Here's to you Gil, congratulations on reaching independence day.
I hope that your, ahem, winter sports will be rewarding and delightfully expensive.

Well done, Gil.  Enjoy yourself. My husband is about to lose his job and he seems pretty happy about it.  Looking forward to retirement of some sort.  Anyway a few more months and we will be Gold Carders. 

However I came here for a different rave.  Some of you may think it deserves a rant.  We are off to London to see the Queen!  Or more accurately off to Dunedin to see the Duchess and Duke/Prince.  They are off to a cathedral service, and then to the Rippa Rugby at our new and lovely and controversial sports stadium (controversial because of the addition to Dunedin rates, doesn't affect us here so we don't care).  We did get tickets to the free event, but may just wander round and line the streets, along with the other 20,000 or so expected.  Where will we park? - it's hard enough to find a park in Dunedin on an ordinary day.  Prince George has had his (first) official public duty (at playgroup) so I don't know if he is going to be there or not.

Caro :
I think the official line is that the paps have had their chance to get pics of George nth, and he'll not be on display again. Enjoy your viewing opportunity - I presume you were too busy to allow them the chance to have an audience with you! Hope the parking goes well!

Parking went quite well.  Viewing was a little difficult being about ten rows deep.  However, as often with these sort of events, it is the anticipation and the good-natured crowds that are the real event - people were very obliging about finding me a spot to see (and we were obliging at holding up other people's little kids and finding spaces for them).  But we got a couple of reasonable photos.  I found a seat nearby and sat and read my book for half an hour while we waited for them to come out of the cathedral.  People were quite envious but I don't really go anywhere without a book.  You never know when it will be needed. We didn't go to the stadium for the little kids' rugby.  And it didn't rain, thumbs up for Dunedin!

I think the Duke and Duchess enjoyed their time on the jetboat at Queenstown more, though.

I don’t know if this odd little story has filtered out beyond the Wall but I thought it worth recording here.
About a month ago, a piano tuner had a final row with his wife and was thrown out of their home in Edinburgh. Being a resourceful chap, he purchased a robust tent, pitched it on Portobello beach and, with professional removers, had his goods, including his piano, installed and moved in. Camping there is illegal but, this being Edinburgh and he being clearly quite posh, his actions were not greeted with the opprobrium that they would have been had he been a New Age traveller or a destitute asylum seeker so he stayed there until finally moved on and into the home of his latest amour, a woman he met during his beach sojourn.
Now what makes this vaguely historical is his name, Ben Treuhaft. Those of you more familiar with the Mitfords will recognise him as the son of Jessica and the Jewish activist lawyer, Robert Treuhaft. It seems he fell out with mum while in his twenties and became a piano tuner to the rich and famous, travelling the world before ending up in Edinburgh last year. He is currently volunteering in a charity shop which he enjoys, saying, “It’s great - they’re all commies there”.

You don't always have to of high birth to be allowed to camp on beaches,ferval.  There was a little fuss here about a hermit who was ordered off one, but the council backed down under public pressure.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8481825/Hermit-keeps-his-spot-on-beach

Since I have talked about the royal visit here, I will ask this question here too: Several times I have read that they are here, not as members of the royal family of Britain, but as members of the royal family of New Zealand. I am not sure of the difference. Does it just mean NZ is paying for this visit totally? Or is there some other constitutional difference I am not aware of?

A newspaper article I saw was getting in a tizz because the couple had been at a private dinner hosted by the Prime Minister, getting served New Zealand delicacies like whitebait and pavlova. "But who do you think is paying for this? The taxpayer!" Well, yes, who else would it be? We'd hardly invite foreign dignitaries (or anyone) to dine and expect them to pay for themselves. And John Key is not surely expected to fork out of his own pocket for this sort of thing. People do get their knickers in a twist over such trivia. I doubt if the ordinary population is much bothered.(Perhaps this is a rant more than a rave.)

If NZ is anything like Australia then, technically, they are there as the royal family of NZ Caro. For instance, Liz is Queen of Australia quite seperately from her role as Queen of GB and Northern Ireland. So the British royal family is also the royal family of Australia, and by the sound of it they would be considered the same in NZ.

It seems to me, in that case, that people should be waving their NZ flags, but it is the Union Jack we are seeing.  Our silly flag might be taken to be Australia's so perhaps it wouldn't do, and the silver fern or worse still the tino rangatiratanga (Maori) flag might be seen as rebellious.

We used to have a tramp who camped on Wolverhampton ring road for many years - when someone else tried it the magistrates told him only Fred could do that. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B3zef_Stawinoga

BTW - If you'd like to keep your current visitors as your very own Royal Family, Caro, I'm sure we have enough left to spare them easily ...

Thanks for that wiki link Gil. I'd never encountered 'Fred' before. Sometimes it is hard to find any shred of humanity in the doings of local,  or indeed national, government ... but then suddenly a history like that suddenly shows that there IS still such a thing as society.

I echo Meles x 2's statement that the story about Fred shows that there is still some human decency about.  I noted that there were people coming out of the woodwork to claim his (ie Fred's) unclaimed pension i.e. Estate after his death.

That you retired now, Gil. Hope you like this one;

About 60 years ago, I wanted to work on the trains. Went for an interview and briefing yesterday to do just that (unpaid, but who cares) at http://www.chasewaterrailway.co.uk/

With a large lake I used to fish (illegally of course) as a lad right alongside.

That looks brilliant Gil ... I'm jealous. I'll bet the Monsters are dead jealous too. Did you get the position or was it just a formality?

And 'Happy Birthday' too  

Thanks, Striped One! May you ever elude misguided attempts at culling!

You been looking at facebook Trike?   

The pic is of the tree climbing goats of Morocco. The goats climb because they like to eat the fruit of the Argan tree and the farmers follow the goats because the fruit contains a nut which the goats can't digest which they will spit out. The farmers then collect the nuts which are used to make cooking oil and cosmetics.

Very clever and economical system and why do all the hard work when the goats will do it for you?

Islanddawn wrote:

You been looking at facebook Trike?   

 Borrowed from Historum, ID. There's a thread there  "amazing pictures from nature", that was one of them. Some really great photos on the thread.

Earthrise;

Sure that's not just CGI? 

CGI? ....

Nah, it's too early for that. It's just a papier-mâché model against a sheet of black paper ... all done in the same Hollywood studio that faked the moon landings, surely.

 

Too good a quality for that - must have been done at the London Planetarium!
"If you have been, thanks for listening"

The American faked moon landing was pathetic compared to the British one (note how the Brits remembered to put the stars in - something the yanks forgot);

nordmann wrote:

The American faked moon landing was pathetic compared to the British one (note how the Brits remembered to put the stars in - something the yanks forgot);

Nordmann, were you that kid who told the others there was no Father Xmas?  Wot - the Clangers not real?  In the days when I had longer and darker hair (or more honestly when I was still covering the grey bits) somebody told me when I had my hair in a bun I looked like Little Mai who I thought was a Postgate-Firmin character but apparently she's Chinese. http://www.cbi.gov.cn:8080/wisework/content/105563.html  I have a soft spot for The Clangers and Noggin the Nog and all their stablemates. Apparently the Clangers are due to make a come-back next year - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24523203

You sre they didn't mean "Little My" from the Moomin stories?




I have it on good authority that the Clangers never made it further than Oliver Postgate's garage, though I have to admit that said garage could well be a lunar installation.

nordmann wrote:

You sre they didn't mean "Little My" from the Moomin stories?




I have it on good authority that the Clangers never made it further than Oliver Postgate's garage, though I have to admit that said garage could well be a lunar installation.

Could be, I seem to have missed out on the Moomin stories though I've just googled them and see they are Finnish.

Cavy! here comes the Beak!

BBC2 comes up with the odd gem among the multitude of repeats.  There's something on this morning where the late Fred Dibnah speaks about the textile mills of the steam age - how many of the mills were lost after closure but enthusiasts are restoring (or were at the time of the making of the programme) some of the few remaining ones [for the heritage industry??? - the bit in square brackets comes from me not from Fred].  Fred said that when the textile industry collapsed and the mills were closed and the machines smashed up a lot of the local scrap merchants were driving posh cars (but I can't remember what brand of car).

My rave today is about an excellent put-down.

I have been reading about the recent brouhaha regarding sexism in English football (remarks in E-mails etc.). In the article, Karren Brady (see PS) told a story about her early days as the boss of Birmingham City.

Just after her appointment, Ms Brady had to travel with the Birmingham team on their coach, and, as there was only one loo, share that with her male players   . As she was returning to her seat after a visit to said loo, one of the team remarked to their new, young, female managing director: "I could see your tits coming all the way down the bus."

"What a pity you won't be seeing them after tomorrow then," KB replied, " because I'm selling you to Crewe."

She did too.

PS - from Wiki:

She is known as "The First Lady of Football". Her appointment with Birmingham City began in March 1993, when she was 23. In 2002 she became the first woman to hold such a post in the top flight of English football when the team was promoted. She was responsible for the company's flotation in 1997, thus becoming the youngest managing director of a UK plc. She left in 2009 when she sold the club for £82,000,000. In January 2010 she was appointed vice-chairman of West Ham United following a change of ownership of the club.

The phenomenon known as a "sundog"

Two examples from history of the "sundog" or "parhelion" phenomenon - omens, or just coincidence?

From Wiki:

The prelude to the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in Herefordshire, England in 1461 is supposed to have involved the appearance of a complete parhelion with three "suns". The Yorkist commander, later Edward IV of England, convinced his initially frightened troops that it represented the three sons of the Duke of York*, and Edward's troops won a decisive victory. The event was dramatized by William Shakespeare in King Henry VI, Part 3 and by Sharon Kay Penman in The Sunne In Splendour.

* Actually I think the Earl of March reassured his men that the three suns represented the Holy Trinity and that, therefore, God, obviously a good Yorkist, was on their side.

Three glorious suns, each one a perfect sun;
Not separated with the racking clouds,
But sever'd in a pale clear-shining sky.
See, see! they join, embrace, and seem to kiss,
As if they vow'd some league inviolable:
Now are they but one lamp, one light, one sun.
In this the heaven figures some event.

Odd too that the three Bronte sisters were also the subject of speculation as to possible future glory - because of a parhelion. This is from Rebecca Fraser's biography of Charlotte Bronte:

That August (1847), Ellen (Nussey) went to stay with the Brontes and, full of suspicions about the sisters' writing activities, she recalled how all four women were out on the moor when a sudden light came into the sky...They all stood still and gazed silently at the parhelion, a phenomenon that has appeared intermittently at Haworth for the past five centuries. Ellen then said boldly:'That is you! You are the three suns.' 'Hush,' said Charlotte, but as Ellen looked away she noticed that there was a happy smile on Emily's face."

A few days later Charlotte Bronte, no doubt expecting that she would receive the usual rejection letter, sent her manuscript of Jane Eyre to Smith, Elder and Co. in London.

Quote from Coronation Street - I don't watch soaps but it has been noted -  and possibly not original but had me giggling - no offence to our LIR intended.

"Salad!?  Salad is what food eats."

http://www.ronwatters.com/OLNotes5.html

Whymper's fogbow after the accident descending from first ascent of Matterhorn.

This year will be the 50th season of the Red Arrows:

Priscilla wrote:

Quote from Coronation Street - I don't watch soaps but it has been noted -  and possibly not original but had me giggling - no offence to our LIR intended.

"Salad!?  Salad is what food eats."

I hadn't noticed this when you first posted it Priscilla. I hope Hannibal Lecter (sp??) isn't watching.  I don't watch "Corrie" all that often - I find it (like most of the soaps) is something you can miss for six months and come back to even though the story lines have probably changed.  I can't say I NEVER watch soaps.  I liked "EastEnders" in the 1980s but found it became terribly repetitive over time (then I haven't watched it for the last few months so it could be tackling drama more serious than the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company's productions during my hiatus of watching it).

Somebody did me a favour (which I did not ask for today).  I was taking some garden rubbish to the local dump in an old-fashioned shopping trolley (don't have a car) and a lady insisted on running me there in her car.  Such a kind thing to do.

Ah, gardens. They defer dementia apparently - well, for  week's advice, anyway. Without overt effort mine is glorious this year and has been since the first bulbs flowered. there are 168 species in it i.e. roses count as one, and I have about 15 of those. Of the veg patch less good news, white butterflies have turned the cabbages to rather pretty Fleming lace, slugs brought unique crochet design to the swedes and turnips and snails left shiny direction trails to all else. Nothing so far has chomped on the onions and leeks and I notice lady birds launching a counter offensive on the runner bean black fly. Possibly my dementia has set in and no one noticed in the gaudy hubbub of flowering tubs of huge begonias, droopy fuschias and other stuff seemingly all trying to get out under the watchful eye of up periscope hollyhocks.  All that and super poetry on the God-thread, what a good day.

Flying stingray;

One wonders what it was leaping to avoid. Apparently they frequent the rocks about the beach where our beach hut is, abroad. Along with the sea snakes - believe me swimming with sea snakes is best avoided and you get out fast. Also was eve wary about stepping close to rocks where the congar eels poked our their heads for the careless foot. We used to go there for relaxarion evey weekend - having cleared the hut of assorted snakes on arrival. Can't believe I did that for decades...... then there was the incident of the rabid dog. Essex seems a bit dull, you know but I'm learning to survive the people.

Sometimes the internet is just wonderful so if you're bored, the TV is rubbish and it's pelting down outside, this site should keep you out of trouble for an hour - or a year - or two. And not just the films and books, why not learn a language or take one of the rather impressive looking courses?
Where to start?
http://www.openculture.com/freemoviesonline

Blimey ferval, as you say that site could keep me occupied for a year or two!

Not really a rave more a malicious giggle. So Pres Kim has been in hospital for a tad with ankle damage caused through wearing cuban heels. We have a Duchess who can do all manner of things wearing wedgies - and the 6" heel gals seem to cope - so   how high were these cuban heels? I guess they will be banned there soon - and ref to them giving added height cause for execution.

Right then animal lovers, here is the first ever picture of a Guinea Pig:



from the National Portrait Gallery.

http://www.artlyst.com/articles/first-portrait-of-guinea-pig-discovered-at-national-portrait-gallery

I think this is a rave, though it could be a rant.  (Really it's neither, more a comment on my age.)

This week I received my first superannuation payment! For doing nothing than reaching the grand age of 65.  (I have to say that for most of my life I had no thought of reaching such an elevated age with a mother dead at 30, likewise her mother, and my father and brothers all dead by about 60, Dad only at 43.)  But here I am, and I am now receiving $560 a fortnight just for being. And in another fortnight I will receive another $560 a fortnight because my husband will also be 65.  When the pension age was first brought in at 60 life expectancy was 58, I gather.  So to be on a par our pension shouldn't kick in till we are nearly 80. However the present PM, ever one for popularity (and managing that very nicely indeed), has said it will not rise while he is in power.  Wouldn't have affected us if it had been put up - there would surely be a point at which the present pension age was honoured.

We did have to go to the Work and Income offices and be guided in by a security guard (only used since we had two WINZ staff killed by a client recently at a small-town office), and then produce birth and marriage certificates signed by a JP and fill in forms.  And we each to sign the others saying we were spouses.  All this for us law-abiding citizens and then we find one of our prisoners, who had been in jail for 17 years after murder and child abuse, has managed to escape from his three-day release (which no one was monitoring), get a passport in a birth name which he never used and flit away over the skies to Brazil.  He wasn't out long because some staff member in a backpackers managed to recognise him and report him, which seems quite incredible to me. (He had money because he was running his business from prison. All this has made the public blink a bit.) But still, it is quite encouraging to know that, when it feels like we are monitored to within an inch of our lives with CCTV cameras and terrorist laws and god knows what, people can still get round the rules.  Personally I (and some others judging by the letters to the editor) felt that Brazil was welcome to him.

Trouble is, as soon as Brazil wasn't prepared to look after him, he'd have done this :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Biggs

I am so happy that Benjy has been saved.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2839189/Gay-bull-saved-slaughterhouse-Animal-destined-chop-sexual-orientation-wins-minute-reprieve-bought-dying-creator-Simpsons.html

I hope they find him a partner so he is not lonely in retirement.

I've known this in horses - a training stable near where I used to live had one entire horse, and his owner bought another one. The trainer refused to have the two of them in the yard, so the original one was gelded, only for the new one to turn out to be gay.

They are going to put the A303 by Stonehenge in a big tunnel! At last! Oh, joy and jubilation!

Rather than digging a tunnel, which was always going to be very expensive, and all the more so because of the extensive archaeological work that will need to be done, I've never understood why they don't just re-route the A303 a mile or so away around to the North and screen it with trees. It could be dual-carriageway and although longer would still be cheaper than a tunnel.

Mind you the announcement does rather smell of pre-election spin - I'll believe it will actually go ahead only when the bulldozers arrive.