Journal Entries
Vertically Challenged
Posted Mar 14, 2010
We have just had a visit from my cousin, who is about 6' 8" and big (not fat - just 'big') with it. That and the fact that he arrived in Benshasha on a bike that was twenty times the cubic capacity of anything remotely resembling a 'motorcycle', in the village, meant that his arrival, and stay caused quite a stir. Apart from staring, open mouthed, there were continuous comments, both to and about his 'size'.
Nobody considered this 'rude' or 'offensive', least of all my cousin, who is well used to comments, which are often along the lines of, "Gordon Bennet!! Where the xyz do you manage to get shoes?" Nobody considered it 'rude' that my Moroccan nephew went to some lengths to make sure that there was a bed 2.4m long for him. Quite the opposite - it was regarded as being exceptionally considerate and polite.
Why is it that, if you are male and 5' 5", it is right and proper to regard any comment as to being vertically challenged, as being damnably offensive?
Of course, if you happen to be a French prime minister, you can demand apologies from governments and regard any comments as to footstools as a 'diplomatic incident'.
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Latest reply: Mar 14, 2010
Saturday Rant
Posted Mar 13, 2010
I must thank B'Elena for getting me back into hootoo. I locked myself out by trying to update my registration and ended up within an endless cirle of having to confirm my new email address ad infinitum. I shall never touch it again even though it is still convinced that I was born in November 1985 and NOTHING I tried to do will convince them otherwise!
But, in the correspondence with auntie, I noticed that hootoo's spell-checker is 'American'. Why?
Listening to the BBC news is bad enough, what with, 'upcoming events on the weekend', but (maybe I am just being pedantic), I find it a bit much when auntie bossily underlines words like 'favourite' and 'criticise'. Even Mr Gates allows me to choose whether I spell in English, American, French or whatever.
Whilst I have no wish to 'preserve' English (as the French try to protect their language), I do think that the BBC (of all institutions)should try and maintain the standards of 'English' English. Anyone who plays scrabble will have noticed that there are far fewer words in the American version of English and if we are forced to accept American English as being the ONLY English, I think that it is rather a shame.
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Latest reply: Mar 13, 2010
You must type a Subject for your Journal Entry
Posted Mar 10, 2010
"They appeared to be in good condition other than injuries that they appear to have suffered when they hit they ground."
BBC New just now.
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Latest reply: Mar 10, 2010
Who has been had?
Posted Mar 10, 2010
"The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) must close at the end of 2011 for up to a year to address design issues, according to an LHC director."
Methinks, 'Is the king wearing any clothes?'
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Latest reply: Mar 10, 2010
British Passports
Posted Feb 18, 2010
I am at a loss to understand just why HM's government is getting its knickers in a twist over the gentleman in Dubai. Di international assassains really think to themselves, "Oh dearie, dearie me, we really MUSTN'T use British passports to travel around the world incognito, that really WOULDN'T be 'on'!"
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Latest reply: Feb 18, 2010
PedanticBarSteward
Researcher U1618943
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