Obama/Haiti - a Comparison

Lots of aid going to Haiti, which is great - but getting it to the people is proving to be a problem. The intentions are good but there are practical difficulties.

President Obama has the right ideas - universal health care, closing Guantanamo, bringing the troops home, controlling the banks and big business - but delivering these is proving to be a problem.

In Haiti the problem is the lack of infrastructure and governmental control.

In the USA, the problem is the extreme right and the money banks and businesses are able to pour into anti-Obama propaganda.

Don't lose hope, either in Haiti or the USA ! And well done Obama and America for being so quick to help Haiti - pity Bush didn't do it for New Orleans ! And you might try helping your president instead of opposing everything he does.

The Village Tooth-Puller

I went to see the dentist yesterday and we got chatting about dentistry in the past, all of which reminded me of our village tooth-puller. In the 1940s I lived in a village in Warwickshire. My grandparents lived with us, and granddad got a toothache. So of course the village tooth-puller was called. You couldn't call him a dentist, he wasn't qualified in any way ! Granddad had half a bottle of brandy and then had the tooth yanked out. I didn't witness any of the extraction. All I know is that the poor old man bled profusely and had to go to bed in our attic where no-one could see what had happened (don't ask me why !). Dad made him drink port, which was thought to replace the blood he had lost ! He got better eventually. Life was different in those days !

We also had a village pig-killer, but that's another story - he only had one arm.

The Religious Right in the USA

I've been looking at a website this morning which gives some quotations from the religious right in the USA. What appals me is the positions of power that some of those quoted hold. For instance:-

On the proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, quotes from Congressmen !
"It's part of God's plan for the future of mankind," -- Rep. John Carter of Texas
"We best not be messing with His plan." -- Rep. Bob Beauprez of Colorado
"It wasn't our idea, it was God's." -- Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana
"I think God has spoken very clearly on this issue." -- Rep. Phil Gingrey of Georgia

Or
"All for Jesus. All for Jesus. All for Jesus. All for Jesus,"
-- Republican Candidate Sam Brownback's stump speech in Iowa.

"Between science and God, I'll stick with God if the two are in conflict."
-- Republican Candidate Mike Huckabee

"Freedom requires religion."
-- Republican Candidate Mitt Romney

"I would probably have to say yes, that the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation."
-- John McCain

"Our national leaders, are sending soldiers out on a task that is from God. That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan."
--Sarah Palin, on the Iraq war

Our job is to reclaim America for Christ, whatever the cost. As the vice regents of God, we are to exercise godly dominion and influence over our neighborhoods, our schools, our government, our literature and arts, our sports arenas, our entertainment media, our news media, our scientific endeavors -- in short, over every aspect and institution of human society.
-- D. James Kennedy, Coral Ridge Ministries and Bush advisor.

We’re being guided by God.
-- Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson

George Bush was not elected by a majority of the voters in the United States. He was appointed by God.
-- Lt. Gen. William Boykin, the defense undersecretary in charge of hunting down top terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan

No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered as patriots. This is one nation under God.
-- George Bush Sr., to a reporter in 1988

He [God] is using me, all the time, everywhere, to stand up for a biblical worldview in everything that I do and everywhere I am.
-- House Majority Leader Tom DeLay

"Why is this man in the White House? The majority of Americans did not vote for him. Why is he there? And I tell you this morning that he's in the White House because God put him there for a time such as this."
--Lt Gen William Boykin, speaking of G. W. Bush, New York Times, 17 October 2003


"He [Rumsfeld] leads in a way that the Good Lord tells him is best for our country."
-- Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

The "wall of separation between church and state" is a metaphor based on bad history, a metaphor which has proved useless as a guide to judging. It should be frankly and explicitly abandoned.
-- William Rehnquist, Supreme Court


Get the few liberals out. If you don't do it, it ain't gonna be done. You will be doing the Lord's work, and he will richly bless you for it.
--Sen. James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, Christian Coalition's Road to Victory Conference, 2002, Washington D.C

I just hope Obama is aware of the uphill battle he has against these idiots and their supporters. How can people be so bloody ignorant ?
Follow this link to see the website.

Polish Your Shoes with a Banana Skin !

Here's a useful tip ! A few days ago I read somewhere that you could save yourself money on shoe polish by polishing your shoes with a banana skin. So I've just tried it - and it works ! Use the inside of the skin. Go on, try it ! Then put the used skin in your compost bin !

Another Common Error

I've also just heard this one on the TV ! The word "pronunciation" is not pronounced "pronounciation" but as it is spelt !

Another Common Spelling Error

This word is mispronounced so much that the incorrect spelling has no doubt arisen this way. There is no such word as "momento" ! It should be "memento", meaning a souvenir or reminder, not to be confused with "momentum". I saw the phrase "Momento Mori" this morning !

Third Dinner Guest

My third guest would be Michael Moore. He seems like a genuinely nice guy and would certainly get on well with me and the other two.
Should I be inviting people with opposing views I wonder ?

The Desperation of the American Right-Wing

Poor old Barack Obama ! I'm sure he was anticipating the republicans and the extreme right getting all riled up when he got into power, and no doubt he was having a quiet chuckle at their discomfort ! But they have rather gone over the top ! This Wilson idiot calling him a liar in Congress was very naughty, and I'm sure his career will suffer as a result. Jimmy Carter is quite right when he calls the attack racist. Many Americans do object to having a black man as President. Well tough ! You've got one and he represents the majority of Americans. You want a democracy and you've got one, so live with it. Your current President is probably the most intelligent you've ever had - read his books if you don't believe me - and certainly makes the Bushes and Reagan look like the fools they were. So let him get on with the job.
The recent parade in Washington showed them up for what they are - ignorant bigots. They had to recruit people from all over the country to get a decent crowd. Must have cost them a few dollars !
As for opposing the health care measures, I've never heard anything so silly in my life. The USA is just about the only country in the western world which fails to care for its citizens - and should be embarrassed because of this - and when someone tries to rectify the situation, the right wing and big business don't like it - which proves to me it's the right thing to do !
Just what is wrong with the government running health care ? The argument that it goes against American principles is crap ! Who runs your police forces ? Schools ? Fire Departments ? Do you have to take out insurance so that the firemen will put out your house fire ? Who runs the armed forces ? What about public libraries ? And yet health care has to be private. Why for fuck's sake ? Do you want to continue the situation where the Health Insurance companies question every claim you make and try to reject them ? They pay people to do this ! This is immoral and disgusting. Get rid of your Kaiser Permanentes and their dirty tricks. Is it right that they should make a profit out of your illness ? Why have insurance in the first place ? Just have a Health Service which is free to everyone and get on with your lives. How to pay for it ? Easy - repeal the tax cuts Bush gave the rich.
Have a good day - and don't catch any diseases !

Dinner Party (2)

Second male guest - Tony Benn, a man I have always admired and one of the few politicians who talks sense ! A good, old fashioned socialist and no doubt great company and a great conversationalist.

Dinner Party (1)

Who would you invite to dinner if you could choose any living person or persons - assuming of course that they would want to come, which is another question entirely ! Let's make it three men and three women, just to make it more difficult ! You don't have to invite those who you think will get along, just those who you would like to meet, chat to and spend a few hours with.
Sounds quite easy really, but is it ?

My first choice is Desmond Tutu, who has always seemed to me to be such a nice man and who I'm sure would be excellent company. Not that I'm in any way religious, so I suppose we would have a good old debate about that subject !

Other choices later - but who would you invite ?

The National Health Service

President Obama is, quite rightly, trying to fulfil his promise of universal health care in the USA, but, as expected, he is finding that there is opposition to his proposals, most of it ill-founded and from those on the right of American politics who only care about themselves and their profits and who resent government becoming involved in the provision of medical treatment.
Unfortunately, Britain's National Health Service is becoming involved in the debate, and is being used by the oppositon in what appears to be an orchestrated campaign of misinformation with outright lies about the service being spread. As an example, someone has said that, were Ted Kennedy in the UK he would not receive treatment for his brain tumour under the NHS because of his age. This is utter rubbish, as we all know in this country.
So to put things straight, the NHS is something of which we in the UK are rightly proud. We provide free health care for everyone regardless of age, colour, sex or anything else. It costs nothing to go to hospital, other than the cost of your daily newspaper. Not only is it free but if you cannot afford to get to hospital, the NHS provides free transport so that you can get your treatment.
OK I agree the service has some faults. It is a huge organisation - it has to be to cater for 60 million people - and suffers from some organisational problems, as would any business of this size. There are some waiting lists, and in general the more minor your complaint, the longer you will have to wait to see a consultant, with urgent cases being given priority - urgent cases, not patients with the most money ! The waiting lists are coming down, however, as more money is injected into the NHS by a Labour Government which puts people first.
Seeing your GP is now by appointment, and you are usually seen within a few days. If your case is urgent, you are seen the same day.
You might well ask who pays for all this, and the answer is that we all do - through our taxes. There is a direct tax on your earnings and a tax on what we all spend (VAT). The money has to come from somewhere, but at least this is a fair way of raising it.
Britain spends less per head on healthcare than the USA, but life expectancy is longer. The WHO places Britain 18th as against the USA's 37th in provision of quality healthcare.
Having spent some time in the USA I am aware that the concept of "socialised medicine" is anathema to the right-wing. Well, tough. It's time they realised that a fair and just society is more important than profits. Is it just that the top 5 percent own 95 percent of the wealth of the country ? Is it fair that, because you are rich and can afford decent health insurance, you can be looked after and given priority over the poor ? If you think this is the case, think again. Maybe you should be ashamed of yourself. Perhaps it is time to re-evaluate your principles. I hope Barrack Obama will be like our famous outlaw, Robin Hood, and rob the rich to give to the poor. At least he is in a position to do it legally !

Rats on the Move

Having just seen a film in which there were a large number of rats, I was reminded of a story my mother told me several times. When she was a young girl, in Snitterfield, Warwickshire, she was lucky enough to have a bicycle and used to ride all round the nearby countryside. One day whilst crossing Yarningdale Common in about 1920, she saw what appeared to be a brown carpet across the road, several feet wide. As she drew closer, she saw movement, and being a young girl and a bit nervous, she stopped, got off her bike and slowly approached. Then she realised that it was rats, hundreds of rats, crossing the road and moving off across the common. She didn't stick around to see what happened and cycled home in a hurry. Of course everyone in the village soon learned of her experience and several other people told her and my grandfather - who was the local blacksmith - of similar experiences of "rats on the move", both in Warwickshire and elsewhere. Has anyone else heard similar tales ? Tell us about them !

Michael Jackson - Read This !!

There is a great article about Jackson in the Observer for 28th June 2009 - follow this link to read it. The funeral should be interesting !

This is Getting Silly !

Anyone would think the world has come to an end just because some pop "idol" has snuffed it. Come on, let's get a sense of proportion here. OK so this Jackson person was a great entertainer, and no doubt had a lot of fans, but there are far more important matters in the world than his untimely demise. Yet there has been nothing else on the news for 36 hours now, with documentaries and "specials" sprouting up all over the bloody place. It's just like when that Diana woman was killed, and it's driving me nuts. Can someone please let me know when it will all be over so I can turn the TV on again ? Am I the only one who thinks like this, or is the media trying to convince me that I should really care about a person whom I only knew about because of his silly publicity stunts ? Not everyone likes pop music. Farrah Fawcett died a few days ago and was making the headlines until M Jackson died - is her passing to be mourned less now ? And what about the sixty poor devils killed by a car bomb in Iraq the other day ? Doesn't anyone care about them and their families ? This idolization of pop stars, film stars, footballers etc makes me sick. When will the world grow up ?

Death of an Idol

Michael Jackson is dead. Many will mourn, a few will rejoice and the vast majority, whilst intrigued by the news and saddened as by any death, will be completely indifferent. He was a strange person, unable to deal with the pressures of fame and wealth, nor able to control his own perversions. He had undoubted talent and leaves a musical legacy to the pop music world which would be the envy of any so-called "star". He did some very silly, immature things - trying to whiten his face, dangling his baby over a Berlin hotel balcony and, worst of all, entertaining young boys in his house for what many believe was for his own sexual gratification. But he also gave pleasure to millions with his music, and this once again raises the old question of how much we should support and admire a talented artist who lives a life of which we do not approve. Should we, for example, buy a book by an author who has been to prison for fraud, even if the book is entertaining and well-written ? Or watch the great films made by a director who has a relationship with his wife's adopted daughter ? This is of course purely an individual decision. Most will not have bothered about Jackson's private life when they bought his music, and I suspect that in years to come he will be remembered for his artistic achievements whilst his private life will fade into obscurity.

Prince Charles - Architect ?

Prince Charles recently used his influence to persuade developers to drop a plan to transform Chelsea Barracks in London, apparently because he thought it "unsympathetic". This is not the first time that this man has expressed his opinion on architecture, and unfortunately there are people who take notice of his opinions. Let's be clear - he is NOT an architect and as far as I'm aware has no qualifications in that field. Whilst everyone is entitled to an opinion, and is entitled to express that opinion, a person in his position must learn to keep his mouth shut, simply because of the influence he can wield. Some people are so sycophantic that a royal has only to mention that, for example, they like chocolate, and boxes of the stuff will appear. Charles is in his sixties and has enough experience as a royal to be aware of this - all the more reason to shut up. It may be tough to have to keep quiet, but he is after all living a life of luxury at our expense - unlike my partner and I he doesn't have to worry where his next meal is coming from.

This also sets a dangerous precedent. The British royals are only where they are because the people of Great Britain apparently want them to be there. One of the reasons they are tolerated is because, whilst at the "head" of the country, they have no influence on the government, and "rise above" political involvement, (although it is obvious to everyone that they prefer the conservatives). This detachment applies to all walks of life where there is potential disagreement, but this particular instance is disturbing simply because it demonstrates just how much influence they can have if they don't draw in their horns. Time to get rid of the lot of them and elect a president instead. Click here to read the Guardian on this matter.

Another Grammatical Oddity

Watching an American TV programme this afternoon, I was struck by an expression used in the USA, viz "I could care less", when what is meant is "I could NOT care less". Why is this ?

There's another one too which I have noticed a lot of late, to do with stressing a particular word. Americans say - and the capital letters indicate the stress - "It's not your FAULT". This indicates that it may not be your fault but it is your something else, whereas what they really mean is "It's not YOUR fault", ie it's someone else's.

Two countries separated by a common language !

Tesco and the Missing Apostrophe

Why cannot Tesco, one of the country's largest retailers, employ people who can write proper English ? In our local "Superstore" are signs which read, for example, "Womens Clothes", or "Childrens Books". Come on, Tesco, get it right and set our children a good example ! And don't come up with the excuse that the apostrophe is becoming redundant, because that is far from the truth.
Kingsley Amis was asked to come up with a sentence which illustrates the need for the apostrophe. He wrote "Those things over there are my husband's" and "Those things over there are my husbands". In case you can't see the difference (and I hate to patronise), the first phrase means that those things over there belong to my husband, whilst without the apostrophe it means that I am married to those things over there !

The Electric Car

Last night we watched a documentary about the demise of GM's electric car, the EV1, in California. It made me very angry, and proved once again how much power big business, and the oil companies in particular, can bring into play when they feel threatened. For those who are not aware of what happened, here is a brief summary.
In 1990 the California government passed a law which required two percent of all new cars sold in the state to be electric by 1998 and ten percent by 2003. GM produced about 1000 EV1s but then claimed that there was no demand and stopped making them. It seems from the documentary that in fact the public either did want the car or were not aware of its existence and that GM, together with the oil companies, deliberately sabotaged its own sales programme. They saw the car as a threat to the existing market, in particular the spares and servicing aspect, andd of course to oil profits. As an example of the dirty tricks employed, certain environmental groups opposed the setting up of recharging stations for electric vehicles - but on closer examination it turned out that these were groups funded and supported by oil companies.
In the end, California was forced into changing its laws and GM - and other companies - began reclaiming and destroying electric vehicles.
This is an absolute disgrace and the management of GM responsible for this should be locked up. Today the company is in deep financial trouble and is receiving funding from the US Government just to stay alive. Perhaps had they continued with the electric car this would not have been so necessary. For them to claim there was no demand is nonsense - advertisers create demand and had there been the will to do so, the car would almost certainly have been a success. In fact it was a success for those who had one - fast, quiet, zero emissions, low servicing costs (just rotate the tyres, fill the washer bottle and that's it ! No plugs, no oil change, no oil filter, no transmission or clutch to worry about - and the battery was good enough to last longer than the car !)
Except for the fact that so many people would lose their jobs, GM should be left to go bust. It would serve them right. Unfortunately a company is more than a corporate entity, there are good, hard-working, innocent people involved. Nationalization is the answer today - let the state run the company and let the tax-payer reap the profits - and punish those responsible for this disgraceful episode.

Cheese and Jam (again !)

We bought some Stilton yesterday from a farm shop near Bedford, and very nice it is too ! I've just had some on a few crackers, with raspberry jam. Absolutely delicious. Cheese always goes well with sweet things - I must try it with honey one of these days. The tang of the Stilton goes beautifully with the sweetness of the jam. If you think I'm mad, just try it ! Apple and cheddar make a nice sandwich too !

Google Earth

Whilst messing about on Google Earth this afternoon, and having had a laugh at the discovery of Atlantis ha ha, I found something strange in Lake Baikal - looks like a circuit board. It's at 51 46 30.86N, 104 10 59.13E. Anybody know what it is ?

Obama's Inauguration

Like most people I spent today in front of the telly watching events unfold in Washington. I was impressed - with the huge crowds, the pomp and circumstance mixed with informality and with the new president himself. His inaugural speech was exactly what people needed to hear, blunt but full of hope. I'm three quarters of the way through Obama's first book, "Dreams from My Father", and feel that I know a little about him and what makes him tick. Reading the book I was struck by the utter and complete contrast between him and Bush - here we have an educated, intelligent and compassionate man with I hope the strength to do his job the way he wants to do it, whereas in Bush......well you all know what he was like.
There was one thing that marred the proceedings though. This was having an "invocation" given by a religious gentleman. As an atheist I found it offensive - not of course that it is any of my business, not being an American. But had I been an American, I would have found it annoying. First of all, the man was a christian, and christianity is not the only religion in the USA. Secondly one of the new president's aims is to promote unity in the country, and I suspect that to many this was divisive. But maybe not. Americans seem by their very nature to be religious people, one people under god etc, so perhaps they just accepted this. Nevertheless about 15 percent of the US population are atheists and have to put up with a lot of discrimination as a result. Their voices need to be heard too.

Stolen Blogs

There is a certain pathetic little man who is stealing blogs and passing them off as his own work. He may not be the only one, but nevertheless he has come to my notice and made me very angry. Whilst browsing, I came across his blog and noticed a recipe which I had previously seen elsewhere. He had lifted the entire blog, including a photograph, and installed it as his own.
If you have a blog, you might like to see if he has stolen your work. His URL is http://www.blogger.com/profile/17484393676754624047
If he has stolen one, no doubt he will have stolen most of them. We would like to hear from anyone who has had a similar misfortune.

"Fewer" and "Less" - Do You Know When to Use These Words ?

I've probably had a moan about this somewhere in my past blogs, but it's really getting on my nerves - even a BBC reporter got it wrong recently ! It's really quite simple - fewer in number, less in quantity. So for example, less sugar but fewer lumps of sugar. You can't say "less people did this" - well you can but it's grammatically incorrect. And if by chance you hear "lesser people", this implies that they somehow lack something, they are not as good as they might be. It is fewer people ! I could go on, but I'm sure you get the picture, and anyway if you are reading this you probably feel the same as I do !
The popular press could help here. The "heavies" such as the Guardian, Independent, Times, Telegraph, all set a good example with their written English, but the tabloids sometimes leave a lot to be desired. And as they are read by far more people (or perhaps fewer haha), then correct grammar might just become the norm and we would all understand each other more easily ! In your dreams, as they say !

Oh All Right - Here's One More !

There once was an artist called Saint
Who swallowed some samples of paint.
All the shades of the spectrum
Flowed out of his rectum
With a colourful lack of restraint.

A Limerick - Merry Xmas !

There once was a Scot named McTavish
Who attempted an anthropoid ravish.
But the object of rape
Was the wrong sex of ape,
And the anthropoid ravished McTavish.

Stilton

As it's almost Christmas, and as I haven't written about cheese lately, here's a bit about Stilton, which is one of the traditional English Christmas treats and is a cheese which has been made for almost 300 years.
There is a village in Huntingdonshire ( a vanished county, now part of Cambridgeshire) called Stilton, after which the cheese seems too have been named, although apparently no Stilton has ever been made there !
It's a tangy blue cheese, goes well with some fresh bread and a pint, or after a meal with a glass of port. Its manufacture is strictly controlled so that it can only be produced in six dairies in the English midlands - and there is an "official" website with lots of information, so I won't write any more. Visit the website here ! And eat large quantities of it - it makes an excellent Christmas present, so drop hints !!

Is This a Rip-off ?

1 bottle sparkling water, 1 orange juice and lemonade, 1 packet of crisps - £8.20 !
Am I getting out of touch with prices or is this a rip-off ?
This was at the London Coliseum yesterday.

Shoe Throwing Part 2

This shoe-throwing business intrigues me. Think about it. Did the bloke who did it plan it in advance ? Because if not, did he throw his best shoes at Bush ? If he had planned it in advance, he would have worn an old pair of gardening shoes on the assumption he wasn't going to get them back. But if it was a spur of the moment thing, he might easily have thrown away a £90 pair of Clarke's. OK, it was in a good cause, but men's shoes aren't cheap nowadays. And if it was an impulse thing, would he have done it if he had been wearing wellies ? Or Doc Marten's ? All those laces to undo. Someone would have twigged he was up to something and perhaps beaten him to it. And another thing - what is happening to his shoes ? Did he get them back ? I bet the bloody CIA has got them, testing them for explosives or the Ebola virus. Watch out for them on eBay - "The Very Shoes Thrown at George Bush", they'll make a fortune. But watch out for fakers too, there will be hundreds of pairs "similar to those throw at the President". This could develop into a whole industry, making reproductions of the corset thrown at Britney Spears, or the bra thrown at Madonna.....any ideas ?

My Hero of the Week.....

...is the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at George Bush ! What a wonderful way to express your opinion ! It reminds me of Kruschev when he took his shoe off and banged it on the table when Harold MacMillan upset him, at the United Nations, in 1960 I think it was. Poor old George, didn't have the vaguest idea of what was happening, and as for that silly joke about the shoe size...... Pity the man missed though !