30.8.08

Is it Gay to Moisturise?

A young man sat next to me on the flight from Dubai to Doha yesterday. We didn’t speak and there is nothing wrong with that. So my question is, is it gay to moisturise?

 

This man sat down and applied moisturiser to his face. Then he went to sleep. I was rather offended that he turned his back on me as he got himself comfy. He slept almost all of the 40 minutes it took to get from Dubai to Doha. On arrival the man then got out another potion and sprayed his face with it. I don’t suppose it was fly spray!

 

Just a thought.

 

DW

Is it really THAT bad?

British Chancellor of the Exchequer Alastair Darling is reported to have said that the British Economy is in its worst state for more than 60 years: according to BBC World that is.

 

If that is true then we really are in the mire. Remember the devaluation of 1967? How about Denis Healy having to go cap in hand to the IMF month after month and anyone going abroad was limited to taking £50 with them. Then there were the Thatcher years: with that disastrous Chancellor Nigel Lawson followed eventually by the equally questionable Normal Lamont.

 

I have lived through bad times in the UK then so if it’s the worst for 60 years then it must be bad.

 

Then again, this is some sort of payback for the country living on credit for the last 15 years or so. The boom of the Blair years have now come to a head: all of those people wearing Armani clothes, driving a new BMW and carrying Louis Vuitton bags are having to shop at Aldi and Lidl now as their credit has run out. This is REALLY what Darling is talking about, not the credit crunch from the USA. The credit crunch is merely a symptom of gross mismanagement by governments all over the Western world.

 

Who will suffer, though? Hmm, let me think about that.

 

DW

 

 

US Presidential Circus

Living in hotels for week after week as I often do, it is very difficult for me to avoid the American Presidential Election Pantomime (you can quote me and call it the APE Pantomime, but don’t forget to ascribe it to me!). Since I am not American I do not get a full grasp of what they are doing. However, as an outsider I do know that Obama has inflicted himself on the world’s public for almost two years. Obama and Ms Clinton started their campaigns a year early because they knew it would be tough for them. In addition, they are both so hungry (many say greedy) for power that they needed a massive start on the competition.

 

Well, it worked and in the end the only two Democratic candidates in the ring were those two people. Now they are down to one!

 

Well, apart from being sick to death of the process and telling an American colleague that they could take a leaf out of the British Political book and spend just THREE WEEKS on their general election campaigns, I was distressed yesterday.

 

What happened yesterday? McCain, the oven fried Republican candidate (already 72 years old, extremely boring and an appalling public speaker in my opinion), announced his Vice Presidential nominee candidate: a woman, Sarah Palin. Nothing wrong with a woman. What got me was her strident and grating voice: eeugh! She looks presentable and I might even say pretty. But that voice. I have heard her speak for a total of about 30 seconds and it made me wonder how she managed to have five children with a voice like that!! No offence, ma’am ... in case you get the job!!

 

These are the political insights you don’t get everywhere!

 

 

DW

 

 

 

The UN: plus ca change ...

I am seething!

 

I am in a nice hotel in Khartoum. Outside there are many spotlessly clean but very large 4x4 cars with UN in big letters on them.

 

At the airport it looked to me as if there was an entire area comprising only UN planes and helicopters.

 

Having seen these people  in operation in Malawi, I dread to think what they are up to here.

 

They come for years these UN people and sound the death knell for the country they inflict on themselves on.

 

If I get to talk to any of them I will tell them that I would be able to get them all sent home within around a your providing they gave me a staff of no more than 100 men to work them out with their jobs.  As I did that I am very confident that I would have resolved most if not all of the problems facing the Sudan at the moment.  Brave words but give me a chance and I would get rid of the misery.

 

DW

29.8.08

Mick Channon

Sorry to hear that Mick Channon has been hurt in a car crash. A good footy player from years ago.

Gulf Today introduced this story by saying that former football ace and racing horse trainer is in a STABLE condition.

I kid you not!

DW
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28.8.08

The Burj Dubai

I think it's a magical looking building and here is a snap wot I took in June, just a few weeks ago. I went down to the Burj that day to take photos of it in daylight, at twilight and at night. I think it is a highly photogenic bit of architecture and am looking forward to the day I can go inside it and to the top of it ...
DW

Walking in Dubai

I went for a walk this afternoon in Dubai. Wow, that was a hot, hot, hot thing to do. It took me about an hour and a half to stop sweating.

 

Near the clock tower there is an advert for a watch with that duff actor George Clowney as the USP. As if!

 

DW

25.8.08

Olympics 14

I thought I had finished chatting about the Beijing Olympic games and then some utter clown thought it would awfully outre to include an image of Myra Hindley in a promotional video of London.

Hindley was jailed for her part in luring five children and young people into the arms of her lover Ian Brady. Brady then abused, tortured amd murdered these unfortunate people.

Hindley and Brady dumped the bodies of their victims on moorland. Tragically there is one young lad whom these monstrous people killed who is still on the moors somewhere: unfound and alone. The poor lad's mother has spent her life since his death desperately looking for him.

So do you think London should have shown an image of that awful woman celebrating the city?

The good news is that Hindley died in prison.

DW

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Olympics 12a

In spite of any impression I might have created to the contrary, I have enjoyed the Beijing Olympics.

Team GB has done pretty well but I have been keen to point out the errors of some of our delusional athletes. The athletes who were only hopeful and not driven. The athletes draped in bling and tattoos and dyed hair showed how they were diverting their energies away from a superior performance.

The final moan concerns the high five. Who has taught these people to hug each other and dish out high fives at the least opportunity? Just ridiculous in my opinion.

End of the Olympics.

Now for the Paraympics where things will be so much better.

DW
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24.8.08

Short of Nothing

These things pop into one's head don't they?

My mother, RIP, used to say she was short of nothing she hadn't got. I suddenly just thought about that and for the first time ever, I decided to try to understand what it meant. I concluded by thinking what a clever little saying it is.

I don't know if mother created the saying or not but I like it.

DW
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eGate Card

My eGate card let me down as I arrived at DXB on Saturday morning. However, you can rejoice now because I went to the eGate office and had it set up again.

Praise be!!

DW
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23.8.08

Wolf and Sheep's Clothing

Ever been tempted by those astonishing offers whereby you are told you can share in many milions of Dollars if only you would help someone you have never met.

Of course, it's all rubbish and having shared your full bank details with these people they simply walk into your bank account and steal all of the money in it.

Well now, they have put the wolf in sheep's clothing. I just received the following message an hour or so ago. These people are evil predators. Don't fall for their horrible tricks.

Their cruddy message follows:

Attention:

This email is not in any manner directed to you, but its purposely and specifically directed to Nigeria Scam victims. . However, if you have fallen for Nigerian Scams, do not hesitate to contact us or visit our website for more details on how we can help.

We shall be waiting to hearing from you been certain that you were truly scammed by a Nigerian and you have proves to back your claims. Please read the full report at our website: ... URL deleted to protect the unwary.


Yours faithfully,

Brian Adams

Nigerian Government Reimbursement Committee

Message ends

Please be careful.

DW

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21.8.08

Olympics 12

Chen Ruolin. Know that name? After moaning at our bling bling athletes, spare a thought for that slip of a Chinese lass Chen who won Gold in the 10 metre diving competition.

When only a brilliant dive would suffice to win Gold, Chen provided us with virtually a faultless dive. I really have nothing but admiration for athletes like that.

While another Chinese girl won Bronze, let's congratulate the equally excellent Canadian who won Silver.

Again, the two British girls in the final did well but they were many streets behind the top three.

DW


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Olympics 11

I mentioned athletes wearing their designer sun glasses at night. Well, Martyn Rooney, our 400 metre male runner just ran in his designer specs.

He did so badly. The BBC commentators were building Rooney up as a contender. Even though the second in the race was one second behind the winner and the third placed runner fell over as he crossed the line Rooney wasn't even fourth or fifth ...

I would make our athletes behave like the Chinese competitors. Did you see the latest female diver? Perfection.

By the way, I fell in love with the two Chinese beach volleyball Bronze medal winners. Marvellous girls both!

DW
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20.8.08

Olympics 10

Is it me or are we suffering from massive exaggeration?

Usain Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter, won the 200 metres sprint for men. As he did so he knocked 0.02 seconds off the existing world record. That's two HUNDREDTHS of a second.

Admittedly Bolt was many metres ahead of the rest of the field but given that the existing record was 12 years old is this such an astonishing feat?

I don't think so!!

DW
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Olympics 9

All inadequate English people are using amount now when they should be saying number. For example, they say there is a large AMOUNT of people ... Of course it should be a large NUMBER of people.

The 12 year olds at the BBC are now using the noun medal as a verb. That's such a stupid thing to do that I won't even illustrate it.

I am tired and bored of hearing how AMAZING things are at the Olympics too. I am sorry but it's impossible for EVERYTHING to be amazing.

DW

19.8.08

Stupid Foreigner Moment

You know the story, you arrive in a foreign land and are either right royally ripped off or it takes you ages to pay for something as simple as a loaf of bread with their new notes and coins.

Yesterday I went to a supermarket here in Amsterdam and bought a few things. I held my hand out for my change and in a Woolworth moment the check out girl plonked it down on the counter.

There was a sticky surface to the counter and it took a bit of effort to scrape the coins into my hand.

However, as I was putting my things in a bag a young man held out his hand with a 2 euro coin in it. I didn't understand as he said nothing. Then he looked pityingly at me and tilted his head in the direction of the counter.

I apogised and accepted the coin then thanked the man. I felt his withering, pity the poor foreigner look, was a bit much though!!

DW
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18.8.08

Olympics 8

Can someone explain the need for a steeplechase runner to wear trendy sunglasses ... At night ... When it's dark?

Brendan Foster's on tip top form, as per yesterday. That is, useless.

DW
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17.8.08

Olympics 7

We did it again! In the middle of what the papers are calling the Great Haul of China, we sent Paula Radcliffe to come 23rd in the Marathon. She clearly wasn't fit so why did she go?

I know someone will tell me about morale and team spirit and those worthy things but I think no one else does such a thing as take a lame athlete to the olympics.

Athletics are back, then. So is Brendan Foster. Why do they persist with Foster? He was a decent runner in the 1980s but he was NEVER a decent commentator. Foster lacks erudition, he lacks fluency and he lacks imagination. Boring, in other words!

It's the penultimate lap of the 10,000 metres for men as I rant this and Foster has just tried to set up an exciting finish. He failed completely. Yaaaaawn!

A lap later and he's asking the same question as he asked a lap ago, who's going to strike? Oddly, the man who was to win had already struck!

C'mon Foster, time to retire. At least that useless John Motson has done that for us.

DW
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Olympics 6

How about this? The girl who finished 15th in the woman's marathon at the Olympics is from Ethiopia and is called ...

Dire Tune!

Marvellous!!!!

DW
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