Friday 1 July 2011
Stuff I read, and some other things: Wimbledon...duh
Stuff I read, and some other things: Wimbledon...duh: "The Independent, Wednesday 29th June 2011 Numerous little bits stuck out as I read, mainly the page 5 spread on Wimbledon
Wimbledon...duh
The Independent, Wednesday 29th June 2011
Numerous little bits stuck out as I read, mainly the page 5 spread on Wimbledon entitled They came, they queued, they got wet - but did they wash? The first half was about the apparent leak in the roof off the Centre court, which - according to a spokesperson - was 'leaks in the permanent structure, not the new roof' well...
The article got better when the journalist mentioned 4 young guys he ran into as they queued for tickets. 'I'm not skipping school, I'm erm, at a University open day' was their answer, also 'It's only three days. And these four week are pointless' - AS going into A2 level students I assume. Know the feeling.
Camping out in Wimbledon and having no accessible running water resulted in one of them remarking 'We've brushed our teeth but nothing more ... I don't think I smell that bad' after smelling his left armpit. Recalling that this week was the hottest it's been for well, ever ... hard to believe his words. And starting off with only two sleeping bag between the four of them was always going to be a bad idea.
The article ends with the simple fact that by the time the guys got to see the match they were waiting for (Murray against Lopez), they would have gone without washing for 'a combined 300 hours.' Eww comes to mind...
'Islamic Mikey Mouse' provokes anger in Egypt could never fail to amuse. A 'millionaire Egyptian telecoms mogul' has posted cartoons of Mikey and Minnie Mouse wearing Islamic dress; Mr Mouse even having a beard and Mrs Mouse in a face-veil. Since this, the fundamentalist branch of Islam the Salafists have been outraged, and shown their anger by creating a 'facebook group with over 60,000 members' and threatened to 'cut out the tongue' of any one that insults Islam. The cartoon creator Mr Sawris has now apologised.
Numerous little bits stuck out as I read, mainly the page 5 spread on Wimbledon entitled They came, they queued, they got wet - but did they wash? The first half was about the apparent leak in the roof off the Centre court, which - according to a spokesperson - was 'leaks in the permanent structure, not the new roof' well...
The article got better when the journalist mentioned 4 young guys he ran into as they queued for tickets. 'I'm not skipping school, I'm erm, at a University open day' was their answer, also 'It's only three days. And these four week are pointless' - AS going into A2 level students I assume. Know the feeling.
Camping out in Wimbledon and having no accessible running water resulted in one of them remarking 'We've brushed our teeth but nothing more ... I don't think I smell that bad' after smelling his left armpit. Recalling that this week was the hottest it's been for well, ever ... hard to believe his words. And starting off with only two sleeping bag between the four of them was always going to be a bad idea.
The article ends with the simple fact that by the time the guys got to see the match they were waiting for (Murray against Lopez), they would have gone without washing for 'a combined 300 hours.' Eww comes to mind...
'Islamic Mikey Mouse' provokes anger in Egypt could never fail to amuse. A 'millionaire Egyptian telecoms mogul' has posted cartoons of Mikey and Minnie Mouse wearing Islamic dress; Mr Mouse even having a beard and Mrs Mouse in a face-veil. Since this, the fundamentalist branch of Islam the Salafists have been outraged, and shown their anger by creating a 'facebook group with over 60,000 members' and threatened to 'cut out the tongue' of any one that insults Islam. The cartoon creator Mr Sawris has now apologised.
Thursday 9 June 2011
Fishy Fridays?
'Nichols rallies faithful to Lenten observance'
Ever wondered why it's common to have a fish and not a meat dish on Fridays? An article in the Tablet - An international Catholic Weekly - dated the 5th March 2011 explains.
His Grace, The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster (the leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales) called the faithful people during Lent this year to take up this 'ancient tradition' not just blindly, but with reason and prayerfulness.
Traditionally, Catholics practice 'prayer, self denial and almsgiving' during Lent, but on all Fridays we are to fast or at least 'abstain from meat, or another favourite part of our diet' as an act of our humility to God.
The Bishops Conference has urged Catholics to be proud (but not too proud as pride is a deadly sin) of their Catholic faith, and do what we can to share it with others by means of simple gestures such as fasting and making the sign of the Cross more often.
In modern times, fasting isn't practical. We got out to eat, some of us eat what is provided for us by others - it doesn't always work out. Abstaining from something, anything, for the day shows prayerful consideration.
But why Friday? Good Friday, of course, is the day Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice and humbled himself to death on a Cross. In memory of this, Catholics humble themselves in a small gesture.
Ever wondered why it's common to have a fish and not a meat dish on Fridays? An article in the Tablet - An international Catholic Weekly - dated the 5th March 2011 explains.
His Grace, The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster (the leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales) called the faithful people during Lent this year to take up this 'ancient tradition' not just blindly, but with reason and prayerfulness.
Traditionally, Catholics practice 'prayer, self denial and almsgiving' during Lent, but on all Fridays we are to fast or at least 'abstain from meat, or another favourite part of our diet' as an act of our humility to God.
The Bishops Conference has urged Catholics to be proud (but not too proud as pride is a deadly sin) of their Catholic faith, and do what we can to share it with others by means of simple gestures such as fasting and making the sign of the Cross more often.
In modern times, fasting isn't practical. We got out to eat, some of us eat what is provided for us by others - it doesn't always work out. Abstaining from something, anything, for the day shows prayerful consideration.
But why Friday? Good Friday, of course, is the day Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice and humbled himself to death on a Cross. In memory of this, Catholics humble themselves in a small gesture.
Road melts
A wonderful article in the Bristol Evening Post - Wednesday May 25th involving a Councillor (the Deputy Lord Mayor) and a Bristol resident.
The resident claims, and I quote, that he was a 'victim of a melting road' - He claims his new carpets were ruined by the resurfacing of the road outside his house with tar and those weird annoying chippings things. The resident claims the Council should pay £1,300 for new carpets and also, just for the jokes, pay £544 for a new windscreen, as his car was damaged by the chippings. Well, the windscreen is plausible, I guess.
The Councillor is lending his support (most likely because according to this article they live on the same road, and it would have been a little Un-Ex-Lord Mayor like to ignore him). After complaints were made, both personal and on the behalf of his new friend, workmen swept the road to help the problem by removing the loose chippings. Twice.
The resident has been on the Council's case for a year now and has written 'nearly 40 letters of complaint,' and after his 'research' he has concluded that the problem is due to 'chippings not being washed' beforehand and therefore won't stick to the tar if they're dirty with dust (what the hell kind of home research is this?). Then the Council had a look, well 'inspection.' Conclusion? Nothing wrong (...)
Ah well, but at least 'a meeting with him to discuss the issue' has been called. There is some road/rogue justice (ahha).
The resident claims, and I quote, that he was a 'victim of a melting road' - He claims his new carpets were ruined by the resurfacing of the road outside his house with tar and those weird annoying chippings things. The resident claims the Council should pay £1,300 for new carpets and also, just for the jokes, pay £544 for a new windscreen, as his car was damaged by the chippings. Well, the windscreen is plausible, I guess.
The Councillor is lending his support (most likely because according to this article they live on the same road, and it would have been a little Un-Ex-Lord Mayor like to ignore him). After complaints were made, both personal and on the behalf of his new friend, workmen swept the road to help the problem by removing the loose chippings. Twice.
The resident has been on the Council's case for a year now and has written 'nearly 40 letters of complaint,' and after his 'research' he has concluded that the problem is due to 'chippings not being washed' beforehand and therefore won't stick to the tar if they're dirty with dust (what the hell kind of home research is this?). Then the Council had a look, well 'inspection.' Conclusion? Nothing wrong (...)
Ah well, but at least 'a meeting with him to discuss the issue' has been called. There is some road/rogue justice (ahha).
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