Thank you The Royal Mail

I got a Christmas card from the Royal Mail yesterday. Thank you RM, much appreciated. However, I don't understand it! On the front of the card it says:

We're all about this Christmas

On the one hand it's understandable but on the other it's like that phrase that the 12 year olds at the BBC use, "Here are some stories to keep you across"

Humbug!

DW
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I just love this graphic

There is a serious message behind the graphic I am sending you to here, courtesy of The Economist; but I think it is such a suave chart. I dream of being able to produce graphics like this!

http://media.economist.com/images/na/2008w47/co2.jpg

DW

Blog of the Year

Hooray! You will probably not be in the least bit surprised to hear that Duncan’s Diurnal Diatribe has been voted BLOG OF THE YEAR 2008.

I’d like to thank …

Yours in humility

DW

Nigerian Scam

You will guffaw at this, I know I did!

Talking to a couple colleagues the other day and for some reason we talked about Nigerian scams: Dear Blah, my father died and has left me $12,500,000.00 (don’t you just love the 0.00 at the end?) … give me all of your bank account details and I will transfer that money to you … you keep scads and I take the rest …

Well, here’s one that apparently has seriously caught out a few people:

Loveletter Odwomu is proudly serving Nigeria on board the International Space Station. He has been there for three weeks and has carried out many valuable experiments for Nigeria and mankind. Now, however, Loveletter’s got a problem: he needs $2,500,000.00 to get home. Loveletter paid for his fare to get him to the Station but his investments have been hit by the world wide banking crisis … please send all you can to …

DW

Tut, tut, tut The Economist

I have just read in a recent edition of The Economist that David Cameron is “likely to be the next Prime Minister” [of the UK]. Oh really?

Then, whilst talking about Tory Toffs like Cameron and George Osborne, they say that there are non Toffs high up in the ranks of the Parliamentary Tory Party. They named William Hague and Michael Gove. Is that good?

Since Hague and Gove are on my hit list of men most in need of political castration, I found myself gasping that The Economist could publish such things.

DW

Prostitution: the Home Secretary fell further down the stupid tree

The UK Government wants to protect women in prostitution who are being trafficked and controlled. That is, those poor women who are under the influence of someone odious who is taking their money, their passport perhaps …

I agree people (ie not only women) who are working as prostitutes should be able to do so under their own terms and conditions, free from financial and other control. I do NOT believe for a moment that all prostitutes are down trodden women who are desperate and under the control of a man and only a man.

So far so good: if the government can eliminate such awful nonsense then I will be as happy as anyone.

What the Home Secretary has done is to bring forward a proposal that anyone who uses the services of a prostitute who is working under the control and duress of another is guilty of a crime. Does the Home Secretary not realise the Chief Wiggins moments that are going to ensue? Imagine this:

Lady: Good evening, sir, do you want business?

Man: Yes, how much?

Lady: £50 in your car and £60 in my flat.

Man: OK, in the car. Oh!, by the way are you under the control and duress of a prostitute Baron aka a pimp or are you working of your own free will?

Lady: (Shifting nervously from foot to foot and looking furtively up and down the street) No, no, no; I am doing this because I want to, the kids need feeding ...

Man: Are you sure?

Lady: Yes, honestly, love. C’mon, let’s go. (She gets into the car as a man watching from afar with binoculars and listening with a long range directional microphone smiles contentedly to himself.)

Man: OK, good. (Drives off)

One more clunk from a hefty branch there, then, Home Secretary.

DW

Passion is the new Amazing

I have got heartily sick of how amazing things are these days. However, the word passion is now being even more widely over used.

Every now and again I like to watch cookery programmes; but I am wary now because I find the number people who are passionate about cheese, meat, frying ... is, well, amazing.

The same with anything to do with football. The amount of passion in football is astonishing.

How about a bit of variety? Let's think of new words for amazing and passion.

Amazing: _________

Passion: _________


DW
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Rachmaninov's Vespers

A long time ago I went to a performance of Rachmaninov's Vespers in King's College Chapel, Cambridge. It was a magnificent evening. Glorious music and song in a perfect setting. Three encores I think.

I bought a CD of the Vespers a little while later and it is a marvellous thing.

Now, I have transferred Vespers to my iPod and it is heavenly to listen to. I especially like Blazhen Muzh and Bogoroditsye Devo

DW
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