Thank you for the information, MM.  If the worst comes to the worst I can always do a search on 'courtes histoires' (that was how I found out about the machines which disperse short stories).  There was such a machine being installed at Tours Station and the C..... H..... website had an article about it.  Our group leader sometimes searches 'Fait Divers'.  I thought an article about the tree would be current.  I'm sure there will be something.  Still I'm not ranting here am I?  Must be careful not to be accused of derailing the thread.

LiR, I wanted to help you, but as MM I found only in French about "l'abre belge" of the 2019 contest, nothing in French or it has to be on facebook, as it was in 2020 the turn for the Flemish region, I guess 2021 will be again the Walloon region.  Sigh, the division in interest for the other region in Belgium is decreasing...other sigh...only in Dutch on Focus (West Flemish TV channel)...for as you said not further derailing the thread...
PS: It seems that the europeen contest of 2020 is won by Czechia...

Kind regards, Paul.

Rant No. One..... Rant about folk who do not rant in a rant thread - sigh - ranting on then with Rant No Two.....

Rant No two. Daily press and often on TV are those who are very cocky about not following any advice or temporary dictate which hopeful might avert disaster.

My response is to ask which side of the road they drive on and for three reasons why?  And to follow that  then ask why not buck the trend and drive on any side that takes one's fancy? 

As I see it trying to avoid a head on clash with a speedy rogue virus makes sense. 

Then there is comparing it to the last world war for some odd reason. My father was in the ARP before joining up  in. People hated to be told to block the light, use blackout, and switch off lights before opening the door but a few bombs falling not too far off and low flying bombers droning overhead eventually made work for the wardens in their tin hats and their little whistles a bit easier.

I had a knock on the door this afternoon.   Admittedly I'd not long got back from town having walked and may not have been in the best of moods.  Someone wanted to try and get me to change my gas supplier.  I said the gas supply is capped off at present.  I managed to shoo them off without being rude about it but I could have done without the interruption.  I'd had a power cut earlier in the day.  With the microwave having gone bump a few days ago I wondered if something else had gone.  Fortunately the power came back on eventually so that's only a partial rant.

Little Owl killed in snare on Sandringham Estate. Perhaps the RSPB should have a word with their patron:

That's terrible Trike.

Strangely the RSPB website doesn't mention who its patron is although I'd imagine that it's Brenda. Only 2 months ago today, however, the British Trust for Ornithology announced that its new patron is the Duke of Cambridge who took over from his grandfather:

Announcing our new patron

William Windsor's own environmental and ecological record, however, is suspect to say the least. Only last year he flew by jet and then helicopter to the Hindu Kush before taking a convoy of gas-guzzling 4x4s to the Chiatibo Glacier. This was ostensibly to draw attention to the glacier's rapid melting due to climate change. While there he also allowed himself to be presented with and then happily sported a hat which included a crest made from the magnificent long white feather of a Himalayan bird. Needless to say that the RSPB was formed in 1889 in response to and in rejection of the trade in plumes for hats.

Vizzer wrote:

Strangely the RSPB website doesn't mention who its patron is although I'd imagine that it's Brenda.

I assumed that was the case, Vizzer. Probably is, it'll be a close relative if it isn't

Don't know if Little Owls are a protected species, but some protected birds, including Golden Eagles, have disappeared in or near grouse moors.

Regarding the Royal jaunts around the globe, the same applies to trips around the UK during lockdowns, while the rest of us aren't even allowed a day trip to Barnard Castle.

A mini-rant.  I bought a new electric kettle off ebay.  It arrived before Xmas but I only started using it today.  The little switch which you press down when you want a kettle to boil (it lights up and then it switches off when the water has boiled) springs back up straight away.  I managed to get it to boil by keeping my finger on the switch but if it doesn't right itself I'll have to contact the seller.  It's a nuisance.

Changing the subject why is the Queen sometimes given the nickname Brenda?

LadyinRetirement wrote:

Changing the subject why is the Queen sometimes given the nickname Brenda?

By all accounts its public use stems from a Private Eye column from the 1970s which claimed that she was known by this name by her staff. It's an unlikely name for a UK royal, similar perhaps to the Prince of Wales in the 1920s and 30s (later Edward VIII) being known as David. Whether it was a case of the Private Eye piece being a spoof which gave birth to a fact or a spoof which confirmed a fact is a subject of debate. From personal experience, around 1990 I remember joining a friend for a drink in a City pub who was seated with some acquaintances of his from the nearby College of Arms (including a Pursuivant) and they all casually used the term in the course of the conversation.

I thought David was Edward VIII's birth name, not a nickname.

Yes - a given name not a nickname. And not one used of even known of by the general public at the time. He was usually referred to as 'the Prince of Wales' in the press or else 'Edward, Prince of Wales'.

And of course David/Edward VIII's brother, who assumed the throne on his abdication, was Albert Frederick Arthur George, but always known as 'Bertie' amongst family and close friends: he was so-named after his great-grandfather Albert, the Prince Consort. Perhaps wisely he chose George as his regnal name, thereby recalling his and Edward's father, George V, and so reinforcing the enduring continuity of the monarchy after the loss of public confidence associated with the Abdication Crisis. I rather suspect that Prince Charles, Charles Philip Arthur George, will also take George as his regnal name should he ever get the chance. Charles is not a particularly 'lucky' name for English monarchs, Philip is rather too French, and Arthur probably too mythical.

I remember my history teacher at school about 55 years ago saying there would never be a Charles III, mostly because it would cause problems with the Scots, but now there seems to a rule/law that says whichever has the highest number would be the number that followed. Still leaves the question of whether Bonnie Prince Charlie is recognised by the Scots as a legitimate king or not. Apart from that Charles I was beheaded. 

But I certainly expect Charles to be George VII. Some names just won't be used again: Henry and John and probably Edward now. I don't expect it to be Philip either, not because it is too French but because Prince Philip is known for his gaffes, or perhaps unwelcome honesty.

Priscilla wrote:

Rant No. One..... Rant about folk who do not rant in a rant thread - sigh - ranting on then with Rant No Two.....

 Here's a High Level Rant.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p66slnlTFXc

 They're not as good as Kathryn Tickell:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiuMwskhsGk

Caro wrote:

I remember my history teacher at school about 55 years ago saying there would never be a Charles III, mostly because it would cause problems with the Scots, but now there seems to a rule/law that says whichever has the highest number would be the number that followed. Still leaves the question of whether Bonnie Prince Charlie is recognised by the Scots as a legitimate king or not. Apart from that Charles I was beheaded. 

But I certainly expect Charles to be George VII. Some names just won't be used again: Henry and John and probably Edward now. I don't expect it to be Philip either, not because it is too French but because Prince Philip is known for his gaffes, or perhaps unwelcome honesty.

 If you continue with Private Eye's theme I think he will be King Brian.

On the Food in Ancient Rome Thread, Green George wrote:

Today (well now yesterday) was the first time I was able to go out withiout the stautory "Unclean" badges.

Hope you and your family are all OK now and can taste and smell your next Sunday roast properly.

I've been diagnosed with post-viral (!!!) labyrinthitis which means I feel as though I have drunk half a bottle of vodka on an empty stomach. If I move too suddenly, I get whirly pits and feel sick. It's not at all serious, but is really horrible. But no one seems clear whether the virus I am post to is the virus, or just a common or garden winter virus. Has anyone else had this vertigo thing after Covid?

I have been prescribed a drug called Stemetil which, to my alarm, is not just prescribed for inner ear problems, but is also an anti-psychotic medication.        I don't think I am having a psychotic episode, as I feel relatively sane, just sick and dizzy.

Please post reasons to be cheerful part 3 (i.e. no Brexit stuff).

Glad you mentioned Brexit. Have I got a rant! Oh, sorry - wrong thread. It's still at the elephant stage on this forum ...

Labyrnthisis and nausea after a coronavirus infection are not unknown, but more likely after a flu virus. The ones that make a beeline for respiratory tracts as opposed to epithelia, nerves etc tend to leave your inner ear well alone. Sounds like you've had a mild flu which is really common at the moment as everyone is avoiding high dosage levels of flu virus while they're avoiding the other lad. However flu is a much sneakier virus than Covid - it's had much more practice, I suppose.

If you've also experienced any of the other by now well known symptoms of Covid then it may be related. If not then stay warm, drink plenty of fluids and dip into your toilet roll hoard for tissues - the flu has a much longer incubation period than Covid and likes to move around within you a lot, so don't worry if you notice your legs dropping off, your soup supply suddenly revealing itself to be non-existent, your eyes watering even when not looking at photos of government approved food rations for hungry schoolchildren, and all the other little things that tend to happen of a normal winter ...

Sorry, that was reason to be cheerful Part 104. I'll let the others fill you in on the rest of them.

Sorry for whingeing - just feeling sorry for myself, without any justification whatever: I am warm, safe, with loads of proper tissues - not horrid loo roll - and I, unlike many I know, have as much food as I could possibly need. Not that I feel like eating...

We all have become Covid hypochondriacs, I suppose - but I doubt a 'flu infection. I had my 'flu jab in November, and the Covid symptoms/time scale - Christmas seeing someone whose brother from London had visited briefly, plus burnt cauliflower cheese taste in mouth over New Year, plus this two weeks later - suggest I may have had the damn thing - along with all the other God-knows-how-many thousands in UK since New Year. I've got off lightly - been more or less asymptomatic (cauliflower cheese notwithstanding). A triumph for my Vitamin D3 therapy. Bunged-up ears, rather than bunged-up lungs, is good fortune, I know.

You are so bitter about Brexit - we have all surely just got to get over this mess. Railing at the gods, or anyone else, is no good for one's blood pressure, but then the Irish, from my experience, enjoy a satisfying rant every so often; and we Brits can be relied on to give you cause, I know.

Better keep taking the tablets - me, I mean.

Bitter? Moi? F@$king seething, more like. Arrogance, entitlement, stupidity and a tendency to harm others while harming oneself are not attractive traits when judged each on their own, and in combination they're absolutely disgusting. "Getting over" such hideous behaviour involves less application of generosity or forgiveness, and more application of a double-barrel shotgun, in my book. And even then there's no guarantee ...

Calling me bitter is a bit like putting the Jesus lad's antics in the temple down to him having a "chip on his shoulder" about banking. Righteous rage, is how I'd term it, or at least "right rage".

Still - plenty of warmth, an equal amount of fluids, and a good lie-down for a week or so. Covid or not, it's still good advice (for fluids I recommend a 10-year-old Jamieson though feel free to substitute liberally with any poison of your choice).

Temperance and Gilgamesh, so sorry to hear about your illnesses.  I hope a commiseration is allowed and I'm not going to be jumped on from a great height (metaphorically) because it's not a rant.

Thank you, LiR - you've a kind heart.

nordmann wrote:

Covid or not, it's still good advice (for fluids I recommend a 10-year-old Jamieson though feel free to substitute liberally with any poison of your choice).

Well, I'll stick to tea, thank you - poison has lost its appeal these days.

Go easy on the stuff yourself. And, for what it's worth, my advice is also to be very careful with rage: it's not the same - nor as useful - as (right) anger.

Alcohol's been off the menu since around September - drinking through face masks was a right pain, I reckoned, and the green brigade banned all my straws. Probably explains all the righteous anger. I can't even numb myself against the sheer thickness and spite any more. I'm even pissed off with the ones who aren't pissed off with the thickos for some reason. Still, char is alright in its place, but a good dollop of Jemmie 10 reaches places those leaves could never (see - at least I still have my memories).

Having just read a bit of the above.
Ny rant is on having had to have ones 'puter at the upgrading stage!
It was a matter of having no computer or having none with nothing in between.

Was it possible I'd send a barrel of port to the bar in order to support at least P. and yours truly, at least for a while.

I never thought I'd miss my computer, never!

LadyinRetirement wrote:

Temperance and Gilgamesh, so sorry to hear about your illnesses.  I hope a commiseration is allowed and I'm not going to be jumped on from a great height (metaphorically) because it's not a rant.

I join LiR with her commiseration to Temperance and Gilgamesh. I had already a talk with GG (Gilgamesh) when he first mentioned "it" on Christmas. 
Kind regards to all, Paul.

Thank you, Paul. 

This is not a rant as such, whatever a rant is these days. Not sure anymore.

I have been googling about ears and dizziness, and  the possible causes and cures of my vertigo. Tea - or rather the caffeine in my favourite beverage - could apparently be a contributing factor to the problem. I certainly do drink an awful lot of tea, my only vice these days. The wording of the medical advice I found rather odd:

Caffeine intake. Caffeine is present in coffee, tea, chocolate, energy drinks and colas. It may increase the ringing sensation in the ear of the person who has vertigo issues. Caffeine has been reported to cause cell depolarization making the cells more easily excitable.

"Excitable" cells in the ear? Whatever next? How on earth does one calm an excitable ear? Makes the affected organ sound like a badly-behaved dog.

Temperance wrote:

Thank you, Paul. 

I have just read something which has amused me, although I am not sure whether this is a rant or a rave. I have been googling about ears and dizziness, and possible causes and cures of my horrible symptoms. Tea - or rather the caffeine in my favourite beverage - could be a contributing factor to my distress. I do drink an awful lot of tea. Oh, no - are we to be deprived of all our comforts? But the wording of the medical advice did make me laugh:

Caffeine intake. Caffeine is present in coffee, tea, chocolate, energy drinks and colas. It may increase the ringing sensation in the ear of the person who has vertigo issues. Caffeine has been reported to cause cell depolarization making the cells more easily excitable.

"Excitable" cells in my ear? Good grief. I want my tai chi money back. I thought I had really steady, sensible, calm ears.

Temperance, don't read too much about diseases otherwise your mind can take control over you...

Just to say how strong the stress of the mind can be and take control over you an example that I still consider as started by stress ...

In the factory a colleague of another department (although we were both under the same overall chef) had some difficulties because he was accused of letting a new product apply in a degreasing dipping bath. That change of product from a new provider seemed to  affect the metal sticking of connecting bolts in a gear box leading to disfunctions in the field.
It was a huge turmoil up to a very high level (perhaps MM will recognize something from his former factory).
And it was I! who had introduced our normal supplier, who had pushed to the change...
I immediately said that it was due to me and the supplier that it had happened and it was entirely the fault from the supplier and me having introduced the new stuff...
But nevertheless my colleague said that he could sleep anymore from the stress...

Some months after it calmed down I walked behind him and he suddenly started to leaning to the right side while walking...I could just in time take him in my arms before he felt...
The diagnosis was: "Menière's disease"
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menieres-disease/
As the real cause seems to be yet known, I always thought that it had to do with the stress from the event that I mentioned...

Just to say that the mind in my! opinion has a strong grip on the overall condition of the whole physical body...

BTW: Since I fell from some 6 feet high with the whole weight of my body on my two hands on the floor with my right side of the head hitting the floor I had a concussion and ringing in the right ear. The doctor said that it would stay and indeed now some 30 years ago...but it is a bit bettered...I hear it only when as now I speak about it...but some who had the phenomenon, who could not accept it as it seems to be in some cases incurable, have commited suicide...just to say again that one has not to let the mind have power over you...

What I do for the moment, but who am I, is to try to recognize the causes of my stress and to accept them and try to live with it...and sometimes the stress is already decreasing after doing that exercise...

Kind regards from Paul.

I know you said not to google otological stuff, Paul, but I have found an ear problem which has a lovely alliterative name: I wonder if I could have a touch of tonic tensor tympani syndrome?

Tonic tensor tympani syndrome (TTTS) is a rare form of tinnitus. It’s a form of objective tinnitus, which means that both the person with the condition and other people can hear a sound. People with TTTS just hear the sound differently.

Sort of: "I hear what you're saying, but it all sounds rather different to me from what I suspect you think you actually said." 

How very confusing for everyone. But then again, sounds like ordinary communication to me in this our post-Brexit world.

Apologies - post above about TTTS is not a rant; it's more a rave. But I don't suppose anyone will mind, so will leave it.

Yes Temp, "tinnitus" it is that I have already some 30 years in the right ear. I sought for it yesterday:
https://context.reverso.net/translation/dutch-english/oorsuizen

I didn't know that there were many kinds of tinnitus. But all by all mine seems to be rather benign, at least for me.
I just opened also something about "tinnitus" in Dutch...immediately hundreds of so-called helping sites (hidden advertisements)...better listen to your general practician...and mostly it seems to go over after a time (oops that's Dutch. It seems to be "change over" in English).

I hope all passes over after some time dear Temperance. And I wish you a new rebirth after your vaccination.

Kind regards, Paul.

PaulRyckier wrote:

I hope all passes over after some time dear Temperance. And I wish you a new rebirth after your vaccination.

No sign of any vaccination yet Paul. It will be next month for me, if I am lucky. But thank you for your good wishes - how kind you are.

Quite happy with waiting a couple or so more weeks actually - not sure if you are supposed to have a jab if you are recovering from a recent bout with the bug. Perhaps a first jab will act as a "booster" if one's body is already teeming with recently-produced antibodies. I do hope so. A very short delay might be wise. Not sure about the epidemiology on this one! But I definitely want my vaccination! Next slide, please.

EDIT: My ears are "popping" all the time this morning - hurrah! Blessed relief! I feel as though I've just landed from a Concorde flight.

May be some problems with the Pfizer vaccine:

BMJ-Norway elderly deaths

Yes. Norway, and several other countries' health authorities, are keeping a close eye now on the UK data over the next few weeks and months where the Pfizer vaccine has been rolled out in big numbers to the most vulnerable sector of population before this level of data could be obtained. The data so far here suggests that its efficacy in people with depleted natural immune systems is way below that among the general population. Britain's high number of elderly makes for a much better sample size. If the data is trustworthy and indicates inefficacy with aged vaccine recipients then other countries can approach this strategy a little more cleverly, or at least that's the hope. The main problem will be trusting the UK data - there's been way too much politics involved in the whole exercise there and often corrupt politics at that, which doesn't help. However Johnson's gang of grifters have obviously decided that this one at least had better be done by the NHS - last chance saloon stuff - so hopefully this time we might actually learn the truth.

Having been vaccinating front-line medical staff and other key workers for the past three weeks, France starts its vaccine roll-out to the general population tomorrow (18 Jan) with the first tranche of the public being everyone over 75 years old, as well as people at risk of developing serious forms of the virus due to existing chronic conditions or undergoing cancer treatment etc, regardless of their age. The French government stated at the start that this was going to be the approximate timetable and that it was more important to be able to follow up all the first vaccinations with the second after the correct interval, rather than simply start as fast as possible and then run out of steam.

However the vaccination process in France is also possibly complicated by a degree of widespread scepticism. For some weeks now, even before the first vaccines had been certified for use, some polls suggested up to 60% of French citizens did not wish to be vaccinated and currently the number of people vaccinated is still much lower than elsewhere in the UK, Germany and Italy. This is slightly strange because up until about a decade ago the French as a whole were one of the more compliant and accepting nations towards vaccination generally. In France, every child is obliged to have no fewer than 11 vaccinations if their parents want them to attend school: there is no opt-out or concessions made to vaccine doubters. However there have been a few medical scandals over the past decade which may have knocked public confidence, although it should be noted that none of these related to the safety or efficacy of vaccines. For example the H1N1 'flu vaccine scandal in 2009 was about the government massively over-ordering 94million vaccine doses at a cost of €869m: in the end only 6m people were vaccinated, the remainder of the order was cancelled, and 19m unused vaccine doses were destroyed. An official estimate put the cost of the debacle at €382m. But this, plus a couple of other financial and administrative scandals, have possibly created a link in people's minds of corruption between government officials and pharmaceutical companies in France. It’s not new for the French to lack confidence in their political leaders but there is perhaps a new low-level of confidence in the medical authorities in France.

But there’s a very big difference between what the French say to polls or voice outloud in conversation, and what they then actually do, and I suspect any scepticism is less against the vaccine itself than those promoting it. In the end I expect vaccine take up in France will eventually be comparable to the rest of Europe. Nevertheless I can understand why the French government is being cautious in the roll-out process and is striving so hard to get it right first time. I'm not yet eligible for the vaccine but looking at the health service website I can see that my nearest vaccination centre is just 25mins away (bearing in mind that I live in a tiny village in the mountains) and that when my age-group window opens I should be able to simply book myself a session online.

Britain may have been first to "get the vaccines out" but that doesn't necessarily mean the population will be first to be vaccinated. Jumping the gun does not mean you automatically win the race. And as the French PM, Jean Castex, said in his briefing last week, "its a marathon, not a sprint".

Just as a matter of interest is that my wife and I were both vaccinated with the Pfizer/BioNTeck first dose on December 20th 2020 and were vaccinated with the second dose January10th(last week).

So far the both of us have had NO reaction or any side effects.


Dirk

There do seem to have been a few hiccoughs in the system, one or two rather amusing, if it is not in poor taste to find anything funny at the moment. I have to admit I laughed at Priscilla refusing to give back the second jab she had already received, she having been informed that her booster dose was to be cancelled.

But I am utterly baffled by an email I have just received from the NHS thanking me for my (apparently) tremendous efforts in the global war against this dreadful bug. It sounds as though I'm going to get a Nobel Prize for having done absolutely nothing. I did register a few months ago as a volunteer human guinea pig for the British vaccine trials. My motives for volunteering were prompted by almost purely noble, altruistic feelings, but I must confess my baser side also thought it was a good way of getting an early jab. In the event, I was never contacted (until today), and in all honesty I had forgotten about my rather rash offer of myself as a living sacrifice. But this is what I have just read:


Your role and dedication have been crucial to the speed and development of these vaccines, in deciding to sign up to the registry, in taking part in clinical studies and in attending all your appointments. At the time of writing, over 2.4 million people in the UK have now been vaccinated, and this is thanks to your  endeavours. You will save many lives now, and many more in the months to come. I really want to thank you - your efforts are greatly appreciated and have been recognised both nationally and internationally.

Crikey.

Temperance wrote:

Your role and dedication have been crucial to the speed and development of these vaccines, in deciding to sign up to the registry, in taking part in clinical studies and in attending all your appointments. At the time of writing, over 2.4 million people in the UK have now been vaccinated, and this is thanks to your endeavours. You will save many lives now, and many more in the months to come. I really want to thank you - your efforts are greatly appreciated and have been recognised both nationally and internationally.

Thankyou chuck!  

However you do realise it probably just means that we on the continent are now looking on very carefully to see if you, Temp, do indeed keel over with something unexpected.

Just remember that the UK was able to proudly certify the vaccine for general use first, most importantly before any other country, simply because the UK government agreed to waive all the usual agreements about resposibility, liability and compensation. So if you get ill from a UK-delivered vaccination, it's the UK government, ie the UK taxpayer, you, that will be liable to pay compensation, and not the vaccine manufacturer. But having waited just a few weeks extra for all the usual certification processes to be completed, the majority of European countries are now using a fully-certified vaccine ... and so if problems do occur, perhaps some years in the future, it will be a matter of corporate, not governmental, responsibility. In short for example, a French government, might well support future claims by its citizens arising from disability arising from the current vaccination program - while a UK government would probably fight it to the hilt as they would be equally liable.

So thank you Temp for your contribution.

But I haven't had a jab, MM - that was what was so silly about the email I got this afternoon! I was never called as a guinea pig! But I still received such fulsome praise from the powers-that-be for attending all my non-appointments!

I won't get my non-certified vaccination until February! I have keeled over already (I think) and am probably now immune, courtesy of my body's own defences. Should I still have the hastily-approved Pfizer jab? I think so: it's worth the risk. They may have run out of it by February anyway. I hope I get the Oxford one then.

Do hope poor P. doesn't "keel over"! She's had two lots! Hope they didn't put it all in the same arm.

Yes I understood that you haven't actually been jabbed, but that just reinforces the overall comment about the incompetence of those in charge. My sniping wasn't directed against either you or P, nor any poor benighted citizen of Britain .... but seriously, in Britain, you really deserve much better government/leadership than you're getting at the moment.

I didn't think you were having a snipe - just thought you hadn't read my post properly!

Ah, MM - getting my just desserts -eh? Not sure what I deserve. What I am getting is brilliant jabbing service in this town - not a complaint from anyone - we are all in awe of the organisation........
I get all my food and much else delivered to the door.... no shortages of anything around here. All the other services are working well and at last people about here are being more sensible.

I'll try and work up a complaint, MM but am getting more than my fair share of all right at the moment. Of course. it may all go pear shaped - it was supposed to be chaos already but it has not started about here yet - and I am thankful that Mr Corbyn and his team did not win the election, to be honest.

I expect from all places beyond we may seem a mess but 4 080 000 jabs to date seems a goodly number.... and I feel fine. Ought I to have keeled over by now? They are well into the 70's age group here already. So,      old  head in the sand, me - is doing fine.,,, so far.... and I cooked a fresh veg Chow Mein today that was actually very good (Not always so, I ought add.)

Priscilla wrote:

...I am thankful that Mr Corbyn and his team did not win the election, to be honest.

I am lost for words at the thought, and have resorted to the "pale" thingy.

Brother-Comrade Piers (what a name for a Socialist!) Corbyn got arrested in the Hyde Park anti-lockdown "protest". What a carry-on!



EDIT: Hope this does not cause any problems on the forum - could the management please feel free to remove the post if it does trigger any nonsense.

EDIT 2: Piers Corbyn is an incredibly clever, scientifically-aware man - gained a first from your old stamping ground, Imperial College, MM, so it is utterly baffling why he has such odd ideas about many things. Am I being prejudiced? He seems like a very bright, but a determined-to-be-a-pain, 18-year-old. But he's actually old enough to have had his vaccination already - not that he would dream of letting anyone near his arm with a Pfizer-filled syringe. You can't argue with men (or women) like him.

Not sure whether this is a rant or a rave. Or both. Can we have a simultaneous rant'n'rave? Don't see why not.

Nordmann - Marina Hyde of the Guardian has pinched your "septic isle" joke! You should claim copyright (unless you pinched it from her). See end of paragraph seven of this excellent article. It is a very funny piece, in a biting-but-truthful, upsetting sort of way: you could have written it. So could I, perhaps, if I'd ever made enough effort.

It's a horrid place, this brave new world, my masters: I for one am feeling quite out of my depth in it. The old, simple, mad one was more comfortable somehow.


Septic Isle

Marina is unwittingly channeling the late great Myles Na gCopaleen AKA Flann O'Brien AKA Brian O'Nolan, whose father was a customs official in the border town of Strabane long before even the border in that region had been inflicted on them. Brian's father also insisted that his children (all 12 of them) should be home-schooled and not entrusted to the British state for the purpose, principally by way of correspondence courses. The entire correspondence however was to be conducted between the pupils and himself.

We are indebted to Myles Na gC for many things - not just for his occasional improvements on Shakespeare. It was he, after all, who first introduced my young mind to the molecular theory of bicycles, a scientific proposition which is of course discounted by all less than open-minded scientists but which has not yet ever been fully explained by them as to why it does not apply.

Keep an eye out for people who stand with one foot on the pavement and one foot in the gutter when stopped in the street. They are all the evidence one needs, especially if the street is cobbled.

Well, you are honest enough to give your source - Marina Hyde should have admitted her bon mot was not hers at all. Inverted commas and a nod to the pony man would have intrigued all good Guardian readers. But perhaps, like me, she had never heard of Myles Na gCopaleend, and her clever use of the wittily cruel "septic isle" was just a coincidence. Or perhaps she's a secret Res His "guest" - you never know about these things.

One for  MM - your source was a man of many names. He favoured ponies and badgers I believe for his pen-names, An Broc being an early choice.

Just read about Strabane - sounds a fateful place to be born in. But that's another story.

LadyinRetirement wrote:

I'm not going to be jumped on from a great height (metaphorically) because it's not a rant.

There is, of course, a fine line between ranting and raving as with this chap having a go at the illogicality and inconsistency of the English language:

This isn't really a rant, but more a cry of: "No! No! No! What fresh hell is this?"

 Another media scare to get us stoical Brits all gibbering and panicking, or is there a real post-Coxit threat from a rat invasion?



Mega-Rats in a Loo Near You?


 
Apparently a lazy, over-fed, British cat is no use at all against the looming rat menace - the writer of the article tells us that: "A sensible cat does not like a big rat" - well, thank goodness all the cats I know are pretty silly ones who will chase anything that moves, even a mega-rat. 

That said, this is worse than the snakes in the septic tank scare of a while back...

How long before the tabloids start a bubonic plague panic?

Next slide, please.

Yeah, it can happen. When house left for a while when abroad we had a visitor like that - the bowl kept filled with strong cleanser soon resolved that. And big rats not as big as cats...... no cat could make it round the U bend. These rats are as big as ... well ....big rats.
Yawn. Rant cont. One weather site predicts snow on the way any day now. Boris must have done something. And even if he hasn't then he should jolly make sure this does not happen. Honestly, you'd think an elected government would know better.
What ever happened to Indian Summers in Autumn? Downright disgraceful.

Priscilla wrote:

Yawn.

Oh no! Are my desperate little posts getting that boring?  

Hope my Boris Coxit Up headline hasn't offended anyone!? 

I'm struggling with Schrödinger's Moggy and its implications for religious belief at the moment - now there's a real (or maybe not real) subject for "yawn" - or maybe (or not) the Benefits of Religion thread. Could the dead bit of the cat be resurrected? Would it - or Schrödinger -  know if it was?

Yawn explained.... the tedium of daily media panics - not you for exposing them. I thought Schro..dinger - put the dots where you like, I thought he was a character in Peanuts Cartoon? But with a cat? Surely not in Garfield? Am swimming out of my depth here... ah, the U bends of My Life.... even larger yawn. I await snow, the fall of the Kingdom - and just now a warm jam doughnut would be really nice.