statement saying, “We call upon all Danish citizens in (Palestine) to leave immediately.”

Hamas, the militant Islamic group which won Palestinian elections last week, urged Islamic countries to take “deterrent steps against idiotic Danish behavior”.

You can view the cartoons here."

Food for thought, eh?

Last words re:- George "tiddles" Galloway (?)

I will leave it to The Times to sum up:-

"'Pussy' Galloway shows how an MP can earn real disrespect

The Hon Member for Respect says he was using Big Brother as a platform. Roland White isn’t lapping it up

When George Galloway entered the Big Brother house three weeks ago, he announced with his habitual self-importance that he wanted to address the “politically untouched” on behalf of his Respect party.
“We need to use new and innovative methods to put across our arguments,” he said. “I believe Celebrity Big Brother will be hugely successful for our ideals.”

Right then, hands up all those who are now familiar with Respect’s policy on local government finance. How about housing and the homeless? And surely Galloway managed to get in a word about the party’s pioneering ideas on sport and recreation?

Alas no, but it seems very likely that in years to come old folk will still be sitting around the fireside and reminiscing about the time the honourable member for Bethnal Green and Bow pretended to be a little pussycat licking pretend cream from an actress’s cupped hands. And let’s not forget the time he pranced about in a red leotard; not to mention his row with Michael Barrymore or the day he dressed up as Dracula.

Why oh why did he do it? He wasn’t just pitching for the politically untouched: Galloway also said that he was doing it “for Palestine”. And no doubt Palestine would have been very grateful if it had not had more urgent matters to attend to. Because while Galloway was playing with the Big Brother dressing-up box, Palestine was very busy with proper politics: electing a radical new government.

The sorry truth is that in just 20 days Galloway has transformed himself from a crusading MP into a comic turn. Before Big Brother many people probably found him rather irritating and wanted to see a good deal less of him. Others might have admired his combative style and wondered whether he had a point about the Iraq war. From now on, though, it will strain self-discipline to breaking point just to think about him without either gagging or giggling.

It is just over eight months since he was carried shoulder high after snatching the safe Labour seat of Bethnal Green and Bow from Oona King, one of the brightest of the 1997 new Labour intake. But much of that goodwill seems to have evaporated in the constituency.

Sadek Rana, 30, a shopkeeper who voted for Galloway last year, now feels let down.
“He wasn’t representing us when he was dressed up performing as a cat on TV; it was embarrassing,” he complained. “I feel he has taken me for a ride.”
Muhammad Abdul Bari, chairman of the East London Mosque and one of the area’s most senior Muslim leaders, is “puzzled” by his MP’s performance.
“This is one of the most deprived constituencies,” he said. “It was a bit inconsiderate of him to become unavailable like that.
“Also the decency issue would have upset a lot of the Muslim constituents in the borough. It was all embarrassing and we did not vote him to do that kind of stuff.”

Yet there is one person who seems breezily unaffected by all this embarrassment: Galloway. He brushed off his antics with Rula Lenska with the words: “I’d rather be a cat than a poodle.”

He also ignored the boos that greeted him as he emerged from the Big Brother house and is now preparing himself for a nine-date UK tour, having first appeared on Richard & Judy. Unfortunately for Galloway, tickets are proving difficult to shift. At the 800-seat Deco centre in Northampton, only 34 were sold by Friday. No doubt he will put this down to a conspiracy by his political enemies.
The writer Gore Vidal once said that politics was “showbusiness for ugly people”. "

Fancy a bargain?

Nick's site bumblebee auctions had a massive surge in demand this weekend due to a Grauniad article entitled

"Move over eBay - this is the police".

The article explained how people could bag real bargains from bumblebee auctions . if you fancy a punt, just follow the link!

The article explains:-

"This website disposes of property that the police have seized or has been handed in, and where the police can't locate the original owner. Stuff on sale reflects criminal tastes; lots of mountain bikes (many "as new"), Nike trainers (new, boxed), jewellery and electrical goods such as laptops and iPods.

It's run on the lines of eBay, where you bid up to a closing date. There are no minimums, so if no one else bids, the item is yours for £1.

PC Tim Wills, who handles disposals on bumblebeeauctions for Sussex Police, says it is not uncommon for bikes to go for under £5. Guardian Money tracked some of the bike auctions last week, and found many sold for £20-£30. The most sought after was a new Giant Yukon bike, which eventually went for £105. That compares with the £299 it retails for elsewhere.
Other lots listed this week included HP Laserjet printers (several at £20), mobile phones (a Siemens S55 for £1, including charger and manual), Nike Airmax Plus trainers (£5-£10, courtesy of a particularly prolific shoplifter) and assorted packs of batteries, razors and Oral-B toothbrushes from £1 upwards.

The drawback? You have to collect larger items from the police force that's offloading them. In the case of the Yukon bike above, that would have required a trip to Chichester police station in Sussex. Only 10 of the UK's 43 police forces are on the site, so large parts of the country are not covered. Smaller items listed on bumblebeeauctions (such as trainers) can be posted to you, but at a fee of around £14. You also have to sign up to the Nochex payment system.

PC Wills says: "It used to be the case that we disposed of everything through local auction houses. But we've found that we can make 10 times as much by doing it online. All the money made goes to charity. It's just beginning to build up momentum at the moment. The Metropolitan Police [not currently disposing on the site] is in the wings as are many other forces. In truth, we've got property stores which are full to overflowing."

Well done Nick!

Burry Holmes

Kim, Dan Dylan & I went for a walk this afternoon. We parked the car at Hillend campsite and walked over the dunes to the beach. I then had the great idea of walking to Burry Holmes, the tidal islet at the north end of Rhossili beach. This proved to be a great success, until we had to walk back. how come places are further on the way back?
Anyway, I thought I'd do some research on the Holmes.

It seems that their name derives from Old Norse, holmes, meaning island (thanks "the pigs lip", of http://www.swansea-gower.co.uk/ )


The site was a hill in Mesolithic times, 12 miles from the sea, looking down onto the vale of what is now the bristol channel/severn estuary.

Mesolithic Microliths have been found here, which are the sharpened shards of flint used to line the tips of spears & harpoons. In fact, microliths from this site proved to show signs of Birch Bark Pitch, leading to archeologists from the Museum of Wales discovering how these shards were fixed to the haft.

There is a pretty impressive earthwork running across the middle of the island, as you can see from the above photo, which served as a defense for the inhabitants. It must have taken ages to construct.

There are the remains of a 12th century monastry, Hermitage or oratory, depending on your source, which may or may not lie on the site of an older wooden church. Saint Cennyd, a sixth century monk with or without a withered leg may or may not have lived here.

Cuttings from the net:-

Gathering the jewels

Nine of the many headlands on the south and west Gower coast were defended and occupied during the Iron Age. All the sites are relatively small, and should be thought of more as defended homesteads of perhaps one or two families rather than full-scale villages. Where dating evidence has been found it appears that the sites belong to the late Iron Age, and were even occupied into the Roman period. Two such sites are on the promontories at either end of Rhossili Bay - Burry Holms at the north end, and Worms Head at the south. Burry Holms possesses marvellous natural defences, and at high tide the headland becomes an island, making the site even more impregnable.

BBC wales

Some 9,000 years ago the tidal island of Burry Holms was an inland hill from which hunters could watch herds of game in the plain below (the present day Bristol Channel). The sea was up to 12 miles away, and pine and birch woodland covered the Severn Estuary. Charcoal found on the site suggests that the local population was manipulating this woodland to help them catch their prey.
By burning small patches of forest, hunters were creating new and nutritious plant growth which would encourage deer into the area. Once the new growth gave way to bigger trees, they moved on and burnt somewhere else. Charred remains of hazelnut shells have been found on this islet. Their contents would have been an excellent food resource for this mobile population. Small tools made with flint, wood and bone have also been discovered here, and were probably used for fishing or hunting.
No signs of this Mesolithic population can be seen on Burry Holms today. However Iron Age and Medieval people left visible evidence of their presence in the form of a rampart and ditch and remains of a monastery respectively

The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust

Medieval extra-parochial area in West Gower. Very rich archaeological sequence from prehistory onwards. Major early ecclesiastical site associated with Llanmadoc (group I Latin-inscribed memorial stone and two Group II cross-slabs). Douglas Hague’s excavations on the associated medieval hermitage site on Burry Holms, with pre-church timber structures, still unpublished. Elizabeth Walker’s recent excavations, which revealed later prehistoric timber structures including roundhouse, may throw fresh light on the nature and date of the early timber features under church.

Extra parochial area probably representing pre-Norman ecclesiastical estate, later passing to Abbey of St Taurin, Evreux (France) and then to All Souls College, Oxford.

COUNCIL FOR BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGY

Burry Holms, Swansea 15.09.00 to 13.10.00 (dates) Research excavations will continue at the Early Mesolithic site located on the tidal island of Burry Holms, Llangennith, Gower. Excavation is undertaken between tides for approximately five hours each day. Team members are also expected to undertake sieving and finds processing on a rota basis. Appropriate training will be given. A campsite with cooking facilities is provided and a subsistence payment is available. Applications will only be considered from those able to stay for the duration of the project. Details from Elizabeth Walker, Dept of Archaeology & Numismatics, National Museum & Gallery, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NP, tel 029 2057 3229, email Elizabeth.Walker@nmgw.ac.uk.

the church in wales
On a nice day visit Burry Holms at the north end of Rhossili Bay where we commemorate St. Cenydd's day each summer on the site of a wooden Celtic church oratory, the only one found in Wales.

Llanelli press
On the night of January 22nd, in what appeared to be calm conditions after several stormy days, convoys totalling 19 ships of various sizes crept out of Llanelli, towed by steam tugs. Once clear of the harbour, the tugs cast off and the vessels set sail. But as they rounded Whitford Point, the winds died leaving them becalmed amid mountainous waves. As a contemporary account put it, “Although the wind had gone down, the waves roared and rolled with fearful violence. Some of the ships got into collision and the result was that great destruction of life and property occurred, not however through the collision, but for want of wind.”As this terrifying night wore on, 16 of the ships became total wrecks, their hulls shattered as the immense swell lifted up ship after ship and sent them crashing down onto the sand banks. There are harrowing accounts of sailors desperately calling for help in the wave-lashed darkness as their ships were pounded apart around them. There were lucky escapes. A brigantine, The Brothers, and a schooner, the Roscius, both Llanelli-based, briefly embraced each other after a collision. The Roscius crew saved themselves by leaping onto the deck of The Brothers. The latter vessel managed to break away and beach nearby, the crews surviving the night by clinging to the sides of the lightship in Broughton Bay,.When daylight came, wreckage and dead bodies were found all the way from the Whitford Point to Burry Holms. In all 18 lives were lost. Of the 16 wrecked ships, five were said to have been lost with all hands – the Jeune Celine, the Amethyst, the Waterfly, the Huntress and the Mary Fanny, though there is an account that the cabin boy of the Mary Fanny escaped by jumping into the pilot's boat as it pulled away.


wales past
9,000 years ago one of the most important tools in the search for food were microliths - barbs made of stone that made a big impact on life in the Middle Stone Age.From 9200-4000BC (during the Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age) people in Wales lived by hunting, fishing and gathering edible plants. Harpoons and spears were common tools and these carried stone barbs (microliths) that could inflict a deep cutting wound on prey. Microliths, were made from flint blades each carefully crafted to make a sharp point. Individually a microlith is too small to do any real damage, but when two rows of these are glued into a spear's shaft they make an effective tool. Between 1923 and 2001 over eighty microliths have been discovered on Burry Holms, today a tidal island on the north-western tip of Gower (a peninsula in south Wales). Here a band of hunter-gatherers spent part of the year hunting red deer, gathering nuts and fishing in the nearby rivers. Recent excavations by the National Museums & Galleries of Wales have demonstrated that the soils at Burry Holms do not preserve the wooden or bone hafts of these hunters' tools, but even so, the microliths that survived have some interesting stories to tell. Several have snapped at their tip, leaving behind a tell-tale scar that may well be evidence of where they struck an animal during a hunt, breaking from the impact. The damaged spear was probably carried back to camp and the broken microlith replaced with a new one. In the case of a second microlith with an impact fracture, it is the tip that has survived. What is more, this tip has a surface pattern that suggests it had once been in a fire. It is possible that this flint microlith had done its work in killing a red deer and that its tip survived in the meat when it was cooked and eaten - perhaps this was the ancient equivalent of finding lead shot in a rabbit pie!

wales past (again)

21st-century science and 11,000-year-old artefacts may seem an unlikely combination, but work at the National Museums & Galleries of Wales continues to show just how much the old can benefit from the new.During the Middle Stone Age or Mesolithic (9200-4000BC), harpoons and spears were the tools of choice for hunter-gatherers in Wales. These tools were used to hunt deer and to spear fish, both mainstays in the diet at this time. These harpoons and spears were made of wood, bone or antler, with stone barbs, known as microliths, embedded in rows down their sides. Over the millennia, the wood and bone hafts have decayed leaving only the stone microliths to be found by archaeologists. Hundreds of these microliths have been found in Wales, but none have helped to answer the questions: how were microliths held in their hafts? What stopped them falling out? None, that is, until excavations at Burry Holms on Gower (a peninsula in south Wales) found an example that retained microscopic spots across its surface. This microlith was taken to Cardiff University to be viewed under a scanning electron microscope that allowed these spots to be viewed in detail, and a chemical profile to be produced. The results show that the surface spots are probably birch bark tar, a sticky resin that was once used as a glue. Although the use of birch bark tar is known at Mesolithic sites across Europe, this is the first time it has been recorded in Wales - an insight into the technology of our ancestors that could only have been achieved through the use of modern science.

Hari's Party

Lady Angharad celebrated her 16th at the esteemed establishment, The Mumbles Yacht Club, on Saturday last.
Attending were Ceri-Anne Chortlespoon, Rhiannon Snidding,(lady sniding's eldest), Young Steed, Angela Castlewaugh-Trillery, Jennie Tiffling(the second Lord Trimmfrittering's fiancee), Catherine Snargs, (of Cold Comfort farm, Knelston), and various other members of The Mumbles Young Poet's Guild.

San Fermines

apparently, some basques consider that male verility is linked to
a) the size of your beret, and
b) the size of the "pip" sticking out of the top.

All I can say is that the attached image shows a very virile young male.......

Sweet 16 & never been kissed (?)

Who'd have thought..................... Happy Birthday Angharad!

And on the subjuct of Bull........

We was there. you knows it

galloway's press conference

Text from Chris Moyles Radio Show January 26 2006,

"Aled says that what happened was, he spoke to George at the press conference, and he told them why he went into the house. Usually you only get the one, but then Zoe asked if he wanted one more question. So he thought he’d go with this one:“George, in the house you came over as a bitter, patronising, twisted, old man. And with that in mind what your favourite part of it?”

There is an audible breath taken in, then a voice can clearly be heard to whisper, “George, shall I punch him?” Aled says “I’m saying that’s how you came across… how you came across…” and a ladies voice (Zoe?) says “we’ll move on”

Aled says it doesn’t come across well on the tape, as there were a lot of people in the room at the time. It was all extremely uncomfortable. Aled says that some of his people were stood against the wall, he’s never seen that before, and they were stood over the journalists.

So what happens is, as soon as he asks the question, one of his people goes “ohhhhh” like that, and that wasn’t good.Chris asks what the punching thing was all about. Aled says that then there was the “do you want me to punch him for you” comment, which Chris confirms again with Aled.

Aled says “I’m doing my job, sitting there” and Chris says “that’s threatening behaviour” and Aled says he knows who it was, although he won’t say it on air. Chris says surely it’s not someone who was part of his party, Aled says yep. Chris says “really?” and Aled says yep again.

Chris says that is absolutely outrageous. Aled says there’s more. George looks at him, looked at the guy and threw his hand in the air and looks away, like he was saying “I’m not answering that question. Chris says “unbelievable.”

Aled says that he was then trying to justify the question by saying “this is how you came across” and he was like “please don’t get so upset George, that’s just how I saw you”. Chris asks what the question was, they repeat it again. Chris says “there you go, see, that was the actual question” and then asks who was it saying “oooh?” The people, says Aled, that’s his people. The same person who threatened him?

Aled says he’s not sure, he doesn’t know that. But he saw the person who said that he was going to punch him.They repeat that part again. Chris says that’s outrageous. Aled says another person says, which didn’t come up on the audio, shouted out… Chris interrupts, saying “seriously, this is like one of the baddies in Scooby Doo” … Aled says that another of George’s people shouted out “do your job, be professional” – Chris says “did they really?” and Aled says “I think I am.”

Chris says maybe that was aimed at George. Aled says that when answering the next question, Dennis replies to Aled again, and spots the childish humour from the other journo’s. Clip of Dennis saying that George isn’t a bitter man, he’s an intelligent man.

Aled saying he’s not an old man, but that’s how he came across. Dennis says that he’s just saying though, if you’re talking to me, we’ll go at it. We’ll go at it, you understand what I’m saying, we’ll go at it. If you gonna talk to him, respect him.

Aled says something about his audience, but Dennis continues “if you’re going to call someone an old man, call your father an old man, ok, he’s not an old man, he’s a very respected peron in this country, and you should respect him as a person.” Aled says “It’s a two way street” and Dennis says he knows that, but let him do his job, if he called him (Dennis) and old man, he’d be “over in your ass”

Lots of cheering, jeers and noise from the press and people there. Dennis says again, “I’ll be over in your ass”.Chris says “so if you called George Galloway an old man again, Dennis Rodman would be in your ass??”

Aled says he felt like pointing out to him “I’m happy, thank you” but, you know. Chris says what the hell is that all about, and then says that that respect is something that you earn, that’s the whole point, you don’t naturally have respect, you need to earn respect. That’s the whole point of respect, it’s such a precious thing, you have to earn it. Nobody on this earth is just naturally given the fact that they should be respected. And it’s the name of their party, for God’s sake.

Aled says that he should point out that he’s wearing the Radio One Beat Bullying Campaign jumper throughout all of this. Chris says fabulous. They play Dennis again, saying “we’ll go at it” and wonder what it means.

Aled says that he didn’t quite understand that. Did it mean they’d have sex? Chris says that he knows that George is all backed up, but he didn’t think that he’d be his type. Aled corrects Chris, and says he meant George. Chris says well, hey why not, it sounds like one big orgy.

Aled says “so, it was a fun evening.” Texts have been coming in, asking ff Aled enjoyed it. Chris says it doesn’t sound like it. Aled says he’s a scary guy, when he gets up off his seat and he’s over you, saying “lets go at it” does he mean a fight, or does he mean verbally?

Galloway's fallout

There are some very telling observations about the Galloway affair over at harrys place .

"The boos were incredible; he was totally in shock, totally unaware of how much he was hated.

Careful listeners may have heard many members of the crowd repeating Preston's remarks in the big argument: 'You wanker!....you wanker!'.

Earlier, Preston and Chantelle slagging him off by the pool was perfect. Chantelle said the MPs must be thinking: if he can lie and cheat in here all the time, how can they trust him? His party should be called Dis-respect! Young people must hate him'.

It couldn't have gone better"

Reasons to be fearful (or why I despise G Galloway)

1.












2. The Snu published an article today, alledgedly proving what I suspected, that GG was in the pocket of Saddam & his cronies. Anyone who can kow-tow to a mass murderer in this fashion loses all respect from me. An excerpt?
"But smarmy Galloway’s crawling around the tyrannical old Iraqi regime was even more disgusting. He famously met dictator Saddam in 1994 and told him: “Sir, allow me to salute your courage, power and indefatigability.”

Now The Sun’s exclusive new footage reveals he also revelled in meeting crazed torturer and murderer Uday more than once. In the video Galloway:
GREETS Uday like an old friend, shaking his hand and twice calling him “Excellency”.
JOKES with his pal about losing weight, going bald and failing to give up smoking cigars.
ORDERS watching journalists not to publish parts of their conversation.
TAUNTS America — and VOWS to stick with sadistic Uday “until the end”. "

sky reports the story a tad more coherently.

3. More reports are coming to light about the alledged fraud perpetrated by GG under the oil for food programme.The Guarniad reports it thus:-
"George Galloway faces the prospect of a criminal investigation into his activities by the serious fraud office, which has collected evidence relating to the oil-for-food corruption scandal in Iraq.

The SFO is following up two official reports published before Christmas in Washington, which detailed banking evidence that Mr Galloway's wife and his political campaign organisation both received large sums from Saddam Hussein, laundered through under-the-counter oil allocations."

Sounds like they've got him this time.

4. The Bullying way he attacked "b list" celebs in the celeb big brother house this year. If you missed it, it's here . examples?

"Big Brother reveals the REAL task result, read out by Maggot. Some of the housemates laugh at the intrigue of it all. Pete says, “What a liar you are” to Chantelle. Her face freezes, then she explains that she and Preston had to hide their access to the secret gentlemen’s club, but Pete and George are not convinced, especially given that Preston had sworn ‘on his mother’s life’.

Pete goes on, “Will Preston come to the Diary Room, your mother is dead.”Pete reminds them of the fact that George won the house £140 on his Richard & Judy task, yet they have still punished George by not letting him nominate. Chantelle reminds them that the ballot was secret, but George says he knows who voted against him. “Pipe down, Mr Indignation,” he tells Preston. “We’ll see what the viewers thought.”

George continues to attack Preston for “the aplomb with which you became a lying plutocrat in your gentlemen’s club!” Chantelle tries to explain again that they had to keep that secret, but Pete is having none of it. “You gorged yourselves like f**king hogs and lied about it.” He says they should have known the secret club would have been screened to the rest of the house.

Chantelle pleads that they understand the pressure they were under to keep it secret, but George continues. “You’re a sneak…it’s written all over your face” he says, adding that he for one would not have smoked the free cigars or eaten the luxury food in the club. Preston refers to the nominations and reminds George that he broke the rules, thus bringing about his punishment. Pete tells them that Rula “forced the truth out of him”, and George insists “I was telling the truth.”

George shouts at Preston, “The cheat in this picture will be vividly evident to everyone watching…you’re a sneak and a liar and you’re exposed to the whole country!”

Dennis speaks up. “Wait til the final day when we have to see each other…I’ll let all you have it, I don’t give a damn.” Chantelle says that’s obvious. Dennis asks her what she knows, “You’re just some ‘innocent’ little kid in this f**king house for no f**king reason, I don’t see why…”Chantelle says “’Cause I’ve been given a chance, does that bother you?”

She goes on to ask Dennis why he has to attack her with petty put-downs, including, “’I’ve had better girls than you’. Do you think I’m bothered? How immature and petty is that?” she asks him. Dennis erupts and asks why Chantelle doesn’t get annoyed with Pete for putting her down in a similar way.Dennis says all their conflict makes great TV and soon brings up the argument he and Michael had the other night over cigarettes.

Michael had distributed a new supply of cigarettes and kept his own in a drawer. “Who gave you the authority?” shouts Dennis. Michael argues that it was agreed that the cigarettes be distributed, and Preston says it shouldn’t matter to Dennis anyway, as he doesn’t smoke them. Michael asks Dennis “What is your problem?” and says he is “very aggressive”.

George says Michael is also aggressive in a different way. “As you’re attacking,” he tells Michael, “let me attack you.”George starts to shout at Michael for his “strop” over not being given a cigar by him. He tells Michael he is self-centred and has now alienated his close allies. “I was close to you and Dennis was close to you, and you stabbed both of us because of your mania over cigarettes. You have no loyalty to anybody.” George goes on to say that Michael had effectively betrayed him as he did not stick up for him during the ballot. “You’re the most selfish, self-obsessed person I have ever met in my entire life!...All you speak about it you, because all you care about it you…number one.”

Michael starts to speak and Preston again tries to defend Michael, but George carries on. He tells Michael that the only reason he spends so much time in the kitchen is to ensure he’s on camera. Michael asks him “What mission are you on?” He tells George that he is taking his nomination as a personal slight and lashing out, and that as such he is an “easy target”. George dismisses him, “Poor me, poor me, pour me another drink.”

5. From Wikipedia :-

"he called the Labour government "Tony Blair's lie machine" [1] and stated that British soldiers should "refuse to obey illegal orders."

I mean, free speech is ok, but to call the government a lie machine, & to encourage troops to refuse orders would have been deemed treason in the past, & led to a "short step & a long drop"

In March 2000, he married Dr. Amineh Abu-Zayyad, a Muslim Palestinian biologist. Five years later she announced to The Sunday Times that she would be filing for divorce, alleging that Galloway had been unfaithful throughout their marriage. She said she had "received a number of phone calls from women who claim to have had romantic links with him", but that Galloway had told her it was "a plot by an unnamed intelligence service to discredit him

Yeah, right.

From 1983 to 1987, Galloway was General Secretary of War On Want, a charity founded by Harold Wilson. Galloway increased its income sevenfold, but later faced accusations of misuse of his expenses account, which was £21,000 in 1985-86, to stay in luxury hotels when on foreign trips. He paid back £1,720 after an audit identified a lack of controls, but was cleared of any dishonesty.
War On Want was later found to have been insolvent, and subsequently dismissed all its staff and went into administration.

He faced an almost immediate scandal when, as part of the War on Want expenses probe, he was asked about a conference on Mykonos, Greece and replied:
I travelled to and spent lots of time with people in Greece, many of whom were women, some of whom were known carnally to me. I actually had sexual intercourse with some of the people in Greece.

In 1997, Galloway launched a newspaper, East, largely bankrolled by the Government of Pakistan, focusing on Pakistan and promoting a pro-Bhutto position. He also worked with the National Lobby on Kashmir, promoting Pakistan's claims to the territory. When Bhutto's government fell, Galloway met with the new Government and wrote a series of letters asking them for funding, which he ultimately obtained.[10] While there was no suggestion that any of his actions in the case were illegal, the way in which he apparently put himself under an obligation to the Government of Pakistan damaged his reputation in some eyes.

I could go on, but the more I read, the more sickened I am

She Spat, playfully.......

Tonight I shall mainly be listening to:- (one - in an occasional series)

The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band - Big Shot

I am the Big Shot.
You heard me right the first time.
Name of batchelor Johnny Cool.
Occupation: Big Shot.
Occupation at the moment: just having fun.
What a party that was - the drinks were loaded and so were the dolls.
I narrowed my eyes and poured a stiff Manhattan.
Then I saw... Hotsie.
What a dame.
A big, bountiful babe in the region of 48-23-38.
One hell of a region.
She had the hottest lips since Hiroshima: I had to stand back for fear of being burned.
Whiskey wow wow. I breathed.
She was dressed as "Biffo the Bear".
In that kind of outfit she could get rolled at night... and I don't mean on a crap table.
It's kind of revealing, isn't it?
Revealing? It's positively risqué - I like it.
She said: "You're a man with a thousand Gs, right?"
"A thousand what?" I quipped.
"G-men, girls, guns, guts. You're my type."
"Wrong, baby" I slapped her hard.
"I'm a `L' man: strictly liquor, love and laughs."
She stared over my shoulder: "Play it cool, Johnny."
Play it what? I flipped.
"Listen, I fought my way up from tough East Side New York. Lead-filled saps and sub-machine guns, like this." [gunshots]
She said: "Johnny, this is a deadly game, have a few laughs and go home.
I shuddered.
Normally I pack a rod, in pyjamas - I carry nothing but scars from Normandy beach.
I said "Wrong, baby, you can't fool me."
She spat playfully.
"I'm ahead of you, Johnny."
I studied the swell of her enormous boobs and said:
"Baby, you're so far ahead it's beautiful."
"You, you are, you are eccentric, I like that."
"Electric cheri, bonk off my rocket, tu comprende?
" We spoke French fluently.
Our lips met again and again.
"Yeah, yeah yeah" I slobbered.
Hotsie said: "You're slobbering all over the seat, kid."
I went home late.
Very late.
What could I say to my wife?
"Darling, I've been beaten up again.
" Let's face it: she's credulous as hell.
A punk stopped me on the street.
He said
"Have you got a light Mac?"
I said: "No, but I've got a dark brown overcoat."


genius

Caught in the Rollers

Former Bay City Roller Les McKeown is up in front of Mr. Justice Cocklecarrot this week.
I liked the point in the above report where the correspondent states "McKeown, who wore a black suit and blue shirt". Did they expect denim & tartan?
I think we should be told.

Antidote to stoat

I can exclusively reveal that the only antidote to 9% beer know to man is a hearty fry-up at The Lock Inn , alongside the canal, at Bradford On Avon. There, you can have fun with Dick & Jane, followed by the famous Boatmans Breakfast, of:- Bacon, Eggs, Fried bread, Chips, Mushrooms, Beans, Tomatoes, Black pud, Sausage, & Smoked sausage. all washed down with lashings of hot tea. (or 6x if you are brave)

The menu includes such advice as "If alcohol makes you irritable, smoke dope, drink tea & stay at home". It's well worth a look, and littered with Dick & Jane's unique sense of humour.
If you do fancy trying them out, Just remember, "No Moaners"

The Asti Spumanti code

Kim bought me a copy of The Asti Spumanti code for Christmas, and I have just finished reading it. I'm not one for reading parodies, but I have to admit that I enjoyed it as a mild divertissement. I guess that the book only works if you have read the Da Vinci Code recently. Given that, you soon realise that Toby Clements skillfully mimics Dan Brown's style, plot development, and storyline with uncanny accuracy. The result is mildly funny, with some hilarious passages. It's only a thin tome, and a quick read, but well worth it.

seperated at birth?

I wonder if any of my readers has noted the uncanny resemblance between the "Respect" MP Boy George Galloway, and the creator of the fine Blog, A Welsh Born Icon, Nick Browne. I wonder if perhaps they are related?

Nick Browne

Kimmy & George Galloway

Bradford Beer Fest

Kim & I Were guests at the excellent Bradford on avon Beer Festival this weekend, Held at the fine edifice & temple to rugby that is the BOA clubhouse. Sadly, the buggers are so keen on updating their website, that the list of ales & details page has already been replaced.
I seem to remember, through a drunken haze, sampling a fine 9% Imperial russian(?) stoat (sic),
and a sweet honeyed summer ale, although the name and brewery escapes me........ I wonder why.

Away Team

Off to Bradford -On-Avon this weekend, for amongst other things, The BOA Beerfestival
Back Late sunday....

Beachcomber

Not to be outdone by My Favorite Welsh Born Icon , here is some more from the Great Beachcomber :-

Vote for Foulenough - And Duty-Free Lard

The Tiddlehampton and South Mince by-election has been further complicated by the extraordinary news that Captain de Courcy Foulenough, D.T., has decided to stand as an Independent Progressive Liberal, that being the only interest not represented up to this moment.The constituency has always been considered a safe seat for the first comer, partly because hardly any one of the 26,484 voters ever troubles to vote, and partly because it is difficult to get anybody to stand for such a place. But recent international affairs have ended this apathy, and there are heaps of candidates.They include Mrs Wickstram (Independent Progressive Communist), Mr Edward Spackford (National Independent), two Siamese Twins, Mr Bargo and Mr Raego Rishfether (Progressive Nationalist), Mr Billy Fagan Thius, a clown (Conservative), Lady Thelma Snatch (National Labour), Miss Boubou Flaring (National Liberal), and several hitherto unidentified candidates.

Captain Foulenough staggered his audience, disgusted what is left of his Committee, and roused his opponents to fury last night by reading out messages of support which he claimed to have received from nine Cabinet Ministers, Mr Clark Gable, Mr Noël Coward, Mr Anthony Eden, Mr Joe Louis, Bishop Mrs Riquette, Tubby Garstang, Mamie Dugold, Harry Armitage, Babs Thornycroft, Trixie, Vi, Polly, Ethel, Madge, Bobo, Curly, Mabel, Dot, Irma, 'Coppernob' Halsey, Flo, Nan, Gert, Myra and Olive.

Miss Boubou Flaring appears to have ceased almost entirely from being a rival candidate. A telegram from the National Liberal Club asked, "What are you doing?" Her reply - or perhaps it was the Captain's reply - raised a storm. It was: "Nothing of which my mother would not approve a kiss here a kiss there a whispered word in the lanes were you guys never young."

Why Men are Happier People

Every now and then, this one seems to do the rounds. I get a chortle everytime

Why Men are Happier People

Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours
Wedding plans take care of themselves
Chocolate is just another snack
You can be President
You can never be pregnant
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park
You can wear NO shirt to a water park
Car mechanics tell you the truth
The world is your urinal
You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt
Same work, more pay
Wrinkles add character
Wedding dress - $5000. Tux rental -$100
People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them
The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected
New shoes don't cut blister or mangle your feet
One mood all the time
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat
You know stuff about tanks
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase
You can open all your own jars
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness
If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend
Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough
You almost never have (bra) strap problems in public
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes
Everything on your face stays its original color
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades
You only have to shave your face and neck
You can play with toys all your life
Your belly usually hides your big hips.
One wallet and one pair of shoes one color for all seasons
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look
You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes

What's in a name?

Just read an interesting bbc article about how Phillipino's name their children.

Naming a child is often a difficult decision. For many Filipinos, individuality is an important factor, with many choosing unconventional first names. One composite name that has become popular is Luzviminda, taken from the three main regions of the Philippines: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. One writer said it is like being called "Engscowani" for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

One journalist friend told me of an interview he had with a Hitler Manila. Mr Manila, who does not share the Nazi ideology, told him that he was always remembered for his name but it sometimes caused problems. One time, when he was shooting pool with some visiting Germans, the atmosphere became tense after he wrote his name on the blackboard to reserve the next game. Order was not restored until he pulled out his driving licence to prove his name really was Hitler. Still, that experience did not stop him from carrying on the family tradition. His sons are named Himmler and Hess.

This reminds me of how names are decided on in Bali. Basically the Balinese only have four first names. The first child is Wayan , the second child is Made , the third is Nyoman and the fourth is Ketut. The fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth will be another Wayan, Made, Nyoman, Ketut and Wayan again. Guess it saves buying those "chose baby's name" books.

Doing more research into Balinese names, I found this, which suggests its not as straight forward. There are three "Classes" in Bali, each with their own naming rules, but at least they only have to put "I" in front of all male children's names, and "Ni" in front of girl's names.

So "I Made" is a boy, "Ni Made" is a girl.

I remember meeting "Ida Bagus I Wayan" in our hotel, who attempted to explain this to me at the time. However, I was Very, Very, Drunk....

HAJJ

More deaths on Hajj ????

What is all that about? it's impossible to change god's will, so hundreds of pilgrims must die on a regular basis? beats me...

EU to combat bird flu

Another interesting guardian article, for all you poultry wholesalers out there.........

The EU commission today said it would donate $100m (£56.6m) to countries affected by bird flu in an attempt to contain the disease before a pandemic happens

thank goodness for that!

Ahora

Today

Blonde Joke

Been a bit busy this week, but have just enough time to post a link to the Best ever Blonde joke
Enjoy!

Bird Flu creeps west

An alarming report from The Guardian Online today.

Fears of human bird flu in Turkey grew today as five more cases were reported across the country and 21 patients in an Istanbul hospital waited for test results.
A Turkish health ministry official told the Anatolian news agency that laboratories had identified the virus in the Black Sea provinces of Kastamonu, Corum and Samsun and in the eastern province of Van.
If any of the 21 people under observation in Istanbul are found to be infected with the disease, they would be the first human cases of bird flu in Europe.

How this will effect the UK still remains to be seen, but it's a worrying time to be a poultry wholesaler.

Get Back to work, George

The United Residents of Bethnal Green and Bow have published a great website , showing how much George "the dictator's freind" Galloway has cost the Great British Public whilst massaging his ego on CBB.

Respect!

Llama arrested for loitering in Key West!

thanks to the smoking gun for the above.

Maggot's In Da House!

Living Legend "Maggot" out of Goldie Lookin' Chain has taken up residence in The Celebrety Big Brother House! You can find the details where? just think, you knows it already......

I'm Gobsmacked!

Give it large, Maggot, and play to win!

As for the odious George Galloway, and the Vile Michael Barrymore, they are the two main reasons we will not be watching this year. Anything that gives either of them publicity must be a bad thing, & should be discouraged.

Lucky Jack's Navy

Read a great post on Clive Davis's Blog, today, (courtesy of Nick's Blogroll) about the way which Nelson ran his Navy. Sounds a lot more like "Lucky" Jack Aubrey, than the other stuffed shirts of The Admiralty of the time:-
"Charles McGrath, in the NYT, applauds Roger Knight's new biography of Horatio Nelson: Sounds as if the Admiral also took a creative view of the rule book:Mr. Knight reminds us, among other things, that part of Nelson's genius was to surround himself with younger officers in the same mould, creating, in effect, a modern management style that delegated authority and encouraged initiative. It did not outlast him, sadly, and except for the monuments and the tchotchkes, Nelson's legacy quickly faded. In the Victorian navy, which became even more bureaucratic, more aristocratic and less tolerant of eccentricity, Nelson would have been a failure.”

This fitted in very nicely with my little knowledge of this period, much of which has been gleaned from the books of Patrick O'Brian, visiting the Royal Naval Dockyard at Portsmouth, and exploring the Internet.

I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the first few of the Patrick O'Brian Aubrey/Maturin books, after their being recommended by Dr.Rob. The first of the series is Master & Commander, and is a good jumping in point to sample O'Brian's fayre.

I read the first three in the series, before getting distracted.

A quick review of M&C?

From memory, I recall enjoying this thoroughly. The book charts the progress of a young Naval Lieutenant, in the post-Nelson Royal Navy, and the relationship between him and his Ship's Surgeon (and Naval Spy), Stephen Maturin. Jack Aubrey is dashing, philandering, drinking and all in rollicking, whilst Dr. Maturin is intellectual, moral and secretive. The relationship between the two forms the cornerstone of the series.

The historical background is peerless. O'Brian really gets inside what life must have been like onboard a ship at the turn of the 18th century. His attention to detail, in the hierarchy of the ship's company, the rigging and sailing techniques, and the shore life of the characters is astounding.

The story pans out between some dramatic recreations of Naval battles, interspersed with several lulls in which the background to the actions and the times are explored. I particularly enjoyed the recreation of 1800's Port Mahon in Minorca, the then home of the British Fleet in the Med, as Kim and I had holidayed there recently. O'Brian's descriptions of the port really fitted how the town has developed today. Overall, a rollicking good read.

RSS feeds, cont.........

I have a confession. I have Eaten the soul of nick's Blogroll.
Hey, they say that imitaion is the most sincere form of flattery......
Watch this space, & I may add a few of my own, soon.

RSS Feeds.........The future of life, the universe, & everything

Thanks to my mate @ coraider.co.uk, The finest database solution prividers on the planet TM(although i'm not sure where the planet TM is), I have now added a Blogroll to my Esteemed Organ (see bottom left corner). Newsgator is a very clever little programme, and the future of life, the universe, & everything to boot. What it does, is searches any site you set it to look at, and collates a list of new posts for you to peruse at your leisure. This list can then be linked to your Blog, to appear as a blogroll of sites you watch on a regular basis.

The implications of this technology is that a website, instead of being a static, non changing thing, can be a dynamic information portal, constantly updated with new, relevant information. Interesting, eh?

If you are really interested, contact Nick & he will enlighten you