Wednesday, 17 September 2008
Writer's Blog
I am unable to post today after reading the brilliance of the post dated Sunday 14th September on here
Monday, 15 September 2008
Prepositioned!
Why is it so hard to explain prepositions in the English Language? My poor Turkish students (who have never heard of such a strange phenomena) really struggled...
"I have confidence about his ability?"
(No, that would be ...in his ability.)
"It wasn't an accident. He did it for purpose?"
(No, unfortunately ...on purpose.)
"Bill's absolutely terrified from spiders?"
(No, he's terrified of them).
etc etc
In better news. 5 bars of Dairy Milk for £1.00 in Messrs Frank Winfield Woolworth. Lovely stuff!
"I have confidence about his ability?"
(No, that would be ...in his ability.)
"It wasn't an accident. He did it for purpose?"
(No, unfortunately ...on purpose.)
"Bill's absolutely terrified from spiders?"
(No, he's terrified of them).
etc etc
In better news. 5 bars of Dairy Milk for £1.00 in Messrs Frank Winfield Woolworth. Lovely stuff!
Saturday, 13 September 2008
Fingers in your ears... 3...2...1..... er....
The arrogance of scientists still astounds me. No, we aren't all going to be sucked into oblivion. Thankfully we do not have a driver who's asleep behind the wheel, and personally the whole thing stinks of Babel, (see Genesis 11) just as much as this gene meddling and modifying we're doing.
This week has been unspeakably busy, but a lot of fun. I have been teaching students English and some of the classes have been up for a laugh. We ate chocolate, pretended to make sandwiches, tried to lick our elbows and two students even did handstands.
Proper football returns today after 2 weeks dominated by reading mere headlines while greedy Setanta ruins all the fun. Anyway, football focus is on in a minute so hopefully I'll see the goals in something better than the grainy Croatian TV coverage available on YouTube.
See here for an extremely coherant rant on this topic
They're making life more difficult for those of us with only 4 channels (why do I need any more??)
This week has been unspeakably busy, but a lot of fun. I have been teaching students English and some of the classes have been up for a laugh. We ate chocolate, pretended to make sandwiches, tried to lick our elbows and two students even did handstands.
Proper football returns today after 2 weeks dominated by reading mere headlines while greedy Setanta ruins all the fun. Anyway, football focus is on in a minute so hopefully I'll see the goals in something better than the grainy Croatian TV coverage available on YouTube.
See here for an extremely coherant rant on this topic
They're making life more difficult for those of us with only 4 channels (why do I need any more??)
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
Grrrr
Setanta. Grrr. Not having National Team Highllights on a terrestrial station is immoral and goes against the values of Public service Broadcasting. Who's with me?
Monday, 8 September 2008
Friday, 5 September 2008
Jolly Jobsworths...
My daily commute to central Brighton and my temporary position of employ involves a rather enjoyable daily read of the METRO (sexual?) free newspaper. However, an annoying common theme seems to have emerged towards the end of the week. After yesterday's front page story about a 24 year old mother-of-two denied a smear test despite a clear family history of cancer, today's Metro contains no less than 4 counts of what I would call 'Jobsworth-ing':
1. 13 year old boy's cat goes missing. As any normal boy would do, he puts up 'missing' posters. Threatened with ASBO and an £80 fine.
2. Soldier on sick leave from Afghanistan forced to sleep in his car in Surrey after Hotel wouldn't give him a room as 'they don't accept military personnel'.
3.Mother rings M&S to complain about 7 year old son's Superman suit. Told to pass phone to said 7 year old so they can either speak to him or get his permission to speak to her. Something to do with the data protection act apparently.
4. Essex police told to remove sunglasses as they intimidate people.
Ok, the last one is a bit more tenuous and possibly understandable.
Favourite METRO headlines of the last few days...
Keegan resigns. No, really, he does.
Sex slur hits 'Pitbull'.
Drug addict elephant is let out of rehab.
Hello Doctor... I've not been well since I died.
New fears over confidence dip.
Jobcentre threw me out for feeding baby (and no I wasn't breastfeeding.)
(Sorry, this actually belongs in the jobsworth section)
Looney Toons
and last but not least...
Inflatable dentist to save our teeth.
1. 13 year old boy's cat goes missing. As any normal boy would do, he puts up 'missing' posters. Threatened with ASBO and an £80 fine.
2. Soldier on sick leave from Afghanistan forced to sleep in his car in Surrey after Hotel wouldn't give him a room as 'they don't accept military personnel'.
3.Mother rings M&S to complain about 7 year old son's Superman suit. Told to pass phone to said 7 year old so they can either speak to him or get his permission to speak to her. Something to do with the data protection act apparently.
4. Essex police told to remove sunglasses as they intimidate people.
Ok, the last one is a bit more tenuous and possibly understandable.
Favourite METRO headlines of the last few days...
Keegan resigns. No, really, he does.
Sex slur hits 'Pitbull'.
Drug addict elephant is let out of rehab.
Hello Doctor... I've not been well since I died.
New fears over confidence dip.
Jobcentre threw me out for feeding baby (and no I wasn't breastfeeding.)
(Sorry, this actually belongs in the jobsworth section)
Looney Toons
and last but not least...
Inflatable dentist to save our teeth.
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
It's a rich man's world...
I have been pondering the rather ugly side of money this week as the football season gets into full swing, and the hideousness of the end of the 'transfer window' (a period of time in which players can be bought and sold between clubs), which ended on Monday at Midnight. Clubs holding out to get the most money, other clubs trying to pay as little as possible. And, despite being a passionate football fan, it still angers me that players can wait for a "better offer", when they earn something like £120,000 a week and want £140,000. Footballers aren't worth it, but unfortunately, this side of the game is here to stay.
And create an elite it has, with the "top 4" likely to stay there. (Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United to put them in alphabetical order). However, Manchester City's recent move from one dodgy owner to another, sees them promise offers like £135m for players worth much MUCH less, just to become "the biggest club in the world". Money no object? Rather dull I think. Bit like stealing the bank in Monopoly. NO fun for anyone.
The events in Shropshire have just left me speechless, the apparent desperation of a man who fell foul to the love of wealth. Just an unthinkable event that you can't imagine being real.
I was listening to a Pulp song last night; and while its tone is a bit more unkind and angry than I would take, it makes a solid point:
Check your lucky numbers.
That much money could drag you under, oh.
What's the point of being rich?
If you can't think what to do with it?
'Cause your so bleedin' thick.
Oh we weren't supposed to be,
We learnt too much at school
Now we can't help but see
That the future that you've got mapped out
Is nothing much to shout about....
Cocker/Banks/Mackey/Senior/Doyle/Webber
(Taken from 'Mis-shapes' on 'Different Class', 1995 Island Recordings.
On a cheerier note, I saw Zoé Ball in Western Road the other day and was so distracted by her and the man singing show tunes badly into a tinny PA system, that I almost joined Amnesty International.
And create an elite it has, with the "top 4" likely to stay there. (Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United to put them in alphabetical order). However, Manchester City's recent move from one dodgy owner to another, sees them promise offers like £135m for players worth much MUCH less, just to become "the biggest club in the world". Money no object? Rather dull I think. Bit like stealing the bank in Monopoly. NO fun for anyone.
The events in Shropshire have just left me speechless, the apparent desperation of a man who fell foul to the love of wealth. Just an unthinkable event that you can't imagine being real.
I was listening to a Pulp song last night; and while its tone is a bit more unkind and angry than I would take, it makes a solid point:
Check your lucky numbers.
That much money could drag you under, oh.
What's the point of being rich?
If you can't think what to do with it?
'Cause your so bleedin' thick.
Oh we weren't supposed to be,
We learnt too much at school
Now we can't help but see
That the future that you've got mapped out
Is nothing much to shout about....
Cocker/Banks/Mackey/Senior/Doyle/Webber
(Taken from 'Mis-shapes' on 'Different Class', 1995 Island Recordings.
On a cheerier note, I saw Zoé Ball in Western Road the other day and was so distracted by her and the man singing show tunes badly into a tinny PA system, that I almost joined Amnesty International.
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