News, Views and how to be English

The days seem to passing quite quickly at the moment, I guess because work is busy and nights are drawing in. I'm looking forward to the weekend because the weather looks set fair (not wet anyway) for Saturday so it will be leaves clearing up in the garden and putting out a hanging basket of winter pansies for a bit of colour.

Sunday is a Reiki part two course to follow up on my part one qualification in the spring.

There have been some interesting news stories this week not least of which Prime Minister Putin of Russia with a black eye! Speculation is rife about how this black belt judo expert got this shiner and his office blames "A busy schedule and poor lighting!" That is so lame. Hilarious!

In California, voters are expected shortly to legalise and tax marijuana (proposition 19) and this is the state that outlawed gay marriage in 2008 (proposition 8). Wow is this a mixed up state - that's not a comment on either issue which are clearly subject of much debate but the contrast of not allowing one and potentially allowing the other. Interesting.

Halloween (All Hallows Eve) is on its way this weekend and when we were in San Francisco a fortnight ago, Halloween was much in evidence. Our tour guide did tell us that their 'trick and treat' was a week long 'celebration' whereas ours tends to be just one night. I'm not sure what the UK spends on Halloween, supposedly around £0.28 billion, but the US spends about $1.8 billion on costumes alone which allegedly 59% of the country wears and in total, a staggering £3.7 billion on the festivity. In the UK this year alone, pumpkin sales will reach £4.5 million. Spooky. Amazing!

Belfast film maker George Clarke reckons that having watched his favourite film actor Charlie Chaplin in his 1928 film, The Circus, he has spotted an elderly woman talking on a mobile phone. This is worth watching on YouTube and here's the link and you can make your own mind up. His initial reaction according to the BBC was, he says, "... that's a mobile phone, they weren't around then, my only explanation - and I'm pretty open-minded about the sci-fi element of things - it was kind of like wow that's somebody that's went back in time." I've watched it an think it's an elderly woman with arthritic hands scratching her ear! Eat your heart out Doctor Who! Ridiculous!

Rolling Stone legend Keith Richards life of substantial substance abuse has baffled the medical profession - baffled because they have no idea how he has survived so long. An eminent doctor described the reasons why as "He must have the constitution of an ox!" Don't try this at home. Stunning!

Finally this week, something which tickled me is that demise of the wristwatch with mobile phones taking over as the nations source for the time. 14% of the UK population don't wear a wristwatch - that amounts to about 7.2 million people with the younger age group of 15 - 24 year olds least likely to wear one. Although I take mine off to meditate and do my psychic work and occasionally on holiday when time is not an issue, I would be lost without mine. That's okay until the battery on your phone runs out and you can't find the time to allow you to catch your train on time! Crazy!

Those are the hilarious, interesting, amazing, ridiculous, stunning and crazy stories that have tickled my fancy this week, nothing too serious, but then we need to enjoy the lighter side of life.

Many thanks to BBC News online for the detail on these stories.

Rather than a story, I've done a list, the first for a few weeks and it's about the tell tale signs of being English:

You never leave home without an umbrella;
You have little sense of rhythm;
You care about the rules of cricket;
You understand the rules of cricket;
You think weather is a more topical conversation that the future of mankind;
You don't expect any form of public transport to run on time;
You have a cliche for every situation (when all is said and done!);
You think Matt Munro was better than Sinatra.

Have a great weekend

Chat soon

Ta-ra.

Only in England...

Hope you've had a good start to the working week and got over the Monday blues. My good friend Linda who is my Shiatsu back therapist (as well as my psychic circle buddy) suggested I need to massage my poorly knee (it's okay, just a little stiff when I don't use it) so she got me some massaging oil.

Imagine my surprise when I found it on my doorstep early this morning (she had taken hubby Ken to the railway station at 6 am and I definitely wasn't in the land of the awake when she dropped it off!) This is what she left:


Now then. The history of this particular product is that whippet and greyhound owners in the land of the cloth caps, Capstan full strength and half a bitter used to massage their racing dogs with this stuff to ease joints. The owners however found that they themselves never had any problems with strains or arthritis in their hands. Hence why people started using it and although it retains its quaint name, it's very much massaging oil for humans, although I'm sure a shaved animal or one with extremely short hair would still enjoy it.

The ingredients are petroleum jelly and Brassica Oleifera which I understand is similar to rape seed oil. I looked it up on the net and was somewhat amused to see that its characteristics are shown as follows: The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees. The plant is self-fertile. It is noted for attracting wildlife.

If I start to grow boobs back after losing them or getting women's 'bits' where I shouldn't be having them - I'm suing (although I can see some advantages... ahem... perhaps we won't go there.)

Changing the subject slightly, although this is subject to a fuller blog in the future no doubt, there is something quaint or perhaps quintessential about being English, including the ability to take the Michael out of ourselves. I suppose the same could be said for any nationality, but there is something definitely English about our attitudes. Here are one or two characteristics of being English:

You don't expect buses, trains or planes to run on time;
You think that the weather is a far more interesting topic than the result of the general election;
When you're in Spain on your summer holiday, you seek out a bar that serves roast beef and sells Watney's Red Barrel;
You have no sense of rhythm at all;
If it's in the newspapers, it's true;
You understand the rules of cricket and particularly the LBW rule;
You actually care about the rules of cricket and the LBW rule;
You think Marty Wilde was every bit as good as Elvis Presley;
You take great delight in trying to teach other people the offside rule.

Have a great week.

Chat soon

Ta-ra.